"Yayoi, come in. Plesae sit down so we can get started." Noah picked up the contract on the top of the pile, then stopped when he noticed Yayoi was still standing. And blushing slightly.
"If you don't mind, sir, I'd rather stand."
One of Noah's eyebrows approached his forehead. "What brought this on?"
"Well ..."
After a moment, he thought he knew why she was still standing. "You don't have to answer this if you don't want to, but did you and Ms. Kittredge -"
"No!" Somewhat quieter, Yayoi continued with, "No, she isn't into that sort of thing. This was ... shego."
"I didn't quite hear that."
Yayoi sighed. "It was the leader of the group that you and Haruhi had a bet about."
Noah looked puzzled for a moment. "I had a bet with Suzumiya? About a group... Oh, I remember now - those goth girls. Suzumiya thought they'd make a decent special-ops team. I thought she was crazy. Is that project still going on?"
"Not any more. They just quit."
"And the manner in which they quit?"
"I'd rather not say. But nobody was hurt... permanently."
"Do we have to notify the Space Patrol?"
"I hope not."
"All right. Just override your pain receptors, sit down, and we'll start work." Noah reached for that contract, then stopped. "Are they a decent special-ops team?"
Yayoi thought for a moment. "It's too soon to tell."
"Have somebody keep an eye on them, then. Even if I never collect or pay the bet, it's still an obligation between me and Suzumiya."
Yayoi knew she couldn't ask anyone else to take on this job.
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."
- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012
"If you don't mind, sir, I'd rather stand."
One of Noah's eyebrows approached his forehead. "What brought this on?"
"Well ..."
After a moment, he thought he knew why she was still standing. "You don't have to answer this if you don't want to, but did you and Ms. Kittredge -"
"No!" Somewhat quieter, Yayoi continued with, "No, she isn't into that sort of thing. This was ... shego."
"I didn't quite hear that."
Yayoi sighed. "It was the leader of the group that you and Haruhi had a bet about."
Noah looked puzzled for a moment. "I had a bet with Suzumiya? About a group... Oh, I remember now - those goth girls. Suzumiya thought they'd make a decent special-ops team. I thought she was crazy. Is that project still going on?"
"Not any more. They just quit."
"And the manner in which they quit?"
"I'd rather not say. But nobody was hurt... permanently."
"Do we have to notify the Space Patrol?"
"I hope not."
"All right. Just override your pain receptors, sit down, and we'll start work." Noah reached for that contract, then stopped. "Are they a decent special-ops team?"
Yayoi thought for a moment. "It's too soon to tell."
"Have somebody keep an eye on them, then. Even if I never collect or pay the bet, it's still an obligation between me and Suzumiya."
Yayoi knew she couldn't ask anyone else to take on this job.
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."
- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012