Chapter Three:
“It’s all a matter of taste.”
-B. MlDLER
“I REALLY HAVE to compliment you, dear. It never ceases to amaze me how much you do with so little.”
That was Bunny’s comment following Tananda’s report on her last assignment. I had asked her to sit in to take notes, and I had to admit she had been extremely attentive while Tananda was speaking . . . which was more than I managed to do. From the report, the assignment was so routine as to be dull, though I personally wanted to hear Chumley’s side of it before I made any final judgments on that score. That particular troll, however, was nowhere to be found . . . a fact which made me more than a little suspicious. Bunny was as efficient as ever, though, covering for my wandering thoughts by providing compliments of her own.
“Why, thank you. Bunny,” Tananda purred back. “It really means a lot to me to hear you say that, realizing how much you know about operating with minimal resources.”
It occurred to me that it was nice that these two were getting along as well as they did. Our operation could be a real mess if the two of them took to feuding.
It also occurred to me that there were an awful lot of teeth showing for what was supposed to be a friendly meeting. I decided it was time to move on to other subjects before things got too friendly.
“Things have been pretty quiet around here while you’ve been gone, Tananda,” I said. “Not much new at all. How about it. Bunny? Any new prospects we should know about?”
Bunny made a big show of consulting her note pad.