Myth-Ing Persons Read Online Free PDF

at last.
    Guido was decked out in a long dark coat and wearing a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses.
    "These? These are my work clothes," he said proudly. "They're functional as well as decorative."
    "They're what?"
    "What I mean is, not only do people find 'em intimidating, the trench coat has all these little pockets inside, see? That's where I carry my hardware."
    "But…"
    "Hi, Hot Stuff. Nice outfit, Guido."
    "Thanks! I was just telling the Boss here about it."
    Massha was dressed… or should I say undressed in her work clothes. A brief vest struggled to cover even part of her massive torso, while an even briefer bottom was on the verge of surrendering its battle completely.
    "Ummm… Massha?" I said carefully. "I've always meant to ask. Why don't you… ummm… wear more?"
    "I like to dress cool when we're going into a hot situation," she winked. "You see, when things speed up, I get a little nervous… and the only thing worse than havin' a fat broad around is havin' a sweaty fat broad around."
    "I think it's a sexy outfit," Guido chimed in. "Reminds me of the stuff my old man's moll used to wear."
    "Well thanks. Dark and Deadly. I'd say your old man had good taste… but I never tasted him."
    I studied them thoughtfully as they shared a laugh over Massha's joke. Any hope of a quiet infiltration of this unknown dimension was rapidly disintegrating. Either Guido or Massha alone was eye-catching, but together they were about as inconspicuous as a circus parade and an army maneuver sharing the same road. Then it occurred to me that, not knowing what things were like where we were heading, they might fit in and I would stand out. It was a frightening thought. If everybody there looked like this…
    I forced the thought from my mind. No use scaring myself any more than I had to before there was information to back it up. What was important was that my two assistants were scared. They were trying hard not to show it, but in doing so, each was dropping into old patterns, slipping behind old character masks. Guido was playing his "tough gangster" bit to the hilt, while Massha was once more assuming her favorite "vamp" character with a vengeance. The bottom line, though, was that, scared or not, they were willing to back my move or die trying. It would have been touching, if it weren't for the fact that it meant they were counting on me for leadership. That meant I had to stay calm and confident… no matter how scared I felt myself. It only occurred to me as an afterthought that, in many ways, leadership was the mask I was learning to slip behind when things got tight. It made me wonder briefly if anyone ever really knew what they were doing or felt truly confident, or if life was simply a mass game of role-playing.
    "Okay. Are we ready?" I asked, shrugging off my wandering thoughts. "Massha? Got your jewelry?"
    "Wearing most of it, and the rest is right here," she said, patting the pouch on her belt.
    While I will occasionally make snide mental comments about my apprentice's jewelry, it serves a dual purpose. Massha's baubles are in reality a rather extensive collection of magical gimmicks she has accumulated over the years. How extensive? Well, before she signed on as my apprentice to learn real magic, she was holding down a steady job as the magician for the city-state of Ta-hoe on the dimension of Jahk solely on the strength of her collected mechanical "powers." While I agreed with Aahz that real magic was preferable to mechanical in that it was less likely to malfunction (a lesson learned from first-hand experience) I sure didn't mind having her arsenal along for back-up.
    "You know that tracking ring? The one you used to find the king? Any chance there's an extra tucked away in your pouch?"
    "Only have the one," she said, waggling the appropriate finger.
    I cursed mentally, then made the first of what I feared would be many unpleasant decisions on this venture.
    "Give it to Nunzio. Tananda and Chumley will need it to find