Robert Asprin
156
I wasn’t sure if that last was intended as a joke or not,
but decided it was as close as she was apt to get, and
chuckled appreciatively.
“One more thing . . . what’s your name?”
“Pookanthimbusille.”
“Excuse me?” I blinked.
She gave a small shrug.
“Just call me Pookie. It’s easier.”
“Pookie?”
At first it struck me as a ridiculously silly name for her.
Then I ran my eyes over her again, and allowed as how she
could be called anything she wanted to be called. If anyone
laughed, it wouldn’t be me.
“Pookie it is then . . . just checking to be sure I had the
pronunciation right. Shall we go?”
I had Edvick drive us back to the hotel. While I hadn’t
gotten a lot accomplished today toward finding Aahz, what
I had done had left me feeling a little drained. Besides,
there was another little matter I wanted to take care of.
For a change, luck seemed to be with me. As the cab
pulled up in front of the hotel I could see J.R. at his usual
place by the entrance. I figured that was fortunate since I
wouldn’t have known where to find him otherwise. I caught
his eye through the window and waved him over. Unfortu-
nately, Pookie didn’t see me wave. All she saw was a street
vendor moving to intercept us as we emerged from the cab.
“Pookie! NO!”
I was barely in time.
My bodyguard had a sinister looking weapon out and was
drawing a bead on J.R. almost before I could say anything.
At the sound of my warning, however, all movement froze
and she shot me a vaguely quizzical look.
“It’s all right,” I said hastily. “He’s a friend of mine.