“How does it feel?” Nokzula asked, pridefully standing beside the other two blacksmiths.

  Kenneth inspected the casing for the crystal. Exactly like it, it was triangular and had a spiked tip at the end and a narrow hole for light to come out at the other.

  ‘Not bad. Could use a few small improvements at the end where the light is coming out,’ He thought.

  “It’s good but--”

  “We know what you want to say, and we were getting there,” Nokzula said.

  “We know you wanted the crystal to be able to be removed, and we spent a lot of time trying to get past that problem,” Nokroba chimed in, followed by Nokelbie.

  “At first, we tried to have a way for the end to rotate so the crystal could slide out, but it was either too loose or too tight, and it would end up damaging the crystal.”

  “So we scrapped that and spent a long time coming up with something new. I was near inflicted with madness watching gears spin, making certain it was perfectly symmetrical; then the solution struck my head,” Nokzula explained, taking the flashlight from Kenneth and twisting the spiked end, revealing a cylindrical tube inside both compartments, the spiked tip holding the crystal fastened and secured.

  “That is good to know, and I’d tip my hat if I had one, but I more so wanted to ask,” He pointed to a notch on one side. “Are they ornamental?”

  The two other blacksmiths noticed and began chuckling, “Six really?”

  “I almost feel hurt.”

  Nokzula barely noticed them, chuckling to herself, “Neither of you ever lasts as long as him, maybe both of you should try to be a bit slower.”

  “You're one to talk, you rough-scales zillo,” Nokroba hissed with a smile.

  With crossed arms and a smirk, Nokelbie joined in, “You’d be lucky to get three from us. Everyone else would think you a two.”

  “With how much I’ve seen her swing that hammer, I would have guessed a four at least,” Kenneth chimed in in a chipper tone.

  All three looked at him and burst out laughing with Nokzula, saying, “Stop by when Di is at her fullest and I’ll show you.”

  “A tempting offer,” Kenneth replied courteously, playing along. “Alas, I think I have to decline. I barely have any free time as it is, but while I’m here, can I place twenty to forty more orders of the same thing?”

  “You plan to tire us out in all ways now,” Nokzula laughed.

  “It’s not a rush job. It’s not as if I need all by tomorrow, but with these new ones, could you provide a removable covering to trap the light inside?”

  “Easy enough, but why do you need so many?” Nokroba asked.

  “You know you want a spare of something because you're not entirely sure it’ll last the moment you walk out of here. I kind of have extreme paranoia about that.”

  “We can do it, but I hope you know there is a prize,” Nokelbie said with a smile.

  “And we are not cheap,” Noksuza added.

  “Of course. I expected nothing less,” Kenneth said confidently, reaching into his bag. “However, I’d prefer to keep using my arm for a good many years yet, so how about I offer something else you might be interested in?”

  He pulled out his hand with a bucket-sized wooden beaker filled with lube.

  “Oh, this I remember,” Nokzusa said with a knowing smile while the two others looked on. “I didn’t have much to have fun with last time you helped me out. I’ll see how much I like it and decide how much of a discount I’ll give you; until then, you can pay off the first few.”

  “I am a man of my word, but sadly, I have some business to attend to. It’ll have to be another time,” Kenneth excused himself.

  “You know how to keep poor women like us on the edge.” Noksuza smiled at him as he took his leave.

  Outside, as the heat from the shop rushed out of the door, Kenneth turned to Kolu, “Hey, thanks for waiting. Do you want to take a different route back up top? We’ll probably run into fewer people faking ear injuries.”

  He silently nodded.

  He looked at Split, “Okay, which way to go?”

  “That way, but you can’t go there.” She pointed to the other side of the underground city.

  “Why?”

  “I was told not to let you that way until you could be trusted.”

  “…”

  With a heavy sigh as it clicked, Kenneth asked, “Kolu, do you want to see Nokstella again?”

  He took the claws poking into his legs as his answer, and he turned around and walked the same old route.

  “You don’t want to see her?” Split questioned.

  “Since when are you interested?” He asked, looking back at her, before continuing on. “Of course I do. I miss her, but she doesn’t need to be around me anymore. She’s with her people now.”

  “Should I remind you of the first choice once more?” She asked him.

  “You don’t need to remind me, I know it.” Not that he agreed with it. “You won’t let me go there anyway, so… let’s just… get on with our day, shall we?”

