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"I ae cabinets as you requested," theabout for the died by Silk’s interest, eagerly supplied the dimensions and made recoan wondered, Silk alerted the lance along the corridor showed only one or two other souls anywhere nearby She would kill them all It would be so easy to dart out of the shadows and take the

It was clear that Silk was stretching the conversation beyond its natural conclusion He was trying to buy time, or possibly communicate to the man that he was in trouble The man was so flattered by the attention of such an ie that he seeerly carried on the conversation

Down the corridor a door opened, and another ard Back to work now!"

Silk’s corimaced "I am sorry, sir, but duty calls" He bowed and added, "It is an honor to know of your interest in the procureain and left

Silk watched after him with hunched shoulders, then continued forward at a reluctant pace on the course Karigan had set for hi for soan found an eed him into it and snatched his specs off his face He squinted and shielded his eyes even in the

"Give them back," he said

"You will not stop to talk to anyone," she said "If you do, I’ll break your specs"

"I have other pairs, elsewhere," he said

She did not care "Then I will break your eyes" The idea grew on her as she stared into his eyes, of popping the them bleed

"Your aura has browned," he said

"No more conversation," she told him

"I can’t help it if someone stops me"

"You are Dr Silk, son of the Adherent, Webster Silk You are too important to talk to some low level bureaucrat You are too busy Dr Silk would not pay the slightest attention to someone so lowly"

"But--"

"You will do as any man of your rank would do"

"Which is what, precisely?"

"Move on, dismiss them Just act the way you normally would"