On his
next day off from work, George finally worked up the courage to
return to Sandy's Last Hand. In the morning, when there would
hopefully be fewer patrons who might recognize him.
He had
conveniently forgotten that he had been recruited by the Vixens from
that particular bar at that particular time of the day.
George
sat at the bar and ordered some soda. No sense getting wasted on the
alcoholic stuff while it was still early. He still had many more
hours to enjoy.
Maybe he
would pick up some interesting new rumors. Perhaps from the men at
the table near the bar counter. They had faded overcoats, light armor
and sidearms typical of adventurers. Certainly they would have a
story or two.
"Hey,
did you hear about the new chick with the Vixens?" one of the
men at that table asked.
George
was suddenly interested. What new 'chick'?
"With
who?" a second voice asked.
"The
Scarlet Vixens!" clarified the first man. He was bald. "You
know, those waste-exploring girls."
"Oh
yeah," the second man, who had spiky hair and an earring, said.
"I think the brown-haired one's kind of hot."
"The
brown-haired one sure is," agreed another man, one with an
unshaven chin, "especially when she let's down her hair."
"The
new one's pretty cute, though," mentioned the bald man.
What new
one!?
"What
new one?" asked a fourth man, who had a pony-tail.
"Haven't
you seen Madboy Keith's?" asked the bald man, "The Vixens
have a new girl. A cute little one."
Wait,
the new 'chick' was him!? Where had that guy gotten the idea that
George was a cute little girl!?
"I
always fancied the small one," the pony-tailed guy said,
"Haven't heard anything of her lately, though."
At
first, George thought that the man was talking about him. The latter
statement told him that the man referred to someone else. Could it be
Iona? Rumors about that fur-cloaked Vixen were rare. Or could it be
about Laura, the fourth Vixen whom he had never met?
"I'd
like a night out with the new one," the bald man mentioned.
George
definitely did not like the sound of that!
"Take
her out to a fancy dinner," the bald man continued, "Maybe
get a few drinks, a drive out in town, a walk in the park... maybe
hold hands..."
There
was the sound of the bar doors sliding open for someone. The men at
the table instantly ceased their conversation.
Who
could it be whose appearance immediately silenced the men? George
turned for the answer.
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