brushed at his face. “If you hadn’t caught me, Clothahump
would have a longer wait for his medicine.”
“And y’all brought out the girl, ah see.”
Folly stepped toward her. “I am not a girl! I’m as
grown-up as you are.”
Roseroar lifted her eyebrows as she regarded the skimp
of a human. “Man deah, no one is as grown-up as ah
am.”
“Depends on whether someone prefers quality to quantity.”
172
Alan Dean Foster
” ‘Ere now, wot’s all this?” Mudge stepped between the
ladies. “Not that I mind if you two want to ‘ave a go at
each other. Just give me a ten-minute ‘ead start before the
fireworks commence, yes?” He gestured to his right. “I
don’t think now’s the time for private digressions, though.”
At least a dozen black-clad adult shapes had appeared
near the main entrance. Jon-Tom couldn’t see if Chokas
was among them, but he had no intention of hanging
around to find out.
They headed off in the opposite direction, and Jon-Tom
saw they needn’t worry about pursuit. The black-clad
gestapo maintained by the Friends of the Street wasn’t
after them. They were fanning out toward the alleys and
side streets in search of their escaped flock.
Jon-Tom considered intercepting them. It was difficult
, not to, but he had to tell himself that they’d done every-
thing possible for the children. Most, if not all, of them
ought to make it to the safety of the crowded city below,
and he suspected they were wise enough to discard their
incriminating b!ack-and-Iace night clothes at the first
opportunity.
One of their own was faced with the same dilemma.