“This has to have something to do with Naomi,” Greg says. “But what?”
Ernesto looks up from the screen and at each of our faces. “Look, I don’t want to alarm you. But the last guy who was in this position disappeared before we could find out why. I asked around and the rumor is all he did was suggest that Doris learn how to take it easy.”
“Anyone who meets Doris comes to the same conclusion, I would imagine,” I say and then hope that she can’t hear me somehow.
“True.” Ernesto stands and says, “Looks like we need to continue our adventure, boys. We have to go to the Suicide Soul Station.”
It sounds so festive, like a stop on a Halloween train ride.
We follow Ernesto out of the door and into the hallway. We are across from a piercing kiosk. The idea of piercing souls’ parts doesn’t quite make sense to me. But I don’t have time to figure it out. Maybe after this line business is sorted out, I can ask questions.
Ernesto says, “There was a memo in my email just now. After forty years, Doris is training her replacement.”
“Memo? You mean like this is just a regular old office?” Greg asks.
“You have electronic mail?” I ask.
“One thing at a time. What you need to know here is that her replacement is none other than your friend Naomi. Hopefully, we can catch Doris before she leaves.”
“Hopefully?” I ask.
“Yeah, hopefully. If not, I don’t know how I can help you.” Ernesto pulls ahead of us a few paces, his cue that he is not in the mood for any more talking right now.
We move forward in silence.
I’m alone when I realize that I haven’t asked Doris whom she was stealing spots from. Maybe I don’t really want to know. Or maybe I assumed it wasn’t anyone that I could know. After all, I only know about four people.
I somehow summon Luke’s file. I’m still not exactly sure how that works. It’s kind of like one of those banking tube things but my brain is where the car is. Luke is number 268 in queue. As I am reading about his lousy grief watch, he slips to 269.
I summon Greg’s file. He’s just like Luke. Number 243 and slipping.
I search through the binders in the drawer, hoping for something that will tell me how stop this. Doris doesn’t need all of her memories. I pull up Exceptions. I’m reading the page about memory preservation when Doris appears before me.
“Still reading up on how to keep memories?” she asks. There is a folder under her arm, presumably full of information on Dylan Pine.
“Why did you take spots from them? Why didn’t you take them from someone I don’t know?”
“Don’t worry. I’m almost finished securing my memories completely. And then the slipping will stop.” Doris smirks at me as if she is annoyed. As if this is something I have done to her.
“They are both close to 300, Doris.”
“Everything has a price.” She slaps a folder on the desk and puts her hands palms down on the flat surface. “Why do you care so much about these boys? They won’t even remember you soon.”
“I care because they’ve done what they were supposed to do. You can’t screw them over just to get what you want.”
“Yes, I can. That’s what you don’t seem to get. And now you can do what you want, too. She sits in the chair across the desk and narrows her eyes at me. “You’re not gonna make this a whole thing, are you?”
“Just stop, okay? You have what you need. You don’t have to preserve every single memory.” Did Doris choose me because she thinks I’m as selfish as she is? Am I? She obviously sees something in me that reminds her of herself.
What if she’s right?
“Don’t you think it’s time for your little pet Luke to prove that he wants to survive?”
“He proved it, Doris. Stop playing games with them.” I always took what I wanted when I was alive. Regardless of how it affected other people. But this goes way beyond that. I never sent someone to Oblivion to get what I wanted.
But, oh shit. I have sent someone to Oblivion to get what I wanted. Tony.
“I am assigning Nolan to someone else’s caseload. I assume you want to keep Louisa, and you still have a lot to learn around here. I am assigning him to Edith. You’ll meet her later.”
“You don’t have to do that. He’s not much work.”
“Okay.” Doris picks up a day planner from somewhere and says, “I’m going to introduce you to the rest of the staff later. I already sent out a memo letting everyone know that you are taking over the position.” She looks up and narrows her eyes again. “Don’t let me down.”
“I won’t let you down. I just don’t think you have to…”
“I don’t want to talk about Luke or Greg anymore.” Doris puts a thin binder on the desk and says, “This contains the names and bios of your staff. I suggest you familiarize yourself with it before the meeting.”
“How do you select time for things like meetings? How does time work here?” There is no use in me harping on the Luke issue right now. I might as well get something useful out of her.
“I’ve been wondering when you would ask, clever girl.” Doris smiles and places a watch on the desk. “Time is in longer increments here. We don’t go by the living realm’s minutes and seconds and hours. We go by segments. The meeting is in five segments. You can set an alarm here.” She points to the watch, revealing a touchscreen. “Set it for four and a half segments so you’ll know it’s almost time to be prepared.”
“Where do I need to be for the meeting?”
“Think the words ‘board room’ when the alarm goes off. Be sure to take the binder of staff information with you. You don’t want to look unprepared or unprofessional.”
“I’ll see you then,” I say in a passive attempt to rid myself of Doris.
“Yes, you will. One more thing.” Doris pulls a laptop from somewhere and places it on the desk. “Your password is King Lear. All one word. Familiarize yourself with this system and we will go over it after the meeting.”
“A laptop? I wasn’t expecting that.” I lift the lid and press the on button. There’s no cord attached and at first that alarms me. But there’s no need for electricity here.
“You are just beginning to be amazed, my dear.” Doris stands and goes through the motions of smoothing her skirt. She leans forward and says, “Don’t blow it.” And she’s gone.
Chapter 26
“I interacted with Doris when she first arrived. She had just finished her grief watch and had been allocated to the mentor program. Unlike most mentors, Doris’ assignment was not a punishment. One of the higher-ups saw something impressive in her and thought she would be valuable in Suicide Soul Station.” Ernesto taps his finger on his chin.
We’re standing on a giant conveyor belt, moving through a room, more of a giant airplane hangar, that is mostly dark with the splashes of rainbow-colored lights every few seconds. It’s a good thing none of us have epilepsy.
“She had hard edges. But she was softer than she is now.”
“Were you friends?” I ask.
“Sort of.” Ernesto shrugs and continues, “We helped each other out. I showed her the ropes around here when she needed the help. So, when she got settled into the job, she offered to help out an old girlfriend of mine who had recently been added to the suicide soul list.”
“Maybe it’s possible she will give you a favor without expecting anything in return?” Greg asks.
“Maybe. But more likely she will feel like her obligation to me has been fulfilled. Somewhere along the way Doris became obsessed with checks and balances. A favor for someone requires a favor for her in return. A soul here requires a soul there. I don’t believe she will have any unbalanced relationships at this point.”