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“And I don't have time for civilian chit-chat. Take whatever this is to General Euripides in
the Office of Records,” Darius said, handing back Laurie's Form. “If he approves it, I'll ap-
prove it.”
Down the hall Laurie went.
* * *
Euripides had his hands full with a problem of his own. People were crowded around huge
record topics lying on tables in the Office of Records. Some people were trying to read long
strings of numbers from the topics. Others wanted to
write
new numbers in the topics. The
readers and writers were thrashing about, getting in each other's way. It looked like a fight
could start at any time.
The General was pacing from table to table, listening to complaints and issuing orders. A
crowd of people followed him around, shouting over one another, trying to get his attention.
It looked like he barely had time to think.
Laurie pushed and struggled and wiggled her way to the front of the crowd.
“Sir? General Euripides? Can you help me?”
“Eh? Oh, another one. Are you a reader or a writer?”
“I'm not a reader or a writer. I need you to approve—” Laurie began, but the General had to
go break up an argument.
“Now what was it you wanted? A reader? Which topic?” Euripides asked when he came
back.
“No, sir. I need—Sir? Hello, sir?”
Euripides was off to another corner of the room. Laurie tried to get his attention again, but
the crowd kept shoving her out of the way.
* * *
Laurie sat on the floor in the hallway and put her head on her knees, exhausted and confused.
Mandelbroccoli, fence-posts, Passes, General This, General That . . . where did it all end?
She could still hear the fighting over who got to use what topic next.
“Those people are so rude,” she grumbled.
“Why can't they take turns and share?”
“Maybe nobody taught them how,” Xor said. “My cousin Rex never liked to share. Of
course, he was forty feet tall and had teeth as long as your arm.”
“Somebody should teach them. It's not fair.”
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