Payment of Course

"Now, the elf let go, there is the matter of payment."

"Payment?", Hilda squeaked.

"Yes, payment, I'm sure you've heard of it. You must exchange valuables for goods and services and rendered."

"But...but I haven't any ready cash.", Hilda explained in dismay.

"I figured, I notice you hadn't any in the only pocket you have left to squirrel something away in when I was cleaning you, and if you had it would have slipped from your slimy hole!", the elf observed wryly.

Hilda's hands instinctively went to her crotch as she blushed.

"No, you'll have to sign a promissory note."

"A promise-sorry note?", Hilda tried to recall the phrase to question it, if brokenly.

"And I.O.U. you twit!", the elf shouted, realizing that Hilda remembered less about her financial education than when she herself was trying to pound it into Hilda's skull, which was always filled with daydreams.

"Oh, okay.", Hilda smiled, now aware of the ease. She liked signing her name, and had done it at the taverns loads when she had bought too many rounds. (Many of course had taken advantage of her kindness to by the highest priced hooch Hilda's sack of silvers and golds wouldn't be able to provide.)

"Now, let's see, the elf wrote in elaborate and beautiful court hand the ancient language of the court's of accounting, that's 4 for the diaper-"HEY!, Hilda interrupted, YOU SAID IT WASN'T A DIAPER!", the elf went on, 3 for the shift, and 1 and 1/2 for each shoe and 10 for that bath. That'll be 20 shillings, at a rate of... say...90 pennies on the dollar per diem compounded continuously.", she finished and then glanced at HIlda to see her reaction.

The goofy girl looked relieved!

Hilda had thought 90 pennies on a dollar sounded like a ridiculously low rate. Even Hilda knew there were 100 pennies in a dollar! And though she didn't know what "cum pounded continuously" meant, she neither wished to exposed her ignorance, incense the ire of the the elf, nor rock the boat on a bargain rate.

So she quickly took the quill, dipped the end into a silver bottle of dark black, and signed her name in a flowery and flowing manner, putting a small heart over the i.