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 "Today's
results for 1287456 aren't good." Walsh suppressed a yawn
and leaned against Sawyer's desk, studying the day's examination
results. "If he doesn't develop any faster, he's likely to
get sorted out."
Sawyer
sighed. "The new threshold values are too tight, Joe. A
simple setback or a short clash during combat can bring them near
it."
"I know."
Walsh ground his teeth. "But I have no influence over it."
He called the next file onto his readpad's screen and began
reading again. Something on Max's desk caught Joseph's eye. He
put the readpad down and looked more closely at the piece of
paper, which turned out to be a page torn out of a notebook.
"Since when do you draw?" he asked, taking it up. "That
beetle looks as if it's just running off the paper."
"That's
not mine." Sawyer looked up from his files. "I dropped
Shane's samples today and had him wait while I fixed the
apparatus again to take new ones."
"You
mean...?"
"Yep. It
took me quite a while to do the repairs, so I gave him paper and
pencil to keep him busy." Max nodded at the piece of paper.
"That's the result. Your boy's talented, Joe. Really
talented."
Walsh's hand
twitched, but he didn't crumple the drawing. "Leana's gift,"
he said in a faint, thoughtful voice. "You should've seen
the aquarels she made. Beautiful." He looked up. "I
never thought I'd find anything of her in him." His face
hardened. "Wolf Den won't leave any of it."
"Where
do you think he saw those beetles?" Sawyer asked,
discomforted by his friend's line of thought.
"Probably
the combat ground. There are a lot of bugs among the rocks."
Walsh held up the sheet. "May I keep it?"
"Sure."
Max shrugged and noticed with a smile that Joseph slipped the
tiny drawing into his wallet.
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