• Published 5th Jan 2017
  • 1,525 Views, 510 Comments

Age of Kings - A bag of plums



When King Sombra took over the Crystal Empire, one pony went into another world to seek help. Featuring the ancestors of the cast of Equestria Girls, this is the account of her quest in the human world.

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10 - Setting Up the Sheriff

After applying the paste into the bathtub, Emerald slowly lowered herself into the cold water, now turning to a murky green as the paste began dissolving. The smell grew stronger, giving Emerald pause to wonder just what was in it.

"Here goes nothing," the spymaster said out loud as she began washing herself. Adagio had said to think positive, so Emerald closed her eyes and thought, I'm going to be healed. Just need to have a bath, but everything's going to be great after!

As she lay there concentrating, eyes squeezed shut, Emerald completely missed the sight of the bathwater begin to glow, then froth and bubble, the little flecks of paste in the water darting about like tadpoles and sinking into her skin. The smell of iron faded completely, leaving the bathwater crystal clear.

She gave herself another four minutes before testing her leg, lifting it up and down, in and out of the water. Letting her surprise show completely on her face, Emerald noticed the pain was gone. She just couldn't believe it. The spymaster continued to bend it up and down and even stood up to walk around in the tub, sitting back down only when a few other humans began giving her odd looks.

Nothing. No pain!

Emerald would have whooped and cheered, but the continuous stares from the other patrons finally convinced her to dry herself off and leave.


"All set, my lady?" Sir Morn Dread asked as Emerald Edge and Spectrum Song joined him by the gates, horses already ready for them. "Pardon me for asking, but I thought I saw smoke coming from the Mages’ Tower a while ago. Was it perchance Secret Fire again?”

"You guessed it, Sir Morn." Emerald marveled at the fire mage's reputation. Even the knights knew of his... accidents.

“I rather like him, you know?” The knight swung himself up into the saddle with ease. “Generally harmless, so long as you keep him away from an open flame.”

"Sounds like an interesting fellow," Spectrum laughed as she got on Snowcharge.

"Emerald." Morn Dread reached a hand down to help the spymaster up. As she made herself comfortable on the saddle, Sir Morn sniffed the air before half-turning his head to her. "If I may say, Emerald Edge. You smell wonderful."

"Oh, well... Thank you, Sir Morn..." The spymaster hid her face behind his back as a blush began to creep along her cheeks.

Soon, they were off, galloping first to the Shetland Forest to find Posey before making their way to Trottingham. The pink haired archer had donned a voluminous dark cloak, covering all of her body, concealing her features with a matching hood. It would be unfortunate indeed if they were caught before they could even get inside the sheriff’s house.

The small town contained similar buildings to the Loft District, filled with stone structures, supported up with wooden beams. There was a main paved path going down the middle, splitting off into various directions culminating in a cobbled square that had been built around the town’s well.

"So this is Trottingham..." Emerald whispered as she looked around. "It's a lot smaller than I pictured."

"This is where we must make our move," Posey said as she slipped off Spectrum's horse, beckoning Emerald to follow. “Come. We will circle around while Sir Morn Dread and Spectrum head to the front.”

Emerald nodded and hopped off, her greaves clacking on the stony ground. "Good luck, Sir Morn."

"Thank you, my lady, but I shan't need it!" the knight smiled proudly. "I am a Knight of the Round Table!"

Emerald quickly kept up with Posey as they headed past the well, making their way past the common folk of the town before stopping against a house opposite what looked like the sheriff’s home. It was the same in terms of materials, but it was much taller and longer than all the other houses in town. Emerald Edge could only guess where he put some of that money to. Two guards with halberds stood at attention by the sheriff’s front doors, one of them eating an orange, while the other picked at his nose.

Absolutely shameful, Emerald frowned. The standards for becoming a guard must be much lower here.

Emerald and Posey watched as Sir Morn Dread and Spectrum Song rode their steeds forward before finally hopping off to meet the guards at the doors.

“Follow me,” the vigilante called with her fingers as she kept low and disappeared in a crowd of three other townsfolk gathering under the shelter of what looked like an inn, showing off their carrots and cabbages as they chatted.

Emerald immediately lost sight of Posey, but did as she asked, quickly disappearing into the same crowd as she pulled her gray hood over her head. After walking past a man holding a long carrot by its leaves, she caught sight of Posey looking back at her and beckoning her to follow before pushing past an elderly woman.

