“You must be Chumley!” Bunny chirped. “The boys told me about you.”
“Umm . . . quite right. Pleased to make your acquaintance and all that,” the troll said, trying to avert his eyes while still making polite conversation.
“Yeah. Sure, Chum. Don’t you have somethin’ else to do.. . like leavin’?”
I clutched at his arm in desperation.
“No! I mean . . . Chumley always comes by first thing in the morning.”
“Ahh … Yes. Just wanted to see if Skeeve was ready for a spot of breakfast.”
“Well, I got here first,” Bunny bristled. “If Skeevie wants something to nibble on, he can…”
“Good morning. Daddy!”
Markie came bounding into the room and gave me a hug before any of us knew she was around.
“Well, well. You must be Skeeve’s new ward, Markie,” the troll beamed, obviously thankful to have something to focus on other than Bunny.
“And you’re Chumley. Hi, Bunny!”
“Hiya, kid,” Bunny responded with a noticeable lack of enthusiasm as she pulled the covers up around her neck.
“Are you up, Skeeve?”
The voice wafting in from the corridor was immediately identifiable as Tananda.
Chumley and I had rarely worked together as a team, but this time no planning or coordination was necessary. I scooped Markie up and carried her into the hall while Chumley followed, slamming the door behind him with enough force to crack the wood.
“Pip pip, little sister. Fine day, isn’t it?”
“Hi, Tananda! What’s new?”
Our cordial greetings, intended to disarm the situation, succeeded only in stopping our colleague in her tracks.
Tananda is quite attractive-if curvaceous, olive skinned, green-haired women are your type. Of course, she looks a lot better when she isn’t pursing her lips and narrowing her eyes suspiciously.