"She's as mother hen about that machine as I am about my stock," Sarah Beth answered then picked up a rag to grab the handle of the coffee pot.  She saw Koschei didn't need a topping up and so poured herself some instead.  The heat of it came through the mug in her hand, some cheap giveaway from a company with a lot more Chinese lettering than common sense.  What was that pink octopus doing to that girl anyhow?<br/><br/>"Washer broke.  Again.  I gave it the boot, but not as good as you've done in the past.  Ari girl don't like that, but she forgave me and got it working again."  While she spoke Sarah Beth added milk-flavored protein powder and some sticky, raw brown sugar to her mug until it was as much sweetener and milk as coffee.  "I might have mentioned asking you to toss it out the airlock if it broke again and Ari girl there didn't cotton to my idea.  So, uh, that's why she was plotting against you.  Sorry, fella."