1
THE MAD PRINCE
The original phone conversation went something like this:
ringringring
ringringring -CLICK-
“Bishop & Holiday Paranormal Agency. This is Edna.”
“Ah, greetings and salutations, Edna! My name is Virgil. I represent the Interior Ministry of Inferno, and the Infernal branch of Inter-Dimensional Tours Inc.”
“Whatever you’re selling, we’re not interested.”
-CLICK-
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ringringring -CLICK-
“Bishop & Holiday Paranormal Agency.”
“It’s Virgil again. Please don’t hang up. This is a long distance call from the First Circle, which is costing me a lot of ducats.”
“Please state your business quickly, then.”
“Are you the manager of Bishop and Holiday?”
“I’m Bishop, the co-owner.”
“Ah, then you are the company’s afterlife attorney, if I’m not mistaken.”
“Yes. I’m also balancing our books right now. What is this about, please?”
“We have a client for you, recently deceased. The subject claims his sentence is unreasonable, and requested an afterlife attorney to help clear up the matter. He’s asked me to hire you on his behalf, as you are highly favored by Ma’at, Patron of Law and Order, and Nephthys, Counselor of the Dead.”
“Is he aware of our court fees, dimensional transit expenses, etcetera?”
“Yes. He says he’s a former client.”
“Really? What’s his name?”
“The Mad Prince Dante.”
-CLICK-
ringringring
ringringring -CLICK-
“Bishop & Holiday. Edna speaking.”
“How do you stay in business when you keep hanging up on clients?”
“Now look here: whatever Dante was doing when he died, I can assure you he went to the right place. Kindly remind him of the restraining order we filed against him two years ago, after he tried to produce a Broadway performance of The King In Yellow.”
“Yes, he told me all about it. He also told me you haven’t had a client in two months, and could use the money badly.”
Silence.
“…Hello?”
Frustrated silence.
“Edna? Are you still–?”
“Yes, yes, I’m here. I’ll be at the Infernal Hall in a few hours for a paid consultation. Make sure he knows it’s a consultation only, and that I haven’t agreed to anything else yet.”
“That sounds reasonable.”
“Tell the Mad Prince he’ll cover my travel expenses regardless.”
“I’ll tell him. I think he’ll be quite relieved to see you!”
-CLICK-
~=o=~
