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PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Chapter One:
“Dragons and Demons and Kings,
“THIS place stinks!” my scaly mentor snarled, glaring out the window at the rain.
“Yes, Aahz,” I agreed meekly.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” he snapped, turning his demon’s speckled gold eyes on me.
“It means,” I gulped, “that I agree with you. The Kingdom of Possiltum, and the palace specifically, stink to high heaven—both figuratively and literally.”
“Ingratitude!” Aahz made his appeal to the ceiling. “I lose my powers to a stupid practical joker, and instead of concentrating on getting them back, I take on some twit of an apprentice who doesn’t have any aspirations higher than being a thief, train him, groom him, and get him a job paying more than he could spend in two lifetimes, and what happens? He complains! I suppose you think you could have done better on your own?”
