"Dickson, Gordon - Stranger Txt" - читать интересную книгу автора (Dickson Gordon R)

I'd tell you anything I needed to, true or false, thought Merlin grimly. I'd cry, dance, or crawl on the floor to keep this job, now that Ona's almost found.

"I surely would," he said aloud.

"Thank you," she said. The man continued to sit. With eyes pouched in finely wrinkled flesh, he silently studied Merlin.

Merlin was released, finally, and the next few days went by swiftly. He struggled with his training courses and impatiently wondered when the detective agency would phone with word of Ona's whereabouts.

But no call came. On the Thursday after his security interview, he discovered a memo in his message box that asked him to report to the Payroll Center at nine o'clock the next morning.

He assumed it must have something to do with the last advance against his wages. Annoyed that he would be late for his second class of the morning, he hurried to the Center, hoping that whatever it was would not take too long.

At the Center he was directed to the Pay-Outs Cashier. Only one window was open, with two security guards standing nearby. Merlin stood in line behind three men, two of whom were cadre. From their conversation, he assumed they were here to get an advance on wages. The third man merely signed a form and left. Now Merlin was facing the cierk behind the window.

"Merlin Swenson^" asked the clerk. He searched below the counter level on his side and came up with two pieces of paper.

"Sign this," he said, pushing one ahead of the other at Merlin. "The second one you keep."

With his pen poised in his hand, Merlin read the first paper. following indebtedness to Trans-Space Electronics Corporation, Limited:

Advances Per diem:

Equipment issued:

Miscellaneous:

Subtotal:

Less trainee wages to date:

Total:

Signed - -.

$43,432.54 $104,185.42

$43,419.72

"What's this?" Merlin asked.

"Just your account to date. We need a signature."

"All right," said Merlin-

He signed. The clerk took back the form and separated a top copy from a bottom one. He pushed the bottom copy to Merlin, along with the other paper.

He took both sheets and started to turn away, glancing at the second paper. Suddenly, he stopped and turned back.

"What's this?"