about him,” Brockhurst said grimly. “We left him working concession stands on the Isle of Coney, a couple dimensions from here.”
“What happened to the others?”
I was genuinely curious. I hadn’t had much of a chance to talk with Tanda since our reunion.
“We left Frumple under a cloud of birds in some park or other ... figured he looked better as a statue than he did alive, The demon hunter and the girl took off for parts unknown one night while we were asleep. My partner, Higgens, headed back to Impcr. He figured his career was over and that he might as well settle down. Me, I’ve been looking for work ever since, and I’m starting to think Higgens was right.”
“Come on. Brockhurst,” I chided. “There must be something you can do. I mean, this is the Bazaar.”
The Imp heaved a sigh and took another sip of his drink.
“It’s nice of you to say that, Skeeve,” he smiled. “But I’ve got to face the facts. There’s not a big demand for Imps anyway, and none at all for an Imp with no powers.”
I knew what he meant. All the dimension travelers I had met so far—Aahz, Isstvan, Tanda, and even the Deveel Frumple—seemed to regard Imps as inferior beings. The nicest thing I had heard said about them was that they were styleless imitators of the Deveels.
I felt sorry for him. Despite the fact we had first met as enemies, it wasn’t that long ago I had been a klutz nobody wanted.
“You’ve got to keep trying,” I encouraged. “Somewhere, there’s someone who wants to hire you.”
“Not very likely,” the Imp grimaced. “The way I am now, I wouldn’t hire me. Would you?”
“Sure I would,” I insisted. “In a minute.”
“Oh, well,” he sighed. “I shouldn’t dwell on myself. How have things been with you? What brings you to the Bazaar?”
Now it was my turn to grimace.
‘‘Aahz and I are in a bad spot,” I explained. “We’re here trying to recruit a force to help us out.”
“You’re hiring people?” Brockhurst was suddenly intense.
“Yeah. Why?” I replied.
Too late, I realized what I was saying.
“Then you weren’t kidding about hiring me!” Brockhurst was beside himself with glee.
“Um ...”I said.
“This is great,” the Imp chortled, rubbing his hands together. “Believe me, Skeeve, you won’t regret this.”
I was regretting it already.
“Wait a minute, Brockhurst,” I interrupted desperately. “There are a few things you should know about the job.”
“Like what?”
“Well ... for one thing, the odds are bad,” I said judiciously. “We’re up against an army. That’s pretty rough fare considering how low the pay is.”
I thought I would touch a nerve with that remark about the pay. I was right.
“How low is the pay?” the Imp asked bluntly.
Now I was stuck. I didn’t have the vaguest idea how much mercenaries were normally paid.
“We ... um ... we couldn’t offer you more than one gold piece for the whole job,” I shrugged.
“Done!” Brockhurst proclaimed. “With the current state of my finances, I can’t turn down an offer like that no matter how dangerous it is.”
It occurred to me that sometime I should have Aahz give me a quick course in rates of exchange.
“Urn ... there’s one other problem,” I murmured thoughtfully.
“What’s that?”
“Well, my partner, you remember Aahz?”
The Imp nodded.
“Well, he’s out right now trying to hire a force, and he’s got the money,” I continued. “There’s a good chance that, if he’s successful, and he usually is, there won’t be enough money left to hire you.”
Brockhurst pursed his lips for a moment, and then shrugged.
“Well,” he said. “I’ll take the chance. I wasn’t going anywhere anyway. As I said, they haven’t exactly been beating my door down with job offers.”
I had run out of excuses.
“Well ... ”I smiled lamely. “As long as you’re aware ...”
“Heads up, boss,” the Imp’s murmur interrupted me. “We’ve got
“What happened to the others?”
I was genuinely curious. I hadn’t had much of a chance to talk with Tanda since our reunion.
“We left Frumple under a cloud of birds in some park or other ... figured he looked better as a statue than he did alive, The demon hunter and the girl took off for parts unknown one night while we were asleep. My partner, Higgens, headed back to Impcr. He figured his career was over and that he might as well settle down. Me, I’ve been looking for work ever since, and I’m starting to think Higgens was right.”
“Come on. Brockhurst,” I chided. “There must be something you can do. I mean, this is the Bazaar.”
The Imp heaved a sigh and took another sip of his drink.
“It’s nice of you to say that, Skeeve,” he smiled. “But I’ve got to face the facts. There’s not a big demand for Imps anyway, and none at all for an Imp with no powers.”
I knew what he meant. All the dimension travelers I had met so far—Aahz, Isstvan, Tanda, and even the Deveel Frumple—seemed to regard Imps as inferior beings. The nicest thing I had heard said about them was that they were styleless imitators of the Deveels.
I felt sorry for him. Despite the fact we had first met as enemies, it wasn’t that long ago I had been a klutz nobody wanted.
“You’ve got to keep trying,” I encouraged. “Somewhere, there’s someone who wants to hire you.”
“Not very likely,” the Imp grimaced. “The way I am now, I wouldn’t hire me. Would you?”
“Sure I would,” I insisted. “In a minute.”
“Oh, well,” he sighed. “I shouldn’t dwell on myself. How have things been with you? What brings you to the Bazaar?”
Now it was my turn to grimace.
‘‘Aahz and I are in a bad spot,” I explained. “We’re here trying to recruit a force to help us out.”
“You’re hiring people?” Brockhurst was suddenly intense.
“Yeah. Why?” I replied.
Too late, I realized what I was saying.
“Then you weren’t kidding about hiring me!” Brockhurst was beside himself with glee.
“Um ...”I said.
“This is great,” the Imp chortled, rubbing his hands together. “Believe me, Skeeve, you won’t regret this.”
I was regretting it already.
“Wait a minute, Brockhurst,” I interrupted desperately. “There are a few things you should know about the job.”
“Like what?”
“Well ... for one thing, the odds are bad,” I said judiciously. “We’re up against an army. That’s pretty rough fare considering how low the pay is.”
I thought I would touch a nerve with that remark about the pay. I was right.
“How low is the pay?” the Imp asked bluntly.
Now I was stuck. I didn’t have the vaguest idea how much mercenaries were normally paid.
“We ... um ... we couldn’t offer you more than one gold piece for the whole job,” I shrugged.
“Done!” Brockhurst proclaimed. “With the current state of my finances, I can’t turn down an offer like that no matter how dangerous it is.”
It occurred to me that sometime I should have Aahz give me a quick course in rates of exchange.
“Urn ... there’s one other problem,” I murmured thoughtfully.
“What’s that?”
“Well, my partner, you remember Aahz?”
The Imp nodded.
“Well, he’s out right now trying to hire a force, and he’s got the money,” I continued. “There’s a good chance that, if he’s successful, and he usually is, there won’t be enough money left to hire you.”
Brockhurst pursed his lips for a moment, and then shrugged.
“Well,” he said. “I’ll take the chance. I wasn’t going anywhere anyway. As I said, they haven’t exactly been beating my door down with job offers.”
I had run out of excuses.
“Well ... ”I smiled lamely. “As long as you’re aware ...”
“Heads up, boss,” the Imp’s murmur interrupted me. “We’ve got
Similar Books
