The Tales of Saint Anthony, The First Day

Sam Olson, Editor at The Star

It was late in the morning when Sam Olson turned his thoughts to his protégé, Johnny Holiday. He sat at his desk, looking out the window from his office at The Star, overlooking downtown Saint Anthony, with his view of city and its copper spires, tall and green and patinated copper-spires.

Sam was wondering how Johnny had gotten along with Colonel Forrester.

He was worried.

He looked at his watch and figured that the interview would be over by now; he wondered what kind of arrangements the Colonel had made for Johhny, and what kind of a deal Johnny had struck for himself.

Doing work for the Colonel could be lucrative, Sam knew it from experience. He also knew that refusing the old man could be dangerous, even deadly. So, in his heart he wondered if he should have tried harder to steer Johnny away from the old man.

Colonel Forrester was a relic, he played by an inscrutable set of rules, he had perilous interests and surrounded himself with dangerous men.

Sam was fond of Johnny, he had known him for the better part of the boy's life, watched him grow up at The Star, learning every job there was to do in the newsroom, in sales and in production.

He had told Johnny that he recommended him to Colonel Forrester for a writing assignment that called for first class prose.

That was his hook, along with the promise of and the young man bit.

The promise of being paid and earning extra was also persuasive.

Johnny wrote beautifully, of that there was no doubt, but Sam knew a half-dozen more experienced writers he would have preferred to recommend to the Colonel, that is...if the only qualification for the job was beautiful prose.

The Colonel called him, he said he wanted a recommendation, but then he asked for Johnny by name. All he really wanted from Sam's was assessment of qualities and the skills he possessed that would recommend him for a position with Forrester estate.

Sam understood that what the Colonel was actually doing, was inquiring of Sam if there was some reason that he should not offer Johnny the assignment.

Sam told him Johnny was a good kid, solid and trustworthy...streetwise and tough.

The Colonel informed Sam that he would appreciate it if Johnny came to the mansion for an interview. Without saying so, the old man informed Sam that he would expect him to encourage the lad, to clear the way for Johnny to accept the offer...to ensure it...in effect.

The Colonel's motives were labyrinthine, his manipulations of events in Saint Anthony turned like wheels within wheels; Sam had come to know this, every good newspaper man had.

Now they shared a secret about Johnny Holiday, and Sam knew that his friendship with the guy he had looked after for years...like a kid brother or a son, had now become corrupted.

The Colonel had corrupted his friendship.

Sam stared out the window watching the black clouds approach, telling himself that no harm would come from recommending Johnny to the Colonel, he set aside all future questions he might have for himself, and turned his thoughts to what Johnny's assignment entailed.

He sipped his coffee and turned his back on the city, digging into the stack of paper pilling up on his desk.

He had work to do, he had stories to read.

Johnny would be okay. Sam told himself. The Colonel probably just wants the handsome kid to date one of his daughters. He might be in for some harmless fun with a leading debutant, and or the unlucky-in-love, twice married, once divorced, older daughter whose husband had recently left her.

Harmless fun.

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