Branded - Eric Walters [15]
“She doesn’t expect me to care or come up with an answer, so she’s only mildly annoyed with me. But you? She thinks you might be able to come up with a solution. You’ve set the bar too high. That’s why she’s mad at you.”
That did make sense.
“Well, that and the fact that she’s still interested in dating you someday,” Oswald added.
“And why do you think that?”
He tapped the side of his head. “Great intelligence combined with a keen sense of the human condition.”
“Yeah, right.”
“Don’t believe me. You wouldn’t be the first person to doubt greatness. Do you know how many people thought Galileo was crazy, but he showed them when he discovered gravity.”
“Galileo didn’t discover gravity. That was Newton. Galileo discovered that the planets circle the sun.”
“And what do you think holds them up there, fishing wire?”
“Thanks for the lesson on the universe. I better go and get fitted.”
Oswald followed me into the gym. There was rack after rack of jackets. I looked through them for one that was my size. The material was stiff and coarse to the touch. Oswald said his jacket softened with wear.
I looked at the size. It was large—my size. The tag listed the material blend and washing instructions. The whole jacket could just go in the washing machine. On the inside pocket was a symbol. Strange— that symbol looked very familiar to me. I wondered if I’d seen it on Oswald’s jacket, or maybe I owned something made by them or…No, that wasn’t it. I remembered. But that couldn’t be right…could it?
chapter ten
“Do you see this label?” I asked Oswald, as I held the jacket directly in front of his face.
“Be a little hard to miss,” he said as he pushed it aside.
“But do you know what it means?” I asked.
“Like I said before, it’s a polyester blend, machine washable, and—”
“No, no, the symbol. That is the name of the company.”
“Why would they use a symbol instead of a name?” Oswald asked.
“Partially so they don’t have to use translations or different types of writing in other countries, but I think mainly so people won’t know who they are. It’s to confuse people.”
“Well, it’s working. I’m confused. But why wouldn’t they want people to know the name of the company? Do they make bad stuff?”
“Because then people will know that they were made by a company that…wait…we need to check the others to see if they’re all made by the same company. Maybe it just some of them.” I tossed the jacket onto a pile of other clothes.
I started sorting through the jackets. I grabbed one from the hanger and threw it open to reveal the label. There was the symbol. I tossed it onto the table. I grabbed the next—there it was again—and threw it aside. The next and the next…all had that innocent-looking symbol. Maybe it was just the jackets.
“The sweaters all have it too,” Oswald said.
I went over to the next table and started looking at the items there—they were skirts. I opened up a skirt—that was a new experience— and searched for the label. There it was again. I threw it aside to check a second and then a third, and each had the same label.
“Excuse me!” a woman called out. “I don’t think those skirts are for you!”
I threw the skirt onto the pile.
“And there is no need for you to make a mess here!” she scolded.
“Sorry…I’m really sorry.”
I turned away and went over to the table that was piled high with pants. Each and every one was labeled the same.
I grabbed Oswald by the jacket. “Come with me. I have to find Mr. Roberts and tell him about this.”
“I think he knows about the uniforms being here and the fittings taking place. He’s quick that way,” Oswald said.
“Not that. I have to tell him about the manufacturer. I have to show him the label and…wait…no…I have to show him information about the label. We have to go to the resource center.”
“I’m not allowed there,” Oswald said.
“What?”
“A minor misunderstanding about missing books and fines that haven’t been paid. And even more unbelievable, something about how I made too much noise. Let’s go to the computer lab instead.”
“Wherever. As long as there’s a computer and Internet access, I’m