A Girl's Guide to Guns and Monsters - Martin Harry Greenberg [61]
I looked up at the mirror and sighed. Why did “wise” always seem to really mean old and wrinkled? I thought adventures happened to the young, the lovely, the pure of heart?
But in that instant, when the dragon had looked at me—at me, as is, as I was—
It saw me. Not just me, it saw through me somehow, right down to my soul and I shook as I hung there, pierced by its gaze. Then it threw its head back, and shook its mane, and laughed.
The heavens resounded, and the earth trembled with the sound, as if all of creation shared the joy of this being. For it did not mock, nor was it threatening. It was a joyful sound, and my heart shared in its delight.
That joy . . . that happiness. I hadn’t felt anything like that in years.
I took a deep breath, straightened my shoulders, and threw open the bathroom door.
“There is much you will need to learn,” Wan said as he paced back and forth on the dining room table. “But we will start with the very beginning.”
“A very good place to start,” I warbled, back on the sofa with the two dogs at my side.
Wan gave me a puzzled look.
Heh. Score one for popular culture. “The necklace?” I prompted.
“No, Kate.” Wan shook his head. “The very beginning. Of the world.”
“Oh. Of course.” I tried to keep an interested look on my face, but inside I groaned. The whole thing? He was going to tell me the whole thing?
“To begin, I will provide you with an overview of the major dynasties.” Wan started pacing, and his voice took on the same droning tone of some of my old professors at UT. “Now, in your modern time scale, the Hsia Dynasty was formed in 2000 BCE—”
Crap. My brain twisted in my skull. Four thousand years? He was going back four thousand years?
“Arising along the banks of the Yellow River. Founded by Yu the Great, who—”
If this were a marital arts film, there’d be an attack about now. I glanced over at the sliding door to see if, by chance, there were any ninja rats in the backyard.
No such luck.
“Yu was a feared and cruel Emperor, who bound the petty warring states—” Wan was pacing, his tail in his paws as he moved, intent on his words.
I ever-so-casually moved my hand and poked Itty’s butt. With any luck, my little dog would wake up and need to go outside.
Itty yawned, and rolled on her side to show her tummy. She never even opened her eyes.
I scratched her belly, and slumped into the cushions. Doomed . . . I was doomed. My eyes started to roll back into my head. Doomed . . .
“The next dynasty arose in 1523 BCE. Scholars differ as to whether it should be known as the Shang or Yin Dynasty. My studies have led me to theorize that—”
I stifled a yawn, and looked out the sliding glass door again. Maybe McDougall would appear again to rescue me from this horrible fate. He was damned good looking, with those sharp grey eyes. Those grey eyes that—
“Kate!”
I jerked my eyes open.
Wan was glaring at me, his little paws on his narrow hips.
“Wan, I—” Desperation born of pure boredom forced me to speak. “I might have some books in the attic.”
The attic stairs creaked as I pulled the chain, lowering gently to the floor. Wan was on my shoulder as I set my foot on the first step.
I’d always loved fantasy from the moment I learned to read. Magic, swords, dragons . . . I read every book I could get my hands on, and when that wasn’t enough, I made up stories in my head. I discovered gaming in college . . . role-playing games that let me be the characters I’d dreamed of. I never looked back. Computers, LARPS, MUUDS, SCA . . . my life and friends revolved around those wonderful imaginary worlds.
Then I tried to write my stories to share with the world. And all my wide-eyed innocent hopes had been shredded, one after the other. Until the 53rd rejection letter, when I’d woken up to