Read MA10 Sweet Myth-tery of Life for Free Online Page B

moment, let’s say I agree with you ... at least on the financial side,” I said. “I still don’t see how I can draw pay as a financial consultant and a court magician.”
    “Because you’re doing both jobs,” Bunny insisted.
    “... But I’m not working magikally right now,” I shot back.
    “Aren’t you?” she challenged. “Come on, Skeeve. Are you trying to tell me that if some trouble arose that required a magikal solution, that you’d just stand by and ignore it?”
    “Well, no. But ...”
    “No ‘buts,’” Bunny interrupted. “You’re in residence here, and ready to throw your full resources into any magikal assignment that arises ... just like you’re doing at the Bazaar. They’re paying you a hefty percentage just to be on standby. If anything, you’re giving Possiltum a break on what you’re charging them. Make no mistake, though, you are doing the job. I’m just making sure they pay you for it. If they want a financial consultant and a court magician, then it’s only fair that it shows in their budget and is part of the burden they have to raise money to pay.”
    She had me. It occurred to me, however, that if this conversation lasted much longer, she’d have me believing that black was white.
    “I guess it’s okay then,” I said, shrugging my shoulders. “It still sounds high to me.”
    “It is,” Bunny said, firmly. “You’ve got to remember though, Skeeve, that whole amount isn’t just for you. It’s M.Y.T.H. Inc. the kingdom is paying for. The fees have to cover the expense of your entire operation, including overhead and staff. It’s not like you’re taking the whole amount and putting it in your pocket.”
    I nodded casually, but my mind was racing. What Bunny had just said had given me an idea.
    If nothing else, I had learned in these sessions that there was a big difference between a budget or operating plan and the actual money spent. Just because I was allowed to spend an astronomic figure didn’t mean I was compelled to do it!
    I quietly resolved to bring my sections in well under budget ... even if it meant trimming my own staff a bit. I loved them all dearly, but as Bunny had just pointed out, part of my own job was to be highly responsible.

MY SESSION WITH Bunny had given me food for thought. Retreating to the relative privacy of my room, I took time to reflect on it over a goblet of wine.
    Usually, I assigned people to work on various assignments for M.Y.T.H. Inc. on a basis of what I thought it would take to get the job done and who I thought would be best to handle it. That, and who was available.
    As Bunny had pointed out, our prices were usually set on a basis of what the traffic would bear. I suppose I should have given more thought in the past to whether or not the income from a particular job covered the expense of the people involved, or if the work warranted the price, but operating the way we had been seemed to generate enough money to make ends meet ... more than enough, actually.
    The recent two projects, my bringing Aahz back from Perv and the rest of the team trying to stop Possiltum’s army, were notable exceptions. These were almost personal missions, undertaken on my own motivations or suggestions, without an actual client or revenue.
    Now, however, I was confronted by an entirely new situation.
    Everyone in the crew was hanging around the castle ... with the exception of Tananda, who was minding the offices back on Deva. The question was, did they have to be here?
    I had a hunch that they were mostly staying here because they were worried about me ... not without some justification. They all knew I was in a spot, and wanted to be close at hand if I needed help.
    While I appreciated their concern, and definitely wanted the moral support, I also had to admit that there wasn’t whole bunches they could do. Bunny was invaluable in turning the kingdom’s finances around, but aside from holding my hand through this crisis, there was relatively