“Come on. Let’s get out of here.”
I turned, but Lucia was right there leaning over me. She was back to the beautiful-woman form. She went to one knee and patted me on the head.
“Good boy,” she said. She got up, turned, and walked from the room.
I exchanged a look with Florin, who shrugged.
Donut let out an undignified snort. “Dog people.”
We had two hours left to get to the finish line. Florin jogged ahead to scout, and he said because of the open awnings, the bugs were flying all over the place. They weren’t bunched like before, and it shouldn’t be a problem.
Donut returned Mongo back to his carrier and deigned to walk alongside me. “At least you’re not a cocker spaniel. Or one of those other idiot breeds. Like a Boston terrier or a French bulldog. I couldn’t handle you being a French bulldog.”
The dance floor to the Desperado had been abandoned, likely after the guards announced that mimics had gotten in. I turned to look, and that door to Orren’s office was still there. I wondered if Hamed was there, waiting. I wondered if he’d known about the mimics or not. The AI seemed to imply that they were at odds, but I just didn’t know anymore. Either way, I hoped Splash Zone and the others were safe. They didn’t yet know about Dong Quixote. I hoped I’d get a chance to tell them how their friend had died.
Clarabelle, likewise, was not in her spot when we left. I made Imani jot a note, and we left it on her chair.
Mimics have infested the Desperado Club. Do not go in if you can help it. You are always welcome in Safehome Yolanda.
“What a goddamned floor,” I muttered as we padded back toward the exit to Hungry Eyes.
Elle, grunting with annoyance because she had to walk in her goblin form, sidled up to me. She moved to chat.
Elle: Carl, what the hell was that at the end there with that evil-eye bullshit?
CARL: It was the Eye of the Bedlam Bride tattoo. It’s on the dog’s forehead, but I control it.
Elle: You’re keeping secrets from us. It’s going to bite us on the butt. I said from the start we should’ve confronted Britney, and we never did, and now she’s gone where we can’t help her. You need to tell us what’s going on with you.
CARL: Let’s get through this next floor, and let’s get you to your final upgrade, and we’ll talk. I promise.
“Jamal has kept the bugs away, Mr. Carl,” Jamal said as Donut, Samantha, and I approached. “They do not like it when they get a taste of my toasty emissions.” He paused. “It was only one bug, but he has not been back!”
I wagged my tail at the shark as I jumped in.
Donut paused. “Wait,” she finally said, sagging. “Wait.” She turned to me. “Do you think Bruna the gnu is back in their garage?”
“No,” I said. “She’s still on the track and will be until the race is over.”
Donut let out a little growl. “Okay. Give me two minutes, and I’ll be right back.”
“Wait!” I called, but she bounded away. She rushed to one of the garage doors, swiped, and went inside.
The keys,I realized. Dwight had two keys left, and she had looted them from him. She first went into the garage of the razorfoxes and then into the garage of the Jugglers. The whole thing took maybe two minutes.
She returned to the truck, grumbling.
She’d just transferred Onikuma the bear and Old Shuck the dog to our garage.
“I’m not going to talk about it,” Donut said. “We’ll need them for the parade.”
I patted Donut with my paw. Or I tried to. She was taller than me.
“No, Carl,” Donut said. “We’re not doing that until you change back.”
Samantha, still sniffling, chomped on the steering wheel as we turned toward the exit.
“This driving thing is not nearly as fun as I hoped it would be,” she said as Donut pushed on the pedals.