"Then why the costume drama?" Don Brace asked, snatching the pitcher out of my hand and pouring himself a drink.
I grinned. "To draw out the culprit," I said. "If you and your associates were innocent you'd be concerned about the loss of life. And Don deDondon here knew about an explosion even though Massha never used the word. He was thinking about it because he'd rigged one to go off."
"But it did!" the scrawny don protested. "I felt it."
"A little subsonic vibration, courtesy of Massha's ma-gik," I said, with a bow to her. "Nothing too difficult for a member of M.Y.T.H. Inc., which is why Don Brace employs us to watch out for his interests in the Bazaar at Deva."
The Fairy Godfather turned as purple as his suit. He spun in the air to face the cowering don. "You wanted me to lose face in front of my valued associates? Sur-leone, Guido, Nunzio, please escort our former employee back to the Bazaar. I'll be along shortly." The meaty ma-fioso took deDondon by the arm and flicked a D-hopper out of his pocket. In a twinkling, they were gone.
Don Bruce hovered over to take Massha's hand. "I offer my sincere apologies if anything that I or my people have done to mar your wedding day in even the slightest way. I'll send someone with the counterspell to pack the house up again. I hope you and your husband have a long and happy life together. You made a beautiful bride." In a flutter of violet wings, he was gone, too.
"I'm glad that's over," I said, draining the rest of the ale. 'Take that silly dragon back to the stables, and let's keep the party rolling."
Gleep's ears drooped.
"Now, Aahz," Massha said, "you owe him an apology. If it hadn't been for Gleep, the palace would have been blown sky high,"
The dragon rolled huge blue eyes at me. I fought with my inner self,