I mention this in part to explain why, as unusual as our foursome must have appeared, no one paid us the slightest attention as we stood watching the kaleidoscope of activity whirling about us.
Gleep pressed against me for reassurance, momentarily taken aback at the sudden change of surroundings. I ignored him. My first visit to this place had been far too brief for my satisfaction. As such, I was rubbernecking madly, trying to see as much as possible as fast as possible.
Tanda was more businesslike. “Now that we’re here, Aahz,” she drawled, “do you know where we’re going?”
“No,” Aahz admitted. “But I’ll find out right now.”
Without further warning, he casually reached out and grabbed the arm of the nearest passerby, a short, ugly fellow with tusks. Spinning his chosen victim around, Aahz bent to scowl in his face.
“You!” he snarled. “Do you like to fight?”
For a moment my heart stopped. All we needed now was to get into a brawl.
Fortunately, instead of producing a weapon, the tusker gave ground a step and eyed our party suspiciously.
“Not with a Pervert backed by a dragon, I don’t,” he retorted cautiously.
“Good!” Aahz smiled. “Then if you wanted to hire someone to do your fighting for you, where would you go?”
“To the Bazaar at Deva,” the tusker shrugged.
“I know that!” Aahz snarled. “But where at the Bazaar?”
“Oh,” the tusker exclaimed with sudden understanding. “About twenty rows in that direction, then turn right for another thirty or so. That’s where the mercenaries hang out.”
“Twenty, then up thirty,” Aahz repeated carefully. “Thanks.”