{"id":37252,"date":"2023-12-27T14:25:10","date_gmt":"2023-12-27T20:25:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/?p=37252"},"modified":"2023-12-27T14:25:10","modified_gmt":"2023-12-27T20:25:10","slug":"chapter-10-the-necklace","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/2023\/12\/27\/chapter-10-the-necklace\/","title":{"rendered":"Chapter 10: The Necklace"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cWell!\u201d Tamara said indignantly to her sister, approaching Tabby where she stood unobtrusively off to the side of the town hall reception room. \u201cAthena just gave me the cold shoulder.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI don’t see that that’s so strange,\u201d Tabby said blandly, sipping the weak lemonade supplied at the event. She wasn\u2019t sure why she had let her sister talk her into attending this open house at the town hall–that wasn\u2019t her style <\/span>at all<\/span><\/i>–but it probably had to do with being bored with Thomas out of town.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFor you, maybe not,\u201d Tamara said with a smirk. \u201cI was just telling her how exquisite her necklace was, but she just gave me a <\/span>look<\/span><\/i> and walked away! I <\/span>gave<\/span><\/i> her that necklace! Talk about gratitude!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHmm,\u201d said Tabby unconcernedly, wondering how much longer it would be before Thomas texted her back.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLook, there she is,\u201d Tamara continued, indignant, regardless of her sister\u2019s lack of interest. \u201cDid she just snub Becca? What is up with her?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Tabby rolled her eyes. Tamara had to be so dramatic about every little thing. \u201cI\u2019m sure she\u2019s fine. Just chill.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHmph!\u201d said Tamara. \u201cWell, the two of us seem to be in the same boat.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d Tabby was taken aback at the implication that the sisters had anything in common at all.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOur dates–or lack thereof,\u201d Tamara pointed out. \u201cBeauregard is tied up with the catering, and Thomas is out of town on mysterious <\/span>business<\/span><\/i>, which you\u2019ve been very close-lipped about.\u201d She gave her twin a censorious look.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s something about his old job,\u201d said Tabby guardedly.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHis old boss\u2019s court case, you mean?\u201d said Tamara with a shrewd look.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou know about that?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh yes, everyone does; that reporter chick with the Gazette tells anyone willing to listen. Or unwilling, for that matter.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGreat,\u201d Tabby sighed. \u201cWell, he doesn\u2019t like to talk about it, so don\u2019t press me for any more details because I don\u2019t know any!\u201d she said huffily.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe doesn\u2019t confide in you?\u201d Tamara looked aghast.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLook, it sounds like I\u2019d rather not know, so I\u2019m happy with it that way,\u201d Tabby said, frowning and feeling a bit uncomfortable. But she didn\u2019t want to admit to her sister her own fears to that effect, knowing there was a significant swath of his life he was silent on and she had only rumors to guess at what he had or had not done.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fortunately, Tamara was distracted as she looked down at her phone. \u201cOoh, Liv\u2019s performance is about to start,\u201d she noted. \u201cI want to see how she\u2019s incorporated the style tips I gave her. Let\u2019s get a good spot.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt seems like your friends are covering most of the entertainment jobs at the party,\u201d Tabby pointed out, walking with her sister. \u201cYou sure there\u2019s no favoritism going on, with you being BFFs with the mayor\u2019s daughter?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAthena will be the first to tell you that she has no influence whatsoever over her mother,\u201d said Tamara. \u201cI have good taste in friends, is all.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhatever you say.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

* * *<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHello, Athena,\u201d said Tabby as their paths crossed after the performance, which Tamara had deemed a success and Tabby declared was \u201cokay\u201d but the strobing lights had been a bit much.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, it\u2019s you,\u201d said Athena bluntly, turning to face the unicorn with a sneer.<\/span><\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t entirely out of character given their history, though Tabby thought they were on better terms these days. \u201cNice party, huh?\u201d she asked to further gauge her attitude, not because she cared one way or another.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA rather pathetic affair,\u201d said Athena with a deep sigh.<\/span><\/p>\n

