Then, without warning, Barriers laughed. He laughed long and hard, his laughter echoing slightly in his helmet, like someone laughing into a bucket. His sudden laughter made me jump, while James just stared at Barriers as if convinced that Barriers had lost his mind. Barriers, on the other hand, did not seem to notice either of our reactions. He just laughed and laughed, slapping his knees and moving around so much in his office chair that it sounded like it would break if he applied any more stress to it.
“Barriers, what’s the deal?” I asked. “Why are you laughing? This isn’t a joke. This is serious, like, life-and-death serious.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, Beams, I truly am,” said Barriers. He managed to calm down, although he still giggled every now and then and I could just imagine him grinning
