Drop-Out: Part 3

Though Toopermann and Ungtjur had only a nodding acquaintance and didnt particularly like one another, they recognized that they shared an urgent need to get rid of this troublesome young woman. Louies Uncle Smithson, the county commissioner, was there, too -- along with the police chief, the local circuit court judge and an emissary from Metropolis who owned a paving firm in Lackanooka. The firm had several country contracts and was useful in laundering money generated by less reputable business operations in the big city.

Lets get right to the point, said Ungtjur. This Sallie Gale, or whatever her name is, has created a difficult situation. Miss Toopermann has been reluctant to discuss her reasons for wanting to eliminate this problem, and I respect her wishes to keep whatever it is confidential. But let me be perfectly frank about myself. The young woman has injured my nephew Louie, physically, and has hurt his reputation. Louie's not a bad boy. Just a bit rambunctious.

She aint been good for my reputation and the reputation of my force either, said the police chief.

And I dont relish having to deal with the charges and countercharges arising from this afternoons fracas, said the judge. If I dont dismiss the laughable assertion that Miss Gale and her friend initiated the assault on your nephew and his buddies, I can forget about re-election -- no matter how much you and the bank invest in my campaign.

I understand, said Ungtjur. So we all have our reasons for wanting Miss Gale to disappear. The problem is, how do we go about it? The doctor in the emergency room says that the other girl, Estelle Baroque, suffered several broken bones and lost a few teeth, but our remarkable Miss Gale suffered no visible injuries. And X-rays showed no bone fractures. Yet Miss Gale was much more severely beaten.

He paused, momentarily flustered as he realized what his words suggested. Beaten as a result of her unprovoked attack on my nephew, of course.

Of course, said Toopermann, with a wry smile. I cant believe I find myself in the same camp as your nephew, Mr. Ungtjur, but war creates strange alliances, and this is war. Miss Gale is a formidable enemy. While she does not appear to have powers at anywhere near the level of Superman, I believe she was telling the truth when she said she was sent here by him. And I believe we cannot do her serious and permanent harm by the usual means. I can testify that what would kill a normal girl -- or even a normal very strong man -- is not going to work for her.

I think I know what will, said Silvio Mozzarella, the road contractor. He spoke quietly but with authority.

Miss Gale, as you call her, was not exaggerating when she said she has superhuman powers, he continued. We know her. Weve had unfortunate dealings with her in Metropolis. And we know that Superman sent her here.

To break up a minor drug ring? Toopermann asked skeptically.

To get her out of Metropolis, answered Mozzarella.

Why?

She was getting a lot of attention in the newspapers, Mozzarella said with a shrug. It makes sense that Superman was jealous. Shes just a kid, but she was putting almost as many of my associates behind bars as he was. And she pulled off some pretty spectacular rescues, like saving an entire village from that volcano in Nicaragua.

An intriguing theory, said Toopermann. Now, let me suggest another, based on my academic training in psychology and long years of watching interactions between men and women. I think Superman wanted to get this young woman far away from him because she presented a sexual temptation he found very difficult to resist. What I learned about Miss Gale during my evening of interrogation suggests that she is, quite simply, a nymphomaniac. And she has a predilection for situations in which she is powerless and vulnerable. I would not be surprised if she seduced Superman and was sent here as punishment.

Maybe so, said Ungtjur impatiently. But Im less interested in Superman and his motives than in how to get rid of this bitch. Pardon my French.

Toopermann chuckled. You think I dont use such language myself, Mr. Ungtjur? Yes, she is a bitch. She roughed up my sister this morning, in my very own house. But excuse me. I believe we interrupted Mr. Mozzarella and his thoughts on how to eliminate this bitch of a problem.

Yes, said Mozzarella. Well, eliminating her permanently -- killing her -- is beyond the capabilities of my organization, at least at the moment. But we know how to incapacitate her for a long, long while. And while shes out of commission, maybe we will develop the means of finishing her off -- her and Supreman.

"And what is this incapacitating agent? asked Ungtjur.

Kryptonite, answered Mozzarella.

Toopermann snorted derisively. You sound like a comic book villain, Mr. Mozzarella. My area of expertise is psychology, not chemistry. But Ive studied the physical sciences enough to know that krypton is an inert gas, and you cannot make a mineral out of something inert.

