The realpolitik of dragon-slaying

Excerpt from my fantasy novel, The Pennants of Larkhall:

"It was immediately after Edward's campaign to eradicate the blood wolves that the duke of neighboring Oluvai sent a message to him regarding the last remaining dragon in the western hills. None of the few old men in Oluvai who had ever killed a dragon was still fit to hunt this one, and the duke did not believe that any of his younger subjects had the courage and cunning necessary.

"That, at least, was what he told Edward through a messenger. He would never have mentioned this in Oluvai, of course, and in reality it was not true. The duke certainly respected Edward for his campaign against the wolves, which he had heard about from afar. But he sent the messenger because Edward was an outsider, and the duke was assuming that an attempt to kill the dragon would probably fail and the hunter would die. The hunter would be roasted alive or clawed to death along with anyone else who was along. The duke would not do this to one of his own subjects if he could avoid it; better to use a foreigner, or a team of foreigners. If the hunters actually did manage to kill the dragon, somehow, it was again better that they be outsiders; the payoff would be easier. Outsiders would be happy with a year's pay, perhaps, and a week of praise and celebration in the duke's manor. Then they would want to go home. Local people would probably ask for houses and lifetime pensions, at the least.

"Edward, who did not know much about nobility, was flattered by the duke's recognition and offer."

--For Kindle; I'm working on the paperback.  Don't worry, I'll let you know when it's available :)

Listing:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Pennants-of-Larkhall-ebook/dp/B004HO5JYM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1309619450&sr=8-1

More excerpts and random trivia:

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