Warning: Be prepared for a swashbuckling good time!
It was almost noon. The campus sidewalks were crowded with scurrying students. Sally walked briskly, her blonde ponytail,
bobbing as she walked. Her classes were through for the day and she was going to meet one of her roommates for lunch. She
loved having Friday afternoons off.
Up ahead she heard some commotion. A bespectacled student was being taunted by a group of older guys. No doubt the frat
boys were up to their old tricks again, picking on the brainy students who wouldn't do their assignments for them. The younger
one's books and papers scattered on the ground as the bullies knocked him around, finally pushing him to the sidewalk.
"Hey," she yelled, as she got closer. "Aren't you guys already in enough trouble for the graffiti on the Chem. Building?"
Earlier that semester the same group of boys had been reprimanded by the city police for spray-painting their Greek letters
onto Johnson Hall. Sally was sure they were still on probation.
"Shut up! This ain't any of your business, girl!" said the ringleader, Jake Rivers. With his short dark hair spiked and
his nostrils flared, he gave her a menacing look. She had admitted he was cute, but his stupidity, arrogance and abusive behavior
were enough to make her gag. "Go on and get out of here!" he continued. "If I were you I wouldn't stay unless I wanted to
get some serious ass whoopin'."
The guy on the ground looked up at her. He too had light brown hair, but it was askew and wild. His gray eyes looked
up at her with concern through wire frame glasses. He was dressed nicely in a button down shirt and slacks.
She reached
into her jacket and pulled out a cell phone.
"What's the number for 911 again?" she asked the group mockingly. "Oh, silly me," she rolled her eyes. "I have it on
speed dial." She pushed a button and a beep sounded. Sally held the phone to her ear.
The mischievous boys looked at her each other then turned to run as she talked to her phone. "Hello? Yes, I'd like to
report a crime that is currently taking place."
As the boys got out of sight, she turned the phone off and turned to the guy sitting in the dirt. She held out her hand
and helped him up. They picked up the papers.
"Thanks a lot," he said shyly. He ran his fingers through his hair trying to straighten it a bit.
Sally got up and handed him the stack of papers she had collected. "No problem. They're just a bunch of jerks." She started
to walk off.
"Wait, shouldn't we wait for the police to arrive?"
"Oh, the police would have never caught them anyway. I bet they're on the other side of campus by now, making up alibis.
Besides, I didn't really call them. I just called 'Time and Temp.'"
The guy smiled and shook his head. "What's your name?" he asked as they headed toward the cafeteria.
"My name's Sally. And you?"
"Daniel."
"Are you headed to the cafeteria?"
"No, I have to get to class." He turned to change directions at the sidewalk intersection. But then he turned back toward
her. "Maybe I'll see you later?"
Sally smiled. "Sure, see you later," she replied as she gave a little wave. Then she continued on her way.
- - -
- - - - - - - -
"Was he cute?" The longhaired brunette asked. Her giddy smile could not be hidden.
Sally stared at her roommate. "Kinda," she smiled to herself. "He was kinda cute." She could feel the heat in her cheeks.
Tonya shook her head. "Why do you get to meet a guy? It's not fair."
Sally rolled her eyes. "Are you ready to go?" They picked up their trays and headed for the door.
- - - - - - - -
They headed for their house in the mid afternoon sun. It was only a few blocks away from campus, but their house was
on the edge of town. Hardly anyone went past it unless they were lost or part of a dare. The house just happened to be a large
mansion, willed to Tonya through her Great Uncle Bob MacMickle, because there was no way five college girls could afford anything
so large or extravagant. It was easy to see why the town's people thought the house was haunted. At the street entrance there
was a large iron gate that threatened trespassers. To enhance the threat the girls posted a sign on the strong stone pillars
that help the gate. It read:
Trespassers will be shot. Survivors will be shot again.
