(Untitled)
It was always a long shot.
Perry and Parker waited until they could hear the dragon snoring (and good heaven can dragons snore) and then slipped out of their cave prison ( Read more... )
Perry and Parker waited until they could hear the dragon snoring (and good heaven can dragons snore) and then slipped out of their cave prison ( Read more... )
"Call Steve McQueen? As for pointers?" she grumbles.
The sheep nudges her leg, and Parker absently begins to pat its head.
"I'm open to suggestions."
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He finds what's left of the pie, and hands part of it to Parker.
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Note to Self: Movie references are going to be wasted in a world where there are no movies.
Parker accept the piece of pie. The sheep shoves its nose forward expectantly, and she breaks a piece of crust off to feed to it.
"You don't happen to have a few dozen sleeping pills and a big ball of hamburger in one of your boots, do you?"
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"Parker, I'm beginning to fear to that strain is getting to you.
"What are you talking about?"
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"Well, we've tried sneaking out. I think it's safe to say that a rescue party isn't going to get up that mountain without being seen a barbecued. That leaves trying to drug the dragon, only we have no drugs that I'm aware of."
Parker sighs.
"I'm a college student. Great daring escapes are not something I'm good at."
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The rules of the thing make a rescue far more likely than an escape. That's just the way it works.
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In other words, there's nothing they can do to help themselves.
"Uugggghhhh. I hate this." Parker shoves herself to her feet and begins pacing the small confines of the cave.
Very vigorously.
She likes being cooped up about as much as she likes feeling helpless.
"We can wait until Amy is forced to give in and ransom us. And if your uncle is the one behind this, and he wants your throne, what's to say he won't just have you--both of us--killed anyway just to cover his bases? Or can wait for rescuers who may or may not arrive to walk up to a dragon and probably get killed."
That creature is big.
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"Well, I suppose we could wait until is falls back asleep and try again," he offers, with no real enthusiasm.
"But we can't fight it, Parker. And I'm not sure what options we have.
"Unless you want to just go ask it to please let us go, but--"
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And her mind is already formulating an idea, even before he stops speaking.
"You know, that's not a half bad idea," she interrupts.
"We've tried everything except negotiation."
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"You can't negotiate with a dragon."
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Parker plants her hands on her hips.
"They can talk, right? I mean, this one hasn't been really chatty thus far."
Hadn't spoken a word to them at all, in fact.
"But he can. I remember Amy saying they can."
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"But you can't . . . it's . . . I've never heard of anyone negotiating with a dragon.
"What would you say, Parker?"
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And look how that's taking off.
"I don't know," she admits. "Make it a better offer, maybe? I mean, you're the king. If anyone can undercut the original deal, it would be you, right?"
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Parker has the most irregular ideas.
Then again . . .
"I say, I suppose we could point out that there's the chance it won't get paid at all, if it has, in fact, kidnapped the wrong person. And that we could offer it terms that don't involve its running the risk of getting slain by a knight of the realm . . ."
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Maybe they can persuade their kidnapper to switch loyalties.
"Come on. Let's go."
Parker heads for the entrance to the little cave.
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But he follows her out of the cave, anyway.
It's not like he can let her go by herself, now, can he?
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