Free Myth-Ing Persons by Robert Asprin Page B

let this console me, but it didn't work.
    "I notice that once you found out that Aahz was being framed, you still went along with it."
    "Well… I didn't want to, but Vic kept saying that if you two were as good as everyone said, that your partner could get out of jail by himself. We figured that he'd escape before the execution, but with the whole dimension hunting him as a fugitive that he'd be too busy running for home to bother about catching us."
    I was starting to get real anxious to meet this guy Vic. It also occurred to me that of all the potential problems our growing reputation could bring down on us, this was one we had never expected.
    "And you believed him?"
    Luanna made a face, then shrugged.
    "Well… you're supposed to be able to do some pretty incredible things, and I don't want you to think I don't believe in your abilities, but I was worried enough that I sneaked back to let you know what was going on…just in case."
    It was almost funny that she was apologizing for giving us the warning. Almost, but not quite. My mind kept running over what might have happened if she had believed in me completely.
    "I guess my only other question is who is this citizen that Aahz is supposed to have killed?"
    "Didn't anybody tell you?" she blinked. "It's Vic. He's from this dimension… you know, a vampire. Anyway, he's hiding out until the whole thing's resolved one way or another. I don't think even Matt knows where he is. Vampires are normally suspicious, and after I sneaked out the first time, he's even gotten cagey around us. He just drops in from time to time to see how we're doing."
    Now I knew I wanted to meet friend Vic. If I was lucky, I'd meet him before Aahz did.
    "Well, I do appreciate you filling me in on the problem. Now, if you'll just come back to Blut with us and explain things to the authorities, my gratitude will be complete."
    Luanna started as if I had stuck her with a pin.
    "Hold on a minute! Who said anything about going to the authorities? I can't do that! That would be double crossing my partners. I don't want to see you or your friends get hurt, but I can't sacrifice my own to save them."
    An honest crook is both incongruous and infuriating. Aahz had often pointed this out to me when some point in my ethic kept me from going along with one of his schemes, and now I was starting to understand what he was talking about.
    "But then why are you here?"
    "I wanted to warn you. Vic has been thinking that you might come into Limbo after your partner, and he's setting up some kind of trap if you did. If he was right, I thought you should know that you're walking into trouble. I figured that if you came, you'd look up the Dispatcher, so I waited there and followed you when you showed up. I just wanted to warn you is all. That and…"
    She dropped her eyes again and lowered her voice until I could hardly hear her.
    "… I wanted to see you again. I know it's silly, but…"
    As flattering as it was, this time I was unimpressed.
    "Yeah, sure." I interrupted. "You're so interested in me you're willing to let my partner sit on a murder rap just so you can watch me go through my paces."
    "I already explained about that," she said fiercely, stepping forward to lay a hand on my arm.
    I stared at it pointedly until she removed it.
    "Well," she said in a small voice. "I can see that there's nothing more I can say. But, Skeeve? Promise me that you won't follow me when I leave? You or your friends? I took a big risk finding you. Please don't make me regret it."
    I stared at her for a long moment, then looked away and nodded.
    "I know you're disappointed in me, Skeeve," came her voice, "but I can't go against my partners. Haven't "you ever had to do something you didn't want to do to support your partner?"
    That hit home… painfully.
    "Yes, I have," I said, drawing a ragged breath. "I'm sorry, Luanna. I'm just Worried about Aahz, that's all. Tell you what. Just to show there're no hard feelings, can I have a token or