Luke blinks and and then out comes a bunch a questions, 's that why you left 'em? What'd you have to pay?Sorry. You don't have to say, 's just curious. Seems like you folks'd do well tell your manager he don't know what he's up to, putting you down somewhere and not picking back up. He seems to realize after that he's asking some rather personal n' sensitive questions cuz he gets all embarrassed, runnin' a hand up into his hair.

Johnny jumps a bit when I slam the glass down but he gives me a sympathetic look an' says, They're tied up with the Tower, ain't they?

I give him a surprised an' grateful look. He gets it. Johnny gets it an' Luke don't. I don't know how John knows that but it's enough that somebody does.

"Yeah. They are." I turn to Luke, "You can't just do that. Not to Management...." I can feel my voice sinking to a shocked whisper at the thought of something telling off Management for what they done. "I--They ain't---Look, I can't really talk 'bout Management, not really. you guys ain't carnies an' never were."

I look at my empty glass and their partial ones. "um...lemme buy the next round? when you guys're ready?"