An Enquiry

 (Translated from the original Czech.)

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style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt">The Copy turned up in my in-tray on
Tuesday afternoon, pinned with a note, on which was scrawled 'pls find
original', in barely legible script, and initialled by what could have
been AA, or AD, maybe HA.

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style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt">I gave the initials some
consideration. 
Although I did not know all of the most senior positions,
I could not remember having encountered any of those initials
previously. 
Neither did I recall the initials belonging to a member of
the accountancy staff - whom generate so many of the enquiries that I
handle.  I knew
with certainty that the initials did not indicate one of my more
intimate colleagues - by which I mean the men and women who work in my
room, and the rooms either side.  (Although frivolous conversation is not
encouraged, it is tolerated and, when one has so many years loyal
service, it is not surprising that one becomes familiar with these
people.)

 

style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt">I was uncertain as to the source of the
enquiry then, but this is not, in all truth, such an uncommon
occurrence, and it has little impact on the methods or results of my
actions.  I
removed the pin, placed the note to one side, and examined the
Copy.

 

style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt">The bulbs of the photocopiers in some of
our more remote branches have become dimmed from years of continual
usage, which produces an effect that is, while not unpleasant to the
eye, degrading to the typeface used.  The document appeared to be the product of
several of these reproductions.  It may have been transmitted by facsimile
machine at some point, as the definition around the letters was
jagged.

The total of these operations was to render the text of the
document, including the emboldened title, completely
unreadable.

 

style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt">A lesser clerk may have placed the
document down, pinned the note back to it, and stamped 'UNOBTAINABLE'
across it. 
(Some might say, the less responsible clerk may have added
the document, note, and pin to their secured-waste pile.) style="mso-spacerun: yes">  However, the Copy had
been well directed, to a clerk who relished a challenge.

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style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt">I smoothed the document across my
blotter, noting each fold, each tear.  From this I deduced that the document had
been stapled to other papers and then removed with some haste. style="mso-spacerun: yes">  It had also been
folded in three, indicating that it been posted, not in a large format
business envelope, but in the smaller size that we use for smaller
business clients and personal customers.

class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt">When the document was
flat, I could see gentle waves of grey across its surface, indicating
that the document, or rather, one of the document's forefather had been
crumpled, and presumably smoothed out again. style="mso-spacerun: yes">  There were other marks
under the surface, a half thumb print, a tear a third of the way down,
a scratch of writing here and there, but they were all archaeology,
utterly useless until I dug down to the generation in which the
mutation occurred.

 

style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt">Satisfied with a productive afternoon's
work, I locked my drawer, switched off my lamp, said a goodnight to my
colleagues, and strode into the cold night.

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