Chapter Four: Ray E. Deku
Ray E. Deku, president of the Kokiri Foresting Industry, sat with his feet propped up on a pile of books that stood erected on his desktop. In his lap lay a half-eaten Hershey's Chocolate Bar and in his hand was a very large black coffee mug from which he sipped slowly. He awaited the arrival of the new employee patiently.
And I thought this one would be different, Ray thought to himself, how clearly the resume was worked out... but no, of course on... he's just the same as all the rest. Tardy and unprepared.
"Mr. Deku," the microphone on his incom buzzed loudly, "someone is here to see you..."
He picked up the speaker. "Great," he spoke into it, "send him down immediately."
"Very well."
After waiting another three minutes passed and Ray had started to resume work on his Hershey's bar when there came a knock on the door to his office. He yanked open the top drawer to his desk and shoved the remaining bits of candy in with its contents, hastingly sweeping off any visible crumbs left on top of his papers. "Come in," he grumbled, gulping down the last bit of chocolate.
A blonde-haired teenager in a scruffy suit stepped through the threshold.
"Ah, yes... our newest employee has arrived..." stammered Ray, taken aback; for he had imagined a much more mature individual from what he'd seen on the resume. "Why don't you have a seat and we'll discuss how things work around here."
"Hey! Listen!"
What in the-- that couldn't possibly be the boy speaking, could it?
"Excuse me--" the boy said, reaching into his pocket. "Just one moment, please."
"Watch out!"
Then Ray thought he heard the boy pull a cell-phone out of his pocket and... whisper to it to shut up before grinning forcedly in his direction.
Ray simply stared onward at the door on the other side of the room, wondering if he had made the right decision in hiring this childish figure.
"Hello?" the boy said into the phone's mouthpiece.
There was a rather short pause before he shouted, "LEAVE ME THE HELL ALONE, WILL YOU? I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT! Is this man the 'Great Deku Tree?' Well guess what? His last name's DEKU, but he's NOT a TREE!! I would advise you not to dial this number again, do you hear me?" And he hung up the phone with a flourish.
Seeing Ray's very afraid and shocked expression, the boy grinned again and told him, "prank caller," as if that put an end to the matter. He then shoved the phone back into his pocket and sat down at the opposite end of the desk.
Ray instantly snapped back into focus. "Yes, well, if we are finally done with all that nonense, let me explain to you what your first assigment will be."
"Uh-huh?"
"You will log onto the computer third from the right as you walk in on this floor using this password," he told the lad, scribbling the needed information on a small torn bit of paper. "Then I would like you to use -- you are familiar with that, aren't you? -- to research the Achaearanea Tepidariorum. You will print the results and send them up to me in this very office. It's as simple as that!"
"The common house spider...?"
'Yes, that's it. Now, hurry along. We don't want this little errand to take all day, for we have much more important jobs to take care of in the near future."
"...huh?"
"Fly, Link, Fly; for the fate of the forest -- nay, of the world -- depends upon thee."
"What are you talking about...?"
"GO!" Ray shouted, pressing the paper with the scribbled information written on it into Link's hand and shoving him towards the door.
"But- Mr. Deku, I'm not- quite sure what you meen by--"
The door slammed shut.
"And good riddance..." Ray sighed, glad to be rid of him.
(AUTHOR's NOTE:)
Sheesh! Four chapters and link hasn't even left the forest. Well, that's for next chapter. Srry it took me a little longer to update, I was on vacation for the weekend in Algonquin Park.
