I Love Reading!

Since Pan Long was willing to earn "small change," Boss Benthalit naturally had no reason to stop him. In fact, he even introduced Pan Long to several jobs.

The first job came from Angshe, a writer staying upstairs at the inn. Though the Dwarf was a Cleric with some ability, he was remarkably timid. An Ogre had robbed him on a road not far from here. Strangely, the Ogre had not killed him. It had only taken his belt.

"It's unbelievable!" the Dwarf roared, beard bristling and eyes bulging, when Pan Long asked him for the details. "He had no interest in the books I wrote! All he wanted was my belt! Outrageous!"

"You're angrier that the Ogre had no interest in your books than you are about being robbed?" Pan Long asked with interest.

"Of course! Writing is my life! He rejected my work! That's second only to killing me!"

"So... what would you like me to do?" Pan Long asked. "Get your belt back?"

"Of course! And give him a sound thrashing! Teach him what a grave mistake it is to look down on a writer!" the dwarf shouted. "I'll pay you double the bounty on his head—one hundred Gold Pieces!"

Pan Long thought for a moment. "What if I did more?"

The Dwarf looked at him in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Say I brought him here, made him admit in front of everyone that he'd overlooked a great work of literature, then got him to read your book sincerely and weep with emotion... would you pay me more?"

The Dwarf looked at him as though he were an idiot. "Ogres can't read."

"Huh? Then why are you angry? If he can't read, stealing your book wouldn't do him any good." Pan Long felt he could not