Another Fine Myth by Robert Asprin

“Aahz,” I said slowly, not looking up. “Tell me the truth. Do you think there’s a chance you can teach me enough magik that we’ll have a chance of stopping him?”

“Of course, kid. I wouldn’t even try if we didn’t have a chance. Trust me.”

I wasn’t convinced, and from the sound of his voice, neither was he.

Chapter Four:

“Careful planning is the key to safe and swift travel.”

-ULYSSES

“HMMM . . . Well, it’s not a tailored jump-suit, but it will have to do.”

We had been trying to outfit Aahz in a set of clothes and he was surveying the results in a small dark mirror we had found, turning it this way and that to catch his reflection piecemeal.

“Maybe if we could find some other color than this terrible brown.”

“That’s all we’ve got.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive. I have two shirts, both brown. You’re wearing one, and I’m wearing the other.”

“Hmmm. . . .” he said, studying me carefully. “Maybe I would look better in the lighter brown. Oh, well, we can argue that out later.”

I was curious as to his attention to his appearance. I mean, he couldn’t be planning on meeting anyone. The sight of a green, scaly demon would upset most of the locals no matter what he was wearing. For the time being, however, I deemed it wisest to keep quiet and humor him in his efforts.

Actually, the clothes fit him fairly well. The shirt was a bit short in the sleeves due to the length of his arms, but not too because I was taller than him, which made up for most of the difference. We had had to cut off some of the trouser legs to cover for his shorter legs, but they, like the body of the shirt, were not too tight. I had made the clothes myself originally, and they tended to be a bit baggy, or at least they were on me. Tailoring is not my forte.