“Mr. Hennesy.” The man had clean white hair and wore a rumpled green sweater and dark pants. In person, he looked like a grandfather and sounded like the Devil passing judgement.

“Sir?” I swore under my breath. Sir? Dammit. He wasn’t my tyrant uncle, he was a potential employer. Assuming I went through with this. “I don’t believe you mentioned your name.”

He raised his eyebrows. “You don’t believe? Boy, whether you believe it or not, I never told you my name and I’m not planning on it.”

“Excuse me, but I’m old enough to-”

“Sit still and shut up.” I shut up. “Now. Those were you’re first two lessons, here’s the next: I’m the Master, you’re the Apprentice. Everything you do follows from that. You will act as though this job means more than your life, because it does.”