Fantasy fiction; Science fiction; Subconsciousness -- Fiction
"Keep your diapers on," Toffee said. "He's doing what he can."
"Oh, well," Chadwick sighed. "I suppose there's really no hurry.
They'll only turn us over to the police when we're restored."
"I don't care," Agatha said, eyeing Toffee's new loveliness with envy.
"I'd rather rot in jail than be left to go on groveling around like
this."
* * * * *
There was a sudden snort from Mr. Culpepper as his head snapped
forward, and his eyes opened. "I have it," he announced composedly. "As
I have it figured, ten jiggers of strong whiskey should restore them
to what they were six months ago." He turned to Marc. "Do you have any
liquor handy?"
Marc shook his head. "We'll have to go out for it."
"Very well," Mr. Culpepper said. "I'll go."
"No. We'll all have to go," Marc said. "We can't risk staying here. The
cleaning ladies will be around this way soon. If they saw this ..." he
indicated the babies and Toffee, "... there would be a scandal that
would make Hollywood furious with envy."
Leaving the building, the Pillsworth party was one to startle
and confound, a woman in a revealing evening gown carrying two
velvet-swathed babies and accompanied by two extremely uneasy looking
gentlemen, was a sight to give pause to even the most careless-minded
citizen. Indeed, several citizens not only paused but stopped cold in
their tracks as they saw the strange group moving toward them. With
grave dignity, though, glancing neither to the right nor to the left,
the ill-matched fivesome proceeded to the end of the block, waited in
heavy silence for a change of traffic signals, crossed the street and
disappeared through the doors of a retail liquor store. There they were
greeted by a large, befuddled looking merchant.
The merchant surveyed his approaching customers with silent disbelief.
Then he seemed to shake himself from an absorbing dream.
"This is a liquor store," he said dully.
"Yes, we know," Toffee said politely. "That's why we've come."
"I just thought I'd mention it," the merchant said unhappily, clearing
his throat. He glanced out the window and closed his eyes a minute.
Then he turned back to the group before the counter and seemed to be
surprised all over again.
"Since you're really here," he said, "what can I do for you?"
"We'd like a bottle of strong whiskey," Toffee said. She turned
questioningly to Mr. Culpepper who nodded back to her approvingly. "The
strongest you have."
"Two bottles!" a tiny voice suddenly piped from the depths of one of
the velvet bundles. Chadwick's small head bobbed into sight. "Make it
two! And make it snappy!"
Agatha's head was only a moment behind Chadwick's in making its
appearance, "Sot!" she accused. "Greedy little pig!"
"You be still," Chadwick rejoined. "What if I do get a little drunk
tonight? Who ever had a better reason? Just being married to you would
be enough, I should think! I've got it coming to me."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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