Page 23 - Demo

Natch!9%u201cI%u2019m supposed to be interning with the Eco Design Team onth87.%u201d Gene responded earnestly.%u201cAre you the new assistant?%u201d Lucky beamed.%u201cYes. It%u2019s my first day.%u201d%u201cWell, I%u2019m glad I ran into you. I%u2019m in that group.%u201d Theyexchanged smiling introductions. %u201cSo, you must be just out ofschool then,%u201d Lucky guessed.%u201cIn June. Been off traveling a bit this summer while I waited fora job to come through.%u201d%u201cWell, you%u2019re coming in at a good time. We%u2019re starting on a newecosystem. I heard Nate talking about the team. They%u2019re bringingin all the big guns%u2014Gad, Fate, Destiny, Amity, and of course Bettyand her folks will be there%u2014Thena, Whimsy, Jinx, Chance and F.R. Will.%u201d%u201cF. R. Will is on the team?%u201d Gene was wide-eyed. %u201cI loved hiswork in Madagascar.%u201d%u201cYeah, everyone loves the lemurs.%u201d Gene was impressed, butLucky had already moved on. %u201cNate wants everyone ready toshoot for the moon. %u2018Clear off your desks!%u2019 is what he shouted.Apparently, the Folks Upstairs weren%u2019t too happy with last year%u2019supgrades. Sounds like Nate and Betty got called onto the carpet.%u201d%u201cYou meet with the Folks Upstairs?%u201d Gene asked in a timidvoice struggling to balance the muffin stack as workers jostledhim shuffling on and off the elevator.%u201cI don%u2019t go to those meetings. But Rumor has it that Nate andBetty haven%u2019t been on speaking terms since they came down.%u201cI%u2019ve heard that they%u2026 that they%u2019re not always%u2026%u201d Gene didn%u2019tknow whether he should suggest that there might be sometension between the two legendary Department leaders.%u201cThey go up and down just like everybody else,%u201d Lucky said,peering into the muffin boxes, looking for the blueberry. Luckywas easily distracted.