"Asprin, Robert - Sweet Myth-tery of LifeUC" - читать интересную книгу автора (Asprin Robert)

approach them, I should be as level-headed and
mature about it as possible, rather than babbling
hysterically about my woes. Consequently, I de-
cided to rehearse my appeal in front of the one
member of our crew I felt truly comfortable
with . . . my pet dragon.

I've always maintained that Gleep is quite
bright, despite the one-word vocabulary that gave
him his name. According to my partner and
mentor, Aahz, my pet's limited vocal range was
merely a sign of his immaturity, and it would
expand as he edged toward adulthood. Of course,
realizing dragons live several centuries, the odds
of my ever having a two-way conversation with
Gleep were slim. At times like this, however, I
actually appreciated having someone to talk to
who could only listen . . . without helpful asides
regarding my inability to walk across the street
without landing myself and the crew in some
kind of trouble.

"The trouble is," I continued, "what with all

SWEET MYTH-TERY OF LIFE 3

the problems and disasters I've had to cope with
over the years, not to mention trying to be presi-
dent of M.Y.T.H. Inc., I haven't had much time for
a love life, like, none at all ... and I sure haven't
given any thought to getting married] I mean, I
haven't ever really reached a decision on whether
or not I want to get married at all, much less
when or to who."

Gleep cocked his head to one side, to all appear-
ances hanging on my every word.

"Of course, I do know I'm not wild about the
alternative. I had a chance to play king once . . .
and that was twice too often, thank you. It was
bad enough when I was just being a stand-in for
Roderick, but the idea of trying to run the king-
dom by myself, as myself, and forever, not just for
a few days, well, that's flat out terrifying. The
question is, is it more or less terrifying than the
idea of being married to Queen Hemlock?"

My pet responded to my dilemma by vigorously
chewing at an itch on his foot.