For a Good Time Call.... Donald Ph.D. Ladew

to work hard. I have also recommended you attend a three week physical conditioning course. During the course you will be briefed and receive training on the current military technology available; particularly what is being used on Fen."

      He must have noticed William's disbelief. "I'm afraid," he went on, "your quiet five-to-nine days are going to come to an end. Remember, Mr. Holt-Fennimore, you wanted change. Well, you're going to get it," he chuckled.

      William failed to see the humor. Not surprising, he thought. When one slides down the emotional curve of boredom, despair and apathy, one of the first things that goes is sense of humor. What little he had left was getting used up fast.

      "William, this is your contract." He pulled a sheet of plastic from a slot in his console. It was slate gray with two diagonal red bars across one corner. "This has been authorized by Ser Garindror himself. He's currently the senior member of the Council of the Confederation. If you want to review it, insert it in the reader thus, and request verbal access."

      He showed William how it was done, and together they went over all the rules, clauses, where ases and wherefores.

      "Is there anything you don't understand?" he asked.

      "No," William said, "I understand it."

      "What about remuneration in the event of your...death?" Mr. Carson seemed genuinely distressed to bring it up. "We must know who to send it to, in the event such a thing were to happen."

      "Hey, don't worry," William told him. "That's the most likely ending to this story. You just send everything to Miss Annie-Brown."

      Carson's tail stopped waving about. Everything about him ceased to move. That got him, William chuckled. Finally surprised the little man.

      "This is most unusual, William. I'm...not sure...I'm not sure about the legality of such a bequest."

      William got stubborn at that point. "Well, you heard it, Mr. Carson. That's what I want, and I don't intend to have it any other way. You work it out, because I'm not going anywhere until you do. She gets it all, period."

      He looked at William calmly for a minute or two. He was sure that sharp mind of Mr. Carson's was really humming.

      He punched up some data on his console, took William's contract, put it in the machine and entered the data. "It will be exactly as you wish, Mr. Holt-Fennimore."

      "Alright, where do I sign?"

      He took the plaque and had William place his fingers across the red bars. "Just say, I accept this contract, and it's done."

      William did what Carson said. No whistles blew, no fireworks exploded. The whole thing was pretty damned anti-climatic.