Day thirteen: The world and its axis

As storm clouds gathered in Barry’s office, momentous events were unfolding worldwide.

At 6.30pm local time Sandeep Chowdhury was making his way home by train to Shimla in the foothills of the Himalayas. For the first time that day he was able to catch up with the news and he unfolded his copy of The Times of India. As he did so the CTT&Co advertisement caught his eye with its offer of glittering opportunities for qualified accountants with an English firm opening in India. “Goodness me”, Sandeep muttered. He knew it was no later than 2pm in England. His curiosity aroused, he checked the contact details and opened his mobile.

At that same moment, in a train clattering from Aylesbury to Marylebone, Harriet Jakes headed for a long weekend break. A partner in CTT&Co, Harriet scanned the back page of a certain accountancy rag for gossip. Rumours she read there about the Far East, an English firm and an unnamed individual brought her up short. “Goodness me”, she muttered, and reached for her mobile, intending to contact other partners, though not Jeffery Drum initially.

Like Sandeep and Harriet, Erin Abacus had been busy since morning. However, after lunch, as Clarice played contentedly with Barry’s laptop, Erin finally turned to the morning’s post. She had only one letter, on quality paper in an envelope marked with a handsome logo. Clearly delighted by what she read, Erin reached for her mobile but paused as she glanced again at a separate note she had picked up in town. This time it was less clear what her feelings were. “Goodness me”, she muttered, and was uncharacteristically in two minds about using her phone.

Clarice Abacus, meanwhile, tired of the bright colours in games and began instead to explore Barry’s documents. As the tot’s tiny fingers raced around the mouse and keyboard, the printer whirred into action. Then, shifting her attention to the trees in the garden, she abandoned IT and focused on nature.

Erin Abacus, at first tut-tutting about wasted paper, gathered the print-outs. She was about to add them to the pile of re-usable sheets printed on one side only, when she froze. “Goodness me”, she muttered, realising she was looking at figures for Charlie Tams’ burger van empire. “Well, well, well”, she whispered as she read the CV submitted by Silas Horne when he had originally applied for his job at CTT&Co.

Next week, the web tightens…