Using her magic, Aggie was able to make up all the checks in just under a half an hour. When she had finished, she handed them off to Valeria, who was waiting outside her study.
"Oh, and Valeria," she said, as Valeria headed for the door, "Don't mind the girls. Honestly, they won't be here for long."
"Yes, ma'am," Valeria replied, and she left.
Another hour later, Aggie found herself staring up at the kitchen clock. It had been a full hour and a half and the girls still weren't back. Where could they be?
Just then, the door burst open, and Hattie stormed in. Olive followed close behind, dragging a small wagon of food behind her. Socrates flew in after them, flew up to his perch and ruffled his feathers, angrily. Aggie gawked at the girls. They were covered in dirt, their dresses were torn in some places and they had scars, bruises, blisters and stings all over they're bodies. And Olive was soaking wet.
"Good Heavens!" exclaimed Aggie. "What happened?"
Hattie looked like she was going to explode. "Don't…you…ever…ask…me…to…work…ever…again!" she shouted.
"Don't you mean 'us'?" said Olive.
"SHUT UP!" roared Hattie. She looked back at Aggie. "Next time, tell those stupid elves to do your work for you! I am nobody's servant."
Aggie nodded. "Why don't you two go clean up in the bathhouse out back?"
"Well that would be the considerate thing, now wouldn't it?" snapped Hattie. She and Olive headed for the door.
"Oh, and one more thing, girls." The girls stopped and looked back at Aggie. "To use the bathhouse, you'll have to knock on the door three times. No more, no less. Remember that."
"Thanks," muttered Hattie, "We'll remember." They stormed out.
After they had left, Aggie turned back to Socrates.
"What happened?"
"They just don't listen!" shouted Socrates, "I told the bratty girl to ask for Angus's permission to get milk, she didn't and Angus headbutted her across the barn. The dumb one thought she could get a fish on her own, and fell into the pond. Then the bratty one tried to get some honey from the bees and once again…"
"She didn't ask for permission," said Aggie."
"Exactly."
Aggie turned and looked into the wagon. She began examining the food, and then she frowned.
"What is this?" she exclaimed, "Most of this is either not ripe, or spoiled."
"They just picked whatever they could get. They said they just wanted to get done as fast as they could."
Aggie sighed and rolled her eyes.
The girls gaped in shock when they saw the bathhouse. It was a shed that appeared to be only big enough for one person.
"She expects us to wash up in that?" exclaimed Hattie, "Now I know she's crazy!"
"Well, she said we had to knock first," Olive protested.
"Fine," Hattie sighed, "Go and knock. Three times."
Olive hurried up to the door and knocked, "One, two, and…" She paused. After thinking for a moment, she looked back at Hattie. "It's there something between two and three?"
Hattie rolled her eyes. "Here, just let me do it." She knocked, "One, two, three."
The girls waited for a few minutes, but nothing happened. Hattie knocked three times again.
"Hello?" she shouted. She knocked again. "Isn't something magical supposed to happen?" Still nothing. Hattie pounded the door in frustration. "OPEN UP!"
Just then, the door, slowly, creaked open. Inside, it was just as Hattie had predicted; the room was only big enough for one person, there was a toilet and a sink, which was filled with mud, and it looked as though nobody had used it in years.
"Why am I not surprised?" Hattie grumbled. "C'mon, let's go."
"Wait," Olive protested. "Shouldn't we clean up?"
Hattie stared blankly at her sister. "Olive, that place is a dump."
"But Aggie did tell us to clean up."
Hattie sighed. "Fine, go ahead and clean up." Olive went into the bathhouse and closed the door behind her.
Twenty minutes later, Olive emerged from the bathhouse. Hattie chuckled. Olive's face was covered with mud, but she seemed very content about it.
"What's that on your face?" Hattie asked.
"It's a mud mask," answered Olive, "I can feel my pores tingling already."
Hattie chuckled. This was one of the only benefits of having an airhead for a sister and a sidekick; she was always good for a laugh.
"Did you want a turn?" Olive asked.
"Uh, no thanks, I think I'm good."
"Oh, well, at least have a mint leaf." Olive held up a small tray of mint leaves.
"Oh, thank you." Hattie took a mint leaf. Olive stuffed the rest into her purse.
"Well, not much else to do here, and it's getting dark. C'mon, let's go."
The girls headed back up to the house.
"She'd better not make us cook dinner."
