As much as she would have loved to pick his brain about the runes of unmaking, alchemy, magic in general, or any number of other topics that would certainly have undone his earlier praise for her showing a level of focus, Perfect realized that Prather was obviously struggling to hold in his yawning as the night wore on. He was an older gentleman, and obviously out of the habit of going out late at night.
“I guess it’s getting kind of late,” Perfect said diplomatically. “Maybe we should pick this up tomorrow?”
“Yes, I think tomorrow afternoon would be best,” Prather said.
“Are you staying in town as yourself?” Perfect asked. “If not, I have plenty of room here, and a chemistry lab downstairs that might surprise you in its completeness.”
“Thank you, but my accommodations have already been taken care of,” he said. “I have arranged for a suitably private lab space to be made availalble for myself in our local research center so that I can work on the Poisoned Dragons matter with our shadowy friend. I will, of course, be available for consultations about mystical matters for the duration of my stay, and as you know my public identity it will be no great task to reach me for further clarification once I’ve flown back west.”
“How long do you expect to be here?” Perfect asked.
“I hope to not be here long at all,” Prather said. “I did not expect to be here in the first place. I do have a business to run… some of which can be done from anywhere, but appearances do count for a great deal. I have rearranged some of my schedule in order to make the most of my relocation, and I now have business that will plausibly keep me here for one week.”
“If you have your own jet, couldn’t you fly back and forth?” Dani asked.
“My company has a jet to ensure my safety and to help me make the best use of my time when it’s necessary to travel,” Prather said. “Round trips back and forth across the country are not a prudent use of hours, or other resources.”
“Just a thought,” Dani said.
“Not that I disagree with you, Mr. Prather, but don’t you worry that getting enmeshed in business dealings on top of doing analysis for the Dock Shadow and helping me might just prolong your stay?” Perfect asked.
“Oh, it’s nothing too arduous,” Prather said. “The ingenious part is that I’ve tied my primary purpose in coming into my business. The Hermes facilities in Star Harbor are fairly recent acquisitions and are still not completely integrated with the rest of our operations. I’m officially here to observe them, to get to know the personnel, and to gain some hands-on experience with their work environment and corporate culture before we make any changes.”
“You want to get chummy with them before you pull out the hatchet?” Dani asked.
“Please, if I use anything, it will be a scalpel,” Prather said. “But that sort of suspicion is endemic in a situation where one company acquires another, which is why I feel this will be a fruitful use of my time. Other than that, I’ll simply be taking a few meals with some of the folks who backed the merger, and chasing a private meeting with a certain senator who has been admirably scrupulous in avoiding our paid lobbyists back in D.C.”
“Senator?” Perfect squeaked.
“Yes. The man’s clearly got a principled opposition to entanglements with ‘Big Pharma’, for which I can hardly fault him,” Prather said. “But as a man of intelligence as well as integrity, I’m sure I can convince him that our goals are not incompatible. I understand he’s expected in town over the next few days. I’ll let him know that I’ve come to meet him face to face, away from the hubbub of the capital city. If he’s as much a gentleman as I’ve been led to believe, I doubt very much he’ll be satisfied doing anything less than turning me down in person, which can be as good as giving a meeting.” He rose somewhat ponderously to his feet. “In any event, I thank you for your offer of hospitality, and I look forward to further discussions with your fascinating young mind. The Dock Shadow told me that you were called the Black Rabbit, but I wonder… as you know my secret identity, perhaps you wouldn’t mind dealing with me on an equal basis.”
“Perfect,” Perfect said.
“Oh! Please, if it’s too much of an intrusion…”
“No, that’s my name,” Perfect said. “Perfect… Smith.”
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