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Sween Myth-tery of Life :: Asprin Robert
Страница: 3 из 110It occurred to me that you might need a sympathetic ear whileyou figured out what to do next."
Again, a small warning gong went off in the back of my mind. Of all the phrases that might occur to me to describe Aahz's interaction with me in the past, "a sympathetic ear" wasn't one of them.
"How did you know where I was?"
I was dodging the issue, but genuinely curious as to how Aahz found me. I had taken great pains to slip down to the Royal Stables unnoticed.
"It wasn't hard," Aahz said, flashing a grin as he jerked his thumb at the door. "You've got quite a crowd hanging around outside."
"I do?"
"Sure. Pookie may be a bit mouthy for my taste, but she knows her stuff as a bodyguard. I think she's been tailing you from the time you left your room."
Pookie was the new bodyguard I had acquired during my recent trip to Perv ... before I knew she was Aahz's cousin.
"That's funny," I scowled. "I never saw her."
"Hey, I said she was good," my partner winked. "Just because she respects your privacy and stays out of sight doesn't mean she's going to let you wander around unescorted. Anyway, I guess Guido spotted her and decided to tag along ... he's been following her around like a puppy ever since they met ... and, of course, that meant Nunzio had to come, too, and ... Well, the end result is you've got all three of your bodyguards posted outside the door to see to it that you aren't disturbed."
Terrific. I start out looking for a little privacy and end up leading a parade.
"So, what do you think, Aahz?" I asked.
I knew I was going to get his opinion sooner or later, and figured I might as well ask outright and get it over with.
"About what?"
"About my problem," I clarified.
"What problem?"
"Sorry. I thought you had been listening when I explained it to Gleep. I'm talking about the whole situation with Queen Hemlock."
"I know," my partner said. "And I repeat, what problem?"
"What problem!" I was starting to lose it a little, which is not an unusual result of talking to Aahz. "Don't you think ..."
"Hold on a second, partner," Aahz said, holding up his hand. "Do you remember the situation when we first met?"
"Sure."
"Let me refresh you memory, anyway. Your old mentor, Garkin, had just been killed, and there was every chance you were next on the hit list. Right?"
"Right. But ..."
"Now that was a problem," He'continued as if I hadn't spoken. "Just like it was a problem when you had to stop Big Julie's army with a handful of misfits ...
Again, a small warning gong went off in the back of my mind. Of all the phrases that might occur to me to describe Aahz's interaction with me in the past, "a sympathetic ear" wasn't one of them.
"How did you know where I was?"
I was dodging the issue, but genuinely curious as to how Aahz found me. I had taken great pains to slip down to the Royal Stables unnoticed.
"It wasn't hard," Aahz said, flashing a grin as he jerked his thumb at the door. "You've got quite a crowd hanging around outside."
"I do?"
"Sure. Pookie may be a bit mouthy for my taste, but she knows her stuff as a bodyguard. I think she's been tailing you from the time you left your room."
Pookie was the new bodyguard I had acquired during my recent trip to Perv ... before I knew she was Aahz's cousin.
"That's funny," I scowled. "I never saw her."
"Hey, I said she was good," my partner winked. "Just because she respects your privacy and stays out of sight doesn't mean she's going to let you wander around unescorted. Anyway, I guess Guido spotted her and decided to tag along ... he's been following her around like a puppy ever since they met ... and, of course, that meant Nunzio had to come, too, and ... Well, the end result is you've got all three of your bodyguards posted outside the door to see to it that you aren't disturbed."
Terrific. I start out looking for a little privacy and end up leading a parade.
"So, what do you think, Aahz?" I asked.
I knew I was going to get his opinion sooner or later, and figured I might as well ask outright and get it over with.
"About what?"
"About my problem," I clarified.
"What problem?"
"Sorry. I thought you had been listening when I explained it to Gleep. I'm talking about the whole situation with Queen Hemlock."
"I know," my partner said. "And I repeat, what problem?"
"What problem!" I was starting to lose it a little, which is not an unusual result of talking to Aahz. "Don't you think ..."
"Hold on a second, partner," Aahz said, holding up his hand. "Do you remember the situation when we first met?"
"Sure."
"Let me refresh you memory, anyway. Your old mentor, Garkin, had just been killed, and there was every chance you were next on the hit list. Right?"
"Right. But ..."
"Now that was a problem," He'continued as if I hadn't spoken. "Just like it was a problem when you had to stop Big Julie's army with a handful of misfits ...