Interesting Conflicts



The next time we were at the TV studio, Mark took us aside for a talk. I sat down across from him in the booth, holding Electra in my hand. “Conrad, what are your plans for next year?”

“I figure to take down the calendar on the 1st of January…” He held up a hand.

“Can I be straight with you?”

“Okay, Mark.”

“What are your college plans?”

“Community college in Twin until I figure out what I want to do with my life,” I said.

He nodded. “Well, I, uh, I want to talk to your parents.”

“Are you going to ask for my hand?” I asked. “Because while I can’t really blame you-“

I was interrupted by Electra slapping my hand with both of hers. “STRAIGHT!” she shouted.

“Sorry, force of habit,” I said.

He smiled. “I want to talk to your parents because there might be a conflict of interest, here.”

“Okay,” I said slowly.

“I have an opportunity to become a producer for the morning show, Get Up America.”

“That’s great!” I said.

“Congratulations!” Electra said.

“Yeah, just… wait a second. One of the things they want me to produce is Electra’s show.”

“What?”

“Get Up America would like to contract with you, Conrad, to have Electra interview sylphs as a weekly segment on their show.”

“Really?” she asked, stunned.

“In New York?” I asked, terrified. I’d never been in a city bigger than Salt Lake, and never farther east than Jackson Hole.

Just how dangerous was New York? Would I have to take the subway? Could I protect Electra on the streets of the big city?

“No, not New York,” he said. We looked confused. “See, there’s some weird tax laws in New York about the artistic products of sylphs. They can have you in their studio as a guest, Electra, but if you’re a regular feature… Well, they’d rather that you were based at a network affiliate in Boise.”

“I’ve been to Boise,” I said, relieved.

“That’s right, Conrad,” Mark said. “It’s not a scary town at all. And you’ll just be two hours away from home.”

“He sounds like he’s gentling a flighty horse,” my sylph laughed. “I’m usually the one that needs calming!”

“Ignore her,” I told him. “She’s babbling.”

He smiled. “So, here’s MY plan. I take the producer job, you and I and the babble go to Boise. You take courses in journalism there, and you’re my associate producer for the once-weekly segment. I also produce some other things for the network.

“When you’re ready, you can take over being Electra’s producer. Hopefully, I move up to make room for you.”

“Oh, God,” Electra moaned. “You’d put CONRAD in charge of me?”

“I already own you, silly little sylph.”

“Oh, yeah. I keep forgetting.” I cupped my other hand over her, caging her in my fingers. “I REMEMBER NOW!” she screamed.

“I, uh… We’ll have to talk this over,” I said.

“Of course, of course,” Mark nodded.

“Would… Would I be a TV guy doing college or a college guy doing TV?” I wondered. I felt a sharp pain in my palm. “What?” I asked, lifting my thumb.

Electra shoved her head out the hole. “How much is the PAY,” she said. “That’s what you should be asking!”

“You expect me to do math?” I asked.

“Urrrrh!” she moaned, ducking back into the cave, pulling my thumb down behind her.



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Index

55. Rip-Off On The Field!

57. Conrad’s Party…Kinda