Strong Voodoo (part 2)

I feel dat jungle callin'. Tiger may be cage', but 'e still feel dat 'untin' urge.

"'ey der, elfie. What you doin' on dat box, eh? 'e 'ired ya ta bring in dem customer, eh?"

I looks over at snot-boy by dem boxes. 'e like me even less now. Troll be use' ta dat. We bin makin' war, makin' peace an makin' baby since time began. We seen us empire rise, an' we seen us empire fall. Elfie tink 'e been aroun' so long dat 'e can fahget where 'e came from. 'e tink dat 'e ain' troll no more, 'e civilise', 'e superiah. Troll know 'e ain' civilise'. Troll know 'e jungle.

"Good evening... troll." 

Hehe. Elfie tongue-tied. Doll speak fah 'im:

"And I'm sure I don't know what you mean."

Doll know jus' fine, I reckon. We play a little.

"Well why else a lady sittin' on a box den? Should ya no be dancin' or sometin'?"

"Dancing? Do I really look like that's something I would indulge in?"

I shrugs. What wrong wid dancin? It be fun, eh? Ya can get all 'igh an' fancy wid ya civilise' way, but if ya no 'appy...

"I seen a lot o'dat roun' 'ere. I tink it be da custom..."

"I think it depends on the 'class' of elf you associate with." 

Too good fah dancin', are ya? Maybe troll ain' da only prisonah in dis cage. Maybe we free Doll up a little.

"What ya mean by dat? I tought all yas elfies was 'igh class?"

"Even the ones that dance? I would disagree..."

 Could be dem pin pierce more dan ya limb, eh darlin'? Look like dey pin ya 'eart before dey drop ya.

"Ya not tink dancin' be classy, den? Ya should come down ta Sen'jin some time den. Catch yaself some rhythm."

 Almos' a smile der, almos'. Maybe Doll like a lil trip ta da jungle.

"I'm uncertain as to whether I have 'rhythm'..."

 "Well, I don' mean ta be rude, darlin', cos I know yas elfies like ta dance an' all, but sometime yas look like ya got a broom stuck up yas. Too stiff, ya see." 

Troll like dancin'. We always got rhythm in us ear. We got move, cos if we don', dem drum-beat turn ta soun' o' war. Drum drive us, change us seein', bring us loa.

"Are you suggesting that I should.... loosen up? Be like those of my kin, with no sense of dignity?" 

Dignity, eh? I 'eard story about when troll 'ad dignity. It made us stop dancin', start actin' propah an civilise'. Respec' da boss-man, cos 'e got dignity. Forget jungle, forget rhythm. Forget who ya be. Us empire gone now. We ain' got dignity no more. Troll 'appy.

"Well what ya mean by dignity, eh? Not doin' sometin' cos 'e no be proppah? Well oo get ta say what dem rule be, eh?"

"Now me, I dance when I wan', not when some rulebook say so."

 "Then your life must be infinitely less complicated than the lives of many." 

Doll look at me all crazy. Like she got do what boss-man say be right. I seen dat look in Troll. Dead Troll. Ya got dance if ya wan stay alive, eh?

"Look - I shows ya. Get down o'dat box fa a while." 

Doll almos' fall off box. Like she trippin' ovah 'er own pin.

Me? I got drum-beat in ma ear now. I flows wid it, letting it take me. Movin' fa love, movin' fa war, dey ain' so far apart. Civilise' folk dance fa othas, ta show 'em 'ow proppah dey be. Troll dance fa troll. When Troll dance, der ain' no outside, jus' dat jungle within.

I comes down, touchin' dat stone wid ma feet once more. Stone be cold. Dis 'ole place be cold. Doll shrink a little.

"Yas gotta let go. If ya be afraid o'fallin, ya never get 'igh."

"I feel our upbringings are very different. But... I... I envy your ability to let go. It looks like you have... fun. 

Doll say dat las' word like it be da wors' ting in da worl'. Like proppah civilise' people don' 'ave fun. Oo need fun when ya got dignity, eh?

"Maybe so, darlin', maybe so. But I ain' got notin ta let go of, ya see. Ya need ta cut dem string dat 'old ya up. Move on yas own."

"You may be right. But here and now, this would not be the right place." 

"Maybe we needs ta take ya down Sen'jin den. Sa ya can feel da rhythm. Maybe try some o'dem ol' witch doctah potion, eh?"

 "Are you asking me...?"

Askin' ya what, Doll? Askin' ya what?