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 Ill 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. But in any event, well find her. And then Ill 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, hed need something for self-defense.

SG, meanwhile, had been released from the hospital and had moved back into the dorm. Miss McIllhenney, Marstons president, paid her a personal visit, to console her for the recent attack by the Lackanooka bullies -- and also to inquire delicately about Sallies 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 hadnt 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 dont want to pry, but Ive got to ask you something.

Sure, said SG.

How come you dont 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. Theres an explanation, but I just cant get into it right now. Im sorry. Everything will become clear in a few days, after Estelle gets out of the hospital. She didnt 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 couldnt 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. Ive got big news. It was Julia.

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

It cant 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 hes caused. He wants to apologize to you personally.

Its 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. She wouldnt 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: Im very sorry for beating you and Estella up. I shouldnt have picked on you two, since youre not nearly my size and besides you are girls. I want to apologize to you publicly. Please meet me at OMalleys this afternoon.

Julia, who had been reading over SGs shoulder, said, Great. Ill go with you.

Im not sure Im going, said SG.

Oh, youve got to. 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. Julias enthusiasm was hard to resist.

Okay, but I dont think you should go. It could be a set up, and you could get hurt.

Oh, no, said Julia, pleadingly. I really want to see this. Besides, you may need a witness.

SG smiled and stroked Julias cheek.

Youve been a good friend, she said.

Then, so suddenly that neither was fully aware of what was happening, they were in one anothers arms, kissing passionately. They fell into bed, and Julia began sucking SGs nipples. As they rolled over, Julia felt something hard. She paused in her lovemaking, reached under the covers and drew out the salami. SG blushed scarlet.

Oh, thats okay, Julia laughed. I hate salami. I mean I hate eating it. Fucking it is a much better idea. # # #

At 3:30, they dressed and set off for the malt shop. Julia seemed very nervous.

Maybe this isnt such a good idea after all, she said.

No, said SG, you were right to begin with. I ought to give the bastard a chance to admit what a shit hes been.

They walked on in silence.

Julia suddenly stopped and said, Sallie, whatever happens, I want you to know I love you.

SG held her hand and gave her a quick kiss on the mouth. I love you, too, but lets not get everyone thinking were lesbians.

At OMalleys the blinds had been lowered, which was unusual. SG was wary, but she opened the door with a show of confidence.

There was a small crowd, and she didnt see anyone she recognized -- except Louie. He was sitting at the counter, and when he turned to her she saw that he had a cast on his right arm from the elbow down. He smiled a sheepish grin.

Hi, Sallie. Hi, Julia. I wasnt sure youd show up.

Well, why not, said SG. Its not often that an asshole like you tries to do something decent.

Louie flushed but struggled to maintain a conciliatory tone.

Come sit by me, he said. I want to buy you a malt or a sundae, whatever you want. And Ive got a present for you, too.

SG glanced at the man behind the counter. It wasnt Tucker. This guy was older -- and tough looking. She looked at the others in the shop. There were eight or nine of them, all men, all older than Louies crowd, all unfamiliar.

Who are your friends? SG asked.

Uh, theyre from the police department and the prosecutors office. They want to watch me apologize.

So that was it, SG thought. Louie wasnt really sorry, he was just trying to avoid prosecution.

Whatll you have? Louie asked.

A chocolate malt with chocolate ice cream, said SG. How about you, Julia?

Julia was glancing nervously around the shop. Nothing, she said, almost in a whisper.

The man behind the counter started making a malt.

Louie reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small, gift-wrapped box.

Its for you, he said. Sort of to make up for me being so mean and all.

SG started unwrapping the package.

Its perfume, said Louie. I hope you like it.

She removed a small bottle made of frosted glass and held it up to the ceiling light.

It looks like theres nothing in it, she said.

Oh, yes there is, answered Louie. The lady at the perfume shop said youd love it. Its supposed to pack quite a wallop.

SG smiled grimly. Ive had enough walloping lately, she said.

Then she pulled out the stopper and sniffed. Her reaction was instantaneous and dramatic. She gasped and dropped the bottle. Her eyes widened. She tried to stand, but Louie clubbed her between the eyes with his cast and she fell backward, against the counter.

The man who had been pretending to make the malt was ready for her. He slipped a thin wire around her neck and pulled it tight with two wooden handles. Two other men rushed up and grabbed SGs wrists, so she couldnt relieve the pressure of the wire. Another pulled out a knife and stabbed at her exposed belly.

