Whizzit paused, wishing he had a third hand. Right at that moment, the door crashed open, startling him and making him drop his latest project.

“Dang! Made me drop my cylinder and now it’s dented, you id–”

Whizzit stared up at the largest man he’d ever seen. Fully seven feet tall with a girth to match, he completely filled the doorway. Everyone was tall compared to Whizzit’s three foot two, but this guy was huge.

Whizzit had never let his stature temper his loud mouth, and he wasn’t about to start.

“You moron! That’s cost me a day’s work – I’ll have to beat out that dent!”

The apparition didn’t speak, but instead, placed a small ingot of gold on Whizzit’s workbench.

“That might cover the cost…got any more?”

“No!”

Whizzit thought it was thundering, but the sun still shone and thunder didn’t often say “no”.

“Well, I suppose it will have to do,” said Whizzit, reaching for the ingot before the lunk took it back.

The voice rumbled. “It’s for travel supplies. Buy food, camping equipment and a small cart and a donkey. You’re coming to see the King.”

Whizzit snorted. “No, I’m not! Why would the King want to see me?”

“He’s heard about your…toys.”

“Aww, need something for the new baby, is it? Here, take that one from the shelf and be off!”

“Okay…I’ll be in the tavern.”

Whizzit let out the breath he didn’t know he’d been holding. This is proving to be a strange day, he thought.

The next day proved to be a repeat of the first day — minus the gold ingot, Whizzit noticed.

On the third day, Whizzit got really angry.

“Why don’t you leave me alone? Haven’t you got anything better to do? Do I look like the sort of person who’d fit in at the King’s court?”

“I managed it. I’ll be in the tavern.”

“You’re really annoying, do you know that?”

This time the thunder rumbled “Yes.”

On the fourth day, Whizzit got up early and marched down to the Peck & Feather. Flinging open the door, he yelled into the gloom, “where’s that giant King’s man?”

The man in question stirred himself from the seat he dwarfed and came to the door.

“Come to your senses, have you?”

“No, and look here…what is your name?”

“Promise you won’t laugh?”

“Right now, I couldn’t laugh if you cast a giggling spell and told me a bad joke!”

“It’s… here goes… Sky.”

Whizzit tried hard, he really did. First, his belly quivered and then it spread in waves until it burst forth from his mouth. “Pah hahaha!”

“You promised you wouldn’t laugh!”

“But, but… it’s a girl’s name! Why?”

“Because I’m so tall, I touch it.”

“Touch what?”

“The sky, bonehead!”

“But surely you weren’t that tall when you were born, when yer ma named you?”

“I was told you were a genius. There’s not a lot of evidence so far. Were you always called Whizzit?”

“No, but everyone calls me that because of the sound my gadgets make…oh…sorry…really I am.”

“No hard feelings. I tell you what, let’s have a beer.”

“That’s the first thing you’ve said that I agree with. Thanks, Sky.”

There was definitely a touch of mirth in Whizzit’s eyes, but he managed not to laugh.