Robert Asprin - Dragons Wild

It took a moment for the name to register. Stoner. The man with Homeland Security that was supposed to be hunting for Griffen.

“So talk,” Griffen said. “You have my undivided attention.”

“I was thinking more of a face-to-face sit-down,” Stoner said.

Griffen thought for a moment. He really didn’t want to be alone with this man. Still, his curiosity was piqued.

“That might take a while to arrange,” he said. “If you don’t mind, I’d prefer to meet somewhere in public.”

“My thoughts precisely,” Stoner said. “How about that bench just ahead of you…say, in two minutes?”

Startled, Griffen looked around, trying to see in all directions at once. There didn’t seem to be anyone in the crowd paying particular attention to him, but it was obvious he was being watched.

“How will I know you?” he said, stalling for time.

There was no answer. Glancing at his phone, Griffen realized Stoner had broken the connection.

Replacing the cell phone on his hip, he stared at the indicated bench, looked around again, then slowly walked over to it and opted to stand rather than sit.

Pedestrians continued to stream by in groups of two to six, with an occasional jogger mixed in for variety. Nothing there that seemed particularly threatening or ominous.

There were people leaning on the railing watching the river traffic, a couple of tired looking women herding a group of shrieking children from a day-care center, and a trio of sailors in uniform taking pictures of each other, but no one seemed to be paying any attention to Griffen.

Then a man sat down on the bench. There was nothing noteworthy about him. He was dressed tourist casual, opting for the polo shirt and light slacks rather than a T-shirt and shorts, and even had a small shopping bag that he carried in one hand. Griffen wouldn’t have looked at him twice if he wasn’t expecting to meet someone. Still, there was something about him…

Suddenly, Griffen realized what was wrong. The man was sitting absolutely motionless.

If one watched closely, most people were constantly in motion…even when supposedly at rest. They would fidget and look around, or shift their position slightly, or fiddle with their clothes, but they were always moving. To a card player, these were “tells” about a person’s thoughts or mood, to be noted and studied.

This man just sat, muscles relaxed, eyes unfocused.

Steeling himself mentally, Griffen also took a seat on the bench.

“I assure you, Mr. McCandles, your misgivings are unwarranted,” the man said. “I mean you no harm. That’s why I wanted to have this conversation.”

“Mr. Stoner?” Griffen said.

The man turned his head and looked at Griffen directly.

“That is correct,” he said. “It has come to my attention that you are laboring under certain misconceptions regarding our relationship.”

“I wasn’t aware that we had a relationship,” Griffen said. The stilted, formal speech patterns Stoner used were contagious. “I have, however, heard that you might be looking for me. Something about dragons.”

Stoner smiled slightly, then his mouth returned to its normal, neutral position.

“Something about dragons,” he said. “I suppose that’s one way of putting it. What have you heard, exactly?”

Griffen took a deep breath.

“Well, sir, I’ve heard that you are one of, if not the, most powerful dragons operating on this continent. I’ve also been told that, now that I’m coming into my secondary powers, I could be seen as an ally or a threat. Specifically, they say that you’ll either try to recruit me or kill me. Since I’m brand-new at this dragon thing, hearing something like that tends to make me nervous.”

“Understandable,” Stoner said, giving the smallest of nods. “Well, Griffen—May I call you Griffen?—I’m here to give you my personal assurance that I currently have no plans to pursue either of those options.”

Griffen considered that for a few moments.

“Forgive me, sir, but could you elaborate on that? I can’t help but notice the careful use of the word ‘currently’ in what you’re saying.”

“Very well,” Stoner said. “My main focus is on international events…things that could create a threat to this country. If my information is correct, your current activity centers around running a small, local gaming operation. That is of no interest to me at all. Also, as you mention, you are still extremely new to…as you put it…the dragon game, I can see no point in recruiting you until you have developed considerably beyond where you are now…say, in twenty or thirty years. That is the situation as I see it currently. Should either of those conditions change, if you increase the scope of your operation or if your development takes a sudden surge forward, I would have to reconsider my position. If not, I see no reason for us to have any dealings with each other. Is that clear?”

“Crystal,” Griffen said.

“Well then,” Stoner said, starting to rise, “if there’s nothing else to discuss…”

“Um…since you’re here, sir,” Griffen said hastily, “might I ask you a few questions? I mean, I’m new to all this and it would be a big help.”

Stoner glanced at his watch, then sat down again.

“Very well,” he said. “What do you want to know?”

“Well, first of all,” Griffen said, “if you weren’t looking for me, how did you find me? I find it hard to believe you just happened to be here.”

“There was an inquiry submitted to our offices by the local police,” Stoner said. “They wanted to know if Homeland Security in general or I specifically had any interest in you and if so, why. That gave me a pretty good idea of where you were. Once I had that, it was easy, with my resources, to find out what you were doing and what your habits were.”

Griffen was too good a poker player to let anything show on his face, but inwardly he cursed himself. His clever plan to use Harrison to run an official check for him had backfired. If Stoner had really been hunting for him, that could have been disastrous. As it was…

“So, you’ve been having me watched?” he said carefully.

Stoner smiled slightly.

“Don’t misunderstand me, Griffen,” he said. “Just because I mean you no harm does not mean I’m totally disinterested. A dragon is still a dragon.”

“Does that mean you’re going to continue having me watched?”

“I’ll be keeping casual surveillance on you,” Stoner said. “Again, more curiosity than anything else. In my position, it’s relatively easy to add a few more names to the list of those we’re keeping tabs on.”

“What about before,” Griffen said.

“Excuse me?”

“Was my name on the list before I reached New Orleans?”

Stoner sighed.

“If you’re referring to that incident on the expressway, that was regrettable. The attack, such as it was, was spontaneous. Certainly not ordered by me or anyone reporting to me. Your movements were to be noted and reported. Nothing more. Be assured that the officer who leaked the information to some of his friends has been dealt with severely.”

Something in the tone of Stoner’s voice reminded Griffen that this was not a man to be taken lightly…as if he needed reminding.

It also made him reconsider exactly what Stoner’s concept of “not having dealings with each other” might consist of.

“One more question, Mr. Stoner,” he said. “Are you aware of a person known as George?”

“The George?” Stoner said, cocking his head to one side. “That old myth? I’ve heard of him, but never felt the need to run down the truth of the matter or look into hiring him. I have my own organization with a carefully audited budget. It more than suffices for my needs. Why do you ask?”