Oh, my god, Julia screamed. What have I done?

Silvio Mozzarella emerged from a back room. Shut up, he snapped. Heres your $500. Now scram. And keep your mouth shut if you want to live to spend it. He glanced at Louie. Youd better clear out, too. This is a job for professionals.

The men were crowded around SG, but she was putting up a fierce fight. The one who was trying to garrot her yelled at the others to hold her down.

Cant kill the bitch, he said, breathing heavily. This fucking wire should have taken her head off by now.

Shiv dont work, either, said the one with the knife.

Theres only one thing that works on this cunt, said Mozzarella. He pulled a vial of krypton from his pocket. Our friend Louie just gave her a whiff. Now were going to let her have a real dose. Hold her nose.

One man held her nose, and when she opened her mouth to breathe, Mozzarella stuck in the open end of the vial.

SG sucked in the gas and went limp.

Okay, take over to the equipment barn, said Mozzarella. Shell be out for at least eight hours. You boys can do whatever you want with her. Just remember to give her another dose around midnight and have her at the cut in Doberman Road by 7 oclock tomorrow morning.

After Mozzarella left, the men hauled the unconscious SG out the back door and loaded her into a panel truck. Two men got in with her, two others got into the cab, and a car followed.

Shes fucking amazing, said the man driving the car. I jabbed her as hard as I could and it didnt leave a mark.

You was using the wrong implement, said his partner. You was using a knife, in her belly. When we get to the barn, Ill show you the proper procedure. Whats she needs is a prick. In her pussy.

They laughed.

In the van, meanwhile, the two men with SG had gotten a head start. They fucked her ass and her pussy serially and simultaneously. They decided serially was easier and more fun. # # #

It was cool and blustery, and the sun was still low on the horizon when SGs nemeses gathered beside the big rectangular hole in Doberman Road. The surface had been stripped away, and even some of the bedrock beneath had been drilled, hammered and removed. What was left, nearly two feet below the surface of the surrounding road, was a 28-square-foot patch of jagged, corrugated rock.

Several in the small gathering were drinking steaming coffee from cardboard cups. They talked quietly, awaiting the guest of honor.

Soon, a panel truck pulled up. The driver and a passenger went around the back and opened the door. Two men inside were holding SG upright. She was naked, except for a steel collar around her neck, and her wrists were tied behind her. Her head lolled back and forth as the men handled her.

Well take her, said the driver.

Why bother? said one of the men holding SG. Step back. He and his companion gave SG a shove, and she fell with a thud face forward onto the road.

Time for farewells, said the driver, lifting her to her knees by a ring attached to her collar.

The little group gathered round her. Toopermann slipped a hand under SGs chin and lifted her head.

Are you awake, dear? she asked. What a shame, I do think shes unconscious and will miss the festivities.

I can take care of that, said Mozzarella. He stuck a small bottle under SGs nose and her eyes suddenly flickered open.

Its a powerful stimulant, he explained. Shell be conscious til we put her under.

Oscar Ungtjur reached out and brushed her hair from her face.

Shes quite beautiful. I can see why she got you so excited, Louie.

Louie grunted. I wish Id never met her, he muttered.

And Im sure that, by now, she sincerely wishes she had never met you, said the police chief.

Regina, who had held back when the others crowded around SG, now pushed her way forward. I hate you, she cried, kicking SG savagely in the groin. You seduced me.

Now, now, said Toopermann, gently pulling Regina away. She seduced so many of us, with her beauty and vulnerability. But the fact is, shes only a common little trollop, superpowers or no.

Okay, weve got a job to do, said Mozzarella, and if we keep this road closed too long, people are going to start wondering.

He gestured for all but the road crew to pull back. Then he nodded to his men. One cut the cords that held SGs wrists. Others moved in big power tools and drilled into the exposed rock. Within a few minutes, four strong steel bolts had been driven deep into the rock. To each bolt was attached a short length of chain and, at the end of the chain, a steel shackle.

Two men dragged SG to the edge of the cut in the road. She looked down, realized what awaited her, and struggled to break free.

She almost succeeded. One of her captors toppled backward and fell onto the rock. The other could barely keep his hold on her wrist.

