BEWARE - chapter six.

Ehm ... Welcome, my dear friends *o*
Please do come in but I am sorry - I haven´t got any food for us today ... I - eh, did get around to shopping and ...
Hi, Johnny ... Don´t drop the bags, Sweetie - here! I have it ... Chinese? What a great idea, baby *O*
Who wants rice and curry. Noodles and chicken ... Oh, just help yourself, my dears *o* Let me get you plates and cutlery and - oh, you are so sweet, Johnny *o* You´ve already got them *O*
If I would go on with the story you´ll play waiter ... What story, dear? Oh, yes - yes, of course! That story *o* Sorry ... I got a bit flustered for a moment -o*
Where were we ... Oh, yes, Vivian would take off with you on a quest for the Holy Grail.
In fact - now that I have had time to think about it ... You are so lovely you could be the perfect Grail-knight, baby darling *o* Better than that old rusty Galahad and - and Percival the Bore - or what ever their names are ... I am quite sure, they are not nearly as sexy as you are and ... What - we have company? Oh, yes, so we have -O*
O.K. I´ll go on then *o*
I was of course distraught ... Didn´t know what to do. I wish I had been paying more attention what Raistlin told me about this witch at the gala ball. What class was she in as a witch. What kind of magic did she practice ... But even if I had known more about her I couldn´t do a thing with Johnny only about a yard from her and four yards from me ...
Maybe Johnny was thinking along the same lines because he asked rather politely - and sounding a bit wonderingly - "What is it you want me to do - to force me to do? I am not that good at anything ..." he lied. Acting his very best. "Are you sure you have the right guy?" Princess Irma started to speak but Vivian interrupted her without even looking at her. For all her saying "Your Royal Highness" it was clearly Vivian who ran the show in that partnership.
"I saw you talk to that stupid dragon old king Mordacai had hired to guard princess Irma here. You clearly has a way with dragons"
Here I thought furiously to myself "She makes it sound like she is talking about vicious dogs!! Not wonderful thinking creatures as dragons are!!" Now please don´t misunderstand me. I love a sweet doggy *o* But you can actually argue with - I mean, talk to a dragon - and it answers back with sensible words *O* Or at least understandable words ...
But now I come to think of it. Johnny can very often get vicious dogs tame and peaceful - playful even - too ... Could he perhaps - hopefully - do the same with these two broads ... Make them behave, so to speak?
"So" Vivian continued - oblivious of my thoughts of course - "I want you to enter the black dragon Speem´s lair and fetch me the Holy Grail. And don´t tell me the Grail doesn´t exist or is somewhere else. Zifnab the Great wrote in his book "The 13 Wonders Of The Magical World" that Meepsia has had the Grail for quite some time now. Now the name "Meepsia" is clearly an anagram for Speem ... He has just added two letters to throw people off the scent. But I am too clever for the old goat. And now you are going to fetch the sacred chalice for me. So we can get all we want in the world"
Luckily Vivian looked fondly at princess Irma when she said the last sentence. So either of them noticed the look of horror Johnny send me.
Or my mingle disbelieve and fury of what I had just heard ... That stupid, befuddled, CRAZY - old go ... No, I won´t insult the goats - MAN !!! Can you kick a god? Well, maybe Fizban - or Zifnab the Great as he sometimes calls himself - isn´t a god after all. Raist smiles he isn't sure, at least. But whether or not he is he will be hearing from me if I ever survived this! To tell the truth is a terrible habit, as Don Juan de Marco said. And a habit that should at least be broken when friends can get hurt because you are telling said anti-lie!!!
Then Johnny suddenly said loud and clear "Be that as it may ... My baby gir - my girl here is going with me! Or I won´t do a thing ..."
The next minute he writhed in pain. And I hurried over and held him tight to support him even though that gave me some of his pain. But that was just so much better in my opinion! If I could take any of it from him I would ... But why did he fight her at all, the big silly!!
When Johnny could talk again he gasped "THAT was a very very dumb thing to do, my dear woman"
And Vivian looked for a short moment actually scared. People have been talking about Johnny and Raistlin Majere resembling each other a couple of times. Like cousins born from a couple of twin sisters perhaps, as Raist's twin brother Caramon suggested once. Johnny is just that much healthier looking ... Not broken by the testing at Wayrath of course. And apparently Vivian suddenly got reminded - as I did - of the arch mage. A gent who becomes more and more polite the angrier he gets ...
