"Ididn't feed him! He ate a piece of my sleeve!"

"Gleep!"said the dragon, making another unsuccessful pass at my shirt.

"Soyou admit he got food from you?"

"Well…in a manner of speaking… Yeah! So what?" I was gettingtired of being shouted at.

"Sopay up! He's no good to me anymore."

Isurveyed the dragon. He didn't seem to be any the worse for havingeaten the shirt. "What's wrong with him? He looks all right tome."

"Gleep!"said the dragon, and sidled up to me again.

"Oh!He's fine," the keeper sneered. "Except now he's attached.An attached dragon isn't any good except to the person or thing he'sattached to."

"Well,who's he attached to?"

"Don'tget smart with me! He's attached to you! Has been ever since you fedhim."

"Well,feed him again and unattach him! I have pressing matters elsewhere."

"Justlike that, huh?" the Deveel said skeptically, towering to newheights. "You know very well it doesn't work that way. Once adragon's attached, it's attached forever. That's why they're sovaluable."

"Forever?"I asked.

"Well…until one of you dies. But any fool knows not to feed a dragon unlessthey want it attached to them. The idiot beasts are tooimpressionable, especially the young ones like this."

Ilooked at the dragon again. He was very young. His wings were justbeginning to bud, which I took as a sign of immaturity, and his fangswere needle-sharp instead of worn to rounded points like his brethrenin the stall. Still, there was strength in the muscles ripplingbeneath those scales… yes, I decided, I'd back my dragon in afight against any….

"Gleep!"said the dragon, licking both ends of his mustache simultaneouslywith his forked tongue.

Thatbrought me to my senses. A dragon? What did I want with a dragon?

"Well."I said haughtily, "I guess I'm not just any fool, then. If I hadknown the consequences of allowing him to eat my sleeve, I wouldhave…"

"Look,sonny!" The Deveel snarled, poking my chest again. "If youthink you're going to…."

Somethinginside me snapped. I knocked his hand away with a fury that surprisedme.

"Thename isn't 'Sonny,' " I hissed in a low voice I didn't recognizeas my own. "It's Skeeve! Now lower your voice when you'retalking to me and keep your dirty finger to yourself!"

Iwas shaking, though whether from rage or from fear I couldn't tell. Ihad spent my entire burst of emotion in that tirade and now foundmyself wondering if I would survive the aftermath.

Surprisingly,the keeper gave ground a few steps at my tirade, and was now studyingme with new puzzlement. I felt a pressure at the back of my legs andrisked a glance. The dragon was now crouched behind me, craning hisneck to peer around my waist at the keeper.

"I'msorry." The keeper was suddenly humble and fawning. "Ididn't recognize you at first. You said your name was…?"

"Skeeve."I prompted haughtily.

"Skeeve."He frowned thoughtfully. "Strange. I don't remember that name."

Iwasn't sure who or what he thought I was, but if I had learned onething traveling with Aahz, it was to recognize and seize an advantagewhen I saw one.

"Thesecrecy surrounding my identity should be a clue in itself, if youknow what I mean," I murmured, giving him my best conspiratorialwink.

"Ofcourse," he responded. "I should have realizedimmediately…."

"Nomatter," I yawned. "Now then, about the dragon…."

"Yes.Forgive me for losing my temper, but you can see my predicament."

Itseemed strange having someone that immense simpering at me, but Irose to the occasion. "Well, I'm sure we can work somethingout," I smiled.

AsI spoke, a thought flashed through my head. Aahz had all our money! Ididn't have a single item of any value on me except….

Ireached into my pocket, forcing myself to make the move casual. Itwas still there! The charm I had taken from Quigley's statue-bodythat allowed the wearer to see through spells. I had taken it whenAahz wasn't looking and had kept it hidden in case it might be usefulin some crisis. Well, this definitely looked like a crisis!

"Here!"I said, tossing the charm to him. "I believe this should settleour accounts."

Hecaught it deftly and gave it a fast, squinting appraisal.

"This?"he said. "You want to purchase a hatchling dragon for this?"

Ihad no idea of the charm's relative worth, but bluffing had gotten methis far.

"Ido not haggle," I said coldly. "That is my first and finaloffer. If it is not satisfactory, then return the charm and see ifyou can get a better price for an attached dragon."

"Youdrive a hard bargain, Skeeve." The Deveel was still polite, buthis smile looked like it hurt. "Very well, it's a deal. Shake onit." He extended his hand.

Therewas a sudden hissing noise and my vision was obscured. The dragon hadarched his neck forward over my head and was confronting the Deveeleye-to-eye. His attitude was suddenly a miniature version of theferocity I had seen displayed earlier by his larger brethren. Irealized with a start that he was defending me!

Apparentlythe keeper realized it too, for he jerked back his hand as if he hadjust stuck it in an open fire.

"…if you could call off your dragon long enough for us to dose thedeal?" he suggested with forced politeness.

Iwasn't sure just how I was supposed to do this, but I was willing togive it a try.

"He'sokay!" I shouted, thumping the dragon on the side of the neck toget his attention.

"Gleep?"said the dragon, turning his head to peer into my face.

Inoticed his breath was bad enough to kill an insect in flight.

"It'sokay," I repeated, edging out from under his neck.

SinceI was already moving, I stepped forward and shook the keeper's hand.He responded absently, never taking his eyes from the dragon.

"Say,"I said. "Confidentially, I'm rather new to the dragon game. Whatdoes he eat… besides shirts. I mean."

"Oh,a little of this and a little of that. They're omnivorous, so theycan eat anything, but they're picky eaters. Just let him alone andhe'll choose his own diet… old clothes, selected leaves, housepets."

"Terrific!"I mumbled.

"Well,if you'll excuse me I've got other customers to talk to."

"Justa minute! Don't I get one of those pendants like you used to controlthe big dragons?"

"Hmm?What for?"

"Well…to control my dragon."

"Thoseare to control unattached dragons. You don't need one for one that'sattached to you and it wouldn't work on a dragon that's attached tosomeone else."

"Oh,"I said, with a wisdom I didn't feel.

"Ifyou want one, though, I have a cousin who has a stall that sellsthem. It's about three rows up and two rows over. It might be a goodinvestment for you. Could save wear and tear on your dragon if youcome up against an unattached dragon. It'd give junior there a betterchance of growing up."

"Thatbrings up another question," I said. "How long does ittake?"

"Notlong. It's just three rows up and…."

"No.I mean how long until my dragon reaches maturity?"

"Oh,not more than four or five centuries."

"Gleep!"

I'mnot sure if the dragon said that or I did.