instant, off-hand reaction to a new product. But short of creating a race of human guinea pigs you can raise in a box, how do you achieve this?
Munroe and Yamaguchi returned to the station. She was going to call the man who owned the building and see if she could find information about who rented it. He was going to contact the church where Miller and Johnson were to meet. Once they got there, however, Munroe found a message to call the deputy chief.
He called the chief using the terminal, deciding to take the message literally.
“Clemens,” the chief answered.
“It’s Munroe. You wanted me to call.”
“Oh, hello. Damn creepy when you call on the phone. You sound Norwegian.”
“Yeah, I get that a lot.”
“Is that what she hears when you talk to her?”
“Yes. Well, maybe. The terminal might use a different voice than her portable. I wouldn’t know.”
“Where is she?”
“She’s on the phone. Should I …”
“No, that’s OK. So you went on a ride along with the fire department.”
“Uh, yeah. I thought it was understood that other departments could call on me if needed. And I was off duty last night.”
“As soon as they get their disembodied firefighter, you’re not to respond to any requests for help unless it comes through me.”
“Except for an emergency, of course,” Munroe added.
“Well naturally. No, you did the right thing last night. Look, I don’t want to get on your case, but I got your email about helping the FD with their new firefighter. The budget’s tight and I don’t want them thinking we can bail them out. Let’s just make sure that things go through me; don’t initiate things on your own.
“The FD’s paying the price for being slow to catch onto the idea of hiring the dead. So we’re not going to spread our resources thin just to help them out.”
“OK.”
“Look, we’re going to meet after the New Year on this. We’ve got some changes coming up on how we’re going to use you and Linda, and I think you’re going to like it. Don’t go rocking the boat ’til then.”
Clemens hung up and Munroe was left musing the implications of the conversation when Yamaguchi said, “Alex, I talked to his … oh, are you on the phone?” she asked when she saw his monitor displayed the telephone interface.
“No, I just got off the phone with Clemens.”
“What did he want?”
“I just got … well not really chewed out for working with the FD, but told to cool it.”
“You’re kidding? I thought that was OK?”
“Not now that they’re going to get their own disembodied personnel. Actually, it was kind of confusing. Apparently they’re planning some changes for us after the New Year.”
“Would have been nice if they’d told us.”
“I guess this was their way of doing that. Heavy sigh.” Munroe said. “Anyway, what were you saying?”
“I talked to Yamata’s secretary and we can call him back in an hour.”
“Who’s … oh, the guy who owns the building. OK, let me try and get someone at the church first.”
“Actually, Alex, give me the details and I’ll call.”
“Why?”
“You know — church, religion, you being dead — not a good mix.”
“What, now I’m the anti-Christ?” he asked, but gave in to her suggestion. He told her about Cheryl Miller and Sgt. Johnson and the church where they were supposed to have met. She looked up the number of the church while Munroe returned to his email and found another message from Rybold.
From: (Bill Rybold)
[email protected]To:
[email protected]Subject: Still haven’t heard from you
Date: December 21, 2004 2:11 p.m. MST
Dear Alex,
You’re not going to keep me waiting are you? My secretary says you haven’t called. I know the holidays aren’t good for trying to arrange a meeting.
Speaking of the holidays, I’ve invited many of us dead to a Christmas Day thing at my house. There will also be many living friends as well. So if you and your partner find yourselves at loose ends, feel free to stop by anytime and stay as long as you like.
No strings attached to this offer.
Bill
Munroe stared at the email for a little while and wondered what to make of it. If I mention this to Linda, for damn sure she’ll start making jokes about Rybold making a play for me. Munroe was genuinely puzzled. Never a man who made friends easily, he was just homophobic enough to be suspicious of men who did. Then he remembered he was dead and that it really didn’t matter.
He also
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