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“No offense, Miss beep‑boop‑bop,” Benny said. Leeta’s features twitched—barely—but she held her unamused composure as he continued. “But I have the best eyes, so I’m suited for this.”
Leeta burst into laughter.
Benny stared, bewildered.
“Best eyes, huh? And how come you can’t see how downright rancid you look?” she said, dripping condescension.
Benny looked ready to explode; the cigar in his mouth crumpled in half and dropped into the sand.
“Yeah, you’re suited… to sit this one out,” Leeta said. “Besides, I was blessed from birth with the keenest of eyes, so I’m well equipped for this.” She wore a smug, conceited smile.
Benny glared. “Keenest? How so? You’re way past your prime and about to go blind any minute now.”
“What part of ‘blessed from birth’ did you not get? You’re calling me old, yet you’re the one with hearing problems. Pftt.” Leeta flicked her hand dismissively.
Benny was about to erupt when the speakers above crackled. Both of them snapped their heads upward.
“ATTENTION! ALL RACERS! GET YOUR VEHICLES TO THE STARTING LINE! THE EGG HUNTER RACE IS ABOUT TO COMMENCE!”
The speakers cut off.
When Benny lowered his head, Leeta was already heading for her vehicle. He scrambled toward his own. Behind him, her engine roared to life. He climbed into his car and tried to start the engine, but it sputtered stubbornly.
He looked up at the sound of tires tearing through sand; the spray of grit kicked into the air, a distant silhouette of a car getting farther and farther away.
“Damnit!” Benny shouted.
“Language!” Oog‑Oog hollered as he drove past.
Benny groaned irritably.
He tried the ignition again. More sputtering. More cars passed him. Finally, he leaned over the windshield and gave the hood one solid bang. The sputtering smoothed into a steady hum.
“Alright!” Benny said.
He shot forward, trying to catch up. A giant crab suddenly popped out of the sand; Benny narrowly dodged it, slammed the horn, and cursed the crustacean out.
He kept driving, eyes narrowed in seething determination. “Sit this one out? Nope. I’m sitting this one in. I’ll show that crone.”