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Sween Myth-tery of Life :: Asprin Robert
Страница: 89 из 110Don't you think that him bein' a troll would tend to scare folks in these parts?"
Realizing that both Guido and Nunzio relied heavily on intimidation in their work, this was an interesting objection. Still, he had a point.
"Doesn't Pookie have a disguise spell or something that could soften Chumley's appearance?" I suggested. "I was assuming that she wasn't wandering around the countryside showing the green scales of a Pervect."
"Hey! That's right! Good idea, Boss," Guido said, brightening noticeably. "In that case, no problem. Chumley's as stand up as they come."
"Okay, I'll talk to him first thing in the morning."
"Actually, Chumley's a better choice than Nunzio," my bodyguard continued, almost to himself.
"Pookie's still kinda upset over shootin' me, and Nunzio would probably ..."
"Whoa! Wait a minute! Did you say that Pookie shot you?"
Guido looked startled for a moment, then he drew himself up into a wall of righteous indignation.
"Really, Boss" he said. "I thought we agreed that we wasn't gonna talk about this. Not for a while, anyway."
Chapter Sixteen:
"Marriage is a fine institution ... if one requires institutionalizing."
S. FREUD
"Hi, CHUMLEY. MIND if I come in?"
The troll looked up from his book, and his enormous mouth twisted into a grin of pleasure.
"Skeeve, old boy!" he said. "Certainly. As a matter of fact, I've been expecting you."
"Really?" I said, stepping into his room and looking around for somewhere to sit.
"Yes. I ran into Guido this morning, and he explained the situation to me. He said you were going to be calling on me for a bit of work. I was just killing time waiting for the official word, is all."
I wondered if the briefing my bodyguard had given Chumley was any more detailed than what he had told me.
"It's all right with you, then?" I said. "You don't mind?"
"Tish tosh. Think nothing of it," the troll said. "Truth to tell, I'll be glad to have a specific assignment again. I've been feeling a bit at loose ends lately. In fact, I was starting to wonder why I was staying around at all."
That touched a nerve in me. It had been some time since I had even stopped by to say 'Hello' to Chumley.
"Sorry if I've been a bit distant," I said guiltily. "I've been ... busy ... and ..."
"Quite right," Chumley said with a grin and a wink. "Caught a glimpse of your workload when you rolled in the other night. Bit of all right, that."
I think I actually blushed.
Realizing that both Guido and Nunzio relied heavily on intimidation in their work, this was an interesting objection. Still, he had a point.
"Doesn't Pookie have a disguise spell or something that could soften Chumley's appearance?" I suggested. "I was assuming that she wasn't wandering around the countryside showing the green scales of a Pervect."
"Hey! That's right! Good idea, Boss," Guido said, brightening noticeably. "In that case, no problem. Chumley's as stand up as they come."
"Okay, I'll talk to him first thing in the morning."
"Actually, Chumley's a better choice than Nunzio," my bodyguard continued, almost to himself.
"Pookie's still kinda upset over shootin' me, and Nunzio would probably ..."
"Whoa! Wait a minute! Did you say that Pookie shot you?"
Guido looked startled for a moment, then he drew himself up into a wall of righteous indignation.
"Really, Boss" he said. "I thought we agreed that we wasn't gonna talk about this. Not for a while, anyway."
Chapter Sixteen:
"Marriage is a fine institution ... if one requires institutionalizing."
S. FREUD
"Hi, CHUMLEY. MIND if I come in?"
The troll looked up from his book, and his enormous mouth twisted into a grin of pleasure.
"Skeeve, old boy!" he said. "Certainly. As a matter of fact, I've been expecting you."
"Really?" I said, stepping into his room and looking around for somewhere to sit.
"Yes. I ran into Guido this morning, and he explained the situation to me. He said you were going to be calling on me for a bit of work. I was just killing time waiting for the official word, is all."
I wondered if the briefing my bodyguard had given Chumley was any more detailed than what he had told me.
"It's all right with you, then?" I said. "You don't mind?"
"Tish tosh. Think nothing of it," the troll said. "Truth to tell, I'll be glad to have a specific assignment again. I've been feeling a bit at loose ends lately. In fact, I was starting to wonder why I was staying around at all."
That touched a nerve in me. It had been some time since I had even stopped by to say 'Hello' to Chumley.
"Sorry if I've been a bit distant," I said guiltily. "I've been ... busy ... and ..."
"Quite right," Chumley said with a grin and a wink. "Caught a glimpse of your workload when you rolled in the other night. Bit of all right, that."
I think I actually blushed.