CH 130
The house Bob won did have nice eye candy. Jo and Malnara took to just wearing skirts around him. They had noticed he liked breasts, so not they wore no tops so they could display theirs for him. Getting up early, after an unpleasant dream of Joan and Allison glaring at him as his four slave girls crowded around him, naked and hugging him, he decided to get up instead of trying to sleep any more.
He went down to the kitchen. All was quiet, no one else was up yet. He used an oil lamp to light the hearth and the smaller flat topped iron stove. Getting water to fill the iron pot on the swing arm, he got it over the hearth to heat up.
There was nothing refrigerated here. Tubers and vegetables were hung up, meat was packed in salt to keep it dehydrated. The first part of making a meal was hydrating and removing salt before the meal was even started. A simple breakfast took a long time to make.
Bob found out Hanna had been the one who usually got the kitchen started in the morning. He decided to do it instead, since she wasn't very healthy. Grabbing the egg basket, he went out, scattered some feed for the chickens, then went in the coup and collected up a half dozen eggs. He went back inside to find Hanna standing in the kitchen staring at the hearth.
"Morning, Hanna," he offered as he came in.
Hanna looked at him, then her eyes went wide. "Master! What are you doing?" she cried.
Bob lifted the basket. "Collecting eggs. Why don't you sit down and show me how to do breakfast for everyone?"
Hanna's mouth worked up and down a few times as she gaped at him. "But ... You can't do that!" she cried weakly. "You're not suppose to be in here!"
Bob itched his head and set the eggs on the table. "Ah, my house right? My Kitchen, so I can be in here if I want."
"No!" Hanna cried and limped over to push him towards the door. "This is the cook's job and ours! You're not supposed to work in the kitchen!"
Bob resisted and held her in place. "Aren't you supposed to be in bed resting?" he asked.
"But... you can't be in here!" she cried.
Bob noted the bruise on her face was fading into a ugly yellow color. "How are you feeling?" he asked.
Hanna stared at him. "I can work," she said.
"That's not what I asked. How are you feeling? Do you hurt anywhere?"
"Nothing bad," she offered.
"Right," he said as he studied her many bruises. "Back to your room, I want to get a look at how bad you're hurt."
"What?" she asked, casting him a scared look.
Gently he said, "I'm not going to do anything but see how bad your wounds are, OK? Come on, back to your room. I can do that while the water's heating up."
Hanna shrunk back. "My room? You want to go in my room?" she asked weakly.
"I don't think you want to strip down in the kitchen here," he told her.
Her "Yes, Master" Came out barely audible. She turned hugging herself and limped out to her room.
Following behind, Bob noted she was favoring her right leg. He also heard a sniffle from her. Right, she'd been abused, she was scared he might do something else to her. When she stumbled he got beside her and picked her up in his arms in a bride's carry.
"I'll carry you before you fall down. Point the way."
She stared at him.
"I don't know where your room is. You have to show me," he coaxed.
She pointed down the hall.
Bob got her to her door, which was bare wood and no latch. In the early morning her room was dark. He found her bed and sat her down on it. He went to close her door and noted the only real light in here was coming from the sconce on the wall, and that wasn't much. He did find a candle to take out and light so he could see better.
Bringing the candle in, he saw Hanna had taken her clothes off and held her shirt to her. He put the candle into it's holder on her small bare wood table. Yeah, her room wasn't any bigger than the average jail cell. Hanna was quaking slightly and bore a lost look in her eyes. Bob squatted down in front of her.
"Hanna, I'm not going to hurt you. I want to see how bad you are hurt."
"No you don't. I'm ugly, Master."
"I do. I can help you better if I know what's wrong with you." he said He took her shirt and laid it to the side. He almost wished he'd listened to her.
A tear dropped from Hanna's eye as he stared at her long thin breasts. Bands of purple, scars and bite marks covered both breasts. He stared at her ruined breasts in shock and sadness. Vacantly, he said, "If I knew he did things like this to you, I would have killed him very slowly." He drew her into a hug. "I am so sorry this happened to you. It never will again, I swear."
