Several of them. And I've been handling them just the way Mr. Blackstone told me to. I've explained to Mr. Dixon that you could not take the calls. Mr. Blackstone said you didn't want to be bothered.”
“I see.” Letty tapped her pen on the desk, thinking swiftly. “Did Mr. Blackstone give you any other specific instructions about how to handle your work in this office?”
Arthur began to look alarmed again. His blinking speed increased rapidly. “Yes, but I've been doing exactly what he said when he briefed me on my duties for you, Ms. Thornquist. I swear it. When in doubt I always check with Mrs. Sedgewick.”
“What, exactly, did Mr. Blackstone tell you to do?”
“He said I was to route all requests to see you through his office. He said he would deal with them until you were settled in here at Thornquist Gear. He also said I was to let his secretary know if there were any problems. In addition, he made it clear he wants to be kept informed of everything that happens here in your office.”
“Does he really? How thoughtful of him.” Letty grimly recalled Joel's short lecture on making certain the staff knew who was in charge around Thornquist Gear. Apparently he had gone out of his way to ensure that.
“Did I do anything wrong, Ms. Thornquist?”
“No, Arthur. You followed Mr. Blackstone's orders very well.” Letty forced a smile. “But it will no longer be necessary to shield me from routine matters such as phone calls and requests from the staff. I'm quite settled in now. You may consider Mr. Blackstone's orders rescinded.”
“What does that mean?” Arthur gave her a cautious look. “Rescinded?”
“It means they are no longer in effect.”
Arthur coughed discreetly. “Does, uh, Mr. Blackstone know that?”
“I shall inform him myself,” Letty said grimly. “In fact, I will do so immediately.”
Arthur appeared only partially relieved by that information. “All right. Could you also tell Mrs. Sedgewick?”
“Mrs. Sedgewick?”
“She's a very forceful woman,” Arthur explained uneasily. “I just want to be certain she understands I no longer have to get everything approved through her.”
“I will explain matters to Mrs. Sedgewick,” Letty assured him.
Arthur relaxed a little more. “What about those calls from Mr. Dixon?”
“Let me know whenever Professor Dixon calls, and I'll decide for myself whether or not I have time to talk to him.”
“Yes, ma'am.” Arthur got to his feet, blinking. “Is that all?”
“That's all for now, Arthur.”
Letty sat back in her chair and waited for the door to close behind him. Then she picked up one of the computer printouts that littered her desk. She had not requested this particular printout. It had apparently been mistakenly attached to the last stack of data she'd managed to get from one of the computer operators in Accounting. She studied the figures for a long time before she got to her feet.
Carrying the printout under her arm, she left her office and went down the hall to Joel's lair.
“Is Mr. Blackstone around, Mrs. Sedgewick?”
Mrs. Sedgewick, the imposing dragon who guarded Joel's outer office, looked up. She was a strong-boned woman of indeterminate years whose gray hair was permanently frozen into a bouffant curve. “He's in his office, Ms. Thornquist. I'll let him know you're here.”
“Do that,” Letty murmured.
Mrs. Sedgewick spoke into the intercom. “Ms. Thornquist is here to see you, Mr. Blackstone.”
“Send her in.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Sedgewick.” Letty paused, her hand on the doorknob, “Oh, by the way…”
“Yes, Ms. Thornquist?”
“Arthur Bigley is now fully trained, and he and I are starting to function together as a team. He will no longer require assistance from you, and you need not concern yourself with directing his activities. Do I make myself clear, Mrs. Sedgewick?”
Mrs. Sedgewick pursed her lips disapprovingly. “I don't understand, Ms. Thornquist. Arthur is very new at
“I see.” Letty tapped her pen on the desk, thinking swiftly. “Did Mr. Blackstone give you any other specific instructions about how to handle your work in this office?”
Arthur began to look alarmed again. His blinking speed increased rapidly. “Yes, but I've been doing exactly what he said when he briefed me on my duties for you, Ms. Thornquist. I swear it. When in doubt I always check with Mrs. Sedgewick.”
“What, exactly, did Mr. Blackstone tell you to do?”
“He said I was to route all requests to see you through his office. He said he would deal with them until you were settled in here at Thornquist Gear. He also said I was to let his secretary know if there were any problems. In addition, he made it clear he wants to be kept informed of everything that happens here in your office.”
“Does he really? How thoughtful of him.” Letty grimly recalled Joel's short lecture on making certain the staff knew who was in charge around Thornquist Gear. Apparently he had gone out of his way to ensure that.
“Did I do anything wrong, Ms. Thornquist?”
“No, Arthur. You followed Mr. Blackstone's orders very well.” Letty forced a smile. “But it will no longer be necessary to shield me from routine matters such as phone calls and requests from the staff. I'm quite settled in now. You may consider Mr. Blackstone's orders rescinded.”
“What does that mean?” Arthur gave her a cautious look. “Rescinded?”
“It means they are no longer in effect.”
Arthur coughed discreetly. “Does, uh, Mr. Blackstone know that?”
“I shall inform him myself,” Letty said grimly. “In fact, I will do so immediately.”
Arthur appeared only partially relieved by that information. “All right. Could you also tell Mrs. Sedgewick?”
“Mrs. Sedgewick?”
“She's a very forceful woman,” Arthur explained uneasily. “I just want to be certain she understands I no longer have to get everything approved through her.”
“I will explain matters to Mrs. Sedgewick,” Letty assured him.
Arthur relaxed a little more. “What about those calls from Mr. Dixon?”
“Let me know whenever Professor Dixon calls, and I'll decide for myself whether or not I have time to talk to him.”
“Yes, ma'am.” Arthur got to his feet, blinking. “Is that all?”
“That's all for now, Arthur.”
Letty sat back in her chair and waited for the door to close behind him. Then she picked up one of the computer printouts that littered her desk. She had not requested this particular printout. It had apparently been mistakenly attached to the last stack of data she'd managed to get from one of the computer operators in Accounting. She studied the figures for a long time before she got to her feet.
Carrying the printout under her arm, she left her office and went down the hall to Joel's lair.
“Is Mr. Blackstone around, Mrs. Sedgewick?”
Mrs. Sedgewick, the imposing dragon who guarded Joel's outer office, looked up. She was a strong-boned woman of indeterminate years whose gray hair was permanently frozen into a bouffant curve. “He's in his office, Ms. Thornquist. I'll let him know you're here.”
“Do that,” Letty murmured.
Mrs. Sedgewick spoke into the intercom. “Ms. Thornquist is here to see you, Mr. Blackstone.”
“Send her in.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Sedgewick.” Letty paused, her hand on the doorknob, “Oh, by the way…”
“Yes, Ms. Thornquist?”
“Arthur Bigley is now fully trained, and he and I are starting to function together as a team. He will no longer require assistance from you, and you need not concern yourself with directing his activities. Do I make myself clear, Mrs. Sedgewick?”
Mrs. Sedgewick pursed her lips disapprovingly. “I don't understand, Ms. Thornquist. Arthur is very new at
Similar Books