Beyond the gates everything was dead. The grass was shriveled and brown. The bushes and trees were bare and gray. However,
after walking down the long winding driveway, within one hundred yards surrounding the massive house itself the lush vegetation
was a vibrant green and blossomed.
The two girls finished their long walk and climbed the few steps to the huge front doors. They entered into a grand entryway
with a shimmering chandelier.
"We're back!" called out Tonya.
Poopsie came around the corner. "'Bout time. We've been waiting."
"We decided to eat lunch in the cafeteria today. Sorry." explained Sally.
Tonya blurted out, "Sally met a guy today!"
Poopsie looked at Sally with enlarged eyes, "Yeah?"
"His name is Daniel. I saved him from that frat gang. It's nothing."
Jed came running down the stairs with her curly hair bouncing. "Did I hear someone say 'met a guy'? Who? What? Where?
Is he cute?"
Sally rolled her eyes and refused to tell anything until Dee had also arrived, so as not to have to repeat herself.
-
- - - - - - - -
After long discussions about their day, the five girls headed for the basement. Tonya pulled back the unicorn tapestry
while Dee reached up and twisted the antler on the deer head. The wall behind the tapestry opened to reveal a pathway leading
down with many wide steps.
"We should put in an elevator here," complained Jed.
"We're crime fighters, Jed," replied Dee. "I think we can handle it."
"I'm only saying if we had an elevator, that's that much more energy we could use for chasing bad guys instead of using
stairs."
As they reached the bottom a large cavernous room came into view. Along one wall was a large computer with a huge screen
and many technical looking keyboards. At this computers sat a lone young man dressed in black, his long hair tied back, and
his hands buried in wires and computer chips.
He turned his head toward them and stated, "Hey ladies."
"Hi Techno," the girls replied.
"Anything to worry about tonight?" asked Sally as she glanced up at the large screen as it blinked form colored squares
to black and white static.
"Well, with all this work I have to do in here with these gadgets and vehicles, I'm not going to have time to play gardener
anymore."
"I think we were hoping more on the lines of crime waves, Techno," snapped Dee.
"Well, besides the dandelions invading the lawn, not really. But there has been a report from the Chemistry Lab that
a couple vials of francium are missing. It may seem small, but when combined with the other correct chemicals it can be used
to create a powerful nerve gas. It's probably best to just check it out and be sure."
- - - - - -- -
After suiting up, the girls were ready to go.
- - - - - - - - -
As the girls stood outside the locked door to Johnson Hall's chemical stockroom, the squirrel jumped out of Sick Pimp
Patti's coat and unlocked the door. They entered silently and started looking through the bottles.
"I found the francium supply!" said Sashani.
The other four hurried over. Sure enough, where the supply listed twelve vials of francium, there were only ten.
"They might have just been misplaced," said Tygeress. "Some student working on a project might have placed them with
something else if they were in a hurry to clean up."
"Good thinking," said Abra Pirata. "Possibly with something else that looks the same, or maybe the same shelf in a different
row."
The Others were searching carefully now, reading labels and comparing colors.
"Here!" Lucy found the town bottles next to some magnesium.
They placed them upon the correct shelf with their own kind. But as they were turning to leave there was a noise outside
the stock room. The handle slowly began to turn.
The girls gave quick glances at each other. Tygeress flew to the ceiling, carrying Patti and Shani with her. Abra used
all her power to hoist Lucy and herself up above the shelves.
A figure walked into the stockroom. It was a young man with slicked backed hair. He was certainly not a chemistry teacher
or an aid. He hurried to a row of bottles and vials, ran his finger across a shelf, and then grabbed a small bottle.
The
girls glanced at each other and dropped. The man looked at them in horror, and then ran out of the room, stuffing the bottle
into a pocket. The girls gave chase, but as soon as they were outside the door, he had vanished. They split up, each taking
a different hallway.
Lucy raced down her hallway that ended in a locked window.
Tygeress' hallway led her back to the front door.
Patti's led her to a series of classrooms, all which were locked.
