of the house of ill repute, but he suspected the sight of the
full-grown grizzly adjusting the brass knuckles over his
immense paws did not bode well for the future.
“I understand your concern, luv,” said Mudge as he
casually recovered his bow and quiver, “but now that me
mate’s ‘ere everything will be squared away.”
“Will it, now?” she said. The grizzly stood rubbing one
palm with a massive fist and grinning. His teeth were very
white. The badger eyed Jon-Tom. “Does he mean to say
that you’ll pay his bill?”
“Pay his bill? What do you mean, pay his bill?”
“He’s been up here for three days without coming
down, enjoying my best liquor and girls, and now he tells
them he hasn’t got a silver to his bastard name.”
Jon-Tom glared back at Mudge. The otter shrugged,
didn’t appear in the least embarrassed. “Hey, at least I was
honest about it, mate. I told ’em I was broke. But it’s all
right, ain’t it? You’ll pay for me, won’t you?”
“You are his friend?” inquired the badger.
“Well, yeah.” He brought out the purse Clothahump
had given him and jiggled it. The gold inside jingled
musically, and the badger and the bear relaxed.
She smiled at him. “Now that’s more like it.. .sir. I
can see that you are a gentleman, though I don’t think
much of your choice of friends.” Mudge looked wronged.
“How much does he owe you?”
She didn’t even have to think. “Two hundred and fifty,
sir. Plus any damages to the linen. I’ll have to check.”
28
Alan Dean Poster
“I can cover it,” Jon-Tom assured her. He turned to
look darkly at Mudge, hefting his ramwood staff. “If