The author was Tim, Debra's elfin crony. He'd submitted the designs a
week before my assassination.
"What do you think it means?" I asked Dan, though I had a couple ideas
on the subject myself.
"Tim's a Mansion nut," Dan said. "I knew that."
"You knew?"
He looked a little defensive. "Sure. I told you, back when you had me
hanging out with Debra's gang."
Had I asked him to hang out with Debra? As I remembered it, it had been
his suggestion. Too much to think about.
"But what does it mean, Dan? Is he an ally? Should we try to recruit
him? Or is he the one that'd convinced Debra she needs to take over the
Mansion?"
Dan shook his head. "I'm not even sure that she wants to take over the
Mansion. I know Debra, all she wants to do is turn ideas into things, as
fast and as copiously as possible. She picks her projects carefully.
She's acquisitive, sure, but she's cautious. She had a great idea for
Presidents, and so she took over. I never heard her talk about the
Mansion."
"Of course you didn't. She's cagey. Did you hear her talk about the Hall
of Presidents?"