Hanna burst out crying and returned his hug. He pet her hair and let her pour out her grief until she quieted down.
"Hanna I have to lay you down. Is anything swollen?" Bob asked.
"It just hurts," she said in a sniffle.
"OK, lie down and show me where."
She did and after he gently prodded her ribs where they hurt, he found she did have a broken rib. Besides the bruises on her, he found her right hip was very tender. It was also swollen up. "It hurts to move this leg?" he asked. She nodded. He also found a few lines of scars on her belly. "You need a hospital," he said.
"Master, is it true you will leave us?" she asked.
"I do have to go home, as soon as I can figure out how," he said honestly.
"Then please promise me something. Take me with you, or kill me. I heard getting your head chopped off is a fairly painless death."
"I'm not going to kill you," he replied flatly.
Hanna gripped his hand. "Please, take me or kill me. I ... can't stand being hurt any more." she began sobbing again.
Bob hugged her and kissed her forehead. "I will see to it you won't be hurt any more. So you know, you're not ugly, you've just been treated very badly. I want you to rest. I'll see what I can find to help you get better. No work until you are, got it?"
"Yes, Master," she said and hugged him.
Bob got up and blew the candle out and closed the door on his way out.
Going back to the kitchen, he checked the water, it was heating up. The top of the iron stove was hot, he found a pan for the eggs and was looking for something to coat the bottom of the iron pan when Malinara came in with the cook, a thin, older man.
"What are you doing!" Malinara cried at him.
Bob saw she was dressed as usual lately, a she wore a blue skirt, that was it. "I was the first up, so I got things started..."
"NO! You can't do that!" she cried an ran over to him, boobs bouncing. She grabbed his hand and towed him towards the door. "You pay the cook to work in the kitchen! Come on, if you want to do something then ... I'll show you how to collect the eggs."
"Already did it," he said, pointing to the egg basket.
"Then.. my boobs are sore come rub them for me!" she said as she hauled him out of the kitchen.
Bob had to laugh at how frantic she was. "Malinara, I'll be leaving for work soon, right after breakfast."
She stopped and stared at him. "Work? You?" she asked in disbelief. "WHY!"
"I do have to pay the cook and the guards, and I do want to see more of this town," he said defensively.
Malinara frowned at him. "Come with me!" She led him up to his room and pulled a drapery aside to show another door. "I'll get a candle holder, open it."
Bob opened the door to see a dark space. Mainara came back with a holder with four lit candles in it. She guided him in and said, 'If you want to see the town, just go walk around. If you want money," she stopped and pointed to a metal strapped wooden chest. "Open that up."
The chest was a good three feet square with a rounded top. Bob opened it. The inside was split. mostly full of gold coins on one side and filled with silver coins on the other. "Holy shit!" he exclaimed.
Malinara said, "If you're going out then take some walking around money with you. No too much though in case someone robs you."
Bob had a burning question. "If you knew this was here, why not grab a handful and run away?"
"Robert, any woman alone is a target for kidnapping or worse," she said firmly. "The safest place is someplace like here, with a man to protect us and a good roof over our heads. Out of this house with no one guarding us, we could well be dead within the day."
Bob looked at her. Yeah, here were plenty of unscrupulous men here. Most of them, it seemed like. The way this place was run seemed to encourage that. "That's why Hanna never ran away." he concluded.
"Yes. She could get hurt and abused anywhere. For how bad it was with our last master, it would have been worse if she ran, even if he didn't catch her."
"This place is so screwed up," he grumbled.
"What's it like where you're from?" Malinara asked.
Robert grabbed a few silvers to pocket and stood up. "Much more civilized. Women don't have to be afraid to leave the house. The police, guard, keep things peaceful. If a man even molests a woman, he goes to jail. People respect each other, mostly. If you kill someone, you don't get to grab what they had, you're tracked down and thrown in jail. If say, the sheriff needs help to catch a criminal, he gets it to make sure whoever the bad guy is, is stopped. If say you wanted to walk down to the store to get something, you'd be safe doing it. Nothing like here."
