14
Towards the end of the next day, the tired travellers began to meet with dwarves. The news of Adam's success spread quickly, faster even than the mist of Distraction. When they arrived, just before sunset, the streets were lined with cheering dwarves, who showered them with celandine and primrose petals, the traditional Dwarfish Heroes Welcome.
The three travellers were taken before the Council, where they had to listen to long speeches about what heroes they were. The Key lay on a specially prepared velvet-covered oak table and none of the councillors took his eye off it for a minute, not even when making his speech. Palustric seemed to enjoy all this, but Adam and Lar were impatient.
To the collective horror of the Most Serene Council of Dwarves, Adam interrupted Balom the Black, m
