APPEARANCES


"Mine has a pierced nose."  Grant hid his smirk by glancing down to
adjust the cufflinks at his right wrist.

Richards sniffed, fiddled with his lapels, and enunciated with a hint
of emphasis on the first word, "Mine has blue hair."

Grant just shook his head and glanced over at their host.  "What about
you, Anderson?"

The man in question smoothed down his already perfect silvered
coiffure and glanced around.  Down the hall, his eyes caught something
and he smiled, triumphant but nervous.  "Well, here she comes now."

A woman in jeans and a rumpled, untucked white button-down shirt
approached.  She was deep in conversation with her companion, a tall
man with longish hair pulled back, wearing jeans and an ADMINSPOTTING 
t-shirt.

When she was within range, Anderson cleared his throat and said,
"How's it going, Watson?"

The pair stared at him for a long moment.  Then, with a brief glance
at the companions, the young man murmured, "I say there, Watson, I do
believe the local fauna spoke to you."

Watson waved away his comment and spared him a pleading look.  "Don't
tease, Charles, you know how long I've been trying to prove
intelligence in this species."  She turned back to Anderson, "C'mon
now lad, tell a joke, eh?  Prove to my doubting Thomas here that
you're capable of independent thought."

Anderson blinked, looking almost sleepy and Watson just shook her
head.  "Another false trail.  Again my hopes are dashed.  Come along
Charles - you were telling me about that new attack signature you've
identified."

Charles nodded, "Yes, quite."

As they walked away, Grant and Richards stared, their mouths opening
and closing.  They look not unlike fish, Anderson reflected privately
as the other two moved out of earshot.

Aloud he said, "Mine has attitude."

--
Kelly J. Cooper
2 September 1999