She did things with switches and buttons for a moment and then brought a sheet from a delivery chute. “Do you want me to read it to you, sir?”
“No, I’ll scan it,” Larry said.
Her face faded to be replaced by the brief on Ernest Self.
It was astonishingly short. Records seemed to have slipped up on this occasion. A rare occurrence. He considered requesting the full dossier, then changed his mind. Instead he dialed the number of the Sun-Post and asked for its science columnist.
Sam Sokolski’s puffy face eventually faded in.
Larry said to him sourly, “You drink too much. You can begin to see the veins breaking in your nose.”
Sam looked at him patiently.
Larry said, “How’d you like to come over and toss back a few tonight?”
“I’m working. I thought you were on vacation.”
Larry sighed.
