...it comes out of the night, an ancient Ford Phaeton, roaring up the street only to screech to a sudden halt.
The driver is a giant badger, as tall as a man, wearing a newsboy cap, a jersey hooded jacket and overalls. He pauses, giving you a calculating eye, then turns to the back seat.
"Boss, I dink dis is da place."
"Yah do, do yah Mongo?"
"Uh, yeah?"
"So go and open da door!"
"Yes boss! Sorry boss!"
The giant badger jumps out of the front seat and opens the back door. A pair of spats suddenly appears, then out from behind the door comes another badger, wearing a pin-striped zoot suit and a wide-brim hat. In one corner of its mouth quivers a toothpick.
"Buttons, Shark," the leader calls out. Two more badgers, in dark suits and fedoras side out, each holding tommy guns.
"Take a look around," Toothpick orders.
"Yes boss," the two chorus, dashing to opposite sides of the street, checking every window and alley opening while Toothpick eyes the buildings on either side.
Finally, the two return, slightly out of breath.
"Can't see... nobody...," Buttons manages, while the Shark drops to his knees, producing a deck of cards and a shaving razor.
"Is dat...?" Toothpick demands as the wheezing Shark starts dealing out the cards.
"Cutthroat solitaire," Mongo rumbles.
"Well, iffen he loses, try takin' da razor away instead of breakin' his arm dis time."
"Yes boss."
"Now, go and open da trunk."
"Yes boss," Mongo says, skirting out from behind the car door and around the kneeling gambler. There, sitting on a metal shelf is a large leather trunk. Undoing the straps and the latches, the giant badger opens the lid and steps back.
"Mongo," Toothpick draws, his namesake suddenly stiff with anger. "Ain't you fergettin' somethin'?"
"Uh, no boss?"
"Drop to da ground and get on all fours!"
"Oh! Yes boss!" Mongo says, kneeling on the ground before leaning forward so that he was down on all fours.
"Dat's more like it," Toothpick snaps, leaping up on the giant badger's back and peering into the trunk.
"Boss," Toothpick says, undoing the blindfold, "Looks like we found da place. We'll meet da locals and then try ta find a place ta settle in before that crazy friend of yours shows up. S'right?"
The boss tries to say something but is muffled by the gag in their mouth.
"Yes boss," Toothpick says, putting the blindfold back in place and pushing their head down. "Don't ya worry about a thin', your safety is our pri-or-it-tea."
Slamming the lid of the trunk down, he jumps off the back of Mongo and says, "Close dat up. Let's see iffen we can meet someone."
The driver is a giant badger, as tall as a man, wearing a newsboy cap, a jersey hooded jacket and overalls. He pauses, giving you a calculating eye, then turns to the back seat.
"Boss, I dink dis is da place."
"Yah do, do yah Mongo?"
"Uh, yeah?"
"So go and open da door!"
"Yes boss! Sorry boss!"
The giant badger jumps out of the front seat and opens the back door. A pair of spats suddenly appears, then out from behind the door comes another badger, wearing a pin-striped zoot suit and a wide-brim hat. In one corner of its mouth quivers a toothpick.
"Buttons, Shark," the leader calls out. Two more badgers, in dark suits and fedoras side out, each holding tommy guns.
"Take a look around," Toothpick orders.
"Yes boss," the two chorus, dashing to opposite sides of the street, checking every window and alley opening while Toothpick eyes the buildings on either side.
Finally, the two return, slightly out of breath.
"Can't see... nobody...," Buttons manages, while the Shark drops to his knees, producing a deck of cards and a shaving razor.
"Is dat...?" Toothpick demands as the wheezing Shark starts dealing out the cards.
"Cutthroat solitaire," Mongo rumbles.
"Well, iffen he loses, try takin' da razor away instead of breakin' his arm dis time."
"Yes boss."
"Now, go and open da trunk."
"Yes boss," Mongo says, skirting out from behind the car door and around the kneeling gambler. There, sitting on a metal shelf is a large leather trunk. Undoing the straps and the latches, the giant badger opens the lid and steps back.
"Mongo," Toothpick draws, his namesake suddenly stiff with anger. "Ain't you fergettin' somethin'?"
"Uh, no boss?"
"Drop to da ground and get on all fours!"
"Oh! Yes boss!" Mongo says, kneeling on the ground before leaning forward so that he was down on all fours.
"Dat's more like it," Toothpick snaps, leaping up on the giant badger's back and peering into the trunk.
"Boss," Toothpick says, undoing the blindfold, "Looks like we found da place. We'll meet da locals and then try ta find a place ta settle in before that crazy friend of yours shows up. S'right?"
The boss tries to say something but is muffled by the gag in their mouth.
"Yes boss," Toothpick says, putting the blindfold back in place and pushing their head down. "Don't ya worry about a thin', your safety is our pri-or-it-tea."
Slamming the lid of the trunk down, he jumps off the back of Mongo and says, "Close dat up. Let's see iffen we can meet someone."
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