But the odds against her were overwhelming, and Mozzarella himself tipped the balance, yanking her head back while others held her, and sticking a vial of krypton into her left nostril.

Then, when she again went limp, they laid her on her belly on the rough rock and spread her arms and legs. The rock under her pelvis was slightly elevated, tilting her pudenda upward. The men secured her wrists and ankles with the shackles.

Dont all these restraints seem like overkill? Oscar Ungtjur asked.

I know my business, Mozzarella said sharply. Then one of the men handed him a wooden box. He opened it and took out a large, studded dildo. It was made of an almost translucent green material. He knelt, and as two men pulled the lips of her pussy apart, he shoved it in. Her body trembled.

Were not taking any chances, explained Mozzarella.

Whats that supposed to do, asked Louie, give her an orgasm til she breaks free or dies?

No, Louie, its supposed to keep her from breaking free, Mozzarella said, with a note of growing impatience. The device I inserted into her vagina is made of kryptonite, the substance Miss Toopermann was so skeptical about. It will be slowly absorbed by her body. Our technical people estimate it will last 17 years.

Heavy equipment had moved in. A layer of gravel was dumped over SG by truck.

Then came a layer of hot asphalt. Finally, a big roller smoothed out the new patch until it was level with the rest of the road.

SG was now bolted to bedrock beneath a foot of paving material.

Will she feel anything? Louie asked. Id like her to feel pain.

Youre quite a guy, said Mozzarella. A real credit to your family and your college. How the fuck do I know what shell feel? Kryptonite doesnt do a thing for me.

Id like to think shell be conscious, said Toopermann. At least part of the time. Im sure shell feel something when big trucks pass over her body, pressing that poisonous green phallus deeper inside her.

Perhaps so, said Mozzarella. I just hope she stays out of our way for 17 years.

Toopermann gave a sudden, cruel laugh.

Seventeen years, she said. I knew that sounded familiar! Little Sallie Gale has become a blonde cicada!

What the fucks a cicada? asked Louie.

A bug that lives most of its life underground, said his uncle. And emerges after 17 years to mate.

And to die, Toopermann added mirthfully.

Louie thought this over, then said, I hope Im around to accommodate her on both counts.

The laughing band dispersed to their cars, leaving only Mozzarella and his closest lieutenant, Guido, standing beside SGs temporary grave.

These college types are a strange, cold-hearted breed, said Guido.

Mozzarella lit a cigarette. Yeah. Were supposed to be the hardened criminals, but weve got nothin on them when it comes to sadism.

You went to college, didnt you, boss? asked Guido.

Yeah, for a few years during the Depression. It was a high-class college, too. I worked hard and got good grades, but they didnt want some wop from the wrong neighborhood in Metropolis on campus. I ended up in an altercation with an upperclassman. I broke his kneecaps, and that was the end of my adventures in the Groves of Academe.

Guido never understood his boss when he talked this way, so he decided to change the subject. Is that true, about this cunt staying underground for 17 years and then coming out looking for a fuck?

No, Guido, that was just a sour old dykes idea of a joke. But speaking of fucking, how was Miss Superslut last night?

Oh, we had a great time at the barn. We fucked her when she was out cold, and we fucked her even harder when she started to come to. For a while, she was conscious enough to give us blow jobs. And guess what, we got pictures. Frankie brought an 8-millimeter movie camera, and Dago Pete borrowed a Speed Graphic from a photographer at the local paper.

Mozzarella was delighted. Guido, he said, youre a goddam genius. Make an extra set of prints of the movie and the still shots. Im sending them on to Superman.

Geeze, boss, wont that just piss him off? Hell come down on us like a ton of bricks.

Mozzarella flicked his cigarette butt onto the fresh paving and snuffed out the embers with his shoe.

Not necessarily, Guido, he said. Superman might even be grateful.

I dont get it, boss.

Im not sure I get it, either, said Mozzarella. Call it my feminine intuition. He laughed and slapped the puzzled Guido on the back.

They walked away to their car, a sleek black Cadillac, leaving SG in a deep and dreamless sleep. In a few hours, heavy trucks would rumble along this farm-to-market road, bringing loads of livestock to the slaughterhouse just east of Lackanooka. THE END _________________________________________________________________ Join the worlds largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail. http://www.hotmail.com Part III

The meeting, organized via phone by Dean Toopermann and Oscar Ungtjur, was held that evening in the board room of the Lackanooka National Bank. The topic, of course, was what to do with Sallie Gale.