  In a sour mood, Kenneth headed toward the nearest way up, going through a crowd of people and passing by the graveyard, where Nokiolite once more was.

  “Little healer!”

  On his way, someone called out. And as he turned his head, he noticed Nokkrick near one of the low-bearing pillars, with both hands, which were glowing a faint white, on a pair of people’s shoulders, who were holding some heavy-looking blocks of stone.

  It looked like some construction work was being done on it.

  He gave a short nod and a wave, which she mirrored, taking her hand off one of the women who notably wore a long dress with the lower half looking messily stitched on.

  She had been carrying a large block with ease before, but suddenly, it became heavy, and she lost her grip, staggering forward, the long dress doing her little, if any, favors as it crashed down on the other woman’s tail.

  Shocked by the sudden sound and subsequent screaming, Nokkrick apologized profusely.

  Going over to check, all he heard of the conversation was, “Shut it, would ya. You know… “Arhiissss…” to let us know if you are tired. Nokkibai! Get it off my tail!”

  “How bad is it?” Kenneth asked as the stone was lifted off. Nokkrick once more placed her hand on the other woman's shoulder, whom he only recognized once up close to be that invisible woman he had walked into.

  “I’m sorry for dropping it on you. I’ll make it up to you.”

  The damage from the onset didn’t seem too bad. At least there was no visible bleeding.

  “Now, I’ll be your doctor today. May I ask your name and how your tail is currently feeling?”

  “Nokguvo and it stings with pain.”

  “Alright, Nokguvo, if it’s okay with you, I’ll be touching your tail and applying some pressure,” he said, getting approval to do so. “There will be some pain, but bear with it.”

  He slowly felt the end of the large musculature tail, feeling it twitch in pain every so often, “Well, good news, there doesn’t seem to be anything broken, but it’s probably well bruised.”

  “What are ya-I mean you going to do?” Nokkrick urgently questioned.

  Kenneth stood back up, “Unfortunately, I can’t do anything. Your tail has to heal on its own. I know it's not a wanted recommendation, but if you want to skip the pain, Nokset or Mr. Grabby will make the wait instantaneous.”

  Nokguvo glared at both Nokkrick and Nokkibai before she let out an annoyed hissing sigh, “It’s worth the pain to not go see that little 'pleabo.’”

  “Yeah, sorry, I know he ain’t exactly the kind of person someone wants to see since he’s all grabby grabby, but the only alternative is to wait,” Kenneth apologized.

  “Grabby?” Nokguvo repeated in a tone of slight confusion. “Oh… you mean when we all got chafed scales. No. No one cares about that.”

  “Really…?” Kenneth questioned in utter confusion. “His groping ain’t the reason you don’t want to see him.”

  “It’s nothing, really,” she replied, and to illustrate her point, she reached down and grabbed Kenneth by the crotch with a visible expression of surprise. “Huh… ya got something between those stubby legs.”

  In immense discomfort, bordering on pain and a huge violation of his personal space, Kenneth barely kept composure as he let out, “Please take your hand off me.”

  “Oh, sorry,” she said obligingly. “Was that painful?”

  Almost doubling over, he took a wider stance. “If that’s sarcasm…!”

  “I’m sorry, I guess… I assumed… I mean, with your voice being so deep, even if you are whatever you are, I didn't think a woman--“

  “Well, you assumed wrong! Kenneth snapped. “And for the record, I’m a man!”

  “A man?!” all three exclaimed.

  “But you sound so womanly and deep.”

  “And you all sound like burly mountain men to me,” Kenneth said, through the worst of it, relieved she was at least gentle and partly took it as karma for the times he went after Nok’s crotch’s. “Okay, so if this is normal, why the hell are you all so annoyed with Nokset?”

  “Well, he’s a man,” Nokkrick answered.

  “Okay, im either going to need some explanation, or im going to think Nokset is in the wrong for the right reasons,” Kenneth said.

  “He’s trying to be dominant and force us all to be submissive,” Nokkibai said in a mix of meekness and might.

  “And that’s such a bad thing?” Kenneth asked.

  “Yes!” All three said at the same time, including Split.

  “But it is a shame,” Nokkrick said. “It didn’t used to be like this. He was sweet, not too long ago. Now he’s creepy and wrong.”

  “The ladder is more believable than the former,” he dryly replied.

