my eyes opened wide in surprise . `` you really do n't want to keel over before you tell me what i want to know . '' but one afternoon , while he was recuperating , he was in his study with all the medical records from the past year . i owe him a fate worse than death . he asked , working to keep his voice neutral . but the waiting is driving me nuts . why had the gold shaving gone dark ? back when that elf was found . `` ask and ye shall receive , '' i said . 