title: Troubleshooters: The Longest Joke Ever Told
author: Ian Thomas Healy
description: Ian Thomas Healy is a prolific writer who dabbles in many different speculative genres. Hes a eleven-time participant and winner of National Novel Writing Month where hes tackled such diverse subjects as sentient alien farts, competitive forklift racing, a religion-powered rabbit-themed superhero, cyberpunk mercenaries, cowboy elves, and an unlikely combination of vampires with minor league hockey. His popular superhero fiction series, the Just Cause Universe, is ever-expanding, as is his western fantasy epic The Pariah of Verigo. He is also the creator of the Writing Better Action Through Cinematic Techniques workshop, which helps writers to improve their action scenes. Ian also created the longest-running superhero webcomic done in LEGO, The Adventures of the S-Team, which ran from 2006-2012. When not writing, which is rare, he enjoys watching hockey, reading comic books (and serious books, too), and living in the great state of Colorado, which he shares with his wife, children, house-pets, and approximately five million other people. Follow him on Twitter as @ianthealy and on Facebook as Author Ian Thomas Healy.
zlib_text: 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # THE YEARS OF LONGDIRK 01  
  DEMON SWORD  
  Ken Hood
  
  
  ## PART ONE  
  A Day in the Life
  
  
  ### CHAPTER ONE
  
  
  "Hey, bastard!"
  
  
  The voice rang out in challenge from somewhere at Toby Strangerson's back. He
  did not look around. A defensive reflex made his right leg twitch, but he
  overruled it and brought his foot down firmly on the dirt. Without breaking
  stride, he continued his hurried walk along the road.
  
  
  "I'm talking to you, bastard!"
  
  
  It sounded like Vik Tanner. Women gossiping at their doors turned to see who
  was shouting, men stooped in their gardens straightened. Two youths up ahead
  were already looking this way, already grinning, standing with their feet
  apart and arms folded. So there was a rumble planned and they were in on it.
  
  
  Having no choice, Toby kept on walking, wondering how many of them there would
  be. Didn't matter—there would be enough to do whatever they wanted to do. Then
  he recalled the warning Granny Nan had given him at dawn and his scalp
  prick