Another fine myth: Myth conceptions by Robert Asprin

Author:Robert Asprin [Asprin, Robert]
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Fantasy, Epic, General, Fiction, Fantasy - General, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Fiction - Fantasy, Fantasy fiction, Fantasy fiction, American, Humorous, Fantasy - Epic, Skeeve (Fictitious character)
ISBN: 9780441009312
Publisher: Ace Books
Published: 2010-01-21T16:08:29+00:00

Chapter Fifteen:

“Fit worry about it tomorrow.”

-S. O’HARA

“UM . . . are the mercenaries waiting outside?” I asked finally.

“You didn’t answer her question, kid,” Aahz observed, peering at me with renewed suspicion.

“Don’t strain your neck looking for your troops, handsome,” Tanda advised me. “There weren’t any. It seems our mighty negotiator has met his match.”

“Those bandits!” Aahz exploded. “Do you have any idea what it would cost us if I had agreed to pay their bar bill as part of the contract? If that’s a nonprofit group, I want to audit their books.”

My hopes for salvation sank like a rock.

“You didn’t hire them?” I asked.

“No, I didn’t,” Aahz scowled. “And that moves us back to square one. Now we’ve got to recruit a force one at a time.”

“Did you try-“ I began.

“Look, kid,” Aahz interrupted with a snarl, “I did the best I could, and I got nowhere. I’d like to see you do better.”

“He already has!” Brockhurst announced, rising from his seat. “While you were wasting time, Skeeve here has hired himself a fighting team.”

“He what?” Aahz bellowed, turning on his critic. “Brockhurst! What are you doing here?”

“Waiting for orders in our upcoming campaign,” the Imp replied innocently.

“What campaign?” Aahz glowered.

“The one on Klah, of course,” Brockhurst blinked. “Haven’t you told him yet, boss?”

“Boss?” Aahz roared. “Boss?”

“No need ta shout,” Ajax grumbled, turning to face the assemblage. “We hear ya plain enough.”

“Ajax!” Tanda exclaimed gleefully.

“Tanda!” the old man yelped back.

She was at him in a bound, but he smoothly interposed his bow between them.

“Easy, girl,” he laughed. “None of your athletic greetings. I’m not as young as I used to be, ya know.”

“You old fraud!” Tanda teased. “You’ll outlive us all.”

Ajax shrugged dramatically. “That kinda depends on how good a general the youngster there is,” he commented.

“Kid,” Aahz growled through gritted teeth, “I want to talk to you! Now!”

“I know that temper!” Gus announced, emerging from the back room.

“Gus!” Aahz exclaimed.

“In the stone!” the gargoyle confirmed. “Are you in on this expedition? The boss didn’t say anything about working with Perverts.”

Instead of replying, Aahz sank heavily into a chair and hid his face in his hands.

“Tanda!” he moaned. “Tell me again about how this kid can stay out of trouble.”

“Um . . . Aahz,” I said cautiously, “could I talk to you for a minute ... privately?”

“Why, I think that’s an excellent idea . . . boss,” he said.

The smile he gave me wasn’t pleasant.

“Kid!” Aahz moaned after I had finished my tale. “How many times do I have to tell you? This is the Bazaar at Deva! You’ve got to be careful what you say and to whom, especially when there’s money involved.”

“But I told them nothing was definite until we found out if you had hired someone else,” I protested.

“But I didn’t hire anyone else, so now the deal is final,” Aahz sighed.

“Can’t we get out of it?” I asked hopefully.

“Back out of a deal on Deva?” Aahz shook his head. “That would get us barred from the Bazaar so fast it would make your head spin.

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