Princes of Mannsborough, Part 17

by Vulgar Argot

(rom, FF, MF-nosex)

It took Dawn several minutes to stop shaking with rage. She sat on a small stone bench at the edge of Thule 's property line, overhung with the branches of the first few trees of the forest that started abruptly at the edge of the grass. From that vantage, she could see Jake come out of the house, light a cigarette as he scanned the yard, then come up the path towards her.

She pointed to the cigarette in his mouth, "Give me one of those."

"You smoke now?" asked Jake, drawing out the pack.

"Only when I'm upset," said Dawn. She accepted the cigarette and let Jake light it.

Jake stood on the far side of the path. Both of them smoked without talking for about a half a cigarette.

Jake said, "I don't know this Thule guy, but I wouldn't be too hard on him about this."

Dawn's eyes flashed angrily, "Don't tell me you're on his side..."

Jake shook his head in the negative as he drew deeply on the last puff of his cigarette. Then, he dropped it on the path and ground it out emphatically, far more so than fire safety would require, as if he were carefully considering his next words.

"I don't take sides," he said finally, "But, I've seen Mrs. Vandevoort in action. If she sets her sights on you, you'd have to be gay or dead and preferably both not to have a hard time saying no."

"What about you?" asked Dawn, "Did you sleep with her?"

"I'm just a lackey," said Jake, lighting another cigarette. "That kept me off her radar. She came on to me five or six times as a matter of form. But, she's smart. If she'd been caught with me, it wouldn't have gotten her what she wanted. I'd just be fired and she'd still be stuck."

Dawn looked up at him angrily, "What are you doing working for Ivan Vandevoort anyway?"

"Delivering messages, watching Svetlana," said Jake. "That sort of thing."

"You don't hurt people for him, do you?"

"Jesus, no," said Jake. "This is Ivan Vandevoort, not John Gotti. I don't always get to deal with the cream of society. But, there's nothing like that. Some industrial espionage, maybe. That's about it."

"But, why are you working for him at all?" asked Dawn.

"I've got to make a living, Wildcat. Ivan offered me a job as an architect. It's just that the architecture business has been a bit...slow," Jake finished the sentence weakly, but added firmly. "Besides, I've got a son to feed."

"The Vandevoorts are not people, Jake," said Dawn gravely.

"I know," said Jake sighing. "I knew when I took the job. I just didn't know how bad. But, what about your friend, Thule ? He's up to his elbows with the crown prick and his crowd all of a sudden."

Dawn bit her lip. She wanted to defend Thule . But, she couldn't trust that Jake wasn't pumping her for information. She wanted Jake to be on the up-and-up. He'd been the first boy she'd ever had a crush on. But, she'd had a crush on June Kane, too. So, she said, "I'm not real happy with that either."

They spent a little bit of time catching up. When Jake asked how her sister Donna was doing, Dawn had to admit that she hadn't heard anything since around Christmas-time, which was not an uncommon amount of time to go without contact.

Finally, Jake said, "Wildcat, as much fun as it has been catching up, I really am pretty close to dead on my feet. I've got work to do Monday morning and I've been on my feet for about twenty-six hours. Do you want a ride home or somewhere?"

Dawn stood and hugged him, "No. Thanks, though. Take care, Brute Squad. And, don't be a stranger. I know you remember my phone number."

Jake smiled as they walked back towards the house, "How are your folks?"

"Dysfunctional as ever," said Dawn, "but mostly harmless."

"Still together?" asked Jake. When Dawn nodded, he added, "Damn. Who would have thought?"

"They'll be together forever," said Dawn. "They live to make each other miserable. It's much more efficient to live in the same house."

Jake nodded and went around the side of the house. Dawn went back inside. Thule was sitting where they had left him, eyes closed, snoring softly. Dawn checked the clock. It was just past one thirty. Marigold had said to pick her up no earlier than two. It didn't take more than ten or fifteen minutes to get to her house from here. So, for a few minutes, she just sat in the recliner and watched Thule sleep. Dawn wished she weren't mad at him. His mostly-faded black eye, blood-matted hair and an angry red scratch running from ribs to stomach made her want to nurse him back to health even as she wanted to shake him until he behaved.

Dawn looked down at her nails, worried short like a boy's and covered with only a thin coat of clear polish. She frowned. They weren't the sort of nails you would imagine drawing a scarlet line of blood across a man's back in a moment of passion--or his belly for that matter. Tilting her head to one side, she tried to figure out how a woman would get her hand down there at the appropriate time. She didn't come up with an answer, but blushed as she considered the possibilities.

Thule looked so peaceful, Dawn didn't really want to wake him. In the short time that she'd really known him, he seemed perpetually tired. Dawn found that going to school and maintaining a B average and her meager social life were enough to make her feel tired most of the time. How Thule kept up with everything was completely beyond her.

Dawn thought about Marigold. She wondered what the protocol was for dealing with your girlfriend's boyfriend. She knew she was on dangerous ground with Thule more or less every time they were together. What had started out as mostly innocent teasing had turned into a kind of sexual brinkmanship. Until he'd kissed her, Dawn was beginning to wonder if Thule didn't really think she was hideous.

When Dawn had felt the handcuffs go on, she'd really thought that she'd just pushed him too far, either with the constant flirting or by sleeping with Marigold. She shivered a little at the idea of Thule claiming a right to her by extension. Then, she tried to decide if it was a good shiver or a bad shiver. Before she could, she discarded the whole line of reasoning. It just didn't seem like Thule 's style to make such an assumption.

Finally, Dawn examined her anger towards Thule . Part of it was at his betrayal of Marigold. Of course, if what Thule had done was a betrayal of Marigold, then Dawn and Marigold had betrayed Thule . If Thule felt betrayed, he took it with impressive equanimity.

Dawn abandoned that line of thought. It was too confusing and too likely to make Dawn feel horrible about herself. She'd been in an extended manic phase for weeks and knew that the coming crash would probably bring her down hard. The new medication had worked less than a year before it stopped doing anything about the peaks and troughs. She really needed to get back to the doctor. But, any time she mentioned the doctor, it was the beginning of another fight among her and her parents. Her mother was convinced that her problems were all in her head and just an excuse. Her father wanted to help, but couldn't stay on topic long enough for the ensuing battle to reach anything approaching a conclusion. It would take a week of screaming before she got what she needed. Half the time, the fight brought on the depressive episode she'd been trying to prevent.

Hugging her knees to her chest, Dawn watched Thule sleep some more. She wondered how he managed to maintain his aura of brooding intensity even at rest.

Remembering her anger at him, Dawn focused on the question of where it had come from. She found it hard to concentrate on an idea too long without losing her focus. That was another problem with another pill to supposedly deal with it. She'd actually lost most of her anger at Thule by the time Jake came out of the house. But, it had flared up again when Jake had tried to make an excuse for Thule 's transgression by talking about how seductive Mrs. Vandevoort was.

