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Post by Jordanna on Aug 8, 2008 22:37:54 GMT -5
"I wouldn't bet on Tiernan going out of his way to separate you two," Proteus remarked. "More likely he just hasn't had a reason to put you in each other's orbit. The Ferret does work a lot dirtier than what he sends your way."
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Post by skybright on Aug 8, 2008 22:43:59 GMT -5
"And let's hope it stays that way." Daws glanced moodily at the folder. "This is as dirty as I ever want my hands to get in that man's employ."
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Post by Jordanna on Aug 8, 2008 22:59:15 GMT -5
Proteus grimaced at the folder as well. "I can check with the Spooks. They may look down on anybody who comes around trying to sell mutation-curing snake oil, but they'll keep track of what goes on with it. It isn't a great bet, but they might hear something useful."
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Post by skybright on Aug 8, 2008 23:06:34 GMT -5
Daws nodded. "Thanks -- we need as many eyes and ears as we can get."
She sighed grimly. "Which I suppose means I should really tell Vance about all of this, too."
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Post by Jordanna on Aug 8, 2008 23:11:08 GMT -5
"I wouldn't like to see his reaction if you didn't." Proteus grinned slightly, then sobered. "But it'll be tough keeping this thing from turning into a revenge mission, for a guy like him."
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Post by skybright on Aug 8, 2008 23:23:38 GMT -5
"That's exactly what I'm worried about." Daws said with a sigh. "I . . ."
She fell silent for a moment as the waitress reappeared with their drinks. Then she stirred sugar into her iced tea, shaking her head. "Truth is, Proteus, I did consider not telling him. It's not that I don't trust Jerod -- but this thing is already personal for him. I'm worried he'll get himself hurt trying to get these people . . . trying to make them pay for Ashley."
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Post by Jordanna on Aug 8, 2008 23:28:41 GMT -5
Proteus frowned thoughtfully.
"You know the man better than I do, Miss Dawson. Do you really believe he could go that far--that he could lose sight of his people's safety over this?"
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Post by skybright on Aug 8, 2008 23:37:17 GMT -5
Daws shook her head. "No -- I don't think he'd ever knowingly go that far with the lives of his men." She shrugged. "But with his own life? That's what I'm not as sure about."
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Post by Jordanna on Aug 9, 2008 22:01:50 GMT -5
"Then I guess he'll need a guardian angel or two," Proteus murmured quietly.
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Post by skybright on Aug 9, 2008 22:07:44 GMT -5
"That's what I'm here for." Daws said with a weak grin. "Don't know how qualified I am for the job, but any port in a storm."
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Post by Jordanna on Aug 9, 2008 22:16:55 GMT -5
Proteus chuckled. "Nobody better qualified for it, I'd say."
He shrugged. "I'm not much for coddling old soldiers who like to blow things up... but for your sake, I'll keep an eye on him, when I'm around."
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Post by skybright on Aug 9, 2008 22:27:49 GMT -5
Daws smiled. "Thanks, Proteus."
Their waitress reappeared with their meals. She smiled at Proteus as she set the plates on the table. "How's the lemonade?"
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Post by Jordanna on Aug 9, 2008 22:35:41 GMT -5
Proteus took a sip of the yellow liquid, then nodded approvingly to the waitress. "Just right--thanks."
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Post by skybright on Aug 9, 2008 22:44:40 GMT -5
"Oh, good." The waitress responded with a genuinely pleased smile, and nodded at him and Daws. "Let me know if you need anything else."
She took off in the direction of the kitchen, and Daws shook her head with a faint grin. "And people talk about unfriendly New Yorkers."
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Post by Jordanna on Aug 9, 2008 22:50:16 GMT -5
"Glad to see it, alright." Proteus sipped his iced tea again, then grinned crookedly at Daws. "Of course, nobody makes this stuff like they used to--back around the turn of the last century."
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Post by skybright on Aug 9, 2008 22:55:04 GMT -5
Daws smiled sadly. "I've got the feeling you can probably say the same for pretty much anything."
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Post by Jordanna on Aug 9, 2008 23:06:53 GMT -5
"Pretty much." Proteus shook his head. "People were healthier and kept out of trouble better without all this technology--and maybe they didn't have all these artificial pleasures, but the happiness they did have was something real. I can't for the life of me understand why people don't get that... but I guess you had to be there."
His gaze wandered back to the waitress, who was busy beaming her sunshine upon another customer's table.
"You know, when I meet folks like that, who treat obvious mutants so well--sometimes I can't help but wonder if they're one of us."
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Post by skybright on Aug 9, 2008 23:20:50 GMT -5
Daws nodded thoughtfully as she crumbled saltines into her soup. "Maybe her, maybe someone she loves -- or maybe she's just one of those rare people who are decent to everyone. Hard to say."
She grinned. "Of course, sometimes it's not so hard -- for me, anyway. Sometimes a person will sound just a little different, or smell just a little different, or even just act a little bit different -- not enough that a mundane would ever know, but enough for me to tell." She shrugged one shoulder. "Doesn't always happen, though."
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Post by Jordanna on Aug 10, 2008 19:44:44 GMT -5
Proteus nodded. "I can't say my senses are anything like yours; I can tweak them a little if I want to, but not much. But you learn to pick up on things about people, in as many years as I've had."
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Post by skybright on Aug 10, 2008 21:48:27 GMT -5
"I'll bet." Daws replied.
She grinned crookedly at him. "Y'know, I bet you wouldn't make a bad detective. A lot of it is just observation, and knowin' human nature well enough to figure out what people will do or have done."
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