100
You distract her long enough to ask her about her research.
Annoyed but willing to humor you, she hammers you with a series of questions about medical science that you don't have a prayer of answering. Satisfied that you don't know what you're talking about, her gaze returns to the microfiche reader.
You feel her rage building as she reads, and consider what to say. Though she's unimpressed by your scientific acumen, you still wonder if you and the scholar can't strike some sort of deal. But just as you start to make a proposal, Rene, who has been reading along over Dr. Caul's shoulder, touches her arm and says, "It's going to be okay, Invidia."
"Okay? You think this is okay?" She stands up and slaps Rene, knocking the much larger man to the tiled floor.
After a moment's thought, you know what you might be able to say before her Beast breaks free. It's a long shot, but you can offer your scientific skills as an intermediary. That offer might calm her down.
"Calm down!" Sonam yells.
That wasn't what to say.
Dr. Caul grabs Sonam's skull. Blood runs from beneath her fingernails. Alchemically transformed, it smokes and fulminates like acid. Sonam can't even scream as the flesh drips off his skull.
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