Thule wasn't supposed to be seducible, certainly not by someone he knew for less than twenty-four hours. If it was possible to flirt with him until he cracked, why hadn't he cracked for Dawn? She'd thought she was pretty good at flirting. She'd immensely enjoyed watching his discomfort as she ate her ice cream. Just how pretty was this Mrs. Vandevoort, anyway?

Scowling at Thule , she ran her hand through her cropped hair. It's probably the bangs, she decided. How the hell can anybody be sexy with bangs? Jumping to her feet, she decided that it was time to wake Thule . Kneeling next to him on the couch, she reached up and gently patted his cheek.

His reaction seemed instantaneous, his hand flying up and catching her wrist, pulling it away from his face before his eyes even opened. When he saw Dawn, he released her wrist warily.

"Sorry," he said, rising. "I thought you were slapping me again."

"No," said Dawn, smiling at his back, "I thought I would take a short break from the slapping so you could drive me to New York ."

Thule turned back to face her, real menace in his voice, "Dawn, you've already slapped me twice. Don't do it again unless you're ready to deal with the consequences."

Dawn paled. At the same time, she had to fight the urge to jump up and slap him immediately, just to find out what would happen. Instead, she said, "It's almost two o'clock. We should get going."

Thule nodded, "I have a few things I need to do first. Feel free to make use of anything in the living room while you wait. It will be maybe a half hour." Then, he disappeared into the basement.

Dawn was still flipping through the channels on TV, trying to find something to amuse herself when Thule emerged with a laundry basket full of neatly-folded clothes. A few minutes later, he re-emerged with the basket, full of crumpled bedding. Dawn started giggling. She couldn't help it.

Thule looked puzzled, "What's so funny?"

Dawn stopped giggling long enough to say, "Somehow, I just never pictured you doing laundry."

"Why?" asked Thule , sniffing his armpit, "Do I stink?"

That made Dawn giggle more. Thule , seeing he wasn't likely to get an immediate answer, shrugged and went back into the basement. When he came back upstairs, he was carrying a brown file box as if it were heavy.

Sitting down at the computer, he began taking an array of cameras, microphones, and devices that Dawn didn't recognize out of the box, linking them up one by one to the computer, then putting them back into the box. Eventually, he came to one microphone that he kept hooked up to the computer for a little bit longer than the others. When he unplugged it, he grunted and laid it aside. Dawn watched with interest as he finished testing the rest of the units, then took the box downstairs.

When he came back upstairs, Dawn asked, "What was that all about?"

Thule took a flat plastic bag out of the drawer, unscrewed the bottom of the microphone, dropped a small disc from the microphone into the desk drawer, and slipped the microphone into the bag, sealing it, "I need to make sure that my equipment is in working order. I don't make it to the Spy Shop as often as I would like, so I did a quick test of all of my surveillance gear I haven't used recently to make sure that it was in working order. This one isn't, so I'm going to have it replaced. These things have a lifetime guarantee. So, when they fail, I bring them back."

"What an efficient spy you are," said Dawn.

"I wish," said Thule . "This stuff costs a fortune. If I hadn't bought all of the surveillance equipment, I'd have enough to buy a new car today."

Dawn looked around suspiciously, "Do you keep this place bugged?"

"No," said Thule . "Other than the web cam and microphone in the bedroom, there's no surveillance here. And those have physical blocks so that they can't be tapped from the outside."

"Why don't you bug this place?" Dawn asked.

"Because any surveillance can be used against you if it's found," said Thule , "If I had cameras and microphones here, I would spend all of my time looking for shunts to see if someone else wasn't using my gear to spy on me."

"How do you know they don't just have their own cameras and mikes?" asked Dawn.

"I doubt they would resort to that," said Thule .

"Why not?" asked Dawn.

"Because," said Thule , "if they suspected me enough to bug my house, they would probably just make me disappear."

Dawn chuckled before she realized that Thule was not smiling, "You're serious? You think the Vandevoorts would kill you?"

Thule nodded, "If they knew what I had, they'd probably throw anybody they could against me, including your friend, Jake. But, it doesn't matter. I've made contingency plans for the information I have to be disseminated if I die or disappear."

"What do you mean it doesn't matter?" asked Dawn sharply, "You'd still be dead."

"I'm sorry," said Thule reassuringly, "I don't mean that it doesn't matter. Of course I'd rather not wind up dead at the end of this. I'm pretty sure the Vandevoorts won't gain anything by killing me because it won't keep what I know from getting out. This," he held up the pen camera, "should be the smoking gun I need to tie it all together. Then, I can finish off Brianne and go to the FBI with what I've got."

" Thule ," asked Dawn, her face serious, "did you really think I could be one of them? That I could knowingly turn you over to people who would kill you for what I told them?"

Thule sat on the couch next to her, sighing deeply, "Dawn," he said, "I've wanted to go to M.I.T. since I was about ten years old. I've sacrificed a lot to get there, denied myself a lot of things in order to save the money to be able to go."

Dawn nodded, wondering where this was going. Thule seemed to be able to tell that he was losing her. He tried a different tack, "Dawn, do you know Ioke?"

"Of course," said Dawn.

"Do you want her?" asked Thule .

"I...um. I never thought about it," Dawn lied.

"Well, I did once," said Thule , "and she turned me down. And the way she turned me down was so sweet that it made me want her even more."

"Okay," said Dawn. "What does all this have to do with me conspiring against you?"

"Brianne and The Vandevoorts offered me all of it," said Thule, "practically in one day--enough money to pay for the first two years of MIT, Ioke, and the promise that there was far more money and pussy available if I just played ball. And, in spite of everything I'd done up until that point and all the reasons I had to hate them, I seriously considered it and not just for a second. I never came close to turning, but for about a day, I rolled the idea around in my head. I realized that I could do it. Surveillance isn't the only thing they can turn against you. It's everything you do to your head to make yourself able to challenge them. All the tricks, all the techniques, all the chicanery--it's all the same techniques I would need to survive in their world. I could do it, too. I'm good at it. Marigold and Jonas are sweet people, but they don't have the tools to detect a viper in their midst. Worse, they've already committed to love and trust me. They would be defenseless."

Dawn nodded, her eyes wide. A frisson of fear and something she did not want to examine too closely ran down her spine. Thule went on, "It would be so much easier, too. I could keep Marigold and have Ioke and Brianne and June Kane and you and pretty much any other girl I wanted in my bed."

"Me?" asked Dawn, torn between being insulted and flattered to be on the list.

"Maybe not you," said Thule . "You're a little dense."

"What?" asked Dawn, too shocked to be outraged.

Thule smiled gently, "Dawn, why do you think June Kane told you to ride with me?"

"So I could spy on you for her and Brianne," said Dawn. "I thought we established that."

