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Post by Jordanna on Jul 6, 2006 0:35:46 GMT -5
Vance smiled grimly and shook his head. "Only to the really dangerous mutants," he replied. It was another half-truth, but his next statement was fully true. "She's the one who found out about the plot against you and Huber, so--as distasteful as the fact may be--she's really the one who saved your life."
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Post by skybright on Jul 6, 2006 0:45:31 GMT -5
"Oh, I see." Brandeis glanced at Daws. "Well, I . . . I suppose that calls for gratitude on my part." She said reluctantly.
"Don't mention it." Daws replied dryly.
The sarcastic tone in the detective's words was apparently lost on Brandeis, who seemed eager to forget that Daws was even there. She turned back to Vance.
"I'm afraid I still don't understand. Why did Franz -- Doctor Huber -- say we're going to be ceasing work on the project? I mean . . ." she looked faintly grieved, "We're so very close -- a matter of months away, really. Couldn't . . . couldn't I use our records to continue working, even if Franz and I can't see one another?"
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 6, 2006 0:53:48 GMT -5
Vance did an expert job at concealing his disgust at the news of how close Huber and Brandeis had been. If he hadn't been a man of his word--even to pondscum like Huber--he would have chosen then and there to deal much more harshly with the aspiring mass-murderess in front of him.
As it was, he merely sighed and shook his head. "Somebody's already gotten to all your records. They're wiped out totally."
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Post by skybright on Jul 6, 2006 1:02:13 GMT -5
Brandeis made a small noise of shock and sorrow. She sank onto the nearest chair, looking up at Vance with sad disbelief. "All of them?"
Vance nodded in reply, and the woman clenched her fists. "Who would do such a thing? I mean . . . all the work, the lost progress . . ." She shook her head. "Philistines. Luddites." Her eyes were lit with angry grief. "Science is crippled by ignorant fools like that!"
She lapsed into momentary silence -- apparently mourning all losses of knowledge from the library at Alexandria on up -- and then glanced back up at Vance.
"I'll be of no use, then." She said in a small voice. "It's Franz who's the true genius -- without his framework to build on . . ." she bit her lip, looking oddly close to tears. "At least tell me that Franz will have the chance to go on working."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 6, 2006 1:18:20 GMT -5
Vance had to suppress a smile of satisfaction at the confirmation that Brandeis could not continue the work.
"Oh yes, Doctor Huber will be working," Vance replied. "He has... well, a new line of research now." As in re-learning how to live his life.
"As for you, we don't think the guy who targeted Huber is quite onto you yet, so you shouldn't be in any danger as long as you're not connected with him anymore. A coupla my people will help you relocate and change your name, just to be sure. But the best advice I can give you..." He shrugged, assuming a sympathetic, confidential air. "Get outta this kind of work. You'll never be able to handle the security it needs, and someday it'll just get you killed. Settle down and work on fighting plain old ordinary diseases, and leave this politically touchy stuff to the big guys."
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Post by skybright on Jul 6, 2006 1:28:42 GMT -5
Brandeis pursed her lips. "I'd be glad to die for the sake of the work," she said, "But I won't delude myself. I'm not capable of making any real progress alone, and I'd never dream of doing anything that might expose Franz -- or you." She smiled sadly.
"I . . . I appreciate the risk you must have gone through to save Franz and I. At the very least," she lifted her chin defiantly, "It gives me hope to know that there are others out there who appreciate the vitality of our work -- the importance of our goals."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 6, 2006 1:50:53 GMT -5
Vance swallowed down a disgusted snort.
"Right," he muttered. "Which brings me to another point. I can see you understand this already, but I've gotta impress on you that it's absolutely vital you don't talk to anyone about what you've seen and heard today. The guy we saved you from has got ears everywhere, and it'd be a real mess if our work against him was exposed. Besides, you'd put yourself in danger too if the wrong person heard what you've worked on."
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Post by skybright on Jul 6, 2006 2:01:05 GMT -5
"I do understand." Brandeis had slipped comfortably into the noble-sacrifice-for-the-good-of-science role. She rose with a dignified look.
"Nobody has known of my work on Doctor Huber's research, and nobody will ever know -- about that, or about today's events." She raised her chin. "Someday, I hope, history will uncover the name of Franz Huber -- but I shall be content to know that, in my own small way, I assisted his work. No other person need know that."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 6, 2006 2:14:00 GMT -5
"That's very gratifying." Vance could not possibly bring himself to shake Brandeis' hand. Instead, he tilted his head toward Rip and the other black-clad young man. "My associates here will take you to another safe house for a day or two, while I arrange your new identity papers and suchlike." He shrugged. "If you care to pick a town, we'll see about a place for you to live there."
