The Blindfold Test by Barry Schechter

Author:Barry Schechter [Schechter, Barry]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Melville House
Published: 2020-05-19T00:00:00+00:00

* * *

—

The hum of fluorescent lights and vending machines resounded through the deserted ground floor. He was heading down a cinderblock hallway past rows of doors with darkened windows when a gravelly voice called his name.

Parker turned. “Yes?” A man in a brown topcoat was coming up behind him—short, trim, sixtyish, curly brown hair, wind-reddened nose, round steel-frame glasses, cocky walk, mournful smile.

“Tom Grand,” he said solemnly and shook Parker’s hand. The lugubrious sheen of his watery blue eyes gave a note of deadpan humor to anything he said. “I suppose you want to know what’s in store for you.”

“Yes!” Parker said, so urgently he felt obliged to laugh.

“Nothing to get rattled about, but you hurt Bill’s feelings. He thinks you insulted him on the phone—I know, I know.” He flicked away Parker’s effort to object. “It’s Bill. We’re all bulls in his china shop. You’ll like him when you get to know him.”

“If I ever get the chance. Maybe I should take him aside and—”

“I wouldn’t advise it. Let him give you crap for half an hour and he’ll come round. No one else is opposed but Marty Applebaum, who’s opposed on principle as always. He and Bill might form a tag-team for a while, but maintain your equanimity. I’m only telling you this so you don’t get discouraged if things seem a bit frosty at the outset. As for the rest of us,” he added mock-obsequiously, “we are gripped by Parkermania.” His misty eyes and the quaver in his gravelly voice made the line truly funny.

“Relax!” he said, responding to Parker’s nervous laugh. “This isn’t your orals—think of it as a chat among colleagues.”

“That’s what they said at my orals.”

“And here you are, cock of the walk, leading candidate for a plum job at a fine state university. Of course you’ve done this before.”

“Interviewing? Not for a while. I suppose it’s like falling off a bicycle. You never forget.”

“At this level,” said Tom Grand as they started down the hallway, “we don’t even call it an interview. Just a get-acquainted session, a chat. You know how to chat, don’t you?”

“I think I—”

“Nice weather!”

“Oh. Yeah. They’re predicting rain.”

“There ya go!”

At the head of the steps Parker heard cups and plates rattling. If they were speaking down there, they were whispering. “Of course,” he said, “with that cold front coming down from Canada—”

“Don’t show off. We know you’re a smart guy!”

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.