  “He began changing when the other healers died, and he stopped joining in on the tradition during the full moon or when Di is at her fullest. He only sits in a corner and stares. He doesn't even do anything, not even with his hands,” Nokkrick explained.

  “Okay, think I’m going to need a bit of elaboration,” Kenneth replied. “What is this tradition?”

  Nokguvo glanced at Nokkibai, “She’ll explain.”

  “ME?!”

  “Now, now, don’t be mean to her.”

  “She said she wanted to make it up for dropping that stone on my tail, didn’t she,” Nokguvo said, ominously glaring like a loanshark who just made some sucker loan money with a six percent daily interest written in small letters.

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  The girl looked devastated, only able to look at the ground. “Once a month, when Di is at her fullest, we pray to her and Sikai above in the skies, beating on our chest and… and then we… get together.”

  The girl looked barely able to hold it together as her scales shifted through every imaginable color. “then to honor Lorizo, we choose to gather inside on the sand and earth in honor of Amito from… her embrace which we hatched and in the name and prayer of Utoku… we… we… show our love…”

  For a moment there, Kenneth feared the poor girl was about to pass out as he understood about half of what she was saying, but Nokguvo’s smirking chuckle and Nokkrick’s caring but unworried look put him a bit at ease.

  But all of it just left him confused, “Umm…”

  “We get together and prey, and then fuck together,” Split rather abruptly and far more clearly explained set explanation causing Nokkibai to cover her face in embarrassment.

  “Uh-huh,” Kenneth let out audibly, covering Kolu’s ears. “You mean to tell me once every full moon all of you have orgies. And just to wrap back around to what we were talking about, you would be more at ease if Nokset were to… take matters into his own hands.”

  Nokkibai crouched down and turned invisible as Nokkrick and Nokguvo both affirmed his affirmation.

  “Well, I will sincerely say I didn’t see any of that coming,” Kenneth said, drawing a few smiles as he aimed to change the topic of conversation. “So, anyways, what are you all doing by the support pillar? Has it shown signs of structural damage, cracks, sagging, or bending?”

  “You know about building?” Nokkrick questioned.

  “A little, probably more than the average person,” Kenneth replied. “Guess you just pick up a thing or two when you work with your dad throughout your teen years.”

  “Then it should be simple for you to follow,” Nokguvo said. “It’s nothing special. We are adding support to the pillar and then adding a canal for water to run down into a new well. A lot of people were complaining about having to go up all the time to get some.”

  “Now it wasn’t so bad walking up and down,” Nokkrick interjected.

  “You had to walk up and down ten times so all your children could drink.”

  “And thanks to that, my legs are strong,” Nokkrick smiled while Nokguvo rolled her eyes.

  “A question, if I may. For some time now, something about this place has been bugging me, and her back there hasn’t really been able to give me an answer, so I hope you can?” Kenneth asked, both of them gesturing for him to continue. “Well, it's just how and why this place is still standing. The ground around here has to be the most unsound I could ever imagine building on.”

  The two shared a glance as Nokkrick answered him. “This place feels like home, so why not build here? Not that I was here for it. It goes further back than even my grandmother remembers. And how that’s easy? The ground was dug out.

  “Dug… out?”

  “Yes. If you dig long and deep enough, eventually, you find hard ground. Must have taken a decade before any real work began.”

  “I’d guess two,” Nokguvo added.

  The simplest answer was most often always the right one, but in this case, it just sounded absurd: “Okay, thanks for explaining.”

  “But to think,” Nokkrick said with a distant stare. “How many stones must have been carried to build the walls, and how many were like me, helping make others stronger?”

  “Well, maybe they could remember not to take their hands off people,” Nokguvo said.

  “Oh, so that was what the little light was about. How fascinating, must be fun,” Kenneth commented.

  “Why don’t you try?” NOkkrick said, reaching out with her hand.

  “Oh, no, I’m fine, and it’s really not a good idea,” Kenneth tried to explain, feeling Kolu grip his leg, making it impossible for him to pull away as she drew closer. “Okay, just listen; you can’t because--”

  She placed her hand on his shoulder and… nothing.

  “How does it feel?” She asked.

  “…”

  “Are you doing anything?” Kenneth questioned, seeing with his own eyes that her hand was glowing, yet she was still standing.

  “Is something wrong?” Nokkrick asked with a slightly worried tone and a confused expression.

  Yes, something was wrong, and he hadn’t the faintest clue what.

