Molly tapped the screen on her tablet, her thumb pausing on the live-feed icon labeled *'Pancake Mountain: The Exclusion Zone.'* "I am still saying the clown suit is a terrible idea," Bill grumbled, adjusting the oversized sunglasses he wore indoors. "Do you know how many clowns we’ve taken down? High-wheels, tears of joy, the whole bit. It’s fatal territory. My nose is not a self-defense weapon." "That’s because you’re clumsy," Molly said, not looking up. "You trip on the big shoes and land on your face. I will wear the oversized shoes. I will balance like a gazelle. Just trust the artistic direction on this one. It’s a wedge of perfection." "I am the muscle, not the costume. The shoes will weigh twenty pounds. My ankles are made of jelly, not steel." "Then you carry the loot bucket. It’s aerodynamic. See? We’re on the same page, just with different shoe sizes." "About the loot, though, I did some reconnaissance on the neighborhood chat app," Bill said, crossing his arms. "The baby shark birthday is huge." "Focus, Bill. Baby shark is noise. Noise brings guards. I want the remote control dune buggy." "The Simpson kid is getting the dune buggy. That’s going to be a lot of noise." "That’s why I plan to drive it away slowly. Park it in my garage and sell it to the neighbor. Score. And the plush unicorn?" "Don't forget the unicorn. We need to diversify our portfolio. Not all gifts are mechanical, Molly. Sometimes we need magic." "Not after the craft table," Molly snapped, sliding a holographic map across the table. "That’s where the glue and glitter goes. We’re not getting glitter on the carpet. If we ruin their house, they call the police and we go to the No-Fun-Zone." "We can vacuum it up. Or maybe just leave a trail of glitter so we can find our way back." "It’s supposed to be a crime of silence, Bill. A ghost in the machine. Now, the plan is the ventilation grate behind the pinata. Which I rigged to look like a giant worm." "A worm? That sounds delicious." "It’s a disguise! Get your mind out of the gutter. Suit up. We have thirty minutes before the relatives arrive for tea and force fed pizza slices." "Tea time. Perfect. Does that mean I can have a scone?" "No scone. Only loot."