Second Edition

Ten

ELLIS

“The project is considerably more extensive than we were led to believe. Monsieur Perdue was something of a hoarder, I’m afraid. A significant number of the books are all-but worthless, but they’re pushed in beside rare editions. There’s no rhyme or reason to it. It’s as if he was collecting them for the sake of it.”

The Weston University board of directors stare back at me from my computer screen, each in their own respective box, often framed by what looks like an oak paneled study behind them. On the far right is a frowning President Sutton. She leans forward slightly, and even with three thousand miles between us, I get the sense that this woman is seeing far more than I’d like her to. “When you say valuable,” she says, “do you believe the books you’ve seen so far are worth enough to justify your salary, and the salary of your temporary replacement at Montgomery?”