The Game of Hide and Seek (Part Ten)
It had been a week and four days. Trowa stretched his arms just as a swarm of people exited what seemed to be one of the larger rooms in the building. Left and right, his path was blocked. There was no choice but to squeeze into any open space available. It was the first time he visited the university and had he known that there was a class ending at that time, he would have opted to postpone his trip to the restroom another five minutes after the crowd had dissipated.
"What the...?"
Before he could reach the door, he was shoved all the way to the other end of the hallway without as much as a peep from him as an 'excuse me' every now and then. He should have shoved through more aggressively when he had the chance. Now he didn't know where he was or where he came from. It was bad enough that he spent almost an hour trying to find the office he was supposed to visit in the first place.
He looked at the room numbers and then back down at his barely discernible map that looked much too complicated for just a building. He had to remind himself why he was there instead of spending a lazy day somewhere else.
"Old guy wanted to discuss something," he muttered to himself. It was the price he had to pay for being such a loud mouth during the last convention. Now, every odd scientist thought that he was smarter than everyone else. Just what did he know that they didn't already know in their years of studying anyway?
He was lucky enough to get the day off to discuss his ongoing work with the old man he'd met a few weeks back, but it was beginning to look like it wasn't worth the trouble now that he was in the middle of nowhere. By the time he found his way back, his day off would have probably been already wasted wandering around the building.
He had better things to do, one of which was to double-check his findings on the bottle labeled Q30ZO.
A question then popped into his mind. Where was Quatre anyway? It had been a week and four days and there was still no sign of him. Trowa had already isolated the problems and figured out the solution to the medication's problems two days ago and Quatre still wasn't coming. He would have wanted to contact him, but it would have sounded rather suspicious if he left a message with his secretary indicating that the stolen substances had now been reconfigured for him. He would have sounded like a criminal, or at least an accessory to a crime.
"...and as an example, let's consider a few of the most prominent companies that have gone down just recently."
Trowa had to make a 360 degree turn at the sound of the voice. Was that Quatre or was he hearing things? If it was Quatre, what was he doing there?
He decided to check, following the source of the voice all the way into a large, double-door room. He stepped in quietly to avoid disrupting the lecture and positioned himself toward the back of the room. The place was crowded. He wouldn't have been able to find a seat even if he wanted to. Even the steps going down the lecture hall was filled with people who'd chosen to make themselves comfortable there. It was almost unbelievable just how much people were able to fit in the already large room. Just who was giving the lecture anyway?
Once Trowa had squeezed and positioned himself in comfortably, he looked up to find his question answered. There all the way up front was Quatre, walking back and forth as he used a laser pointer to indicate what he was referring to on the large projection. Trowa had to stop himself from yelling a question in shock.
Quatre was wearing a deep blue shirt with the top two buttons undone and the sleeves folded up. Attached to the back of his black pants was the microphone device whose wire connected from the small of his back to the front of his shirt.
"...is always one of the biggest issues and why not? Without these codes of behavior, the foundation of good business could not be properly set."
Trowa leaned against the wall and crossed his arms. Quatre certainly had a way of dealing with people, enough to hold the crowd's interest in the topic. It wasn't just that either. He looked smart, assertive, confident, and most importantly...
"God damn sexy."
Trowa blinked and the looked to his side to find the woman who had sighed out the comment. It was funny that they had exactly the same thing in mind.
"Don't you think so?" she asked him, not caring whether the subject concerned him or not.
Trowa nodded.
"Say, come to think of it, you're not so bad yourself, handsome."
"Uh, thanks?" Trowa answered, unsure of how to handle the compliment.
"Don't mention it."
The woman smiled at him and then redirected her attention back to the lecture. Trowa did so as well.
"Now, let's leave these last few minutes for questions..."
Trowa continued to watch, mesmerized again as Quatre answered question after hard question with very little effort. It was strange to see him in that context after getting used to seeing him hanging from ceilings.
"Excuse me," he asked the woman beside him. "What was the lecture about again?"
"You haven't been paying attention, have you?" she asked, which caused him to try and think up an excuse. "Just kidding. You don't have to be so tense. He was discussing business ethics."
Business ethics? Ethics, being discussed by a thief? Trowa had a very good question in mind.
Almost as if by reflex, he raised his hand up to ask his question. It was a while before Quatre noticed him all the way in the back but when he did, his eyes sparkled with recognition. He grinned and Trowa's response was to gulp. Maybe it was a bad idea.
"Yes, the gentleman all the way at the back. What's your question?"
All heads in the room turned to him, which caused him to feel even more nervous than he was a minute ago.
"Given the difference between ethics and morals would you say that an immoral act such as stealing could be rationalized by a mere play in the definition of ethics?"
He hoped he said that right. Perhaps it was too difficult a question because after he finished his question, all heads turned to Quatre for the answer.
Quatre put his thumb and index finger below his chin and then walked a couple of steps before stopping. He then tapped his forehead twice with his finger before facing the crowd and then smiling. Trowa felt like he was up to something.
"Before I answer the question," Quatre started. "I'd like everyone in the room to pay attention to the gentleman who asked the question."
