Three Word Thursday #28

Welcome to Three Word Thursday #29. This week, joining the quondam obscure word-list, we have quibbleism; obrumpent; & temeration. We also have a whole list of perspicacious writers. If you enjoy reading my story, leave a comment then click on the names of the other players and go see how they used these bygone words. You’ll be entertained (and possibly educated) all at once.

The 12th Knight of Strawberry Fife

Striking a Deal

Evaard sat in a chair and offered his foot to the boy. “Son, do you know how much your wages are?”

Vernal obediently tugged on his master’s boot. He answered with obrumpent pride. “Seven cents a week, sir. One penny a day. And I am to be paid every seventh eve.”

“Yes,” Evaard agreed. He wasn’t found of quibbleism so he spoke bluntly, “But the Steward will deduct your room, board and clothing from that at 4 cents per week.”

The boot popped off Evaard’s foot and sent Vernal plummeting backward. Luckily he tripped over the cat and fell short of plunging into the fireplace. He sat on the dirt floor with Evaard’s boot in his lap and repeated. “Four pennies a week?”

Evaard held out his other foot. “Three meals a day at the castle, your bed, and your uniform laundered weekly.”

Vernal climbed to his feet, paused to check the ponask, then approached Evaard’s other boot. This time the boy made certain he wasn’t aligned with the fireplace before he tugged, and the cat, safely under the bed, made certain she wasn’t aligned with the boy.

“Is there no way I can lower the bill?” Vernal asked.

“There’s nothing you can do about the laundry,” Evaard said. “But if you do the butchering and the cooking you can take your meals here. And there’s a lean-to outside you can sleep in until winter, then you may want to rethink things.”

Vernal removed the second boot without mishap and set it on the floor beside the first. “And what is it you’ll charge me?”  Despite the temeration in his voice, his gaze met Evaard’s proudly.

Evaard smiled. It was a wise question. The boy had promise. “I expect you to work hard, do well at your lessons, and not make me regret taking you in,” he said.

to be continued
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The 3WT #29 words will be:  obstrigillate; ossifragant; & mariturient

Got it? Good! In that case: Your story is due on:  September 24th, 2009