That was when Tabby noticed the necklace, a stylized bronze face in the style of Atlantean artifacts. \u201cThat looks–\u201d She reached out, holding the medallion for just a moment before a shock caused her to jump back.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cKeep your hooves to yourself,\u201d snapped Athena, and stalked off.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTamara!\u201d Tabby whined, making her way back to her twin, rubbing her hoof that was still tingling from contact with the medallion. \u201cWhy are you giving away Atlantean relics instead of saving them for me?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHmm?\u201d said Tamara, who was checking her reflection in a mirror compact. \u201cOh, you mean Athena\u2019s necklace? It’s a reproduction by Honeylight. I can get you one if you like it that much.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo, it’s legit,\u201d Tabby argued. \u201cThe weight–the tarnishing–I\u2019d put it late Kaliopean era. It\u2019s real Atlantean. I could sense it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI wonder… did Clara mix them up?\u201d Tamara considered. \u201cMaybe she gave me the original and kept a copy.\u201d She shrugged. \u201cWell, whatever. It doesn\u2019t matter. There\u2019s always more of that stuff washing up on the beach. I\u2019m sure you\u2019ll find one.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNot like that,\u201d grumbled Tabby. \u201cIt\u2019s an absolutely gorgeous example of Kaliopean craftsponyship. Do you have any idea how hard that era is to find? It dates from the fall of the Empire! A medallion that size, it was probably meant for royalty. Maybe even Queen Kaliope herself.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Tamara shrugged. \u201cMaybe she\u2019ll let you borrow it sometime,\u201d she suggested. \u201cIf she ever gets out of this mood she\u2019s in.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think that\u2019s just how she is,\u201d Tabby muttered.<\/span><\/p>\n

* * *<\/span><\/p>\n

Beauregard noticed Liv slinking off after the performance, and left the refreshment table in the hooves of his underlings to go after her and see what had the normally vivacious mare down.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhy–what\u2019s wrong, sweetheart?\u201d he asked, catching up to her in a secluded alcove (which always seemed to pop up at a convenient time). She was elegantly blowing her nose into a tissue.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I don\u2019t want to burden you with my problems,\u201d she said, her eyes shining with tears.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAll I\u2019m hearing is how great the show was. Everybody loved you. What\u2019s the matter?\u201d asked Beauregard, puzzled.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not about the show,\u201d Liv admitted. \u201cI had to keep my spirits up to get through it, but now that it\u2019s over, I just–can\u2019t!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTell me,\u201d said Beauregard, taking her hoof in his.<\/span><\/p>\n

The tears in Liv\u2019s eyes poured out. \u201cMy immigration application was denied!\u201d she cried, leaning against him for support.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, that\u2019s just nonsense!\u201d Beauregard was indignant. \u201cWhat were they thinking? You and Belen are the sweetest girls I know.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBelen is fine. They approved her,\u201d Liv said, sniffling. \u201cIt\u2019s some silly thing from when I was a filly–caught shoplifting on a dare–that\u2019s the only time, honest, I learned my lesson. But they cite that as their reason.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Beauregard was thoroughly dismayed. \u201cSurely you can appeal the decision!\u201d he insisted.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no time,\u201d Liv said. \u201cI\u2019d be deported by the time anything was settled. And I can\u2019t go back–I can\u2019t! Churro would surely find out, and then\u2026\u201d She was unable to continue, fully convulsed in tears.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe won\u2019t let that happen,\u201d Beauregard assured her, squeezing her hoof. \u201cDon\u2019t you worry. Have you talked to Tamara? There\u2019s got to be someone she knows who can help.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTamara\u2019s already done so much to get my career off the ground,\u201d Liv said. \u201cI don\u2019t want to burden her with this, too.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTamara has the biggest heart, and I know she\u2019ll do whatever she can,\u201d Beauregard said encouragingly. \u201cLet\u2019s go find her now.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