  “I hope I didn’t interrupt anything fun?”

  With a rather smooth and soft voice and matching loose attire, the merchant’s daughter inserted herself into the conversation.

  Immediately, all eyes gathered on her, with Nokkrick and Nokguvo looking at what could best be described as if they were in awe. With a cheeky little wink, she gently reached under their snouts and moved her fingers in a circular manner, leaning closer between their heads and whispering something that made them look just as embarrassed as Nokkibai.

  “Well, let’s head back up,” Kenneth said.

  “Oh, I forget myself,” She said, spinning around her loose-flowing clothing that left little to the imagination, leaving even less as she introduced herself. “I’m Nokibaly, and I hope I'm not too forward to ask for yours.”

  She reached under his mask, making the same circular motion, but it did little if anything. “It’s Kenneth. Thank you for asking. It’s nice to meet you another way than yesterday. Now, not to be rude, but I must be going.”

  Walking out of her loose grasp, she stood there in silence for a second before calmly following. “I beg forgiveness for my forwardness.”

  “It’s fine.”

  “It is merely the trick of the trade.”

  “You don’t have to apologize. Given I’ve just experienced how truly forward you lot can be, I’m rather fine with that interaction,” Kenneth explained. “Now again, I’m not trying to be rude, but I have some things to attend to.”

  Keeping pace and not taking the hint, she leaned forward until she was at eye level with him. “I will not keep you busy, but I came here because I wondered if you would like to have a look at our wares. I can assure you we have things you won’t be able to find around these parts.”

  For a moment, Kenneth was about to shrug and brush her off, but he stopped himself, thinking, ‘Hmm… last time I looked at a merchant's wear, I was able to find vinegar.’

  “I guess I can spare a little time.”

  “Splendid. Follow me,” She said, leading them all the way up to the top of the wall.

  A couple of oddly shaped, though strangely familiar-looking, boats were on top of the wall, floating in the water like a flotilla. Though he had questions, mostly why boats had wheels, given the terrain, their design made some sort of sense, he supposed.

  ‘So they are like houseboats,’ he thought, noticing out of the corner of his eye a couple of people a bit away staring at him, who almost immediately turned away once he looked their way.

  “Don’t mind them; they are shy.” She hopped down onto the boat, rocking with each step as she crossed a couple to get to one in particular, holding the door open for him.

  He was about to follow, but Kolu wasn’t much of a fan, whether it was because it was a semi-lit, dark space, like the prison, or because of the water.

  Regardless, he wouldn’t force him, “Okay, Kolu, I’ll just be inside for a minute. You can just stay right out here and don’t hesitate to shout for me.”

  “…yes,” he said weakly.

  Suppressing a sigh, he jumped down, feeling his age in one to two enlightening seconds, but as Split was about to follow, Nokibaly stopped her, “I will be discussing trading in private; hope you understand.”

  “The commander has given me orders--”

  “I’ll just be right in here; watching this wagon will be like watching me, won’t it? Besides, can you keep an eye on him? I wouldn’t ever leave without him,” he asked of her.

  She didn’t give much affirmation other than stepping back. He crossed the boats and stepped inside, Nokkibaly following as the door closed on its own. “Feel free to browse.”

  The inside was decently spacious, with soft, crystal light illuminating every corner. Around him were stone tables secured to the wall with that woven hair thing they used for bowstring and rope, with many different items neatly scattered on top.

  “So what is it you want?” Nokibaly asked.

  “Haven't really decided if I want anything; I’m just looking around.”

  Most of the things did seem like simple knick-knacks. Shaped crystals, some toys, and other shiny things, though some rolls of paper looked a bit interesting.

  He rolled one up to see what was inside, and it was an erotic drawing of two men lifting a woman, standing chest to chest and back to chest as they…

  ‘No need to see anymore,’ He quickly rolled it back up.

  “Like it?” She asked, coming up right behind him. “We do have a decent selection. I have a friend back in the capital who, as you can see, is very precise. He made a couple for me in exchange for me being his model. I even have a couple if it strikes your fancy?”

  “Don’t get me wrong, it’s a good drawing, but...”

  “How about this then?” She reached over him, picked another roll, and showed him its scandalous content. More nude portraits with a wider selection of positions.

  “I think I’ll just pa…”

  The words halted in his mouth as she slowly continued to unroll the paper, entranced by what he saw.

