thousand
bucks a day that he must bill Trenchant.

"And that's not even the best part." Murrain caressed his face with
his hand as if re-oiling the smile on its surface. "I'll coach our
people in evasive answers, which means that it will take days of
deposition time for him to get the information that an unprepared
witness would give in a hour.

"Good." The Pope was pleased.

Not so pleased was Al Garret and the plaintiff. Both attorneys had
agreed some months ago that the process of discovery would not be
commenced until the judge had given his final ruling on the motions and
the trial date set. Murrain delivered his low blow without missing a
beat. "Oh," he cooed when Al called him to complain, "I must have
misunderstood. I thought you wanted to get started before the final
ruling."

Al was outclassed and he knew it. Apologetically, he called the
plaintiff and drew her the financial picture. An appeal to the judge
for permission to delay discovery was ignored--Murrain had carefully
picked his time. It was one of the last orders the judge signed before
departing on his vacation.

That's all she wrote, Diana acknowledged In debt and unemployed, she
dropped her illegal-termination suit against Belmont University.

AFTERGLOW

Chapter 40

Deep within the bowels of the Belmont library building, the university
archivist, Igor O'Toole, had been keeping an informal running tally of
events relating to the SmurFF Affair. He had gleaned the information
from his friend, Diana, confirmed gossip, media sources, university
documents and private sources which he knew to be reliable and would
not reveal. He had, over the past two years, posted it in a scrapbook.

His interest had been whetted when the story first broke. Everyone
repeating it on campus was incredulous....termination for cause on
account of seven SmurFFs? Really? It must be a joke.

But Igor, casting out his informational net, discovered that it wasn't.
It was discrimination, pure and simple and he, because of his race,
knew discrimination when he came on it.

He remembered how close he had come to not landing his present
position. A man in his late forties, he had impeccable credentials
and years of experience in archival work. He was also an African
American. Strong, competent and unassuming, he had applied for the
posted position of senior archivist and then waited for the decision
from personnel.

Time passed. They tol