Malinara came up to hug his arm. "When you go, take us with you. You know we'll be loyal to you."
Bob left out a huff "Joan has a big jealous bone. A girl tried to come on to me when we were at a pool party. Joan forced her underwater and beat her. The girl barely got back to the surface alive. She sees any of you and most likely, she will hurt you bad. I want to prevent that."
"Robert, won't you stand up for us?" she asked.
"Yeah until she kicks me through a wall," he said with a snort. "Joan is wonderful, she's also very strong. So is Allison. "
"I'll take that chance," Malimara said firmly. "I know Jo, Dina and Hanna will also."
"You're asking to commit suicide." Bob stated. "I want you girls to stay healthy and whole."
In a musing tone, Malinara said, "I think Hanna has it right. It's better to be dead, than to be here without you."
"Great." he huffed. he had a big problem on his hands, and it had nothing to do with that wizard or that asshole Lord Eric.
.
Bob was learning much about this place that he wasn't liking. His job that day with Nathaniel was building up a tower on the corner of Eric the Black's mansion. the doorways were made in the building,. Nathaniel's part on the construction was to haul the heavy assed stone blocks up to place them where the engineers said to.
While they were working, Bob noted everything he saw. As well as parts of the building, he watched a man get beheaded in the courtyard because he told the tax collector the taxes were unfair, and he couldn't pay. Upon his head rolling away from his body, the man's family became slaves to be sold to help pay the missing taxes. The man's family was brought in. His wife and older daughter were stripped and taken to the slave auction. His son was sent out as a slave to work in the stone quarry. The young girl was deemed too young for the slave market, or to be held until she was of 'some use'. The five year old was guided to the headsman's block.
That was the last straw for Bob. On the tower 30 feet up, Bob jumped off the land in a crouch in the courtyard. He strode over to where the frightened girl was being made to put her neck on the block.
"Stop right there!" Bob bellowed. "You are NOT going to kill that girl!"
The tax collector eyed him. "She is of no use to us. This is not your affair." he stated.
"I don't give a shit!" Bob roared at him. "Whoever raises an axe to her, I will kill!"
The well dressed man behind the tax collector said, "Although it is amusing to see blood spilled, perhaps there is another solution. She is very young, not worth anything yet. If you could contribute say, two silvers to the due taxes, then she will be yours."
Bob dug in his pocket and pulled out two silvers. "Here! Who gets it?"
"On the table here, please."
Bob went over and slapped the silver down, then glared at the man holding the girl down. "Let her up," he growled.
Th girl crumbled in place in a ball when she was released. Bob went over and squatted down by her. "Hey what's your name?" he asked gently. The girl peeked up at him. "Jenny," she said, eyeing him fearfully. "Where'd Mommy go?"
"Come on, let's go see if we can find her and your sister," Bob said and offered her a hand.
The girl took it and let him help her up.
The Tax collector and Eric's son, Bart, watched Bob leave holding the girl's hand.
"We didn't get much for her." the Tax collector said.
"No, but we did get some valuable information," Bart told him. "I saw that man jump from the top of the tower and land unhurt. He's the one who killed the man prodding people into fights to kill them and take their possessions. He doesn't look like much, but his is very strong. Perhaps we can use him."
Bart kept an ear to the ground. The man, Robert Tanner only used a sword once on a bandit, then gave it away. He was strong, but not a warrior. He knew that house Tanner got had wealth, much more than a handful of coppers or a few silvers. There were also few fine slaves there. And since Tanner wasn't a warrior, it was now ripe for the picking.
.
Bob had no idea where the girl's mother and sister were taken. Looking down streets he asked where the slave market was. Of course, it was on the other end of town. The girl sniffled and got tired of walking, so Bob carried her up on his shoulders for a few blocks. He heard her stomach growl. He put her down and asked, "Hungry?"
