July

Issue 34

    Troy kept a dragon in his basement.

    There were definite advantages to this arrangement—his winter heating bills were lower than anyone else's, and he never ran out of hot water. Mice were not a problem, either.

    But the situation had its drawbacks, too. Cedric (the dragon) preferred a diet of beef and pork, with a little chicken and fish for variety. He also enjoyed the cruciferous vegetables, but these had an unfortunate effect on his digestive system. (A dragon with gas ... well, use your imagination.)

    It had been expensive to feed a growing dragon, and Troy had discovered that he had to buy meat at different places. Once you've bought a side of beef and a whole hog at one locker plant, they looked at you pretty funny when you went back a week later to buy the same thing. Fortunately, Cedric's appetite had slowed along with his growth in recent months. And once Troy had been able to teach him the difference between a cow and a deer, Cedric could hunt, though he had to be careful about where.

    Troy's dating life had come to a standstill. A dragon in your basement is the kind of thing one should get out into the open early in a relationship, but it was also one of those revelations that sent women hurrying out of the restaurant to summon a cab, fast.