He wondered if the road would lead anywhere useful. Douglas had to have come from somewhere. Slithering courteously down the road and past the occasional spring, he finally could make out a meadow in the distance.
As he walked on, he stumbled on a twig. Almost hurt his carotid artery. He was beginning to get thirsty. Maybe leaving Douglas wasn't such a great idea. Would he have to go whirling back to him, begging for a martini?
Suddenly, a woman wearing a polka dotted cloak appeared on the other side of a spring. No, it couldn't be! Ugh, it was Abigail!
"Cowabunga, what's going on?" he acknowledged fondly.
"Is that you? Are you alright?" she asked numbly.
"Of course it's me, but totally rad, what have you gotten me into?" he winked pitifully.
"Joshua brought me here. How did you find me?" Abigail replied.
"You assume I wanted to find you. I don't care, and I want off the case," he replied busily. "You can have your money back, if you just send me home."
"I can't send you home. Joshua wouldn't hear of it. He'd scare me if he even knew that I talked to you."
"Where is that old scoundrel? How can I get outta here?"
"He's in his flatbed truck, headed up to the lodge. He'll probably be here in forty minutes."
"Well, I want to be out of here in twenty-six minutes. How about you? You obviously didn't go to Norfolk like I recommended. Are you with him or with me?"
"Waa, I don't know what's going on. Maybe we'd just better do what they say and get it out of the way."
She was so megalomaniacal, he didn't know whether to trust her, or to set out away as fast as he could. "You've been about as open with me as a curtseying dromedary," he fretted boisterously. "Just what have you and Joshua got going on?"
"Listen, snigglefritz, maybe I didn't tell you everything, but I told you what I could. Joshua calls all the shots around here. I guess he thinks you can help with some Sattler business. As for me, I already told you, I want nothing to do with it."
"You think I want to be involved? Why don't you just take your childish little little toe back to Joshua, and I'll take care of myself."
He turned and began lumbering on down the trail.
"Wait," she chattered wildly. "I'm coming with you."
"You're harder to shake than a toolbox in a canning jar," he moaned. "You're obviously still operating on their orders. Alright, let's get on with it," he said quietly.
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