* * *<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTabby,\u201d Toby said pleadingly, \u201ccan we talk? I need your help.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWith what?\u201d Tabby was thrown off guard. She\u2019d noticed her ex-suitor from across the room several times, but he seemed to be continuing the trend of avoiding her, which was fine with Tabby.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSomething\u2019s wrong with Athena,\u201d Toby hastened on to explain.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tabby felt relieved that it was not something involving her personally, but was a little confused as to why he was coming to her. \u201cWhy does everyone complain to <\/span>me<\/span><\/i> about Athena’s moods?\u201d she asked, perturbed.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s more than a mood,\u201d Toby insisted. \u201cLast night, Theodora jumped up on her lap and she tossed her across the room–she dotes on the creature; you know that!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHmm,\u201d said Tabby, but reserved judgment. She did not have as high an opinion of Athena\u2019s standard behavior as her friends did.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd there’s this note that she just scribbled on a napkin.\u201d Toby hoofed it to her.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA note?\u201d Tabby\u2019s brow crinkled, not understanding how this could involve her.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJust look at it. What do you make of it?\u201d Toby asked anxiously.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tabby\u2019s face blanched as she studied the blocky scrawl. \u201cThis is Atlantean,\u201d she said slowly. \u201cAthena doesn\u2019t know Atlantean.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cExactly,\u201d Toby said. \u201cCan you translate it?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSomething like\u2026\u201d Tabby\u2019s brow furrowed as she concentrated. \u201cInstructions, plans–it\u2019s a list, I think–<\/span>crekothos<\/span><\/i>, that\u2019s a kind of power source–I\u2019m not familiar with most of these words,\u201d she admitted, starting to get a bad feeling.<\/span><\/p>\n

Toby looked at her, befuddled. \u201cWhat possible reason could she have for writing a list in Atlantean?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Tabby was silent for a moment as the facts started to fall into place. This was starting to look like a possession by an Atlantean spirit, who were notorious for being\u2026 cranky. And, she realized with dismay, by touching the medallion, her unicorn magic had likely given the entity an energy boost. She had been too excited to think about putting the proper protections in place. But maybe they could still head this off at the pass before things got out of hoof. Where had the silver pegasus gone? Tabby frowned.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCan you do something?\u201d Toby asked, breaking into her thoughts.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tabby hadn\u2019t mentally prepared herself for this sort of activity tonight, but she supposed she would have to do something. \u201cI\u2019ll look into it,\u201d she said slowly. \u201cIf I can find her.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Toby frowned. \u201cShe was just here\u2026 what do you think is going on?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s got an Atlantean spirit attached to her.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh,\u201d said Toby faintly.<\/span><\/p>\n

A quick search of the premises by the two did not reveal Athena\u2019s presence anywhere. As they reconvened to share their lack of results, Tabby tapped her hoof thoughtfully. \u201cWe\u2019re going shopping,\u201d she announced abruptly.<\/span><\/p>\n

Toby looked taken aback. \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, if Athena or\u2026 whoever\u2026 is shopping for parts, she\u2026 they\u2026 will head for Butch\u2019s shop. Everyone knows that he\u2019s the best source for Atlantean tech for miles around,\u201d Tabby quickly explained. \u201cLet\u2019s go.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

* * *<\/span><\/p>\n

Tamara was greatly dismayed about Liv\u2019s news. \u201cWell! Tabitha told me she took care of that,\u201d she said. \u201cShe probably didn\u2019t know how to talk to Linda. Let me call, and I will take care of things, okay?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re the best,\u201d said Liv, appearing to be greatly overcome by the consideration.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere, it\u2019s all going to be alright, like I told you,\u201d Beauregard said encouragingly, giving Liv a pat on the shoulder. \u201cNow, who wants to go out for ice cream?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

* * *<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAthena, um, she\u2019ll be okay, won\u2019t she?\u201d Toby looked at Tabby questioningly on their walk through the night streets of Misty Hollow, which weren\u2019t known for hoofpads but were somewhat eerie nonetheless.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, yeah, she\u2019ll be fine,\u201d Tabby downplayed his concern. She gave him a sideways glance as she debated asking what was on her mind. \u201cAre you happy with her?\u201d she asked abruptly.<\/span><\/p>\n

Toby was silent for a moment. \u201cI understand her, I think,\u201d he said at length.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI am sorry for leading you on, you know,\u201d Tabby said with uncharacteristic meekness.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou’re going to marry him, aren’t you?\u201d Toby asked softly.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJust tell me–if it hadn’t been for Thomas–would you\u2026\u201d Toby trailed off.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDon’t get caught up in might have been,\u201d Tabby cautioned.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cRight,\u201d Toby said, smiling weakly.<\/span><\/p>\n

