dexterity?”
The cat thing, by now on the seat of the chair, flung itself toward the kitchen counter, grabbed it at the edge, and deftly pulled itself up.
“Some,” Holloway said.
“Do you know how unusual this creature is, Jack?” Isabel said.
“I’m getting the idea,” Holloway said. The cat thing had by now reached its destination, which was the plastic bell Holloway kept his fruit under. Holloway maneuvered himself out of his sleeping alcove and walked toward his kitchen. “It sounds like you’re pretty excited about it, at least.”
“I am,” Isabel said. “A new, large mammal like this in a faunasphere that’s primarily reptilian in nature is a significant find. Really significant. It just doesn’t happen that often.”
“Looks like you finally hit your big score,” Holloway said, intentionally echoing the words Isabel used with him the last time they’d seen each other. He’d reached the kitchen. The cat thing was looking at him, and then looking at the fruit bell, as if to say, Get that for me, would you .
“No,” Isabel said. She hadn’t noticed Holloway’s choice of words. “No offense, Jack, but your security camera video could easily be faked.”
“I didn’t fake it,” Jack said. He lifted the bell off the fruit.
“I know you didn’t,” Isabel said. “That’s not what I’m saying. What I’m saying is I can’t use it as evidence or proof. Video is too easy to tamper with or change. This isn’t a secure-grade recording. If I submitted this as evidence, I’d get laughed at.”
The cat thing reached into the fruit plate and lifted out the bindi, using both hands. “So what are you saying?” Holloway asked.
“Jack, do you think the creature is still in the area?” Isabel asked. “Somewhere close by, I mean.”
The cat thing walked the bindi over to Holloway and set it down in front of him.
“Probably,” Holloway said.
“I want to come out,” Isabel said.
“Excuse me?” Holloway said. This statement distracted him completely away from the cat thing. “For a second there it sounded like you actually said you wanted to come out here.”
“Yes,” Isabel said.
“You,” Holloway said. “Out here . Near me .”
Isabel sighed. “Jack,” she began.
“Wait, scratch that,” Holloway said. “Not near me. With me. Because you’d have to stay with me. Unless you fancied camping with the raptors.”
“Are you enjoying yourself, Jack?” Isabel said.
“Maybe,” Holloway said.
The cat thing reached over and poked Holloway in the side to get his attention. Holloway looked over. What? He mouthed silently to the creature.
The cat thing lifted the bindi again and set it down again, and then looked at Holloway with a look that betrayed impatience. Holloway suddenly remembered that the last time he’d given the thing some bindi, he’d sliced up the fruit. The animal was waiting for its slices.
“Pushy thing, aren’t you,” Holloway said. He reached into his drawer to retrieve a knife.
“I thought you might want to help me, Jack,” Isabel said. “Considering you gave me the video in the first place.”
Holloway realized Isabel thought that last comment was directed at her. “Sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean that the way you took it.” He set down the infopanel and reached for the bindi.
“Look, Jack,” Isabel said. “I know we ended things badly, and I know you’re still upset with me about it. And I admit I didn’t help things at the end. But I thought we’d gotten over that enough that we can be friends. Actual friends, as opposed to the ‘polite in public’ sort of friends. Right? So I’m asking you as a friend if you’ll help me out with this.”
“As a friend,” Jack said. He quartered the bindi and offered the cat thing a slice, then set the rest of the fruit on the counter and washed his hands in the sink. The cat thing watched and seemed fascinated by the faucet.
“If it’s not too much to ask,” Isabel said.
The cat thing, by now on the seat of the chair, flung itself toward the kitchen counter, grabbed it at the edge, and deftly pulled itself up.
“Some,” Holloway said.
“Do you know how unusual this creature is, Jack?” Isabel said.
“I’m getting the idea,” Holloway said. The cat thing had by now reached its destination, which was the plastic bell Holloway kept his fruit under. Holloway maneuvered himself out of his sleeping alcove and walked toward his kitchen. “It sounds like you’re pretty excited about it, at least.”
“I am,” Isabel said. “A new, large mammal like this in a faunasphere that’s primarily reptilian in nature is a significant find. Really significant. It just doesn’t happen that often.”
“Looks like you finally hit your big score,” Holloway said, intentionally echoing the words Isabel used with him the last time they’d seen each other. He’d reached the kitchen. The cat thing was looking at him, and then looking at the fruit bell, as if to say, Get that for me, would you .
“No,” Isabel said. She hadn’t noticed Holloway’s choice of words. “No offense, Jack, but your security camera video could easily be faked.”
“I didn’t fake it,” Jack said. He lifted the bell off the fruit.
“I know you didn’t,” Isabel said. “That’s not what I’m saying. What I’m saying is I can’t use it as evidence or proof. Video is too easy to tamper with or change. This isn’t a secure-grade recording. If I submitted this as evidence, I’d get laughed at.”
The cat thing reached into the fruit plate and lifted out the bindi, using both hands. “So what are you saying?” Holloway asked.
“Jack, do you think the creature is still in the area?” Isabel asked. “Somewhere close by, I mean.”
The cat thing walked the bindi over to Holloway and set it down in front of him.
“Probably,” Holloway said.
“I want to come out,” Isabel said.
“Excuse me?” Holloway said. This statement distracted him completely away from the cat thing. “For a second there it sounded like you actually said you wanted to come out here.”
“Yes,” Isabel said.
“You,” Holloway said. “Out here . Near me .”
Isabel sighed. “Jack,” she began.
“Wait, scratch that,” Holloway said. “Not near me. With me. Because you’d have to stay with me. Unless you fancied camping with the raptors.”
“Are you enjoying yourself, Jack?” Isabel said.
“Maybe,” Holloway said.
The cat thing reached over and poked Holloway in the side to get his attention. Holloway looked over. What? He mouthed silently to the creature.
The cat thing lifted the bindi again and set it down again, and then looked at Holloway with a look that betrayed impatience. Holloway suddenly remembered that the last time he’d given the thing some bindi, he’d sliced up the fruit. The animal was waiting for its slices.
“Pushy thing, aren’t you,” Holloway said. He reached into his drawer to retrieve a knife.
“I thought you might want to help me, Jack,” Isabel said. “Considering you gave me the video in the first place.”
Holloway realized Isabel thought that last comment was directed at her. “Sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean that the way you took it.” He set down the infopanel and reached for the bindi.
“Look, Jack,” Isabel said. “I know we ended things badly, and I know you’re still upset with me about it. And I admit I didn’t help things at the end. But I thought we’d gotten over that enough that we can be friends. Actual friends, as opposed to the ‘polite in public’ sort of friends. Right? So I’m asking you as a friend if you’ll help me out with this.”
“As a friend,” Jack said. He quartered the bindi and offered the cat thing a slice, then set the rest of the fruit on the counter and washed his hands in the sink. The cat thing watched and seemed fascinated by the faucet.
“If it’s not too much to ask,” Isabel said.
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