The Apostate Read Online Free PDF Page B

day, but who knew what residual damage he might be claiming.
    Then, very foolishly as it turned out, he made the mistake of bringing up the subject of his literary encounter. Since Gloria taught kids around the age Rafe’s book was intended for, he thought her opinion would back him up for the inevitable reckoning with Benson. Rafe had no doubt already blasted him to his boss.
    â€œDo you have the authority to make him rewrite the book?” Gloria asked. She had short-cut auburn hair and a slightly angular face with inquisitive blue eyes and porcelain-like skin. She wore a light lipstick and no earrings, but a striking Navajo-like silver pendant hung from her pale neck. Her breasts jutted subtly against her mauve blouse.
    â€œNot really,” Ray admitted. “I can just make suggestions.”
    â€œYou were kind of rough on him, weren’t you?”
    Ray did a double take. Whose side was Gloria on? “I don’t think so. It was my job to offer comments, pro and con. Besides he had a snotty manner.”
    Gloria nodded, showing more sympathy. “I’m sorry it didn’t go well.”
    Ray felt challenged. Despite a feeling it would be better to let the matter go, he plunged on. “Do you think I was right that he should be more historically accurate? While still writing to the children’s reading level.”
    Gloria hesitated a moment. “Well, I’d really have to read his manuscript to be able to say,” she hedged. “It isn’t for high school, let alone college students.”
    This wasn’t what Ray wanted to hear, and he couldn’t help frowning. Gloria was quick to note his displeasure.
    â€œBut the book shouldn’t have any blatant misinformation,” she said. “I’m certainly careful about this in the classroom, and our curriculum is really well balanced.”
    Ray wished he could carry this well-balanced curriculum into Benson’s office. It might help support his argument about Rafe’s unbalanced book.
    â€œWhat did your boss have to say?” Gloria asked.
    â€œNothing so far, but I’m sure to hear about it, probably tomorrow.”
    â€œHave you organized your defense?” Gloria asked with a smile that showed her perfect white teeth. Her manner wasn’t unsympathetic, but Ray sensed she was being critical of him and he felt a rising umbrage.
    â€œWhat defense?”
    â€œI don’t know about the editorial merits, but when you say that he was snotty. Well, how will that go over with your superior?”
    Superior! Ray hated that word. He especially hated hearing it come from a date. Gloria didn’t know him. They had just met really. She was certainly assertive. Probably a carryover from being bossy in the classroom.
    â€œI don’t know. I’ll let you know.”
    Gloria pouted and gave him an irritated glance. They moved on to other more felicitous subjects, but Ray could see Gloria was just enduring the rest of their time together. When they reached her building, she said simply, “Thank you for dinner.”
    No invitation came to come upstairs for coffee, not that Ray expected one. Still, her dismissive manner rankled.
    â€œMy pleasure,” he said with sarcasm. Gloria’s eyes flashed with anger, but she didn’t say anything. She turned to ascend a few steps and vanished into her building without a parting glance. For a long moment Ray stood like a statue, still trying to comprehend what had gone so wrong and so fast.
    Nothing was going right in his life. He was stymied at work, striking out socially, a person of interest to the authorities, and a candidate for jail time. Bad news all around. Now he had to decide whether to switch religions and actually put his life, and his soul if he had one, at risk. His life was all fouled up in general. Maybe he shouldn’t dismiss Perkin’s offer so quickly. He needed some jolt to his life.
    How would it work out with