Quoted By:
>God mode
You hate to agree with Lucky, but it's not as though Arledge is much better. "Yeah, we can't twiddle our thumbs! What if the guy murders somebody else while the funeral's happening? Then we'll have to have two funerals, and then the guy can kill two <span class="mu-i">more</span> people, and we'll have to have four funerals, and—"
"Got the picture," Arledge says shortly. "But I'm not so sure about that. This wasn't indiscriminate— this was to make a <span class="mu-i">point.</span> And with the point wholly made..."
"Then he could make two points!" you counter. "And then four points, and eight points—"
Lucky raises his hand. "Ms. Fawkins agrees. That's two to one, Mr. Graves."
"Gil hasn't given his input," Arledge says.
"Mr. Wallace has voluntarily removed himself from the proceedings. If he would've liked to give his input, he could have joined us. Now, as far as leaving goes—"
First off: Mr. Wallace? Where'd Lucky pick up the last name? (Is it part of his special security person knowledge?) Second: "Hold on, I never said we were leaving yet! Don't we have to stop the murderer first? So he doesn't go around... murdering more people? That's what I said? Was I not—"
Lucky's face sets. "The <span class="mu-i">fictional</span> murderer, Ms. Fawkins?"
"Y- yes?" Is he <span class="mu-i">complaining?</span> "It's your entire job! I mean, <span class="mu-i">both</span> of your entire jobs! Out of here <span class="mu-i">and</span> in—"
"My entire job," Lucky says coolly, "is to defend ordinary people from the forces of the unnatural. Not to defend the forces of the unnatural from the forces of the unnatural."
"These are ordinary people, Dib. As I understand it they just happen to be—"
"Dead? I'm aware. Life after death is unnatural, <span class="mu-i">Arledge,</span> and furthermore the deceased should not take precedence over a living person in danger. Or have you forgotten about Ms. Fitzpatrick? The <span class="mu-i">entire purpose</span> for—?"
"We're under time dilation. It won't make a practical difference." Arledge folds his arms. "Your cruelty is as needless as usual."
"My <span class="mu-i">cruelty?</span>"
Lucky has hunched and darkened, a little, and you skitter out in front of him before Arledge trips any more warning flags. (You've had plenty of experience with Richard in that regard.) "Ahem! So it sounds like it's a two-one again— right? Arledge? You think we should arrest the dastardly killer?"
"If a funeral is off the table, I have no qualms with that."
You nod vigorously. "Yup, two-one! And it's basically 2.5-.5, since you were investigating the body up there anyhow, Lucky—"
"I was determining if there was any threat posed to us," Lucky says. "There was not. That does <span class="mu-i">not</span> constitute my support of—"
"Basically 2.5-.5. And really 3.5-.5, since Gil always agrees with me, and 4.5-.5 if we throw Annie in there, and that rounds up to five, and bam! It's unanimous! I love it." You clap your hands together. "If only Annie were here to see..."
"Don't," Arledge says firmly.
(1/3?)
