King of Wands

In The Mountains—DAY

We are working on a transmission line In The Mountains when I am stopped by a Park Ranger. He tells me that the current re-route will dip the line across into park land for a jot. I don’t know what sort of permits and protocol that will call for but we are on the way back to the field office anyway so we have a little time to sort this out.

The Ranger offers me a phone in the station. As the Boss has insisted I report anything out of normal to her immediately, I call her up. When I begin to explain the situation, she yells immediately.

“Why didn’t you tell me about this?”

“I am. It just happened,” I retort.

“Well, what are you going to do about it?”

“Hold off. Tell you and let you decide what to do, just as you asked me to do. You are the Director of Logistics, after all.”

“Then you should have told me about it immediately.”

The argument goes on like that until boiling I finally say. “Listen, I don’t have to put up with this. I quit.”

I slam the phone down. I thank the Ranger and head out the door to my assembled crew who are sitting around a pinic table waiting for the Boss’ plan of action.

The Ranger follows me out, grabs me and says the Boss has called back and to reconsider. She offers a promotion and a raise, if I stay and come up with a solution for the right-of-way dispute with the park service. I agree and go and return to the crew.

I sit at the head of the picnic table they are gathered around.

“Okay, what I am leading a meeting on?” I joke.

“We are working on getting this utility line project around or through the park service land.” Mary offers earnestly.

“Sounds like a grand adventure,” I say. Let’s plow ahead. Muster the troops, and let’s go underground, I guess. That is, I will tell the client to directional drill this bit. We’ll go under park land. All this needs is motivation.”