middle, above or below, destined for this or that use.
Once again she’s waiting.
Someone knocks at the door. Two technicians from IT are standing there, waiting for her to tell them to come in. She indicates that they should. She knows them. They look after the computer network for the whole site. She often passes the tall one in the corridor. The small one she sees when she has lunch in the cafeteria. He has a loud laugh, you can’t miss him.
Mathilde stands up and moves aside to make room.
They exchange pleasantries about the weather. She goes along with it, expressing pleasure on hearing that the next few days will be fine. As if that mattered. As if that could have any impact on the train of events. And then they set to work. They unpack, unroll, connect, assemble.
In no time at all they’ve installed a new computer. The tall one goes through the final steps to configure the machine.
Meanwhile the small one contemplates Mathilde’s cleavage as she sits there. She’s wearing one of those push-up bras that make your breasts look bigger. The lacey straps are the same colour as her blouse. She has never given up on her appearance. She dresses as she used to. Wears a skirt, a suit, puts on make-up. Even if sometimes she doesn’t have the energy. Even if coming in pyjamas or a tracksuit would probably make no difference.
There. The tall one starts up the computer, goes over to Mathilde and explains. By default she is linked to the printer on that floor, laser Infotec XVGH3018. If she wants to print in colour, she needs to select another printer.
Mathilde tries to work out how long it’s been since she’s had to print a document.
The tall one sees the card lying near her.
‘The Argent Defender! You’re lucky! My son would sell both his parents for that card. Is it yours?’
‘Yes, my son had a dupe and gave it to me.’
‘I’ll buy it off you!’
‘Oh no, I couldn’t . . .’
‘Come on. I’ll give you ten euros.’
‘I’m sorry, I can’t.’
‘Twenty?’
‘I’m really sorry. It was a gift. And anyway . . . I really need it.’
They say goodbye and go off.
She hears them laughing in the corridor.
She said she really needed it. As though her life depended on it.
Mathilde picks up the mouse and goes over to the keyboard. She clicks on Internet Explorer. The Google page comes up and she types ‘World of Warcraft’.
She has no difficulty in finding the rules. WoW was a video game and an online game before it became a card game. It has thousands of followers around the world.
She reads attentively.
On the other side of the Dark Portal, every player is a hero. The cards he holds allow him to equip himself with arms and armour, to use spells and talents, and to recruit allies to his group. In the course of the game, the cards allow you to inflict damage on opposing heroes or to protect against their attacks. The aim of the game is to kill your enemies. Each hero has a health value printed in the lower right corner, which tells you how much damage the hero can take. If your hero takes damage greater than or equal to his health (‘fatal damage’), you’re out of the game. Your hero can attack and defend against opposing characters, but to deal damage in combat, your hero must usually strike with a weapon. Dead cards – destroyed or discarded ones – go to a player’s cemetery.
In the cemetery, cards must be placed face down.
Mathilde looks at the Argent Defender.
His health value is 2,000 points.
As he is a defender, he can’t be used for attack.
The problem is that Mathilde has only one card.
The problem is that she has already suffered a certain amount of damage.
And she doesn’t know how many points she has left.
In the past, she used to have lunch with Éric, Jean or Nathalie. Sometimes they’d all have lunch together – the whole team.
Now they disperse – some go to the canteen, others to the restaurant. They don’t tell
Once again she’s waiting.
Someone knocks at the door. Two technicians from IT are standing there, waiting for her to tell them to come in. She indicates that they should. She knows them. They look after the computer network for the whole site. She often passes the tall one in the corridor. The small one she sees when she has lunch in the cafeteria. He has a loud laugh, you can’t miss him.
Mathilde stands up and moves aside to make room.
They exchange pleasantries about the weather. She goes along with it, expressing pleasure on hearing that the next few days will be fine. As if that mattered. As if that could have any impact on the train of events. And then they set to work. They unpack, unroll, connect, assemble.
In no time at all they’ve installed a new computer. The tall one goes through the final steps to configure the machine.
Meanwhile the small one contemplates Mathilde’s cleavage as she sits there. She’s wearing one of those push-up bras that make your breasts look bigger. The lacey straps are the same colour as her blouse. She has never given up on her appearance. She dresses as she used to. Wears a skirt, a suit, puts on make-up. Even if sometimes she doesn’t have the energy. Even if coming in pyjamas or a tracksuit would probably make no difference.
There. The tall one starts up the computer, goes over to Mathilde and explains. By default she is linked to the printer on that floor, laser Infotec XVGH3018. If she wants to print in colour, she needs to select another printer.
Mathilde tries to work out how long it’s been since she’s had to print a document.
The tall one sees the card lying near her.
‘The Argent Defender! You’re lucky! My son would sell both his parents for that card. Is it yours?’
‘Yes, my son had a dupe and gave it to me.’
‘I’ll buy it off you!’
‘Oh no, I couldn’t . . .’
‘Come on. I’ll give you ten euros.’
‘I’m sorry, I can’t.’
‘Twenty?’
‘I’m really sorry. It was a gift. And anyway . . . I really need it.’
They say goodbye and go off.
She hears them laughing in the corridor.
She said she really needed it. As though her life depended on it.
Mathilde picks up the mouse and goes over to the keyboard. She clicks on Internet Explorer. The Google page comes up and she types ‘World of Warcraft’.
She has no difficulty in finding the rules. WoW was a video game and an online game before it became a card game. It has thousands of followers around the world.
She reads attentively.
On the other side of the Dark Portal, every player is a hero. The cards he holds allow him to equip himself with arms and armour, to use spells and talents, and to recruit allies to his group. In the course of the game, the cards allow you to inflict damage on opposing heroes or to protect against their attacks. The aim of the game is to kill your enemies. Each hero has a health value printed in the lower right corner, which tells you how much damage the hero can take. If your hero takes damage greater than or equal to his health (‘fatal damage’), you’re out of the game. Your hero can attack and defend against opposing characters, but to deal damage in combat, your hero must usually strike with a weapon. Dead cards – destroyed or discarded ones – go to a player’s cemetery.
In the cemetery, cards must be placed face down.
Mathilde looks at the Argent Defender.
His health value is 2,000 points.
As he is a defender, he can’t be used for attack.
The problem is that Mathilde has only one card.
The problem is that she has already suffered a certain amount of damage.
And she doesn’t know how many points she has left.
In the past, she used to have lunch with Éric, Jean or Nathalie. Sometimes they’d all have lunch together – the whole team.
Now they disperse – some go to the canteen, others to the restaurant. They don’t tell
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