She nodded. "Did they chop off Mommy's head too?"
"I don't know," he said honestly. "Want to go get some food before we keep looking?"
Crunching her face up in a cute frown, she shook her head. "I want to find out what happened to Mommy."
They kept going. After a long walk, they did find the slave trader. Out front an auction was about to start. On display were several young, naked women chained together. Jenny pointed to her sister. Like others coming to look them over, Bob took Jenny up to her.
Upon seeing Jenny, her sisters eyes grew wide. "Jenny, run! Get away as fast as you can!"
"Where's mommy?" Jenny cried.
"Mom is dead! They cut her head off for yelling at them. Run, go!"
Jenny burst out in a wining cry. Bob picked her up and held her. "Keep yourself alive," he told the sister, and walked away with Jenny crying on his shoulder.
He wanted to tell the girl it was OK. It wasn't. Nothing here was by any means OK. It was a horrid pit of cruelty and backstabbing. His anger made him walk faster as he went down the street. That wizard said there was terror here. It wasn't just bandits, but this entire place that was the terror. Despite the fact he'd been kidnapped, he had to do something about it. Before he did, he had to get this girl back to the house where she was safe.
Turning onto the street where his house was, he saw the man who was with the tax collector on a horse with a few guards around him. The guards moved to block the street.
"All right, what's up?" Bob asked.
Bart stated, "You stole that girl who was to be beheaded."
"Did not, I paid you two silvers for her. the tax collector watched it!" Bob stated.
"Are you calling me a liar?"
"If the dirty underwear fits, wear it," Bob told him. To the guards he said, "I paid what he asked for this girl. There are witnesses."
Bart got off his horse and drew his sword. "You say I lie? I call you to duel!"
"Wow, what a brave asshole you are," Bob spat, "You with your sword are going to duel me holding a girl? Quite a brave piece of shit, aren't you?"
Bart clenched his teeth in anger. "You will pay for insolence! I was going to make you submit, but now, it's to the DEATH!"
A guard announced, "Sir! The law states that duels must be fought on even terms!"
Bob put Jenny down and said, "Go stand by that wall until this is over." She ran over by the wall. Bob straighten up and motioned Bart closer. "Come on, Liar, if you're brave enough."
Bart' face melted into a hate filled sneer. The guard that spoke ran in front of him. "Sir! Duels must be fought on even terms!"
Bob asked, "Why take away his slim chance of wining?"
Bart turned red faced and cried out and shoved the guard aside. He charged Bob in mindless rage as Bob was hoping he'd do.
Bob waited until he was coming close, and thrust out with his sword. Again, like on the path, Bob dodged to the side, grabbed his sword and spun fast to backhand him with a fist. Bart's helmet went flying as he was throw to the side. Bob had his sword. On the ground, Bart twitched.
Bob shifted to hold the sword by the handle. He called to Bart. "Well? is that all you got? Come on, get up! This is to the death, isn't it? Someone give him another sword. He was kind enough to give me his."
The guards ran forward to shield Bart. One bent over him. "He's bleeding, his left eye is on the ground!"
"I can patch an eye to keep it fair," Bob offered.
The guard Bob guessed was the guard Captain said, "Get his highness up on his horse and get him back to the castle!" The man the eyed Bob. "You should leave town, quickly."
"I didn't start it, he did." Bob stated.
The captain came closer and hissed, "Eric will not care. He will send us out to arrest you, bringing you to trial then behead you. Leave while you have the chance!"
"Rule by terror is what you're saying," Bob replied.
"Call it what you will but when we return, we will be coming for you."
Bob frowned briefly. "Then I'd be forced to kill you all. Tell you what, I'll hide in the woods so you can't find me. Then I won't have to kill you."
"Just go!" the Captain hissed, then gathered his men and left with Bart draped over his saddle.
Bob went over and picked the scared looking girl up. "Jenny? What do you say we go get something to eat."
"OK."
.
