What was in it for them?Well, to start with, there was nothing in it for the council members themselves, personally. As the ruling Council for the tow..., perhaps a lot. Widemouth would be my first choice of capitals for the region. And, Widemouth wanted to be the regional capital. If we accepted King Tom, we would both get what we wanted. And they would still be the town or city Council, responsible for and holding authority over the town and its immediate surroundings as it grew.On the other. ..”“Please ... As soon as my uncle gets finished...” I looked over at the white guy. I’m starting to get a bit desperate. I hope he sees that.“Carlie,” the guy said, “Ready to go!”“She din’t come here wit’ you,” one of the black guys said.“No, she’s my niece. She just came in here. I’m pickin’ ‘er and ‘er stuff up. So if you don’t mind...”I could tell that the black guy was weighing options, but his buddy called him off. My new benefactor hustled me out and put me in the cab of a big ol’ pickup. I have heard a lot about you."Alan dutifully shook hands with the two other women when introduced.Martha felt more pride at the love in the young couple. She studied theyoung man. Yes, he was good looking and carried himself well. He wasneatly dressed in a dark suit, a white shirt and a university tie. Shenoted that his shoes were well polished. However she thought grimlythat Alan had not heard the half of Simone's history. She also wincedinwardly at Alan's accent. It reminded her of Albert's. ‘I loved this blouse! You owe me a new one!’ She emphasized this with a pointed finger, but her face had an expression of amusement on it. ‘I couldn’t help it,’ I chuckled in defense. I approached the back door and opened it. I unzipped the knapsack and withdrew a t-shirt and, digging deeper, a pair of lacy panties. I shut the door and handed the clothing to the woman on my hood. ‘Just be glad I came prepared this time.’ She merely rolled her eyes, and pulled the t-shirt over her head. It was.