Page 44 - Demo
P. 44
Natch!30were powerful personalities at work and a history that couldn%u2019teasily be set aside. Besides, it didn%u2019t cost her anything to holdonto Gene%u2019s secrets, at least for now. And it was probably betterfor her own interviews if the interviewees didn%u2019t know whatothers were saying.Day Deux at the Department felt eerily similar to Day Un.Lucky once again had to retrieve his soggy hat from Q%u2019s ficklefingers. Apparently, that happened with some regularity onblustery days. %u201cDidn%u2019t we see this movie yesterday?%u201d Genequipped in the coffee line. Jean laughed a little more eagerly thanthe joke deserved. She was nervous about her upcominginterview with Will.After the Stump Room meeting the day before, she had spentthe remainder of the morning getting toured around by Whimsy,who introduced her to EWA, caught up with Rumor, and hadAnyone escort her down to Personnel. There she%u2019d spent theremainder of the day filling out random forms and signingwaivers and non-disclosures. The exhaustive paperwork hadmade her feel ill at ease. In none of her fantasies about workingfor the Department did she promise not to reveal DNAsequences, barter trade secrets, or rearrange area rugs. Andwhat was with all the metal detectors? %u201cWe%u2019ve had threats,%u201d wasall Anyone would say. What were the nature of these threats?Who was making them and why? Were those inside theDepartment in danger? Had there been some sort of attack? Shehad never been one to pay much attention to The News, but shewas sure she would have caught something like an attack on theDepartment.And then the conversation with Gene after work hadconfirmed what she herself had noticed. Not everyone was onthe same team at the Department. Even when they wereassigned to the same team, they weren%u2019t on the same team. %u201cWhywould I bring the muffins?%u201d Will had woofed at Whimsy. And theneveryone could feel the tension between Nate and Betty whenthey entered the Stump Room. Jean tried to console herself withthe reminder that it was just like Anywhere Else%u2014lots of egos and

