Read Online Up on the Rooftop by Kristine Grayson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Kristine Grayson
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life would be extended by perhaps a century or more. You would be given small magic via spell that would have to be renewed annually. You would get housing and clothing and all of your needs provided for.”
He swallowed. He’d been through these kinds of interviews before. He knew there was a “but” coming.
“But,” she said rather loudly, “you won’t be able to tell your family what you do, and when it becomes obvious that you’re not aging at the same rate they are, you will have to forgo seeing them altogether. You won’t be able to talk to your friends about this either. You will get two weeks annual vacation which you can take in the Greater World, but you cannot do so in the fall or over Christmas. The sacrifice is often greater than the average mortal can make.”
He couldn’t say anything about his friends. His friends had pretty much disowned him when he retired. The new friends that he could have had after that were mostly after his money. So he just said, “My family is gone.”
“Well then.” The woman stood, set down that weird cigarette, and extended her hand. “You’re hired.”
That surprised him too. What a surprising day. But the surprise wasn’t enough to make him lose focus.
He shook the woman’s hand.
“Thank you,” he said, and he meant it. Who knew when he got up that morning that by the middle of the day he would be giving up everything, and realizing that by doing so, he was giving up nothing at all.
“You will go back to Julka and await your instructions,” the woman said. “Congratulations. We at Claus & Company hope that our relationship with you is long and merry.”
“Me, too,” Marshall said. “Me too.”
15
JULKA KEPT HITTING the countertop.
“C’mon,” she said. “I know someone can see me. What did you do with him? Take me to him. He has no idea what home is like. Please .”
She had no idea where he was. Had Marshall hit the red button that was still pulsing there and had it sent him where Delbert was? Or did someone actually hear him make his offer, and take him to the North Pole somehow. She had no idea how that would work for a non-elf. Even elves had to use sleigh magic. Had Marshall somehow triggered something?
“Please,” she said, not quite sure any more what she was begging for. “Please.”
Her hand hurt from hitting the console. She was going to have to come up with something else. They had told her about an emergency way to contact the North Pole if something happened to Delbert, but she hadn’t really paid attention. Nothing ever happened to elves. Particularly elves that stank of peppermint and elf sweat.
Then she realized she was smelling peppermint and elf sweat. She turned around. Delbert was watching her, his head tilted, looking amused.
“At first,” he said, “I thought maybe you were one of those people who fell in crap and came out looking like gold. But the longer my conversation with HR went on, the more I realized you were sent to recruit someone. And damn, if you didn’t manage it. You know, you could’ve told me.”
She didn’t know what he was referring to. Crap? Conversation? Recruit? “Told you what?”
“That you weren’t here to inspect chimneys. I should’ve figured it out. You weren’t the chimney inspecting type. And you got frustrated when there were too many pipes and not enough bricks. The usual chimney worker doesn’t really care.” He tugged on his shirt, pulling it down over his massive belly.
“I was too here to inspect chimneys,” she said. “I didn’t lie to you.”
His eyebrows went up. “You mean that, don’t you?”
“Yes, I mean that,” she said.
He bit his lower lip, then rolled his eyes and sighed. “Ah. They sent you here on a test, and left it up to me to tell you.”
“What?” she asked. She had been frustrated before he showed up. Now she was ready to grab him and shove his hand against the console (repeatedly) so she could find
He swallowed. He’d been through these kinds of interviews before. He knew there was a “but” coming.
“But,” she said rather loudly, “you won’t be able to tell your family what you do, and when it becomes obvious that you’re not aging at the same rate they are, you will have to forgo seeing them altogether. You won’t be able to talk to your friends about this either. You will get two weeks annual vacation which you can take in the Greater World, but you cannot do so in the fall or over Christmas. The sacrifice is often greater than the average mortal can make.”
He couldn’t say anything about his friends. His friends had pretty much disowned him when he retired. The new friends that he could have had after that were mostly after his money. So he just said, “My family is gone.”
“Well then.” The woman stood, set down that weird cigarette, and extended her hand. “You’re hired.”
That surprised him too. What a surprising day. But the surprise wasn’t enough to make him lose focus.
He shook the woman’s hand.
“Thank you,” he said, and he meant it. Who knew when he got up that morning that by the middle of the day he would be giving up everything, and realizing that by doing so, he was giving up nothing at all.
“You will go back to Julka and await your instructions,” the woman said. “Congratulations. We at Claus & Company hope that our relationship with you is long and merry.”
“Me, too,” Marshall said. “Me too.”
15
JULKA KEPT HITTING the countertop.
“C’mon,” she said. “I know someone can see me. What did you do with him? Take me to him. He has no idea what home is like. Please .”
She had no idea where he was. Had Marshall hit the red button that was still pulsing there and had it sent him where Delbert was? Or did someone actually hear him make his offer, and take him to the North Pole somehow. She had no idea how that would work for a non-elf. Even elves had to use sleigh magic. Had Marshall somehow triggered something?
“Please,” she said, not quite sure any more what she was begging for. “Please.”
Her hand hurt from hitting the console. She was going to have to come up with something else. They had told her about an emergency way to contact the North Pole if something happened to Delbert, but she hadn’t really paid attention. Nothing ever happened to elves. Particularly elves that stank of peppermint and elf sweat.
Then she realized she was smelling peppermint and elf sweat. She turned around. Delbert was watching her, his head tilted, looking amused.
“At first,” he said, “I thought maybe you were one of those people who fell in crap and came out looking like gold. But the longer my conversation with HR went on, the more I realized you were sent to recruit someone. And damn, if you didn’t manage it. You know, you could’ve told me.”
She didn’t know what he was referring to. Crap? Conversation? Recruit? “Told you what?”
“That you weren’t here to inspect chimneys. I should’ve figured it out. You weren’t the chimney inspecting type. And you got frustrated when there were too many pipes and not enough bricks. The usual chimney worker doesn’t really care.” He tugged on his shirt, pulling it down over his massive belly.
“I was too here to inspect chimneys,” she said. “I didn’t lie to you.”
His eyebrows went up. “You mean that, don’t you?”
“Yes, I mean that,” she said.
He bit his lower lip, then rolled his eyes and sighed. “Ah. They sent you here on a test, and left it up to me to tell you.”
“What?” she asked. She had been frustrated before he showed up. Now she was ready to grab him and shove his hand against the console (repeatedly) so she could find
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