They arrived at Butch\u2019s shop, ordinarily closed at this hour, but the front door was hanging off its hinges, so they let themselves in. They found the proprietor on his knees, picking up assorted bits of metal and carved rock from the floor in front of a counter that appeared to have been upended.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, our illustrious mayor’s daughter was just here, burst the door off the hinges,\u201d Butch announced, shaking his head. \u201cStarted spouting off about weak, mortal flesh and cast a paralysis spell on me. Said this was nothing but junk, and did this!\u201d He gestured all around at the mess.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShe did all this herself?\u201d Tabby asked, feeling a twinge of unease. This was shaping up to be a powerful entity.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI’ll have you know I have some very fine merchandise!\u201d Butch, a consummate sales pony, insisted. \u201cTake this <\/span>clatruna<\/span><\/i>, for example.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOoh, that<\/span> is<\/span><\/i> nice,\u201d Tabby said, distracted by the shiny jewel in a decorative setting, an Atlantean talisman said to ward off evil. \u201cHow much?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Toby shifted on his hooves uncomfortably and tried to avoid touching any of the merchandise, which likely held untold germs.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI’m telling you,\u201d Butch rattled on, ringing up the purchase, \u201cI will think <\/span>very<\/span><\/i> hard before voting for Mayor A. in the next election, if this is how her offspring treats us.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cRight, right,\u201d said Tabby, with more pressing things on the mind than local politics. \u201cAny idea where, er, Athena was going after this?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSaid something about a pompous fool of a professor being her best bet,\u201d Butch said helpfully.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cUgh, not that guy,\u201d Tabby muttered.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWho is it?\u201d Toby asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDr. Shane. He\u2019s that professor of Atlantean history and, um, there was that incident where he had his DNA merged with a whale\u2019s.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, that guy,\u201d Toby recalled.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t suppose he\u2019d be at his office this late, but I don\u2019t have a home address.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

* * *<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are you doing here?\u201d barked Dr. Shane, who was pulling himself up off the paper-littered floor as Tabby ran into his office at the university. \u201cI should have known you were involved in this!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s not my fault!\u201d Tabby said heatedly.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAll I know,\u201d Shane said, glaring at Tabby, \u201cis that I was accosted by one of <\/span>your<\/span><\/i> friends–\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe’re not friends!\u201d Tabby was quick to point out.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c–who absconded with a very significant map of the Atlantean colonies,\u201d continued Shane, \u201cthat is the subject of ongoing research.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you just gave it up?\u201d Tabby scoffed.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShe was using some kind of mind control,\u201d said Shane, scowling.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tabby pursed her lips. The amulet, besides housing a spirit, was also allowing Athena to wield mystic powers. Paralysis, strength, mind control–not to mention ill-temper–this was shaping up to be a rather daunting spirit.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhere’s she going now?\u201d she demanded of Shane.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSeeing as the colonies are islands, the harbor, I would assume,\u201d Shane said, adding almost inaudibly, \u201cyou fool.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShe could take a plane,\u201d said Tabby.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhere is the nearest airport to any of the Atlantean colonies?\u201d Shane asked in exasperation.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShe has wings. She could fly herself.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe physical fortitude necessary for a journey of that length–! No.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I dunno, if she can do all the other stuff, maybe she can teleport, too.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThen you run into the same issue,\u201d said Shane in exasperation. \u201cThe spirit doesn\u2019t have an unlimited power source; there are limitations, hence the need for a robot body.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cRobot body?\u201d Tabby echoed.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes, you nitwit! What did you think she\u2019s after, a toaster oven?\u201d shouted Shane.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, in any case, she\u2019s been burning through a lot of magical energy; now is a good time to take her down,\u201d Tabby observed, stepping out into the hallway that was lined on one side with a railing overlooking the glass-paneled student center below.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou’ll only make things worse,\u201d Shane said, shaking his head.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLooking for me?\u201d Athena suddenly popped up from around a corner, her voice strangely distorted. \u201cI\u2019ve just come from the hippology lab, where there were some very useful artifacts to get my energy levels back up.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNot the Diadem of Shriknar!\u201d shrieked Shane, his elongated cetacean face turning red with rage.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou MORON!\u201d Tabby aimed at the professor. \u201cHow can you just have that laying around for any passing Atlantean spirit to take advantage of!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Shane glared at her.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe we should discuss culpability later,\u201d Toby spoke-up, gesturing at Athena, who was eyeing the group with derision.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh,\u201d said Tabby. \u201cRight. Why don\u2019t you just, uh, let my acquaintance go.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBelieve me, I’m as eager as you are for me to leave this frail body behind,\u201d Athena–or whoever was controlling her–said. \u201cBut it’s a necessary encumbrance until I have brought about the means to assume my true form.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cRobot body. I told you,\u201d Shane said, pointing a fin at Tabby.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI suppose you think you\u2019re clever for figuring that out?\u201d chuckled the spirit.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLook, are we gonna fight, or what?\u201d Tabby demanded.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re the one wasting time arguing with your cohorts. But, as you wish,\u201d laughed not-Athena, lifting a hoof, a glowing orb of energy coalescing out of the air.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tabby put up a protective shield of her own to defend against the sudden onslaught of magical energy.<\/span><\/p>\n

