“Yes, Dr. ter Borcht,” murmured his assistant, writing furiously.
Fang and I instantly looked at each other. Ter Borcht had been mentioned in the files we’d stolen from the Institute.
Iggy, sensing ter Borcht was talking about him, scowled. “Takes one to know one,” he said.
“De tall, dark vun—dere’s nothing special about him at all,” ter Borcht said dismissively of Fang, who hadn’t moved since the doctor had come in.
“Well, he’s a snappy dresser,” I offered. One side of Fang’s mouth quirked.
“Und you,” ter Borcht said, turning back to me. “You haf a malfunctioning chip, you get debilitating headaches, and your leadership skills are sadly much less than ve had hoped for.”
“And yet I could still kick your doughy Eurotrash butt from here to next Tuesday. So that’s something.”
His eyelids flickered, and it seemed to me that he was controlling himself with difficulty.
Well, I get u
nder people’s skins. It’s a gift I have, what can I say?
47
Ter Borcht looked at his assistant. “Let’s get on vis de questioning,” he said abruptly. Turning to me, he said, “Ve need to gather some final data. Den you vill be exterminated.”
“Ooh,” I said. “If I had boots on, I’d be quaking in them.” I tapped my bare toes against the floor.
I saw a quick flare of anger in his eyes.
“No, really,” I said, mucho sincerely. “Totally quaking, I promise. You’re really a very scary man.”
“First you,” he barked suddenly at Gazzy, and Gazzy couldn’t help jumping a tiny bit. I looked at him reassuringly and winked, and his narrow shoulders straightened.
“Vhat ozzer abilities do you haf?” ter Borcht snapped, while his assistant waited, pen in hand.
Gazzy thought. “I have X-ray vision,” he said. He peered at ter Borcht’s chest, then blinked and looked alarmed.
Ter Borcht was startled for a second, but then he frowned. “Don’t write dat down,” he told his assistant in irritation. The assistant froze in midsentence.
Glaring at the Gasman, ter Borcht said, “Your time is coming to an end, you pathetic failure of an experiment. Vhat you say now is how you vill be remembered.”
Gazzy’s blue eyes flashed. “Then you can remember me telling you to kiss my—”
“Enough!” ter Borcht said. He turned suddenly to Nudge. “You. Do you haf any qualities dat distinguish you in any way?”
Nudge chewed on a fingernail. “You mean, like, besides the wings?” She shook her shoulders gently, and her beautiful fawn-colored wings unfolded a bit.
His face flushed, and I felt like cheering. “Yes,” he said stiffly. “Besides de vings.”
“Hmm. Besides de vings.” Nudge tapped one finger against her chin. “Um...” Her face brightened. “I once ate nine Snickers bars in one sitting. Without barfing. That was a record!”
“Hardly a special talent,” ter Borcht said witheringly.
Nudge was offended. “Yeah? Let’s see you do it.”
“I vill now eat nine Snickers bars,” Gazzy said in a perfect, creepy imitation of ter Borcht’s voice, “visout bahfing.”
Ter Borcht wheeled on him as I smothered a giggle. It wasn’t funny when Gazzy did a pitch-perfect imitation of me, but it was hilarious when he did it to other people.
“Mimicry,” ter Borcht said to his assistant. “Write dat down.”