"You can't do that, she's just five!" Why is the man so mad at Daddy? Until now, no one ever dared to yell at Giulia's father. She is sitting on the hallway outside the office. She doesn't dare to listen at the door, but the men are loud enough so she is able to remain sitting on the chair and swinging her legs which are too short to touch the floor.
"C'mon Johnson, the others aren't much older. Her mother has completely effeminate the girl, if you won't train her she'll never become a good agent."
"She is a five year old girl and not a machine. I've already told you that I won't train anyone under eight years here. Why haven't you left her to her mother?"
The response from her father is too slight for Giulia so she can't understand it. Johnson also remains quiet, ...but on the way he is speaking she can hear that he has every effort to keep himself under control. "If you're doing everything to quench your misguided ambition, then bring her to Al in the Academy, where she is better off."
Like the proposal was just a bad joke Daddy is snorting : "I would never bring my own daughter to this hippie or worse: To Chevalier." He spits the last name like it would leave a nasty off-flavors on his tongue. "I don't know what happened between you and the Chevaliers, but I don't support you harming your daughter." The conversation would be completed for Johnson, but someone like Daddy can't be swayed. "Well, then I train her."
The silence that follows is scary now. "You really want to blackmail me?"
"You know that I have more information about you than it is good to you, Johnson."
Johnson is hesitating, then sighs. "I'm not doing this for you, it's for your daughter. No child in the world deserves such a father like you .Giulia, would you come in, please?" After what she has heard the girl would rather stay sitting on her chair, but she gets up her courage and determined enters the office. Johnson is smiling kindly and kneels down at her then he is saying :"So you are Giulia. Don't worry, I won't hurt you. You're five, aren't you?"
Giulia says nothing, but nods. "You're as old as my daughter, Maya. Now you'll stay here for a while, maybe you'll be friend." A friend? Giulia never had one and she doesn't know if she wants it all. Hesitantly, she looks at her father, but he is already about to leave the office. He just goes out of the door, as Johnson calls him back. "Don't think that you've won. I'll only train her when she is ready."