The spymaster followed, slowly and gently pushing past the crowds as they made their way around the back of the sheriff’s house. Emerald noticed Sir Morn Dread talking to one of the guards as Spectrum held onto the reins of both their horses.

“That way, Emerald.” Posey pointed to the side of the building. A balcony stuck out of the main structure on the second floor, with a door and two windows positioned under the shelter. “We can get in through there.”

Checking around one last time, Emerald watched in awe as Posey sprinted at the sheer wall before kicking off the ground and grabbing onto an uneven segment of brickwork and using her momentum to fling herself up and over the balcony. The archer landed in a crouch and beckoned for Emerald to follow.

“Show off,” Emerald grumbled, missing her wings. Rather less exuberantly, the former pegasus pulled herself up an adjacent window sill and then onto the balcony to join Posey, who had just finished packing up her lockpicking kit.

“Door’s open,” she whispered. “Once we go inside, we’ll have to find the book as quickly as we can. It’s a big place, but stay close.”

“What if something goes wrong out here?”

Posey winked slyly. “Don’t worry about that. Gabriel will tell me if there’s a change of plans.”

"Gabriel?" Emerald looked around in case there was a third member of their little break in that Posey had neglected to mention.

Posey pointed up to the sky. Following her finger, Emerald was able to barely make out a bird of some kind circling over the sheriff’s house.

“He’s a golden eagle, and one of my best friends.” Posey’s face lit up with a surprisingly cute smile. “We’ve been together for as long as I can remember, and he’s never let me down yet.”

Emerald looked back at the eagle, then at Posey.

“You speak eagle?” she deadpanned.

“Welllll… there’s more to it than that, but the long and short of it is, yes. Yes I do.”

Emerald merely bit back a sigh and pushed the balcony door open.

I don’t think I’ll ever get used to the way this world works.


Sir Morn Dread folded his arms as one of the guards returned inside to summon the sheriff. He returned a short while later with a gangly red headed man who Morn Dread immediately knew was the sheriff. Despite his unkempt beard and stained tunic, the newcomer exuded a certain aura of power and confidence that most noblemen seemed to possess. The knight licked his lips, the inside of his mouth suddenly sour. The sheriff also didn’t like him, and it didn’t take the irritated tone of voice that he spoke in for that to be made clear.

“Greetings, sir knight,” the Sheriff of Trottingham said in a pinched voice that brought images of rats to Morn Dread and Spectrum’s minds. “I must say I was not expecting a visit from someone of your… nobility today.” He wrung his hands nervously. “My man assured me it was a most urgent matter.”

“Indeed it is,” Morn Dread said, putting as much knightly valor into his words as he could.

“Really urgent,” Spectrum added as an aside.

The sheriff frowned at Spectrum. “Excuse me, squire, but I believe I was only here to speak with this knight. Leave the talking to the grown ups. Now, what is this urgent matter, sir knight?”

It was at that point that Morn Dread and Spectrum Song realized the fatal flaw of their plan. They had nothing to say to the sheriff that would qualify as ‘urgent’ at all. In fact, neither of them had anticipated actually getting this far. The knight’s face paled substantially, leaving it a chalky white.

“Just a moment...” Morn Dread held up a finger and huddled up next to Spectrum, turning their backs.

“What are we going to do?” the Knight of the Round Table hissed frantically.

“I don’t know!” Spectrum whispered back. “I thought you had a plan!”

“I thought you did!”

“Me? I’m just a squire! Don’t you knights have plans for like, everything?”

Becoming increasingly aware of the sheriff’s suspicious gaze, Morn Dread thought fast. “Then we shall make it up as we go. Come along.” Re-affixing confident grins on their faces, the pair walked back to the sheriff.

“Well?” he said expectantly. “I’m ready for your message.”

“Uhm… yes. The message. Of course.” Morn Dread said haltingly. “Your message. The message we were meant to give you. Right. I have it. Yes.” He made a show of patting himself down with his hands, as if looking for a scroll or sheet of parchment. “The message that is meant to now be within your possession. Certainly.”

The sheriff looked more and more skeptical as the knight lifted his boot to peek under it. “Are you sure you have it, sir knight?”

