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306 lines
6.3 KiB
Text
306 lines
6.3 KiB
Text
.LP
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.ce
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.ps 16
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.CW
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IMPRESSIVELY ARTICULATE
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.R
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.ps 8
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.CW
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tags: 1989, 1990, christopher, eva_bright, john_ratcliff, ken_thompson, piro, tab1, tab2
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.R
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.ps 10
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.br
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.ce
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.ps 10
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.B 1
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.PP
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.ps 10
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The Chrysler Building. New York. 1989.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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New Year's Eve.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"I'd like to propose a thought experiment for anti\-Evolution
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Creationists: Suppose God created the 4\-D space/time football six
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thousand years ago."
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"Complete with billions of years of real history?"
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"Exactly."
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"Are you suggesting this would bypass their objections to
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evolutionary theory?"
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"I'm suggesting it would confuse them."
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.ce
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.ps 10
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.B 2
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"Here you are, doing the Devil's work."
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.PP
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.ps 10
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Super\-Sonic. John Ratcliff. White Male wearing tattered jeans and a
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gray sweater. Acclaimed poet. Enforcer.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"The Devil can cite Scripture for his own purpose. I'm merely
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speculating on possible angles of attack."
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.PP
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.ps 10
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The Raven. Christopher. No last name on record. African\-American
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vigilante. Black T\-shirt with slogan in white News Gothic:
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.CW
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.ps 8
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Impressively Articulate
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.R
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"I'd really like to hear what my father would have to say about all
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this."
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.PP
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.ps 10
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Sonic Boom. Ken Thompson. Not that Ken Thompson. Asian\-American
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speedster. Green polo shirt. Jeans.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"You're drowning in rhetoric," John observed. "Argumentation is not
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the best weapon against these types."
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"Stipulated," allowed Christopher.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"You guys are too cynical."
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.PP
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.ps 10
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In unison: "Shut up, Ken."
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.ce
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.ps 10
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.B 3
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"Brothers, please. Decorum."
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.PP
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.ps 10
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Actron. Thomas Bright. White male. Ostensible leader of the Actron
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Team. Blue cotton button down shirt with black silk tie. Thomas brushed
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aside the disturbance and poured himself a glass of water from the
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fridge. Ken popped up the collar of his polo shirt and leaned back into
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his seat.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"I don't mind, really. My ideas are still forming."
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"Shut up, Ken," said Thomas.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"Enough of this dick party. We need a woman's opinion. Where's
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Eva?"
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.PP
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.ps 10
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Christopher pushed his chair away from the table and stood up. He
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made eye contact with John before vacating the room.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"Nevermore," he rasped, sarcastically, and left.
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.ce
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.ps 10
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.B 4
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"What's his problem?" asked Ken.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"They're not getting along," said Thomas, stating the obvious.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"Seriously though," continued John, "Where is she? We were
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discussing this just last week. I know she has something to contribute,
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but I don't want to speak for her. I want to hear her explain it
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herself."
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.PP
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.ps 10
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Thomas gestured with his glass, spilling a small amount of water
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onto the kitchen floor. "I think she's on the phone with Los Angeles."
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.ce
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.ps 10
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.B 5
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"Yeah, let's not tell him I called," Piro wheezed into his
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mouthpiece, still catching his breath. "I don't think we need to bother
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him with every detail of the operation."
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"Fine with me. You take care of yourself out there. From what I
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understand, L.A. is starting to..."
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"Yeah, L.A. is."
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.PP
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.ps 10
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Eva clicked her phone shut and crushed her cigarette in the
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retractable ashtray. She wondered when it would be possible to move her
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corporation away from the cocaine trade. Recent developments in
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domestic politics were making it difficult to keep her agents' names
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out of the news. She sighed, then drew the blinds in her office and
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made her way to the kitchen.
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.ce
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.ps 10
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.B 6
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"Why did economists not do a better job of anticipating the
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crisis?"
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"Tom, it's just not that simple."
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"You always say that."
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"The causal mechanism behind growth and decline is not fully
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understood. All known models are essentially useless."
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"You always say that, too."
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"I don't know what else to tell you."
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"Well, tell me something. Tell me anything. I need answers."
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.PP
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.ps 10
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John rolled his eyes.
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.ce
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.ps 10
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.B 7
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"What are you guys talking about?"
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.PP
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.ps 10
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Eva sat down at the kitchen table and dealt a hand of cards.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"This and that," said Thomas, picking up his cards and inspecting
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his hand.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"Christopher was going on about Creationists. Then he got mad and
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left."
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"Shut up, Ken," said Eva.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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Ken fumed silently. John remained silent for an appropriate
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interval and then picked up the dangling thread.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"Our Chris has an antagonistic bent. I suggested we should hear
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your side of the story. That was too much for him to bear."
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"It's not like I would have defended the Creationists," said Eva.
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"But I would have been fair."
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"Exactly," smiled John.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"Whatever. Christopher is really focused on this issue. I'm sure it
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will come up again."
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"It's inevitable," sighed John.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"By design," added Ken, and this time no one bothered to correct
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him.
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.ce
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.ps 10
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.B 8
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.PP
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.ps 10
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Thomas' luck was infuriating to his teammates. He won every hand
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but didn't even understand the game.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"I'll just take this one out of your paychecks," he said.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"Your poker record is truly remarkable," started John,
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"Considering we have to remind you of the rules every time we play."
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"What's to remark? The fruits of a superior motivation."
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"Also known as the Will to Power. Tell us, just what lengths are
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you willing to go to in order to achieve your goals?"
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"Not funny. Just a fact. Besides, I've moved on from Nietzsche."
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"There are no facts. And no one moves on from Nietzsche. We've
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caught you before. I suspect you've found a new way to cheat."
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"All right, I feel stupid," admitted Thomas. "I don't know what to
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say."
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.PP
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.ps 10
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John relaxed his posture, enjoying the easy victory. "I'll give you
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a few seconds to come up with a story."
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"Fuck," said Thomas.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"All right boys," interrupted Eva, scooping up her playing cards
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and returning them to the deck. "Let's keep it PG\-13."
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"Mom, he's cheating!" cried John. "Punish him!"
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"No, I'm serious. You're all fired," Thomas said, and left the
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room. No one was sure if he was serious.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"And that settles that," said Ken.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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Eva's phone rang as the clock turned over into 1990.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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She switched off the ringer.
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