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"You’ve lived a long time," I pleaded "You have to have had human names Can’t we use one of those?"

Blondie frowned "Those names are my history, and they’re dead and buried Plus, some of them are still on various wanted lists"

I responded by tentatively trying her real name one more time

She made a cat’s-anus face

"Tell you what," she said "What would you like to call me?"

I shifted on my feet "I sort of had a nickna as it’s not Bitch-Faced Monster, we can roll with it"

"Urinned "That’s perfect I fucking love Blondie That bitch can party"

I sighed, thinking of Amy "So I’ve heard," I said

"Blondie it is At least until I can get that tongue of yours whipped into shape," the Original said, givinga step toward e of heat in inal was not only super hot, but she had that Tilda Swinton, David Bowie, or TAFKAP style androgynous pansexuality The kind where everyone, regardless of gender or sexual orientation, kinda wanted to boff the away froie-playful-bow thing--with his ass in the air and his tail wagging--and then raced away just as Caleb and Iris got close enough to grab hiinal "It’s nice to meet you I’m Jane"

We shook hands, pseudo-solemnly

"So, now that we’ve been introduced, what do you want to know?" she asked

"I was told you were here because you’re searching for so in Rockabill So to a nursery rhyme, and protected by four locks"

Blondie nodded as I spoke

"So," I continued "You followed Anyan and ht here and dealing with Nell You say you did that because you wanted to see ere like, but you never approached us, just followed us And then we get attacked, but you’re right there to ‘help out’ Can you see why I’hed "Yes, I can And to be frank, I haven’t been cooing to go If Blondie decided to ad allied with Jarl and his cronies, ere fucked, ith Nell and Anyan out for the count

"Don’t get all uptight," the Original chided "I’uy I just know a little more than I told the others"

I frowned and she shook her head

"They weren’t secrets you had to know, and you’ll understand why I had to keep them if you’ll just letshe should talk, she continued

"The fact is, there’s more to the nursery rhyinal version, which isthan a nursery rhyme It’s written in ancient Alfar, so there are only a handful of people around today who can read it

"It says the sa ancient being locked away But it goes on to talk about how the creature--and this version specifies that it’s a creature--will not only destroy a lot of stuff upon waking, but that it also has the power to create for itself a champion"

"A chaift its own strength to sos we don’t know, but we know the creature has the power to give power--and that’s power that a lot of people want"

"But if not an

"Unfortunately," she interrupted, " ‘notI do"

"And who, exactly, are the bad guys?" I asked, re Nell’s fear that this problem wasn’t just national but international

"People just like Jarl, all over the world It’s the saht a million times, or so it feels like"

"Those ant to live with huate theht white wifebeater just enough to scratch lazily at the piercing in her belly button "It’s about hoe live One side wants strict hierarchies--strict laws about who can and cannot lead, and hoe live our lives The other understands the idea of choices, and hoe must be free to make them Part of that is hoe live with humans Some of us want no contact, and for humans to be, basically, our slaves Others understand we need humans… that we’d be lost without theinal questions and not go off in a tangent that could be Blondie-induced "So ere you following Anyan and et access to the Territory to find the creature?"

Blondie pursed her lips, obviously gathering her thoughts