Immediately, Morn Dread was up in his face, leering imperiously at him. “Are you questioning the word of a Knight of the Round Table?” he said threateningly.

“No, no! Of course not, sir knight!” the sheriff let out a nervous chuckle.

Morn Dread backed off and smiled smugly. “Good. Now, squire!” Spectrum sprang to attention. “Search the saddlebags for the message! It must be in there.”

“Which one, Sir Morn?” Spectrum asked politely.

The knight grinned. “All of them.”

The Sheriff of Trottingham risked a glance over to the horses, which were laden from head to fetlock with packs and bags. He sighed. It was going to be one of those days.


The first room they encountered set the tone for the rest of the sheriff’s house. Rich, plush carpets lined the floor, each one tastefully chosen to match the elegantly carved furniture. A woman in brown rags stood to a corner, polishing a side table with an old cloth, too busy humming to herself to notice the two intruders.

Emerald and Posey kept low and moved as silently as they could. Soon, they found themselves in the second room, containing a treasure trove of all kinds of books and paintings.

“Try looking here,” Posey suggested as she silently darted off to a table containing dozens of scrolls and papers.

Emerald decided to check the bookshelves, thinking that a man like the Sheriff of Trottingham wasn’t smart enough to hide his ledger in a good spot.

There were all kinds of reading material, most about money, some about hunting, and some kind of self-help book about how to earn praise from royalty. In the end, the shelves held nothing about the sheriff’s personal finances.

“Nothing here,” Emerald whispered to her vigilante friend. “Any luck?”

Posey walked over with a small iron-bound wooden box with a heavy lock in the front. “I found this. Do you think this is it?”

“Could be,” Emerald rattled the lock, but it was closed securely. “How are we going to get it open?”

“This lock’s too complex for me to pick,” Posey chewed the inside of her cheek thoughtfully. “But I think I might have an idea. Come on, Emerald. We need to find the sheriff’s fireplace.”

“Fireplace?” Emerald wore a confused face. “Are we going to melt the box? What if we burn the ledger as well?”

Posey pushed open the door to the rest of the house and kept low, motioning for Emerald to do the same. “We’re not going there for the fire. We just need one of the pokers.”

“Pokers?” Then the spymaster got a picture of the plan in her head. “You’re planning to pick the lock? With a poker? Will it fit? All my years of stealth and recon, I’ve never used a poker to open a lock.”

“No, no,” Posey peered around a corner before creeping to a nearby door and trying it. “I’m- watch out!

Emerald ducked behind a dresser just as an elderly woman came into view, a bristle-haired brush and bucket of soapy water in hand. She stopped in the hallway and knelt down to scrub at the floorboards.

“Well…” Emerald continued to watch the woman and kept her voice low. “What now? A distraction? Maybe if I can get to the other side of the room I can make some noise while you get to the fireplace.”

She looked over to Posey, but there was no one there any more. Emerald peeked back into the hallway just in time to see Posey take a running start toward the old woman, her soft shoes keeping her footfalls silent. Emerald’s jaw dropped as Posey leapt over the cleaning lady completely, grappling onto one of the exposed rafters and pulling herself up out of sight.

Even I can’t do that… Emerald leaned back against the dresser, keeping out of the woman’s sight, still holding the metal box in her hands. Guess I’ll just have to wait for Posey here.


"I quite like your boots, sheriff." Morn Dread pointed to the man's brown leather footwear. "Where did you acquire them from, may I ask?"

The Sheriff of Trottingham suddenly looked very proud, sticking out a foot for the knight and squire to see. "They are a sight indeed, sir knight. I bought them from the local cobbler for a low price."

“What are they made of?” Spectrum asked, receiving yet another glare from the plump man. “Pigs?”

“Squire, we are having a conversation here,” he scowled at her before returning a smile to Sir Morn. “Where were we? Oh yes. My boots are made of pigs, sir knight. High quality leather."

“Hmm, that is good news,” Morn Dread said sagely. “Nothing like pigskin for boots, I always say. You truly are a wise sheriff.”

“Why thank you, sir knight,” he grinned proudly. “I have always thought myself so. Now, anyway, I mean no disrespect, but I am a busy man and I need to get back to… to work.”

“Uh, well…” Sir Morn quickly cycled through his mind for something to say. “Wait, good sheriff. How about inspecting my armor?”