"And, were you a very effective spy, even when you didn't realize what you were doing?"

"No," said Dawn, lowering her head, "I didn't tell them anything new."

"Why not?" asked Thule .

"I didn't know anything they didn't already know," said Dawn. "I couldn't tell them anything new."

"Marigold knows more than they do," said Thule , "enough to wreck me if she went to them. I told her all of it, voluntarily and of my own free will, even though I started out wanting to exact revenge on her for what she did to Maya. I told her more that I've told anyone else."

"Because you're in love with her," said Dawn.

"Because I fucked her," said Thule , "and I'm stupid. Because I'm in love with her, I want to keep her as far away from this mess as I can. Because I'm desperate for allies and to be understood, I told her as much as I did. If I'd fucked you, I probably would have told you just as much. That's why Brianne and June pushed you to sleep with me."

"They didn't," said Dawn, but her voice trailed off. "Oh, shit. They did."

Thule nodded, "Do you know why I slept with Svetlana?"

"Because you're a pig?" suggested Dawn.

"Partially," said Thule evenly, "I'm sure there are a lot of unflattering reasons why I did it. Seeing you in obvious post-coital slumber over Marigold's shoulder certainly contributed. But the last thought I had before I decided to do it was, 'here's the one woman in the whole damned town I could sleep with and not have the Vandevoorts looking over my shoulder saying well-done.'"

" Thule ," said Dawn, sighing, "don't ask me to understand why you slept with her. I don't think I can. But, I'll make you a deal. If you're willing to keep my secret--of how I was telling June and Brianne about you, I'll keep yours."

"I'll keep your secret," said Thule sighing heavily. "I promised I would. But, I have to tell Marigold about this. I put myself right in the center of the maelstrom, sooner than I meant to. It effects her, too."

" Thule ," said Dawn, turning to face him on the couch, batting her eyelashes coquettishly, "do something for me."

Thule nodded, "What?"

Dawn crouched in like she was telling a secret, "Give me the cuffs--the ones you used on me."

Thule 's eyes widened, "Why?"

"Because," said Dawn, brushing her bangs out of her eyes, "one day, when this is all over and we have the time, I want you to feel what it's like to have them slapped on you when you don't expect it."

"I don't think you want to do that," rumbled Thule . "I don't give up control...gracefully."

Looking in his face, Dawn shivered. She wanted to back down, but found she couldn't, " Thule ," she said reasonably, "if you want my forgiveness and I know you do, even if you won't ask for it, get the cuffs."

Thule scowled and stood up. As he walked into his room, he muttered, "Crazy girls. I don't have enough in my life. I have to manufacture them."

"I heard that," called Dawn.

"You were supposed to hear that," said Thule as he came back with the cuffs, looped over two fingers. He handed them to Dawn. Pulling out his keychain, he started unthreading the smaller ring with the two handcuff keys on it, "Just remember that, whatever you do when I'm cuffed, eventually I'll get out."

He handed her the keys. Dawn shuddered at the look on his face. Then, he stood up and started gathering the things he needed for the trip, "Let's get going."

Dawn stood up and picked up her purse. "So," asked Thule , "do you forgive me? Are we back where we left off?"

Dawn nodded, "Sure. Just like Batman and Robin."

Thule whirled on Dawn, catching her around the waist, pulling her to him. She opened her mouth to protest and he covered it with his own, kissing her. Startled, Dawn tried to pull away, but Thule grabbed the back of her head, burying his fingers in her hair and refusing to let her go until the kiss was finished.

"That," he said emphatically, "is where we left off."

"I, um..." said Dawn as intelligently as she could.

"Now," said Thule , "let's go pick up our girlfriend. Do you drive?"

"I, um...what?" asked Dawn.

"Do...you...drive?" said Thule slowly.

Dawn was indignant, "I could take your car apart and put it back together in my sleep. Of course, I can drive."

"Fine," said Thule . He handed Dawn his keychain, "it's your big chance with the Batmobile, Robin. Wake me when we get near the city. I'll take over, then."

"Are you sure?"

Thule shrugged, "If I try to drive, I'm probably going to fall asleep at the wheel."

In the car, Dawn took a long time adjusting the seat and mirrors to her liking and steeling herself. Thule did not seem to share her concern over her driving skills. By the time she pulled out of the driveway, he was spread out as best as he could be on the back seat, head on a rolled up blanket, snoring softly.

When she pulled up in front of Marigold's house, Dawn looked in the rearview mirror. Thule already appeared to be sleeping soundly. She got out of the car, walked up the path, and knocked on the door.

Marigold answered the door, smiling, "Hey, Dawn," she said, "where's Thule ?"

Dawn jerked a thumb towards the car, "sleeping in the back seat. He had a long night."

"Poor thing," said Marigold, "Come on upstairs while I grab a few things for the trip."

Holly waved at them as they went upstairs. Dawn waved back.

Once they were in the bedroom with the door closed, Marigold turned on Dawn, pushing her back against the door, kissing her, pushing Dawn's lips open with her tongue. Dawn's lips were still tingling from how Thule had kissed her. She moaned in the back of her throat. What the hell were these two trying to do to her? She wrapped her arms around the back of Marigold's head, kissing as well as she was kissed. Part of her wanted to stay up here all afternoon. But, when Marigold's hands slid up under the short skirts of the sundress, Dawn squealed and ended their embrace.

"Marigold," she said sharply, trying to pull away, but stuck between her friend and the door, " Thule is right downstairs."

"Oh," said Marigold, one hand stroking Dawn's bottom, the other sliding up the bad of her leg and inside her panties, teasing one finger even farther, "whatever would he do if he came up and found us like this?"

Dawn closed her eyes, her breathing ragged. Marigold kissed her throat. Dawn shivered, spreading her legs at the insistence of Marigold's hands.

Finally, she whispered, "No," It came out weakly. Even Dawn didn't believe she meant it. A little more evenly, she said, "Marigold, we have to go. Thule is waiting and...and, what’s name?"

Marigold traced a shiver-light touch on Dawn's clit before looking up curiously, "Who?"

"Your old friend," said Dawn, trying to remember, "uumm...oo, uh...Maya," she finally managed to blurt out.

"Oh," said Marigold, withdrawing her hands, "of course. We should get going. I packed enough clothes for both of us if we need to change. I had to guess a little at your sizes. I hope what I chose doesn't look too...scandalous on you."

"Jesus, Marigold," said Dawn shakily, "are you like that with Thule ? It's no wonder he's always exhausted."

"No," said Marigold, picking up a barrel-shaped bag. "With Thule , he's always in charge. With you, I get to be in charge."

"You do?" asked Dawn, "Says who?"

"Says me," answered Marigold. Then, she counted off on her fingers, "I'm almost a year older. I'm a senior. And, I saw how you reacted when I told you how Thule orders me around."

