Stalking the Dragon by Mike Resnick Page B

see Jet Li or Jackie Chan kicking the shit out of someone, odds are it's Danny.”
    â€œWhy not root for a winner?” asked Mallory.
    â€œHe's from the neighborhood,” answered the goblin. “We used to cut classes together and sneak off to watch Slinky Sally and Her Educated Snake at the Rialto.”
    â€œWell, that puts a different light on it,” said Mallory.
    Joe smiled happily. “I knew you'd understand.”
    â€œJohn Justin!” called Winnifred. “Is that you?”
    â€œYeah,” said Mallory, looking around until he spotted her standing near the extensive structure that formed the dragon pond. “Any luck?”
    â€œNot so far,” she said. “And you?”
    â€œWell, I know a few places where he isn't.”
    â€œAnd who is this?” asked Winnifred, indicating the goblin.
    â€œJoe En-lai Smith at your service, ma'am,” was his response. “Villains defeated, armies destroyed, enemy strongholds laid waste to.”
    â€œForget all that,” said Winnifred. “How are you at finding dragons?”
    â€œI don't know,” he answered honestly. “I've never lost one.”
    â€œI'm glad you're here, John Justin. Let's get on with the inspection.”
    â€œWho is this…this female? ” demanded Belle.
    â€œWhat was that?” asked Winnifred.
    â€œYou wouldn't believe me if I told you,” said Mallory.
    â€œTry me.”
    Mallory pulled the cell phone out of his lapel pocket and held it up.
    â€œYou're kidding, right?” said Winnifred.
    â€œDo I look like a joke?” demanded Belle.
    â€œThe mind boggles with questions,” said Winnifred.
    â€œLet's look at the pond,” said Mallory. “You can ask them later.”
    â€œAll right,” said Winnifred, opening the front gate and walking through into the large interior. She was followed, in order, by Felina, Jeeves, and Joe.
    â€œLose the cat-thing and the fat broad, Big Boy,” purred Belle as Mallory put her back in his pocket. “I'm all the woman you'll ever need.”
    â€œI can't tell you how comforting that is,” said Mallory as he closed the gate behind him.
    The interior of the pond reminded him of a cross between a kennel and a zoo. There was a row of small runs with tops on them to prevent the small dragons within from flying away…but there were also large open areas, filled with trees, ponds, asbestos toys the size of horses, completely fenced off from onlookers, where huge dragons, some fully as large as dinosaurs, were kept. One of them noticed Mallory's little group, opened his mouth, and shot out a flame that would have incinerated them, but it bounced off a transparent fireproof barrier that they hadn't seen in the darkness.
    â€œWhat stops them from flying away?” Mallory asked Jeeves.
    â€œI don't know,” answer the gremlin.
    â€œI thought you were the dragon expert.”
    â€œI'm the toy dragon expert,” explained Jeeves.
    â€œLook,” said Joe, pointing to a nearby behemoth's back leg. A chain was attached to it.
    â€œI wonder how they got it on him?” mused Mallory.
    â€œProbably just poured some salt on his tail and that nailed him to the spot for a minute,” said Joe.
    â€œI think that only works with fawns, not ten-ton dragons,” replied the detective.
    â€œIt doesn't work with fawns either,” said Winnifred. She raised her voice. “May we please have some help here?”
    Suddenly lights came on in a small building at the back of the compound, and a troll emerged wearing a nightshirt.
    â€œWe're closed,” he said irritably.
    â€œYour gate was open.”
    â€œThe fact that I'm careless doesn't give you the right to intrude and wake me up,” said the troll.
    â€œWe have a few questions to ask,” said Mallory.
    â€œCome back tomorrow and I'll be happy to answer them.”
    â€œWe need answers now.”
    â€œWell, I