Another Fine Myth by Robert Asprin

“For a fee, of course,” Aahz commented dryly.

“Of course,” Frumple smiled.

“C’mon, Aahz,” I chided. “It sounds like a decent thing to do, even if he was paid for it.”

“Quite so!” beamed the Deveel. “You’re quite perceptive for one so young. Anyway, my generosity has left me in a rather precarious position. As you have no doubt noticed, I am quite concerned with my image in this town. There is a chance that image may be threatened if the couple’s relatives succeed in tracking them to my shop and no farther.”

“That must have been some fee,” Aahz mumbled.

“Now my proposition is this: in exchange for my assistance, I would ask that you two disguise yourselves as that couple and lay a false trail away from my shop.”

“How much of a false trail?” I asked.

“Oh. it needn’t be anything elaborate. Just be seen leaving town by enough townspeople to ensure that attention will be drawn away from my shop. Once out of sight of town, you can change to any disguise you like and return here. By that time, my preparations for your cure should be complete. Well, what do you say? Is it a deal?”

Chapter Thirteen:

“The secret to winning the support of large groups of people is positive thinking.”

-N. BONAPARTE

“PEOPLE are staring at us, Aahz.”

“Relax, kid. They’re supposed to be staring at us.”

To illustrate his point, he nodded and waved to a knot of glowering locals. They didn’t wave back.

“I don’t see why I have to be the girl,” I grumbled.

“We went through that before, kid. You walk more like a girl than I do.”