Though Toopermann and Ungtjur had only a nodding acquaintance and didnt particularly like one another, they recognized that they shared an urgent need to get rid of this troublesome young woman. Louies Uncle Smithson, the county commissioner, was there, too -- along with the police chief, the local circuit court judge and an emissary from Metropolis who owned a paving firm in Lackanooka. The firm had several country contracts and was useful in laundering money generated by less reputable business operations in the big city.

Lets get right to the point, said Ungtjur. This Sallie Gale, or whatever her name is, has created a difficult situation. Miss Toopermann has been reluctant to discuss her reasons for wanting to eliminate this problem, and I respect her wishes to keep whatever it is confidential. But let me be perfectly frank about myself. The young woman has injured my nephew Louie, physically, and has hurt his reputation. Louie's not a bad boy. Just a bit rambunctious.

She aint been good for my reputation and the reputation of my force either, said the police chief.

And I dont relish having to deal with the charges and countercharges arising from this afternoons fracas, said the judge. If I dont dismiss the laughable assertion that Miss Gale and her friend initiated the assault on your nephew and his buddies, I can forget about re-election -- no matter how much you and the bank invest in my campaign.

I understand, said Ungtjur. So we all have our reasons for wanting Miss Gale to disappear. The problem is, how do we go about it? The doctor in the emergency room says that the other girl, Estelle Baroque, suffered several broken bones and lost a few teeth, but our remarkable Miss Gale suffered no visible injuries. And X-rays showed no bone fractures. Yet Miss Gale was much more severely beaten.

He paused, momentarily flustered as he realized what his words suggested. Beaten as a result of her unprovoked attack on my nephew, of course.

Of course, said Toopermann, with a wry smile. I cant believe I find myself in the same camp as your nephew, Mr. Ungtjur, but war creates strange alliances, and this is war. Miss Gale is a formidable enemy. While she does not appear to have powers at anywhere near the level of Superman, I believe she was telling the truth when she said she was sent here by him. And I believe we cannot do her serious and permanent harm by the usual means. I can testify that what would kill a normal girl -- or even a normal very strong man -- is not going to work for her.

I think I know what will, said Silvio Mozzarella, the road contractor. He spoke quietly but with authority.

Miss Gale, as you call her, was not exaggerating when she said she has superhuman powers, he continued. We know her. Weve had unfortunate dealings with her in Metropolis. And we know that Superman sent her here.

To break up a minor drug ring? Toopermann asked skeptically.

To get her out of Metropolis, answered Mozzarella.

Why?

She was getting a lot of attention in the newspapers, Mozzarella said with a shrug. It makes sense that Superman was jealous. Shes just a kid, but she was putting almost as many of my associates behind bars as he was. And she pulled off some pretty spectacular rescues, like saving an entire village from that volcano in Nicaragua.

An intriguing theory, said Toopermann. Now, let me suggest another, based on my academic training in psychology and long years of watching interactions between men and women. I think Superman wanted to get this young woman far away from him because she presented a sexual temptation he found very difficult to resist. What I learned about Miss Gale during my evening of interrogation suggests that she is, quite simply, a nymphomaniac. And she has a predilection for situations in which she is powerless and vulnerable. I would not be surprised if she seduced Superman and was sent here as punishment.

Maybe so, said Ungtjur impatiently. But Im less interested in Superman and his motives than in how to get rid of this bitch. Pardon my French.

Toopermann chuckled. You think I dont use such language myself, Mr. Ungtjur? Yes, she is a bitch. She roughed up my sister this morning, in my very own house. But excuse me. I believe we interrupted Mr. Mozzarella and his thoughts on how to eliminate this bitch of a problem.

Yes, said Mozzarella. Well, eliminating her permanently -- killing her -- is beyond the capabilities of my organization, at least at the moment. But we know how to incapacitate her for a long, long while. And while shes out of commission, maybe we will develop the means of finishing her off -- her and Supreman.

"And what is this incapacitating agent? asked Ungtjur.

Kryptonite, answered Mozzarella.

Toopermann snorted derisively. You sound like a comic book villain, Mr. Mozzarella. My area of expertise is psychology, not chemistry. But Ive studied the physical sciences enough to know that krypton is an inert gas, and you cannot make a mineral out of something inert.

