“What we told them and what they believe are two different things,” the bushy-haired boy said.

So no one really knew where the children were. Convenient. “I’m sure you’ll make excellent lawyers one day,” Duke said. “Or you would have. But I’m afraid it’s time for us to go. And time for you, too.”

The bigger boy stood. He did look rather like a budding rap star, not that Duke knew anything about rap, or cared. “We’re not going anywhere with you,” he said.

“Did I say you were going with me?” Duke said. “The ladies will escort you to your final destination.”

Ashli, Tammi, Lori, Laci, and Lu came out of the shadows to join Candi, Toni, and Zozi. The blond women surrounded the children, backing them up against the base of the statue behind them. They did look magnificent in a group, Duke’s ladies. Ash-blond hair bright as moonlight, red dresses dark as venous blood. Instead of their heels, the ladies wore black combat boots. But they could deal with these recalcitrant children with their hands tied behind their backs.

Most of them, anyway. Lu said, “They’re just kids.”

“I’m aware of that,” said Duke.

“What do you want with a bunch of kids?”

Candi said, “Do shut up, Lu.”

“I’m asking a question,” Lu said.

“I don’t pay you to ask questions, I pay you to do what I tell you to do,” Duke snapped.

The girl muttered some string of nonsense to her brother, something that sounded as if her lips were made of rubber: “Wabe caban’t gabo wabith thabesabe gabuys.”

“Stop that,” said Duke.

The big boy said: “Whaby abaraben’t thabe Cabiphaberabists cabomabing?”

“I said, stop.”

“Mabaybe thabey’re taboabo fabar abawabay tabo habeabar?” said the bushy-haired boy.

“Stop.”

“Whaberabe abarabe thabey, Tabexabas?” said the big boy.

“Knock it off!” said Duke.

“Staball abas labong abas yaboabu caban,” said the girl. Then she said clearly, “What the heck are you ladies doing, anyway? Why would you want to work for this lying jerk?”

“Why not dream bigger?” said the big boy. “Open a self-defense school. Be bodyguards for movie stars. Become movie stars. I bet you’d be great in action films.”

“Or any films,” the girl said. “We don’t want to limit them.”

“Can any of you sing?” said the big boy. “You could form a band. That could be dope.”

“At least find work that doesn’t require you to terrorize people,” said the bushy-haired boy.

The girl said, “I’d still like to know where my cat is.”

Duke’s head was beginning to ache. Children were terrible, terrible little creatures. They should ship them all to a colony on the moon and let them raise themselves so that the adults could go to brunch in peace. “Can it, all of you. I’ve had enough of this bull.”

“Mixed metaphors!” said the bushy-haired boy.