Derrence had to laugh at that. He was confused, and through the confusion a strange new fear was growing, but still he had to laugh. "To put it mildly," he said, and walked away.
He returned to the office without waiting for Tzadi. Mercy was at her desk, typing one of his memos. She glanced up and smiled. "Nice lunch, Mr. Cale?"
He stopped. He looked at her; looked hard. "Yes."
She met his gaze, eyes puzzled.
What in the world could she have on Tzadi to make him want her dead?
"An interesting lunch, too, Mercy. I ate with your old friend, Edwin Tzadi."
She dropped her eyes. "My old friend? I met him today, as you did, Mr. Cale. Did he ... did he say different?"
"Yes, he said different."
Her head stayed down. "What ... what did he say?"
"He said you were his enemy, and my enemy." And he knew this was wrong. He was warning her, bringing the moment of his dismissal closer by seven days.