"I..." said Dawn, blushing, "Well, maybe I did. But, that was to being dominated by him, not by you."

"Oh," said Marigold pouting, "Does that mean you won't let me order you around and bend you to my will?"

"I didn't say that," said Dawn uncertainly.

"Good," said Marigold gaily, "then let's get going. She wrapped her arm around Dawn's waist, leading her out of the room. Halfway down the stairs, she called out, "Mom, we're headed into New York . We'll be back late."

"Okay," said Holly, poking her head out of the kitchen, "be safe."

Dawn froze a little to see Marigold's mother. To Dawn, the arm around her waist was a clear admission of what they'd done. But, by Holly's reaction, she didn't seem to see it as anything other than an innocent gesture of friendship. Before Dawn could worry about it much, they were out the front door and on the path.

"Marigold," whispered Dawn, "you're shameless. What are your parents going to do it they figure out..."

"Well," said Marigold, "I imagine it would put the kibosh on further unsupervised sleepovers." Dawn helped her get the suitcase into the trunk. Marigold took her usual seat and looked surprised when Dawn took the driver's seat. She tsked.

"And here I was hoping to make an excuse to join you in the backseat and get my hands on you for a while," said Marigold. "I suppose you won't let me do that if you're driving."

"Definitely not," said Dawn. She looked sharply over her shoulder at Thule . He seemed to be sleeping, but with Thule you never could tell, "Marigold, are you drunk?"

"Nope," said Marigold, "just happy. For the first time, I have a lover that I chose entirely of my own free will. I even got to seduce you, which is something that I've always wanted to do. I'm just feeling...happy."

Dawn faltered trying to put the ignition key in and dropped Thule 's keys on the floor, "You...you've always wanted to seduce me?"

"No," said Marigold apologetically, "I'm sorry, baby. I just always thought it would be nice to be a seductress, even if just once--to have somebody want me because I had driven them to the edge of madness with lust. I loved getting you all worked up."

Dawn, sitting back up with the keys in her hand, closed her eyes for a few seconds before she could say, more or less evenly, "I loved it too. Now, please don't talk about it anymore or we're liable to get in an accident."

Marigold nodded. Dawn looked at her curiously, noting the mischievous smile on her friend's face and wondering what she was in for.

-=-

Amazingly, Thule slept as long as they let him. As they got closer to the city and Dawn got more comfortable with driving Thule 's big boat of a car, she asked Marigold, "What has gotten into you today? You're like a totally different person."

Marigold smirked, making it clear she was avoiding an easy joke, "I've just been taking stock. I feel like I've wasted the last four years of high school on Elliot." She said the name disdainfully, wrinkling her nose as if she smelled something bad, "It's not a new idea. Before Thule , it was like I was the only virgin left at Mannsborough, but I didn't know what to do about it."

"Umm..." said Dawn, unsure of how to answer that.

"I didn't know you at the time," said Marigold, "not well, anyway. And, to look at you, I never would have guessed that you were a virgin. You seemed like a bit of a flirt."

"I was," admitted Dawn, "I flirted with any guy I thought would protect me without demanding too much. When I was a freshman, I would have killed for a guy like Elliot."

Marigold's face got serious, "Dawn, he thought I was disgusting. He made me feel disgusting. And, he never laid a hand on me, even when I wanted him to."

"He never laid a hand on you," said Dawn, "and neither did anyone else. Mari, I don't think you know how lucky that makes you at Mannsborough."

"He couldn't protect me from Thule ," said Marigold.

"Did you want to be protected from Thule ?" asked Dawn.

"Not in hindsight," said Marigold. "But, at the time, it was pretty scary."

"Well," said Dawn, " Thule 's different. I don't think anyone could have protected you from Thule . He's kind of a force majeur."

"You really like him," said Marigold. "Don't you?"

"Elliot?" asked Dawn. "Can't stand him. Always thought he was a prick."

Marigold laughed, "You know who I mean."

"I...um," said Dawn, "Was that our exit back there?"

"No," said Marigold. "And that was an obvious attempt to distract me from my question."

Dawn sighed, "Can we have this conversation some time when he's not actually here?"

Marigold laughed, "He's sound asleep."

Dawn glanced over her shoulder, "With Thule, you can never tell. He can probably hear us in his sleep. Or, maybe he's secretly recording this.

Marigold actually giggled, "Paranoid much?"

Dawn pointed a thumb over her shoulder, "When it comes to him, I don't think I'm paranoid enough."

Marigold frowned, "I thought you liked Thule ."

"I do," said Dawn. "It..."

"Hah!" exclaimed Marigold, "I knew it!"

"Dammit, Marigold!" said Dawn. "You don't need to push so hard. I do like Thule . And, believe me. It wouldn't take much pushing."

"I'm sorry, sweetie," said Marigold, sounding genuinely contrite.

Dawn didn't answer, keeping her eyes on the road.

When she spoke again, Marigold's voice was dreamy, "I was just thinking that, if you and Thule and I were all sleeping together..." She broke off, "Watch the road!"

Dawn braked a little short. In the back seat, Thule rocked back and forth, but did not seem to wake.

"Maybe this isn't the time to talk about it," said Dawn. "I'm trying to drive."

"All right," said Marigold, checking to make sure that her seatbelt was secure.

A few miles down the road, Dawn asked, "You really wouldn't mind?"

"I told you before," said Marigold, glancing over her shoulder at Thule . "I would consider you an ally. I want to be with you; I want to be with him. And, I see the way you two look at each other. If I weren't in the picture, you two would be together now."

Dawn wasn't entirely sure that was true, but she didn't bother to deny it.

"Besides," said Marigold. "When we go away to college, he'll meet a thousand women that are a better match for him than I am, women who deserve him more."

"Oh, Mari," said Dawn. "That's not true. He loves you so much."

"I like when you call me that," said Marigold, a hint of sadness in her voice. "The way you say it makes it sound French."

"Now you're trying to distract me," said Dawn. "Marigold, if this doesn't happen, are we still..." She let the question trail off.

Marigold nodded, "Of course."

"What are we, exactly?" asked Dawn. " Thule called me your girlfriend."

"I don't know," said Marigold. "This is all so new to me. I didn't think much between getting you into bed. I do know I would like to do that again," she smiled broadly, "and again...and again."

"Dammit, Marigold, I'm trying to drive," exclaimed Dawn.

"I can drive," said Thule from the back seat, "We're close enough now. Pull off at the next exit."

Both girls grew pale at the sound of his voice. Marigold spoke first, "How much of our conversation did you hear?"

"'Dammit, Marigold. I'm trying to drive,'" repeated Thule , "Although, I was having the damnedest dream."

-=-

"We're making really good time," said Thule as he searched for a parking space, "I can stay with you two while you get pierced if you like or I could go finds something to amuse myself on St. Mark's."

