Nary a 5t whimper of warning;

The Maitre D' took their orders in the passive voice expected by patrons of the Golden Corral franchise, and Teal set precedent by arriving late. She rewarded Travis' ostentatious viewing of his watch with open PDA, and assured the Nippon's of her Texan friendliness by addressing them directly. "So nice to meet foreigners from _abroad_!"

They kicked off the meeting with a public prayer, led by Bubba - he didn't mind being seen to pray, and knew how to pray just loud enough that everyone at the table could hear, without making a scene. The Nippons listened politely, and then everyone trekked over to the buffet. The arrival of Coffee called the meeting to order, and Ursula motioned Sam to Chair. Travis seconded quickly, and Bubba began documenting by taking minutes of the seconds.

"What scared you Sam?" asked Teal. Teal vied with Ursula for camera lens magnetism, but Sam was subject to his own advice about not flirting too much after you hitch up, and needed no effort to turn his gaze upon Travis - only a reason. Travis' color changed, (exactly how, and for what cause, was open to interpretation,) but he answered Sam's unspoken question clearly; "I had to tell her SOMETHING Sam!"

Sam knew his friend's weakness; Travis was but a man, as was Sam himself. He didn't raise his voice, but showed a degree of understanding by asking directly: "When you showed her the site, did you tell HER _I_ made it _for_ you, or that it was your OWN?" "It came up, and now she _knows_," was Travis' weak reply.

A significant pause preceded Sam's unilateral address to the assembly. "I was concerned." he began.

His narrative explanation began with Suzie Q dropping out of High School over teaching about Evolution (Bubba pronounced it Evil-ution,) and became political when it observed the disappearance of Madalyn Murray O'Hair. Travis snickered about the Irish view of such a name, and Teal pinched him visibly, without leaving a visible mark. Bubba remarked that a Scot was more likely to make fun, and conversation turned back upon the subject of the gathering. "...so when I started contemplating just why -Burn After Reading- was SOooo funny, I wondered if Orwell's efforts in his book '1984' might have basis in reality, as well as politics," he concluded.

Bubba, rarely at a loss for words, departed from his usual reserve by sharing his thoughts immediately. "Burn after reading wasn't funny at all: It was as terrible as Gross Pointe Blank!" he pronounced. Teal was not abashed. "-Burn After Reading- WAS funny. -Gross Pointe Blank- was too," she objected, "...and _I_ thought they were BOTH good!" Travis lost no time agreeing. "Yeah, and they were, too. What's your point Bubba?"

Bubba estimated that Sam would bring matters back on topic if a furor erupted, and answered in plain language. "In BOTH of those movies, the whole audience laughs hysterically at stylized Murder; it sets a bad precedent." "You and your slippery slopes, Bubba, I do declare: I'd end up in the Gulf Of Mexico via the Mississippi just for gettin' out of bed by YOUR logic," Travis observed. Teal was quick to riposte. "Yeah, and he's right too... it IS a slippery slope: Ain't just bananas we gotta worry about these days!" Travis made an expression like he was expecting tea and got coffee, and Teal showed her own take on diplomacy by conceding "Slippery things, whether bananas or slopes are a whole discussion I'll agree, but they are not ALL bad!" Travis' face was a whiteboard for her colored erasable markers. She smiled her satisfaction to all as Bubba took up the thrust of his discussion again.

"Sam," he addressed the Chair directly, "We should be prepared to admit coincidences occur... just look at the way the author of 'Brave New World' died. What can you point to specifically, that causes you concern?"

The ball was in his court, but this was not like Tennis where he had to pass the basketball immediately upon receipt. As he contemplated his response, Mrs. Nippon shared with all attending that she thought her husband could add to substantive discussion, not just humor. "Mr. Trey: I think Mr. Li can assist you to respond well."

Mr. Li was not a reflex target. He may not have been expecting her anti-gravity assist, but he betrayed nary a whimper of warning it would not be a joke. "Inscrutable," he thought, and capitalized on the introduction.