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“Yoube careful out there!” she muttered inAndi’sear. “IknowGoodieBo-long is treating you good, but it’s not wise to stir up thoseNOs.Mightas well poke a fire-stinger hive with a stick!”
“Thankyou for the warning,”Anditold her, nodding politely.Butinside, she felt more uneasy than ever.
GoodieOo-lah’s words were exactly what she’d been thinking herself, but she didn’t see any way to get out of going withGoodieBo-long.
43
ANDI
“Comealong, my dear—therethey are!”GoodieBo-long pointed at the crowd of women pouring out of theNewOrderMeetingHall. “Youknow that used to be theFraternalOrderofMaleUnityHall?” she added, speaking toAndiwhile she eyed theNOmembers. “Itwas a place of female oppression, where the men dreamed up new ways of keeping us down and stripping us of our rights.”Shesighed. “Iguess at least you can say that theNewOrderis keeping tradition alive.”
“Er,Iguess so.”Thecloser they got, the lessAndiwanted to go on any further.Shecould seeGoodieTight-azz at the front of the hall, speaking toMotherStrict-ezz and shereallydidn’t want to deal with either one of them.
Still,GoodieBo-long seemed determined.Shehad two of her biggestManimalson leashes with her and she strolled proudly forward, pulling them along behind her.Andifollowed reluctantly, glad to haveCadeat her back.
“Well, hello,GoodieTight-azz,GoodieStrict-ezz,”GoodieBo-long purred as she reached the two women.
Bothof them turned, their mouths pursing in identical expressions of disgust and judgment.
“That’sMotherStrict-ezz to you,”GoodieTight-azz snapped. “Giveour leader your respect!”
“Idon’t think so,”GoodieBo-long said coolly. “She’snot mymotherormy leader soIhave no intention of calling her by either title.Butyou’rethe oneIwant to speak to.”Shepointed a finger atGoodieTight-azz. “Yourobbed this poor girl who was staying with you,” she went on, nodding atAndi, who was standing behind her. “Youtook every last cent she had and turned her out of your house to be attacked and killed by the wildManimalpack, even though she’d alreadyoverpaidyou.Whatdo you have to say for yourself?”
GoodieTight-azz’s face went dark green with anger.
“Howdare you accuse me of theft, you filthyManimalwhore?Youcan’t talk to me like that when the whole town knows you let yourManimalsmount you day and night!”
“Yes, indeedIdo andIenjoy itthoroughly,”GoodieBo-long said, with a lascivious grin. “ButwhatIdo in the privacy of my own homeisn’tthe issue.I’masking why you felt comfortable taking all of your paying tenant’s possessions and money and throwing her out to die in the middle of the night?”
“I…she…they…”GoodieTight-azz couldn’t seem to get the words out and her face was the color of a pine tree,Andithought.
“AsIunderstand it,GoodieTight-azz caught the girl doing immoral activities with herManimal,”MotherStrict-ezz remarked, stepping in asGoodieTight-azz sputtered. “Soshe hadevery rightto confiscate her possessions and turn her out of her house.Sheruns a highly moral boardinghouse—she is under no obligation to keep filthy perverts under her roof!”
“Oh, so now anyone you don’t like can be robbed and killed—is that right?”GoodieBo-long snapped. “JustwhenIthink yourNewOrderpeople can’t get any lower, you sink even further in my estimation!”
“Asif we care whatyouthink—you nastyManimalwhore!”GoodieTight-azz snarled, finding her voice again at last.
Andiwas worried that things might come to blows—all three women were looking angrier and angrier.
Cadecould clearly sense the tension too.ThebigHybridhad come to stand partially in front of her, taking a protective stance with his hands balled into fists at his sides.Alow growl—a warning to anyone who might try to hurtAndi—rumbled in his throat.
Butnone of the fighting women were paying attention.
GoodieBo-long pointed a finger atGoodieTight-azz.
“You’dbetter return my friend’s belongings and her money or you’re going to be in trouble.”
“Withwho?TheChiefPeaceKeeperis aNOmember,”MotherStrict-ezz pointed out, glaring. “She’llside with us in a heartbeat!”
“Oh,I’maware that youNOshave this town sewn up tight—but youdon’thave theCapital,”GoodieBo-long snapped. “AndI’mfully prepared to take the case there and prosecute you for grand theft and attempted murder!”
GoodieTight-azz sucked in her breath, her face going from lime green to a pale mint color.
“Youwouldn’t!”
“Oh, yesIwould.”Goodie-Bo-long arched her eyebrow. “SoIsuggest you bring back everything you stole—otherwiseI’mwriting a missive to theCapitaltoday and believe me,Ihave friends there that will make your piddlingNewOrderconnections look like nothing!We’llshut down your boarding house like that!”Shesnapped her fingers. “Andit would be no great loss to this town either.Afterall, who wants to stay at a place where they might get robbed and murdered just because they don’t share the same beliefs as the owner?”
“Why…you…you…”GoodieTight-azz seemed to be at a loss for words again butGoodieBo-long didn’t wait to hear anything else the landlady had to say.Sheturned on her heel and nodded atAndi.