The sheriff sighed, but did as he was bid. At the same time, Morn Dread caught sight of something moving on the sheriff’s house. The knight tried very hard to keep his face neutral as the house’s owner leaned in for a better look at Morn Dread’s brightly polished breastplate. To the knight’s horror, he realized that the armor would act as a mirror, and he deftly took a step back and turned to the side.

“That’s close enough, sheriff,” Morn Dread blurted, almost a little too fast.

“Yeah, sheriff,” Spectrum added in, trying to help in his conversation. “You don’t want to get your spit on a knight’s armor.”

“Squire.” The sheriff squinted at Spectrum. “Speak when you are spoken to! And yes, sir knight. You are right. I shouldn’t be too close. I apologize. You armor is well polished. Very well polished.”

“No harm done, sheriff,” Morn Dread said in what he hoped was a calm tone of voice. “Just tell me, what do you think is the best kind of… food, for a day like this?”

“Food?” The Sheriff of Trottingham’s eyes popped out with exasperation. “Are you serious?”

“Deathly serious,” Morn Dread said grimly, stroking his chin and taking the opportunity to look at the sheriff’s house. Thankfully, Posey was now nowhere in sight. Hopefully she and Emerald would be done soon; he was fast running out of things to talk about that wouldn’t make him look like a loon.


Emerald continued to sit behind the dresser, waiting for her friend to return. It had been a while since the pink haired, bird-talking vigilante disappeared out the window, but Emerald didn’t doubt Posey’s skills. She was probably fine, trying to get into the room with the fireplace from the outside.

The spymaster continued to watch the old woman as she moved to clean the sheriff’s walls. Judging by her attire, she didn’t get paid much, though Emerald doubted she was treated with proper respect as well. Seeing as the woman had her back to her now, Emerald got up and slowly crept across to the next room, moving as quietly as she could. Her metal greaves couldn’t help but thud against the wooden floor, but thankfully, the woman’s scrubbing was much louder than Emerald’s footsteps, allowing her to tiptoe into the next room without incident.

Emerald noticed the fireplace along the wall away from the windows, along with another row of bookshelves under the windows themselves. The sheriff must be a knowledgeable man to have so many books in his house. Either that, or it was just to keep up a good appearance for the man, which Emerald highly suspected.

On the other hand, Posey was nowhere in sight. While she waited, Emerald headed to the fireplace to look for a poker, finding a handful in a tray next to the fireplace. The spymaster picked one up and noticed how worn out they all were; the sheriff probably used the fireplace frequently.

“Oh good...” Posey sidled back next to Emerald, startling the spymaster for a split second. “You found one.”

“Yeah… So, what’s the plan for this thing?”

Posey gave a peek around the corner, making sure they were alone. Then she took the poker and, with Emerald still holding the box, jammed it point first into the lock with a clunk.

“I thought you said you couldn’t pick it?” Emerald said.

“I’m not picking it,” Posey whispered. Gesturing at the former pegasus, the archer motioned for Emerald to set the box down on the floor.

Then, with the poker still sticking out of the lock, Posey leapt up into the air and came down on the poker, breaking the lock completely off the chest with a deafening snap and sending the tip of the poker flying into the windowpane, cracking the glass.


“What was that?” The sheriff held up his hand part way through a discussion about quill and ink and cocked his head to the side. “I thought I heard something from inside my house.”

“Really, sheriff?” Morn Dread cupped an armored hand to his ear and looked to the sky. “I didn’t. Might’ve been your imagination. Did you hear anything, squire?”

“No, sir.” Spectrum carefully avoided looking at the window, where she could see Posey and Emerald ducking just under the windowsill. “I think it came from the well, sheriff.”

The Sheriff of Trottingham narrowed his eyes at the young squire again and pursed his lips. “Do not speak such nonsense to me, squire. The sound was like the cracking of glass. There is no glass in the well.”

Spectrum shrugged and went back to rummaging through the horses’ saddlebags.


“What the hay was that?” Emerald Edge hissed, retrieving the poker tip from the cracked window. “I thought you said we had to be quiet!”

Posey blushed and began unconsciously playing with her bandanna. “Well… you see… sorry. We got it open… right?” She gave Emerald a sheepish smile. For a second, she didn’t look like the vigilante she was.

