'Do you know where they are?'
'See Missah Moon.'
'They are with Mr. Moon now?'
'I have him call you back.'
'Ma'am, Mrs. Wong, are your husband and your son with Mr. Moon now?'
'I no understand. Call Missah Moon.'
David called Moon's office and was told Walter was in Personnel. Personnel told him the executives were in a meeting. 'Can you tell me if they have begun applying marks to new hires?'
'Not that I know of, but that is supposed to be today, and that is what the meeting is about.'
'Can you tell me if one of my candidates is there, ChangWong?'
'I believe I did see him and his father in here this morning with Mr. Moon.'
'Where are they now?'
'I have no idea. Would you like their room number? They're staying here at-'
'No, thanks. I really need to talk to Moon.'
'I told you, sir, he is in a meeting with Personnel execs.'
'It's an emergency.'
'So you say.'
'Ma'am, I am a director. Would you please interrupt the meeting and tell Mr. Moon I need to speak with him immediately.'
'No.'
'Excuse me?'
'I have been in trouble for just that kind of thing before. If it's that important, you may feel free to interrupt the meeting yourself.'
David slammed the phone down and jogged to Personnel. He found the conference room empty, then found the receptionist. She held him off with a raised hand as she handled another call.
'Ask them to hold a second,' he said. 'This is important.'
'Just a moment, please.'
'Thank you! Now, I-'
'I didn't put this call on hold to help you. I put them on hold to ask you to wait your turn.'
'But I-'
She held up a hand again and returned to her call. Another phone rang while she was finishing, and she went directly to it. David leaned across her desk and depressed the cradle button.
'Director Hassid! I'll report you for this!'
'You'd better get me fired before I get you fired,' he said. 'Now where is this meeting?'
'I don't know.'
'It's not here; where is it?'
'Off-site, obviously.'
'Where?'
'I honestly don't know, but my guess would be the basement of Building D.'
'That's a quarter mile from here! Why didn't you tell me it was there when you told me to interrupt it myself?'
'I didn't know you'd actually do it.'
Her phone rang again.
'Don't answer that.'
'It's my job.'
'Answer it and it'll be your job. Why would the meeting be in D?'
'I don't know that it is. I said it was a guess.'
'Why might it be there?'
'Because that's where they're setting up the loyalty mark application center.' And she answered her phone.
David slammed both palms on her desk, making her jump and then apologize to the caller. As he pushed through the door, she called after him in a singsong tone. 'Oh, Director Hassid! You might want to take this call. It's your assistant.'
He rushed back, only to get a condescending look. 'Like I'm going to let you use my phone.' She pointed to a phone on a table in the waiting area.
'This is David.'
'Hey. Just got a call from Walter Moon.'
'Where is he?'
'I'm sorry. He didn't say and I didn't think to ask. Want me to find him?'
'What did he want?'
'He said he would be delivering your 0900 appointment personally, that he and the candidate's father were most excited about your interest, you know the drill.'
'What was he doing with Moon this morning?'
'No idea, sir, but I'll find out if you want.'
'Find Moon and call me back on my cell.'
David hurried to Building D and found the basement cordoned off. He had to use every line in the book to talk his way past Security. When he was finally able to peek through the double doors that led into a huge meeting room, he got his first glimpse of the setup for applying the mark. Crowd-control barricades were arranged to funnel people to processing points and finally to the cubicles where the last of the injection guns were being plugged in and tested.
'What's all this for?' David asked a woman arranging chairs.
'Oh, come on, you know.'
'But why so big? I thought they were just doing new employees first.'
She shrugged. 'The rest of us will be next. Might as well have everything in place and tested, huh? I can't wait. This is the dream of a lifetime.'
'Have you seen Security Chief Moon this morning?'
'Actually he was here a while ago.'
'With anyone?'
'Couldn't tell you who. Some guys from Personnel, I know.'
'Anyone else?'
She nodded. 'I didn't pay attention, though.'
'Any idea where he is now?'
She shook her head. 'I suppose you've heard the rumors, though.'
'Tell me.'
She smiled. 'You poor managers miss the gossip, don't you?'
'We often do.'
'I figure you start most of it, or at least your decisions do.'
'Granted. What's the word this morning?'
'That Moon's in line for Supreme Commander.'
'You don't say.'
'I like him. I think he'd be good at it.'
David's cell phone vibrated and he excused himself. 'Moon's people now say he's in with Carpathia,' Tiffany said.
'Alone?'
'David, I'm sorry. I didn't ask. I'll find out whatever you want, but I have to know in advance what I'm looking for.'
'My fault. Did they happen to say whether Walter is still bringing Chang at 0900?'
'Yea! I know one! Yes.'
'Really?'
