As I sat at the table of the bed and breakfast trying toingest the incondite tonic prepared by my host, a pilgaric with a face ofchimeric proportions, a terrible thunder whose verberations threatened to rivethe establishment  asunder diminished into the sound of scree scrabbling down the rooftop.  Curious as to the sound's emanation, Ipicked up my cup and peered out the fulinginous window while sipping theinfernal draught.  The tonicquickly erupted from my nasal cavity and tur...