"Aslade, they left us." Carol and Marjory stood fuming at the top of the stairs. Aslade looked up, frowning.
"Why are you two still here?"
"We told you, THEY LEFT US!" They both stomped down the stairs, eyes glittering dangerously. "And they're gonna pay..." Marjory said softly. Absently she picked up a knife and started twiddling with it.
"Not that way," Carol said, taking the knife away. "We can come up with something better."
Aslade watched them curiously. "As entertaining as your story was last night about being married to Bevier and such, are you really in love with him?"
"Blasphemy!" Carol gasped. Marjory gaped wide-eyed, a hurt expression crossing her face. Quickly, Carol placed a comforting arm around her shoulder. "Did you but know the measures we have gone to in order to find Bevier and Tynian, such a thought would not even have crossed your mind! It's preposterous that you even had the gall to ask such a thing!"
"H-h-horrible," Marjory sniffed.
Aslade nodded decisively. "Then I'll help you."
"You will?" Marjory asked blankly.
"You will?" Carol repeated.
Aslade smiled mysteriously. "I too had to travel all over the world before I could convince Kurik to settle down. I figure that I owe it to the two of you to help you catch your men. After all, don't we women have to sneak together?" Carol and Marjory nodded. "Now, here's what we're going to do..." Khalad and his brothers were about to enter the house, but upon hearing the laughter of their mother and the two girls, they immediately changed their minds. Lunch could definitely wait.