Bedtime story

I've just submitted the last assignment for my creative writing course.  Fantasy this time (my choice), with the twist that you have to research the market and make believe you're sending it off to a magazine.   

( The Road to Hell is Paved with Outsourcing and Accountancy )



Comments welcome--either on the story or on the market research.

Thanks to tamaranth for beta reading, and apologies for late-night quick'n'dirty conversion from Word, which has eaten the indents, bolds and italics.