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.Cally hadaccompanied Shari on an island-only shopping trip that was really an excuse towander around the store and buy a pound or so of Ashley Privett's best fudge.Most of the things they needed themselves were either already back at home, orwere on a list for Cally to pick up on the weekend trip to Charleston she hadannounced that morning at breakfast, telling the kids that no, they couldn'tcome this time.It was a mommy trip.She felt a little guilty that Shariassumed that, going alone, she was going to confession but only a little.Shereallywas going to take at least a little time to shop for stuff to wear atthe family reunion next week like she'd said.She'd just probably shop,well,quickly.Another purpose of this morning's trip to, as Shari put it, "beautifulmetropolitan Edisto" was to let them discreetly gawk at the changes in thestore.On the island, frequently you had to make your own excitement.Callywaved and smiled at Karen Lee, the wife and co-conspirator of an active BaneSidhe agent.Karen's family were local for a few years to give the authoritiestime to forget about them before they went back out to a new posting withfresh, young identities.Karen was a quiet person, who seemed to find the ClanO'Neal personalities on the island a bit overwhelming at times.True to type, and probably for the best, Grandpa had handled the negotiationwith the Bane Sidhe over the code key sale.She looked around at the changedstore, impressed.Papa O'Neal could get things done in a hurry when he decidedhe was On A Mission.With so many fedcreds at stake, they had been remarkably easy going about thesales commission.As soon as the keys were flown into Charleston, Cally hadmade delivery to Michelle.The payment, in cash and small denominations, hadcome in the kind of briefcase that made her feel like the holodramas'stereotypical drug dealer.She'd paid out their commission to Grandpa, who hadcome back home with a trailer full of trade goods for the store.Charlestonbeing a main port, his large purchases hadn't caused so much as a raisedeyebrow.Similar large cash buys of available light consumer goods wereroutine there.Post-war, areas around the world where unusual things could grow or be minedhad been rapidly recolonized, leading to the rebirth of the coastal orriver-based city-state.Off-planet migration being the poor man's route torejuv, that interesting development looked like it might even last awhile.Thepopulation to rebuild genuine nations just wasn't there.The city states'greatest need, besides essential trade goods, was for the basic end-userPage 52ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlproducts and small comforts the residents couldn't make for themselves whichwas rather like the O'Neals on Edisto, now that she thought about it.Island finances being what they were, the end result of all this was Grandpabecoming a silent partner in the store.Before, Ashley had had to make thestore look full, or at least not empty, by spreading the off-island goods outat the front of the shelves, interspersed among locally made home crafts.Now,the shelves were actually full, and with manufactured goods and things thatweren't merely regional.There were frozen turkeys and canned cranberry sauceto be had for Thanksgiving dinner this year.Mike and Duncan Sunday who ofcourse still thought their last name was Thompson were happily applying anolive drab coat of paint to the store's exterior walls, no doubt for exchangecredits to apply to the purchase of some of the goodies inside.Shari was flipping through a fashion magazine on the rack that Ashley had forsome reason installed at the back of the store, cooing shamelessly over thefall runway photoshoot from Chicago.Tommy had hacked them a back door intothe online version of the same magazine, but there was just something aboutholding the glossy pages in your hands.Cally was keeping half an eye on theclothes on the pages and half an eye on Morgan and Sinda, who were nudging andwhispering to each other near a batch of toys.None of the toys lookedbreakable, at least.Sinda was eying a doll in a lacy blue and white dresswith equal measures of childhood greed and love.A quiet, irritated buzzing from the front of the store escalated in volume totwo clearly audible and irate female voices.".just because I had to punish your kid over that disgusting frogmess." Yep, Pam again.She was starting to get shrill."Nobody gets credit in my shop.and if you didn't spend all your moneyon that trash you read, you'd be able." Whups, Ashley already biting herwords out like that.Not good.Cally walked over to Morgan and Sinda andgrabbed their unresisting hands, leading them back towards Shari, who hadn'teven looked up from her magazine.She absently gathered hergreat-grandchildren in with one arm while Karen edged slightly behind her.Cally walked around her small collection of people, assassin-turned-momsecuring a ready exit by moving a dolly of soft drink cases so that instead ofblocking the back door it was blocking one of the aisles.".know a book if it bit you on the.and you just know they'll allbe gone by the time." Pam was shrieking now.Pretty soon she'd befainting and making a great show of looking all over her body for her inhaler.".intomy shop, driving off mypaying customers." If Ashley didn'twatch it, she was going to lose her voice again.Probably for days this time.Cally nudged a box of something out of the way with her foot.Shari stillhadn't looked up from her magazine, lifting her arm from around the childrento turn the page, returning it to pat Sinda on the shoulder.Karen just lookedfrozen in shock.Page 53ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlAnother voice joined the first two, querulous as another woman started tocomplain about the inequity of ever-rising prices for people on a fixedincome."Time to go." Cally scooped the magazine out of Shari's hands and dropped itback on the rack."You know with Louise joining in they'll be lucky to get itover without coming to blows." She put her hands behind her charges and madegentle shooing motions as she ushered them out the back door, moving Karenalong with the group.Emerging into the sunlight seemed to shake Karen out ofher daze a little."Are they always like that?" she asked in disbelief."Nope," Cally answered, "sometimes they're worse.Welcome to family politics101."They walked around the side of the building towards the front.Shari waved toMike and Duncan, who hadn't missed a beat, spreading paint onto thefreshly-bleached boards with smooth, even strokes."There they go again." Mikerolled his eyes and scratched his nose, leaving a smear of green paint.In front of the store, they paused near the small group of older children whowere gathering from across the street to observe the entertainment.A coconutcame bouncing out the door at speed.Cally sighed and handed her purse toShari."Welp, the imports have started flying.Better go in and save Grandpa'sstock
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