Wiz nodded. “Naturally.”
Dieter looked at him suspiciously, but he only nodded.
“Now there is the matter of the fee.”
The mayor frowned. “I thought we settled that.”
“For the basic dragon situation, yes. However, on closer inspection it has become obvious that job will require services not covered in the original contract.”
“I don’t remember us signing any contract,” Dieter said sourly.
Wiz smiled a superior smile. “Oh, you don’t sign a contract with a wizard. It is implicitly made manifest. Here, let me show you.” He made a sweeping gesture at the wall and under his breath muttered list apl.man exe. The wall was covered with fiery letters as the command list for Jerry’s version of APL appeared. The reflected light cast a sickly pallor on the mayor, Dieter and the others. Surreptitiously one or two of the council members made signs to ward off evil.
“Now here in section three, paragraph five, sub-paragraph C, item three, you can clearly see . . .”
“All right, Wizard, I see,” the mayor said hastily. Dieter and the others didn’t seem disposed to argue the point, so Wiz gestured again and the “contract” disappeared.
“I think under the circumstances an additional four gold pieces a week would be reasonable, don’t you?” he said blandly.
The mayor obviously didn’t think it was all that reasonable, but he nodded nonetheless.
“Very good. Now if you gentlemen will excuse me I need to go find my new assistant.”
Wiz found Llewllyn in the hall looking like he couldn’t decide whether to bolt or brazen it out.
“How did you do that?” Llewllyn asked. “Interfere with my spell, I mean.”
Wiz just smiled.
“Come now. Fellow professionals and all that.”
Wiz thought that Llewllyn’s racket had more in common with a bunco game than magic. Then he remembered what line of work he was in just now. “Oh it’s quite simple really. I guess the Sparrow forgot to tell you that.”
The young man’s eyes widened. “You know the Sparrow?”
“Well enough,” Wiz told him.
“Oh,” he said in a small voice, eyes shifting left and right. Then he straightened and his voice firmed. “I wonder that I never met you when I was with him,” Llewllyn said. “But you must tell me about him sometime-ah, about your experiences with him, I mean.”
“Oh, it wasn’t very interesting,” Wiz said. “You know the Sparrow. Dull as dishwater, really.”
“Well, yes, of course, but . . .”
“That wasn’t what I wanted to talk to you about. I’m afraid your performance just now offended several rather powerful members of the council.”
Llewllyn looked even more apprehensive. “Oh, but surely . . .”
“I know you didn’t intend to, of course. But, you know how clients, ah, councilors are. So very, very petty about things like results.
“Now,” Wiz went on, “in spite of that I managed to convince them that you have potential. That given supervision and a little guidance you could be an asset to the operation here. So as an alternative I got them to agree to let me take you on as a junior assistant.”
Llewllyn was more apprehensive than ever. “Alternative?” he asked faintly.
Wiz smiled. “Why dwell on unpleasantness? Especially when it need never happen?”
“Of course. Assistant you say?”
“Junior assistant, but still a consultant with all the rights, privileges and duties thereof.” He smiled even more broadly. “I’m sure the Sparrow would advise you to take it, were he here.”
The young man’s eyes widened. “You don’t mean he is likely to come here, do you?”
“Llewllyn,” Wiz said sincerely, “I can guarantee the Sparrow will never get any closer to this place than he is right now.”
“Oh.” The young man sighed. “I mean, what a pity.”
“I know what you meant,” Wiz said. “Now let’s get on with it, shall we?”
“Uh, a moment, My Lord. What about my remuneration?”
Wiz did a quick calculation in his head, based on what junior consultants in his world made versus what the consulting companies charged. “Okay,” he said, “I’ll pay you one gold piece a week. You’ll work in the office here under my supervision. Your primary job will be client contact and low-level problem solving. Be in the office for at least four day-tenths a day, five days a week. You can set your own office hours, but keep them.”