It was amazing what a little fresh air and some good food could do. She almost felt human again, and felt a little more ready to tackle the challenges facing her. There were plenty of them. Foremost was how to keep Darien from using quicksilver.
Claire's cell phone chirped from her bag. Her mind was on other things when she answered. The voice on the other end brought her back in a hurry!
"Hi, it's Mark. Listen, when you said even one vial would help, did you mean it?"
She froze in her tracks, Hobbes coming to a halt a pace ahead of her and turning in concern.
"Is it Eberts? Is something wrong with Fawkes?"
She waved him away, covered her other ear with her hand to shut out the traffic noise of the busy street.
"Absolutely! But how --"
"They're testing out the equipment, making sure all the bugs are out. They ran a test batch, and I was able to snag a leftover vial. Do you still want it?"
"Do I ever!" Then she thought again. "Are you sure it's any good?"
"They're still testing the other samples, but nothing's turned up so far. They'll be done in a few hours, want me to call back then?"
"Yeah, that's -- no, wait! Can you bring that vial by now? I'm short on time, and I'd rather start processing it and have to throw out the results, than not start and lose more time."
"If you're sure...."
"Yes, I'm sure! Please, Mark, it would be a really big favor."
"I'll be there in an hour."
Claire closed the phone thoughtfully, looking up at Hobbes with new hope in her eyes.
"Keep, was that what it sounded like from this end? You got some of this stuff you've been breaking your back to make, just fall into your lap?"
She started back towards the Keep briskly. "It's only one vial. It won't make enough counteragent for a full injection, but it'll buy us some time!"
"Like, maybe, time enough to finish making what you're cooking up in the basement?"
"Maybe. Maybe." She tapped the cell phone against her leg as she walked. "I'll have to keep going with this, plus start a small batch of counteragent, have both processes going at once. The timing's going to be a bitch...."
When her cell phone rang again she almost dropped it. She flipped it open cautiously, afraid it would be Mark again, saying there was a problem with the test batch after all.
"Eberts, what's happened? Is Darien alright?"
Hobbes waited impatiently again, listening to only one side of a conversation that he knew concerned his partner.
"What??? Of all the-- what did he say?"
"Well, we may not need him after all. But I won't know for sure for a little while yet. You let me know the second he calls back!"
She closed the cell phone much more firmly this time, with a snap that made Hobbes wince.
"Arnaud just called," Claire told him.
Both looking much more grim, they entered the Agency building, heading for the observation room.
Claire's cell phone chirped from her bag. Her mind was on other things when she answered. The voice on the other end brought her back in a hurry!
"Hi, it's Mark. Listen, when you said even one vial would help, did you mean it?"
She froze in her tracks, Hobbes coming to a halt a pace ahead of her and turning in concern.
"Is it Eberts? Is something wrong with Fawkes?"
She waved him away, covered her other ear with her hand to shut out the traffic noise of the busy street.
"Absolutely! But how --"
"They're testing out the equipment, making sure all the bugs are out. They ran a test batch, and I was able to snag a leftover vial. Do you still want it?"
"Do I ever!" Then she thought again. "Are you sure it's any good?"
"They're still testing the other samples, but nothing's turned up so far. They'll be done in a few hours, want me to call back then?"
"Yeah, that's -- no, wait! Can you bring that vial by now? I'm short on time, and I'd rather start processing it and have to throw out the results, than not start and lose more time."
"If you're sure...."
"Yes, I'm sure! Please, Mark, it would be a really big favor."
"I'll be there in an hour."
Claire closed the phone thoughtfully, looking up at Hobbes with new hope in her eyes.
"Keep, was that what it sounded like from this end? You got some of this stuff you've been breaking your back to make, just fall into your lap?"
She started back towards the Keep briskly. "It's only one vial. It won't make enough counteragent for a full injection, but it'll buy us some time!"
"Like, maybe, time enough to finish making what you're cooking up in the basement?"
"Maybe. Maybe." She tapped the cell phone against her leg as she walked. "I'll have to keep going with this, plus start a small batch of counteragent, have both processes going at once. The timing's going to be a bitch...."
When her cell phone rang again she almost dropped it. She flipped it open cautiously, afraid it would be Mark again, saying there was a problem with the test batch after all.
"Eberts, what's happened? Is Darien alright?"
Hobbes waited impatiently again, listening to only one side of a conversation that he knew concerned his partner.
"What??? Of all the-- what did he say?"
"Well, we may not need him after all. But I won't know for sure for a little while yet. You let me know the second he calls back!"
She closed the cell phone much more firmly this time, with a snap that made Hobbes wince.
"Arnaud just called," Claire told him.
Both looking much more grim, they entered the Agency building, heading for the observation room.