A small rough snippet of Family Law 5, 58k words in.

“Something is bothering me,” Atlas told his mentor and professor Leonardo.

“I remember, you were quite explicit in saying Born and his Badger helper, or whatever he is, irritated the hell out of you.”

“Yes, but beyond that, I’m trying to figure out what they are doing with all these disks the have been bringing in and coating on the machine. I’ve been in their place, and unless they are sending them to the scrap yard or throwing them in the trash they don’t have room for them. I’ve been in Born’s offices and lab. It would be filled up to the ceiling by now if they were keeping them all.”

“I doubt they are scrapping them out,” Leonardo said. “I’ve seen what they are spraying or sublimating on those disks and no scrap yard would touch them. They have all sorts of things that would ruin them for spec steel or anything but junk steel, structural stuff or cheap castings. Some of it is even toxic.

“Besides that, I find it hard to believe they’d toss the funds they have invested in those disks. I’m not sure what they are looking for, but if they need to retest one it would be an unnecessary cost to make it over. If I were them I’d consider stripping any off that were unpromising and recovering them.”

“Yes, although their patron seems to have a bottomless purse,” Atlas said.

“Even so, anything they don’t have to spend can find their way into their wallets,” Leonardo said. Atlas nodded. He was of a similar mind.

“I tell you what, take some time and find out what they are doing with these, or if they are saving them up where they are storing them. I might even rescue a couple for us to examine to try to figure out what they are doing if they’re lax with their security.”

“Why not?” Atlas agreed. “Obviously they are just toxic trash with which they are being somewhat careful. They may even come to us for help in disposing of them.”

“In which case we’ll be ahead of the curve and look even better,” Leonardo said.