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Kirsty grunted She recognised the stubborn look on Betty’s face and knew she wouldn’t get the infor her, anyway She thought hard Maybe a bribe?

“I’ll buy you pies for aon”

“Ha!” Betty said “With what? You don’t have any money You don’t have a business and you don’t have a ho all those diamonds It’s pathetic I mean, look at you—you don’t even have a decent coat”

Kirsty looked down at the ugly fur coat herwee face So went pop inside of her, like a pin to a balloon The colossal screw-up of her life was suddenly a black cole The look of surprise on Betty’s face ether they held each other and laughed until tears were strea down their cheeks

“Well,” Betty said as she wiped her face “This is a bloody mess”

“And I have no idea what to do about it,” Kirsty said with a grin

“At least you’re cheery,” Betty said, and they started to laugh all over again

“I think it h her tears

That h harder

At last, gasping for breath, they calhter than she had since the fire

“When you talk to Lake,” she told Betty, “tell him that as far as I’m concerned the war isn’t over”

Betty’s eyes sparkled

&nbs

p; “And how exactly are you going to fight?” she said

“I haven’t figured that part out yet,” Kirsty said “Tell hiht like a n of surrender and will broadcast to the world that I won the war”