Hit or Myth by Robert Asprin

Massha snorted.

“You’re putting yourself down again. Hot Stuff. You’re going to try before you run, which is more than I can say for most in our profession. Besides, whatever you think your motives are, they’re deeper than you think. You just asked me to show you two settings. You only need one to run.”

Chapter Six:

“Good information is hard to get. Doing anything with it is even harder!”

– L. SKYWALKER

I HAD long since decided that the main requirement for Royalty or its impersonators was an immunity to boredom. Having already chronicled the true tedious nature of performing so-called “duties of state,” I can only add that waiting to perform them is even worse.

There was certainly no rush on my part to meet the king’s bride-to-be, much less marry her. After word had come that her arrival would be delayed by a full day, however, and as the day waxed into late afternoon waiting for her “early morning” reception, I found myself wishing that she would get here so we could meet and get it over with already.

All other royal activity had ground to a halt in an effort to emphasize the importance of Possiltum’s greeting their queen-to-be. I hardly thought it was necessary, though, as the citizens decked the street with flowers and lined up three deep in hopes of catching a glimpse of this new celebrity. The wait didn’t seem to dampen their spirits, though the flowers wilted only to be periodically replaced by eager hands. If nothing else, this reception was going to put a serious dent in Possiltum’s flower crop for awhile. Of course, it might also put a dent in all our crops, for the streets remained packed with festive people who showed not the slightest inclination to return to their fields or guild shops when word was passed of each new delay.