Miracle? Miracle wind? Oh, whatever.
an excerpt

It was a dark and stormy night in the best of times… it was a bright and sunny day in the worst of times.

Elizabeth read that first line and was done with the book. She threw it down on the nightstand, missing it in her disgust. I’ve just had surgery, she thought bitterly. Can’t I at least have a good book to read, at the same time? M-1 has truly failed on this one. “M-1!” she yelled, voice hoarse from lying down too long

“Yes, ma’am?” M-1 answered immediately, coming from the hallway. “What can I do for you?”

“This book stinks. I can hardly believe you brought it into this house, much less here for me to read. What were you thinking?”

“Ma’am?” M-1 faltered, her face turning red. “I’m sorry you didn’t like it, ma’am. I’ll go to get another book, if you’d like. Or there are others, there, too. Did you look at one of the other books? Maybe there’s another one you’d like.”

“I would like,” Elizabeth cut through the younger woman’s explaining with acid in her voice, “to have a competent assistant. Part of your job, young lady, is to anticipate what will satisfy my needs. In this regard, you have utterly failed. Leave me now.”

“Yes ma’am…” M-1’s voice was very small, and her face very flushed as she left the room in a very big hurry.

A few minutes later, Ruth came storming down the same hallway.

“Elizabeth, why do you have to be such a spiteful old woman?” Ruth came in the room without preamble, her loud footsteps on the floor being all the introduction she needed… and all the warning Elizabeth needed to know who was coming. “That poor girl went out and found books for you -- books, when she’s never seen you read for pleasure before. Do you even like to read?”

“Get out, Ruth,” Elizabeth muttered. Though full of venom, her voice was without real force, because both women knew who was stronger, at the moment.