<P>For a moment, Dominic smiled softly. He stated, with complete certainty: "We are going to get passes to your labs."
<P>
<P>Hundly stared at him with confusion. Sweat gathered in his thick, black moustache, and he slicked back his hair with one hand. "Oh? You are?"
<P>
<P>"Absolutely."
<P>
<P>"And how will you do this?"
<P>
<P>"You will give them to me."
<P>
<P>Hundly made a dissmissive gesture. "That is absurd..."
<P>
<P>Dominic, in an unexpectedly swift movement, stepped forward, and grabbed the swaggering fool by the front of his suit jacket; Hundly made a frantic attempt to push himself loose, but Bishop pinned him against the wall. Then they were still. Hundly again squirmed in an attempt to shake himself loose, which was an awkward failure, and he swore. Again they were still.
<P>
<P>Hundly found it necessary to laugh. "Is this some kind of threat?"
<P>
<P>"No, I'm not going to kill you," Dominic said, shaking his head with amusement. "Or even hurt you. I don't have any reason to hurt you. That doesn't mean I couldn't. In fact, I could level this entire building. I see by the disgusting look on your face that you don't care, or that you think you're going to call security in a few moments, and have this idiot before you removed. I can assure you that's not going to happen."
<P>
<P>He drew a knife. It shimmered cleanly. For a moment Hundly watched it fixedly, and then Dom handed it to him. He stared at it stupidly.
<P>
<P>"Stab me with that," Dominic commanded. "Go on. There's no one on this level." Indeed there was not. Each dark cubicle lacked its occupant. The two men were hidden from view of the lower floor. Jess stood in a doorway several yards away; For a moment Hundly's existence seemed to dwell in the distorted reflections of the tiles beneath his feet.