the plot thickens!

[finaldiscussion]

"I will abide by your decision, of course. But tell me, why are you refusing to distribute this substance? Is it toxic, or a weapon?"

Strat picks up the napkin that Bar gives him by way of response.

He begins to chuckle.

Comments

[tribune_rat]

There is a man sitting next to Strat: a fellow with lightly pockmarked skin and deep shadows under his eyes, with a stub of pencil held thoughtfully between his teeth like a cigarette, and with a beer and a notebook open to a blank page in front of him.

This fellow is called Stanley Poole.

Stanley Poole is a nosy bugger.

"What's she uh, holdin' out on, buddy?"

He's got a New York accent of mid-20th-century vintage, if Strat can pinpoint it that well, and the uh sounds like a verbal tic rather than hesitation.

[finaldiscussion]

Oh, Strat can indeed pinpoint it that well.

"A drug called ADAM," he replies, folding the napkin in half and tucking it away into a pocket.

[tribune_rat]

Stan looks surprised for a moment; he'd not expected it to be something from his world. Heck, he hasn't heard the stuff mentioned since he set up residence here permanent. It's been a relief. Even after a decade of being clean, you still get... twinges.

But he recovers himself quickly - it's not all that improbable, after all - and a warning note creeps into his tone.

"There's a good reason for that, yannow."

[finaldiscussion]

"Which is?"

He knows Bar's take; now he wants this gentleman's. Data, data, data.