Another Fine Myth by Robert Asprin

“I don’t believe this. A sword with a cruddy blade, bad balance, and phony jewels in the handle and two knives that haven’t been sharpened since they were made. Anybody who keeps weapons like this should be skewered.”

“He was.”

“True enough. Well, if that’s all we’ve got, that’s what we’ll have to use.”

He slung the sword on his hip and tucked the white handled knife into his belt. I thought he would give me the other knife, but instead he stooped down and secured it in his boot.

“Don’t I get one?”

“Can you use it?”

“Well….”

He resumed his task. I had a small knife I used to skin small game tucked in my own belt inside my shirt. Even to my inexperienced eye it was of better quality than the two Aahz had just appropriated. I decided not to bring it to his attention.

“Okay, kid. Where did the old man keep his money?”

I showed him. One of the stones in the fireplace was loose and there was a small leather pouch hidden behind it. He peered at the coins suspiciously as they poured into his palm.

“Check me on this, kid. Copper and silver aren’t worth much in this dimension, right?”

“Well, silver’s sorta valuable, but it’s not worth as much as gold.”

“Then what’s with this chicken-feed? Where’s the real money?”

“We never really had much.”

“Come off it … I haven’t met a magician yet who didn’t have a bundle socked away. Just because he never spent any of it doesn’t mean he doesn’t have it. Now think. Haven’t you ever seen anything around that was gold or had gems?”

“Well, there are a few items, but they’re protected by curses.”