Bart died on the way back to the castle. Eric looked down on his body and asked, "How did this happen? Who is responsible for killing my son?"
The guard Captain stepped up and told him the events as they happened. When he was done, he added, "That man, Robert Tanner did pay for that girl. Several guards as well as the tax collector saw it."
"He probably did," Eric agreed. "And Bart was foolish enough to goad him to duel. That is not important. what is, is this happened out on the street in public. The death of my son cannot go unpunished. You say Robert Tanner is going to hide in the woods?"
"Yes, that is what he told me, Sire."
"Then assemble the guard force and soldiers. Take capture nets, I want him alive so we can have a public execution. Robert Tanner will have his arms cut off and be gutted before I allow him to die!"
"Sire ..."
"I mean to make an example out of him! GO!"
.
Bob had the cook get Jenny something to eat, had his girls get dressed, then called everyone outside. He carried Hana out and put her in the wagon. Soon, everyone was out there waiting for him to return and speak to them. Up in his 'treasury, he got out cloth bags and filled them with gold and silver coins. One bag for everyone. Carrying them out front, he saw everyone except the cook and Jenny were out here. He went over to them and passed out the bags, He got up on the wagon and gave Hanna hers.
"Master, what are you doing?" Jo asked.
He smiled briefly and said, "Giving you your due. Guard captain?"
"Yes sir?" the man said and straightened to attention.
"I have a vital mission for you. Send two men to go help the cook gather supplies for a long trip. Get them started, time is critical."
Malinara looked in her bag. "Master, this is full of gold and silver!"
"Yes, every one is. It's yours now. Get that wagon packed with things you need. Guardsmen, stay on guard for the girls and the cook. Take the road south and go. Eventually, you'll get beyond Black hearted Eric's reach. Don't stop until you do. You have enough there to buy a place, or hire workers to build a new place to live. You main job is to keep these women safe."
"Why are we moving?" Malinara asked, eyeing him.
"Because you have to. In his infinite wisdom, Eric's son lied, I called him on it so he called me to duel. I killed him. I know Eric the Idiot won't be happy with that, so you are all leaving before the troops show up."
"You're coming too, aren't you, Maser" JO asked, looking worried.
Bob shook his head. "Can't give them a reason to come track you down. Besides, if they see me, you'll have a clean get away while I keep them busy."
"Noooo!" Hana called from the wagon. She crawled to the edge and got off. She glared at Bob. "I am got going to leave you. You can't make me!"
"Hanna, they find you they will torture you to death," Bob said firmly.
"Then you kill me before they do!" Hana yelled. "I told you, take me or kill me!"
Malinara dropped her bag of money. "That goes for me too Robert, If you don't go, I don't go."
Jo was next to drop her bag. She didn't say anything but stared at him, arms folded over her chest. Dina then dropped her bag and announced, "I stay with Master."
"What is wrong with you!" Bob cried at them. "If you stay you'll be killed and most likely in a very bloody way! Get on that wagon and get OUT OF HERE!"
"Come with us or we're not going, "Jo stated.
"It's me they will be after, not you!" Bob countered.
"Master, we will not leave without you," Malinara stated.
"If you won't leave, then take our heads," Dina added.
"You girls are crazy!" Bob cried.
"and you're not?" Malinara asked with a raised eyebrow.
Laughter pealed out from the gate. Bob looked over to see Delilah laughing at them.
"Got a problem, Bob?" she asked.
"Delilah!" Bob cried and ran over to her. "You're here? There's a way home?"
"There is," she beamed. "As soon as the secretary comes back from casing out that wanna-be king, we got some serious ass to kick. You wouldn't believe the men we had to pound on to get them to leave us alone! I was ready to cook a few with plasma to show them we meant business."
"Who else is here?" Bob asked.
"Just me and the secretary." she said and walked in. Jerking a thumb behind her, she said "Shut and lock those gates, then we wait for her to come back."
"Guards, lock-em," Bob told them. They quickly did shutting the gate and dropping a thick timber in the brackets.
