Myth-Chief by Robert Lynn Asprin & Jody Lynn Nye

Author:Robert Lynn Asprin & Jody Lynn Nye [Asprin, Robert Lynn & Nye, Jody Lynn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fantasy
ISBN: 9780441016877
Publisher: Ace Books
Published: 2009-01-27T05:00:00+00:00

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

"We can't stay here," Guido said. "Dose doors will not withstand forever against a thousand people.

What's the next safest place you got?"

"The dungeon's safe. So is the treasury."

"Do they have a second way out?" I asked.

"Well, of course not. sir," Matfany said. "That wouldn't make any sense."

"We'd be trapped there?"

"I'd say so."

"Will converting the Old Folks to your government stop those people out there from protesting against

you?" I asked.

"Well, possibly . .." Matfany said.

I interrupted him. "Then the only thing we can do to stop all the chaos is to talk to the Old Folks. We

have to convince them that we're doing the right thing for the kingdom."

"I don't think that's a good idea, Mister Aahz," Matfany said. "They're a little tetchy."

"So am I!" I roared. "They can't keep blocking you out of the showpiece of your castle. They have got to

stop in-terfering with my—your ability to make money for the country. And I have no interest in being

torn apart by an angry mob."

CRASH!

The castle doors slammed inward.

"Down with Matfany!" the crowd bellowed.

"We gotta move," Guido said.

"End of discussion," I said. "Where can we go?"

"Out the back way," Matfany said. "If you're so fixed on speaking to the Old Folks, that's the best

suggestion I can make."

The guards formed a line across the hallway, spears pointing toward the advancing mob. Matfany led us

around a corner. He pulled open a humble-looking door and ush-ered us into a narrow, damp-smelling

spiral stairwell. Guido jammed the door closed behind us. There were no lights, but Tananda took care

of that with a little spell she probably used for burglary (one of her many sidelines). The pale golden glow

surrounded us as we wound down-ward into the servants' quarters.

The white-clad staff in the kitchen jumped in surprise as their prime minister went tearing through with a

Per-vert, a Trollop, and a huge, crossbow-bearing Klahd at his heels.

"Flying inspection," he told them as he passed. "You all are doing very well. Mmm, that smells delicious,"

he added to a gray-haired old male stirring a pot.

"Thanks, Prime Minister," they chorused.

"Forget the soap," I snarled. "We need to get. out of here."

"Courtesy is never misplaced, Mister Aahz," Matfany told me reproachfully. "Down here, now. We'll go

out through the gardens."

We hurried out through the rear door of the kitchens, out past a stinking heap of garbage, through the

herb gar-den and out into a wide green expanse lined with grace-fully swaying trees. I hurtled down the

broad stone steps heading for the gate at the rear of the extensive grounds and immediately sank up to

my ankles

"What is this?" I bellowed. The green lawn swirled around my calves.

"Why, it's swamp, sir," Matfany said. "We are Swamp Foxes. This is our heritage."

"You can't run in this... muck! You can't even walk!"

"If you want to run, you need to stick to the hum-mocks."

"Why do the kings and queens live like this?" I asked, outraged. "You could fill all that in and have great,

rolling meadows! This isn't a garden, it's a compost heap. You've got nice dry streets in town!"

"Dry land is for tourists, sir," Matfany said.

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