Friday, December 05, 2014
Odd Job
The few times Skutz met other employees,
he asked them about their work. He had
glimpsed hints of it from the papers
crossing his desk.
This was evidently an etiquette breach,
for all communications from the company
henceforth came to his home. And no other
company person came near his office.
And what came across his desk was now
coded, except for the signature on the bottom.
He had been instructed to stamp everything
APPROVED.
Which he did. For eight years.
Then he was told to stamp nothing unless
it contained the name, Murcer.
That was easy. All signed by Murcer anyway.
A very large signature he knew by heart.
No first name.
Three more years passed, pleasantly enough.
He had gotten used to seeing no other
worker.
Then one morning, the very first paper,
contained the word, Murder.
He locked it in his top drawer.
No paper qualified after that, not having
the signature.
The obvious conclusion: Murcer was murdered.
But his not to reason why.
Soon enough, another communication in his home
mailbox notifying him to stamp nothing not
containing the name Oggnurst.
He wonders, for years now, what that name can
be turned into.
Labels: corporate ethics, corporate murder, murder, office, secret, secret work, solo worker, strange employer, working
