Andy came into view striding purposefully back to the house. Apparently Blackbeard had wanted to plunder her goodies a little too quickly for her tast...s. Do you realize how ridiculous it looks for anyone dressed like Raggedy Andy to do anything purposefully? Just imagine it!I was hiding behind a dollhouse. How appropriate! It was actually being used to camouflage pool machinery. As Andy walked by I acted on impulse. I reached a hand over Andy's mouth and another around her waist and dragged her. "Malcolm is a very clever slave." Clever" was another one of those words that was rarely flattering when applied to a slave and an unusually harsh judgment for Clover to make. It was almost enough to make Rose ask what she meant, but might lead to her having to tell what she thought she knew about the steward and their owner, so she went back to the original topic. "Still, better she be a Gunda than a Daisy. I don't know what a Gunda is, but I'm pretty sure it's not in our phylum."Clover looked. “You need to come to see this.”“What is so urgent, David?” mom asked, slightly out of breath.I pointed to Ariba, where she cowered in the tub.“Did this happen at school before all the other stuff?” mom asked her.At least Ariba is willing to look up and nod.“I’m going to tear into the school in the morning,” mom said as she sat next to the tub. “Will you let me touch you, Ariba? I want to check you out and help you bathe if you like.”Ariba smiled and said softly, “I would like that, mom. I’m. I lit into him, smacking him along side his head."That's a lie," I shouted. "My Mom isn't that kind of person."He hit me with his fist right on my mouth splitting my lip and causing it to bleed.Rick saw him and ran over. "What the hell do you think your doing?" he asked angrily."The little ass hole hit me for no reason at all, " the guy said. "I was just standing here talking, and he freaked out and hit me." That's a bunch of bullshit," Rick said. "Little Jeff wouldn't hurt a fly without a damn.