Noel and Estelle came up on Hoby, Noel in front.

     "You're going to have to let us pass," Noel explained. "You see, we have an important..."

     "Fuck you."

     "Fine."

     Noel swung at the Silver Centipede's face, a symbolic gesture, really. Noel had only normal human strength, and Hoby was armored, so...

     A half dozen of the Silver Centipede's largest arms grabbed Noel with the idea of pitching him across the room.

​     Didn't happen. Couldn't happen.

     Hoby kind of knew that, too.

     Not the sharpest knife in the drawer, that Hoby.

                                                       CONTINUE