Then Johnny went on sounding much more like himself "You can of course keep trying to force me to do your bidding by making me hurt all over like that ... That would certainly - eventually - force me to give in if I do not die of it first. But if you let Mee - my girl come with me I´ll do anything you tells me to do - at once - and to the best of my abilities without you having to use any of your magic energy to force me to do so. And without any pain to me of course ... And everybody will be so much happier. It should be easier for you too if I co-operates"
"Besides ..." he added with a sly little smile "My little darling piece of magic here might not be so powerful a witch herself ... At least she always claims herself that she isn't - but she does know and is well liked by all kinds of powerful people. And the moment you leave with me she will be out of here as fast as a small greased lightning and call in all favours owned to her - and the favours´ favours - and before you can say "bunny rabbit in a top hat" you´ll have all kinds of very talented powerful magic people breathing down your as ... neck just waiting for a chance to liberate me and try all their newest and most nasty magic on you. And don´t think of killing her either to prevent that ... She is to see Par-Salian at the tower of Wayrath tonight. And he knows she always keeps her appointments or let people know why she can´t come so will come looking for her here if she doesn't show up"
Hmm - Johnny might be laying it on a bit thick here - some people do seem like me, but ... *O*
But it was clearly very important for my darling that I should come with him. And I of course love to be with him *o* Still - I was wondering why he was so firm in trying to persuade Vivian to let me come too that he was willing to risk that she did use the "forcing-ring" to inflict more pain on him for demanding things in return for working with her.
I also thought though "Couldn´t you have kept your little sweet mouth closed, baby .. I would have done exactly as you are saying here. Sounding the alarm and then we could have had you back in no time"
For now I decided to wait asking that very sensible question to a later date. I just reached up and kissed Johnny´s cheek as a mute thank you for his kind words about me.
I could see he had at least the princess scared and it was sheer dumb bravado that made her ask "Why the Hell should she do a thing like that ... Don´t kid yourself into thinking you´re something special"
Which left me gaping ... If Johnny wasn´t I would sure like to see her idea of "something special"
Johnny looked smiling at me. Probably guessing roughly what I thought. Having been made to "suffer my adoration" - as he calls it - since 1995 -o*
Then he said calmly "You might very well be right there, princess. But Mee .. nnehaha here is something so very special called faithful and loyal and would think very much less of herself if she did not at least TRY to get me back. Never mind if I deserve it or not."
O.K. I admit it freely ... I literally beamed from ear to ear after that praise *O* Whether I deserved it or not -o*
"Well" Ms. La Regina said hesitantly. The princess whispered something to her sounding very furious. So they prudently retired some steps to discuss the situation.
And I hurried to whisper to Johnny why he wanted me to come. I couldn´t do much about Speem. He could charm the dragon much better than me anyway.
But Johnny whispered back "Princess Psycho over there has a gun in that pearl embroidered purse she is fiddle around with all the time. I'm afraid they - or maybe just her - will shoot you the moment they are leaving with me so as to leave no witness. This way by leaving here together I do hope we both have a change of surviving this. ... or at least die together - ulp! ... and please remember you are ... Minnehaha ... Sorry about that, pet *o* There is no "ha-ha" about this - but I had to think fast though so they wouldn't hear your name is Meeps and guess where the Grail really is ... Would Minnie Mouse had been better *o* But hush, sweetie! They are coming back to us ..."
And this is the same Johnny, who claims he is neither sweet nor courageous nor smart nor ... Isn´t it? Oh, I love that wonderful, marvellous .. Ehm, you knew that already, didn´t you *o* ? So we better go on *O*
In the end Vivian took Johnny´s advice and brought me with them. Saying I had after all talked to the dragons too back at the Husgood´s castle. So maybe it wasn´t just Johnny who has a certain way with dragons.
She called it being "charmed against dragons" ... I would rather say Johnny at least - and sometimes me too - is charming the dragons. Because ...
I can´t say Amaritza and I are near and dear friends. But we are not enemies either. And I get along quite well with other dragons *o* Yackatoota, Pycos, Hathor, old Pyrite and so on. You just have to be polite and to some degree respectful and everybody gets along nicely in my experience ... Just the same procedure as with most humans, actually *o*
... but I thought scared to myself that Speem would be quite another matter all together. Even her fellow dragons tend to avoid her since she might be smiling and friendly one minute and trying to make you into roast beef the next ...
But back to our human troubles ...
In order to move us to where she wanted us Vivian made a circle with her wand on the ground. Then made us stand in it very close together. And the princess really did produce a little mother-of-pearl handled revolver from her purse and showed it to us with a grin that made me shiver and Johnny grab my hand even harder.
"Enough of that, Your Royal Highness" La Regina said sharply. And in the next second the magic surged up around us and transported us from our lovely little peaceful island far away to a barren rock ledge. The last I heard from our little idyll were the squirrels scolding from the trees.
Could you wait hearing more until tomorrow. This isn´t exactly a cliff hanger - we ended up standing up safely away from the edge, but still - my vertigo, you know ... -o*
And I think I have eaten too much Chinese food too *o* It is rather delicious, I think - but also very filling ...
So I´ll see you her tomorrow - same time, same place? Good *O*