| A Fresh Perspective by
Kristine Williams
A
Short
Jim rolled over and became aware of sounds below him. The same
sounds he'd fallen asleep to hours ago. One glance at the clock showed him Blair
had been at that computer for 9 hours straight, trying to solve that problem.
It would be sunrise soon, another hour or so, and the start of a much-needed
day off. He didn't want that day spent with his partner still fussing over that
program. Or worse yet, sound asleep. With a heavy sigh, Jim tossed the blankets
off and swung both legs out from under the covers. The wood floor was cool on
his bare feet, but the loft remained warm enough now in early spring to allow
walking around in boxers. Padding down the stairs, he found Blair still at
the kitchen table, staring at the glow of his laptop. An empty cup sat beside
his computer, with the remains of two pears stuffed inside. At least he'd been
eating. "Sandburg, you're not still at this are you?" Jim rubbed
his face, knowing full well Blair wasn't willing to end his quest until he'd solved
the problem. "Jim, I can't find it." With a tired sigh, Blair shook
his head. He looked up at his friend with bloodshot eyes. "I've looked everywhere,
man. I've backtracked every step since last week, gone over everything I've done
up until now, and I can't find it." "Why don't you just give up for
now? It'll be there when you come back." Jim rested a hand on his partner's
shoulder, giving a small massage. "Did you save all your work up until this
point?" "Yeah, I did. I'm not dumb enough to make that mistake again."
After last month's all nighter, he would hope not. "Come on, Chief, it's
not going anywhere. Get some rest." "I can't, Jim." Blair shook
his head, but leaned back on the chair and into the hand rubbing his shoulder.
"I've been at this too long to give up now. The answer is there, somewhere.
I just can't find it." Jim began to massage both of Blair's shoulders,
feeling him relax into the touch. "Listen, why don't you let me have a look,
huh? Maybe it just needs a fresh perspective?" "I dunno, man. I'm
beginning to think it just isn't there." "It has to be there, Chief.
These things don't just vanish and leave no trace. We'll find it." He gave
Blair's shoulders a pat, then lifted him by the arms. His friend was so exhausted,
he gave little resistance to being led to the couch. "Come on. Just sit down
for a bit, and let me have a look. I promise I won't lose any information you
already have." He got Blair onto the couch, then gave his shoulder a slight
push down for emphasis. "Trust me, Chief." "I do, Jim. It's
just...I've been everywhere in there. I just can't find it." "I know."
Jim sat at the computer and turned the chair slightly so he could see Blair. "Sometimes
it just takes a fresh eye. If I can't find it, then maybe we should take a break
and try again tonight." Reluctantly, Blair nodded. And promptly fell asleep.
When he opened his eyes, sun was streaming in through the large
livingroom windows. There was a light blanket over his legs, and sounds coming
from the kitchen. Suddenly remembering the past few hours, Blair shot up and glanced
around. The computer was shut down, but still on the table with his notebook and
pen beside it. His coffee cup and pear cores were gone, and Jim was in the
kitchen wiping down a counter. "Jim?" "Hey, Chief."
"How long was I asleep?" He rubbed the vestiges of sleep from both
eyes with the back of a hand and got off the couch. "Just a couple of
hours. Long enough for me to fix that little problem of yours." Jim smiled,
nodding toward the computer. Stunned, Blair stopped in his tracks, halfway
to the kitchen. "What? Are you serious?" His friend nodded, tossing
the towel over drying dishes. "Where was it? How did you find it? Did you
get it saved?" This was unbelievable. Blair had spent nearly two days
trying figure that stupid program out, and Jim sat down for two hours, or less,
and got through it? "You were too tired, Chief, or else you would have
found it." Jim stepped over to the table and pulled out a chair, indicating
that Blair should sit down. "I saved everything before and after. If I show
you how I found it, can we leave this thing alone for the rest of the day?"
Blair immediately agreed. He'd become obsessed with the problem, unwilling
to stop until he figured it out. But in that time, he'd grown to hate the program
that was causing so many headaches. Jim flipped on the computer. "You'd
come so close a couple of times, Chief. I'm sure if you hadn't been so tired by
that point, you'd have found it yourself." "I backtracked every move
since yesterday so many times, I couldn't even see straight." The program
had fired up, and he watched with exhausted familiarity as the file was brought
up. "It's right here." Jim hit a few keys, bringing up Blair's last
saved file. "On this wall here, what looks like graffiti on the wall, held
the key." "But I looked there, a hundred times. I even got it all
deciphered." Blair shoved long hair from his face, trying to focus on the
markings without his glasses. "I know, but that's not the key." With
a hand on the keyboard, Jim pointed to the last character on the brick wall. "You
have to position yourself right here, directly in front of the last mark, and
press this one brick." He clicked the space bar. Blair watched, numb with
realization, as the panel moved aside. "The key was right in that secret
door." Jim moved forward and retrieved the key. "With that, you open
the gate of Havre and the scepter is right behind his throne." With ease,
Jim moved through the castle gate, up the stone stairway to the throne room Blair
had been so close to finding, and retrieved the scepter. "Now, you're
King." Blair shook his head. All that time, he'd been so close. "I
can't believe it." "Relax." Jim patted his shoulder, then saved
the file where it was. "Now, you can go on to the next level and wage war
on the Elwins." "No. No way, man." Blair shook his head and
sat back. "I've had enough of that game." Jim shrugged. "I don't
know, Chief. It's not too bad. Good graphics, nice realism. I like the emphasis
on strategy. Just don't stay up all night trying to end one level." Blair
laughed shortly and ran a hand over his face. "Yeah. Well, it does have network
play." "Listen," Jim slapped him on the back and shut down the
computer. "Let's forget this for the day and go down to the market for breakfast."
He stood and closed the laptop. "It's a beautiful day and we've got the
whole thing to ourselves." "Yeah, I could use some fresh air."
"And, if you're still awake when we get home, I just might take you on."
Blair found his shoes after a trip to the bathroom. "Yeah, that might
be interesting. We just need to load it on your computer." "On one
condition." Jim stopped Blair with a hand on his chest. Looking up at
his partner, Blair waited. "I go in as the Warrior." Blair nodded,
happily. "Oh sure, Jim. I'm better as the Wizard anyway." "Wizard?"
Jim opened the door and Blair walked out to the hall. "I thought that was
a Court Jester." End | 
