Deadline

3.20pm

"Welcome to [newspaper], this is Ally!"
"Is this who I talk to to put Property ads in the paper for tomorrow?"
"Yes it is, but unfortunately the deadline for tomorrow's paper was at 1 o'clock this afternoon."
"Oh. Well, we can still do a couple of ads, right? It's really urgent."
"Actually you can't, I'm afraid - the deadlines are very strict, and close off right on one."
"But it's urgent!"
"I'm sorry, they're too late for tomorrow. I can do them for next week if you-"
"No! This is really urgent! We have to find a property!"
"Look, I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do. The paper is being printed."
Pause.
"OK, what about the other sections then, if you can't get it in to Property?"
"Property ads can only go in the Property section."
"Why?"
"Because...because that's the section they go in."
"What sections are still open for tomorrow?"
"Births and Deaths."
"What?"
"Births. And Deaths."
"Can my ads-"
"NO."

Pause.

"Are you sure you can't do anything?"
"Yes, I'm sure. There is absolutely nothing I can do."
"They're really small ads, you should be able to put them in somewhere."
"Listen. In order to run these ads, I would have to hold up the entire paper. I would have to stop it being printed. It would cost about twenty thousand dollars.*"

Pause.

"So the ads can't go in tomorrow?"
"..."


*Probably.