"Mick! Why would you be afraid of a wedding?"
Loneshark smiled sheepishly and explained, "I have a terrifying premonition Clint would see me and Jasmine standing under the dome and suddenly suggest that while we're all gathered there anyway why not make it a double ceremony?" Shirley burst into laughter. Mick gave her a wink as he rose and strode out the doorway.
Mick and Clint arrived at the cabin with their purchased supplies and began preparing the planned dinner. At six-thirty Indigence asked the detective to go pick up their guests and tossed his car keys to Loneshark. The three men arrived at the specified time and entered the cabin. Mop and Bufford stared around the living room and simultaneously asked Clint, "Have you read all these books?"
Mr. Indigence gave Mick a wink and gestured for him to provide the standard reply. "Some of them many times," Loneshark responded lightheartedly. The four men chuckled.
"Do you mind if I browse a bit?" Mr. Sweeper inquired politely.
"Not at all," Clint answered immediately. "If you find any books that look interesting, you're welcome to take them with you. Of course, that goes for you, too, Mr. Vice President."
"Now, now, we're going to be working together, so let's dispense with titles. I'm Bufford, and this is my long-time friend Mop."
Clint and Mick led Bufford to the kitchen, leaving Mr. Sweeper to look over the library. After a short interval, they called Mop to join them at the table. "You have an impressive number of black authors in your collection," Mop said to Clint with a tone of approval.
"Do I?"
Sweeper nodded. "I noticed Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, James Alan McPherson, Zora Neale Hurston, Ralph Ellison, and quite a few others."
"Let's see," Clint began, "If I remember correctly, the five authors you mentioned won a Nobel, three Pulitzers, and a National Book Award, respectively."
"You have them mixed with all the other books," Mr. Sweeper stated, as if surprised.
"I . . ." Clint started but then looked at Mop quizzically before asking, "Do you mean I don't have them segregated?"
"I do! I mean it's not like you have a token section of African-American authors to make your library look liberal and well-rounded."
"Mr. Sweeper – "
"Mop."
"Mop, I've read thousands of books in my lifetime. All of them had one thing in common."
"And that was?"
"Every printed page was in black and white." Mop beamed.
