Okay, so it wasn’t the best job in the world, and Milton figured he wouldn’t
earn a lot, yet it was a start. He had a lot of money to pay off.
Milton made his way into the large, firmly polished office of the manager.
Everything from the pictures on the wall, to the wooden toy bird that seemed
to be drinking out of a shiny glass of water looked clean. Milton felt his cheeks
flush again. Here he was, stinking and dirty. He felt like a flea, just a parasite
infecting a perfectly normal and unsuspecting area, though Milton didn’t see
why fleas would invade an office… unlesss they were carpet fleas, in which case
they would probably be invading and multiplying in numbers.
A kindly looking Nimmo overlooked his thick sheets of work paper of which
he had been surveying carefully. He looked very clean and official, and that
thought occurred to Milton when he noticed a golden watch and gold rimmed glasses
over the Nimmos boney wrist, and glittering eyes.
“Ah, you are applying for the job then. So tell me young Meerca, what is your
name?” Milton blinked. He thought the smell would have caused the manager to
leap off his chair, brandish a broomstick at him, and scream at him to get out
of his perfectly clean office. But he didn’t.
“Umm, Milton Meerca” Milton continued looking around the office. Perhaps he
could get the paperwork job, like shipping garbage to outer-space or something.
Maybe he’d get a nice office like this. Milton's eyes, like always, wandered
to something usful, a name tag on a lovely polished silver stand.
“So, Mr.Meerca, do you like my office?”
“O-Oh, yes I do Mr.Rodgers! I like it very much so!” Milton stuttered, yet
he felt more comfortable when he saw Mr.Rodgers grin expand.
“It took plenty of hard labour. I was once a beginner like you, so if you
get the job, just work hard and you’ll get the recognition you deserve!” explained
Rodgers.
Milton decided he’d better apologize for his smell, Mr.Rodgers obviously hadn’t
noticed yet.
“Have you any experience, Mr.Meerca?”
“None. No sir, this is my first job. I’ll promise to learn... and sorry about
my smell.”
Milton bit his lip as he awaited the reply.
“I kind of got lost in a trash-can…”
Mr.Rodgers raised an eyebrow.
“I wouldn't have even known if you smelled like a pile of sluge; I lost sense
of smell many years ago.”
Milton's heart leapt.
“And, seeing as I like you, I think I’ll give you the job,” Mr.Rodgers tapped
his nose bump. “But don’t tell anyone I gave it to you just because I like you!”
Milton's face beamed.
“You’ll earn 500 a week, and start effectively tomorrow. Come and collect
the keys to a van early in the morning. Welcome aboard, Mr.Meerca!” Rodgers
said. His mood seemed to brighten by Milton's most happiest of gestures: A little
jig.
***
Ryan Bolanski collapsed on his expensive green blow-up chair. He ticked off
another few tedious chores on his to-do list. After he placed it on his beige
shag-pile carpet, he then pulled a box from a white plastic shopping bag. The
bag rustled, and Bolanski tore away the cardboard, flung the polystyrene within,
and slipped out a single, shiny black laptop. He shivered with excitement. It
was definitely worth the 10,000 Neopoints at the store he bought it from. He
switched the laptop on and connected a cable to the phone line. Bolanski smugly
streched out his scaly legs, and logged onto Meopets.com. He was just halfway
through feeding his limited edition Skrawk a lovely chili doughnut he bought
for 23 MeoPoints from some other users shop, when there was a knock on the door.
Bolanski frowned, his eyes remained glued to a game of Seek and Chase. His mouth
remained firmly shut behind pursed lips. He didn’t invite any visitors, nor
expected them.
He heard someone bustle around outside. Bolanski still ignored it all, until
his screen zipped off and faded to black. That cheeky stranger had cut his power
supply off! Bolanski growled and, over his shoulder, he saw just in time for
his door to be shot at. Ryan's heart jolted. He knew who it was now. The Krawk
quickly leapt up from his chair and swiftly grasped the doorknob. There was
no point in opening the door with a sweet and oily smile (which Ryan Bolanski
usually did,) seeing the door had a whopping great hole gaping through the wood.
They could have just as easily slipped in through there. Bolanski winced at
the scattered woodchips on his clean floor. He’d have to call the cleaner in
for an extra-night this week. That's when he looked up to see the door was open.
“Soa sorry toa hava inconvenienced youa, Ryan Bolanski.”
Alfreido removed his hat, revealing a sleek green baldness that consisted
of his scalp and one whispy grey hair perched untamely ontop of the Skeith's
head.
“O-oh, no worries boss, I was just gunna shoot down da door this afternoon…
no troubles.”
“Ia hopa you know what Ia came hera fora.”
Alfreido’s bodyguards smirked and rolled up their sleeves. They knew where
this was leading. Bolanski gulped.
He knew he should have saved, rather than buy a new laptop!
“Err, I do has a the idea, but... unfortunately, I haven’t got no cash on
me right now, could you wait say, another few weeks… maybe another 52?”
Alfreido laughed hoarsely, his hollow husky voice made Bolanski panic even
more. He knew it wasn’t good when a mob leader laughed at your cash troubles.
The large Skeith closely observed the pricetag and polystyrene littered all
over the floor (along with his self-inflicted wood chips) then he took note
of the shiny new laptop, and put two and two togeather.
“Youra funny mana, so I’lla letta you offa easy.”
“Ho, Thanks Alfi! I promise to pay ya’s back!” Bolanski said enthusiastically,
his relaxation obviously seeped through his fake tough face. Alfreido merely
smiled and leaned against a polished bookshelf. This guy never gave up.
“Very nica place you gota hera. Plenty ofa places to hida currency…”
And with a single click that was issued from Alfreido's thick fingers, the
bodyguards sprung into action. They flipped tables and searched under potted
plants. They turned the place upside-down. Over the shuddering crashes and ripping
of furniture material, Alfreido said politly: “I hopa youa don ‘t minda, but
we needa toa makea sure youra paying offa anythinga you cana.”
“No problem Alfi, I was gunna destroy my house tomorrow morning, no worries!”
Shouted Bolanski in a falsely calm voice. He tried to smooth things over tentatively,
yet his eyes bulged, and his mouth was wide open in complete and utter shock.
Anger gathered behind his clenched teeth, yet he made perfectly sure his contempt
did not show.
The search ended when one of the dark coated men handed 1500 Neopoints to
Alfreido, which he stuffed into his breastpocket. “I’lla be seeing youa in 2
weeks for anothera collection. Ita had better bea more next timea.”
Bolanski quickly shut the door after them. His back pressed against the unscathed
wall, as he grunted several times at the destructon of his lounge.
“Stupid Laptop… how dare you tempt me!” He muttered bitterly. Yet now, the
Krawk was in a barrelful of trouble. He’d worry about a tidy house later. He
was struck with a sudden idea, and this time, he’d get quite a lot of money
from it.
To be continued... | 
