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"Yes, but--"

"So we’re going to be streaet in to see your director Let the good citizens of Portland--and the world, did I ht, Iintroductions--see what an aweso to visitors"

"I think we can set the caer at a rando the wall

"You can’t do that!" said the receptionist She sounded agitated Poor thing She’d probably sprain herself if she tried for any real facial expressions with her hair pulled back that tightly "I’ive et Director Swenson for you"

"Thanks," I said, flashing a wide grin in her direction "It’s cool, Becks, you can hold off on setting things up"

"Check," said Becks She re-shouldered her pack We watched as the increasingly anxious-looking receptionist picked up her phone,into it with her palically keep us fro It worked, a little; arbled to understand, although I was pretty sure I caught the words "crazy," "reporters," and "threatening to" As press went, it wasn’t bad, and ive the director an idea of what he was about to be dealing with

Nothing could ever prepare hie

"Flatterer," I murmured The receptionist shot me a wary look, hand still cupped around the receiver I sain

"Yes, sir; of course, sir," she said, and set the receiver back into its cradle, not looking in our direction as she said, "Director Swenson is on his way down and apologizes for any inconvenience that you "

"It’s cool," I said

The receptionist didn’t say anything She leaned slightly forward, shoulders hunched as she focused her attention on her computer It was obvious that she couldn’t entirely dismiss our presence as a bad dream--ere a little too solid for that--and it was equally obvious that she was giving it the old college try I rocked back onthe envelope of polite behavior to get what you want, and then there’s just plain being mean I try not to cro the line when it can be avoided

We’d been waiting less than five h the lobby and an iroomed man in a white lab coat stepped around a corner and into view He was dressed like a generic midlevel bureaucrat at any corporation in the country, assuray slacks that were probably some sort of insanely expensive natural fiber, white button-up shirt, sedate blue-and-green tie, and immaculately polished black shoes Even his lab coat looked like it was tailored for hi the standard off-the-rack lab wear If the CDC was running in the red this season, his wardrobe definitely wasn’t feeling the pinch

Neither was his plastic surgeon His hair was thick and well-styled, but still uniforhtness of a h the nose to maintain the illusion that he was a well-preserved thirty-seven or so He walked to the receptionist’s desk with the calm assurance of a man who knows hi a hand in my direction "Shaun Mason, I presume?"

"The sa I’ve had to desensitize ers, the gesture felt wrong You aren’t supposed to touch people you don’t know Not unless they’ve just demonstrated their infection status with a successful blood test, and ue, Rebecca Atherton She works with our action news division"

"Ah, an Irwin," said the aze started at her face, swept down her body, and returned to her face again, all without a trace of hesitation or shame "You know, I’ve always liked that terreat Steve Irwin He died in the field, you know Just the way he would have wanted to go"

"No shit, assle," muttered Becks

"Actually, sir, I’o was in his sleep, sometime in his late nineties, but that’s beside the point" So my hackles up Maybe it was the way he looked at Becks Maybe it was his tone, which was slick enough to grease a rusty chainsaw "I’ize foryou wait Next time, please be sure to call ahead That will allow us to avoid these little delays"

Yeah, because we’ll never get past security again

I forced my expression to remain composed as I said, "I’ll keep that in ue and I were in the area and had some questions anted to ask you--in person, hence the dropping by Is there a place where we could talk?"

A flash of discoone before I could blink "Of course," he said, smoothly "If you’d both come with me, I believe one of the conference rooms is available Miss Lassen, as you were"