I experience a sinkin’ feelin’ in my stomach.
“… And if there’s one thing an organization that’s growing as fast as ours needs …”
I close my eyes.
“… it’s leadership. That’s why it gives me such great pleasure to approve your promotion to lieutenant, and …”
My eyes snap open.
“Wait a minute!” I sez, forgettin’ all about the proper modes of addressin’ a superior. “You’re makin’ me an officer??”
My reaction seems to take the officer by surprise.
“Well … yes,” he sez. “Normally we’d require your attending officers’ school, but in this situation …”
“That does it!” I snarl, losin’ my temper completely. “I QUIT!!”
Chapter Eighteen:
“Has anybody got a plan?”
-G.A. CUSTER
To SAY THE least, our reunion with the rest of the M.Y.T.H. Inc. team at Big Julie’s was somethin’ less than a celebration.
Oh, we are all glad to see each other, and our host is more than generous with the wine from his vineyard, but contrary to popular belief, drinkin’ does not necessarily improve one’s mood. To my experience, what it does is to amplify whatever mood youse is already in … so if youse is happy, youse gets very happy, and if youse happens to be depressed, youse gets very depressed … and the unfortuitous circumstantial was that we was not very happy.
There is no gettin’ around the fact that we have failed dismally in our efforts to stop Queen Hemlock, and while we could try to convince ourselves that it was an impossible task for five individuals and a dragon to achieve, this is the first time since we incorporated that we have failed to come through on an assignment. Realizin’ that it wasn’t a real job, as in one we had been commissioned for, but just a favor for the Boss didn’t help much … as, if anythin’, we felt worse about lettin’ the Boss down than we would about refundin’ a client’s fee.