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Post by Jordanna on Jan 15, 2007 1:55:05 GMT -5
"Such as what?" Sham grumbled. "Our people have got plenty of fight--but they can't stand up to a guy like Tiernan."
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Post by skybright on Jan 15, 2007 1:58:41 GMT -5
"I'm not thinking about a fight." Daws replied, "Although I've got no doubt that you could give Tiernan one heck of one, if you really wanted to."
She shrugged one shoulder. "My thought is this -- it's a big city. And it might be best if your people -- at least the kids and the families -- were prepared to have some other place to be, if Tiernan doesn't buy the bluff."
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Post by Jordanna on Jan 15, 2007 2:14:53 GMT -5
"There is no other place to be!" protested a silver-skinned female Spook among the cluster of listeners. "Not for us. We'd be killed anywhere else!"
Sham scowled at Daws. "Look, this place may not be much, lady--but it's our home. It's the one thing we've got that is worth fighting for. Proteus would tell ya that himself."
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Post by skybright on Jan 15, 2007 2:25:15 GMT -5
Daws held out her hands. "I know he would. Look, I'm not tryin' to tell you what to do, or to start a fight. But you know as well as I do that if Tiernan decides to come down here and retaliate, it's not the fighters who're gonna get hurt."
She shrugged. "Maybe it's just one more thing we're gonna have to disagree with each other on -- but I sort of figured that 'home' would be as much about being alive and together as it would be about which piece of ground you're occupying."
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Post by Jordanna on Jan 15, 2007 22:53:55 GMT -5
Sham sighed, looking as if he was contemplating the prospect of explaining something to an obstinate preschooler.
"Look, lady. It ain't just sentimentality about this patch of dirt. We've been here so long that it's ours, and everybody knows it. But out there..." He made a vague sweep of his arms to take in the rest of the city. "There's not an inch of ground that isn't somebody else's turf. And if we try moving in on that..." Another gesture, this time with more finality.
"I hear the whole reason you've been sneaking around so much with this fight of yours is that you don't want to rile up the humans. Well, if we get into it with any of the human gangs that don't want mutant houseguests, it's gonna make anything you're worried about look like New Year's Eve in Times Square."
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Post by skybright on Jan 15, 2007 23:02:07 GMT -5
Daws sighed and shook her head. "Fair enough. There's no sense in us wasting breath arguin' over it -- especially since it doesn't do a thing to deal with the problem at hand."
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Post by Jordanna on Jan 15, 2007 23:17:44 GMT -5
Flash sighed and gave Daws a shrug. "Any other ideas?"
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Post by skybright on Jan 15, 2007 23:27:06 GMT -5
Daws frowned. "Not at present, no."
She shrugged and looked back at Sham. "I'll talk things over with Proteus and my people. It was our fight that got you all caught up in this -- I'm not gonna just leave you to deal with our problems."
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Post by Jordanna on Jan 15, 2007 23:33:51 GMT -5
"That's nice of you," Sham replied acerbically. He turned to the group of onlookers. "Come on. We've got our own talking to do."
With that, the Spooks moved off down the hovel-lined alley, effectively dismissing Daws, Flash, and their companions.
Flash shrugged. "That's what they call a lose-lose situation."
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Post by skybright on Jan 15, 2007 23:38:43 GMT -5
"Yeah, no kiddin'." Daws let out a frustrated sigh and buried her hands in the pockets of her coat.
"I honestly don't know what's gonna become of that bunch if Tiernan doesn't buy the switch."
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Post by Jordanna on Jan 15, 2007 23:54:26 GMT -5
A moment later, Sid's car pulled up alongside them, and he leaned out the window. "I take it from your smilin' faces that things didn't go so good."
"Nuts," Flash responded with a shrug, and glanced back at Daws. "We'll be shoving off too. Say hi to Major Vance for us."
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Post by skybright on Jan 16, 2007 0:05:59 GMT -5
"Sure thing. You guys be careful out there." Daws tossed off a casual salute and then climbed into the passenger seat of Sid's car.
"And I used to think that Vance was frustrating." She muttered. "Arguing with those Spooks make him seem like nothin' but sweetness and light."
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Post by Jordanna on Jan 16, 2007 0:29:03 GMT -5
"I guess I can't blame 'em," Sid observed rather blandly. "I guess they've had it pretty rough. Too bad they won't be smarter about all this, though."
They arrived back at Sid's house, where Alex and Miriam met them.
"I've got dinner warmed up for you two," Alex announced. "The kids are watching TV in the den."
"I think I'll go see 'em," Sid murmured, and lumbered off.
Miriam glanced at Daws. "Well... how did everything go?"
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Post by skybright on Jan 16, 2007 0:36:07 GMT -5
Daws shrugged as she slipped out of her coat and followed Alex and Miriam back to the kitchen. "I really don't know, to be honest with ya. Caddy checked the body over, and they made the switch all right -- but Tiernan's gonna have his people run some tests, and if they don't come up with answers he likes . . ." she trailed off with a shrug.
"We're not in the clear on this one. Not yet."
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Post by Jordanna on Jan 16, 2007 23:29:54 GMT -5
Miriam nodded thoughtfully, then shrugged. "Well, Major Vance had his dinner about an hour ago. I think he's eaten about twice as much today as most people could hold."
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Post by skybright on Jan 17, 2007 16:55:37 GMT -5
Daws grinned. "Hey, I won't complain -- not if it means he's healing up faster."
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Post by Jordanna on Jan 17, 2007 22:29:45 GMT -5
Alex shrugged. "Do you want to see him first, or have dinner?"
"For that matter," Miriam grinned, "you could take your plate up and eat with him--but no guarantees he wouldn't scavenge off your plate."
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Post by skybright on Jan 17, 2007 22:44:21 GMT -5
Daws laughed and took the plate Alex was offering. "I'm willing to put up with some scavenging. Besides, I've got a bunch of messages for him from his men -- and I wanna fill him in on what's happened. Maybe he'll have some idea I haven't come up with yet."
She took her plate and headed upstairs, where she knocked on the door to Sid's bedroom.
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Post by Jordanna on Jan 17, 2007 23:04:35 GMT -5
A moment later, Proteus opened the door, and eyed the plate dubiously. "It's not feeding time at the zoo again, is it?"
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Post by skybright on Jan 17, 2007 23:10:31 GMT -5
Daws grinned and shook her head. "Nah -- this is mine. I just thought I'd talk with Vance while I eat -- if he's awake enough."
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