Shashani was half way down her hallway when her psychic vision kicked in. Abra will find him.
But it was too late. As Abra raced around the corner, she spotted him. He was opening a window at the end of the
hall.
She drew her sharp sword. "Stop!" she shouted.
He turned. His eyes were a piercing bright blue, and his black hair was slicked back. He gave a knowing smirk as Abra
stared at the figure before her. He looked right into her eyes before he vanished out the window. Abra blinked and ran to
the window, sticking her head outside. But no one was there.
The others came around the corner.
"He's gone," she stated, sheathing her sword.
"I went back to the stock room," said Patti. "He took a bottle of hydrogen peroxide."
"They probably won't even miss that, it's a common chemical and the lab uses about two bottles a day," Tygeress added.
Outside there was no trace to where the man had gone, so the girls went back to their base.
- - - - - - - - - - -
- - -
Techno was in the same position when they returned.
"Well, what'd you find out?" he questioned as they vacated vechiles.
"The francium was just misplaced." Answered Lucy.
"But then someone else came in and stole a bottle of hydrogen peroxide," added Tygeress. "Abra chased him down, but he
escaped."
"I could have had him," added Abra, "but he just slipped out the window and vanished."
Patti joined the scene as her Harley came pedaling in.
"Late as usual," called Techno.
"Oh, Shut up you Gadget Geek!!" She retorted.
-------
Up in the attic, Sally was practicing her fencing. She swung her sword expertly around then plunged it's dulled point
onto the heart shaped patch on the stuffing filled dummy.
The trap door in the floor opened and up walked Dee. "Ready for some lunch?" she asked.
"I really need to practice." Sally replied, taking a deep breath and going through some fencing moves along with footwork.
"You've been up here since dawn! You need to eat! And you don't need to practice, you're the best there is!"
"But I hesitated. I hesitated and he got away! It's all my fault," her face distorted into determinatin and as the sword
swung toward the dummy it turned sharp and decapitated it, exploding fluff went everywhere.
Sally stared in shock. "Oops."
"Dude," Dee said as some fluff landed near her, "I think you've had enough practice."
"Yeah. What's for lunch?" and the girls headed down to the kitchen.
---------
That afternoon the girls headed into town for grocery shopping. To be more efficient each girl went down a separate aisle.
As Sally rounded a corner, she noticed a familiar guy at the photo copy machine. It was Daniel.
"Hi Daniel," Sally said as she approached, smiling.
He turned and smiled shyly. "Hi Sally. It's great to see you again."
"Yeah," she noticed he was dressed in the same way, khaki's and a button down shirt. But his light brown hair was
now combed nicely and parted off to one side. "What are you up to?"
"Well," he said opening the lid of the copier and handing her the sheet. "I'm looking for a job. And since I'm studying
to be a botanist, I thought helping people with their flowers and lawns would be a great experience."
Sally glanced down at the flyer.
Lawn/Garden Work Needed? Call Daniel Lairdlot at 355-2573 for Estimates
Sally's eyes grew wide and she smiled as she looked up at him. "I just might have a job for you. Let me ask the other
girls first." She rounded up the others and returned before the perplexed look left his face.
"Everybody this is Daniel," she explained. "Daniel, this is Jessica, Tonya, Poopsie, and Dee."
"Oh so this is Daniel!" exclaimed Jed, wiggling her eyebrows, "The guy you 'saved'."
"I was but Daniel in the lion's den," he said nobly, "and she my guardian angel." He glanced at Sally with a shy smirk,
making her blush.
Tonya walked over to him, put her hand on his shoulder and said, "He doesn't seem bad for a sentimental," and gave a
huge smile.
"Well Daniel, we live in the big mansion at the edge of town and we need someone to look after the vegetation," explained
Dee, then she added, "If you're willing."
Daniel's gray eyes got large, "That would be great. I've seen it from a distance, and your garden has many rare plants.
It would be a dream come true! I'd do it for almost free."