Emerald sighed, but chose to ignore it. “It’s fine. Right, we got his chest open. Now let’s see what he’s got in there…”

She bent down and retrieved a leather bound book from within the splintered box, brushing flecks of wood and dust off its surface.

“Is this it?” Emerald asked, passing the book to Posey, who thumbed through it, her face lightening up with each page she turned.

“This is it!” she exclaimed, then caught herself. “This is it,” Posey said in a quieter voice. “This is the Sheriff of Trottingham’s ledger. We did it, Emerald! And judging by this, he’s got a lot to answer for.”

Emerald smiled, but said, “Not yet. We celebrate when the sheriff is behind bars, and we’re not still crouching in his house.”

Posey nodded. “Good idea. Let’s go. I want to see the look on the sheriff’s face when he realizes he’s been fingered.”

“Fingered?” Emerald asked.

“Y’know,” Posey tucked the book into her tunic. “Nicked.”

“Oh, you mean caught,” Emerald said with realization. She wiggled her fingers. “What’s that got to do with these, though?”

“I… It’s just a figure of speech,” Posey said quietly.


“Hungry, you say, sir knight…?” the sheriff pondered for a second. “Well, I do like a bit of lamb with potatoes when I’ve been out in this weather all day.”

“Is that boiled or baked potatoes?” Morn Dread prompted, feeling a line of sweat roll down the back of his neck. Come on, Emerald…

“Boiled, sir knight. With a tinge of garlic added.” The sheriff involuntary licked at his lips at the picture that formed in his mind.

“And what about the lamb? What kind of spices do you put on it, and how long do you cook it for?”

“Of that, I am unsure, good sir knight. You see, I have my cook do it all for me. Though I know she adds pepper and sage to it.”

“I could go for some lamb now, Sir Morn,” Spectrum rubbed at her tummy. “Perhaps you know a good place?” she nudged the knight in his armored thigh. “If you know what I mean.”

Morn Dread looked confused for a while, but quickly returned his face to a neutral state with a large smile on his mouth. “Ah, yes, squire. Sheriff, you are a well learned man. Tell me, where can we find the best food in Trottingham?”

The Sheriff of Trottingham sighed again and began anxiously tapping his foot. “Well, sir knight, if you really must know, the inn provides excellent food for the hungry travelers. Do help yourself. In the meantime…” the sheriff began to turn back to his house. “I have some business to take care of.”

Morn Dread speedily glanced up at the cracked window and acted on impulse. He reached out a hand and pulled the sheriff’s shoulder, turning his back to the house. “Wait, good sheriff!”

The red headed man raised an eyebrow, but did as the knight said. “Yes, sir knight. What can I do for you now?”

The blue-purple haired knight opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

“I am sorry, good sir knight, but I am a busy man. If you’ll excuse me. I have duties to attend to as the Sheriff of Trottingham.”

“Wait, sheriff!” Spectrum quickly cut in. “What Sir Morn wanted to ask you was how you keep this little town safe. Right, sir?”

“Umm, uh, yes! Why yes!” Morn swept a hand behind his back and gave the female squire a thumbs up. “That is exactly what I wanted to ask you, good sheriff! What measures are you taking to keep your town safe from danger?”

“Well…” the man said almost unexcitedly. He waved a hand across the town square. “As you can see, I have guards posted at every entrance.”

Sir Morn looked to the only entrance of the town, slightly shaking his head as he watched the two guards lazily perform their duty. One of them looked like he was asleep over his spear. The two in front of the sheriff’s house looked no better, seeing as one of them was digging orange skin from his teeth.

This did not please the knight. Not one bit.

“And where did you get these guards, may I ask, sheriff?” he said, holding back his anger.

“Why the local bar, sir knight. Chose them myself.”

“And are you sure they are capable protectors of Trottingham?”

“They may not look like it, but they are vigilant men,” the sheriff said as he tweaked at the corner of his red moustache. “Nothing gets in and out of this town without me knowing of it.”

Nothing, hmm?

Morn Dread looked over the sheriff in the corner of his eye, watching out for anymore movement in the man’s house.

Come on, Emerald. I know you can do this. Just… Work a little faster if you could help it. I’m running out of sensible options…


Emerald Edge watched as Posey peeked her head around the corner, checking if the cleaning lady was still around. The turquoise haired spymaster thought that the sound of the window cracking would surely have gotten her attention, but it seemed the woman was much older than she had first thought.

