Evelyn sighed.
"No, you are right. Whatever we look like now, we are still human inside. We have an obligation to help others of our species. Our friends, our family - we can't let Mary Lou wipe them out. We need to warn someone, a human who can help, " said Evelyn.
"Great! I know just the person. But we need to go right now, " said Adam, as he took Evelyn's hand. The ran together through the sewer canals.
As they rounded a corner, they ran into a group of gator-men, armed with sharp spears.
"Not so fast, " said the largest one. "Someone wants to have a word with you two."
Evelyn looked to Adam in panic, hoping for some idea on what to do now. But he simply ducked his head down. Adam was pretty big, even larger than most of the alligator men. He could probably take down two or maybe even all three of them. But he couldn't fight them and protect Evelyn at the same time. And it didn't make a difference anyway. Someone in the Resistance had betrayed them, and Mary Lou was sure to have all the exits well guarded by now. He held up his hands, allowing them to be bound tightly with rope, and indicated for Evelyn to do the same.
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Mary Lou lounged on her throne, one leg draped across an arm rest. Her eyes lit up when she saw the pair enter her chamber.
"Well, well. What have we here? My good 'friends', " said Mary Lou sarcastically.
"Mary Lou, I can explain... " began Adam.
Mary Lou held up a claw, and stopped him midsentence. "Save it! I know all about your little group, and their foolish plans, " said Mary Lou. She jumped up and walked over to Adam. "What's the matter with you? Didn't I make you happy? Didn't I provide you with food and shelter? Haven't I been good to you?"
The gator people gathered around her throne room grunted in approval.
"That's not it, " said Evelyn angrily. "You keep us trapped down here like we are your prisoners. You were going to harm people, people we care about. Our people......"
"YOUR people?" hissed Mary Lou, as she glared at Evelyn.
"YOUR people? You mean the humans? You are no longer one of them. We are your people now, " said Mary Lou, as she swept her hands across the room of gator people. "And you would betray your own kind to them - the monsters who would cage use, torture us, feed on us, enslave use and treat our young like pets. This is war, and we cannot suffer a traitor in our midst."
The gator people murmured their agreement.
"You are mad, " said Evelyn. "I don't know if it's the chemicals in the shampoo, or if the power of being in charge has gone to your head, but you are stark raving mad. Hell, maybe you were always crazy. The humans mean us no harm. More then half of us used to be human. But you want to go to war with them? Do you know what kind of death and destruction that will bring upon us? Upon both of our species? The misery that lies ahead if we follow that path? "
Evelyn looked pleadingly to the crowd of gator people. "Listen to me. It's not too late. You don't have to listen to her. We have a good thing here. And we can make it even better. We just have to meet peaceably with the humans, and make some sort of agreement. And get rid of her, " said Evelyn, nodding towards Mary Lou.
"Down with the tyrant! Down with Mary Lou! Down with the tyrant, " Evelyn began to chant.
One of the gator men jabbed Evelyn in the gut with the end of his spear, causing her to fall to her knees. Adam angrily hissed and snapped at the guard. Then he helped Evelyn to her feet, and gave her a warm comforting embrace.
Mary Lou smiled, and plopped back down into her throne. "Ah, I see the problem now. A young fool in love, led astray by his lover. Well, now what can I do to fix that."
Mary Lou pulled a small object out from below her throne, and began to tap it against her chin as she stared at Adam and Evelyn deep in thought. "You know, I had planned to let you go. After the revolution against the humans had begun, of course. But still ... I wouldn't have made you fight against your will. I was perfectly happy to let you go about your merry way, living like lovesick fools in some far away swamp. You could have had it all, if you had just been patient and waited. But now ... well, you have forced my hand, and some kind of correction is in order. But, what to do, what to do?"
With rising horror, Adam and Evelyn realized that the object in Mary Lou's hand was another of the cursed indigo shampoo bottles. Mary Lou followed their eyes to her hands, and pretended to be surprised to find the shampoo bottle there.
"Oh, I know. Something that will make you a little more manageable. A little experiment I have been pondering, " said Mary Lou.
"Go bring it out! " shouted Mary Lou to the guards. Some of the gator men disappeared through a dark hallway. Adam and Evelyn heard the sounds of a struggle, and the grating sound of something being dragged along the ground. They both feared what Mary Lou was calling forth, and what she had planned for it.