truly appreciate that, Jason. Now let me get the ball rolling here; I'd like to be able to run all the discoveries past you pronto so that we can get publishing soon."
"By all means. Thank you, Mandy. Take care."
"Ta." She hung up.
"Smarter than many," Kafan said. "I guess she decided if she was going to trust you at all, she had to figure you knew what you were talking about."
"It is rude to eavesdrop, Kafan," Verne said mildly.
"You heard it too," Kafan retorted.
"Well, yes, but a gentleman doesn't admit to overhearing things not meant for his own ears. I agree with your assessment; a woman of uncommon good sense. She recognized Jason as trustworthy, and thus no matter how outrageous the subject area, he was worth paying heed to."
"So you people think this will work?" I asked.
Verne gave a seesawing motion of his hand. "It is far better than nothing. She will still be running grave risks, but this approach may keep her and her people alive, or at least give them sufficient warning to know when they are, in fact, at risk of death or worse. And it is a far, far better thing that we have direct contact with those who may be uncovering traces of the past than that someone we know nothing of be doing the digging."
"Well then," Jeri said, getting up, "since that's pretty much taken care of, I'll be off to file a report and recommend that it be marked closed on our files."
"I shall show you out, Lady Jeri," Morgan said, and the two left.
"So, will you continue your honeymoon?" Verne asked.
We laughed. "Eventually, sure," I said. "Not that being home means it has to stop." I grinned lecherously at Syl, who poked me in one of my still very sore ribs. "Ow! In any case, there's lots for me to do here."
"And we can do it with less to fear, now," Syl said.
"Indeed. Again, Jason, I thank you. By good fortune and wise choices, you have lifted what was in truth a burden