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Chapter 60

 

Regional Phone Company Pioneers New Service
Lumberton—The Robesonian Weekly

 
At a news conference Monday, local long distance company HELLo America announced their new Enemies and Inlaws dialing plan. The plan, which gives rock-bottom rates to telemarketers, will be available nationally at the start of the month.

When asked how the company could possibly undercut all competition for the telemarketing market and still make a profit, Chairman Baal Turgos, a Devil Third Class, admitted, "It's a gamble, but we plan to clean up on the other side." He went on to explain that members of the new plan are unable to call each other, so HELLo America expects tens of thousands of households to sign up at regular rates. "The commercial rates will get all the boiler-room operations and the protection will get the households." Turgos continued, "We expect exponential growth until the number of nonmember households drops below the telemarketing threshold. By then, we will have thought of something else."

When asked if it wouldn't be inconvenient for plan households to be unable to call each other, Turgos replied, "Thirty-seven percent of all households have teenagers. Parents will love us."

 

Rhea looked at the too hard box on her desk. It was full, but the bills now outweighed the useless government forms—she wouldn't have believed it possible. Normally, everything went through Accounts Payable, but these weren't normal times. She took the notices and dealt them out on her desk.

It was as sorry a tarot reading as she'd ever seen. Valentine's Electronic Supply House, that would be the Lovers, and E. Thomas Dooley Hydraulic, Inc., that would be the Hanged Man. Not a good sign for those to land together. That wasn't the point, though. She swept them back up again, and started considering each in turn. The point was finding those that could possibly be put off for a little while longer. It had reached the stage where that meant anything less than a third notice. Rhea finally put two in an envelope for Accounting; the rest she put back in the too hard box. She considered starting a too broke box, but who would pay for it?

Was this going to be it, then? The end of all the work and hiding, of all her hopes for finally doing something really right? Bankruptcy? If all she had built were going to come crashing down, she could almost believe that getting caught would come as a relief. Almost.

Her phone beeped. She picked it up. "Rhea," Jan said, "Jack's back. Just thought you'd like to know."

"Thanks, Jan," Rhea said automatically. Jack hadn't quit. In fact, he had flown to Manteo to oversee some work at the shipyard. She really hadn't expected him back so soon. Butterflies stretched their wings in her stomach—it tickled, but felt good somehow. She put the phone down, took a deep breath and headed for the door.

Jan had the grace to be very busy with something on her screen as Rhea walked past. In the empty stairwell, she took the steps two at a time, slowing to a sedate pace only when she stepped out into the hallway. Jack's door was open, as always. He was sitting there with his back to her, looking out the window as he talked on the phone. She stepped inside quietly.

"I appreciate it, Thel," he said. "I know Rockwell's a great place, and I owe you for putting a word in for me, but I think I'm going to stick it out." Rhea saw that he was doodling with his free hand. She looked closely. It was a rocket ship heading nose first for the ground. "Yeah, I know," he said, and his shoulders sagged. "It would be better for my career if I came out while this is still a going concern but—yeah, I know what I said, but I've got personal reasons." He sketched a tombstone with his initials on it. "Uh huh, that's right, but I'm going to risk it. Okay, thanks again, and remember . . . not a word about this to anyone. Say hello to Angie. See you!"

Rhea backed out silently, waited a second and came back in again, noisily. Jack jumped and turned as she closed the door.

"Hello, Rhea," he said warily. "More bad news?"

"I owe you an apology, Jack," Rhea said.

 

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Framed