913. He needed a job. He called a temp agency to schedule a proofreading test. He'd been proofreading on and off for forty years. The agency test, in a building near Columbus Circle, took two hours. He walked out feeling good. He'd heard it was a tough test, but it didn't seem hard at all. It even crossed his mind that he might've aced it. A day later he got an email from the agency. He opened it and saw his score. He almost had a heart attack. He almost had a stroke. He almost passed out and collapsed to the floor. He almost went blind, deaf, and dumb. He had almost passed the test. Sixty‐four percent?!, he said to himself. Sixty‐four percent?!, he repeated. Sixty‐four percent?! He called the agency rep, who said, "Relax. You're far from the first to fail. Besides, you can keep retaking it until you pass!" 2.9