(xlii.)

"Lor, where the fuck are we going?!"

Lorelei stopped for a moment. She listened to the cars passing on the interstate just beyond the trees.

"That way," she declared, motioning with a small nod-like movement.

She kept walking.

"Lorelei, this is fucking pointless! We have no money. No food. No clothing... you don't even have your sword."
"I could fix that very easily."
"You-- how? How would you--"
"Steal one. How else?"

Midge sighed.

"I hate you. Y'know that, right?"

Lorelei smiled. "If I had a nickel... no, if I had a penny for every time someone said that to me... I'd be a fucking millionaire by now."

She stopped again. "I have a question."
"What is it now, Lor?"
"Since we lost the truck... and, therefore, Fred... are we still headed toward Silver Spring?"
"Does it matter?"

Lorelei twirled around, facing away from Midge. "Well..."
"Yes?"
"It's just that... I figure we've looped back around near your brother's house."

Midge stared at her, incredulously.

She began to twitch.

"I'm going to fucking kill you!"

She lunged for Lorelei. Lorelei stepped out of the way, quickly. "Midge, c'mon, don't do this--"
"Die, bitch!" She yelled, leaping toward her again.

Lorelei leapt the other way.

"Midge, don't make me--"
"I hope that government agency catches you!"

Lorelei stopped moving. She straightened her posture, and her neck tensed up. "Okay, that's it. I've taken a lot of shit. From you, from Joe, from Steve -- even from Pierpont. But this is where I draw the fucking line."

She turned, briefly, and picked up a small tree limb. She twirled it; swung it, twirled it the other way; and finally swung it, underhanded, into Midge's chin.

"Now you listen here, Midge," she declared, still twirling the tree limb, "I trusted you. I knew you thought I was crazy. But you were willing to go along with it. But then, some bad shit happens, and you try to bail on me."

She swung again; hitting Midge in the gut.

"I should've left you back at that roadside shit-hole where we found Fred. Let you deal with Chet on your own."

She twirled the stick; swung it a fourth time, this time bringing it down on Midge's shoulder.

"Not so high-and-fucking-mighty now, are we?"



[chapter xliii.]