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 Ill 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. But in any event, well find her. And then Ill 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, hed need something for self-defense.

SG, meanwhile, had been released from the hospital and had moved back into the dorm. Miss McIllhenney, Marstons president, paid her a personal visit, to console her for the recent attack by the Lackanooka bullies -- and also to inquire delicately about Sallies 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 hadnt 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 dont want to pry, but Ive got to ask you something.

Sure, said SG.

How come you dont 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. Theres an explanation, but I just cant get into it right now. Im sorry. Everything will become clear in a few days, after Estelle gets out of the hospital. She didnt 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 couldnt 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. Ive got big news. It was Julia.

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

It cant 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 hes caused. He wants to apologize to you personally.

Its 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. She wouldnt 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: Im very sorry for beating you and Estella up. I shouldnt have picked on you two, since youre not nearly my size and besides you are girls. I want to apologize to you publicly. Please meet me at OMalleys this afternoon.

Julia, who had been reading over SGs shoulder, said, Great. Ill go with you.

Im not sure Im going, said SG.

Oh, youve got to. 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. Julias enthusiasm was hard to resist.

Okay, but I dont think you should go. It could be a set up, and you could get hurt.

Oh, no, said Julia, pleadingly. I really want to see this. Besides, you may need a witness.

SG smiled and stroked Julias cheek.

Youve been a good friend, she said.

Then, so suddenly that neither was fully aware of what was happening, they were in one anothers arms, kissing passionately. They fell into bed, and Julia began sucking SGs nipples. As they rolled over, Julia felt something hard. She paused in her lovemaking, reached under the covers and drew out the salami. SG blushed scarlet.

Oh, thats okay, Julia laughed. I hate salami. I mean I hate eating it. Fucking it is a much better idea. # # #

At 3:30, they dressed and set off for the malt shop. Julia seemed very nervous.

Maybe this isnt such a good idea after all, she said.

No, said SG, you were right to begin with. I ought to give the bastard a chance to admit what a shit hes been.

They walked on in silence.

Julia suddenly stopped and said, Sallie, whatever happens, I want you to know I love you.

SG held her hand and gave her a quick kiss on the mouth. I love you, too, but lets not get everyone thinking were lesbians.

At OMalleys the blinds had been lowered, which was unusual. SG was wary, but she opened the door with a show of confidence.

There was a small crowd, and she didnt see anyone she recognized -- except Louie. He was sitting at the counter, and when he turned to her she saw that he had a cast on his right arm from the elbow down. He smiled a sheepish grin.

Hi, Sallie. Hi, Julia. I wasnt sure youd show up.

Well, why not, said SG. Its not often that an asshole like you tries to do something decent.

Louie flushed but struggled to maintain a conciliatory tone.

Come sit by me, he said. I want to buy you a malt or a sundae, whatever you want. And Ive got a present for you, too.

SG glanced at the man behind the counter. It wasnt Tucker. This guy was older -- and tough looking. She looked at the others in the shop. There were eight or nine of them, all men, all older than Louies crowd, all unfamiliar.

Who are your friends? SG asked.

Uh, theyre from the police department and the prosecutors office. They want to watch me apologize.

So that was it, SG thought. Louie wasnt really sorry, he was just trying to avoid prosecution.

Whatll you have? Louie asked.

A chocolate malt with chocolate ice cream, said SG. How about you, Julia?

Julia was glancing nervously around the shop. Nothing, she said, almost in a whisper.

The man behind the counter started making a malt.

Louie reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small, gift-wrapped box.

Its for you, he said. Sort of to make up for me being so mean and all.

SG started unwrapping the package.

Its perfume, said Louie. I hope you like it.

She removed a small bottle made of frosted glass and held it up to the ceiling light.

It looks like theres nothing in it, she said.

Oh, yes there is, answered Louie. The lady at the perfume shop said youd love it. Its supposed to pack quite a wallop.

SG smiled grimly. Ive had enough walloping lately, she said.

Then she pulled out the stopper and sniffed. Her reaction was instantaneous and dramatic. She gasped and dropped the bottle. Her eyes widened. She tried to stand, but Louie clubbed her between the eyes with his cast and she fell backward, against the counter.

