Page 39 - Demo

Natch!25them were bad. Some of them were beyond bad. Gad knew thatwhen all the brainstorming kumbaya was done, he%u2019d be the oneto do the real work. He and Will, he grudgingly admitted%u2014Willhad talent and purpose. Gad respected him and Will%u2019s opinionmattered, even if Gad didn%u2019t always agree, and even if he hatedthat he wanted Will%u2019s respect in turn.%u201cYou can walk over with me if you like,%u201d Gad said to Gene. %u201cIhave an hour or so and we can get you started.%u201d Gad sized him upas they walked, already assessing his potential for riding the %u201cbatmobile%u201d. Gad was ever on the lookout for new victims (he calledthem research candidates). And the bat mobile? That was Gad%u2019sbaby, one of his proudest achievements. The idea had come tohim after that guy wrote that essay, %u201cWhat%u2019s it like to be a Bat?%u201dHe felt that it got to the heart of things at Deenah, expressing the%u201ceternal struggle%u201d in language that even Jinx could understand.Gad explained this to Gene as they walked, already beginning theinterview despite not being asked a question.%u201cDesigning species requires that we have intimate knowledgeof all ecosystem parameters: climate, topography, elevation,aridity, air flow, water currents, magnetic resonance, energyresources and accessibility, air, soil and water quality, departingand potential new cohabitants%u2014it%u2019s all in my book, Gad%u2019s Guide.But can we ever really know what it%u2019s like to walk in the shoes, flyin the wings, or swim in the flippers of each species?%u201d He grewmore animated as they walked. Gene had trouble taking it alldown as he struggled to keep up, meandering down countlesshallways, through one portal, lobby, gate, stairwell, doorway, andmetal-detector (there%u2019d been some threats) after another. He hadno confidence that he%u2019d ever learn to navigate such a complexbuilding. It was only the area rugs that lingered in his mind. Theydidn%u2019t quite fit, but the colors and patterns were as striking as thearchitecture. And somehow, already, they were beginning tofunction like highway signs, reminding him when to go right orleft.%u201cThe question plagued my mind for months. Nothing I didseemed good enough. No matter what I tweaked or how I