The strategy meeting in the library dragged on into the afternoon. Julian Sterling sat in the corner, ostensibly there to monitor stress levels, but actually watching the two men at the table.
William was agitated, running his hand through his hair. Malcolm was still, reading a dossier.
Then, it happened.
William, deep in thought, began to tap his fountain pen against the mahogany table: *tap-tap-pause-tap*.
A moment later, Malcolm, reading a different document, tapped his own pen against the armrest of his chair: *tap-tap-pause-tap*.
Julian froze. He watched them for ten minutes. The rhythm was identical. It was a subconscious, idiosyncratic motor tic. It wasn’t something Malcolm could have learned from a dossier; it was hardwired into their neurology.
Julian looked at Maya, who was checking William’s blood pressure. She caught Julian’s eye and gave a subtle nod. The “Stabilizers” had their confirmation: this wasn’t just a resemblance; it was a biological mirror.