I realized I couldn’t allow myself to wallow in self-pity over my daughter’s possible move to another state. No good would come of it, and I had more than enough to do to keep up with the demands of the interim director job. I gave Diesel a last few strokes on his head, then informed him gently that I needed to get back to work.
He meowed once in seeming protest, but he climbed down from my lap and headed to the nearby closet where I had installed a litter box and food and drink bowls for him. I heard him lapping water as I turned my attention back to my desk and the work that awaited me.
My phone rang, and I picked up the handset. “Yes?”
Melba said, “I’ve got Lisa Krause on line one. She needs to speak with you for a minute.”
“Sure.” I punched the button. “Hi, Lisa. What’s up?”
“Charlie, I hate to do this, but I got an e-mail a few minutes ago from one of the out-of-state librarians who was going to be moderating one of the panel discussions. She’s had a family emergency and can’t come. Could you possibly take over for her? I can brief you on the panel and the participants later. It’s on Saturday morning.”
I had no desire to participate in a panel discussion, even as a moderator, but I could hear the tiredness and the frustration in Lisa’s voice.
“I’ll be happy to do it for you,” I said.
“Oh, that’s wonderful. I can’t tell you how relieved I am. The panel’s on cataloging in the academic library, so I think you’ll find it interesting. I can come by later this afternoon, if that’s convenient.”
“Sure. I’ll be in the office until five or five thirty.”
Lisa thanked me again, and I ended the call.
A panel on cataloging ought to be interesting, I thought. I delved among the papers on my desk to look at the details of the session. Saturday morning, Lisa had said. I flipped a couple of pages, and there it was. The title of the session was Cataloging for the Digital World: Absolute Necessity or Waste of Time?
I frowned. I didn’t care for the title. I considered cataloging still a vital part of the digital world. The discussion ought to prove lively, I figured. I wondered who might be arguing that it was a waste of time.
My gaze lighted on the list of participants. I dropped the schedule on my desk and closed my eyes. Gavin Fong was one of the panel members.
FIVE
Two afternoons later, I stood on the dais of the Farrington House ballroom with Lisa Krause waiting for Forrest Wyatt to arrive. The conference started in five minutes, and Forrest had a welcome speech to deliver. If he didn’t show, I imagined I would have to fill in, and I hadn’t prepared for such a situation. I had my two minutes and nothing more.
“I’m sure he’ll be here,” Lisa said in an undertone. “His administrative assistant assured me that she would let me know immediately if something came up and he couldn’t get here.”
“He’s cutting it too close for my comfort.” I shifted my weight from one leg to the other. My collar felt tight, and I fiddled with my tie. Should I loosen it before I had to speak? Or would I look sloppy if I did that?
I had a horror of appearing unkempt in front of a crowd like this, even in these days of increasing informality of dress no matter the occasion. My parents had been unfailingly particular in their dress for any kind of public event, and that habit was too ingrained for me to ignore it. So I stood on the dais in my best suit and tie, shoes freshly polished, and hair cut the day before. I knew I must look presentable because Lisa complimented me when I found her several minutes ago, waiting to mount the dais.
“Relax, Charlie, here he comes.” Lisa nodded toward the center aisle of chairs that occupied much of the ballroom floor.
Tall, thin, dark of hair, and tanned of skin, Forrest Wyatt looked every inch the successful executive he was. He had been at the helm of Athena College for nearly two years, and he seemed to have a magic touch with potential donors. The endowment was growing, and alumni and board alike were happy with his leadership.
He greeted Lisa and me with an affable smile. “I’m always worried I’ll forget at the last minute, right before I start talking, exactly who the audience is and give the wrong speech.” His eyes twinkled, and Lisa and I chuckled in response. He checked his watch and glanced at Lisa. She nodded, then stepped to the podium.
“Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.” Lisa paused to let her gaze sweep the room. “I am Lisa Krause, head of access services at the Athena College Library and chair of the local arrangements committee for this meeting. It is my great pleasure to introduce the president of the college, Dr. Forrest Wyatt, who is here to offer you an official greeting.” She briefly listed Forrest’s academic credentials and past experiences, then stepped aside.
Forrest moved to the podium. After thanking Lisa for the introduction, he faced the audience. “We at Athena College are delighted to welcome the Southern Academic Library Association Annual Conference back to Athena. Libraries are an integral part of any institution of higher learning, and over the next few days I know you will be discussing the exciting changes and trends in academic libraries.”
He continued in this vein for about five minutes more, and his talk evinced more knowledge of those exciting changes and trends in academic libraries than I realized he possessed. I hadn’t briefed him, and thus I was duly impressed by his comments.
His welcome complete, he said, “It is now my pleasure to introduce the interim director of the Athena College Library, Mr. Charles Harris. Mr. Harris has recently been guiding the library ably through a period of transition, and we are fortunate to have a man of his experience and knowledge serving in this capacity.”
I imagined that many in the audience were well aware of the events that led up to the period of transition, and, ever the diplomat, Forrest put the best spin possible on it.
Suddenly I realized Forrest had stepped back from the podium, and I stepped up to the microphone. “Thank you, President Wyatt, for those kind remarks. On behalf of the faculty and staff of the Athena College Library, I am delighted to welcome you all to the elegant, historical Farrington House. I know Ms. Krause and her committee have worked hard to make this a successful event. We have an exciting slate of presentations and panel discussions ahead of us, and I trust we will all come away from the conference energized by fresh ideas and new connections. We hope you will find time to visit our beautiful campus and the library.” I smiled and stepped away from the microphone.
I made it through the short speech without stumbling, even as I gazed out at the blur of faces, some two hundred twenty-odd of them. Lisa murmured, “Well done, Charlie,” and took my place at the microphone. She made a couple of announcements, and we were done.
Forrest made a speedy exit from the room. No doubt he had another meeting to attend. I would have to remember to thank him for the fine welcome he had extended to the conference.
I walked down the three steps from the podium to the ballroom floor and moved a couple of feet away. I needed to be back in the office by five to pick up Diesel. He stayed with Melba this afternoon while I came to the hotel to attend the opening of the conference. He protested when I left him, even though he loved Melba. I had to assure him a couple of times that I would be coming back for him before he stopped meowing and chirping indignantly.
“He’s got a sassy mouth on him.” Melba had grinned at me as I eased out of her office to head to the parking lot behind the building.
The drive back to campus would take all of seven or eight minutes, and I had plenty of time to look for Randi and Marisue before I needed to leave.