Myth Alliances

"What for?" I growled.

Tanda tipped her head to one side. "I think you're smart enough to figure that one out. He misses you." My eyebrows went up. "He's something else," I declared. "How'd he do?"

"He did fine," Tananda assured me. "He did really well. He's a good man. You know that. You saw him. I got you there in time so you could watch the fireworks."

"Yeah," I muttered, thinking back with pleasure to the sight of ten Pervish females ru

"He did more than okay, and you know it, Aahz." Tananda chided me.

"He didn't see me, did he?"

"No."

"Good," I sighed, putting my feet up on the ottoman and leaning back with my hands behind my head. "Just because I'm not his teacher any more doesn't mean he's not still my student."

? "Well, I'd better get home to Mums," Tananda smiled. "I left my suitcase half-packed in my room. I hope Chumley's still in one piece. Wait until I tell him Skeeve made friends with the women who beat us up a couple of months ago. Hey, take care of yourself, Aahz."

She gave me a big hug and a kiss, and headed off toward her room. I poured myself some wine and settled back to contemplate the ceiling some more. A D-hopper. The kid sure knew how to send a message. I wondered if and when I would ever take him up on it.

A knock on the door disturbed my reverie. I cracked the door, but kept my shoulder against the i

Standing outside was a thin, blue-faced individual with thi

"I'm looking for The Great Skeeve," the visitor a

"He ain't here."

"This is his last known address?" "I don't answer questions like that, especially from people I don't know," I growled, showing all of my teeth. The little guy gulped, but soldiered on.

"Well, he owes us over three hundred thousand gold pieces, and if he doesn't pay up," he concluded with a feral grin and a thumb jerked over his shoulder toward a couple of really big bruisers that I hadn't noticed before, "our collection agents will be happy to take the matter up with him personally."