"Well," replied Tonya, "it's true we're all poor college students, but my uncle, along with the house, left money to
use only for its upkeep."
"It'll be a lot of work, though," added Sally, who had, on occasion, helped Techno trim hedges.
Daniel helped them finish their shopping, then followed them back to the house to estimate the job.
Sally rode along with him. She watched as his face turned into pure awe as they approached the house. "This is great,"
he exclaimed.
She smiled back at him.
--------
After Sally gave Daniel the tour of the grounds and the garden, Techno came out of the house.
"Just call me T," he said. "All you really have to do is keep what's green, green. Mow once a week, trim the hedges once
a month, weed and water the flowers. I'm home anytime if you have a question, just knock and the shed out back contains all
the materials you need. You can start and come by anytime you wish."
"Sounds great. $200 a week sound fair?"
"I've been working these grounds and $200 a week is a bargain."
"Plus expenses for plant food of course. Not to mention as I said before, this will be too much pleasure to work."
"Alright then, you can start whenever you're ready." Techno turned and went back inside.
Daniel turned back to Sally. "This will be so great." His smile was huge and his eyes were glistening. She walked him
back to his car.
"So... um", he began, looking uncomfortable, "does T. live with you girls?"
Sally looked at him and smiled. "In the basement, actually. He's like a big brother to us, and a watchdog, too. And he
can fix anything. He's great to have around." She looked at him curiously, and then fixed her gaze into his eyes.
"Why? Are you jealous?"
"No.. I'm.. I was," he stammered.
"Don't worry, none of our honors have been tarnished," she said with a small smile.
He blushed and looked away.
"I'll be back tomorrow," he contined. "The grass needs a trim."
She waved as he drove down the driveway.
------------
After the girls had suited up for the evening they went back to Johnson Hall.
"So how much does a bottle of hydrogen peroxide cost anyway?" asked Lucy.
"If it isn't so rare or dangerous, you'd think it'd be rather cheap."
"Well, yeah," said Tygeress, thinking. "It's about $1.00 for a 20 oz. bottle."
"Then why steal it?" Shashani added. "I wish my psychic power would tell me what I really wanted to know."
The Squirrel unlocked the supply closet again.
They went straight toward the shelf with the H2O2.
"Hmmm," Patti counted the bottles, "Still seven, same as when we left last night."
The clear bottles glinted in the dim light of the storage area.
"Wait," Abra picked up one of the bottles. "This one is slightly tinted." She held it up to the light. The liquid inside
was slightly green.
"Maybe we should bring it back to Techno to find out why it's green," suggested Lucy.
"Yeah," Shashani took the glass botttle and placed it into her pouch.
"We might be able to search it for prints too," added Patti. "He may have touched it while looking for the other."
"Well, if this is what he was after, he may be back." Explained Abra. "I'll stay as a guard just in case."
"I'll stay too," Tygeress stated. The others left to talke to bottle to Techno.
Tygress flew to the top of
a row of shelves and stretched out. "Who knows how long it will be, or if he's even coming. Might as well get comfortable."
Abra shut the door and turned off the light, then settled into a corner.
She was awakend by the opening of the door.
She saw the figure from the night before slip into the room. The door was left wide open, flooding the shelves with the light
form the hallway. He walked to the H2O2 and started to inspect each bottle.
"Damn it," mumbled the man. He looked around frantically at the surrounding shelves. He spotted Tygeress sleeping
soundly above, her tail flicking in her sleep. Abra took this opertunity to stealthly stand and walk toward the door, but
before she reached it the culprit turned toward the door.
His head shot back in shock at the sight of her. He gave a quick smile before he lunged past her for the door. Abra stuck
out her boot, catching his shoe. He stumbled, but kept running. Abra lunged after him, following him down the hallway.
Abra unsheathed her sword producing a rod with a hook at the end. She jabbed it at the fugitive's legs and caught
his foot. He fell face down onto the tile floor, but quickly flipped, twisting the handle from Abra's grip. She stretched
out her hand and it came back to her.
