Chapter 24

“Hey,” Dale said as he approached.

Riadh opened his eyes fully and looked at Dale. “How did it go?”

“All right I guess. We’re not quite finished yet. I told her I wanted to talk to you before I committed to an agreement. She offered to teach me in exchange for a favor. I reiterated that you were not in any way negotiable or part of the deal.” Dale crossed his arms and stared at the ground, embarrassed at his uncertainty.

“What kind of a favor?” Riadh asked. He climbed out of the car and stood facing Dale.

“She was vague. Beyond excluding the few things I specified, she just said favor. Is this too Faustian a contract to contemplate?

“No, not necessarily. Dragons do not lie. They do omit information quite often but if she agrees to your terms, she won’t violate them.”

“I asked her if this was apt to turn into a hit on somebody she wants to kill. She said it was unlikely. She also seemed pretty amused by the idea.”