The man who had been pretending to make the malt was ready for her. He slipped a thin wire around her neck and pulled it tight with two wooden handles. Two other men rushed up and grabbed SGs wrists, so she couldnt relieve the pressure of the wire. Another pulled out a knife and stabbed at her exposed belly.

Oh, my god, Julia screamed. What have I done?

Silvio Mozzarella emerged from a back room. Shut up, he snapped. Heres your $500. Now scram. And keep your mouth shut if you want to live to spend it. He glanced at Louie. Youd better clear out, too. This is a job for professionals.

The men were crowded around SG, but she was putting up a fierce fight. The one who was trying to garrot her yelled at the others to hold her down.

Cant kill the bitch, he said, breathing heavily. This fucking wire should have taken her head off by now.

Shiv dont work, either, said the one with the knife.

Theres only one thing that works on this cunt, said Mozzarella. He pulled a vial of krypton from his pocket. Our friend Louie just gave her a whiff. Now were going to let her have a real dose. Hold her nose.

One man held her nose, and when she opened her mouth to breathe, Mozzarella stuck in the open end of the vial.

SG sucked in the gas and went limp.

Okay, take over to the equipment barn, said Mozzarella. Shell be out for at least eight hours. You boys can do whatever you want with her. Just remember to give her another dose around midnight and have her at the cut in Doberman Road by 7 oclock tomorrow morning.

After Mozzarella left, the men hauled the unconscious SG out the back door and loaded her into a panel truck. Two men got in with her, two others got into the cab, and a car followed.

Shes fucking amazing, said the man driving the car. I jabbed her as hard as I could and it didnt leave a mark.

You was using the wrong implement, said his partner. You was using a knife, in her belly. When we get to the barn, Ill show you the proper procedure. Whats she needs is a prick. In her pussy.

They laughed.

In the van, meanwhile, the two men with SG had gotten a head start. They fucked her ass and her pussy serially and simultaneously. They decided serially was easier and more fun. # # #

It was cool and blustery, and the sun was still low on the horizon when SGs nemeses gathered beside the big rectangular hole in Doberman Road. The surface had been stripped away, and even some of the bedrock beneath had been drilled, hammered and removed. What was left, nearly two feet below the surface of the surrounding road, was a 28-square-foot patch of jagged, corrugated rock.

Several in the small gathering were drinking steaming coffee from cardboard cups. They talked quietly, awaiting the guest of honor.

Soon, a panel truck pulled up. The driver and a passenger went around the back and opened the door. Two men inside were holding SG upright. She was naked, except for a steel collar around her neck, and her wrists were tied behind her. Her head lolled back and forth as the men handled her.

Well take her, said the driver.

Why bother? said one of the men holding SG. Step back. He and his companion gave SG a shove, and she fell with a thud face forward onto the road.

Time for farewells, said the driver, lifting her to her knees by a ring attached to her collar.

The little group gathered round her. Toopermann slipped a hand under SGs chin and lifted her head.

Are you awake, dear? she asked. What a shame, I do think shes unconscious and will miss the festivities.

I can take care of that, said Mozzarella. He stuck a small bottle under SGs nose and her eyes suddenly flickered open.

Its a powerful stimulant, he explained. Shell be conscious til we put her under.

Oscar Ungtjur reached out and brushed her hair from her face.

Shes quite beautiful. I can see why she got you so excited, Louie.

Louie grunted. I wish Id never met her, he muttered.

And Im sure that, by now, she sincerely wishes she had never met you, said the police chief.

Regina, who had held back when the others crowded around SG, now pushed her way forward. I hate you, she cried, kicking SG savagely in the groin. You seduced me.

Now, now, said Toopermann, gently pulling Regina away. She seduced so many of us, with her beauty and vulnerability. But the fact is, shes only a common little trollop, superpowers or no.

Okay, weve got a job to do, said Mozzarella, and if we keep this road closed too long, people are going to start wondering.

He gestured for all but the road crew to pull back. Then he nodded to his men. One cut the cords that held SGs wrists. Others moved in big power tools and drilled into the exposed rock. Within a few minutes, four strong steel bolts had been driven deep into the rock. To each bolt was attached a short length of chain and, at the end of the chain, a steel shackle.

Two men dragged SG to the edge of the cut in the road. She looked down, realized what awaited her, and struggled to break free.