Delilah looked at the young women now eyeing her. "So, who do we have here?" she asked with a grin. The women only eyed her, so she asked, "Don't you speak? You were quite loud a minute go."
Bob pointed to each and said, "Malinara, Jo, Dina, and by the wagon is Hanna."
"Hanna doesn't look too good." Delilah noted.
"She was treated very badly, she's hurt" Bob told her.
Delilah scanned her and said, "Don't worry hon, we'll get you fixed up."
"Eric the Black is gathering forces to kill Robert," Malinara stated.
"Good! We can get most of them in one fell swoop!" Delilah replied.
"They are trained soldiers armed with swords and spears and wear armor!" Jo stated.
Delilah grinned at her. "Dear, they will learn that scum shouldn't mess with wolverines." She looked up and said, "Here comes the secretary now."
Bob looked up to see a winged woman flying and descending towards them. "THAT's the sheriff's secretary?"
"Yup, and I'm sure she got some good information."
Aliana landed in a clear space in the courtyard. She walked towards the crowd. The girls ran over to get on front of Bob, the guards backed away holding their weapons up in front of them. Aliana grinned at their frightened faces. "Wow, by the looks of them, they are afraid I'm going to eat them."
Delilah giggled "So Secretary, what did you find out?"
"Men are gathering in their court yard. That Eric guy? He's pure evil, surrounds himself with others just like him. "I think we should burn that whole place to the ground while they are all gathered up."
"Sounds good to me." Delilah agreed. She looked at Bob and said, "Get your girlfriends back inside, there may be flying debris very soon."
"They aren't my girlfriends," Bob stated.
"I'm not the one you need to do the explaining to," Delilah reminded him. "Anne, hit them from up high when you see me running for the gate!"
"Got it!" Aliana agreed and took off to fly away.
Delilah ran and jumped the wall.
"Sir, who were they?" a guard asked.
Bob grinned and said, "Hell is about to visit that Eric. I don't think he's going to survive."
.
Aliana watched Delilah running down the street. She was moving fast dodging people going the same way. Most who saw her coming quickly steppe aside. One guard who got in front of her and signaled for her stop, Delilah leaped up stepped on his head and kept going as he fell. Over the castle courtyard, Aliana saw Delilah coming close, plasma canons out. Aliana thrust both hand down at the figures in ranks below and shot multi-pronged lightning bolts down on them. She banked around as the ones not falling looked up at her. She let out a roar and cast fear down on them.
Then the gates were blown apart by dual plasma bolts. Delilah walked into the courtyard, shooting plasma and burning lines through the men as they tried to run or dropped to hug the ground. Halfway across the courtyard, Delilah plasma'd the main doors blowing them into burning bits and strode inside. The terrified men who were able to, fled out the destroyed gates.
Aliana turned and landed on the second floor balcony. Men were running at her. She took a deep breath and blew fire on them. The men screamed and flailed, the ones in the back ran back down the stairs in a mob to escape and tripped over each other to tumble down. Aliana ran to the stairs and blew fire down on the mass of stumbling men trying frantically to escape. The ones at the bottom met plasma bolts that incinerated them and melted their armor. The stairs collapsed.
"I think the throne room's over here!" Delilah called up and headed for it.
The room Delilah was talking about was the one two heavy doors had slammed shut on. Delilah plasma'd the doors, blowing them into burning chunks.
"Stop!" a large black haired man wearing a robe and gold things on it said as he held two scared looking women in front of him.
"You're a brave one, aren't you?" Delilah asked. Guards ran towards her, a couple plasma shots and their remains burned on the floor.
"You will stop now!" the man behind the women stated.
"Nope, gotta get rid of you, first," Delilah replied and plasma'd him and the women.
A younger boy with shiny adornments that was staring at her was next, along with a small pack of women who screamed. After she got all the guards, she shot walls, blasting stone out, leaving pieces of tapestry burning and chunks of the failing ceiling falling down.
