Sometimes we like to put shoutouts in the comic to things we like, and sometimes we even go as far as making characters based on our friends. We do try to ask first. Payne Fifield and Marie Cooley have been our friends for a very long time, and we just couldn't resist.

In real life, Marie (the "Countess" from the fortune telling booth a few pages back) makes gorgeous bespoke corsetry. She also sings, and throws lovely parties. You can visit her virtual Fitting Room or even view a slide show of her work on YouTube. Do be aware that it might not be 100% safe for work, depending upon where you work. It's corsetry. Some bosses or coworkers may find that a bit...saucy.

Payne, as many of you know, is a World-renowned stage magician. He's a true chameleon, with acts ranging across a wide variety of themes. He's got a Wild West show, a Pirate show, an Edgar Allen Poe show–he even has a very cunningly designed flea circus that he built himself. We, of course, first saw him back in the old days in his guise as Master Payne: Conjurer, Purveyor of Japes, Cheap Tricks and Minor Amazements, Histrionics a Specialty. It seems like I saw him everywhere back in the late 1980's, performing around Seattle SCA events, street fairs, and, of course, our local Camlann Medieval Village. You can view the many faces of Master Payne online at MasterPayneMagic.com, and even watch him perform on his YouTube channel!

So there you have it, my brag about two of my awesome friends! Ta dah!

--Kaja