The shouting and subsequent blast had served to bring some attention to the standoff from below, where students were beginning to gather around, whispering and pointing up at the balcony.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI am Nur-Ab-Fin, a true mage of Atlantis, unlike <\/span>you<\/span><\/i> who just plays party games,\u201d taunted the spirit. \u201cHow long can you withstand these attacks?\u201d He let out a maniacal laugh as he unleashed another blast.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tabby\u2019s back hoof slipped, and she almost lost her balance with the onslaught of magic pummeling her. It was taking all her energy to keep the shield up; how was she going to launch her own attack? This was much more potent magic than she had ever faced before.<\/span><\/p>\n

She completely lost her hoofing, and found herself flying back through the air, slamming into the glass wall of the student center. She crashed through the glass, and continued airborne into the pond beyond. The remaining panes of glass warped and collapsed, resulting in a horrific crash.<\/span><\/p>\n

Wincing, Tabby righted herself, standing up in the shallow water feature, and wiped algae off her face. The journey through the glass had left some significant gashes in her flesh, which she healed with the last bit of magic in her reserves.<\/span><\/p>\n

Toby came running. \u201cAre you okay?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I\u2019m fine,\u201d said Tabby, nonetheless a little out of breath. \u201cWhere is she?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2026 I\u2019m not sure,\u201d Toby said, looking around but only seeing excited groups of students pointing and chattering excitedly. \u201cI think she\u2019s gone.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think we\u2019re going to need backup,\u201d Tabby reluctantly admitted, feeling absolutely drained of energy. \u201cI\u2019ve got to call Tamara.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTamara\u2019s your backup?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo, but I need her to buy us some time,\u201d Tabby said, pushing buttons on her phone with shaking hooves. \u201cTamara, I need your help!\u201d she shouted as her sister answered. \u201cYou were right–something is off with Athena–she’s possessed by an Atlantean spirit from that necklace you gave her,\u201d she rapidly explained.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat Clara! You\u2019d think she\u2019d have enough sense to cleanse the relics of spirits,\u201d Tamara said, obviously perturbed.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYeah–well–you’ve got to keep her at bay until I get help,\u201d Tabby said. \u201cYou’re friends; you can appeal to her better nature or something.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWait, what?\u201d sputtered Tamara. \u201cWhat am I doing?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know; Shane thinks she\u2019s going to the harbor; just don\u2019t let her leave!\u201d Tabby pleaded, and then hung up. \u201cWe need to see Fr. Isaac,\u201d she said, turning back to Toby. \u201cHe already thinks I’m irresponsible with magic, but\u2026\u201d She did some things on her phone, but eventually gave up, shaking her head. \u201cHe\u2019s not answering.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

* * *<\/span><\/p>\n

Tamara ended the call, and shook her head. \u201cAs usual, Tabitha is in need of my particular skill set,\u201d she announced grandly to her companions. \u201cI must go.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIs everything alright?\u201d Beauregard asked, turning his head reluctantly away from Liv.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, you know Tabitha,\u201d said Tamara vaguely. \u201cYou two stay and finish your ice cream.\u201d With that, she was on her way.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

To be continued<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cWell!\u201d Tamara said indignantly to her sister, approaching Tabby where she stood unobtrusively off to the side of the town hall reception room….<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1071],"tags":[1148,1088,1151,1150,1149,1127],"class_list":["post-37252","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-writing","tag-athena","tag-butch","tag-liv","tag-shane","tag-tamara","tag-toby"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37252","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37252"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37252\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":37253,"href":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37252\/revisions\/37253"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37252"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37252"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37252"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}