The man lay on the floor facing her, his ankle entangled by the end of Abra's sword. She quickly changed it to a
point and aimed it at his chest.
"Who are you?" she demanded.
"You can call me The Face," he replied with a grin, "Abra Pirata."
His foot shot up and hit her hand, the sword went flying but was caught by The Face as he leapt up from the floor. He
jabbed it at Abra, and forced her up against the wall. He now pointed the blade at Abra's throat.
"The chemical I made is important to me. I need it before dawn. Where have your friends taken it?" His brilliant eyes
seemed to burrow into her soul.
The sword suddenly went limp like a noodle and Abra kicked The Face hard in the chest. He fell back against the hallway
wall, letting the sword writher on the ground. Abra picked it up and it instantly turned to hard steel.
"Why do you need it? What is it?" She yelled at him, "Answer Me."
He looked up at her. "I truely have never had this much trouble before," he mumbled.
"Tell me everything about it, or you're dawn deadline will have another meaning."
"It already does, Abra." His face turned sincere. "Abra please. I need the bottle."
"Answer the questions!" She shouted, jabbing the tip of the sword closer to his throat.
He stood, then took a deep breath.
"If the contents of the bottle aren't sprayed on the bud of the yellow stemmed three leaved fernrose, when it booms the
flower will produce a deadly air toxin. This toxin can drift on the wind and kill anything that intakes the contaminated air.
The blossom will open at the first rays of the sun tommrrow. That chemical is crucial!" He looked at her intently. His face
was stern and his bright eyes flashed at her. "You've got to help me. Give me the bottle!"
"Tygeress!" Abra called out to her companion who'd been listening from around the corner. Tygeress appeared and looked
at The Face. "Go back and ask if they've found out anything."
Tygeress ran outside and flew back to the base.
The two stood in the quiet hallway, staring at each other. The face took a step closer which made Abra jump slightly.
"Stay back," she wispered, holding up her sword, "Your agenda hasn't been cleared yet."
"But you believe me," he asked, his eyes meeting hers. "If anyone believes me, it has to be you." He stepped closer again,
almost able to touch her.
"I... I told you... to stay put." Her heart was beating fast, she swallowed hard. He took another step closer, their
noses a foot apart. His hand gently landed on hers as he lowerd the sword.
"Abra," he whispered, his gaze falling upon her lips, then back to her eyes.
A sudden soft clink starled Abra. On the floor apperared the bottle wrapped in a piece of paper. Abra slip past The Face
and grabbed the bottle. On the paper was Shashani's handwriting.
Chemical legit. Not sure about plant, but chemical
has no leathal properties. Don't risk the poisoning of billions. -Shashani
"Here," Abra handed Face the bottle.
"You're story checks out."
He took the bottle and kissed her glove lightly, then smiled gently. Abra escorted him silently out of Johnson Hall.
Outside, beneath the star-studded sky he gazed into her eyes.
"Until we meet again, Abra Pirata," he whispered. Then he turned and walked away. Abra glanced up at the stars, shaking
her head. When she returned her gaze to earth, he was no longer in sight.
---- - - - - - - --
"Hi Sally," called Daniel as the whir of the mower came to a halt. The Sunday afternoon sun beat down on the green lawn.
"Daniel? I hardly recongnized you!" His hair was ruffled and he was wearing a t-shirt and shorts, reavealing a rather
muscular young man. "Where are your glasses?"
"Oh, I got contacts Friday and, as for the wardwrobe, I decided to dress for the weather," he added, smirking.
Sally smiled at him. Then something came to her attention: Daniel is studying to be a botanist. "Have you ever
heard of a plant called the yellow stemmed three-leaved fernrose?" she asked hopingly.
Daniel's eyes squinted as he thought. "Hmmmm...oh, wait." He ran to the back seat of his car, and came back with a book.
