[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
behind my chair at the restaurant, and bobbed rhythmically when we danced.
He acknowledged it only when people from his firm came up to
congratulate him, and inquired about it. "My fiancee inherited it," he'd say,
and steer the conversation away.
At midnight, I yawned, and said, "It's getting late, and I have to be at work
early in the morning."
"I hadn't thought! I'm sorry, Tira." He called for the check.
As we collected our coats, one of his bosses came in, congratulated him,
and was introduced to me. As we were leaving, Rogero said, "This is why
you've got to quit that job. 1 can't afford to leave now. To get beyond lower
management without a Sorcerer's Certificate, I've got to make all the right
contacts. I don't have to be at work until noon."
In the cab, I fell into a strange mood. I'd always had such deliriously happy
times with Rogero-parties at rich friends' houses, restaurants, and theaters-
places I couldn't afford. We always met exciting, important people who made
me feel wonderful. Tonight had been even better because Rogero was a center
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Click here to buy
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of attention. But I didn't feel good about it. I was annoyed, peeved, and
rebellious. I suddenly couldn't sec spending the rest of my life as Rogero's
smiling and witty decoration. I'd be no more to him, after a few years, than
Aventura-an accoutrement that should be turned off when convenient.
Suddenly, I wanted to be important. I kissed him goodnight, but my heart
wasn't in it. I lay awake, my nice dark bedroom glowing with the sword's light.
The dam thing even followed me into the bathroom! In the morning, I
couldn't get the sword to stay home. I tried explaining to it, calling it by name,
and even asking it for instructions on how to get it to stay home. But it still
dogged my steps. I tried slamming the door on it again, and almost broke my
wrist. Finally, I ran for the bus and just made it to work on time. I was so tired
from the late night, I didn't even notice the swirling mutter of comments
following me across the floor to my station. I climbed up to survey the
conveyor belt. The first rank of raisin breads was still ten minutes away.
Wishing I'd had time for another cup of coffee, I tooled up and got ready to
cast my freshness enchantment, wondering how I'd muddle through the day. I
didn't want to get fired before I quit-I might need the recommendation
someday. So I pulled myself together and began to raise my cone of power. I
was so fuzzy-minded, this would take all my energy. The ranks of loaves
arrived, and I enchanted. I picked up the familiar rhythm and began to feel
jaunty. I could do this in my sleep. Surely I could get a Charmer Degree. I
prepared to shift to jelly donuts, when coffee-break time came and the boss
called me to his office. He had a tray of unrisen, unbaked raisin loaves on his
desk. Eyeing Aventura, he asked, "Would you mind explaining just what is
going on around here?" I started to tell him about the lawyer, and how Rogero
and I had tried to turn the sword off. "I didn't mean the sword, Miss Nau. I
meant this!"
"That's raisin bread."
"No, that's dough."
"Well-give it time," I suggested lamely.
"Miss Nau, this bread rose and was baked this morning. It passed your
station at nine-fifteen-and entered the wrapping plant in this condition! You
did this, Miss Nau. Eighteen hundred loaves that cannot be baked-according
to our lab analysis-for another two weeks, because of your ultra-freshness
spell!"
He'd become more livid as he spoke, and I felt the old shiver of
intimidation start. Something snapped inside me. "Well, then," I quipped,
"sell it as bake-at-home!"
"I don't have to take lip from a 'chanter! You're fired, Miss Nau, effective
this minute! Pick up your pay and leave-and take that with you!" He gestured
to the sword.
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Click here to buy
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Aventura spat sparks at him, very much as I wished I could. I turned and
stalked out of the office and across the floor, without speaking to any of my
friends. I picked up my pay, and as I cleaned out my locker, Myra, who
'chanted the hot buttered toast, came over.
"What happened, Tira?" She eyed the sword.
"Got fired." I refused to cry. Myra wanted to console me, invite me over to
dinner. I explained about the sword, and said, "I've got a million things to do.
I'll call you."
I walked to the bus stop, berating myself. I knew better than to snap at a
manager during a richly deserved reprimand! But maybe one 'chanter in a
hundred could have done what I did-even if it wasn't the job I was hired for.
Maybe I'd snapped at the boss because I'd been feeling important, like the
people Rogero knew. But I wasn't really that good, only a little better than I'd
been yesterday. Yet-no, I'd have known if the sword had amplified my
enchantment. I'd done it all myself.
Still, I'd never have done it without the sword. Rogero was right: I had to
turn it off before it made chaos of my life.
I got off the bus at the university and bought a campus library card.
After an hour of fruitless labor, I asked for help. It took three librarians [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl chiara76.opx.pl
behind my chair at the restaurant, and bobbed rhythmically when we danced.
He acknowledged it only when people from his firm came up to
congratulate him, and inquired about it. "My fiancee inherited it," he'd say,
and steer the conversation away.
At midnight, I yawned, and said, "It's getting late, and I have to be at work
early in the morning."