Going through the place Aliana and Delilah killed everyone they came across. Aliana caught fire to wooden support beams as she went. Delilah noted where the structural support stone was. Once she was back outside and Aliana was driving the remaining guards out the ruins of the gate, Delilah destroyed the structural columns and ran away as well.
A heavy rumbling sounded and the proud mansion of Eric the Black collapsed in on itself. Only the smoke from the fires within escaped.
Standing outside the collapsed structure Delilah looked back long enough to determine Eric the Asshole was finished as was any of his family. Walking away she noticed many people were watching from a distance. As she neared them, they moved away to the sides, giving her plenty of open space. A few guards watched her go by, staring at her. She stopped an eyed them.
Pointing to the the remains of the mansion, she said, "Anyone who wants to be cruel will end up like THAT! If you don't want to be dead, don't be cruel."
The guards backed away from her. She continued on.
Only one guard was outside when Aliana landed back in the courtyard at the place Bob was staying. "Everyone else inside?" she asked.
He swallowed and said, "Yes, that other woman, the blonde, she jumped the wall and left right after you flew away."
"She'll be back. We got rid of that what's his name Lord and destroyed his nice big house. Most of his soldiers too." she turned and went inside. She heard a woman yell. "No matter what you say, what I want is for you to take me with you or Kill me!"
Aliana went on the room it came from. The four women in basic clothes were there in a line, glaring at Bob, who was looking frustrated. "Problems?" she asked.
Malinara turned to see her and moved over to cover Bob. The others quickly joined the block.
"Girls, I'm in no danger from the secretary." Bob told them.
"Call me Anne," she replied. "He's right, the real danger to him is going to be Joan and Allison, after they see you lot."
"Is Delilah back yet?" Bob asked hopefully.
"She's walking back. Some of the guards got away, she might be hunting them down." Anne said. "So, what's with you girls? What's Bob to you?"
Malinara angrily said, "Don't call him that! Master's name is Robert!"
Anne grinned. "Master? He's your Master?"
"YES" all four girls chorused.
Anne chuckled. "Wow, Robert, are you going to be in the deep darks."
"It's not my fault!" Bob cried. "I killed the wrong guy!"
"Jungle law here, huh? Hope you got a pair of tap shoes, you're going to have to do a big song and dance to explain them." Anne said and laughed.
"It's not funny!"
"Yes it is. Well, for the moment."
Delilah came in. "Bob?" she called.
"He's in here with his harem!" Anne called back.
Bob rubbed his face. "I'm toast," he grumbled.
"Job's done!" Delilah chimed as she came in. "The dolt is dead, his place is destroyed, time to go home."
"I still got a problem," Bob offered.
"Four of them," Anne added.
"We'll work it out at home. People are waiting for us. Let's go," Delilah said firmly.
Jo announced, "Tell Robert we need to come too!"
"Yes!" Hanna agreed.
"We belong to him!" Malinara stated.
"I won't have any other Master," Dina proclaimed.
Delilah turned to Anne and said, "Tell Harry it will be three trips back."
"Meet you there," Anne said and disappeared.
Delilah waved her arm. "Come on! let's go."
Jenny ran in. "Where we going?" she asked.
"Make that five problems," Bob said. Seeing Delilah eye him, he quickly added, "Those men were going to kill her, I had to do something!"
Shifting her gaze to the bags they had, Delilah asked, "Is that silver, and gold in there?"
"Master gave it to us to hold," Jo stated.
Anne grinned, "So, do we get paid to come rescue you?"
Yeah, sure," Bob said. "Follow me."
.
Up in the money room, Delilah picked up the chest and said, "We'll sort it out after we get back." She carried the chest out. Leading the way back down to the lounge, she called out. "Anyone who's coming, let's go!"
The girls grabbed their bags of coins and followed Bob out.
"Robert, you should carry Hanna," Jo coached.
Right, Hanna had a hard time walking. He was dreading meeting Joan and Allison. He had to think of a good explanation, if there was one.