Chapter 33

Mother really raised a stink. She contacted the school. Simply because Mother was an adult and Vee wasn't ... Vee was suspended.

"Junior?" Of course Junior stayed. Because she had a history of violence in action, she was always interested in interpersonal actions and reactions between parent and offspring. The guilt that carried over from the first war into the second colored her life. The refuge she had found in wild sex had backfired. Pregnant, and not a clue as to the father, she considered aborting but the Powers put a stop to that. She'd done a terrible job raising IV, and interested in watching how this contretemps was resolved, she stayed.

"Yes, Vee?"

"May I beg a favor?"

"Whooboy, Vee. I guess that depends on the favor."

"Bubble us to someplace nice and warm? Like Pentwater. I need the watch," Vee confessed. "I don't want the watch ... I need it."

Think Wendy, use the gift bestowed.

"Did you say something, Wendy?"

"No," replied The Wanzor, "Did you hear something?"

You have been gifted, use it.

"You sure? How about you, Junior?"

"How about me what?"

"Did you speak?"

"No, what's going on?"

Picture what you want and call it to you.

"I'm hearing a voice in my head," Vee said. "I think."

"You think?" both Wendy and Junior said together ... they might as well have been twins.

"Remember when I went to that Yggdrasil Day celebration?" Vee asked by way of explanation. "April ... before my birthday?"

"You thought you'd been drugged?" said Junior. "That day?"

"Yes."

"What about it?" Junior thought, 'Finally ... confession.'

"I bumped into a ... something."

"That's nice ... what kind of something?"

"I don't know for sure, they were..."

"They?" Wendy asked.

"They is more than one," said Junior.

"Well, yah ... several ... but I only bumped into one, I don't know what it was."

"You don't know what it was?" The Wanzor asked. "What were the rest of they ... them ... whatever?"

"No, the one I bumped into was the odd Whatever ... the rest were male and female ... sorta."

"Sorta?" asked Junior. 'Now we're getting someplace.'

"They were fuzzy."

"Fuzzy?"

"Just around the edges."

"Besides the edges?"

"You know those white tunics with the huge sleeves and pleated skirts the Greek soldiers wear when they're changing the guard?" Vee said.

Nod nod nod.

"Like that ... but without the puff balls on the toes of the shoes and none of the fancy embroidery ... and bare legs. No stockings and garters. Greek Gods like.

"The leader spoke to me." Vee was looking for sly grins or other signs of disbelief. They were still paying attention.

"What did he say?"

"She ... the leader was a she." Wendy cupped her hands in front of her not inconsiderable chest, "Only bigger ... and tall ... very tall."

"Did anyone else... ?"

"No ... and they were trying to find someone that could see them ... they found me ... I found them ... aaarrrggghhh!" Vee was getting frustrated.

You're doing fine, my daughter.

"Mom?" Vee looked around.

No ... the gifter.

"Mom?" asked Junior.

"No ... the Lady ... she spoke to me. It's her. She's in my head." Vee ... Vee was really ... really ... really having a problem with it. "She says to use the gift. I don't know what the gift is?" Vee spoke that to the sky.

Picture what you want and call it to you.

The watch was in her hand.

"Whoa!" said Junior and The Wanzor. "That's different."

"You're not telling me ... I'm the one with the watch in my hand."

"Is it the same one?"

"Only one way to find out." Vee prepared to wind it. "I hate this damn thing."

"Wait ... my pad is buzzing," Wendy answered it. "It's your mom." She fingered the speaker function.

"Where is my watch!"