"One Hot Night"

Genre:	Fantasy
Length:	Novelette
Summary:	"Become a wolf," they said. "Sell us the memory for huge money," they said. "No problem," they said. Of course, Ingfred doesn't have the money to pay for a wolf transformation. And running around as a wolf is illegal. And no mage would do the spell for him even if he had the money and it were legal. Okay, maybe there's a few problems. Time to get...creative.

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"You want what?" the mage choked. High Mage Calder had heard some stupid requests before, but he always hated this kind.

The boy smiled, his cheeks dimpling in a way that probably charmed all the girls. "A wolf transformation. Lovely animals, wolves. I think it would be fascinating; the speed, the strength, the keen senses...."

Calder eyed him warily. "You do understand that a human-to-wolf transformation is permanent, right?" he said carefully. It wouldn't make a difference, it never made a difference with the ones who wanted stupid transformations, but he had to try. "Humans and wolves are too similar. The transformation doesn't wear off like being a fish or a rosebush does. You'll need to pay for two transformations, one to become a wolf and one to be turned back. Also, you'll need to cover the costs of kenneling and care during your transformed period. Finally, since wolves have sub-human intellect, there's no certainty about how much you'll actually remember afterwards. How long—"

"Oh no," the boy stated with a grin. "I don't want to be kenneled! I need to be taken to the forest—I need to be able to run free, to fully taste the experience."

The mage's jaw firmed. No way in the flipping Hells am I risking my license for this little idiot. "I'm terribly sorry, sir," he responded with a regretful smile. He knew it looked regretful; he practiced it in the mirror every night. The number of times he needed to 'regretfully' tell some idiot highborn that no, they could not be transformed into a god, that magic didn't work like that...yurgh. "I'm afraid that allowing freerunning in animal form is against the law. If you'd like to run free, I can put you into an intelligent form...I do a very nice pegasus, if you'd care for that. Most of my clients have said that's it's an amazing experience, being able to gallop at speed, leap off a cliff and soar—"

"No, I need to be a wolf, not a pegasus," the boy demanded, shaking his head firmly. Calder wanted to smack him; he hated kids—by which he meant anyone under eighty—and didn't really want one in his shop. Especially not a highborn one, with a High Marshal for a doting uncle. Unfortunately, he'd been a bit unlucky with the ponies lately, and if he couldn't scare up some marks soon he was going to end up indentured for the next couple centuries.

Which, come to think of it, was probably why the kid had come to him. The word had surely gotten out that High Mage Calder was desperate for marks right now, and would be willing to skate a little closer to the edge of the law than most.

He thought about it for a moment and then came to his decision. "Sir, I'm very sorry, but I can't help you. What you're asking for is illegal and immoral, and I won't be party to it. If you don't mind, I'd like you to leave, please." He stood up, gesturing for the door.

The boy leaned back in his chair with a smirk. "Now, let's not be quite so hasty, High Mage. You haven't heard my offer yet." He laid a piece of parchment on the desk.

"I'm afraid there's really nothing—" Calder stopped as he looked at the parchment. "That's my note to Dagmar the Fish. How did you—"

"Let's just leave that as my little secret, shall we? In any case, I'm willing to give you your note back, plus an extra five thousand marks, in exchange for this transformation." The brat laced his fingers behind his head and leaned back, looking positively insufferable.

Calder looked at the note and then back at its bearer. The note to Dagmar wasn't his only debt, but it was the largest. With it gone, and another five thousand in his pocket, paying off the rest of his debts before time ran out became...believable. Not easy, but believable. "Are you sure I couldn't persuade you to try a pegasus?" he almost whined. "Or, if you want something a little more exotic, how about a were-shark? That's a truly unmatched experience, I assure you, with—"

"Wolf," the boy said, one foot tapping impatiently, determined look on his face.

Calder sighed. "Could I ask you to wait here for a few minutes sir, while I check a few things?" With a polite nod, he retreated into the back room to check his law books.