Yesterday's annual general meeting had been one of the most successful to date. Profits were up, the consolidation of Blackwell-Mevse into the larger context of Buddy Boy Enterprises had worked far better than anticipated, and the direction proposed by Buddy Boy for his company's future was well-received. Echoing the praise of those present at the meeting, today the value of Buddy Boy Enterprises had climbed several points on the FWB.

But, these responses had not surprised him - in fact, he counted on them. Amongst the announcements he made yesterday were details concerning the establishment of a support fund for struggling illustrators and visual artists. Yes, the tax incentives of such philanthropic endeavors were appealing, and certainly it would aid in the realm of public relations, but Buddy Boy thought mostly of the -

"Are you coming to bed, my husband?" asked Lena, sweetly.

"Yes, dearest - I'll be there after I extinguish this fire." Buddy Boy replied.

As the old saying went, business makes the man, and tries him.

* Names, personal details, and certain details have been intentionally obscured in order to preserve the anonymity of the individuals discussed herein.