Another Fine Myth by Robert Asprin

“Handsome?” Aahz repeated.

“Oh, hush!” the girl commanded, slapping his stomach playfully. “I like him. He’s got style.”

“Actually, I don’t believe we’ve met formally,” I said, giving my most winning smile. “My name is Skeeve.”

“Well, la-de-dah!” Aahz grumbled.

“Ignore him. I’m Tananda, but call me Tanda.”

“Love to,” I leered.

“If you two are quite through. . . .” Aahz interrupted, “I have a couple questions….”

“Gleep!” said the dragon, prancing up to our assemblage.

“What’s that?” Aahz demanded.

“It’s a dragon,” I said helpfully.

Tanda giggled rudely.

“I know that,” Aahz barked. “I mean what is he doing here?”

Suddenly I was hesitant to supply the whole story.

“There are lots of dragons at the Bazaar, Aahz,” I mumbled, not looking at him. “In fact, there’s a stall just down the way that….”

“What is that dragon doing here?!”

“Gleep!” said the dragon, rubbing his head against my chest.

“Um … he’s mine,” I admitted.

“Yours?” Aahz bellowed. “I told you to look at the dragons, not buy one!”

“But Aahz….”

“What are we going to do with a dragon?”

“I got a good deal on him,” I chimed hopefully.

“What did you say. kid?”

“I said I got a good deal….”

“From a Deveel?”

“Oh. I see what you mean.”

“C’mon. Let’s have it. What were the terms of this fantastic deal?”

“Well… I… that is….”

“Out with it!”

“I traded Quigley’s pendant for him.”

“Quigley’s pendant? The one that sees through spells? You traded a good magical pendant for a half-grown dragon?”

“Oh, give him a break, Aahz,” Tanda interrupted. “What do you expect letting him wander off alone that way? You’re lucky he didn’t get stuck with half the tourist crud on Deva! Where were you all this time, anyway?”