for the reality of the two worlds, normal and magical. She hadn't suspected the misunderstandings, the ways that the two groups could see exactly the same evidence and come to such radically different conclusions. She knew the rules were put in place to protect society, but they could be rough on those society decided were on the outside.
"I'll hire you some good ones, Carl.” It was as close as she could come to backing down.
He nodded his thanks and called for the first of the lab assistant applicants.
* * * *
A terribly long day later, Danielle stepped into Carl's office.
"Don't you ever knock?"
She shook her head. She didn't have to knock. She was Carl's herder. If he had any secrets from her, it was her job to know them. Not that he was likely to have any. She'd bugged his computer and office so completely that she knew it every time he blew his nose.
"I'm finished."
"Yeah? Have any luck?
"Sort of.” She was going against everything she believed in, but the vampire had convinced her. After all, who could be better at collecting blood samples?
When Carl heard what she had waiting, he was surprised. Not as surprised as she had been.
"You said you wanted people with a good attitude,” Danielle reminded him.
"Yeah, but—"
"So, who would be more interested in picking up blood samples than a vampire? Who would be less likely to be fooled by someone trying to substitute someone else's, or coming back to give for a second time?"
"Nobody, but—"
"Look, Carl. I don't try to tell you how to run the lab, now don't you try and tell me how to run a street gang."
"That's just it, honey. This isn't—"
She held out a hand. “Don't call me that. Ever."
He stopped abruptly. “It's been a long day."
Finally she put him out of his misery, slamming her hand into the table so hard all of the resumes jumped. “Just shut up, Carl."
"Good thinking. Now back to the vampire. What's the idea there? Besides the fact that he likes blood and wouldn't mind taking a few samples?"
"The idea is that he's got ambition, drive, and energy. Plus the fact that he was involved in medicine before the return and knows how to do the basics. Like you asked for, remember?"
Carl pressed his palms into his forehead. “Vampires are demon-possessed, Danielle. That's a lot different from a Were or an elf. We're only DNA challenged."
As if she didn't know that. “Hey, don't think this was an easy decision for me."
"It isn't like the demon is going away if you don't hire him,” she continued. “Besides, demon or not, Mike the Vampire seems qualified, anxious for the work, and fearless. I don't know of you noticed, but a lot of the applicants seem afraid of their own shadows. It's pathetic."
"It's the environment. They're denied basic rights, terrorized by the normals, and forced to live without basic services like running water."
Danielle shrugged. “Everyone has problems."
"But a vampire?"
"Talk to him, Carl. If you don't like him, tell him to get lost. But he's the lynchpin. I don't think the rest of your mob will amount to much without him."
"It's not a mob. It's the key crew for my research."
Danielle's smile didn't even reach her lips. “Sure."
"All right. Let's have a look at them. Mike first."
He sat there waiting. As if he expected her to get up and show the candidates in. Clearly power had gone to his head. Fortunately, Danielle was real good at fixing that problem.
She just stared at him.
Finally, he got it, went and opened the door himself.
The magically infected tended to be a disorderly group—part of the reason the zones had been established in the first place—so Danielle was surprised to see the two lines of finalists neatly queued, each holding their resumes in neat, matching, folders."Which one of you is Mike?"
Carl must have asked the question before thinking, because the answer was obvious. The pale face, lean body, and distinctive black outfit would have identified Mike as a Goth in an earlier decade.
"I'll hire you some good ones, Carl.” It was as close as she could come to backing down.
He nodded his thanks and called for the first of the lab assistant applicants.
* * * *
A terribly long day later, Danielle stepped into Carl's office.
"Don't you ever knock?"
She shook her head. She didn't have to knock. She was Carl's herder. If he had any secrets from her, it was her job to know them. Not that he was likely to have any. She'd bugged his computer and office so completely that she knew it every time he blew his nose.
"I'm finished."
"Yeah? Have any luck?
"Sort of.” She was going against everything she believed in, but the vampire had convinced her. After all, who could be better at collecting blood samples?
When Carl heard what she had waiting, he was surprised. Not as surprised as she had been.
"You said you wanted people with a good attitude,” Danielle reminded him.
"Yeah, but—"
"So, who would be more interested in picking up blood samples than a vampire? Who would be less likely to be fooled by someone trying to substitute someone else's, or coming back to give for a second time?"
"Nobody, but—"
"Look, Carl. I don't try to tell you how to run the lab, now don't you try and tell me how to run a street gang."
"That's just it, honey. This isn't—"
She held out a hand. “Don't call me that. Ever."
He stopped abruptly. “It's been a long day."
Finally she put him out of his misery, slamming her hand into the table so hard all of the resumes jumped. “Just shut up, Carl."
"Good thinking. Now back to the vampire. What's the idea there? Besides the fact that he likes blood and wouldn't mind taking a few samples?"
"The idea is that he's got ambition, drive, and energy. Plus the fact that he was involved in medicine before the return and knows how to do the basics. Like you asked for, remember?"
Carl pressed his palms into his forehead. “Vampires are demon-possessed, Danielle. That's a lot different from a Were or an elf. We're only DNA challenged."
As if she didn't know that. “Hey, don't think this was an easy decision for me."
"It isn't like the demon is going away if you don't hire him,” she continued. “Besides, demon or not, Mike the Vampire seems qualified, anxious for the work, and fearless. I don't know of you noticed, but a lot of the applicants seem afraid of their own shadows. It's pathetic."
"It's the environment. They're denied basic rights, terrorized by the normals, and forced to live without basic services like running water."
Danielle shrugged. “Everyone has problems."
"But a vampire?"
"Talk to him, Carl. If you don't like him, tell him to get lost. But he's the lynchpin. I don't think the rest of your mob will amount to much without him."
"It's not a mob. It's the key crew for my research."
Danielle's smile didn't even reach her lips. “Sure."
"All right. Let's have a look at them. Mike first."
He sat there waiting. As if he expected her to get up and show the candidates in. Clearly power had gone to his head. Fortunately, Danielle was real good at fixing that problem.
She just stared at him.
Finally, he got it, went and opened the door himself.
The magically infected tended to be a disorderly group—part of the reason the zones had been established in the first place—so Danielle was surprised to see the two lines of finalists neatly queued, each holding their resumes in neat, matching, folders."Which one of you is Mike?"
Carl must have asked the question before thinking, because the answer was obvious. The pale face, lean body, and distinctive black outfit would have identified Mike as a Goth in an earlier decade.
Similar Books
