Jack blinked in surprise at the woman's arrival and sudden departure. They both stood there upon the catwalk, stunned for a moment before Jack chuckled. "See der, Penny," he laughed openly, "All dem smarts in der heads, an' dey still gets all back forwards like de rest of us! Don't know her head from her hole, dat one. Wonder who pissed in her cornflakes."

He cocked his head back down to look at her. With quick fingers, he deftly and innocently brushed a stray lock of hair away from Penny's face to better see her in the glow of the vast aquarium. "Hope you're havin' a time, Duck," he admitted bashfully. "Here I sees you an' I likes what I sees, an' I hear you an' I like what you says and how you says it. An' blow me over if you don't know yer way 'round the kitchen!" Jack held up the small package of cookies both as evidence and in pride, and then lowered his hand again. The other hand, still holding hers, gave a light squeeze.

"Folks like me an' you? New world's gonna need us more dan it needs all dem chuckleheads in der lab coats, b'y. Guaranteed, b'y! How long you t'ink all der fancy chummies an' thing-ma-bobs gonna work? Nar replacements t' be had, I'm t'inking. Arse'll fall right out of 'er! An' back in the deep freezers, how many folks we got were lawyers an' consultants an' advertisers an' the like, huh? Never done an honest day's work, I bet! But me an' you, Penny? We don't need no fancy gear to do our jobs, no sir-ee! Human race gonna stay in for the lang haul? It's good cooks an' craftsmen what'll win the day. Hard work, honest work, doin' what we loves!"

Jack stepped around in front of her and smiled softly. "Now, to make a lang stary shart, dis here is what's I'm driving at. Hopin' here that I don't make myself out to be an angishore, but I'd like to see you again and soon. If you're of a mind, dat is. 'Cause here I'm t'inkin' we're in the same boat an' only so much to do but I can't t'ink of anyone I'd rather do it wit'. An' being a gentleman, or least ways much of one as me mudder raised me up to be, I won't ask for what ain't offered."

"Only der's dis kiss what's been hanging' from yer lips since I first seen you, an' I keeps looking' at it an' wondering' if you knows it's der, an' if'n you'd let me have it to sweeten these here cookies all the more?"