They found her cleaning the sheriff’s table, rearranging his books and boxes, making sure everything was in tip-top shape. Emerald could tell that she wasn’t having an easy time cleaning up the sheriff’s mess. There was barely any space on his desk in the first place.

Just hold on a little while more, miss. We’ll get this all straightened out and you’ll have a new sheriff here in no time.

Posey brought both of them back out through the balcony door, free from the dreadful Sheriff of Trottingham’s house at last. Posey placed two fingers in her mouth and blew, creating three short shrill sounds that Emerald thought sounded like a bird.

Without warning, a brown shape darted past the spymaster’s face, startling her into a combat stance; she relaxed after finding out it was only Posey’s eagle.

“Is it all fine, Gabriel?” the pink haired archer asked her animal friend, who was perched on her left arm. Right in front of Emerald’s eyes, whether she believed it or not, Gabriel turned his head to the side and nodded, lifting his beak slightly. “Great. He says it’s clear. Sir Morn Dread still has their attention. Gabriel’s taken a liking to the knight.”

“He’s got good taste,” Emerald smiled. The knight really was the nicest person she had met since her first day here. If she wasn’t in such a hurry to get back to her world…

“Come on,” Posey slightly pushed her. “Let’s get to your knight and squire before they run out of things to say.”


“I doubt these men know the difference between a spear and a staff, sheriff,” Sir Morn Dread told the red headed man. “I mean no disrespect, but they hardly seem legitimate for guard duty.”

“I assure you again, good sir knight. They are.” The Sheriff of Trottingham rubbed his hands together. “Bandits attacked us once. My guards held them off while the townsfolk retreated to the safety of their homes. Nothing gets in without my knowledge.”

Morn looked to Spectrum and raised an eyebrow. He’s about to get one big surprise isn’t he?

All this time talking, Morn’s mouth had been filled with a sour taste, something he didn’t particularly like, but suddenly, something sweet began to take its place, refreshing the man a little.

The knight returned his attention to the sheriff, only to notice two people approaching him from behind. Here we go…

He slightly nodded to Emerald, checking first if they found what they were looking for. The spymaster answered with a nod of her own, followed by a smirk.

“Actually, sheriff, I finally remembered what I came here to tell you.”

The sheriff’s face suddenly beamed brightly. “Oh, that is wonderful news, sir knight. Do tell.”

Morn Dread placed an armored hand firmly on the pommel of his blade, Clarent. “You’re under arrest.”


Emerald Edge watched as the Sheriff of Trottingham was pushed into a carriage, all the while screaming that he was innocent and that he had never done such things in his life. The rest of the town, however, didn’t buy it.

As soon as the horse drawn carriage left, the town burst into celebration, glad that the tyranny of the sheriff was finally over.

“They couldn’t have done it without you, Posey,” Emerald clapped the archer on the back. “You’ve saved them.”

“Aw,” Posey blushed and kicked at the ground. “It wasn’t all just me… I have you, Sir Morn Dread, and Spectrum Song to thank. Without you three, I would never have done this.”

Her pet eagle, Gabriel, gave a squawk before nuzzling his head against the back of her hand.

“Of course I won’t forget you, Gabriel,” Posey smiled and petted his head.

“You’ve done well, Posey,” Sir Morn walked over and smiled. “You have a kind heart. Even when you didn’t have the authority to help them, you went behind our backs to make sure these people survived. You did very well.”

“And now, they’re free!” Spectrum Song cheered, jumping up and kicking her feet together. “No more nasty sheriff! I hated that guy.”

“Yes,” Posey nodded and looked at the happy villagers. “And I’m going to make sure they’ll be forever free from the clutches of bad people. I shall do what I can to protect these forests, and this town.

“And I shall honor our agreement, Emerald Edge. The reward for exposing the sheriff’s wrongdoings shall be yours. It’s time you continue your journey to save your empire.”

“Thank you, Posey.” Emerald placed a hand on her chest and bowed. “And thank you, Sir Morn and Spectrum, for stalling. I’m sure it was no easy task.”

Morn Dread let out a small chuckle and folded his arms. “You have no idea, my lady. You have no idea.”


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