Myth-Ing Persons by Robert Asprin Read Free Book Online

let's pool our knowledge of vampires so we have an idea of what we're up against. Now, we know they can shape change into bats or dogs…"
    "… or just into a cloud of mist," Massha supplied.
    "They drink blood," Guido said grimly.
    "They don't like bright light, or crosses…"
    "… and they can be killed by a stake through their heart or…"
    "They drink blood."
    "Enough with the drinking blood! Okay, Guido?"
    I was starting to get more than a little annoyed with my bodyguard's endless pessimism. I mean, none of us was particularly pleased by the way things were going, but there was nothing to be gained by dwelling on the negatives.
    "Sorry, Boss. I guess looking on the dark side of things gets to be a habit in my business."
    "Garlic!" Massha exclaimed suddenly.
    "What's that?"
    "I said 'garlic'," she repeated. "Vampires don't like garlic!"
    "That's right! How about it, Guido? Do you have any garlic along?"
    The bodyguard actually looked embarrassed.
    "Can't stand the stuff," he admitted "The other boys in the Mob used to razz me about it, but it makes me break out in a rash."
    Terrific. We probably had the only Mob member in existence who was allergic to garlic. Another brilliant idea shot to hell.
    "Well," I said, heaving a sigh, "now we know what we're up against."
    "Ummm… say. Hot Stuff?" Massha said softly. "All kidding aside. Aren't we a little overmatched on this one? I mean, Dark and Deadly here can hold up his end on the physical protection side, but I'm not sure my jewelry collection is going to be enough to cover us magically."
    "I appreciate the vote of confidence," Guido smiled sadly, "but I'm not sure my hardware is going to do us a lick of good against vampires. With the Boss out of action on the magic side…"
    "Don't count me out so fast. My magic may not be at full power, but I can still pull off a trick or two if things really get rough."
    Massha frowned. "But the force lines…"
    "There's one little item I've omitted from your lessons so far, apprentice," I said with a smug little grin. "It hasn't really been necessary what with the energy so plentiful on Deva… as a matter of fact, I've kind of gotten out of the habit myself. Anyway, what it boils down to is that you don't always tap into a force line to work magic. You can store the energy internally like a battery so that it's there when you need it. While we've been talking, I've been charging up, so I can provide a bit of magical cover as needed. Now, I won't be able to do anything prolonged like a constant disguise spell, and what I've got I'll want to use carefully because it'll take a while to recharge after each use, but we won't be relying on your jewelry completely."
    I had expected a certain amount of excitement from the staff when they found out I wasn't totally helpless. Instead, they looked uncomfortable. They exchanged glances, then looked at the sky, then at the ground.
    "Ummm… does this mean we're going on?" Guido said at last.
    "That's right," I said, lips tight. "In fact, I probably would have gone on even if my powers were completely gone. Somewhere out there my partner's in trouble, and I'm not going to back away from at least trying to help him. I'd do the same if it was one of you, but we're talking about Aahz here. He's saved my skin more times than I care to remember. I can't just…"
    I caught myself and brought my voice back under control.
    "Look," I said, starting again. "I'll admit we never expected this vampire thing when we started out, and the limited magic handicap is enough to give anyone pause. If either or both of you want to head back, you can do it without hard feelings or guilt trips. Really. The only reason I'm pushing on is that I know me. Whatever is up ahead, it can't be any worse than what I would put myself through if I left Aahz alone to die without trying my best to bail him out. But that's me. If you want out, go ahead."
    "Don't get your back up. Hot Stuff," Massha chided gently. "I'm still not sure