M.Y.T.H. Inc In Action by Robert Asprin

“I guess I’ll just say my goodbyes and head back to Big Julie’s,” she continues. “Any word from the other team?”

“They’ve called it quits, too,” Nunzio sez. “You’ll probably see them when you get to Big Julie’s and they can fill you in on the details.”

“So it’s all riding on the two of you, huh?” she sez, cocking an eyebrow at us. “Well, good luck to you. I’d better get moving and let you get back to work. It looks like your friends are waiting for you.”

I glance over where she is lookin’ and sure enough, the whole crew is standin’ there, alternately glancin’ at us and mutterin’ together.

Wavin’ goodbye to Massha, we ambles over to join them.

“Who was that?” Spyder sez, kinda suspicious like.

“Who, that?” I sez, tryin’ to make it casual. “Oh, just an old friend of ours.”

“Scuttlebutt has it that she’s the general’s girlfriend,” Junebug sez in a flat voice.

“Where’d you hear that?” Nunzio sez, innocentlike.

“Here and there,” Junebug shrugs. “Face it, there can’t be many people around Headquarters who would fit her description.”

He had us there.

“Isn’t it about time you guys told us exactly what is going on?” Spellin’ Bee sez.

I realize, far too late, that we have been seriously underestimatin’ the intelligence of our crew.

“What do you mean by that?” Nunzio sez, still tryin’ to bluff his way out of it.

“Come on, Nunzio,” Junebug sighs, “it’s been pretty obvious since Basic that you and Guido here don’t really belong in the army. You’ve got too much going for you to pass yourselves off as average recruits.”