we really have to drag the lawyers into this? How hard could it be to make another puzzle?”
“If you think it’s that easy, by all means, go ahead and do one yourself.”
“As we both know, that’s not in my area of responsibility. Have a new puzzle to me by this time tomorrow, Savannah.”
She didn’t even wait for me to say anything else.
Zach took one look at me and said, “I’ve seen those storm clouds before. Bad news?”
“Kelsey Hatcher just ordered me to supply her with another puzzle, one more complex, in twenty-four hours, if you can believe that, or she said she was going to cancel my contract and sue me for damages.”
Jenny shook her head. “I told you to let me look that contract over before you signed it.”
“Are you kidding me? I would have done anything to see that first puzzle published. I was afraid to show the contract to you. You probably wouldn’t have let me sign it, and then where would I be?”
“Where are you now?” she asked.
“In need of a new puzzle, apparently,” I said. “Sorry I can’t work on this with you two, but I’ve got work to do. Work I’ve already done once, if you can believe that.”
Zach rubbed my shoulder gently. “Sorry, Savannah. It looks like you’re trapped.”
“I just hope she gets this power trip out of her system. I’m not going to keep doing two puzzles for the price of one for very long.”
I CREATED THE PUZZLE, THOUGH IT TOOK ME FOREVER TO DO it, and by the time I was finished, I was in no mood to write a cheerful and upbeat snippet.
I ended up writing,
Power is a precarious thing. It can build up confidence in some folks even as it destroys common sense in others. When power goes to someone’s head, disaster is a likely result. The wise use power to nudge, not to bludgeon, and realize that there are consequences to most actions.
I took the snippet into the living room, where I found my husband and my best friend in deep conversation. “Can I read you two something?”
“Absolutely,” Zach said.
Jenny nodded as well, so I recited my snippet. After I was finished, I asked, “Did I go too far?”
Zach frowned as he said, “Not if your goal was to alienate Kelsey Hatcher. If that’s what you were going for, I think you’ve probably succeeded admirably. I know you’re not happy with her orders, but is this the right way to go about protesting?”
“Do you honestly think she’s going to read it? Even if she does, I’m not all that certain she’s bright enough to realize I’m taking a shot at her.”
Jenny shrugged. “It’s not actionable as it stands.”
“Are you saying that I should make it more direct?”
She shook her head. “I never said that. I’d send it, if I were you. What’s the worst thing that can happen, she makes you write it over? You can always sanitize it then.”
Zach smiled. “You two must have been a pair of holy terrors in college.”
“We were angels,” I protested.
“Unless provoked,” Jenny added.
“True. All bets were off then.”
Zach laughed. “I’m just glad I’m on both of your good sides. Savannah, why don’t you go fax that new puzzle? Jenny and I have been brainstorming, and we’ve come up with a new plan of action.”
“Don’t make me wait to find out,” I said. “What do you have in mind?”
“Fax first, and then talk,” Zach said.
I reluctantly agreed, if only to send the new puzzle and snippet in before I lost my nerve. Two could play it that way, and if Kelsey was going to give me grief, I planned to give it right back to her.
I sent the puzzle, not sure I’d even hear from her. I could sympathize with the editors, and my readers, but I had a lot going on at the moment. I honestly believed that it was important to mix easier puzzles in with the more difficult ones to give first-time folks a chance, but that wasn’t my true rationale at the moment. I’d do better when things settled down, but for now, the puzzles I was submitting would
“If you think it’s that easy, by all means, go ahead and do one yourself.”
“As we both know, that’s not in my area of responsibility. Have a new puzzle to me by this time tomorrow, Savannah.”
She didn’t even wait for me to say anything else.
Zach took one look at me and said, “I’ve seen those storm clouds before. Bad news?”
“Kelsey Hatcher just ordered me to supply her with another puzzle, one more complex, in twenty-four hours, if you can believe that, or she said she was going to cancel my contract and sue me for damages.”
Jenny shook her head. “I told you to let me look that contract over before you signed it.”
“Are you kidding me? I would have done anything to see that first puzzle published. I was afraid to show the contract to you. You probably wouldn’t have let me sign it, and then where would I be?”
“Where are you now?” she asked.
“In need of a new puzzle, apparently,” I said. “Sorry I can’t work on this with you two, but I’ve got work to do. Work I’ve already done once, if you can believe that.”
Zach rubbed my shoulder gently. “Sorry, Savannah. It looks like you’re trapped.”
“I just hope she gets this power trip out of her system. I’m not going to keep doing two puzzles for the price of one for very long.”
I CREATED THE PUZZLE, THOUGH IT TOOK ME FOREVER TO DO it, and by the time I was finished, I was in no mood to write a cheerful and upbeat snippet.
I ended up writing,
Power is a precarious thing. It can build up confidence in some folks even as it destroys common sense in others. When power goes to someone’s head, disaster is a likely result. The wise use power to nudge, not to bludgeon, and realize that there are consequences to most actions.
I took the snippet into the living room, where I found my husband and my best friend in deep conversation. “Can I read you two something?”
“Absolutely,” Zach said.
Jenny nodded as well, so I recited my snippet. After I was finished, I asked, “Did I go too far?”
Zach frowned as he said, “Not if your goal was to alienate Kelsey Hatcher. If that’s what you were going for, I think you’ve probably succeeded admirably. I know you’re not happy with her orders, but is this the right way to go about protesting?”
“Do you honestly think she’s going to read it? Even if she does, I’m not all that certain she’s bright enough to realize I’m taking a shot at her.”
Jenny shrugged. “It’s not actionable as it stands.”
“Are you saying that I should make it more direct?”
She shook her head. “I never said that. I’d send it, if I were you. What’s the worst thing that can happen, she makes you write it over? You can always sanitize it then.”
Zach smiled. “You two must have been a pair of holy terrors in college.”
“We were angels,” I protested.
“Unless provoked,” Jenny added.
“True. All bets were off then.”
Zach laughed. “I’m just glad I’m on both of your good sides. Savannah, why don’t you go fax that new puzzle? Jenny and I have been brainstorming, and we’ve come up with a new plan of action.”
“Don’t make me wait to find out,” I said. “What do you have in mind?”
“Fax first, and then talk,” Zach said.
I reluctantly agreed, if only to send the new puzzle and snippet in before I lost my nerve. Two could play it that way, and if Kelsey was going to give me grief, I planned to give it right back to her.
I sent the puzzle, not sure I’d even hear from her. I could sympathize with the editors, and my readers, but I had a lot going on at the moment. I honestly believed that it was important to mix easier puzzles in with the more difficult ones to give first-time folks a chance, but that wasn’t my true rationale at the moment. I’d do better when things settled down, but for now, the puzzles I was submitting would
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