A Wizard of the White Council Read Online Free PDF Page B

in jeans and a flannel shirt entered ten minutes later. He walked around the counter, looked at the computer terminal, and grunted. “Problem?” 
    “Yeah,” said Suzie. “Her record’s not coming up in the database software.”
    The IT guy grunted again. “You sure the monitor’s on?”
    Suzie rolled her eyes. “Yes, I’m sure the monitor’s on.” 
    “Okay. You typed the name correctly? It looks kind of complicated.” 
    Suzie glared at him. “I typed the name right, okay? There’s something wrong with the computer.”
    The IT guy grunted. “All right. Let me look at this.” He typed for a few minutes, grunting to himself. “Here we are.” He squinted over his thick glasses. “Ally Wester?”
    “Yes,” said Suzie, sighing in irritation. “The name on the form.”
    The IT guy emitted yet another grunt. “Here we go. Someone deleted her records.” 
    “What?” said Ally. “Why would someone delete my records?”
    The IT guy muttered something. “Let’s see who performed the deletion before I restore the records from the backup.” He tapped a few keys. “Ah…um…this is interesting.”
    “Interesting?” said Ally, craning her neck to see the screen. “Why is it interesting?”
    “Unauthorized network access at three AM Saturday morning,” said the IT guy. He scratched at his flannel collar. “That’s…um…not good.”
    “So someone hacked into the network Saturday morning to get at my records?” said Ally.
    The IT guy shrugged. “To delete them, I guess.” 
    “Why?” said Ally. “That doesn’t make any sense.”
    “How should I know?” said the tech man, still typing. “Do I look like Sherlock Holmes?”
    “No,” said Suzie, rolling her eyes. “You really don’t.” 
    “It’s weird, though,” said the IT guy. “Hackers usually try to get at the financial stuff, or professors’ hard drives for test answers. No one ever tries to delete their records.” He gave Ally the evil eye. “Unless you wanted to delete some test scores or something.”
    Ally rolled her eyes. “Oh, yeah, sure, that’s it. I hacked into the network to delete my test scores. That’d be quite a trick, because I’ve only been here a week and haven’t taken any tests yet!” The IT guy swallowed and glanced at the monitor. “Uh…your records do confirm that you’ve been here for only a week. So I guess you’re cleared of suspicion.”
    Ally scowled. “Yes, the records must be correct, because they’re so secure, right?” 
    “Um.” The IT guy licked his lips. “Um…I’ll head back to the office, let the network guy know about this.” He beat a hasty retreat out of the registrar’s office. 
    “What an ass,” said the Suzie. “Tech guys and music guys. They’re all asses.” 
    “Sure,” said Ally. “Could you process my form now?” 
    Suzie nodded and began typing. “It should work now…there we go. You’ve officially dropped Music Appreciation.” 
    Ally smiled. “Thank God.” 
    Suzie put the drop form into a metal basket. “We might have to call you later. I think having your records intentionally erased is a federal offense.” She shrugged. “The tech guys will probably pass it off as a system hiccup.” 
    Ally nodded. “Thank you.” She headed out of the office, looked at her watch, and groaned. 
    So much for lunch. 

    ###

    Ally took a deep breath, smelling the coffee and the bagels. 
    Rows of booths lined the coffeehouse’s walls, while tables stood strewn about the floor. A long bar ran the length of one wall, covered with an impressing array of gleaming coffee-producing machinery. Students sat at the booths and tables, books, notebooks, and papers spread out before them. Dozens typed on laptops. 
    Ally had never seen so many berets, goatees, and pink-striped hairdos in one place. 
    She made for the cash register. A bearded student in a black polo shirt ran the register, multiple earrings glimmering in his ears and lips. Ally shuddered. She