Hours later--it seemed like hours, anyway--Thal found out who the red-haired man was...and quickly wished that he hadn’t.
He made the discovery when the four of them (five, counting the hippo) stopped for a rest in the desert foothills they were crossing. It was the first break they had taken since leaving the sewers many miles ago, and Thal was grateful for the chance to sit down, even if all he had to sit on was a boulder.
As Thal slouched in an exhausted daze on the rock, the red-haired man walked over and offered him his canteen. Thal was so parched that he couldn’t refuse.
“Still can’t quite place me, can you?” said the man as Thal took a drink. “Maybe you could use a little hint.”
Thal lowered the canteen and took another good look at the guy. “All right,” he said. “Like wha
