’ ‘D. . . D. . . d. . . don’t you leave me now, Billy Cramer, or you ain’t my best buddy no more.’ ‘Well what’re we gonna do?’ ‘Like...I said, we gotta go get us some matches and light the candle again, then maybe say a prayer er sumthin’, then get the heck outta here.’ ‘All right, let’s go.’ The two boys back up slowly, stopping to genuflect , easing out thru the curtain, then running headlong. Mark looks around, finds a large rock, and props the door open a crack, guaranteeing their reentry.. Oh, you’re in it for the long haul! By taking lots of frequent little bites you’ll get more than if you went for one big hit. How much have you hit them for so far? And how much do you intend to take them for, in the end?”“I’ve won about eight million so far, gross. Of the gross revenue I lose about twenty percent to taxes and I give twenty percent to Mum, Dad, and the girls as a tax break. Those are rough figures because the annual operating costs vary a lot. I intend to keep on skimming the. Hair always looks better when combed.” Then with a deprecating laugh, “Ignore my own tattered thatch for now. It will be attended to once I am home. My beard is what you get if you are a man. One has to live with it, for cutting it off is too complicated and repetitive. I just tried to keep it under control.”Both girls giggled at these admissions from the important man who was now their own Chief.They all said a friendly goodbye to Balto, and then a more formal farewell to the Headman, before. " Abby answered her quietly. "Now we'll just see how strong you really are. Jackson here is going to give you the time of your life, and we're all going to watch. Sound like fun?" You're sick," Laura said, suddenly lucid. "You're all very, very sick." Yes, my dear, and by the time Jackson is through with you, you'll be just as sick as we are," Abby laughed easily. "Go on Jackson," she said to the man still standing above Laura, "it's time for that treat we promised you."Laura stared with.