Another Fine Myth by Robert Asprin

“What!?” exploded Frumple. “You came here without the magical ability to protect yourself against being followed? That tears it. I spend seven years building a comfortable front here, and some idiot comes along and….”

“Look, Frumple. We told you the kid here’s my apprentice. He knows more than enough to cover us.”

“A half-trained apprentice! He’s trusting my life and security to a half-trained apprentice!”

“You seem to be overlooking the fact we’re already here. If anything was going to happen it would have happened already.”

“Every minute you two are here you’re threatening my existence.”

“… which is all the more reason for you to deal with our problem immediately and stop this pointless breastbeating!”

The two of them glared at each other for a few moments, while I tried to be very quiet and unnoticeable. Frumple did not seem to be the right choice for someone to pin our hopes on.

“Oh, all right!” Frumple grumbled at last. “Since I probably won’t be rid of you any other way.”

He strode to the wall and produced what looked like a length of rope from behind one of the rugs.

“That’s more like it,” Aahz said triumphantly.

“Sid down and shut up,” ordered our host.

Aahz did as he was bid, and Frumple proceeded to circle him. As he moved, the Deveel held the rope first this way, then that, sometimes looped in a circle, other times hanging limp. All the while he stared intently at the ceiling as if reading a message written there in fine print.

I didn’t have the faintest idea what he was doing, but it was strangely enjoyable to watch someone order Aahz about and get away with it.