at Jerry. "Of course it would be impossible to do that anymore. I understand. Maybe you can change to a different kind of research. Use plants or - " I shut up. What the hell did I know about science?
She raised her head and grabbed a tissue from a box by the computer. Guess this wasn't the first crying jag to come up over the rat question. She blew her nose and the beauty thing vanished.
"Forget the research. I had to do something to save them. To keep them from any more pain." She tossed that soggy tissue and grabbed a fresh one.
"Save them?" I stepped back from her. "What did you do, Penny?"
"Well, first I disabled the security cameras." She smiled at Jerry. "I'm really good at that kind of thing and I don't want to be booted out of the program for theft, you know?"
"Certainly not." Jerry nodded. "Good to know you're skilled at security."
"Thanks. Anyway" - she wiped her cheeks - "I got a traveling cage and started filling it. It took three cages to get them all. A couple were too sick and I, I had to put them down." She took a shaky breath. "That was so hard, but the merciful thing to do. I wasn't going to allow them to suffer another minute for science."
I shook my head. I was no scientist and never wanted to be one. "So where are these rats now, Penny?"
"Well, I knew I had to be careful. These are domesticated white rats. Where could I take them that they'd be safe and cared for? And the university would find them if I just dropped them off at the local animal shelter. They'd demand them back."
"Yes, they would." Jerry spoke up. "I imagine they have identifying marks on them, don't they?"
"Yes, of course. They're tagged. That's important when you're running controlled experiments."
"So where are they, Penny?" I was very afraid I knew the answer.
Suddenly slumping and trying to put on a shy and supplicating fa?ade, she looked at me.
"Oh, no, you didn't." I leaped over the couch and grabbed Boogie. "Your cat and I cannot live with a dozen white rats."
"Actually it's more like fifty-three." Penny's face was flushed.
"Fifty-three?" From the doorway, Ray's voice was strong, his laughter the first sign that he might live through withdrawal. "Oh, Glory, and you thought I was a handful as a fledgling."
Jerry actually helped Penny drag three cages of white rats upstairs. Boogie and I retreated to my bedroom and closed the door. Sorry, but I just couldn't see cute and rat in the same sentence. I made Penny promise to keep them in her room. Which was going to be a squeeze. Too bad.
"She's going to have to buy more cages," Jerry announced once he coaxed me out of my bedroom.
"I can smell them from here. Boogie's pacing in front of her door, just looking for an opportunity to get in. Some fun, eh, Glory?" Ray patted my knee. He and Jerry were sitting on either side of me on the couch.
"The council is definitely compensating me for this. I'm calling Damian." I pulled my cell out of my purse.
"No! You can't. He won't understand and the fewer people who know about this, the better." Penny walked into the living room with Boogie in her arms. "I'll find a home for them. With one of the animal rights groups. Just give me time." She smiled and put the cat in my lap. "A few days."
"What's going to happen to your research?" I petted the cat while Jerry stared at Ray's arm on my knee. "Stop it, Ray." Jerry looked afraid to move, but his fangs were showing when he gave Ray a "grope her and die" look. Ray just grinned.
"It's ruined." Penny slumped into one of the chairs. "But that's okay. I'm vampire now. A whole new life. Don't know what I'm going to tell my folks though. They were picturing a Nobel Prize in my future. A cure for some obscure disease."
"Tell them you decided to join the animal rights thing. Saw the light." Ray grinned at her and threw his arm across the back of the couch to play with my hair. "Or maybe I can hook you up with my pal Ian. He'll be here this week. I convinced him to check out Austin. You'd dig his research. He's going to make it possible for us to walk in daylight someday."
"Glory mentioned that." Penny leaned forward. "It's true then