"Realms of the Underdark 2.0" - читать интересную книгу автора (Anthologies)

Theirs was a relationship blessed by the gods; at least it was until a few
months ago.
Justin scratched the top of his pate. It was long forlorn of hair and most
recently the home of more than a few wrinkles, which had been creeping upward
from his brow line. He still couldn't understand what could possibly have come
between them.
A lunch meeting had been set, as was their custom, but Volo sent a message
canceling the appointment due to some other more pressing commitment. Justin
didn't think much of it at the time. He simply figured Volo was embarrassed by
not having a new project ready to feed into the TWL publishing pipeline,
especially since his Guide to Shadowdale was already about halfway through its
production cycle. With a shrug, Justin decided to take the rest of the day off.
The next day, when he returned to the office, he discovered that Volo had come
by that very afternoon demanding payment for some manuscript he claimed to have
delivered that very morning. Had Justin been in, something might have been
worked out; but an overzealous employee (who was later dismissed) ushered the
star author rather rudely off the premises and gave him a sound tongue-lashing
for having stood up the venerable publisher for lunch.
Not a word had been heard from the author since that day, and Justin was more
than a bit worried.
"Where will I send the next royalty payment?" the publisher fretted. "And, more
importantly, what will I do for a new Volo's guide? We had discussed doing the
next one on the Moonsea area. Without it, my next year's list is as barren as
the Battle of the Bones."
Paige Latour, Justin's latest in a long line of secretaries and the most
curvaceous to date, entered the publisher's office, undetected by her
preoccupied boss. "Justin, I mean, Mr. Tym," she said, interrupting him from his
worrisome speculations while proffering a sealed parchment pouch. " A messenger
just dropped this off for you."
"Probably just another wanna-be submission," the publisher offered absently.
"Send it back unread. You know the procedure."
"But I think you might want to read it."
"Not now," he retorted curtly. "Just handle it, and don't bother me."
"But, boss," she insisted, "I really think you should read it. It's from some
guy named Volothamp, and I figured maybe you could talk him into shortening his
name and taking over those Volo's guides you've been worried about."
"Volothamp?" Tym inquired, jolted out of his preoccupations.
"Yeah, boss," she replied. Patting herself on the back, she added, "Pretty neat
plan I've come up with, huh?"
"Give me the pouch," the publisher ordered.
"Sure thing," Paige replied. "Can I be an editor now? You promised you'd show me
the ropes, but so far you've only shown me . .."
Justin only had to glance at the writing to immediately recognize the
penmanship.
"Miss Latour," Justin interrupted. "This isn't the ideal candidate for a
pseudo-Volo."
"It's not?" she asked, puzzled by her boss's reaction.
"No, this is from the real Volo," he replied.
"Oh," she groused, not even trying to hide her disappointment. "I guess I'm not
ready to be an editor yet."