  “Will you take this?”

  At first. Yes. It had only been more erotic drawings and poses of men and women alike, but the more he saw, the more he realized something, “Is this a star chart?”

  “How perceptive of you to notice. Yes, we have had these for years now, and no one wants to buy them, so the artist I mentioned decided to look at the shattered shells differently. He is talented, but artists are strange.”

  ‘A star chart could help navigate at night; this could be perfect,’ Kenneth thought. ‘But I should play it cautiously; it would probably look strange if I only wanted the star chart.’

  “Umm… could you show me a couple more… I think I want to make a purchase,” Kenneth said, steeling himself.

  With eagerness, she unrolled roll after roll, showing him more erotic drawings, with men and women sometimes together, other times alone, in every possible position, performing every possible act and exposing every possible angle.

  Though he never once found Nok, or any other creature here, attractive in much of any regard, the continued ingestion of these drawings did begin to sture something within him, much to his dismay.

  “You know what? I think I’ll take the drawing with all those poses, a lot for a little, I say,” Kenneth said with his heart racing and slight panic in his voice. “How much is it?”

  “Depends; first, you have to tell me which drawing on it you like the most.”

  ‘Is this some new form of torture?’ He thought, pointing to the least seductive pose he could bear to look at.

  “Excellent.”

  Right then and there, he could have called it quits, but he couldn’t. “Is this the only wagon with stuff in it?”

  “Certainly not. If you are in the mood for a sharp tip, we have weaponry, or if hunger strikes, we have some of the best-salted meat.”

  He let out a sigh, “So, nothing more of my interest. I’ll just be taking this and going. How much is it?”

  “Are you so certain you want nothing more?” Nokibaly asked while the distinct sound of fabric landed on the floor echoed within these confines. “Everything in here can be purchased. And I can assure you that everything is of the highest quality.”

  The idea of turning around at the moment seemed like utter insanity to him, but the door was behind him. He did his best to try and avoid looking at her, but with little success as he noticed her standing in that pose he’d pointed to.

  Arms flexed behind her head, one leg in front of the other with all laid bare to see.

  “Urg… what the hell is it with crazy excentric women wanting to fuck me,” He mumbly groaned, probably answering his own question by asking it.

  “What was that?”

  “Now, I’m certain you are a lovely young lady and all, but I ain't interested, so kindly do take your clothes on and let me pay for this,” he said, kindly trying to get outside.

  “Playful little one you are, but from what I’ve heard above and below. You need not fabricate a roll ill-suited for you; simply let me show you,” She placed her hand on his shoulder, stopping him from walking out while slowly sliding her hand south.

  His patience and will were being tested, “I will ask you one more time… please let go.”

  “Oh, I was mistaken,” She said, stepping back until her back hit the wall. “I see now what I felt so clearly underneath.”

  At a moment’s notice, she dropped down and sat seductively on the floor, shyly beckoning him closer.

  Kenneth just turned to leave, “Well, I would say it had been a pleasure…”

  Before he could walk out, however.

  “Wait!” She said with urgency. “I beg forgiveness once more; I must have misunderstood some things. I understand if you desire to leave, but may I only have one moment more of your precious time.”

  He breathed a heavy sigh and rolled his eyes, “I’m not cleaning your ears again.”

  “While that was indescribable,” She hissingly chuckled as she shook at the thought. “It’s not what I was asking for. Before, I was lying when telling you about our wears. We do sell a select few items of high-born clientele.”

  “Fine, show me,” he agreed.

  Picking up her robe, she got dressed and led him outside across the flotilla. It was a bit hard getting used to the wobbling as he wondered if one of them was going to flip over if he stepped too hard.

  However, if any of them were going to, he thought it would be one of the two that dipped deeper into the water than the others at the back near the wall. To his paranoia, it was one further in the back, and Nokibaly opened the door, too.

  Inside the wagon with the high-born wears, there were triangular crates stacked on top of each other.

  “So what are you selling?”

  She lifted one of the crates and lifted off the narrow top. Inside, it was filled with sand, which she began to dig through. She pulled out a small vial made from very clear glass with a liquid inside and a stone cork.

  “What is it?”

  “Poison,” She answered him. “Some who can pay find this useful. Now, contrary to the name, this poison isn’t lethal but excites your body, making it tingle and warm with unbridled lust. Not a poison, I’d say, but it did come from a Sil.”

