Читать книгу Topics About Which I Know Nothing - Patrick Ness - Страница 10

‘Everyone here has a sales quota,’ says the boss. ‘It’s not a bad one, not a very high one, but it’s important that you meet it each week.’

Tammy nods. I don’t like the way she nods.

‘Because if you don’t,’ the boss puts his face close to Tammy’s, ‘we’ll have to send you to the end of the hall.’

Tammy laughs. No one else does. The boss smiles, but it’s not a laughing kind of smile.

‘And what’s at the end of the hall?’ says Tammy, still thinking it’s all for fun.

‘Only people who don’t meet their quota ever find out,’ says the boss.

‘And no one’s returned to tell the tale?’ Still smiling, still laughing.

‘I’m sure you’ll meet your quota just fine.’

Tammy’s forehead wrinkles a bit at how seriously the boss says this. She opens her mouth again but then closes it.

‘You’ve already met your colleagues, yes?’ The boss gestures towards the three of us on this side of the room. We all nod.

‘They introduced themselves this morning when I came in,’ says Tammy.

That was only because we were discussing why there was a card table with a new computer, a new phone and a new headset crammed in the corner where Percy used to slide his chair back when he needed a few minutes’ break. In walked Tammy. The room was too small not to say hello.

‘Boss?’ says Percy.

‘Yes, Percival,’ says the boss.

(‘Everyone calls me Percy,’ Percy said to Tammy this morning.)

‘I’m wondering if Tammy’s going to be, you know, comfortable.’

‘Comfortable?’ says the boss.

‘Yeah, in that small corner, like,’ says Percy, looking at the floor, scratching the back of his neck. ‘It’s usually three to a room, isn’t it?’

‘Yes, Percival, you’re correct,’ says the boss, still with the not-laughing kind of smile. ‘It is usually three to a room, but just now we haven’t an extra space to slot Tammy in.’

‘All the other rooms are full?’

‘All the other rooms are full.’

‘No one’s gone to the end of the hall lately,’ says Tammy, already trying to make a joke. No one laughs. Tammy doesn’t notice.

‘It’s only temporary, Percival,’ says the boss. ‘I trust you’ll make our newest sales representative as comfortable as your colleagues made you on your arrival.’

Maryam and I ignored Percy for a week. He replaced Karen, who had gone to the end of the hall. We hadn’t really liked her, but we were surprised she hadn’t met quota. It really isn’t a very high quota.

‘Of course, boss,’ says Percy.

‘Good,’ says the boss. ‘If you have any questions, Tammy, I’m sure these three will be more than happy to help. I’ll let you all get to work.’ He leaves without looking at anyone. Maryam from Africa gives a ‘hmph’ to the whole thing.