Turtledove
Register
Advertisement
Aila
Fictional Character
Clever Rolf Stories
Fantasy
Appearance(s): "Mebodes' Fly"
Type of Appearance: Direct
Nationality: Argentan
Occupation: Prostitute

Aila was a prostitute at Argentan's biggest bawdy house. Clever Rolf, the bookkeeper of the bawdy house, frequently took payment in trade from Aila, though he also made sure to tip her generously. One night, after finishing up with Clever Rolf, she informed him that the evil wizard Mebodes, whom Clever Rolf had once thwarted, had come looking for him. Panicked, Clever Rolf headed to the lobby, where Mebodes lay waiting. He cursed Clever Rolf, and took his leave.[1]

After a series of incidents involving insects, Clever Rolf fled to nearby Estreby and recruited the services of the wizard Rigord.[2] The two came to the bawdy house, and Rigord summoned a salamander to chase Mebodes away, singing his back side as he pulled up his pants. Alia, who thought Mebodes a scoundrel, thanked Clever Rolf by giving him a free visit.[3] Clever Rolf told Alia the whole story. As he was finishing, the fly Mebodes told Clever Rolf would kill him appeared in the room. Clever Rolf crushed it, reminding Alia that Mebodes hadn't finished his spell, and further that Mebodes had run down the street with his fly undone.[4]

References[]

  1. Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, vol 83, no 1, July 1992, pg. 96-98.
  2. Ibid., pg. 101.
  3. Ibid., pgs. 104-105.
  4. Ibid. pg. 106.
Advertisement