Myth 13 - Myth Alliances by Asprin, Robert (ebook reader online free .txt) 📕

“Me and a machine?” I was aghast. The face in the mir?ror became even sadder.

“It's a natural symbiosis. Your creativity interacting with the computer's. It's really very fulfilling. We've been interactive for centuries.”

“What about marriage?” Bunny asked, curiously. “Don't men and women marry on Kobol?”

“Oh, of course! When a couple of Kobolds have com?patible systems, they can have a long and happy life to?gether,” Zol explained. “Computers don't interfere with personal relationships. They can enhance them.”

“It would make accounting a breeze,” Bunny mur?mured, looking at the red-​cased computer. The face didn't look at her. In fact, it cut her dead. Occasionally, when it could catch my eye, it gave me dreamy looks like the ones with which Bunny favored Zol. “Can it be adapted to work in an all magikal environment?”

“Naturally,” Zol replied. “Mine is fit for travel. It's a dual-​power system. When lines of force are available, it uses them. When only electricity is to be had, well, then, it plugs in.” He smiles. “I can see it intrigues you.”

I frowned as she regarded the author with adoration. 'Td love one!" she cooed.

“Bunny, I don't think you ought to... er, get involved ... with anything strange.”

She turned to me. “Why not? Zol wouldn't let anything hurt me. Would you?”

“Of course not,” Zol exclaimed. “Master Skeeve, I see your concern, but it is groundless. Come with us! I will take you to the adoption center. If Mistress Bunny can find a com?puter that wishes to bond with her, it will be perfectly safe. But, I must caution you,” he said to Bunny, “not to be disap?pointed if you don't form a relationship today. It is possible that the computer for you hasn't been manufactured yet.”

“I'll take that chance,” Bunny declared. Resolutely she straightened her spine and tightened her hands into fists.

“She's acting like she's in a spell,” I whispered to Tananda, as we followed them back into the wide hallway.

“If it looks like there'll be trouble, we'll jump her out of here,” Tananda whispered back. “Hang in there, tiger. This may turn out to be handy.”

Myth 13 - Myth Alliances

ELEVEN

“Completely user-​friendly.” . mac

The adoption center looked exactly like the last room we'd been in, down to the fast-​food buffet, except for a huge round table in the middle of the room. On it lay dozens of silverbound books, magik-​mirrors-​on-​a-​stick, multicol?ored, handsized round objects like powder compacts, and one big silver scroll. I eyed them the way I had learned to shop in the Bazaar: look, but stay well away from touching. As I had learned my first visit to Deva, looking is usually free, but you never know what constitutes touching until the stall owner comes up and forcibly tries to extort pay?ment for what he refers to as “used merchandise.”

Zol brought his little book out of his satchel and handed it to another diminutive Kobold, whom he introduced as Asciita. I was struck with how much all of them, male and female, looked alike, with their gray skin, dark hair, long hands and huge eyes. She, or perhaps he, set Coley down on top of her own book. The two computers glowed

brightly for a moment. Suddenly the books adjacent to the first two burst into light, then the next ring, like ripples spreading out in a pond. The Kobolds sitting before the magik mirrors burst into activity, tapping and stroking the button boards with eager looks on their faces.

'There,“ Zol concluded, retrieving Coley and tucking him into his satchel. ”They are all working on it now."

He escorted Bunny to the huge table. The books, mirror and compacts, seeing that someone was paying attention to them, began flapping and blinking eagerly like puppies in a basket. Bunny wore an expression of delight, overwhelmed by the number of choices before her.

“Now, just let yourself choose,” he told her. “They're all very impressionable at this stage. But use your intuition. You will know if you are making the right decision.”

The entire concept of deliberately letting oneself be tied for life to any creature made me nervous. True, I had per?manently impressed a dragon, but it had been by accident. If I had known it could happen, I would have stayed away from the stall. But then, I thought, putting my hand on Gleep's head, I would have missed all the joy and fun of the companionship we had shared. Apart from the yearlong chore of housebreaking, of course. Dragon dung is second only to Pervish cooking in terms of all-​time gagging stenches, and dragon breath comes in third, I mused, as Gleep snaked his head up to slurp me affectionately on the cheek.

Bunny nodded. “They're all beautiful,” she murmered, softly. Her hands ran over the surface of each of the books. I thought I saw the gleaming shells quiver at her touch. I understood that; I had felt the same way. She unrolled the big coil of silver and discovered that it was almost as wide as she was tall.

“That is really an item for an artist,” Zol put in. “You'd mount it on a wall or a big table to work.”

“Oh! I couldn't leave it in plain view,” she explained. "It's too technological for Klah, and in the Bazaar I'd be

afraid someone would be able to see what I'm doing. So much of my work is confidential."

Zol gestured toward the tiny ones. “Then you want a compact. It will do