"I've never heard Midas utter a single word of concern for his dear son!" Barker blasted vehemently. The polished veneer of Brad's composure cracked. For an instant a fiendish face was revealed. The chair-bound cripple recoiled. The mask had resealed into a seraphic sheen in an instant. The demonic doctor added in the lilting tone of an angel, "However . . ."
"H-However?" Visibly shaken, Spiritus stammered the echoing inquiry. Brad smiled malevolently at the spirit's unnerved flash of fear.
"However," Brad repeated insouciantly. "Your interpretation is quite probable if King's motive was strictly revenge. Whoever unleashed that explosion attacked a remote outpost of the mighty Midas Empire. I'm sure the king would never let such an insurrection go unpunished."
"Whatever the reason, Brad, the detective is there. What are we going to do? How do you want to fix this time-zone problem?"
Barker took time to weigh the issues before firmly announcing his decision, "We won't!"
"What? Why?"
"Look, Spiritus, we made one mistake. We made a second mistake by covering the first one without considering every contingency. So now we'll divide, distract, and diffuse."
"I'm afraid I don't follow."
"First, we'll simply allow the time zone snafu to become another one of those unexplained anomalies that are so common in the world of computers."
"Not to me!"
"No, but as you so often point out, my two technicians are not you!" Sir Spiritus seemed pleased with Brad's concession. "I think it's best to separate those two, so they can't discuss this morning's events at length and then keep them distracted."
"What about Loneshark's leverage over Dorky?"
"I will diffuse the detective's hold on Dorky. Dweeb will be gratefully indebted to me. I'll soon have Mr. Dorky back here eating out of my hand."
"How?"
"Watch this!" The master manipulator pulled his regular cell phone from his coat pocket and speed-dialed. Vice President Bufford Shoeshiner's desk phone rang. He answered. "Mr. Vice President, Brad Barker here, how are you?"
"Splendid! I was going to call you with my congratulations on that wonderful program. I decided I would wait for everyone to return and tell all of you in person what an incredible job I thought you did."
"Thank you, sir! I'm calling to ask for your opinion. If that opinion is positive, I want to ask for your cooperation on a new idea."
"Go ahead, Brad."