"I'd like you to come in," said Marigold, "I could use the moral support."

"For getting your ears pierced?" asked Dawn, "It's over in like two seconds."

"Actually," said Marigold, "I was thinking I would do my clit."

"You will not," said Thule .

Marigold looked indignant, "Why not?"

"Why would you want to pierce your clit?" asked Thule .

"Well," said Marigold, "I was reading about it the Internet and..."

"I have got to teach Jonas how to set up a parental filter," said Thule , "You learn the damnedest things on the Internet."

"I'm not a child," said Marigold churlishly.

"Granted," said Thule . "But, I don't think you've given this very serious consideration. Start with the ears. See how you like it."

"Everybody's got their ears pierced," said Marigold. "Even you, by the looks of it."

"Those have probably closed," said Thule . "I haven't worn anything in them for years."

"I want to do something different," said Marigold, "not just my ears. How about my nipples?"

"No," said Thule . "Marigold, one of the primary reasons Jonas trusts me with you is because he thinks I'll keep an eye on you. If you come home with your nipples pierced, he's going to be furious at me."

Marigold's face was accusatory, "You're in cahoots with him. I'm finally out from under Jonas's watch and my boyfriend is in cahoots with him."

"Jonas is a good man," said Thule . "He only wants what's best for you, like I do."

"Fine," said Marigold. "I'll do the ears and the belly button, then."

"Fine," said Thule , getting out of the car.

As they walked along the sidewalk, Dawn leaned close to Marigold, "You weren't really planning on getting your clit pierced, were you?"

Marigold giggled, "No. But, I didn't want any trouble over the belly button."

Dawn just shook her head.

" Thule ," called Marigold. He'd walked a little way ahead. Now, he slowed to let them catch up. When they were even, she said, "You should get yours done, too."

"No, thank you," said Thule emphatically, "I've got enough football players coming on to me without giving them the wrong idea by piercing my navel."

Marigold laughed, sliding her hand under his shirt, rubbing it over his flat belly, "I think it would be sexy."

Thule looked puzzled, "You do?"

Marigold nodded.

"I've never heard of a straight guy with a pierced belly button," said Thule .

"Would you do it for me?" asked Marigold.

Thule sighed, "How about a nipple?"

"Your nipples?" asked Marigold.

"No," said Thule , "a nipple. Singular."

"Hmmm. Which one?" asked Marigold.

"Either one," said Thule , "your choice."

"Do the right one, then," said Marigold.

"Fine," said Thule .

Marigold fell back a few steps so that Thule could not see her smile of satisfaction. But, Dawn saw it perfectly well.

-=-

There was no line at the shop. A woman standing up front, wearing enough examples of the piercing arts to qualify as a showcase, showed them into the back room. As she walked, she recited a list of the safety and health precautions they took to make sure that the piercings would not get infected. Dawn didn't understand all of what she said, but it sounded very reassuring.

"Those dresses are good for navel piercing, no waistbands. You'll want to avoid waistbands for at least two weeks. They can rub up against the piercing and irritate it. Who wants to go first?"

Thule volunteered, stripping off his shirt and sitting in what looked to Dawn like a dentist's chair without the overhead apparatus. It was over in less than five minutes. Thule winced a little when the needle went in, but seemed to take it well.

Marigold went next. Thule held her hand and, when she reached out, Dawn her other. But, the attendant said, "One of you is going to have to move or I can't get at her ears properly." Dawn backed off, standing behind Thule . Marigold tensed up as each ear was done and gave a little gasp when the needle went into her navel. Dawn could see her grip Thule 's hand a little bit tighter and close her eyes. Then, she was done.

"Did it hurt a lot?" Dawn asked her, getting a little bit nervous now.

"Nah," said Marigold, "the anticipation is much worse."

Dawn sat up on the chair, hiking her dress up.

"Okay," said the attendant, "this kind of underwear isn't going to work. Do you see where the waistband is? Sometimes, it will ride up and that's a problem."

"I'll wait outside," said Thule .

"Unless you want him to stay and hold your hand," said Marigold. The attendant must have heard something in Marigold's voice because she looked up, surprised.

Dawn realized that she wouldn't have thought twice about taking off her underwear in front of Thule . She was already thinking of him in the sort of terms where that wouldn't matter. But, she still wanted to glare at Marigold. The girl was relentless.

Still, Dawn wanted to be comforted even than she wanted to glare, "Mari, would you hold my hand?"

"Of course," said Marigold as Thule walked out into the reception area.

Dawn found that the navel piercing hurt even less than she remembered her ears having been. She felt a little silly for having made a big deal of wanting any moral support at all. After she got up, the attendant said, "You'll want to wear underwear cut like Marigold's for the next two weeks."

"I don't own any underwear cut like Marigold's," said Dawn.

"Either get some or go without," said the attendant.

After they had paid and were out the door, Thule said, "We should head up to the Spy Shop next."

Marigold said, "And find somewhere to get Dawn some sexy underwear."

Dawn looked at Marigold, who was grinning at her, enjoying her ability to shock. Dawn decided she'd had enough of that little game and said, "No rush. I'll just be careful how I sit." Marigold gave her an appraising glance, eyes lingering on where the hemline fell on her dress, just above the knee. Dawn just smiled at her, "After all, I've got Thule here to protect me."

-=-

When they walked into the Spy Shop, a salesman immediately detached himself from what he was doing and came over to shake Thule 's hand.

"Heya, Cam," said Thule , "since when do you work Sundays?"

Cam chuckled, "I asked for some extra shifts so I could afford an engagement ring."

"For Heather?" asked Thule , "Have you asked her yet?"

"Not as such, but she's made it pretty clear she would say yes," said Cam, "Boy, am I glad to see you. This could put me over the top."

Thule laughed, "Sorry to disappoint you. I just came in for an adapter, a battery, and a free replacement."

"Oh," said Cam, "no problem. But, let me show you that UHG transmitter you were asking about on the list."

"Sure," Thule smiled. Then, turning to the two girls, he said, "Listen, this might take a little while. This whole block is full of shops you would probably find more interesting. Why don't you meet me back here in like half and hour?"

"Come on," said Marigold, taking Dawn by the arm, "I can see that Thule and his toys want to be alone."

So, off they went. For the next half hour, Dawn and Marigold went window shopping. Marigold was so flirtatious and funny that Dawn scarcely recognized her from the girl she'd followed over to the geek table at lunch a few weeks before. She worried that Marigold was going to try to cram four years of wildness into the last five weeks of school. But, the worry was deep in the back of her mind. Mostly, she just enjoyed being out and being seen with this beautiful creature who was both her friend and her lover. She wished she could tell everyone what they'd done.

When they got back to the shop, they could see Thule talking animatedly at the display case to Cam. Marigold caught Dawn by the arm before she walked inside, "Let him have his fun."

