Part 15 (1/2)
”Oh dear,” the Director replied.
”Indeed,” the Lab Coat Man added.
”Indeed what?” the Director asked.
”Nothing,” the Lab Coat Man muttered, turning away.
”I see you don't know, then,” the Director said.
”Know what?” Denny asked.
The Manager swung his hands apart and then together in loud clap.
”They're right outside.”
”Who?” asked the Lab Coat Man.
”All of them. Justin, Julia, Tom, Alona, Ritchie, Betty...”
”Outside?”
”Nearing the front doors as we speak.”
Denny muttered a curse, stood up, tossed his cigarette to the floor, and crushed it under his foot.
”Get Kurt,” he said to the Lab Coat Man, ”Neoldner, anybody.
Extra-Short Notice Emergency Meeting, or whatever the h.e.l.l Forrester would call it. Whoever's available. No, I take that back. Whoever's available and sober.”
”That leaves out Rhonda, then,” the Lab Coat Man sighed.
”But what could they do?” asked the Director. ”We've got almost the entire town on our side.”
”Why do you think we take new recruits by surprise? It comes down to willpower. A willing or unsuspecting subject is a lot easier to move than someone who's fighting you. You'd have known that if you'd bother to read what we sent you!”
”I financed what I could, gave us a place to work, but I left it up to Forrester to --”
”Never mind,” Denny said. ”Let's get up there before anything else happens.” He brushed past the Director and the Lab Coat Man, past open cardboard boxes that contained their extra supplies, including clipboards, paper, and lab coats still wrapped in plastic.
28. Breaking the Law ”As far as the laws of mathematics refer to reality, they are not certain; and as far as they are certain, they do not refer to reality.”
-- Albert Einstein
”Where's Julia?” Uncle Justin asked. Tom's hand had just reached the door of the theater, and everyone looked around.
”I thought she was behind me,” Betty said.
”Did you see her?” Tom asked Alona, thankful for the excuse to gaze into her eyes.
”No,” she replied, gazing back.