Begg, the Red Dragon is about fallacies of presumption.
Is using lava to melt iron practical? Why or why not?
Lug claims buzzards never have blue eyes. Is that true?
The Argument with Captain Spit
Captain Spit uses one vicious circle fallacy (Red) after another, but since none of the people under the spell are allowed to hear the dragon slayers it does no good for them to answer him.
Captain Spit is captain because he has the red cap, and he has the red cap because he is captain.
He is the captain because he tells people what to do, and he tells people what to do because he is the captain.
He tells people to move along because he has a reason, and he has a reason because he tells them to move along.
He is telling the truth because he is not lying, and he is not lying because he is telling the truth.
People must move along because they are not allowed to stop, and they are not allowed to stop because they must move along. It is good for people to move along because Captain Spit says so, and he says so because it is good for them to move along.
The captain is not wrong because he is the captain, and he is the captain because he is not wrong.
Several of the arguments are repeated with slight changes in wording.
Finally the dragon slayers have to admit it is useless and lay plans to visit the Red Dragon.
The Battle with Begg, the Red Dragon
Lug appears nervous but he is really evaluating the magic doors. It would be a fallacy of presumption to say he was nervous just because he appeared to be nervous.
Like the Blue Dragon and unlike the Purple Dragon and the Green Dragon, Begg uses mostly his own kind of lie.
Begg presumes that since Key is not together, He can not stay together. "What is the matter with you, Mr. Magician? Why can't you keep yourself together, Key? Or should I say Keys?" Loaded question (Red)
High denies it but Begg replies with ridicule. Horse Laugh (Blue)
Jay denies it more convincingly, but Begg replies by pointing to Key's current condition. Irrelevant (Blue)
Trudy denies it with specific facts, but Begg again replies with ridicule and some information he got from the spies. Horse Laugh (Blue)
High denies the information with an equivocation, (Brown) albeit an unintended one. They are talking about two different kinds of plans, which Justice brings out later.
Begg retorts with "Don't you feel silly, High, making a fool of yourself in front of your friends." A loaded question and ad hominem together. (Red/Blue)
High denies it, but Begg replies with a very reasonable question.
Lug saves the day by showing that although the question is reasonable, it is unreasonable to expect an answer to it.
Begg tries a little propaganda about Single Side (Purple) and follows it with "Why are you so-called dragon slayers so determined to cause so many people trouble?" which is another loaded question. (Red) He throws in a little ridicule for good measure when he says, "so-called." (Blue) Together they form an ad hominem attack. (also Blue)
Jay unravels all three with a simple statement of fact, which exposes the absurd mind reading claim of the dragon. "We are only determined to set them free from the control of lies. The trouble was caused by the lies."
Begg tries a loaded question (Red) with a little bold faced lie to boot. (Black) Trudy denies it with an amphibole (Brown) when she uses the singular form. "That's not true!" The dragon tries to take advantage of her lack of clarity with, "So you are keeping the gold with you? I thought you might be." But Trudy easily answers with a simple clarification. "None of it is true. We took no gold and we neither hid any nor carry any."
Begg tries another loaded question (Red) "Why do you keep dodging my questions?" The questions were not being dodged.
Trudy answers with a review of the argument pointing out most of the Red dragon's tricks. She finishes with a little well deserved ridicule of her own which proves to be too much for the narcissistic dragon. "Don't you feel embarrassed?"