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THE UNDESIRED PRINCESS AND THE ENCHANTED BUNNY

This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this book are fictional, and any resemblance to real people or incidents is purely coincidental.

"The Undesired Princess" copyright й 1942 by Street & Smith Publications, Inc. Copyright й 1951 by L. Sprague de Camp. Copyright й 1990 by David Drake

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form.

A Baen Books Original

Baen Publishing Enterprises 260 Fifth Avenue New York, N.Y. 10001

ISBN: 0-671-69875-3 Cover art by Gary RuckleII First printing, May 1990

THE UNDESIRED PRINCESS

* Sprague de Camp

Distributed by SIMON & SCHUSTER 1230 Avenue of the Americas New York, N.Y. 10020

Printed in the United States of America

1

K.OLLIN HOBART LOOKED UP from his flow charts through the haze of smoke and said: "Come in." When the door opened, he added: "Hello, George." Pause. "Didn't you say something about bringing a friend?"

George Prince answered the hello. He was a young man of no great importance either in the world wherein he lived or in this story, so there is no point in describing him. He added: "He'll be along. My gosh. Roily, don't you ever do anything in the evenings but work?"

"Sometimes. Who's this friend?"

"His name's Hoimon."

"Hermann?"

"No, Hoimon. H-O-I-M-O-N."

"Hoimon what? Or what Hoimon?"

"Nothing; just Hoimon. H-O-"

Hobart gestured impatiently. "Heard you the first time. What is he?"

"He calls himself an ascetic."

Rollin Hobart frowned, or rather the already per-

4 L. Sprague de Camp

manent crease between his eyebrows deepened. He was a rangy, large-boned man, young but not very, with slick blond hair, a narrow straight nose, and narrow straight lips. "Listen, George, I'm sorry but I haven't time to admire your eccentric friends. I've got to figure how to save these guys three-quarters of a cent per ton."