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Post by skybright on Jul 6, 2006 2:23:15 GMT -5
Brandeis smiled gratefully. "I . . . I've heard that Amherst is a lovely place. And . . . really, I just can't thank any of you enough."
Shooting a significant glance at Daws -- who had maintained a studious silence -- she leaned closer to Vance and added "Do be careful, won't you?"
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 6, 2006 2:32:44 GMT -5
Vance gave Brandeis a grim smile. "Don't worry, Miss Brandeis. I've had plenty of practice--dealing with snakes."
He gave a nod to his two operatives, then turned and headed for the door, with a curt gesture for Daws to follow him out. As he climbed into the driver's seat of the van, he rolled his eyes at the expression of the detective opposite him, and shook his head.
"Alright, go on, say it."
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Post by skybright on Jul 6, 2006 2:37:31 GMT -5
Daws crossed her arms and replied with faux-irritation "First-- I hate snakes, so pick some other creepy-crawly next time. Second -- that's the last time I let you take me anywhere, unless you start taking me someplace nice for a change."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 6, 2006 2:43:14 GMT -5
Vance was too troubled to be amused, and scowled as he pulled the van onto the road from the farmhouse's long, winding driveway.
"Don't get me wrong. The snakes I was thinking of were people like her and Huber." He made a growling noise. "I think she's worse than he ever was. If I hadn't given my word not to be rough with her..."
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Post by skybright on Jul 6, 2006 2:51:32 GMT -5
"Can't argue with that." Daws gazed absently out the window. "Y'know it's funny. Guys like Huber don't bother me that much -- mostly 'cause I can match 'em glare for glare, and most of the time I can out-talk them too. It's not the ones that hate me that bother me.
"But people like her -- the ones who're just outright scared like that, like I'm some kinda animal that needs to be leashed . . ." she shrugged. "For some reason, that's what really gets to me."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 6, 2006 2:55:18 GMT -5
The Major gave a frustrated shrug. "I didn't care for playing out that whole little dodge, but at least we've cut her out as a threat--and now I'll have her where we can watch her." He scowled. "If I can wring any money outta Huber to cover the cost of setting her up all cozy in Amherst, I've a mind to."
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Post by skybright on Jul 6, 2006 3:02:43 GMT -5
Daws grinned slyly. "From the way the both of them talk, I don't think you'd have that hard a time with it. It doesn't take a detective to figure out that there's more than just a 'research partnership' goin' on there."
Daws frowned slightly. "Which makes me wonder if she knows what happened to Huber's kid." She shook her head and looked out the window again. "Maybe it's not important, but it's a loose end -- and loose ends bother me."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 6, 2006 3:08:58 GMT -5
"I dunno. I guess if we keep working on Huber, we might find out eventually."
Vance raised an eyebrow at Daws. "Which brings up the question of exactly what we're gonna do with him now. I mean, not that the Lucky Motor Court isn't the garden spot of the tri-state area, but we can't keep him there forever."
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Post by skybright on Jul 6, 2006 3:16:26 GMT -5
Daws shook her head. "If you've got one of those 'safehouses' of yours somewhere in the City, it might be best to hole him up there -- at least until we can get him an identity set up, and until I can talk to Caddy about keepin' an eye on him."
She frowned slightly. "It's not a bad idea to keep him under surveillance, anyway -- until we're relatively sure he's not going to manifest any actual abilities. Sometimes it can take a while for everything to show up."
Daws shrugged and grinned wryly. "Huber won't be happy about it -- but then, he's just gonna have to be unhappy about a lot of things for a while."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 6, 2006 3:28:32 GMT -5
Vance chuckled. "I got just the place--in the Padre's parrish, right in the mutant part of town. No time like the present for Huber to start gettin' used to the company of his own. Besides, Handy and I have our main roost near there too, so we can keep an eye on him."
He smiled flatly. "You've probably guessed a coupla my allies have got pretty good brains for science, themselves. It'll be really interesting if we can ever put Huber's knowledge to work for us. After all, if he wants to kill a mutant, I wouldn't mind letting him help with Nocturne--once he gets it in his head we're not all like him."
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Post by skybright on Jul 6, 2006 3:35:51 GMT -5
Daws shrugged one shoulder. "I'd as soon see 'im come up with some solutions to the mutant health problems that nobody's dealin' with. But frankly," she shook her head wryly, "If Franz Huber ever works his way up to being willing to help us on his own recognizance -- either healing or resisting Nick Tiernan -- I'll eat my fedora."
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