"Come on, don’t be like that. We’re practically family."
Evenson slapped a hand against his chest and stood up.
"Tony and I have been through several battles together. That’s the kind of friendship where we’ve literally trusted each other with our lives. Why would we talk about money?"
"If we don’t talk about it now, I’ll assume you’re refusing payment."
Pepper didn’t look remotely moved by his heartfelt declaration.
If anything, she looked mildly annoyed.
She turned her head away.
They’d worked together before. She knew exactly what kind of person Evenson was.
"Cough!"
Evenson nearly choked.
He hadn’t expected her to be quite that direct.
"Of course I don’t need to talk money when I’m helping Tony as a friend. But I do run a business. I have a household to support and employees to pay."
He put on his most reasonable expression.
"If I refuse payment outright, Tony himself will feel guilty about it. We shouldn’t add another source of stress to his life."
"Exactly."
Pepper nodded with a smile that contained absolutely no warmth.
She suspected Tony might actually hesitate to accept treatment if Evenson claimed he was doing it for free.
"Name your price."
"Hm..."
Evenson rubbed his chin.
"There’s something you should know about me, Ms. Potts. I have a particular dislike of people who break the terms of a deal after we’ve agreed to it."
He looked at her.
"And unfortunately, you have a history."
Pepper’s expression tightened.
She remembered.
The last time Evenson had worked with Tony, he’d also been hired as Tony’s health consultant.
Everything had been going smoothly until Tony’s near-death experience came to light.
Pepper had been furious that Tony had hidden it from her.
They’d argued.
Which was perfectly normal for a couple.
Couples argued. Couples made up. In the worst case, couples broke up.
But somewhere in the middle of that argument, Pepper’s anger had spilled over onto Evenson.
She’d threatened to withhold his payment.
In the end, Nick Fury himself had apparently decided that defending the hard-working consultant at the bottom of the food chain was worth his time. He’d had a little talk with Tony, and Evenson had eventually received what he was owed.
Evenson had not forgotten.
He wasn’t particularly interested in repeating the experience.
"That was just something I said in anger." Pepper looked embarrassed at the memory and covered part of her face with one hand. "When I’m angry, I say whatever comes to mind."
She lowered her hand.
"This time, I guarantee you’ll be paid. If you’re worried, I’ll pay a deposit first."
"Now we’re talking."
Evenson immediately relaxed.
"So how much do you want?"
Pepper’s expression turned businesslike.
"Go ahead. Give me a number."
"You decide."
Evenson wasn’t about to let his own poverty put a ceiling on his imagination.
Let the wealthy woman make the first offer.
"Don’t make me choose."
Pepper looked almost offended.
"If I were dealing with an ordinary psychologist, I’d have no problem naming a price. I’d say twenty thousand dollars a day and ask whether you wanted the job."
She studied him.
"But someone like you..."
"I’m an ordinary psychologist."
Evenson said it with such sincerity that Pepper almost laughed.
"Really. Completely average."
He paused.
"Of course, if you think I’m somewhat more capable than average, I certainly wouldn’t object to being compensated accordingly."
Pepper rolled her eyes.
She thought for a moment.
"All right. I’ll make the decision."
She hesitated.
"Fifty thousand dollars a day?"
"Deal!"
Evenson accepted so quickly that Pepper hadn’t even finished the sentence.
He looked as though he feared she’d change her mind.
"Deal?" Pepper raised an eyebrow. "You said yes. Don’t come back later and try to renegotiate."
"Why would I renegotiate?"
Evenson looked almost offended.
"You’re the one who’d better not change your mind."
Who in their right mind would turn down fifty thousand dollars a day?
Pepper’s expression became troubled again.
"There’s something else you should know."
Evenson’s smile faded slightly.
"I’ve hired several psychologists for Tony before."
She sighed.
"He scared every one of them away."
Evenson blinked.
"So don’t come in, work for a few days, and then decide you’ve had enough."
"Don’t worry."
Evenson was suddenly so sincere that he might as well have been offering her his heart in both hands.
"I won’t leave after a few days. I could stay until the day I die."
"That’s reassuring."
Pepper crossed one leg over the other and pulled a checkbook from her handbag.
"I’ll prepay you for ten days."
She paused.
"Do you accept checks?"
"I accept checks. Cash. Gold bars. Whatever works."
Evenson grinned.
The instant the words left his mouth, something smacked him on the head.
Thunk.
"Ah!"
Pepper suddenly screamed.
She covered her mouth with one hand and pointed toward the side of Evenson’s head with the other.
Her face had gone white.
Evenson’s smile froze.
Slowly, mechanically, he turned his head.
A floating, dark-green eyeball hovered beside him.
It stared back.
For roughly two seconds, Evenson simply looked at it.
Then he turned back toward Pepper.
"It’s just a magical effect."
His smile was strained.
"Nothing to be afraid of."
For some reason, his eyes were already brimming with tears.
He wiped the corner of one eye.
"And, Ms. Potts..."
His voice was noticeably less confident.
"Checks and cash are both inconvenient. I think a bank transfer would be much simpler."
"Oh."
Pepper glanced at the floating eye.
Then back at Evenson.
She nodded quietly.
People with supernatural abilities apparently had a strange habit of reacting dramatically to things that looked terrifying to everyone else.
"So... what’s the account number?"
"This one."
Evenson quickly tore off a sheet of paper and began writing.
As he copied the account number, he repeatedly wiped at his eyes.
It looked as though he’d gotten dust in them.
Meanwhile, the floating green eye descended onto the desk.
Its yellow slit pupil moved carefully across the paper, following every number Evenson wrote.
It was almost as though the eye were checking his work.
Evenson finished.
"This is the account. Just transfer the money there."
His voice cracked badly on the final words.
"Okay."
Pepper gave him a slightly puzzled look, took the paper, tucked it into her bag, and left.
The door closed behind her.
Silence.
Evenson stared at it.
His face twisted.
He nearly burst into tears.
Of all the things he’d done in this life, he was beginning to think one of his greatest mistakes had been teaching Clea how to cast Kilrogg’s Eye.
He had effectively given himself a magical harassment device.
It had started only a few days ago.
Clea had expressed an interest in learning some of Evenson’s Warlock magic.
He’d expected her to be fascinated by destructive spells.
Instead, she’d shown remarkably little interest in offensive magic.
She preferred utility spells.
Detection.
Support.
Reconnaissance.
The whole thing had initially left Evenson convinced that Kamar-Taj had somehow corrupted her understanding of magic.
How could a mage look at devastating ranged spells and think, No thanks, I’d rather have a floating eyeball?
He’d decided that he would have to spend more time with her and gradually correct her perspective.
A proper mage should understand that charging into battle with a pair of hatchets was a profoundly questionable magical philosophy.
Then Evenson discovered the horrifying truth.
Utility magic could be dangerous too.
Kilrogg’s Eye was supposed to be nothing more than a reconnaissance spell.
Somehow, Clea had managed to turn it into a torture technique.
That floating eye had smacked him on the head hard enough to make his blood feel like it was trying to reverse direction inside his body.
For a moment, he’d genuinely thought his veins were going to rupture.
All because he’d wanted to make some money.
Evenson covered his face.
Why was saving a little private spending money so damn difficult?
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