“He’s gone. What a moron,” the editor scoffed, watching Jasper run off through the window.
Someone quietly approached him. “Some tea, sir?”
“As attentive as always, even in your new position as assistant editor.”
“Compared to yours, my job is a walk in the park. This is the least I can do... I can’t imagine having to deal with that arrogant boy.”
“You can say that again. His writing really isn’t bad...except that it’s too rebellious. We just have to skirt around the ugly parts of noble society and write up a few nice things to keep them happy. It’s simple math and he can’t do it.”
“He still thinks he’s in the academy! That’s why he keeps mentioning childish things like integrity and duty of a writer. What’s frustrating is that you’ve tried to correct his behavior countless times! I can’t count how many times I nearly struck out at him! Your wisdom and patience were completely wasted on him!”
The assistant editor’s compliments and gesticulations seemed to improve the editor’s mood. His irritation had disappeared completely. “He’s been a thorn in my side...for the last time.”
“Then the new post you spoke of...”
“It wasn’t a lie. It’s true that I’d been told to find someone eager to send to the Jamil domain, and that they would have more freedom in the new office. I just didn’t mention that I was told to choose someone I wouldn’t miss if they were gone.” A cold grin crossed the editor’s face.
The assistant editor smirked slimily. “His future isn’t bright, then.”
“This move only expedited his fall a little. He would have been crushed sooner or later writing like that. Actually, by the time I’d heard about the new branch, he was practically preselected for me. Turns out, stories of his enthusiasm had reached my boss’s ears. They wanted him out before he could cause the company any damage.”
“One wrong move against a noble and your head could roll... In fact, I am too scared to even discuss this further,” said the assistant editor.
“That’s for the best. I never asked or intend to ask what’s going to happen to him once he moves. That’s the kind of threat assessment he’s oblivious to. You, on the other hand, know when to back down. That’s why I trust you with important work. If he had even a percent of your good judgment, he might not have found himself in this predicament.”
“I thank you for the high praise, sir, but I’ve only come this far because of your tutelage! I could not express how fortunate I am to work under not only a brilliant writer but an incredible leader!”
“Y-You think so?” The editor laughed heartily at the flattery, but regained his composure. “I almost forgot. There’s something I need to take care of. Assistant manager, can you notify HR that Jasper Penbroke was fired as of today?”
“Of course, sir. Is there anything else?”
“They’ll be expecting the news, so they’ll take care of the rest. Who knows what he’ll do in Jamil, but we’re not going to take any heat from it. If we fire him now, it’s not our problem what an ex-employee gets up to.” The editor glanced around the room. “You heard that, didn’t you? Just a minute ago, I was notifying Jasper of his dismissal. As you all know, the reason for that was his repeated insubordination and refusal to follow directions, which forced me to deem him as having no chance of improving his behavior. He apparently didn’t like the sound of that, because he refused to accept the dismissal and left the office of his own accord, declaring to show us what he’s capable of...before we could even call him back. He never showed up again, so we simply processed his firing. That’s the truth of what happened, isn’t that right?”
“Yessir.”
“I saw it happen.”
“We understand.”
The writers each responded, all too familiar with the directives of the editor.
Satisfied, the editor shoved the cigarette into the ashtray on his desk and sank into his chair. “There we go. Go send that message, will you?” he directed the assistant editor.
“Yes, sir. What would you like to do with his article? I could stop by the incinerator on my way out.”
“Information he gained by sniffing around nobles? It could only be kindling for trouble...but I’ll keep the article. Even though he did nothing but sabotage the way things are run here, his journalism was genuine. Look at this.”
“A list of informants. I’m surprised he had the time in between shifts to interview them. He even attached a reference sheet, connecting each account to each person.”
“If he gathered this much information, it’s possible they realized he was with the press. If he’s been made, we can expect some backlash. Keep the article and documents so we can claim to have confiscated all evidence and fired the writer, without ever publishing the story. That’ll be our way to show we have no intention of defying nobles. If we hand over the identity of his sources, that will also deflect the nobles’ ire.”
“I see! Claiming we burned the evidence will leave them suspicious of us. In fact, if we burn these papers, we lose critical evidence to prove our innocence. I hadn’t thought that through... You saved the day again, sir!”
“Oh? Well, you still have a long way to go before you catch up to me. Keep it up.”
“Yes, sir! I will leave the article here...and report to HR!” Having thoroughly brown-nosed his boss, the assistant editor left.
The editor watched out the window again. “The historical Propo Times... The golden age of our paper is long gone. What does he expect from a dying paper shoved into the corner of the capital? Us little guys need to survive in our own way—by not rocking the boat we’re on. I hope the world shows you how foolish you’ve been.” Speaking those words at the window, the editor lit another cigarette and began putting away the papers scattered on his desk.