tore off a check, handing over another chunk of the mill's assets. Ed accepted the man's help loading the crates into the building with a hand truck, and when the two of them emerged, he clapped the guy on the shoulder. The man nodded and headed for the truck cab.
Graham yelled, smacking the glass, until the roar of his voice became lost in the pounding of the deluge below. When he came to his senses, his throat ached, the rear lights of the truck were gone, and dust had re-settled on the road.
The freight elevator squealed as it climbed. "What do you want from me?" Graham shouted as it came even with his floor. To his surprise, it stopped with a k-chunk , and opened a crack. Graham leapt to the door.
"Ed. Open up. Let's talk about it."
"You behaved poorly just now," Ed said through the slit. "I'm not going to let that slide."
Graham jammed his fingers into the gap and pulled. The doors gave, just an inch. Inside, Ed's wiry form paced, a yellow blur swinging at his side. Graham caught a flash of wide, red-rimmed eyes before the object smashed against the doors. He yelped and fell back.
He looked down in wonder at his crushed and darkening middle fingertip. The Wiffle bat. The psycho had injected it with concrete.
The door slid back shut.
"What was that you always said, Graham?" came the muffled voice. "Stewardship is about earning your place on the planet. Even more true for you, the amount of carbon debt you're carrying."
"Ed," Graham croaked, cradling his bashed finger. "I'll write the damn post. I'll tell the world you won. It's what you want, isn't it?"
But the elevator had already closed and lifted past him, like a judgment.
The sound of drilling and banging on the ground level dominated as night fell. Graham had opened his last pack of peanuts when his computer screen flickered to life. He scrambled to the desk and read, squinting in the screen's light. The email had been sent to their entire list of customers and suppliers.
Dear Clients,
We at Nature's Mill have always treasured our partnerships with those committed to putting the Earth first. In light of those shared values, I know you'll support my decision to reexamine the Nature's Mill mission. Losing the environmental impact contest has prompted me to reset priorities and take the company in an exciting new direction. Consequently, I am shutting down the sales and distribution component of our operations, effective immediately.
Graham's signature followed.
An air-shattering crack sounded from the front corner of the roof. Graham ducked as a spray of sparks fell past the windows. His screen flicked off, and with a whump
like the building giving a massive shrug, the power shut down.
Graham blew on his middle finger to try to quell the pain. Under the broken nail, the bone felt fractured. He bit down on a Sharpie and wound packing tape around the joint. After Ed severed the electricity, the elevator doors had banged open on every floor. Graham couldn't tell if it was a safety default of the old building or something else, but he wasn't about to lose the chance to get out. He considered the unbolted paper cutter blade. What could he use it for? He knew exactly what, if it came down to it. Bring it . You don't have to use it . He shook his head in aversion, but threaded the handle through his belt loop all the same.
Fighting a bout of hunger and nausea that turned the floor to liquid under his feet, he stuffed his phone in his pocket and lurched to the shaft.
Dim light glimmered from the warehouse opening above. Of course. The bastard had a day's worth of solar power up there. Well, let him enjoy it for the few hours he had before Graham escaped and called the cops. Graham leaned forward, caught the elevator cable in his hand, and swung out. His finger flared under the pressure as he let himself down hand over hand, conscious every moment of the elevator's bulk suspended over him. He dropped the last few feet to the bottom of the shaft and clambered
Graham yelled, smacking the glass, until the roar of his voice became lost in the pounding of the deluge below. When he came to his senses, his throat ached, the rear lights of the truck were gone, and dust had re-settled on the road.
The freight elevator squealed as it climbed. "What do you want from me?" Graham shouted as it came even with his floor. To his surprise, it stopped with a k-chunk , and opened a crack. Graham leapt to the door.
"Ed. Open up. Let's talk about it."
"You behaved poorly just now," Ed said through the slit. "I'm not going to let that slide."
Graham jammed his fingers into the gap and pulled. The doors gave, just an inch. Inside, Ed's wiry form paced, a yellow blur swinging at his side. Graham caught a flash of wide, red-rimmed eyes before the object smashed against the doors. He yelped and fell back.
He looked down in wonder at his crushed and darkening middle fingertip. The Wiffle bat. The psycho had injected it with concrete.
The door slid back shut.
"What was that you always said, Graham?" came the muffled voice. "Stewardship is about earning your place on the planet. Even more true for you, the amount of carbon debt you're carrying."
"Ed," Graham croaked, cradling his bashed finger. "I'll write the damn post. I'll tell the world you won. It's what you want, isn't it?"
But the elevator had already closed and lifted past him, like a judgment.
The sound of drilling and banging on the ground level dominated as night fell. Graham had opened his last pack of peanuts when his computer screen flickered to life. He scrambled to the desk and read, squinting in the screen's light. The email had been sent to their entire list of customers and suppliers.
Dear Clients,
We at Nature's Mill have always treasured our partnerships with those committed to putting the Earth first. In light of those shared values, I know you'll support my decision to reexamine the Nature's Mill mission. Losing the environmental impact contest has prompted me to reset priorities and take the company in an exciting new direction. Consequently, I am shutting down the sales and distribution component of our operations, effective immediately.
Graham's signature followed.
An air-shattering crack sounded from the front corner of the roof. Graham ducked as a spray of sparks fell past the windows. His screen flicked off, and with a whump
like the building giving a massive shrug, the power shut down.
Graham blew on his middle finger to try to quell the pain. Under the broken nail, the bone felt fractured. He bit down on a Sharpie and wound packing tape around the joint. After Ed severed the electricity, the elevator doors had banged open on every floor. Graham couldn't tell if it was a safety default of the old building or something else, but he wasn't about to lose the chance to get out. He considered the unbolted paper cutter blade. What could he use it for? He knew exactly what, if it came down to it. Bring it . You don't have to use it . He shook his head in aversion, but threaded the handle through his belt loop all the same.
Fighting a bout of hunger and nausea that turned the floor to liquid under his feet, he stuffed his phone in his pocket and lurched to the shaft.
Dim light glimmered from the warehouse opening above. Of course. The bastard had a day's worth of solar power up there. Well, let him enjoy it for the few hours he had before Graham escaped and called the cops. Graham leaned forward, caught the elevator cable in his hand, and swung out. His finger flared under the pressure as he let himself down hand over hand, conscious every moment of the elevator's bulk suspended over him. He dropped the last few feet to the bottom of the shaft and clambered
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