MA08 Myth-Nomers and Im-Pervections by Robert Asprin Page A

though, Skeeve, if you don’t mind a little advice?”
    “What’s that?”
    “You might try to take a bit more of an active role in your own life. You know ... instead of reactive?”
    That one stopped me short as I was reaching for the door.
    “Excuse me?”
    “Nothing. It was just a thought.”
    “Well, could you elaborate a little? C’mon, Butterfly! Don’t drop a line like that on me without some kind of an explanation to go with it.”
    “It’s really none of my business,” he shrugged. “But I couldn’t help but notice during your story that you seemed to be living your life reacting to crisis rather than having any real control over things. Your old partner and mentor got dropped in your lap and the two of you teamed up to stop someone who might try to assassinate either of you next. Itwas Aahz who forced you to try for the job as court magician, and ever since then you’ve been yielding to pressure, real or perceived, from almost everybody in your life: Tananda, Massha, the Mob, the Devan Chamber of Commerce ... even whatzisname, Grimble and that Badaxe have leaned on you. Itjust seems to me that for someone as successful as you obviously are, you really haven’t shown much gumption or initiative.”
    His words hit me like a bucket of cold water. I had been shouted out by experts, but somehow Butterfly’s calm criticism cut me deeper than any tongue-lashing I had ever received from Aahz.
    “Things have been kind of scrambled ... ” I started, but the financier cut me off.
    “I can see that, and I don’t mean to tell you how to run your life. You’ve had some strong-willed, dominating people who have been doing just that, though, and I’d have to say the main offender has been this fellow, Aahz. Now, I know you’re concerned about your friendship, but if I were you, I’d think long and hard about inviting him back into my life until I had gotten my own act together.”

“SKEEVE! HEY, SKEEVE! Can ya ease up for a bit?”
    The words finally penetrated my self-imposed fog and I slackened my pace, letting Kalvin catch up with me.
    “Whew! Thanks,” the Djin said, hovering in his now accustomed place. “I told you before I’m not real strong. Even hovering takes energy, ya know. You were really moving there.”
    “Sorry,” I responded curtly, more out of habit than anything else.
    In all honesty, the Djin’s comfort was not a big priority item in my mind just then. I had had Edvik drive us back to the hotel after we left the Butterfly’s place. Instead of going on up to my room, however, I had headed off down the sidewalk. The street vendor I had spoken to earlier waved a friendly greeting, but I barely acknowledged it with a curt nod of my head. The Butterfly’s observations on my life had loosed an explosion of thought in my mind, and I figured maybe a brisk walk would help me sort things out.
    I don’t know how long I walked before Kalvin’s plea snapped me out of my mental wheel-spinning. I had only vague recollections of shouldering my way past slower-moving pedestrians and snarling at those who were quick enough to get out of my path on their own. The police would have been pleased to witness it ... only on Perv two days and already I could walk down the street like a native.
    “Look, do you want to talk about this? Maybe some place sitting down?”
    I looked closer at the Djin. He really did look tired, his face streaked with sweat and his little chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath. Strange, I didn’t feel like I had been exerting myself at all.
    “Talk about what?” I said, realizing as I spoke that the words were coming out forced and tense.
    “Come on, Skeeve. It’s obvious that what the Butterfly said back there has you upset. I don’t know why, it sounded like pretty good advice to me, but maybe talking it out would help a bit.”
    “Why should I be upset?” I snapped. “He only challenged all the priorities I’ve been living by and suggested that my best