Chang may have considered that godly courage, but David saw it as teenage recklessness. No one else seemed to have heard it.
"Sit, please, gentlemen," David said. "I'd like to spend time alone with the candidate, but it's probably just as well you're both here, Chief Moon and Mr. Wong. I've been studying the personnel manual, and frankly, I don't see any way around the age issue."
"Age issue?" Mr. Wong said, looking stricken. "What's that?"
"Good," Chang said and rose to leave.
"Sit! Mind manners! You guest here and interview for position!"
Chang slowly plopped back, slouching and crossing his feet.
Moon dismissed David's concern with a gesture. "His Excellency has already waived that, and-"
"The policy allows no exceptions," David pressed.
"David," Walter said slowly, reminding him of the way he had just heard Carpathia speak to Moon, "the potentate is policy. If he determines that this young man and his off-the-charts intellect and computer savvy will be valuable to the Global Community, then it's a done deal."
David took a breath, deciding to go on the offensive.
But Moon wasn't finished. "You're aware that Potentate Carpathia has already cleared Chang to finish his last year of high school here, and of course we then offer college classes as well."
"I was under the impression the school here was for the benefit of the children of employees," David tried.
"I don't think the teachers care who the students' parents are. Tell Mr. Wong what you are envisioning for Chang, David."
Mr. Wong, grinning, leaned forward to drink it in.
Here goes nothing, David thought. "I envision him finishing high school in China and at least beginning his career anywhere but here."
Mr. Wong's smile disappeared. "What?" he said, turning to Moon.
"David!" Walter said. "What the-"
"Look at him," David said, and both men turned to see Chang staring at the floor, hands in his pockets.
"Sit up, boy. You know better. You shame me."
Chang made a halfhearted effort to shift and raised his chin an inch, but he remained a picture of insolence. His father reached to tug at the shoulder of his jacket, and Chang wrenched away. Mr. Wong glowered at him.
"He doesn't want to work here," David said. "He's young, immature, simply not ready. I don't doubt his credentials or his potential, but let him work out the kinks on someone else's money."
"Now, let's not be hasty, David," Moon said. "The boy's just been through a bit of a trauma. He was scared, but he went through with it, and he's clearly still a little shaken."
David cocked his head as if willing to consider the excuse. "Oh?"
"Yes," Mr. Wong said. "He upset. He frightened of needle. Didn't want injection. Scream. Cry. Try to get away, but we hold him down. He thank me someday. Maybe tomorrow."
"And he needed an injection for what?"
"Biochip!" Mr. Wong announced proudly. "One of first to get it! See?"
He reached for the boy's cap, but Chang stood again and turned his back on his father. David fought to maintain composure. Now what? How had he let this happen?
"When?" he blurted. "How?"
"This morning," Walter said. "I was hoping they'd be ready for him. Took a photo along and everything. But they weren't, not really. We were going to just wait till later, but they could see I had gone to a lot of trouble, so when the first unit was plugged in and ready to go, they tested it and then made him the first recipient here. Not sure the picture's much good though. The boy wasn't any happier there than here."
David said, "Well, that's… ah… that's-" "Something, huh?" Walter said. "I think the boy is glad to have it over with, and if he's honest he'll admit it didn't hurt a bit."
"I proud! Son will be soon, you'll see. But he ready for work now. No age problem. No school problem. This is place for him."
"Global Community maybe," David said, his voice hollow. How was he going to explain this to Ming? "But not my department."
"Don't be ridiculous, David. We just explained his attitude. You and I both know there's no better place for him."
"Then you take him. I don't want him. I don't have the energy to try to win him over while training him."
"I'm of a mind to take him, David. He's going to make somebody look like a genius. It had might as well be me."
David stood and spread his arms, palms up. "Good to see you all again."
Chang started to rise, but his father stopped him with a hand. The man looked to Walter. "David, sit down," Moon said. "Let us give you a few minutes with Chang, let him win you over."
"There aren't enough flowers or boxes of candy in the United Asian States."
"Find out what's troubling him. If it's just the trauma of the procedure, he deserves another look. What do you say?"
"I suppose you'll go running to the potentate if I don't agree."
Moon stood and motioned David to do the same. He reached for him across the desk and pulled David's ear to his mouth. "This is no way for us to conduct ourselves in front of outsiders, particularly a patriotic GC supporter like Mr. Wong. You're blamed right I'll take this straight back to the top. Now you know Carp-His Excellency wants this boy on staff, so get with the program." He let go of David and turned to Mr. Wong. "Let's give them a few minutes to get acquainted."
Mr. Wong bent to his son as he left. "You make proud, and I mean it." But Chang looked away.
As soon as the door was shut, Chang stood and moved to the center chair facing David. He resumed his defiant posture. David sat and rested an elbow on the desk, chin in hand, staring at Chang, who did not meet his gaze. "Are the blinds open behind me?" the kid muttered, still looking away.
"Yes."
"Close them."
"That would send a wrong signal, Chang. If they're watching, I want them to see me not liking you too much, which is exactly what I feel right now."
"Are they still out there?"
"Yes."
"Then either shut the blinds or tell me when they're gone."
"They're leaving."
"OK, then wait till they're out of sight so you can close the blinds without sending them the wrong signal but I still don't have to worry about anyone else coming by and looking in. Or your secretary."
"Assistant."
"Whatever. Tiffany, right?"
"Observant."
"I don't miss anything, like the fact that she's not a believer."
"I'm trying to figure out a way to work on that."
It was maddening that Chang still sat slumped, looking down. "You can't let her in on where you stand for fear she'll turn you in."
"Of course."
"Could you shut the blinds, please?"
"Not till you tell me what in the world you think you're up to."
"I'll wait," Chang said.
David rose and closed the blinds. "What was I supposed to do, son? I didn't know-"
As David returned to his side of the desk, Chang straightened up. "Don't call me son. I hate that." He whipped off his hat. "Look at me! Look what they did to me!"
David leaned over the desk to study Chang's mark of loyalty. It was the first he had seen other than in a drawing. "That is strange," he said.
"That's news to me?"
"No, I mean, obviously it looks different to me and will to any fellow believers. We can see both marks. The seal of God is still there, Chang." David could barely take his eyes off the small, black tattoo that read 30 and was followed by a half-inch pink scar that would fade to a darker line in a few days. "I still haven't figured the significance of the prefixes," David added.
"You serious?"
"Always."
"Don't tell me you don't even know why Carpathia is so obsessed with 216."