Now:

     Skip felt chilled by the conditioned air as he stepped into a hover with two seats.

     In front of one seat, a food tray. On the tray, real food, not donuts. Rice and salad and some kind of meat.

     "Thoughtful," Skip said.

     "Fuck you," Claudia replied.

     What looked, at first, to be nothing but a pile of discarded rags filled the second seat.

     "Put those on," Claudia said.

     "Those? But..."

     "We're going to Rags Boulevard, Skip, okay? If I had arms, I'd draw you a picture."

     "But...But they're rags."

     "If we're going to find Whisper and Tika, we need to blend in."

     "Are these even clean?"

     "I swear, Skip, if..."

     "Okay. Okay." As he dressed, Skip said, "You know, as much as I like to needle you, you have to know how much I depend on you and how much I appreciate you, right?"

     "I do."

     "Especially after today."

     "And the day's just getting started," Claudia said. "Rags Boulevard, here we come."

     Lacerating memories of being stripped naked and greased and thinking he was about to get violated in the most horrible way imaginable, then murdered, attacked Skips mind and heart and nervous system without mercy, leaving him breathless and needing to be with somebody that he knew and loved and trusted.

     "Wh​isper, here I come," he whispered. 

END OF CHAPTER FOUR

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