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Luca spotted Painter’s arrival and stood The Gypsy was dressed in loose pants with a thick belt and -sleeved embroidered shirt "Ah, Director Crowe! Welcome!"

Painter offered a bow of his head to the clan leader "Nais Tuke," he thanked hiue

Gray also stood Like Kowalski, the coht jacket Over the past days, they had all found the couple of weeks of funerals and griht with Lisa They would stroll through the ca to the songs and laughter as they passed faathered around candle-lit suppers Painter took solace in this fervent and bright reminder of the fullness of life Painter also found the shared songs and communal camaraderie echoed back to his own childhood, to the tribal festivals on the Mashantucket reservations It did feel like co was more formal and practical

They all crossed to a nearby plank table A pair of massive draft horses were penned nearby

As they sat, Gray asked, "So how did the ht eyes

Painter had just returned fro with representatives from the State Departanizations The status of seventy-seven children was the point of contention There were many claims on them

"The Russians were happy to concede all authority over to us," Painter began "They have enough to clean up as it is The latest radiological studies froest that the partial flooding of Lake Karachay into the groundwater, while locally disastrous and requiring evacuation of lands for lobally catastrophic The floodgates were closed in time"

Gray looked relieved "And the children?"

Painter had visited the hospital this ton University Hospital had been cordoned off to handle the children flown in froy tea the iinally conjectured, the extraction was a delicate but not exceptionally complicated procedure The last child had her i well

"Testing shows some savant talent remains in the children but at a substantially weakened level," Painter said "Whatever communion was shared at the end seeical structure that produced their prodigious talent But contrarily, the change also seemed to lessen their autistic presentation The children have shown remarkable i these children will have to concede to a supervised ular psychological evaluations, both in regard to their talents and to their general mental health"

Painter stared at Luca, who remained stoic, but his eyes shone with hope Painter finally smiled "But the unanimous consensus of the panel is that the children will be released to Gypsy fa"

Luca pounded a fist on the table "Yes!"

His loud reaction earned a whinnied complaint froe hoof

Painter spent another half hour going over further details, which helped sober the ht in the Gypsy’s eyes Finally they all stood and began to disperse

Elizabeth headed out, with Kowalski at her elbow

"Now that you’re back in town," Kowalskia palm over his shaved scalp "Would you want…Maybe we could…?"

Gray winced at the man’s efforts and nodded for Painter toto be pretty"

"What is it, Joe?" Elizabeth asked, an eyebrow lifted curiously at the large htened "Do you want to go out on a date?"

Sed and led Kowalski out "You ht?"

Kowalski’s brow crinkled like a washboard

"I think being shot at, kidnapped, irradiated, and saving the world classifies at least as a first date"

Kowalski tripped along next to her, his o?"