"What are you doin'?" I sez.

"That's a demon!" Robb sez, his eyes all wild-like.

The rest of the delegation is also startin' to load arrows, and I realize that we have not completely briefed them as to the sights and sounds they could expect to encounter when they reached the palace.

"Hey! Relax!" I sez, hastily. "That's just Aahz. He's the Boss's partner, and ..."

"Gleep!"

Around the comer comes Gleep. Apparently Aahz was exercising him in the courtyard when we arrived. In a flash, I can see we've got trouble.

"That's a dragon!!"

"Relax, everybody!!" I bellows in my best command voice. "There's no need to ..."

Just then, Gleep catches sight of Nunzio and comes boundin' forward.

"Gleep!"

That's when it all hits the fan.

A lot of things happen so fast that I am left with a confusin' array of separate images.

-The bows come up loaded with arrows.

-Aahz stops in his tracks.

-Gleep slams on the brakes and throws himself sideways in front of Aahz.

-Pookie and Spyder pile into the delegation, tryin' to stop them from shootin'.

-An arrow flies and ...

Gleep gives out a high-pitch wail, rears up, and then collapses on his side.

At the sound, everybody freezes in place and stares in silence, like we was all in a picture for one of those play advertisements.

Then, everyone starts talkin' at once.

"What did you do that for??!!"

"But it was attacking!"

"No it wasn't! It wanted to play!"

"That's Skeeve's pet you just shot!"

"Oh geez!"

"How were we supposed to know?"

While the babble is goin' on behind me, I runs forward and joins Aahz, who is kneelin' by Gleep.

"How is he?" I sez.

Even as I speak, I realize this is a kinda stupid question. From where I stand, I can see the arrow stickin' out of the Boss's pet just behind his front leg. For a crew that normally couldn't hit the broadside of a barn if they was inside, this time they managed to come up with a shot that was deadly accurate.

"It's not good," Aahz sez, not lookin' up. "You better have someone get Skeeve."

"Nunzio!" I call. "Get the Boss! Quick!"

"Gleep," the dragon sez, tryin' weakly to raise its head.

"Just lie quiet, fellah," Aahz sez, in a surprisingly gentle voice. "Skeeve will be here soon."

I turn and walk back to where the delegation is now huddled together.

"Robb," I sez, beckonin' him forward."

"Geez, Guido," he sez. "We didn't know ..."

"Shaddup!" I sez, cuttin' him short. "Remember what I told you about talkin' with the Boss?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, forget it. With what's just happened, you better let Nunzio and me do all the talkin'."

It seems like it takes forever, but it's probably not more than a minute or two before Nunzio and the Boss come flyin' out of the palace. Of course, in the Boss's case, this is literal type statement. That is to say, Nunzio is leadin' the way at a pace a few notches short of a dead run, while the Boss is floatin' along just behind him. Even at this distance, I can see that he's lookin' happier than I have seen him in a long time.

This surprises me.

Not that he is flyin'. That is one of the smaller magiks that he has at his disposal, even though he doesn't use it all that much. Rather, I am surprised that he seems happy, as I can see nothin' in the current state of affairs that would put him in such a mood.

Then he sees Gleep and he stops smilin'. At this, I realize what has happened. Nunzio has simply fetched him without tellin' him what was up. Any hopes I have for his bein' in a good mood disappear along with his smile.

In a flash he is on the ground and kneelin' at Gleep's side, cradlin' his pet's head in his arms.

"What's wrong, fellah?" I hear him say. "Aahz? What's the matter with him?"

Aahz glances at us, then clears his throat.

"Skeeve, I..." he begins, then stops as the Boss suddenly stiffens up.

He has just noticed the arrow that's stickin' out of Gleep's side. An expression dances across his face that does not bode well for any of us in the near vicinity.

Just then, Gleep stirs again, raisin' his head.

"Take it easy, fellah," the Boss sez, his expression sof-tenin' again.

Gleep cranks his head around and looks the Boss in the eye.

"Skeeve?" he sez, then goes limp.

The Boss carefully puts Gleep's head on the ground, then gets up and stands lookin' at him for a minute. Then he looks at us.

In my work with the Mob, I have met several people who could threaten you with just a look. I've even done it myself when the situation called for it. But in all my years, I have never seem anything like the look the Boss is givin' us right now.

"All right," he sez in a deadly-soft voice. "I want to know what's been going on here ... and I want to know now!!"

Remember when I said that when Nunzio went lookin' for the Boss, it seemed to take a lot longer than it actually did? Well, it seemed even longer this time before anyone spoke ... practically years.

Finally, Aahz broke the silence.

"Urn ... partner?" he sez.

"Not now, Aahz," the Boss sez, still starin' at us.

"Suit yourself," Aahz shrugs. "I just thought you might want to take care of Gleep before getting in to all this."

The Boss's head comes around with a snap.

"Take care of Gleep?" he sez. "But isn't he... ? I mean..."

Aahz frowns at him for a second, then his expression clears.

"Oh! I get it now. You thought..." he breaks off with a little chuckle. "Relax, partner. He'll be fine. He just passed out from the shock is all."

"But the arrow ... ?"

"Dragons are tough." Aahz smiles. "Besides, most people don't know much about dragon anatomy. That arrow's

nowhere near where his heart is. Once we get it out of him, he should heal up fine."

Now, I'll admit that I am among those that Aahz is referrin' to that don't know anything about dragon anatomy. This does not, however, mean that I am slow on the uptake.

"Nunzio!" I barks. "Find Massha fast. Tell her to bring that stuff she used on my arm. Spyder! Scout around for a wagon big enough that we can move Gleep back to the stables. If anyone gives you any grief, convince them. Either that or tell 'em to take it up with me later."

In the blink of an eye, they are both up and runnin'.

"Can I help out at all?" sez one of the delegates, step-pin' up to me.

"Like how?" I sez, frowniri' as I try to remember the guy's name. "You're ..."

'Tuck," he sez. "I'm a cook. I heard the ... the green gentleman say something about cutting the arrow out. Well, I'm pretty good with a knife and know a bit about animal anatomy ... though not about dragons specifically ... and ..."

"Okay, stand by," I sez. "Just don't do anything until Massha gets here."

"Massha?" he sez.

"Don't worry. You'll know her when you see her."

After that, it was pretty much routine. Tuck was as good as his word and got the arrow out of the Boss's pet with minimal blood bein' spilled. Massha was right there with her magik salve, and by the time we got around to loadin' Gleep onto the wagon, the wound was already healin'.

I was takin' a breather after helpin' with the latter chore, Gleep bein' no featherweight, when Robb beckons me aside for a quick chat.

"Guido," he sez, "the boys and I are going to take couple rooms at that inn we passed just outside the castle.

Things are crazy enough right now I think our business with Skeeve can wait until tomorrow."

"You're probably right," I sez. "It's kind of a shame, though. Your havin' to wait after havin' come all this way to meet the Boss."

"Oh, the actual meeting is more of a formality now," he sez. "I'm sure we'll be able to work out some kind of an arrangement with him. I'd say your point has definitely been proven."