The Tenth Justice - Brad Meltzer [2]
Ben slowly nodded his head. He was mesmerized.
Hughes paused, carefully adjusting his glasses. “You are now charged with great responsibility. You must exercise it wisely. With that said, I know you’ll take this commitment extremely seriously. If you have the right attitude, our clerkship program can change your life. Now, are there any questions?”
Not a single hand went up.
“Fine,” Hughes said. “Then we can get you to your offices.” As he distributed the envelopes, he explained, “Take the one with your name on it and pass the rest on. The envelopes contain your security card and your Court password. The card will let you into any Court entrance, while the password will get you on to your computer. Your secretary will show you how to log on. Any questions?” Again, not a single hand. “Good,” Hughes said. “Then feel free to go to your office. The number is written on the front of the envelope.” As the room emptied, Hughes called out, “If you have any questions, feel free to call me.”
Ben headed for his office, the only one on the second floor. He had met Justice Hollis’s former clerks there during his interview last year. Weaving his way back through the Great Hall, he raced toward the elevator. The elevator operator was an elderly woman with dyed, jet-black hair. Wearing a Court uniform that was too tight for her large frame, she worked a jigsaw puzzle on a small table outside the elevator.
“Second floor, please,” Ben said. When the woman didn’t respond, he added, “Ma’am, I’m trying to get upstairs. Can you please help—”
“Don’t get in an uproar,” she drawled, without looking up. “I’ll be right with you.” After finding a place for the puzzle piece in her hand, she finally looked up at Ben. “Okay, now, who’re you here to see?”
“I’m clerking for Justice Hollis. I’m Ben Addison,” he said, extending his hand.
“I don’t care who you are, just tell me what floor you want to go to,” she said as she walked into the elevator.
“Second,” Ben said, dryly.
The second floor hallway was all marble, with red and gold carpet, but Ben barely noticed it. He was too busy looking for the room number that was written on his envelope. “Nice to see you, Justice Hollis,” he said to himself. “Hi, Justice Hollis, nice to see you. How’s everything, Justice Hollis? Nice robe, Justice Hollis—it fits great. Can I kiss your butt some more, Justice Hollis?” Finally, he saw room 2143. Outside the intricately carved mahogany doors, Ben wiped his hand on his pants hoping for a dry handshake. He grabbed the brass knob, opened the door, and stepped inside.
“I guess you’re Ben.” A woman in her late twenties peered over the newspaper she was reading. “Sorry you wasted the nice suit on me.” Dressed in khaki shorts and a forest-green T-shirt, the woman tossed aside the paper and approached Ben, extending her hand. “Nice to meet you. I’m Lisa, your co-clerk for the year. I hope we don’t hate each other, because we’re going to be spending quite a bit of time together.”
“Is the justice—”
“Let me show you our office,” Lisa interrupted, pulling him into the room. “This is just the reception area. Nancy’s out today, but she usually sits here. She’s Hollis’s secretary.”
Lisa was petite with an athletic build, compact but elegant. A tiny nose balanced out thin lips and blue eyes. Lisa opened the door to a smaller room. “Here’s our office. Pretty crappy, huh?”
“Unbelievable,” Ben said, standing in the doorway. The office wasn’t large, and it was sparsely