Anyway, that's why I didn't chuck Quigley's letter in the wastebasket when it got forwarded to us at the Bazaar. I figured it would give me some time alone with Skeeve to find out whether I was just being a Nervous Nelly, or if there was really something to worry about.. So far, I was leaning toward the latter.
Fortunately, Quigley hadn't moved. As impatient as the Kid was being, I was afraid he'd back out of the whole deal if we had to take extra time just to run him down. Our knock was answered with a cautious eye appearing at the crack of the door as it opened slightly.
"Oh! I was hoping... that is, I was expecting... Can I help you gentlemen?"
We had seen the "old man" disguise before, so there was no doubt that it was really Quigley peering out at us.
"It's us, Quigley," the Kid said briskly before I could even say "Hi." "Will you let us in, or should we just go home?"
"Skeeve? Oh, thank goodness. Certainly... come right in."
I personally thought Skeeve was being a bit abrupt, and Quigley's fawning over him wasn't going to improve his manners at all.
"Sorry for the reception," the magician said, herding us inside, "but I was afraid it might be, one of my creditors."
As he closed the door, Quigley let his disguise spell drop ... too much effort to maintain, I guess. Viewing his true appearance, I was slightly shocked.
The years had not been kind to our old ally. There were strain marks etched deeply into his face that hadn't been there when we were here before. The place itself seemed the worse for wear. The walls needed painting badly ... or at least washing, and the furnishings showed signs of being repaired instead of replaced.
"This place is a dump!" Skeeve observed with his newfound lack of diplomacy. "Really, Quigley. If you won't think of yourself, think of the profession. How are people supposed to respect magicians if they see one of them living like this?"
"Ease up, partner," I said softly. "We can't all own casinos. Some of us have had to live in broken-down shacks in the forest... or even sleep under trees on the open road."
That earned me a sharp glance, but Quigley intervened.
"No, Skeeve's right. All I can say is that I've tried. That's part of what's gotten me into the mess I'm in. I've overextended my credit trying to keep up a good front, and now it's catching up with me."
"Gee, Quigley, if that's your only problem we can take care of it in no time at all. We can arrange a quick consolidation loan to get the wolves off your back... with a slight interest charge, of course. Right, Aahz?"
The possibility of a fast resolution of the problem seemed to brighten Skeeve's mood immensely. I was almost tempted to go along with it, but I had the feeling there was more to the situation than was meeting the eye.
"I dunno, Skeeve. I think I'd like to hear a little more about exactly what the problem is, if it's all right with you."
"C'mon, Aahz. Let's just settle his accounts and split. If we hurry, we can be back at the office by lunch."
While I had tried to be patient, even promised myself to be, his wheedling tones finally got to me.
"Look, Kid," I said, using the phrase deliberately. "If you're so all-fired eager to get back, then go! I'm going to give a shot at trying to solve the real problem here, if I can ever find out what it is, maybe even without just throwing money at it. Okay?"
It was a cheap shot, but Skeeve had been asking for it. For a minute I thought he was going to take me up on my suggestion and leave, but instead he sank onto a sofa and sulked. Terrific. I turned my back on him and switched my attention to Quigley.
It seemed funny after all these years to take the lead in what was essentially a "people" situation. Usually I handled the tactics... okay, and occasionally the money... and left the people-handling to Skeeve. It was his part of the partnership to keep my abrasive personality from alienating too many people, particularly our friends. With him off in a blue funk, however, the task fell to me, and I was badly out of practice. Heck, I'll be honest, I was never in practice for this sort of thing. Ironically, I found myself trying to think of what Skeeve would say and do at a time like this.
"So, Quigley," I said, trying to smile warmly, "what exactly seems to be the problem?"
He fidgeted uncomfortably. "Well, it's a long story. I ... I'm not sure where to begin."
I suddenly remembered that non-Pervects tend to get nervous at the sight of Pervect teeth and dumped the smile.
"Why don't you start at the beginning? How come you're having money problems? You seemed to be doing all right the last time we were here."
"That's when it started," he sighed, "the last time you were here. Remember how they used to settle who was going to be the government around here? With the Big Game?"
Actually I hadn't thought about it for years, but it was starting to come back to me as he talked.
"Uh-huh. The Big Game between Ta-hoe and Vey-gus each year would decide who would get the Trophy and be the capital for the next year."
Quigley nodded vaguely.
"Right. Well, that's all changed now. When you guys won the game and took off with the Trophy, it stood the whole five-hundred-year-old system on its ear. For a while there was a faction that maintained that since you had the Trophy in Possiltum, that's where the capital should be for a year. Fortunately, wiser heads won out."
It was nice to know that there were some hassles that passed us by. I noticed that in spite of himself, Skeeve had perked up and was listening as Quigley continued.
"What they finally decided was that a Common Council should run the government. The plan was put into action with equal representation from both city-states, and for the first time in five hundred years the government of the dimension stabilized."
It actually sounded like some good had come out of our madcap caper. That made me feel kind of good. Still...
"I don't get it, Quigley. How is that a problem?"
The magician gave a wry smirk.
"Think about it, Aahz. With the feud over between the two city-states, there was no reason to maintain two magicians. It was decided that one would do just fine."
"Whoops," I said.
" ‘Whoops' is right. Massha was their first choice. She had served as magician for both city-states at one time or another, and, frankly, they were more impressed with her than with me ... especially after I let their hostage demon escape at the Big Game. When they went to tell her, though, she had disappeared. That left them with me."
I found myself wondering if Massha had signed on as Skeeve's apprentice before or after she knew about the organizational change and Quigley getting the boot.
"She's working with us over on Deva," Skeeve commented, finally getting drawn into the conversation.
"Really? Well, I suppose it makes sense. After you've gone as far as you can go on the local level, it's only natural to graduate into the big time."
"I still don't see how you ended up behind the eight ball financially," I said, trying to steer the conversation back on course.
Quigley made a face.
"It's my contract. I ended up having to take a substantial pay cut under the new situation. My salary before was adequate, but nothing to cheer about. Now ..."
His voice trailed off.
"I don't get it," Skeeve said. "How can you be making less money for serving two city-states than you made working for one?"
"Like I said, it's my contract. There are clauses in there I didn't even know about until the council hit me with them."