Trowa pulled nervously on his collar. What was going on?
"That man, if you don't already know is one of the great chemists of our time," Quatre continued. "Trowa Barton had just recently solved the puzzle to one of the most deadliest of diseases although he's modest enough not to admit it. I think he deserves an applause, wouldn't you agree?"
Just as Quatre winked at him, the crowd turned their attention toward him and then applauded him. There were even a few howls here and there and a few phone numbers scribbled at the back of notebooks sent his way. He was embarrassed beyond belief.
"Now that we've given our special guest his well deserved praise," Quatre said, mercifully saving him from the all the attention he was receiving. "It is my duty to answer the question. You see, Dr. Barton, there's a small but important difference between ethics and morals. Ethics, like I said earlier is a code of morality and morality is the difference between right and wrong. What I've been discussing so far are codes of behavior set by society. Let's not forget the reasons behind these. There will always be cases where your behaviors meet the demands of society and yet devour your sense of good judgment. In the end, it's not these codes prescribed by the few elite that matters but those which drive you that matters the most."
Trowa took the time to digest what he said. Oh, he was good. He didn't expect Quatre to get out of it that easily.
"And... I think my time is up. Thank you very much for this opportunity."
The people applauded him as the crowd dispersed into the chaotic mess Trowa was getting used to. A few people were starting to gather around Quatre to ask questions so he chose to take a seat toward the front and wait there. It was a few minutes before every other person had left the room and just the two of them were left.
"I didn't know you taught," was Trowa's first words as Quatre arranged his things and looked at him.
"I don't. I just did this as a favor for a client. He thought it best that they heard it from someone in the real world who isn't far from their age."
"I can't believe you did that," Trowa continued again, following Quatre with his eyes as the other disconnected his laptop from the projection device and placed it inside his bag.
"What, you mean call attention to you in an audience of 400 people?" Quatre asked, winking at him as he rolled his sleeves down and buttoned them.
"What else?"
"Let's just call it payback for trying to embarrass me in front of said crowd."
"You didn't experience any form of embarrassment. I did. Besides, you were able to answer my question."
"Too bad. You lost this round."
"It's too obvious you enjoyed that little stunt," Trowa said and then looked away. So, he did lose. He won't do so easily the next time.
"Stop sulking you big baby," Quatre said. "Are you going to keep sitting there or do you want to leave already."
Trowa stood up and followed him. Quatre apparently knew where to go because he opened a door and just like magic, they were outside of the building. Trowa followed him out and noticed that Quatre was walking toward a vehicle, possibly his.
"How many cars do you have?" he asked as Quatre lifted the strap of the laptop bag secured across his chest and placed it inside the trunk of the car.
"Two."
"Just two?"
"Yup. Just two. Do me a favor and knot this tie, will you?"
He took the tie but first looked at it and then at Quatre. Quatre seemed to notice his inquiry as he was buttoning up his shirt.
"What, do I have something on my face?"
"Winnie the Pooh?" Trowa asked, starting to knot the tie.
"It's from my niece. She spends her allowance buying me ties. I'd be a jerk not to wear them."
"Oh," Trowa responded, pulling the front end of the tie down and lifting it out of his neck to hand to Quatre. "It's... charming."
"Thanks," Quatre said and then secured the tie around his neck. He entered his vehicle and then looked up at Trowa. "You going back to work?" he asked.
"I got the rest of the day off," he answered.
"Good, then you're joining me for lunch. Hop in," Quatre said immediately and then put on his sunglasses.
"Uh..."
"What do you think about Thai food? I know a great place. Are you going to get in or will I have to haul your ass in here?"
"Yes, yes," Trowa answered, opening the door and making himself comfortable inside. "Why are you always in a hurry?"
"Hectic schedule," Quatre answered and then stepped on the gas. Not long after, they were already on the road. Trowa made it a point to watch him closely. Maybe, just maybe he could find the answers to all his questions.
"Trowa, stop staring at me. If you want to say something, just say it. I won't bite your head off."
"I figured it out... the side-effects, I mean."
Quatre smiled, looking both relieved and satisfied. That caused Trowa to watch him more closely than he already was.
"You are one smart guy," Quatre said. "You're so smart you're saving me a lot of grief. Have I told you how much I love you?"
Trowa looked at him, interested at the implications he knew were only in his mind. There was no harm in playing with him a little.
"No," he answered. "And I'd appreciate it if you told me how much."
Quatre laughed in response to his straightforward reply. It wasn't everyday that he had the guts to say such things. He was obviously starting to get comfortable around Quatre.
"Cute, very cute Trowa. Coming from somebody else, that would've been so lame. I have to wonder sometimes why an honest sweetheart like you would be interested in a crook like me."
Trowa had to ask himself the same question. Just why was he so infatuated with him anyway? Come to think of it, he was becoming an accessory to a thief and he could have been providing some thugs illegal drugs for all he knew. There was just something there, something important to find out.
He looked at Quatre, eyes on the road but still with the amused smile as he drove on. There was one thing that tugged at the back of his mind. Who was Quatre exactly and what was the truth behind it all?