Dawn nodded, "Did you see some of that stuff in there? It's kind of scary to think that anyone can go in there and buy it."

Marigold nodded, "Although, if they couldn't, Thule would never be able to gather all the dirt he has. I hate to think what kind of revenge he would have to get if that were the case."

Dawn shivered at the thought, "Did he use this stuff on you?"

"Only when I knew he was using it," said Marigold.

"You're saying he never used it without you knowing?" asked Dawn.

"Yes," said Marigold.

"How would you know?" asked Dawn.

Marigold shrugged, "He would tell me."

Dawn didn't voice her doubts. But, she suspected that Marigold had an overly rosy view of Thule 's ethics. Suddenly, she found herself wishing that Thule were not so determined to tell Marigold about his indiscretion with Mrs. Vandevoort. She was afraid it would destroy Marigold's impression of Thule and, by extension, her happiness.

When Thule came out, he was lugging a big, black plastic bag. Dawn asked, "That's what you need to make that little, tiny camera work?"

"No," said Thule , looking annoyed, "It turns out that the camera takes custom parts, not the industry standard. They're having the parts messengered down from Boston , but I'll have to drive back out here tomorrow to pick them up at nine a.m."

" Thule ," said Marigold, "We're not meeting Maya until seven. If she accepts our help, it could be midnight before we get out of the city. At best, you would get five hours of sleep if you drove out and back and you're already dead on your feet. Why don't we stay in the city tonight and drive out tomorrow?"

"No," said Thule wearily, "There's no reason all three of us should miss a half day of school for this."

"I don't mind," said Dawn, "and, she's right. Sleeping in the back seat of a car can't be good for you. You've got bags under your eyes big enough to carry groceries."

"I'll pay for the hotel," said Marigold, "if that's what you're worried about."

"That would be appreciated," said Thule , "but not what I'm worried about." He sighed, "If you two can get the okay from your parents, we'll stay."

"What did I tell you?" asked Marigold. "Cahoots."

It was only five p.m. when they finished at the Spy Shop. Thule parked near the diner, then walked Marigold and Dawn to a small park a few blocks away. They sat on facing benches, Dawn on one side, Marigold with Thule 's head in her lap on the other. The three of them chatted easily. Considering what they had come into the city to accomplish, the whole scene was remarkably normal.

Thule dozed a little, on and off, his body never really relaxing. Whenever he spoke, he was clearly alert. Dawn also noticed that he only checked the time once and, when he did, it was time to go.

They got to the diner at 6:45. At 7:30, Maya still wasn't there.

"Now what?" asked Marigold.

"Now, we wait," said Thule , "She was in a pretty dicey situation. It may take her a while."

Marigold went outside to call Jonas. A few minutes later, she came back in and handed Dawn the phone, "He wants to talk to you."

Dawn took the phone, "Hello, Mr. Tarr."

"Hello, Dawn," said Jonas, "How are you?"

"I'm fine," said Dawn, "And you?"

"Just fine," said Jonas. "Marigold tells me you're staying in New York with her and Thule . Try to keep them from burning the whole city down. Would you, please?"

"Yes sir," said Dawn.

"Anything else is probably too much to ask," said Jonas, sighing. "Give the phone back to my daughter, please. Would you?"

After Marigold had hung up her phone, she asked, "What did he want?"

"He told me to keep you two from burning the city down," said Dawn.

"He's so repressive," said Marigold, "Now, what am I going to do with all the gasoline I bought?"

Thule scowled at Marigold, his face a perfect imitation of ferocity.

Maya walked in at 8:05, looking weary, but defiant. When she came up to the table, Thule rose, gave her a hug, and helped her sit down. Maya looked at Marigold as if she expected the same sort of greeting. Marigold made no move to rise.

Dawn watched Maya as she made her excuses. She was short, about the same height as Marigold, thin and delicately-boned, a dark-skinned Latina with hair almost as short as Thule 's. She regarded Dawn frankly as Thule introduced her as a friend who came into New York to get a piercing done.

"Cool," said Maya, "we should compare piercings some time. I can show you a few that would make you blush." Then, she turned to Thule , "I imagine you guys ate already."

Thule nodded, "But, feel free to order. I'll take care of the bill. Then, you can tell us what your situation is."

After Maya had gotten her food, she said between bites, "I ran away from my grandmother's a few times before I turned eighteen. She kept having the cops bring me back. For my eighteenth birthday, she gave me a gold cross, a fancy Bible, and the boot. I moved in with a...client."

"A client?" asked Thule .

Maya nodded, "I met him at a party a while back...Listen, this part isn't important, except to say that he apparently had built up a lot of hostility towards me that I wasn't entirely aware of--and his girlfriend was worse. Shortly after I visited you, they striped me up pretty good and kicked me out."

Maya spoke casually, breezily, as if none of what she said mattered. Dawn was horrified. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"I spent a few days in a friend's dorm room, then took my trip out to Long Island, right before I visited you," said Maya.

"You didn't look striped up when you visited me," said Thule .

Maya laughed, "That's because I spent most of the visit on my back." She turned to Marigold, mischeif in her eyes, "Did he tell you that, princess?"

"Tell me?" Marigold asked evenly. "He showed me the tape."

Dawn wished to God that she knew what they were talking about. But, she thought she was beginning to understand why Marigold had been so erratic of late. It seemed like, in some way, Marigold was trying to compete with Maya. But, everything about Thule 's body language showed that, whatever concern he had for his ex-girlfriend, he wanted to get out of here as soon as he could.

Maya looked shaken, "You recorded that?" Then, gamely, she added to Marigold, "So, princess, don't keep me in suspense. What did you think of my performance?"

"I think you're a sick person," said Marigold, "and you need help."

"Ah," said Maya, "now we get to the crux of the matter. Tell me, goldilocks, what is your conscience worth to you?"

"Maya," said Thule , his voice heavy with warning, "Marigold is here to help you. You will speak to her accordingly."

"Ooh," said Maya, rocking her shoulders in a crude imitation of seductive behavior, " Thule , you're so big and strong. I wish you were this fucking good at protecting your women a few years ago."

Thule started to rise, "I had a feeling we were wasting a trip. Come on. We're getting out of here."

"Dammit, Thule ," said Maya, her voice rising enough that several other diners began craning their necks to see what the commotion was, "After I snuck out to meet you tonight, I'm probably homeless again. You'd better fucking listen to what I have to say. You owe me."

Thule leaned over the table so that he was almost face to face with Maya, looming over her. When he spoke, his voice was a growl, almost feral. Even sitting in the booth next to Maya, Dawn could barely make out the words, "I'm only going to explain this once and I will do it in terms you understand. I hold all the cards here. If I tell you you're a dog, you sit up, you beg, and you bark. If you don't, we're out that door and you're on your own. No more chances. No phone calls. No e-mail. No midnight visits the next time you lose your fucking mind."

