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“You were misinformed,” she insisted

“All I have to do is twist the top, and this one will trans they say and do back to Joe”

“A secret gadget froovernment?”

“Actually, I picked this up from an electronics shop down the street while your dress was being altered Two thousand yen Less than twenty dollars, at the current exchange rate”

Kurt twisted the top “We’re on-site, a us?”

Joe’s reply cah the car speakers “I have an unobstructed view,” he said “I’ll keep an eye on the car while you two are inside Try not to have too much fun without me”

“Do our best,” Kurt said

Kurt twisted the pen’s top and the link was broken He and Akiko got out of the car, locked it and walked toward the front door A security guardHan met them on the factory floor

“I’lad you could find the time to meet us,” Kurt said “This is Akiko, NUMA’s Japanese liaison officer”

Han bowed His eyes lingered on her for a moment and then he introduced his assistant “This is Mr Gao, ineer”

Gao had a shaven head that reflected the lights in the ceiling He wore plain slacks, a white button-down shirt and bulky glasses on which Kurt saw tiny green icons flickering and vanishing A wire led frolasses to an earbud and then to a power pack on his belt The glasses were obviously a wearable co icons part of a heads-up display that only Gao could see and interpret

Dangling on a cord around his neck was a heavy e It had several s LEDs and a meshed indentation that held a microphone and speaker In his breast pocket were several pens, a flashlight and a laser pointer Strapped to his upper arm was another electronic device, perhaps a fitness monitor, Kurt couldn’t be sure

Akiko stared at hiue “He’s almost an android,” she whispered

“By the way he looked at you, he’d toss the electronics into a lake for a single kiss Perhaps the lure of huer than you think”

With that said, Akiko’s dened interest in Gao with such expertise that it almost convinced Kurt