The Goblin King’s Quest

After agreeing to perform some service for the mysterious and terrifying Goblin King, I have found myself being led through the Labyrinth by a glum and morose Hoggle, who insists that this quest will be the death of us.  Unfortunately, I still don’t know what we are supposed to do, and Hoggle doesn’t seem to want to tell me.  How can I succeed in this task when I don’t even know what it is?  I will have to find a way, using all the skills at my disposal.

Through deft interrogation, I wear down Hoggle’s resistance:

Reluctantly, spurred on by fear of failure and possibly fear of heights, he finally tells me what the Goblin King requires of us:

Thinking through the possibilities, I swiftly conclude the nature of the beast that Hoggle and I will face once we reach the Bog of Eternal Stench. I do not share my thoughts with Hoggle, in case I am proved wrong; but when we do reach that stark and desolate place, my suspicions are confirmed.

With effort, we manage to convince Tucker to come with us to meet the Goblin King and show him that Tucker is not, in fact, a monster.

Despite our unexpectedly rapid success in the quest, Hoggle seems oddly subdued. I am not sure why, but it puts me on my guard. Perhaps he fears that, as a reward for completing our task, the Goblin King will treat us to an extended performance of “Every Rose Has Its Thorn”. But that is a risk that I am willing to take to live up to my agreement; because I am Dennis the Vizsla, and I never give up.