<meta name="LineWrap" content="true"><TITLE>SR_Bk1 0030</TITLE><A HREF="SR_Bk1-0031.txt">Next (Page 31)</A><BR> You want 'em?"<P><P>"Okay what the hell," Daptin said.<P><P>"Sold to the enthusiastic Arctican," Confetti said, pointing to Daptin with a handful of the colorful plastic sticks.<P><P>"Thank you," Daptin said.<P><P>"What else? What else?" Fake said excitedly.<P><P>"Hmm--oh yes. Yes. How could I forget these... these... these..." Confetti said as she rummaged.<P><P>"These what?" Daptin asked.<P><P>"These... socks!" Confetti said, producing two pairs of yellow socks covered with lavender polka dots.<P><P>"Oh, beautiful," Daptin commented.<P><P>"Not only beautiful, but distinctive!" Confetti said.<P><P>"Huh?" Daptin asked.<P><P>"Distinctive time socks. Very, very useful. You know how a clock goes to 59 and then back to zero? Well--not with these socks on. You get to 99 with these."<P><P>"What?" Fake asked, examining her cinder block.<P><P>"You get to 59, just like normal," Confetti explained. "But then, with the socks on, instead of going back to zero, you get to 60. You have a whole 40 minutes to yourself--no one else around. Distinctive time. Get it?"<P><P>"What do you mean no one else? What happens to 'em?" Daptin asked.<P><P>"They all go back to zero, while you, if you're wearing the socks, go right on to 60."<P><P>"But where are the other people, physically?" Daptin said.<P><P>"Every living thing goes right to zero like I said, but inanimate objects all have that extra 40 minutes. And with these socks on, you can too," Confetti explained.<P><P>"So it's like time stops?" Daptin asked.<P><P>"Sort of, in terms of everyone else. But everything is normal, except that nothing living is there, except sock-wearers."<P><P>"Sounds pretty damn good to me! We'll take 'em," Daptin said.<P><P>"Cinder block, fly around," Fake said, and with these words the cinder block arose and began to fly haphazardly around the store. <P><P>"Pretty cool," Daptin said. "I wish I had one."<P><P>"Well now--uh--what's your name again?" Confetti asked Daptin.<P><P>"Daptin. Uh, Daptin Gone."<P><P>"Oh! You're the one who slept with Spanking New Sarah!" Confetti said.<P><P>"That's him. My name is Fake, by the way," Fake said, jumping down the stairs to chase her cinder block.<P><P>"This is, like, nuts. How can everyone know about this so soon? If I'd known, I'd have had second thoughts."<P><P>"Yeah right. Come land gently in my hands, cinder block!" Fake said, and the block swung around and landed gracefully into her outstretched hands.<P><P>"Whoah! You're pretty heavy!" she said as she took on the weight of the block.<P><P>"Look Confetti, forget about this Sarah thing. I want something as cool as the cinder block," Daptin said.<P><P>"The socks are pretty cool," Confetti responded.<P><P>"Yeah, but there're two pairs. I want something cool and unique, just like the block."<P><P>"Daptin, cinder blocks are pretty common, it's just that that's our last one for awhile," Confetti said.<P><P>"Well."<P><P>"Okay, let me see what I can dig up," Confetti said as she turned around and started looking around on some shelves. After a few moments, she sighed and began to climb up the shelves.<P><P>"I--uh--don't go out of your way on my account..." Daptin said in a worried tone.<P><P>"Well, I have to find you something good, don't I?"<P><P>"Yeah but..."<P><P>Confetti clung onto the shelves and peered into a dark corner of a high shelf.<P><P>"Aha! What's this?"<P><P>She reached out, grabbed something, and then half fell and half jumped back to the ground.<P><P>"Oonf!"<P><P>"Are you okay?" Daptin asked.<P><P>From the other end of the store, Fake said "Do ballet, cinder block!"<P><P>"Yes Daptin. Just a little shaken. Now let's see what I got."<P><P>"What is it?"<P><P>"Oh goodness," Confetti said, looking at what appeared to be a magic marker. "Goodness."<P><P>"What is it? What is it? Is it good?" Daptin said.<P><P>"Uh..." Confetti began slowly. "I don't know if...<BR><A HREF="SR_Bk1-0031.txt">Next (Page 31)</A>