  “Sil?” Kenneth repeated. “Are all these poisons the same?”

  “Interested?” She noticed, moving on. “In this crate, yes, but they are different from others. Some cause death, painful or instant, your choice, others cause you to evacuate out both ends, some even put you into a deep sleep and--”

  “That’ll do. Now, is it only poison, or do you have other things in here?”

  Even in the dim light, he could see her scales changing, matching the dark surroundings more and more by the second as she found another box. “Not everything can be found around here, and this plant is rather tasty on the tongue.”

  She ruffled through the sand and pulled out a leather-bound jar with a liquid and something else in it. Opening it, his nostrils were immediately filled with a familiar scent he hadn’t experienced since getting to this world.

  From the jar, she pulled out a thick root that dripped with the liquid in which it had been submerged. “Have a taste; I can assure you it is like nothing you have ever experienced before.”

  Kenneth reached out with one hand and unzipped his mask with the other. But instead of taking the root, he caught some of the falling drops on the gloved tips of his index and middle fingers. It was far more fluid than the kind he knew, but as he tasted it with his tongue, there was no denying it.

  It was honey, or at least a similar sugary substance.

  Nokibaly looked at him with slight confusion, “I know the preservative is sweet, but the root--”

  “Are there more jars like this?” He cut her off.

  “Yes.”

  “Excellent,” he said, stepping outside and yelling to Split. “I need the back.”

  “I beg you to try--”

  “No need,” He once more cut her off as Split made her way over. “I’ll be taking everything you have in there.”

  She only seemed slightly taken aback her expression mixed with slight relief. “Splendid.”

  “Okay, how much?” he asked, reaching into his bag.

  She seemed stunned for a moment, as if he’d just thrown her a curveball instead of asking for a prize.

  “For such exquisiteness last we met, you can have them for free.”

  Now Kenenth felt like he was getting thrown a curveball. “Huh…? You are honestly telling me you want to give me everything in there for free. There’s like thirty to forty crates!”

  “Yes.”

  “I’m not having sex with you.”

  “As you made very clear.”

  “Do you want Q-tips?”

  “No.”

  “Okay, what’s the catch?”

  “There is no deceit of any kind.”

  “Okay…” he said long and drawn out, pulling out a medical blanket, holding it like a sack filled with sharp gold, like a very generous Santa handing it to her. “If you hit your head, do let me know, but I hope this will suffice.”

  She pushed it back, “As I said, all of it is yours. Look at it as a gift.”

  “Yeah, you say that, but it makes me feel uncomfortable, so I’m just gonna pay.”

  It continued back and forth for so long that the thick veil of civility thinned until both were just waiting for the other one to crack.

  And eventually, one did.

  “OKAY, YOU LISTEN HERE. THIS SOCIETY HAS A BARTERING SYSTEM OF TRADING CURRENCY FOR GOODS AND SERVICES. NOW YOU TAKE THE BLANKETS FILLED WITH GOLD, OR I’M WALKING.” He loudly spoke.

  Looking frustrated herself, she replied, “I CAN'T TAKE IT. YOU ARE PAYING TOO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING THERE. NOW TAKE IT AS A GIFT.”

  “WELL, I HAVE A SOLUTION TO FIX OUR PROBLEM.”

  “WHAT IS THAT?”

  He pulled out another two backs, “I’M BUYING EVERYTHING.”

  “EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING?”

  “EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING.”

  For a second, both of them just stood there in silence before, begrudgingly, she took the gold, saying with thinly veiled anger, “WILL YOU BE TAKING IT ALL NOW, OR DO YOU WANT IT DELIVERED SOMEWHERE?”

  “PLEASE HAVE IT DELIVERED; I CAN SHOW YOU WHERE,” He said with barely less veiled anger. “ALSO, COULD I PLEASE GET A LIST OF EACH CRATE, WHAT’S INSIDE, AND WHAT IT IS IN A DETAILED DESCRIPTION?!”

  “OF COURSE.”

  “OKAY. I’M GOING TO TEACH MY STUDENTS NOW IF YOU WANT TO FOLLOW AND SEE WHERE TO DELIVER THE CRATES!”

  “IT’S FINE; I’LL ASK SOMEONE.”

  “GOOD, THANK YOU.”

  “YOU TOO.”

  Then Kenneth turned around and walked off.