Saturday, December 23, 2006

Balti-spelling-Lesson


The basement of the building where I work is a secured location for some sensitive activity. The people who work there must perform disgusting and heart-breaking labor for poverty-level wages in what is possibly the most dismal setting imaginable. The stench is so thick that the air is nearly palpable. Needless to say, people who get stuck working here are all products of the (in)famous Baltiless school system. Somehow I end up spending lot of time down there as well, and have gotten friendly with some of the workers.

One day, a man whom I'll call "Joe" sidled up to me to ask "There's something I want to look up on the internet, but I don't know how to spell it. If I tell you the word, will you write it down for me?" I agreed.

He leaned forward and whispered the word. "Silencer." I was a little taken aback, but I went ahead wrote it down. After a moment, I, perhaps unwisely, asked why he was researching silencers. Joe shushed me and hurried off down the hallway.

I spent a few days pondering this and considering doing a little internet research of my own on "accessory to murder". I had to wonder if there would be any further developments.

I didn't have long to wait. Soon after, Joe approached me again with the same request. What could it be this time? "Body disposal"? "Plea bargains"? "Venezuela and extradition policy"? He told me the word he needed to look up. "How do you spell duplicity?"

...Duplicity?

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