Maya wailed, "But, you promised to help me."

Dawn saw one of the waiters heading over from the cash register, looking resolute. Thule saw him, too. Whatever look he had on his face when he turned, the waiter suddenly decided that he had a pressing need to attend to in the kitchen.

"We are trying to help you," said Thule . He sat down and sighed, "What sort of help were you expecting?"

"Some money," said Maya, "or a place to stay while I straightened my head out."

Thule laughed. It was not a kind sound. "Why don't I just give you my car keys and a quart of whiskey? The effect would be the same."

"Finally," said Maya, brightening a little, “you're talking my language."

Thule raised a warning finger. Then, he said, "Marigold talked to Jonas. He has heavily funded a mental health facility out on Staten Island called Wingside. They're expecting you, tonight."

"A rubber room?" asked Maya, "That's how you want to help me?"

The waiter seemed to have found his nerve or, at least, some friends. He'd brought two other waiters and a cook. As politely as he could, he asked, "Is everything all right here?"

Thule looked at Maya, "Is it?"

Maya sighed, "No. It's not." All of the waiters tensed, "I asked for my burger medium well and it was all pink in the middle."

"Everything's fine," said Thule . "We'll be out of here in a few minutes."

Seemingly mollified, the staff members dispersed. The waiter said, "I'll get your check."

"Last chance," said Thule . "Do you want Marigold's help or not?"

Maya ran her hands over the top of her head, "Is it a nice place?"

Marigold said, "From everything I've seen, it looks just like a college campus."

"Would I be able to check myself out?" asked Maya.

"No," said Thule . "We arranged to have one of the staff meet with you tonight so that you can be officially committed. You would have to stay until you were better."

Maya laughed, but she was clearly about to start crying, too, "So, forever?"

"No," said Marigold softly, "I told the director what I knew about your case history and he said that they've had a lot of positive results with similar cases."

"You know," said Maya, "I wouldn't be in such bad shape if my dad could have waited a few weeks to send me away. A lot of Randy's other victims made out like bandits. I kept my mouth shut for free."

"I'll take care of this," said Thule as the waiter dropped their check on the table, "Then, we should get going. Ferries are on the hour at this time of night."

Once the bill had been paid, Maya followed them out, looking numb and tired and defeated. Dawn felt herself desperately wanting to wrap Maya into her arms and comfort her and she barely knew the girl. Thule guided her with a gentle hand into the passenger seat. If Marigold minded having the "girlfriend seat" taken away for this trip, she didn't show any sign of it, taking her place next to Dawn in the back. By the look on Marigold's face, she was ready to cry too. Dawn wrapped an arm around her, kissing her on top of the head as she had seen Thule do to comfort her.

They drove in silence, joining the line of cars getting on the ferry in the nick of time. Once they were underway, Maya said quietly, "I want to go up top."

Thule shot her a warning glance. Maya said, "Come on, Thule . It's my last night of freedom. Wind in my hair and all that."

"Come on," said Thule , leading her abovedeck. There were few passengers this late on a Sunday night. Maya sat alone, looking miserable and shivering in the wind. Dawn saw Marigold nudge Thule 's shoulder a little, giving him permission to go and comfort her. Thule did, sitting next to her, wrapping his arms around her. Dawn wrapped her arms around Marigold from behind, warming her as much as she could, taking the brunt of the wind herself. She couldn't hear what was said, except the phrase "so tired," from Maya.

The rest of the ride was more of the same stony silence. Thule handed Maya the driving directions, asking her to keep him on track. When they got lost, Thule was extremely patient while Maya looked like she was afraid he would explode at her any minute.

Eventually, they pulled into the parking lot of the facility. Wingside apparently had some experience in dealing with reluctant new patients. In a surprisingly short period of time, Maya had signed the paperwork committing herself for observation, been assigned a room, and been taken into a private room for preliminary evaluation. Thule , Marigold, and Dawn sat in the waiting room, which really did look like the lobby of an upscale hotel.

"This is not what I expected an asylum to look like," said Dawn.

"Only the best class of loonies come here," said Thule , "It's really state of the art."

"You should see the brochure," said Marigold, "tennis courts, pools, classes for college credit. Hopefully, that will make it easier for her."

Eventually, the doctor who had brought Maya in for evaluation came out, rubbing his graying temples and asked them to come back to his office.

"Keep your mouths shut," Thule muttered as they walked down the hall, "I'd hate to have to leave one of you here if he figures out how nuts you both are."

"Mr. Roemer," said the doctor, "I believe I owe you and Mr. Tarr and apology. When he called and said he had a patient he wanted us to prioritize, I assumed...well, I have not had a good history with rich donors and their 'priority patients.' Particularly when I heard that this poor girl was mixed up with the Vandevoorts, I assumed the worst."

Thule was immediately alert, "What do you know about the Vandevoorts, Dr. Edmonton?"

The doctor scowled, "I worked four years at Silent Hills upstate. In that time, I saw more than a dozen of Ivan Vandevoort's 'priority patients.' I tried to blow the whistle and nearly lost my license over it." He sighed and leaned in conspiratorially, "Normally, I wouldn't be telling you this, but from what that young lady says, you and I are very much on the same side."

"Jesus Christ," said Thule . "She talks too much."

"You can rely on my silence," said the doctor, "However close I am skirting to an ethical violation here, I do still respect the client-patient confidentiality. I made sure it was all right to discuss this with you. Oh, she also asked me to get your permission to list both you and Miss Tarr as her emergency contacts. She said that family wouldn't care if contacted."

"Fine," said Thule . Marigold nodded too. Then, Thule went on, "Can you give me anything concrete on the Vandevoorts? The names of their priority patients? Files?"

"Like I said," replied Dr. Edmonton, looking sad, "I'm walking a very fine ethical line here. If I didn't think this were such a grave matter or, if I had another means of making my case, I wouldn't even be talking to you about it." Taking a deep breath, he seemed to make a decision, "I could give you a copy of everything I used in my inquiry at Silent Hills. It's not enough for a conviction, but...Are you the right person to give this to, Mr. Roemer?"

Thule shrugged, "I can't say. I'm sure I would find it to be interesting reading."

Dr. Edmonton didn't seem to like the answer, "If I'm wasting my time, I wish..."

"Doctor," said Thule , iron coming back into his voice, "There are things you can't say. There are things I can't say, either. If you're looking for an exchange of information, I can't help you. If you think it would be to your benefit to give me a copy of what you have, you should do so. But, there's nothing I can say to facilitate that decision."

"Well," said the doctor noncommittally, "She should be fully processed by now, if you would like to say goodbye."

Thule and Marigold nodded, following the doctor deeper into the facility. Dawn went back out to the waiting room. When they came out, Thule had Marigold under one arm and a bulging interoffice mail envelope under the other.

