"Kristine Kathryn Rusch - Crunchers, Inc." - читать интересную книгу автора (Rusch Kristine Kathryn)

Edith nodded.

тАЬI was five, maybe littler. He told me to take care of it.тАЭ

тАЬWhich IтАЩm sure you did.тАЭ The computer beeped again. Edith wished she
could take that insistent tone with people. Maybe that was why they all came to her
in the end. Because she was unfailingly polite.

тАЬI did!тАЭ Reginald said with something like surprise. тАЬAnd because of that
horse, I went to a Wild West vacation in Arizona when I was twenty-five. I met my
wife, we had my daughter, and I wouldnтАЩt be standing here.тАЭ

тАЬResigning,тАЭ Edith said.

That stopped him. тАЬQuitting,тАЭ he said after a moment. As if he were actually
reflecting.

None of them had ever reflected before.

тАЬHow will you pay for your home? Your wifeтАЩsтАФтАЭ she paused, looked down,
saw nothing on the wife except that she had some outstanding student loans, and
took a wild stab at it. тАЬтАФcontinuing education? Your daughterтАЩs first four-year
college? Hmmm?тАЭ

тАЬWe have savings,тАЭ he said, sounding less and less certain of himself.

тАЬAnd what happens when those savings run out?тАЭ she asked.

He stared at her for a long moment. Then those blood-shot eyes of his went
slightly wild and he yelled, тАЬI canтАЩt stay here! My grandfather gave me a horse!тАЭ

тАЬI know,тАЭ Edith said, hitting the image of the check on her desk-screen, then
hitting print so that Reginald could have a hardcopy recommendation letter in
addition to the e-mail version. тАЬBelieve me, I know.тАЭ

****

Reginald left fifteen minutes later, stopping to tell anyone who made eye
contact with him about his grandfather, the plastic horse, and the small gestures that
could turn into major events.
 Damn EISH, anyway. TheyтАЩd found a way to get to him.

They always found a way in.

Edith summoned Conrad Meisner, telling him to meet her in five minutes in
what had been ReginaldтАЩs office. She felt unfairly burdened.

Any senior management official who got confronted with a terminating
employee had to handle all problems caused by that employee.