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437 lines
8.6 KiB
Text
437 lines
8.6 KiB
Text
.LP
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.ce
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.ps 16
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.CW
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SENSE OF DEBT
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.R
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.ps 8
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.CW
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tags: 1954, 1990, coco_schwab, david_bowie, piro, ragnarok, tab2
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.R
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.ps 10
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.br
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.ce
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.ps 10
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.B 1
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.PP
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.ps 10
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November, 1954.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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Bowie picked up the envelope and ran his finger along its edge,
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holding it in his hand for a moment of silent admiration before tearing
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it open with his fingernail and devouring its contents.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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But inside was an actual piece of correspondence.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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He slammed the door to his dressing room and sulked in his chair.
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This was unconscionable.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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The note was from his mother.
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.fp 1 R H
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.fp 2 I HI
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.fp 3 B HB
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.fp 4 BI HM
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.QP
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.ps 8
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.I
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Dear Son,
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.R
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.QE
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.fp 1 R GA
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.fp 2 I GI
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.fp 3 B GM
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.fp 4 BI GMI
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.ps 10
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it read.
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.fp 1 R H
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.fp 2 I HI
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.fp 3 B HB
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.fp 4 BI HM
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.QP
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.ps 8
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.I
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I have received another notice from your creditors. This cannot go on.
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I am going to give them your address. If you do not write to them, I'm
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going to suggest that they call the police. There is nothing more I can
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do for you. I will not pay off another one of your debts. If that means
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that you go to jail, then so be it.
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Love,
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Mom
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.R
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.QE
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.fp 1 R GA
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.fp 2 I GI
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.fp 3 B GM
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.fp 4 BI GMI
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.PP
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.ps 10
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Bowie crumpled the note and tossed it on his makeup table. He
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opened a bottle of water and poured it on the carpet, tracing an occult
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symbol that was only present in his mind.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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The bitch! I have overhead!
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.PP
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.ps 10
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A quiet knock came at the door. Then another, somewhat louder.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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He straightened, all trace of disquiet drained from his face.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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Time to take the stage.
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.ce
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.ps 10
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.B 2
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.PP
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.ps 10
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Piro and Thomas hopped into the RAGNAROK and strapped on their
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seatbelts. The engine warbled softly as Thomas adjusted his data
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gloves.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"What's the difference between a raven and a writing desk?" asked
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Thomas, gesturing through a cloud of invisible information.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"By weight?" asked the other.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"Sure."
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"I'd say bout fifty kilos."
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"Sounds about right," agreed Thomas, scribbling in his palm.
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"Anyway, we ought to go further back and try to sell some of this stuff
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to all those 19th century artsy types who were hooked on heroine. Can
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you imagine?"
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"No, I can't," said Piro.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"Aw, come on."
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.PP
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.ps 10
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Ignoring his twin brother, Piro accelerated smoothly into the
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clouds above New York City.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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Lately, Thomas was spending far too much of his free time reading
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children's literature.
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.ce
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.ps 10
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.B 3
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.PP
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.ps 10
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Bowie stomped through the concert, affecting strange poses. Back in
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his dressing room, he unwadded the note from his mother and then wadded
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it back up again, lit it on fire with his cigarette lighter. Coco
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rushed over and doused the flames with a tumbler of scotch.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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Which didn't help at all.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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Bowie stripped off his Puerto Rican jacket and patted out the fire.
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He was careful of his shoes.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"That was incredibly stupid," he said, icily. "Now I've ruined my
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shoulder pads. What were you thinking about?"
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"Reflex," was all she could offer in reply.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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Changing tacks, Bowie started digging around in her purse.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"You've got so much
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.I
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crap
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.R
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in here. Where's the coke?"
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"We're out."
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.PP
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.ps 10
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.I
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"What,"
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.R
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he growled, turning back towards her, baring his teeth.
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The cigarette fell out of his mouth and landed on the carpet. Coco ran
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over and crushed it with her heel.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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She was out of scotch.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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Bowie also noticed that she had retrieved a baggy from a hidden
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compartment in her brassiere.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"Only kidding," she said, waving it towards his face.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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Bowie snatched the baggy and sat back down in his chair. Engrossed.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"We can't have any more of these close calls," he sighed, and dove
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in.
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.ce
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.ps 10
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.B 4
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.PP
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.ps 10
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Piro piloted the RAGNAROK towards 1954.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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Thomas was dozing. Noticing this, Piro took the opportunity to put
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on some soft music.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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Suddenly, Thomas started awake. He shot forward and Piro heard a
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loud thump. He looked over and Thomas had hit his forehead on the
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dashboard.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"WHAT! IS! THIS! CRAP!" he shouted. Piro couldn't be certain
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whether he was reacting to the noise or to the pain.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"Bowie. 'Golden Years.'"
