It had taken all afternoon, but Draco and Harry (and Pesha and Ceija) finally had their schpiel. So, of course, lil' Hanzi was there to watch. Like Pesha, he was the exact opposite of little, but more of an adult. Where Pesha was leggy and looked like an over-fertilized plant*, Hanzi had a booming laugh (though he wasn't that wide), and was toned all over. Bemusedly, Harry wondered if he or Draco would look like that when they were older.
Hanzi was going to be critiquing their schpiel, as well as readying himself to tell it in front of a crowd.
Earlier, Draco and Harry had gotten into an argument about who was going to give the schpiel. Ceija had been content to just watch and let them scuffle each other up. At the end, they'd been laughing, and Ceija, mild as milk, had suggested, "why don't you two just do it together?"
The boys turned out to be "not so good" at speaking in unison, though, so they'd finally arm-wrestled for it. After, of course, Harry had to explain arm-wrestling. He looked at Ceija and Pesha and said, "He led a very sheltered life." Which was even true, in a way. Maybe that was how Harry got away with lying, this once.
"Step right up, ladies and gents! Here in this nondescript tent, we have the most amazing vision, straight from the Rajasthani sands of the Thar Desert." Harry said, trying to speak grandly.
Draco knew grand like a lilypad knew water, "For ten years, our snake charmer has trained, to enchant this snake into obeying his very will! Now, for only 5 shillings, you can experience the thrill, the wonder of the Mighty Spitting Cobra, now obeying his every command!"
Hanzi clapped, "It's good, I'll have a few changes to make, and of course there's always what I change on the fly-"
Draco's eyes had crinkled at this, and Hanzi explained, "It's all about the particular people. Some have a taste for the wild - I could sell them on the snake being just barely tamed, harnessed by magics that they've never heard of. Others want the chill - see those unblinking eyes, rising out of the snake-basket, transfixed by its master."
"You make it sound so easy," Harry complained.
"Lots and lots of practice!" Hanzi said, and his laughter boomed over everyone.
*Harry's done a LOT of gardening. You pick things up!
[a/n: apparently all my analogies are gardening today. Leave a review!]
