>Chuckle heartily.
>"Aw, lighten up, Mari. Whatever comes outta this business, you'll be the first to know." More seriously, "Well, maybe second. If what this archaeoligist has to tell me leads to a cure, I'll want to get word to Ichirin as soon as I can. Wouldn't surprise me if there was a story there, before all's said and done."
>"Incidentally, you want to go somewhere for a bite? I haven't eaten a decent meal since breakfast, and there's more info I can give you about the spiders and their nest. Plus," grin "I wanna hear what you and Honey have been up to."