He opened The Botanist's Guide to Rare Plant Species explaining, "I brought this along because I know there are some
rare plants here." He turned through the pages. "aHA, here." He pointed to a picture of a plant with three long fern branches
surrounding a long yellow stalk that ended in a gorgous pink rose.
"Whew," he added wide-eyed, "It says 'This hybrid was created by a boy genious, Friedrich Adolf Christopher Erikson
at the age of nine. However, he died a year later when accidently inhaling the flower's deadly aroma.' Boy, that
sounds like a nasty plant to have around." He looked at Sally who was staring at the small picture of the nine-year-old protoge.
Although the photo was black and white she could tell he had dark hair and brilliant eyes. His small face beamed with pride.
"Sally? Why'd you want to know about this plant anyway? There aren't any in your garden are there?"
"No," she chuckled. "Just curious, I guess. Want some help with bagging the clippings?" She grabbed a trash bag and held
it up, smiling. Daniel smiled back as he dislodged the clippings bag from the mower.
- - - - - - - - - -
Sally slipped her hand into Daniel's as they sat on the stone bench in the garden. The sun silently slipping behind the
horizen.
"Here," Daniel turned and plucked a pink blossom from the tree nearby. Sally smiled as he gently placed it in her hair.
His hand slowly trailed down a stray lock of her golden hair. Sally closed her eyes and drew in a breath. When she opened
her eyes they were staring directly into his. His hand gently found its place on hers. Daniel's smile began to fade as he
leaned closer. Sally found her eyes wandering to his moist lips, but as she too began to lean in her gaze again found his
grey eyes.
BRIIINNGG!!!
Sally and Daniel both blinked, but they stayed in the same position, still tense. Again their eyes locked and they leaned
in.
BRIIINNGG!!!
Sally blinked again and swallowed. "Oh," she pulled her cell phone from her pocket. "Sorry." She blushed and pushed the
button. "Hello?"
"Just to let you know," came Dee's voice. "We can see your public display of affection from the kitchen window."
"Oh?" Sally replied trying to hide her embarassment from Daniel.
"Yeah, and another thing: Do you want us to leave without you?"
"OH! I'll be right there!"
"What?" asked Daniel.
"I'm sorry, I... I'm late for work." Sally replied.
"Oh. Where do you work? Maybe I can give you a lift." He smiled at her.
She stood up. "Well, the girls work there too, and they're leaving in a few minutes." She looked at his disapointed look,
and sighed. "I'm really sorry, Daniel. I... I really gotta go." She started to run back toward the house, halfway there she
turned and yelled. "See ya tomarrow," and gave a quick wave before running the rest of the way.
- - - - - - - - - -
"Well, I'm sorry!" said Sally, tying on her bandana. "But it would have been our first kiss." And then I felt like I
was lying to him trying to explain why I had to leave."
"Well, look at it this way," explained Shashani. "Would rather have been interupted in the MIDDLE of your first kiss?"
Abra sighed, "Guess not. So..." she clapped her gloves together, "what's on the agenda tonight?"
"Believe me," said Patti. "It doesn't involve kissing boys."
"Who knows, Patti," added Techno, "Perhaps if you get your powers to work CORRECTLY you could have your first kiss!"
He said 'first kiss' like a squealing girl.
Patti glared at him. "Well at least someone would WANT to kiss me!"
"Only after being a slave to your suduction powers."
"Alright, enough!" shouted Lucy.
"Sorry." Techno appologized to the others. He glared one last time at Patti then cleared his throat. "Well," He explained
as he sat down at the super computer.
"It seems that every night you ladies have been at Johnson Hall there has also been a break in to Ford Hall."
"The Botony Building.... could that be where the fern rose is located?" questioned Lucy.
"That's where I'd put it," replied Tygeress sarcastically.
"But that would be too obvious," added Shashani. "A plant in a botony building?"
"Or," included Abra. "The perfect place to hide it: right under everyone's nose."
