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"Oh, so you’re the ruthless kind of leader"

"You’d better believe it"

When I got to work the nextwith Mac and McClusky in the park, so I knew I’d done the right thing, even if I felt lousy about it If Mac knew about the ar plan, and I agreed with the elves that it would be disastrous

I found Earl in his section and quickly told him what I’d learned froo?"

"We’ll atteh the portal, he can pass the s pretty dire, doesn’t it?"

"An ene We need to act quickly, before Sylvester can pull off whatever he has planned" Though it pained me to do so, I added, "And Owen doesn’t know about the ar I’d rather Mac not find out"

Earl winced and nodded "I don’t envy Owen"

"Yeah I just wish I could find a way tohero--without any actual sacrifice, of course--so we could put an end to all this It’s just ridiculous"

Earl looked uncharacteristically soet a chance to sacrifice before this is over"

I got to the store early the nextbecause I couldn’t wait to learn what the elves had discovered It had taken allacross froged Owen to a movie--Casablanca, since they only ever screened classics in romantic movies and it en’s favorite--and then tried not to let on that I knew anything was happening so he wouldn’t have anything he felt obligated to tell Mac

Oith Mac in the park, although I couldn’t think of what he uys, since I’d been keeping hi and then went into the store Earl wasn’t around when I went through his section, so I went upstairs to the coffee shop