By me, with fine art by Sam Messerly.
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As I didn’t pipe up anything right away, Warbell nodded and said, “You may get dressed and ready for your day. We have some time. I would appreciate the opportunity to talk over my list when you have finished your breakfast.”
With that, Warbell turned back to the tree and tore off several more leaves with his lips, then gummed them awkwardly for a few minutes before trying to swallow them. This was followed by violent coughing as the dumb lizard choked on the leaves, but he straightened up again after regaining his composure and then ripped several more leaves off the tree.
I went back inside and shut the door, and I was thinking hard as I went through my morning ablutions. I found I had little appetite for breakfast, so as I chewed on a lone piece of toast, I made a few phone calls and printed out a few documents from my computer. I then folded up the collected pages, straightened out my shirt, checked my hair one last time, and stepped outside again.
Warbell was still standing next to the tree. A morning jogger was busy taking a selfie with him, for which Warbell gave a close-mouthed smile. I walked over to Warbell, shooing away the jogger with my eyes. The man made a rude gesture towards me and took off.
“Warbell,” I said. “I really don’t know what kind of a job a tyrannosaurus rex can do in this town. But there are a few things you should know about job hunting in the United States. Number one, and this is just a basic one: It helps to have a nice smile. I don’t know if you can, but if you are able, it’s a good idea to put your teeth back in. The, err, plant-eating teeth.”
I was looking down as I spoke, though I sensed a change in Warbell’s posture as he stood beside me.
“Also,” I continued. “Usually for most jobs you need to have some kind of resume. I printed out mine so you could take a look at it. I have it here. A resume lists any previous jobs you have had, or other experiences or education or certificates that would make you qualified for the kinds of jobs you are interested in. If you, I don’t know, have some job experiences in the dinosaur world from which you came, it would be a good idea to write them in a resume format for your job search. It’s a little difficult to explain all the things that go into a resume, and I don’t have time to give you guidance in that this morning, but I called in to city hall and asked them to send someone over to help you put something together.”
I took a breath.
“Really, it also helps to wear a nice shirt and a tie, too, but I don’t think we have any in your size,” I said, and looked up.
Warbell was looking down at me, and his teeth were back, shining in the early morning sun.
“It’s easier to talk with teeth,” he said.
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