"I say we should split up and cover
Johnson and Ford," suggested Patti.
They all agreed. Since abra and Tygeress had stayed at Johnson the night before, they
went to Ford. Shashani, Lucy and Patti went to Johnson.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Let's head for the green house," suggested Abra after they had successsfully entered Ford Hall. They headed for the
bach of the building which had a door to the enormous green house.
As they entered the humid air, the stars and moon cast eerie shadows through the glass roof.
Tygeress' tail twiched as they walked through the dense jungle of plants. "You don't think there are any spider in here,
do you?"
"Probably." Abra whispered with a smile. Then jumping out of the way of Tygeress' flying tail, she stuck out her tounge.
"Let's split up, and search for the plant," suggested Abra. Tygeress nodded and walked down a different row of plants.
The glass building was huge. Its contents were nothing less than a jungle. The various plants were potted in rows, small
plants near the aisles and large trees and shrubs toward the center of each island. It was hard to see in to the next
aisle unless there was a rare break in the foliage.
As Abra walked down the next aisle she started to hear a fanit dripping sound. It was coming from the far corner. Abra
made her way slowly until she could peek around a corner.
Looking through some leaves of a small tree she saw a man leaning over the counter, his body blocking the view of what
he was working on. He seemed to be an older man with greying and slighly balding hair.
Abra crept out from behind the bush and waked up behind the man.
As he turned to pick up a bottle on the counter, he noticed her and jumped slightly.
"Oh," he said grabbing his chest." You scared me." His voice was rough and hoarse. "Why are you here? It's too late for
Halloween."
Abra's eyes turned to his work. There beside him was the fern rose, a small vile of pink liquid lay next to it.
"What are you doing? Don't you know that's a poisonous plant?" she questioned. "And who are you?" she added. He wasn't
on the of biology or botony proffesors.
"Dr. Dan Kirk, and I have more right to be here than you! I suggest you leave at once before I call the police.
Really! Masquerading around a locked building, scaring professors in the middle of their research." As he tilted his head
up to look at her down his nose, the moonlight shone brilliantly in his blue eyes.
Abra squinted at him hard. "Face?"
"What?" asked the man furrowing his brow.
Just then Tygeress flew through the air, landing on Dr. Kirk, knocking him to the floor. She grabbed his shirt collar,
yelling, "It's him, It's Face!"
Abra looked down at him. "What are you doing with the plant, Face?"
The man glared at Tygeress and with a smirk kicked her hard in the abdomen. She flew off and landed in the branches of
a tree.
Abra drew her sword and stood between him and the fern rose, staring down her opponent who now lept to his feet.
"What are you doing with this plant?" she questioned again, her teeth gritted.
"You told us yourself that it was poisonous, Face."
"Abra Pirata," came the voice of Face from the face of Dr. Kirk. "Someday you're going to get yourself hurt with all
this sword play." A small smirk crept across his face. "Put it a way."
"Tell me first." Abra pointed her sword at him. He stepped closer, his hand reached up to his ear and he started to pull
away skin. A complete mask of Dr. Kirk's head was torn away from Face's, leaving the image she had seen earlier. Abra looked
on shocked.
"Here," he said stepping yet closer. "Let me show you." He picked up an empty bottle near the plant. Carefully placing
a gloved hand under the pink blossom, he tilted it slightly. A pink liquid slowly ran down the petals and into the awaiting
jar. "This," he explained as he held up the jar of pink liquid. "This is the nectar of the yellow stemmed three-leaved fern
rose." He smiled as if he was proud of himself. "Although the deadly aroma produced by such a plant can be eliminated by spraying
the buds with a special chemical mixture, the plant disposes of its toxins in other ways, such as the nectar." He flashed
his blue eyes at Abra to see if she was following. "It creates one of the most highly sought after poisons in the world. Effecting
the lungs, the victim just stops breathing, exactly ten minutes after the poison is taken, simulating an asthma attack, if
you will. And because of the organic nature, it is undetectable in the autopsy."