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"You're one of those people who listens to every album by an artist
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while you're driving to see them in concert, aren't you."
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.PP
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.ps 10
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Piro remained silent. Piloting.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"Plus, your chronology is off. In 1954, he hasn't even written this
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song yet."
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.PP
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.ps 10
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Piro reached for the dash and ejected the cassette.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"Fine. See? I'm putting it away."
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.bp
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.ce
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.ps 10
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.B 5
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.PP
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.ps 10
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Coco had come up with a new supplier. She was on the phone with
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them now. Bowie stared nervously at her hands as she wound the phone
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cord around her finger. A knock came at the door while she was still
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talking. Now she was chewing on her pencil. She didn't seem to hear.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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Bowie glanced at the door, and then back at Coco.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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Oblivious, she kept on talking.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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Bowie coughed, quietly. His eyes were pleading with her to hear, to
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do something. Of course, he couldn't say anything. It was not his place
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to answer the door. Sweat running down his neck, he kicked over a
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chair. Then tried to look composed.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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The knock came again.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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This time, Coco noticed the disturbance. She picked up the phone
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and started towards the door.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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Bowie fell back in his chair. A wave of relief swept over his
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sunken features.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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He lit a cigarette.
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.ce
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.ps 10
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.B 6
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.PP
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.ps 10
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Piro pulled out his flip\-phone and dialed the new customers.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"I'll just make sure they're ready for us," he whispered.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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Piro talked for ten minutes. It seemed like an endless amount of
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chitchat. Thomas had no patience for customer relations, but Piro
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seemed to relish any opportunity to interact with a client.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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And this woman.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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Was Thomas actually jealous?
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.PP
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.ps 10
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He booted up his gun.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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Now Piro was knocking on the door. Why? Just tell her we're here.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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Hm. No answer from the marks.
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.bp
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.ce
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.ps 10
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.B 7
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.PP
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.ps 10
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Just as Coco turned the door handle, both of the doors blew
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violently inward, completely off of their hinges. Coco was thrown to
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the ground. Fortunately for her, the Bakelite telephone took the worst
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of it.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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Bowie stared in paralyzed horror at the shattered pieces of plastic
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on the floor. He was transfixed. There was something familiar here.
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Something about the pattern of debris... Abruptly, he snapped out of
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it. This was how it always was with him, he observed. One second in
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dreamland and the next fully focused.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"Coco. Take dictation."
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"Rrrrm..." she moaned.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"Get up," he insisted.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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Piro and Thomas entered, weapons drawn, targeting both adult humans
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with practiced efficiency.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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Bowie ignored them.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"When the phone broke, I looked down at the carpet. The cracked
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plastic formed a picture. I saw the letters: s, h, n, z, n."
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.PP
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.ps 10
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Coco maintained her expression. It would take more than an
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explosion and a broken telephone to rattle her.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"It's Shenzhen, China."
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.PP
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.ps 10
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.I
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"What?"
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.R
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asked Thomas.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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.I
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I see,
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.R
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Coco said with her eyes. "Real estate or commodities?"
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"Real estate. Get Tony on the phone. We'll grab as much as we can,
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now, while it's still available. Sort it out later. I've got a good
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feeling about this one."
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"How much do we spend?"
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.PP
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.ps 10
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Bowie was rolling up the sleeves of his shirt, loosening his
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necktie. He snorted conspicuously and answered quickly.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"All of it."
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.ce
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.ps 10
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.B 8
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"I don't know, Mr. Bowie, it seems rather unorthodox to sign your
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mother's name to a cocaine bill."
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"She's my business partner. And we're going to need plenty of
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marching powder for the new venture."
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.PP
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.ps 10
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Coco arranged the paperwork on the table as Bowie signed his
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mother's name at the bottom of each page. She reached over and smoothed
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down his eyebrow as he worked.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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Thomas was smiling.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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Piro decided it didn't matter. "I guess it will have to do."
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.PP
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.ps 10
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Bowie suddenly looked concerned. "Are you sure you won't have any
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problems filling the standing order?"
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.PP
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.ps 10
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Thomas motioned with his thumb.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"You wouldn't believe how much of this stuff we have back in the
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ship."
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.PP
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.ps 10
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At this, Piro decided to interject.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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"So long as you can come up with the money, there is literally an
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unlimited supply."
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.PP
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.ps 10
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Bowie looked please with himself. His yellow teeth shined a
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skeleton grin.
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.PP
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.ps 10
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.I
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"Friends.
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.R
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I think this is going to work out just fine."
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