"Maybe you should stick to her area of expertise," Mozzarella said icily. "You are incorrect when you say krypton is inert. Three labs in America have found ways to coax it into combining with other elements. One of those labs is owned and operated by my business associates in Metropolis. As for the efficacy of our kryptonite, let me simply point out that it has several times been used to foil and temporarily disable Superman."

"I stand corrected," Toopermann said apologetically.

"No hard feelings," said Mozzarella. "In fact, to show my good faith and my commitment to our project, I have brought with me six vials of krypton gas. Each of you will get one, and I'll hang on to the sixth. They will provide us with protection from Miss Gale until a special shipment of kryptonite arrives on Thursday."

"And when that shipment arrives, who will bell the cat, so to speak?" asked Ungtjur.

"My men and I will handle that," said Mozzarella. "It would make our job easier, of course, if one of you had the opportunity to gas her first, if she shows up. But in any event, we'll find her. And then I'll switch hats from big-city gangster to respectable small-town road contractor."

The others looked puzzled, but Mozzarella just smiled mysteriously and handed out the vials of krypton gas.



# # #



Oscar Ungtjur gave his vial to his nephew. Louie was more likely than he to run into Sallie Gale, and after their last encounter, he'd need something for self-defense.

SG, meanwhile, had been released from the hospital and had moved back into the dorm. Miss McIllhenney, Marston's president, paid her a personal visit, to console her for the recent attack by the Lackanooka bullies - and also to inquire delicately about Sallie's whereabouts for the past few weeks.

SG thanked her for her interest but refused to explain her month-long absence. The right time would come to expose Toopermann and her sister, but for now silence was the best policy.

Julia, who hadn't seen SG and Estelle get beat up but who had heard several first-hand accounts, had some questions for SG, too. After Miss McIllhenney left, she said, "Sallie, I don't want to pry, but I've got to ask you something."

"Sure," said SG.

"How come you don't look beat up? I mean, Estelle is in the hospital with a broken jaw and one eye swollen shut, and you look like you just won the Miss America pageant."

SG smiled. "Thanks for the compliment. There's an explanation, but I just can't get into it right now. I'm sorry. Everything will become clear in a few days, after Estelle gets out of the hospital." She didn't tell Julia, but she wanted Estelle there when she got even with Toopermann and Regina and forced everyone who lived in this town to see what a shabby place it was.

The next morning, Julia left for class, but SG slept in. Because of her long absence, she was no longer enrolled in any courses, but Miss McIllhenney said she could remain on campus until the next semester started.

She lay in bed, thinking about all she had been through. After a while, she began feeling sexy. She couldn't help it. The memories of being roughed up and humiliated - by Louie and his friends and by Toop and Regina - filled her with shame and lust. She thought about the chair with the iron dildo. And she thought about making love to Estelle.

Gently she began stroking her pussy. In no time, she was wet. Then she remembered that Julia had received a food package from home, and that it contained a thick salami sausage.

For half an hour she raped herself with the sausage and imagined it was the biggest dick in creation.

Her date with the salami was cut short when she heard a key in the door. She hid the sausage beneath the covers and pretended to be asleep.

"Sallie, wake up. I've got big news." It was Julia.

SG opened her eyes, sat up and stretched. "I was just having a wonderful dream," she said.

"It can't be any better than this," said Julia. "Louie Ungtjur stopped me between classes and gave me a note. He said to give it to you. And he said he was really, really sorry for all the trouble he's caused. He wants to apologize to you personally."

"It's got to be a trick," said SG.

"Maybe so," said Julia, but Trish said he went over to the hospital today to apologize to Estelle. But she wouldn't let him into the room. Too scared."

SG examined the envelope Julia had handed her, weighing whether to open it.

"Go ahead," said Julia. "If he wants to make amends, it would be wrong not to at least respond."

SG ripped open the envelope. Inside, on a sheet of lined loose-leaf paper was a brief message, written in a childish scrawl: "I'm very sorry for beating you and Estella up. I shouldn't have picked on you two, since you're not nearly my size and besides you are girls. I want to apologize to you publicly. Please meet me at O'Malley's this afternoon."

Julia, who had been reading over SG's shoulder, said, "Great. I'll go with you."

"I'm not sure I'm going," said SG.

"Oh, you've got to go. I want to see him grovel. Someone must be putting a lot of pressure on him. His uncle, maybe. Come on, you gotta go."

SG smiled. Julia's enthusiasm was hard to resist.

"Okay, but I don't think you should go. It could be a set up, and you could get hurt."

"Oh, I've got to go," said Julia, pleadingly. "I really want to see this. And besides, you may need a witness."

SG smiled and stroked Julia's cheek.

"You've been a good friend," she said.