The corner's of Aleia's mouth lifted in amusement as she listened to Madea's answer and watched the hobbits, crazed with the possibility of mathoms, stampede out the door. Laughter bubbled inside her and she chuckled out loud. "I'm sorry, lass," she said to Madea. "A mathom is not a party or a place. A mathom is a little trinket, much like one that an older hobbit would get at a birthday-party. Something nice to put on a mantle. Hobbits go wild over them."
Madea turned a little red as she realized her mistake, but shook it off quickly. "Miss Took, about that conversation-"
"Madea Obisentauri! For the tenth time, call me Aleia! I absolutely abhor formalities!" Aleia said heatedly. One thing that she disliked most of all was being called "Miss" or "Ms", except for when she was in charge. Her expression softened when she saw the startled look on Madea's face. "Carry on, girl."
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"There's a big...machine in the sky...some kind of electric snake...coming straight at us."
"Shoot it," said my attorney.
"Not yet...I want to study its habits."
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