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THE RING

Fribby has clearly crossed some sort of ghastly line from which you cannot come back, hurling the ring in Dr. Terrible’s beak like that.

In response, the ropy veins in Dr. Terrible’s long neck pop out. And his scaly green body inflates and the rippling muscles in his chest and forelimbs and powerful haunches swell up to hideous proportions.

He’s definitely seeing lava. Then his wings unfurl behind his monsterish head and his massive spiked tail raises up and starts twitching in a menacing Threat Display.

He gnashes his fangs.

My horns are tingling like crazy, and the scales on the back of my neck are standing up.

Then Dr. Terrible holds out his talon.

I flinch.

The diamond ring leaps up off the floor and into his open palm.

Smack.

He pockets the ring in his tunic.

Now Dr. Terrible points his powerstaff at Fribby and takes aim.

He snorts flamestreams out his nostrils, and roars, “Time to die, you robot trash!”