<meta name="LineWrap" content="true"><TITLE>SR_Bk1 0048</TITLE><A HREF="SR_Bk1-0049.txt">Next (Page 49)</A><BR> Though the guards glanced at the three, they didn't react.<P><P>"Daptin--I'm serious," Tavmatey said. "Remember, when you transferred to Shirt University as a Junior? That's when we met."<P><P>"Listen--I never went to Shirt University. I went to Thatterine College all four years--Fake will attest to that," Daptin said.<P><P>"Huh?" Fake said, as they approached the record store, 'Bithopa Rocken'.<P><P>"Nothing," Daptin replied. "This is it--Bithopa Rocken."<P><P>"Let's just hope we can find the bridge," Jerald said.<P><P>"Shut up!" Fake yelled.<P><P>"Keep it down! Keep it down," Daptin said. <P><P>They entered the store and looked around. <P><P>"Where's the balcony?" Jerald said loudly.<P><P>"Will you keep it down?" Daptin said.<P><P>"There is no balcony here," Fake said. "I'm gonna ask the cashier what's going on."<P><P>"Don't--" Daptin said, but Fake was already cutting into the line of customers at the register.<P><P>"Excuse me!" Fake yelled. "Excuse me!"<P><P>The cashier, who had been talking with a customer, looked over.<P><P>"Where is the balcony?" Fake yelled, over the loud music.<P><P>The cashier, a scrawny little guy, eyed Fake's gun and said "We have one at the other store downstairs. Why do you ask?"<P><P>Fake didn't answer, but motioned for the other two to follow her out of the store. Once out, she noticed a few guards in the distance pointing toward the three, apparently concerned at the floating cinder block.<P><P>"Shit! We have to go to the Bithopa Rocken downstairs, wherever the hell it might be," Fake said, jogging back to the escalator.<P><P>"Wait!" Daptin said. "Not so fast--it looks suspicious!"<P><P>The three got to the escalator and bounded down it, Daptin matching the pace of the other two. The cinder block zoomed along behind them.<P><P>"Daptin!" Tavmatey yelled from the Cup.<P><P>"Not now, Tavmatey. We have some trouble!" said Daptin.<P><P>"I think I see a map over there," Fake said as she began jogging toward one of the mall's several atriums.<P><P>"Goddammit slow down!" Daptin yelled, following Fake and Jerald.<P><P>"Here it is. It's here," Fake said, finding a large map of the mall.<P><P>"So where's our store?" Daptin asked, looking around for guards.<P><P>"Hmmm--let's see," Fake said, examining the map.<P><P>"Women's apparel. Jewelry. Sporting goods. Children's--" Jerald said.<P><P>"Shut up man!" Daptin said. "Just find the damn store, how hard can it--"<P><P>"--here it is--Haxelbong's wing on the right--over this way!" Fake said, pointing.<P><P>"Okay, but slow down!" Daptin said.<P><P>They walked briskly toward Haxelbong's department store, Daptin looking around nervously the whole way. They passed a little ferris wheel, then spotted the second Bithopa Rocken.<P><P>"Come on!" Fake exclaimed, breaking into a run.<P><P>"Shit!" Daptin exclaimed.<P><P>They entered the store, spotted the balcony, strode up the stairs, and stopped to get their bearings.<P><P>"Okay," Daptin said, "behind a record rack, right?"<P><P>"Yeah," Fake said.<P><P>"Look! Down there!" Jerald said loudly.<P><P>Down in the store, they saw two security guards talking with a cashier, who then pointed toward the three mortals.<P><P>"They have guns," the cashier, a heavy-set woman, said.<P><P>The guards looked up and saw the three.<P><P>"I don't get it," one of the guards said.<P><P>"Come on--they're confused. We should be able to cross the bridge before they come up," Fake said, looking behind a record rack.<P><P>"Here it is!" Jerald yelled, as he slid in between a rack and the back wall. <P><P>"Okay that must be it," Daptin said, as he and Fake followed Jerald.<P><P>The security guards were just getting up the stairs.<P><P>"Okay what's the problem?" one of the guards said lethargically.<P><P>"Hey you jerks!" Jerald yelled at the guards.<BR><A HREF="SR_Bk1-0049.txt">Next (Page 49)</A>