DS02 Night of the Dragonstar by Thomas F. Monteleone, David Bischoff Page B

was hard to touch you up again on the subject.”
    Ian’s voice tensed. “What kind of violence, Winston?”
    “Oh, I believe some dinosaur killed some IASA member.”
    “Who?”
    “Don’t know yet ... some lieutenant was about all that leaked.”
    Lieutenant Coopersmith felt relieved. Thank God it wasn’t Becky.
    Winston continued, “I guess you heard about Phineas Kemp’s news conference last night.”
    “Who could avoid it?”
    “And you’re still not going to become involved in the IASA’s documentary?”
    “Because it’s my duty? I’ve told you, Winnie, I feel that my duty has been done. All my statements have been made. They can just read them. Get an actor to do a dramatic recreation. I just don’t care. I don’t want —”
    “Message received, Ian. As I say, I’m really sorry to bother you like this.”
    “I know, I know. Pressure. You’re just doing your job. That’s okay, Winnie, you saved me from a bit of a row with my boys. Just a moment. As long as I’ve got you, maybe I could give you my truly final statement — sort of an addenda to your article.”
    “Oh, super! The tabloids will pee their pants. Fire away, old boy.”
    “As you know, Winnie, it was Dr. Thalberg and I who first made contact with the Saurians. No one else has had such ... intimate experience with them.”
    “Yes, yes. So what?”
    “So that makes me, I think, the authority on the subject. Correct?”
    “I would say so, yes.”
    “Well, I’ve been viewing with great dismay this whole phenomenon of exploitation surrounding the creatures. It’s demeaning and condescending — all these T-shirts, toys, costumes, kiddie cartoon shows. Now, I’m sure the Saurians don’t really care much, even if they did know about this ruckus. But I care about it, and this is just part of the reason why I’m having nothing to do with Phineas Kemp’s sideshow.”
    “May I quote you?”
    “Maybe tone down that last bit, Winnie. I’m just not a Saurie Friend. Put this down for the record, though. I found the Saurians to be a fascinating, worthwhile race, from whom we have much to learn, and to whom we can teach much. But they are by no stretch of the imagination cute anthropomorphic beasts. They’re sentient reptiles. Nothing more and certainly nothing less. Period.”
    “Oh bravo, Ian. I can see the headline now. ‘The Black Sheep of the Dragonstar Team Speaks Up.’”
    Coopersmith cheerfully extended Leticia’s suggested dinner invitation, then rang off. His wife was preparing tea at the stove.
    “Those two aren’t at each other again, are they?” he asked as he noticed she was gazing out the window into the backyard.
    “Oh, no. They’re playing nicely,” she said, turning her usual pleasant smile his way. She was so damned nice all the time. But how could you complain about someone being continually pleasant? That was one of the reasons he had married her — -her genuine benevolence.
    “I guess you heard my conversation with Winston,” he said.
    “Most of it. Of course, I’d heard your opinion about the Saurie Fan Clubs before. For someone who’s cut all ties with the Dragonstar affair, you certainly retain strong emotions on the subject. Would you care for some tea, dear? And we’ve got some nice biscuits, so could you put them out? They’re Brian’s particular favorites.”
    This frigid tone to her voice was about as nasty as she ever got, so Ian called her on it. “Right, Letty. What’s troubling you?”
    “I thought we’d talked all that out, Ian,” she said as he rummaged through the bread box. “And I told you that I thoroughly understood what was past and what was present in regard to your commitments.”
    He found the biscuits — cream-filled chocolate — and began putting them out on a plate. “I can tell by your tone, Letty.”
    She paused for a moment in setting cups on saucers and then said, “I suppose it was your tone as well. You were worried about Rebecca Thalberg, weren’t you?