"Come on," he said. "I want to try to make the ferry. It's going to be tight"

They missed the eleven p.m. ferry by a few minutes. Dawn saw it pulling out as they approached the terminal. Thule let out a groan of frustration.

"The next one's at midnight," he said. Getting out of the car, he sat up on the hood and lit a cigarette. Then, he opened the envelope, reading and taking notes. Dawn and Marigold talked about nothing in particular in low voices.

When Thule began excitedly rearranging papers, Marigold asked, "Find something interesting?"

Thule waved them over, "Dr. Edmonton was very thorough. He's got copies of internal memos about each of the Vandevoorts' priority patients. He's blacked out the names, but not consistently or well. I've managed to partially reconstruct seven names. Look at these five."

He held out a list he'd written on the back of one of the photocopies. Marigold said, "Those are all girls who went to our school. Wait..." she said, "Didn't we have a big brouhaha after Missy Collins ran away?"

Thule nodded, "We've had a lot of runaways, far more than we should have. I noticed that last year when those three girls ran away together. I just presumed it was because things were so bad. I mean, it was all girls and I knew how tough it must be to be a girl at Mannsborough."

"One of those three is on the list," said Marigold, "but, what about the other two?"

Thule said, "That is the big question, isn't it?" By the look on his face, he didn't like any of the possible answers.

-=-

On the ferry ride back, all three of them went up top. Dawn couldn't say why and doubted the other two could, either. It just seemed like the right thing to do. The wind was cold and the temperature had dropped precipitously. Thule wrapped his arms around Marigold, gesturing to Dawn, who held Marigold from behind. They stood that way for most of the trip, Thule 's arms around Dawn's shoulders, Dawn's around his waist, Marigold between them.

-=-

There was a problem at the front desk with the late check-in and the triple occupancy. Dawn thought they were going to wind up sleeping in the car, but Thule was relentless, his answers becoming more terse by the minute. Eventually, the desk clerk seemed to realize that the situation was building to some sort of explosion and changed his attitude from reticent and bored to reluctantly helpful.

Up in the room, a generic hotel room with two beds in a room barely big enough to hold them, Thule said, "I wonder if that bastard would 'forget' to put in a wake-up call if I asked for one..."

Marigold looked concerned, " Thule , it's already after one. You're going to be dead on your feet if you try to get up before nine tomorrow. No wake-up call. Please."

"It can't be helped," said Thule , "I've got..."

"You've got to sleep," said Marigold, " Thule , what do you think happened to those girls? The ones who didn't wind up at Silent Hills?"

"I don't know," said Thule wearily, "maybe..."

"Whatever it was," said Marigold firmly, "I don't want it happening to you because you're too tired to think straight. Or to me or Dawn."

Thule sighed, "I promised..."

"You promised to get revenge," said Marigold, unyielding, "Are any of the promises you're trying to keep more important than that?"

"No, ma'am," said Thule , trying to sound meek and obedient.

"Then, get some sleep," said Marigold, "There's nothing going on tomorrow at school that can't wait. Dawn, do you have any tests tomorrow?"

Dawn did, but she said, "Not a one."

"Fine," said Thule , as if he were the one who had made a decision, "I'm going to get a shower and go to sleep. Wake me in time to check out at noon."

"Late check out is at one," said Marigold, "I'll wake you."

As soon as Thule had trudged into the bathroom, Marigold opened the suitcase she had fortuitously packed earlier in the day, came out with a translucent white nightie and the vendor t-shirt Dawn had worn the previous night.

"Which do you think is sexier?" Marigold asked.

"The nightie," said Dawn, wondering why it was even a question.

"Hmmm," said Marigold, "but I wonder if Thule would agree? Ah, well. Which one do you want to wear?"

"The t-shirt," said Dawn, "I would show right through the nightie."

Marigold tossed the t-shirt on the bed. When Dawn bent down to get it, she could feel Marigold standing behind her. As she rose, she felt Marigold's hand sliding down her spine.

"Mari," Dawn said shakily, "How could you possibly be thinking about that after the day we've had?"

"Tell me you're not," said Marigold, her hand sliding under the hem of Dawn's dress, "and I'll stop. If you want to know the truth, I never really stopped thinking about it for more than a few minutes at a time. Does that make me an awful person?"

Before she could answer, Dawn felt Marigold's finger probing cautiously into her. She gasped and shivered, "I...I, um...."

"I bet you wish you'd bought the right kind of underwear today," said Marigold, chuckling.

"No," moaned Dawn, bending over a little further. "I really don't."

Marigold's hands worked their way up Dawn's back, stripping her as they went. Dawn knew that Marigold was deliberately trying to get the three of them into bed together. Somehow, the idea didn't bother her like she thought it should.

Stripping off her bra, Dawn lay back on the bed, guiding Marigold's head between her legs. Let Thule find them like this. It didn't matter anymore. Dawn welcomed it.

Or, so she thought. When she heard the water turn off in the bathroom, she chickened out and pushed Marigold away, then scrambled for the t-shirt. Marigold gave her a naughty smile and slipped into the nightie.

When Thule came into the room, he surveyed the scene. Looking right at Dawn, he said, "Nice t-shirt. I've got one just like it."

"Actually," said Dawn, feeling bashful, "this is yours. Marigold lent it to me."

"It looks good on you," said Thule , crawling into the bed she was not sitting on. Marigold came over and rolled him onto his stomach, straddling him and rubbing his shoulders. Dawn decided to give them some privacy and slipped into the bathroom to take a shower.

Dawn didn't remember consciously deciding to touch herself, but she wound up so intent on the act that she never noticed when Marigold came in behind her until she felt the other girl's hand join hers between her legs. Dawn flushed, but didn't stop. When she did slide her hand away, Marigold used it as an excuse to slide her fingers in even deeper. Soon, Dawn had to bite her fist to keep from crying out.

"What...about... Thule ?" she asked, not entirely sure what she meant by the question.

" Thule 's too tired to play," said Marigold, "Will you play with me?"

Dawn nodded before turning on Marigold, pinning her back against the wall, and kissing her. Sliding her own fingers over the folds of flesh between Marigold's legs, then deeper, she was rewarded with little gasps and squeals, maybe of pleasure, maybe of outrage. Part of her hoped it was outrage. When she went down on her knees to let her tongue replace her fingers, it was definitely the muffled sounds of pleasure that she heard.

Gripping on to Marigold, she was merciless in letting her tongue and fingers seek the spots that would give pleasure. She knew why, in spite of everything, she was so worked up tonight. Tonight was an oasis of peace and anonymity. But, a lot of things had been put in motion. Tomorrow, Thule would see what was on the camera chip, figure out what to do with the records the doctor had given him and do God alone knew what else. Tonight was the calm before the storm.