"That's just disgusting," Abra added. "Why... why would you want to do that?"
"It'll make me rich, Abra," replied Face, his eyes flashing. "A vile of this nectar is worth more than I can imagine,
and I can imagine quite a bit."
But Abra had had enough. She due back her sword to swing. Face turned just in time and the blade came down on the counter,
slicing the plant in half.
"Noo!" Face called out, reaching for the hacked plant. He whirled around and his foot caught Abra in the arm, her sword
flew through the air. She stumbled sideways and fell against a counter of small plants. As Face came running toward her she
planted both feet against his chest and pushed him into the vegitation on the other side of the aisle.
Tygeress bounded out of the tree and pounced onto his back as he stood. Face backed foresfully against a solid tree,
banging Tygeress against it. Abra rushed over and slugged Face across the cheek. He quickly managed to trip her and pushed
her backwards. Abra stumbled and fell, hitting her head on the counter. Face's persistant beating against the tree finally
loosend Tygeress' grip. He grabbed her right hand and flung her over his shoulder. In her daze, he managed to grab her swishing
tail and tied it to tightly around a tree. Tygeress reached for him with her claws glistening, but her butt was still being
held firm to the tree by her tail.
"Come back, coward!" She shouted.
"Be nice kitty," he replied mockingly, "and SHUT UP!" He crouched down by the fallen Abra. She was breathing lightly,
then her eyes blinked open.
She tried to get up, but sat back down from dizziness.
"Abra, I didn't want it to end like this," the Face told her as he looked into her eyes.
"There are things more importatnt than money, Face." She grabbed her throbbing head. "Like people's lives."
He bit his lip then slowly smiled. "You always know what to say, don't you." His face turned stern. "It won't work on
me, Abra. As much as I admire you, your moral understanding is just not my cup of tea."
He stood and grabbed the single vile of pink nectar from the counter. Then looked sadly at the dying fern rose.
Face turned back toward the girls, "Be a good kitty!" he called to Tygeress, who was still trying to untie her tail.
"And you, Abra Pirata, Farewell," and he bowed elegantly before he turned to leave.
- - - - - - - - - -
After a half an hour of untying Tygeress tail and finding Abra's sword, the girls headed back to join the others. Abra
retreated to the depths of the great garden. Her head still throbbed, but her dizziness had done a few minutes after Face.
She sat on a cold granite bench, staring at the twinkling dtars through the swaying branches. The night air was cool. It would
be fall soon. The rustling of the trees in the breeze gave her a peaceful feeling. Suddenly she sat up. There on the stone
path before her was Face. Abra reached for her sword.
"Don't," he said pleadingly. "I'm sorry I followed you, but..."
his words trailed off.
Abra looked at him puzzlingly, her hand still on her sword.
"I'm," he started, "I wanted to...," he took a deep breath. "HERE!" He held out his hand, producing the vile of pink
nectar.
Abra looked from the vile to Face, disbelivingly.
"Take it!" he ordered in a harsh whisper.
Abra's gloved hand took the vile. She looked up into his eyes and softly smiled. "Thanks," she whispered.
Face slowly nodded, then turned to leave.
"Your brother would have been proud of you!" she called after him.
Face whirled around with a look of disbelief on
his face. then his eyes flashed and a smile spread upon his lips. "And he would have loved you as much as I. Until our paths
cross again, Abra Pirata." Then he turned and vanished amoung the trees.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Techno came from the labratory, wearing rubber gloves and a long lab coat.
"Yeah, the contents of the vile match the remnants of the plant." Then he turned to Dee. "And where were you during the
action? Seducing old men?"
"Well, okay," Dee replied, "the Johnson Hall guard was a bit up there, but it was all for the good of the country."
"Yeah," replied Techno. "Dee gets a date so the world is cured of one less..."
"Guys!" Interuped Poopsie. "The world's safe! Let's get to bed. Some of us have classes in the morning."
