- Joined
- Nov 13, 2012
Robert Lynn Asprin: "Myth Directions & Hit or Myth" - An omnibus containing books 3 & 4 of The Myth Adventures of Aahz and Skeeve (which began with "Another Fine Myth")
"This place stinks!" my scaly mentor snarled, glaring out the window at the rain.
"Yes, Aahz," I agreed meekly.
"What's that supposed to mean?" he snapped, turning his demon's speckled gold eyes on me.
"It means," I gulped, "that I agree with you. The Kingdom of Possiltum, and the palace specifically, stink to high heaven - both figuratively and literally."
"Ingratitude!" Aahz made his appeal to the ceiling. "I lose my powers to a stupid practical joker, and instead of concentrating on getting them back, I take on some twit of an apprentice who doesn't have any aspirations higher than being a thief; train him, groom him, and get him a job paying more than he could spend in two lifetimes, and what happens? He complains! I suppose you think you could have done better on your own?"
It occurred to me that Aahz's guidance had also gotten me hung, embroiled in a magik duel with a master magician, and recently, placed in the unenviable position of trying to stop the world's largest army with a handful of down-at-heels demons. It also occurred to me that this was not the most tactful time to point out these minor nerve-jangling incidents.
"I'm sorry, Aahz," I grovelled. "Possiltum is a pretty nice kingdom to work for."
"It stinks!" he declared, turning to the window again.
I stifled a sigh. A magician's lot is not a happy one. I stole that from a tune Aahz sings off and on... key. More and more, I was realizing the truth of the jingle. As the court magician to my king I had already endured a great deal more than I had ever bargained for.
"This place stinks!" my scaly mentor snarled, glaring out the window at the rain.
"Yes, Aahz," I agreed meekly.
"What's that supposed to mean?" he snapped, turning his demon's speckled gold eyes on me.
"It means," I gulped, "that I agree with you. The Kingdom of Possiltum, and the palace specifically, stink to high heaven - both figuratively and literally."
"Ingratitude!" Aahz made his appeal to the ceiling. "I lose my powers to a stupid practical joker, and instead of concentrating on getting them back, I take on some twit of an apprentice who doesn't have any aspirations higher than being a thief; train him, groom him, and get him a job paying more than he could spend in two lifetimes, and what happens? He complains! I suppose you think you could have done better on your own?"
It occurred to me that Aahz's guidance had also gotten me hung, embroiled in a magik duel with a master magician, and recently, placed in the unenviable position of trying to stop the world's largest army with a handful of down-at-heels demons. It also occurred to me that this was not the most tactful time to point out these minor nerve-jangling incidents.
"I'm sorry, Aahz," I grovelled. "Possiltum is a pretty nice kingdom to work for."
"It stinks!" he declared, turning to the window again.
I stifled a sigh. A magician's lot is not a happy one. I stole that from a tune Aahz sings off and on... key. More and more, I was realizing the truth of the jingle. As the court magician to my king I had already endured a great deal more than I had ever bargained for.