She almost succeeded. One of her captors toppled backward and fell onto the rock. The other could barely keep his hold on her wrist.

But the odds against her were overwhelming, and Mozzarella himself tipped the balance, yanking her head back while others held her, and sticking a vial of krypton into her left nostril.

Then, when she again went limp, they laid her on her belly on the rough rock and spread her arms and legs. The rock under her pelvis was slightly elevated, tilting her pudenda upward. The men secured her wrists and ankles with the shackles.

Dont all these restraints seem like overkill? Oscar Ungtjur asked.

I know my business, Mozzarella said sharply. Then one of the men handed him a wooden box. He opened it and took out a large, studded dildo. It was made of an almost translucent green material. He knelt, and as two men pulled the lips of her pussy apart, he shoved it in. Her body trembled.

Were not taking any chances, explained Mozzarella.

Whats that supposed to do, asked Louie, give her an orgasm til she breaks free or dies?

No, Louie, its supposed to keep her from breaking free, Mozzarella said, with a note of growing impatience. The device I inserted into her vagina is made of kryptonite, the substance Miss Toopermann was so skeptical about. It will be slowly absorbed by her body. Our technical people estimate it will last 17 years.

Heavy equipment had moved in. A layer of gravel was dumped over SG by truck.

Then came a layer of hot asphalt. Finally, a big roller smoothed out the new patch until it was level with the rest of the road.

SG was now bolted to bedrock beneath a foot of paving material.

Will she feel anything? Louie asked. Id like her to feel pain.

Youre quite a guy, said Mozzarella. A real credit to your family and your college. How the fuck do I know what shell feel? Kryptonite doesnt do a thing for me.

Id like to think shell be conscious, said Toopermann. At least part of the time. Im sure shell feel something when big trucks pass over her body, pressing that poisonous green phallus deeper inside her.

Perhaps so, said Mozzarella. I just hope she stays out of our way for 17 years.

Toopermann gave a sudden, cruel laugh.

Seventeen years, she said. I knew that sounded familiar! Little Sallie Gale has become a blonde cicada!

What the fucks a cicada? asked Louie.

A bug that lives most of its life underground, said his uncle. And emerges after 17 years to mate.

And to die, Toopermann added mirthfully.

Louie thought this over, then said, I hope Im around to accommodate her on both counts.

The laughing band dispersed to their cars, leaving only Mozzarella and his closest lieutenant, Guido, standing beside SGs temporary grave.

These college types are a strange, cold-hearted breed, said Guido.

Mozzarella lit a cigarette. Yeah. Were supposed to be the hardened criminals, but weve got nothin on them when it comes to sadism.

You went to college, didnt you, boss? asked Guido.

Yeah, for a few years during the Depression. It was a high-class college, too. I worked hard and got good grades, but they didnt want some wop from the wrong neighborhood in Metropolis on campus. I ended up in an altercation with an upperclassman. I broke his kneecaps, and that was the end of my adventures in the Groves of Academe.

Guido never understood his boss when he talked this way, so he decided to change the subject. Is that true, about this cunt staying underground for 17 years and then coming out looking for a fuck?

No, Guido, that was just a sour old dykes idea of a joke. But speaking of fucking, how was Miss Superslut last night?

Oh, we had a great time at the barn. We fucked her when she was out cold, and we fucked her even harder when she started to come to. For a while, she was conscious enough to give us blow jobs. And guess what, we got pictures. Frankie brought an 8-millimeter movie camera, and Dago Pete borrowed a Speed Graphic from a photographer at the local paper.

Mozzarella was delighted. Guido, he said, youre a goddam genius. Make an extra set of prints of the movie and the still shots. Im sending them on to Superman.

Geeze, boss, wont that just piss him off? Hell come down on us like a ton of bricks.

Mozzarella flicked his cigarette butt onto the fresh paving and snuffed out the embers with his shoe.

Not necessarily, Guido, he said. Superman might even be grateful.

I dont get it, boss.

Im not sure I get it, either, said Mozzarella. Call it my feminine intuition. He laughed and slapped the puzzled Guido on the back.

They walked away to their car, a sleek black Cadillac, leaving SG in a deep and dreamless sleep. In a few hours, heavy trucks would rumble along this farm-to-market road, bringing loads of livestock to the slaughterhouse just east of Lackanooka.

THE END