Muse Academy - 2006 Competition, Runner-Up

The Riddle
By Teela B
Puck was having a rare day off. He decided to stroll around in town, see if anything interesting was going on. As Fate would have it, nothing was happening. So he put one foot in front of the other, hoping to find any excuse to take his mind off of nothing. He kept on walking, looking utterly bored. Finally, a plain sign caught his eye. He sauntered over, and read flatly, "Special talk today, rare items. Free drinks." He pondered this event, and said, "I might as well. Nothin' much seems ta be going on. And the sign does mention free food." Puck pulled open the door.
The room was rather dark, for the light seemed to be focused on a central figure talking. She was a docent of the museum, and a small item appeared to be hovering in her hand. It glistened gold in the light, and Puck was drawn to it. She droned on, "And this is a gryphon feather. Gryphon feathers aren't rare, as long as they are on the gryphon. They do not just give out what is theirs without an enormously good reason."
Puck had, for the time being, forgotten about the drink and ambled up to the docent. "Question."
"Yes?" asked the docent, wearily. The darkened lights were doing nothing for her, and today she just wanted to go home.
"How much for th' feather?" Puck decided that he needed to possess it, no matter what.
"What, this?" She pointed at the feather.
"No, the one on your wings," he snapped sarcastically. "Yeah, that one."
She smiled sardonically. "What, you think we here could somehow get one?" She pulled her hand back methodically and sliced through the feather, Puck's expression quickly changing to one of worry as she did so. But her hand just passed right through, leaving small tendrils of a gold, smoky substance. "This is just an illusion." The smile returned as Puck's face fell. "Sorry to ruin your day."
He gave a theatrical sigh. "What about the free drinks?"
"Cups of juice are over there," she said as she gestured off into the darkness.
He left without a word, ignoring the drinks and leaving, his mind a mess. I need ta have one of those. But where will I get one? How will I get one. Hate ta be on the wrong end of that beak, that's for sure. He intently thought about what to do, and found a course of action.
Confidently Puck strode to a small hut-like house on the edge of the town, close to the MA campus. He went and knocked on the door, and a tall, lanky brown-haired man opened the door.
"Heya Lo–" Slam. "–ki," muttered Puck. He beat on the door again. "C'mon, I just wanta talk to you!" The door slowly opened again.
"Hello Puck," Loki said, unimpressed. "What hare-brained scheme have you hatched today?"
Puck tried to look innocent. "Now Loki, can't two guys jus' talk?"
Loki buried his forehead on one of his hands. "Yes, two guys can 'jus' talk,' as you put it. Unfortunately for you, you seem to lack this ability of 'just talking,' having everything turn to personal gain. Or payback. Or whatever errands you run nowadays. Now if you could excuse me, I'm trying to restrain my trickster self." He started to shut the door.
Puck was not to be deterred. "Why don't you jus' tell me about gryphon feathers and I'll be on my merry way, and you won't have to do anything at all."
Loki opened up the door again, and stood leaning in the doorway, examining his fingernails. "What is there to tell? I think one is in town, being plot convenient, though you may want to double check that story." He gave a weary look. "Now, what would an outstanding citizen such as you need to know about that for?"
"No reason," Puck shrugged. "Like I said, just wanted ta talk."
Loki shut the door, shaking his head as he went. And Puck went back into town, looking for the gryphon.
...
After asking around, Puck had finally managed to find where the gryphon was. "What ho, apothecary," he muttered to no one, and he sniggered so slightly at his reference. As he neared the gryphon and it came into view, he shouted "Hey!"
The gryphon rolled his eyes as Puck approached. "I've heard about you. What business have you here?"
"Just wanted to know why you're in town, ya know?" Puck said conversationally.
"I'm being plot convenient, so what of it?" the gryphon drawled.
"Oh good. Anythin' else you're doing?"
"I was enjoying a day free of you," the gryphon muttered.
"Soon you could be free of me," said Puck as he rolled with the punches, "if I can strike a deal with you."
The gryphon looked up condescendingly. "I do not deal with the likes of you."
"A coward, then?"
The gryphon's fur slightly bristled. "No."
Puck smiled slyly. "Come now. I'm jus' a simple fairy, and you are a proud being of a great and noble race. What could I possibly do to ya?" Flattery hand-in-hand with insults usually granted the desired result.
The gryphon grumbled and ruffled his wings. "Fine. What is it that you desire?"
"Nothin' much. A feather. Of yours."
The gryphon looked indignant. "I do not think a simple deal will suffice. I'd rather a challenge. If you win, you may have your feather. But if you lose, I will gain a new servant for 500 years."
"500? A little much, isn't it? How 'bout 100?" Puck silently implored for help from Those Who Be, realizing that he couldn't possibly be two being's servant.
"300 years. Final offer."
Puck's thirst for a feather was strong, but he had his doubts. He put on a casual air as he said coolly, "Not a problem. So what's th' challenge?"
"I'll ask you a question," the gryphon told Puck. He turned over questions in his head, trying to din the most appropriate one. Ultimately he settled on, "What one word in the English language is pronounced the same after four letters are removed?"
Puck, expecting a more sphinx-like question, was left speechless. That can't possibly be the question. What kind of question is that?
Puck hmmed. And then it hit him. "The word 'queue.'"
"Drat. Didn't expect you get that." The gryphon looked a tad forlorn. "Take your feather and never come back."
Puck grinned impishly as he plucked a feather off of the outstretched wing. As he passed by the gryphon he said, "You know, if I were an American creation you may have had a better chance."
"Stow it, Puck," said the gryphon uncharacteristically. Puck marched off proudly.

The End.