Myth-Told Tales

"Princess Gloriannamarjolie is an old pal," Massha said. "I was her babysitter for a while on Brakespear. She was a real brat when she was six or seven. No one had ever said 'no' to her before I did. There were some pretty fierce tantrums before she learned her limits. She liked it when I did magik for her, and I thought there was a great girl inside all that spoiled nonsense. We achieved a mutual respect, and we've been corresponding off and on for years. Now she's old enough to lead the hunt, and she asked for my help."

"She's the quarry? It's a suicide mission!" Unlike the Klahds, who rode horses and followed a pack of dogs after fox-wolves over fields and through forests, a brutal enough sport, Brakespear had a pack of dragons that pursued a wily princess across the landscape. The hunt began at dawn. If the princess kept away from the hunters until sunset she was free. If the dragons caught up with her, well, there usually wasn't much left The mask or ears was awarded to the winning hunter. I was appalled that this was still going on.

Massha read the look on my face. "Those days are gone. It's only scent-hunting now. Glory's got to keep away from the hounds until sunset. The hunters are judged on style, fair play, riding, control of their dragons, and, if they're lucky, catching up with the princess. She's been training all her life for this. She's ready."

"But for this well need a dragon for the pack. We haven't got one."

"Yes, we have," Massha said, with a little coy smile that should have sent me racing out the door as soon as I saw it. "I borrowed one." She opened the back door of the cottage. A sinuous blue form twisted around in its own length at the noise, recognized me, and came streaking toward me. It knocked me over and started licking my face with a long pink tongue and breath that smelled like a volcano's dung heap.

"Gleep!" it carolled joyfully, in between slurps.

"Dammit, get off me!" I roared. Massha put a hand in Gleep's collar and hauled him back. I sat up, wiping the slime off with my sleeve. "You say you borrowed Gleep? Skeeve's not here?"

"No," Massha admitted.

"Then who's gonna handle this fool lizard?" I asked. Gleep rolled his large blue eyes at me, wanting to get loose and greet me again.

"I've agreed to undertake the task," said Nunzio, coming in the same door as the dragon, but at a easier pace. "We get along pretty well, don't we, boy?"

"Gleep!" Gleep agreed, trotting over to lave the Mob man with the Tongue of Doom.

"So why do you need me?" I asked Massha. Slurp. Gleep trotted back and soaked me again. I wiped the disgusting wetness off with the back of my hand. "... Me, the overgrown newt and Nunzio?" Gleep gave me a look of adoration mingled with reproach, or maybe I was reading too much into his expression. He was still a baby, for all that he was twice as big as any of us except Chumley.

"There's still a prize," Massha said. "For the hunter who bags the princess, or, if she's better than they are, earns the highest points, the finest treasure the king has to offer. And I've got to tell you, Aahz, Brakespear has some terrifically hot stuff in the treasury. As crown princess, Glory had the keys to the playground. We used to go down there and try things on. It was enough to give a girl dreams."

I liked the sound of the treasure, but I was too old a hand to believe in a free lunch for the guy who could stay on his horse the longest. "What's the catch?" I asked.

"Glory has been out looking over the course every day for the last three months. She's been seeing ... well, shadows or shapes. She's certain someone's following her over the landscape, getting a look at where she's planning to go. She's afraid that whoever it is is out to interfere with the hunt Every once in a while they get protesters who picket the hunt, calling it brutal and outdated. Glory's dad has guards posted around, and they know the signs of an incipient demonstration. Whoever's been out there is more subtle than that. And the king has recently acquired a few terrific goodies for the treasury, a couple of them genuinely magikal. The prize is likely to be one of those. Glory wants her hunt to be fair and square. It's dangerous, you know, hot stuff. People can still get killed, even though it's for fun. If anyone's messing with it, I want it stopped."

"All right," I said. "You've convinced me. Your Princess Glory sounds like she's reading all the signs right"

Massha leaped up and hugged me again. "So you'll do it?"

"Ill do it," I gasped out. Joyfully, Gleep sprang over and licked me again. "Dammit, don't do that!"