>>5212907As the cart rolls to a stop outside your cell, you get a better look at the inmate pushing it.
Lanky white guy, blonde hair, and glasses. Seems to have a kind of nervous energy to him.
> “Well, what’ve you got?”If you’re stuck in this place for a while, there’s no harm in sharpening your mind a bit.
You don’t get an audible answer. Instead, a couple sheets of paper and a nub of a pencil are slipped under your door. Turns out that they’re a list of available books and some basic ground rules.
Looks like they’re pretty lenient about the number of books they’re willing to loan out. Guess they figure that it’s a slim tradeoff to keep the more bookish inmates from chewing at the walls.
And they’re not wrong. Time in the clink has a way of sticking in your craw if you let it. The best way to keep grounded and avoid letting confinement get to you is to keep your mind busy with something.
Of course, you’re 110% certain that whatever you choose is definitely going to be monitored, so no asking for the Anarchist Cookbook or anything equally fun.
Instead, you pick out some books on philosophy and ancient history, as well as some basic medical texts.
After you pass the sheets back under the door, you take a bit of a risk.
> “Hey, before you go! Name’s Defcon, what’s yours?”“Mouse.” He answers in a quiet, reedy voice.
> “Nice to meet you, Mouse. I was wondering if you could do me a slight favor. I took a couple bad knocks pretty recently, and I’m not really able to work out. To keep myself from going nuts in here, I was wondering if you’d loan me some extra books.”“Sorry, but I can’t. That’d put my job at risk.” He says half-apologetically.
> “I get it, don’t want to get you in trouble or nothing. But I’d make it worth your while. Been on any missions yet?”He shakes his head.
> “Well, then I’ll make you a deal. You do me this solid, and I’ll show you some tricks out in the yard. Nothing earth-shaking, but they might just save your life in a real fight. Deal?”You slowly stick your hand out through the slot in the door, to avoid spooking him away. Guy’s obviously a bit skittish, and it’s hard to blame him.
There’s a brief moment of silence, before he gives you a surprisngly strong handshake.
“Deal. I’ll fill out a bogus sheet for one of the guys that never gets anything from the cart and pass it off to you. What are you looking for?”
> “Got any decent mysteries, or crime novels?”“Plenty. Be seeing you soon.”
> “Likewise.” 