Chapter 27

"Well, I do see what you're saying, Kathryn, but do we really need to go that far?"

"That far? Keith, would you listen to yourself? There is far too much demand here for us not to do it!"

Keith was making his 'patient' face and I already wanted to thump him. "But we're not a secondary education establishment. I appreciate that it's a lovely idea, but is it really in our interests to funnel our funding into another sector?"

"This isn't another sector, it's education! Can't you understand the fact that if we engage students when they're younger there's a very distinct possibility they may want to come work with us when they're older? We have to reach out - there's no use in being mysterious and insular," I said between gritted teeth.

"Which if we had the time and the funding, we could absolutely see our way to doing. But as it is..."

"Time is not the issue - now that you're back we have twice as many hands working on these projects. And the funding is already in place, unless you went behind my back to requisition that too." Okay, maybe that had been a low shot, but I was still annoyed.

"Hey, now, Kathryn, is that really necessary?" Keith said, glancing sidelong at his new 'assistant'.

I ignored the comment and the blonde woman, instead motioning towards Alex, who was sitting looking distinctly uncomfortable in the chair next to mine. "We've already put the man-hours into making this happen. To pull out now would be not only disappointing all the students we've involved but giving the lab a reputation of indecisiveness and unreliability. Is that what you want?"

Eventually Keith seemed to realise that he wasn't going to get anywhere on his current track, and he decided to shift gear. "All right, then," he said in a conciliatory tone that didn't fool me even slightly. "Leave it with me, and I'll get right onto familiarising myself with the programme as it stands now."

"No. This is Alex's project now. If you want to participate you'll have to go through her." I felt something brush against my knee and I realised that it was Alex's leg - she'd tensed up in her sudden nerves and apparently hadn't noticed.

Keith didn't either, rolling his eyes. "'Participate'? This was one of my initiatives, K-...ath. Ryn."

"One that you dropped in my lap the day you decided to go off on sabbatical," I said, standing my ground. "If it had meant so much to you you wouldn't have left it like you did. So I'm sorry, but you're just going to have to accept it, Keith."

 

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