"Laura Resnick - Fluff the Tragic Dragon" - читать интересную книгу автора (Resnick Laura)

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Fluff the Tragic Dragon
by Laura Resnick
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Copyright (c)1992 Laura Resnick
First published in Dragon Fantastic, DAW Books, April 1992

Fictionwise Contemporary
Fantasy


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"Esther, dear, there's a dragon in the basement," said Mrs. Pearl.
I climbed up the rain-splattered steps outside the apartment building
on West 93rd Street as I perused the casting announcements in _Backstage_.
"Hmmm?"
"I said there's a dragon in the basement," Mrs. Pearl repeated.
"That's nice." _Backstage_ proved to be just as depressing as I had
feared. Since I couldn't type and I had already failed miserably at telephone
sales, I would probably have to go back to waiting tables again.
"I went down to the basement with a load of laundry," Mrs. Pearl said
excitedly, "and when I was putting my quarters into the machine, one of them
rolled away. Well, dear, you know that I always say if you watch out for the
pennies, the dollars will take care of themselves."
I looked up to see her standing in the doorway. Her little tote-cart
was full of groceries and took up whatever part of the entrance that her not
inconsiderable bulk didn't.
"Yes, you _do_ always say that, Mrs. Pearl," I said mildly. "Can I get
by?"
"So when my quarter rolled away, naturally I went after it."
"Oh, good, Mrs. Pearl. I'm glad you got it back. Now, could I just get
through here? My feet are killing me, and -- "
"But I _didn't_ get it, Esther. That's the point."
"I'm sure you'll find it tomorrow, then."
"No." She positioned herself in the doorway as if she planned to take
root there. "I'm afraid I may never get it back."
"Well, that's too bad, but you know what all the tenants say about the
greedy basement troll," I said lightly, trying unsuccessfully to get by.
Things were always disappearing from our basement -- coins, coffee cups,
articles of clothing. The washing machine had apparently eaten my favorite