"I hadn't thought! I'm sorry, Tira." He called for the check.
As we collected our coats, one of his bosses came in, congratulated him,
and was introduced to me. As we were leaving, Rogero said, "This is why
you've got to quit that job. 1 can't afford to leave now. To get beyond lower
management without a Sorcerer's Certificate, I've got to make all the right
contacts. I don't have to be at work until noon."
In the cab, I fell into a strange mood. I'd always had such deliriously happy
times with Rogero-parties at rich friends' houses, restaurants, and theaters-
places I couldn't afford. We always met exciting, important people who made
me feel wonderful. Tonight had been even better because Rogero was a center
a
a
T
T
n
n
s
s
F
F
f
f
o
o
D
D
r
r
P
P
m
m
Y
Y
e
e
Y
Y
r
r
B
B
2
2
.
.
B
B
A
A
Click here to buy
Click here to buy
w
w
m
m
w
w
o
o
w
w
c
c
.
.
.
.
A
A
Y
Y
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r r
of attention. But I didn't feel good about it. I was annoyed, peeved, and
rebellious. I suddenly couldn't sec spending the rest of my life as Rogero's
smiling and witty decoration. I'd be no more to him, after a few years, than
Aventura-an accoutrement that should be turned off when convenient.
Suddenly, I wanted to be important. I kissed him goodnight, but my heart
wasn't in it. I lay awake, my nice dark bedroom glowing with the sword's light.
The dam thing even followed me into the bathroom! In the morning, I
couldn't get the sword to stay home. I tried explaining to it, calling it by name,
and even asking it for instructions on how to get it to stay home. But it still
dogged my steps. I tried slamming the door on it again, and almost broke my
wrist. Finally, I ran for the bus and just made it to work on time. I was so tired
from the late night, I didn't even notice the swirling mutter of comments
following me across the floor to my station. I climbed up to survey the
conveyor belt. The first rank of raisin breads was still ten minutes away.
Wishing I'd had time for another cup of coffee, I tooled up and got ready to
cast my freshness enchantment, wondering how I'd muddle through the day. I
didn't want to get fired before I quit-I might need the recommendation
someday. So I pulled myself together and began to raise my cone of power. I
was so fuzzy-minded, this would take all my energy. The ranks of loaves
arrived, and I enchanted. I picked up the familiar rhythm and began to feel
jaunty. I could do this in my sleep. Surely I could get a Charmer Degree. I
prepared to shift to jelly donuts, when coffee-break time came and the boss
called me to his office. He had a tray of unrisen, unbaked raisin loaves on his
desk. Eyeing Aventura, he asked, "Would you mind explaining just what is
going on around here?" I started to tell him about the lawyer, and how Rogero
and I had tried to turn the sword off. "I didn't mean the sword, Miss Nau. I
meant this!"
"That's raisin bread."
"No, that's dough."
"Well-give it time," I suggested lamely.
"Miss Nau, this bread rose and was baked this morning. It passed your
station at nine-fifteen-and entered the wrapping plant in this condition! You
did this, Miss Nau. Eighteen hundred loaves that cannot be baked-according
to our lab analysis-for another two weeks, because of your ultra-freshness
spell!"
He'd become more livid as he spoke, and I felt the old shiver of
intimidation start. Something snapped inside me. "Well, then," I quipped,
"sell it as bake-at-home!"
"I don't have to take lip from a 'chanter! You're fired, Miss Nau, effective
this minute! Pick up your pay and leave-and take that with you!" He gestured
to the sword.
a
a
T
T
n
n
s
s
F
F
f
f
o
o
D
D
r
r
P
P
m
m
Y
Y
e
e
Y
Y
r
r
B
B
2
2
.
.
B
B
A
A
Click here to buy
Click here to buy
w
w
m
m
w
w
o
o
w
w
c
c
.
.
.
.
A
A
Y
Y
B
B
Y
Y
B
B
r r
Aventura spat sparks at him, very much as I wished I could. I turned and
stalked out of the office and across the floor, without speaking to any of my
friends. I picked up my pay, and as I cleaned out my locker, Myra, who
'chanted the hot buttered toast, came over.
"What happened, Tira?" She eyed the sword.
"Got fired." I refused to cry. Myra wanted to console me, invite me over to
dinner. I explained about the sword, and said, "I've got a million things to do.
I'll call you."
I walked to the bus stop, berating myself. I knew better than to snap at a
manager during a richly deserved reprimand! But maybe one 'chanter in a
hundred could have done what I did-even if it wasn't the job I was hired for.
Maybe I'd snapped at the boss because I'd been feeling important, like the
people Rogero knew. But I wasn't really that good, only a little better than I'd
been yesterday. Yet-no, I'd have known if the sword had amplified my
enchantment. I'd done it all myself.
Still, I'd never have done it without the sword. Rogero was right: I had to
turn it off before it made chaos of my life.
I got off the bus at the university and bought a campus library card.
After an hour of fruitless labor, I asked for help. It took three librarians [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]