After three more tries, Martin shut it off.
"And get me another beer!"
He refilled their mugs.
"All right."
Tlingel moved the Knight to K2.
Keeping the unicorn from castling had to be the most important thing at the moment. So Martin moved his Queen to R5. Tlingel made a tiny, strangling noise, and when Martin looked up smoke was curling from the unicorn's nostrils.
"More beer?"
"If you please."
As he returned with it, he saw Tlingel move the Bishop to capture the Knight. There seemed no choice for him at that moment, but he studied the position for a long while anyway.
Finally, "Bishop takes Bishop," he said.
"Of course."
"How's the warm glow?"
Tlingel chuckled.
"You'll see."
The wind rose again, began to howl. The building creaked.
"Okay," Tlingel finally said, and moved the Queen to Q2.
Martin stared. What was he doing? So far, it had gone all right, but ... He listened again to the wind and realized he was taking.
"That's all folks," he said, leaning back in his chair. "Continued next month."
Tlingel sighed.
"Don't run off. Fetch me another. Let me tell you of my wanderings in your world this past month."
"Looking for weak links?"
"You're lousy with them. How do you stand it?"
"They're harder to strengthen than you might think. Any advice?"
"Get the beer."
They talked until the sky paled in the east, and Martin found himself taking surreptitious notes. His admiration for the unicorn's analytical abilities increased as the evening advanced.
When they finally rose, Tlingel staggered.
"You all right?"
"Forgot to detox, that's all. Just a second. Then I'll be fading."
"Wait!"
"Whazzat?"
"I could use one too."
"Sure. Grab hold, then."
Tlingel's head descended and Martin took the tip of the horn between his fingertips. Immediately, a delicious, warm sensation flowed through him. He closed his eyes to enjoy it. His head cleared. An ache which had been growing within his frontal sinus vanished. The tiredness went out of his muscles. He opened his eyes again.
"Thank—"
Tlingel had vanished. He held but a handful of air.
"—you."
"Rael here is my friend. He's a griffin."
"I'd noticed."
Martin nodded at the beaked, golden-winged creature.
"Pleased to meet you, Rael."
"The same," cried the other in a high-pitched voice. "Have you got the beer?"
"Why—uh—yes."
"I've been telling him about beer," Grend whispered. "But he's good company. I'd appreciate your humoring him."
Martin opened the first six-pack and passed the griffin and the sasquatch a beer apiece. Rael immediately punctured the can with his beak, chugged it, belched and held out his claw.
"Beer!" he shrieked. "More beer!"
Martin handed him another.
"Say, you're still into that first game, aren't you?" Grend observed, studying the board. "Now, _that_ is an interesting position."
Grend drank and studied the board.
"Good thing it's not raining," Martin commented.