Wizards (25 page)

I slid along the ceiling as he left and saw the direction he was walking. There were only two wards marked on the signs. I had surely located my target.

I hopped back to the Bat Cave in triumph. I would go back to the hospital later when I was sure that Sergeant Jones was gone.

Funnily enough, Jenny wasn't impressed by my exploits, though Bronwyn thought my sticking to the ceiling was cool. It seemed to be a word she used a lot.

"You could have got caught for nothing. And what if the Sergeant decides to check the CCTV footage? You're probably all over it."

"I still don't see why you want to fix his throat in the first place," Bronwyn moaned.

"Because it's the right thing to do," Jenny explained absently.

"Like not killing Tyden when I asked. Fat lot of good that did him. Did you see the look on his face when that chain got him where it hurts?"

"Meep, meep, meep," [It is not good to relish the pain of others so much, little girl.]

Fluffy came back from hunting while I wandered around the hospital. I paused to wonder if the local farmers would notice the number of sheep missing was rising rapidly.

"You're younger than me. Jenny told me, you're only eight years old."

"Meep, meep." [Eight years brings great wisdom to a dragon.]

"Enough," I shouted. The others looked at me blankly, surprised by my outburst. "I'm fed up with all this bickering. Bronwyn, you're not going to the ball. There will be plenty of other balls this year and you can go to one of those. Jenny, we need to get back to my room, as I need to take you home the old fashioned way. I don't want the police thinking I've hidden your body in the attic. Fluffy…" I was blowed if I knew what to say to Fluffy.

"Meep, meep, meep." [Good night, Jake. I will keep Bronwyn company until she is ready to leave.]

"Just what I was going to suggest," I lied.

It was nearly midnight when I kissed Jenny goodnight outside her house. Jenny waved to the officers in the police car as she went into her house.

I strolled over to the unmarked police car where it hid at the end of the road.

"You couldn't give me a lift back to my house could you? It's a long walk and you'll wreck your clutch if you drive all the way at five miles per hour."

"Hop in then," the driver said gruffly.

"You don't go out much, do you?" the driver's partner asked as we set off down the road.

"I find my life rather too exciting as it is, to tell you the truth," I said with absolute honesty.

I found Inspector Thomas in Intensive Care. He was wired up to an array of technology and a machine was breathing for him. There was a table outside the unit with a collection of flowers and cards. He didn't look in good enough shape to notice them.

I commanded the nurse at her station to ignore me and crept into the room. I was freaked out that any wish of mine could have put a man in this state. It was neither reasonable nor nice. I had killed two men by accident only the night before when my defensive shield caught them, but I saw that as totally different to this.

Here was a good man trying to do his job and I'd hurt him simply because he annoyed me. Some guy once said that with great power comes great responsibility and I was beginning to figure out what he meant.

I placed my hand on top of the Inspector's and was shocked by how cold and clammy it felt. If it wasn't for the mechanical breathing device and the beep of the heart monitor, I would have been certain he was already dead.

'Get better, you're getting better,' I thought at the Inspector. Nothing seemed to happen so I kept on thinking it. I kept repeating the phrase in my head and pushing positive thoughts at him for many minutes.

I was shocked when his eyes flipped open to stare at me. I dropped his hand and hopped back home, spending the next half-hour gasping on my bed. I hoped he got better because I was certain I wouldn't be visiting him again, whatever his need. Once with the eyes was more than enough.

Jenny called me next morning to say she was home, and could I come over right away? I hopped to her room to see what the problem was.

Jenny wore a black dancing dress certain to attract attention when she wore it at the ball. It was pure silk, with a plunging line at the back that nearly reached her buttocks. The bottom half of the dress became some sort of ruffles with strips of silk dropping below the knees like black licking flames. It was one sexy dress.

"Just in time, Jake. We're going to practice the tango, because I don't want you to get it wrong."

"Eh?" That was something I had taken to saying much too often recently.

"You, me, practice dancing for ball tonight. Understand?"

"Do the people of Salice know the tango?"

"They will after tonight." Jenny pointed to the floor where an old-fashioned ghetto blaster sat. "I stole it from dad's shed. It's got half a ton of batteries in it and my favorite tango CD. We should make a stir in the ballroom tonight."

"You've thought this through."

"Esmeralda is going to try something to upstage me and I thought I'd go prepared and ready to fight back."

"Can't I just learn the dance from you later?" I asked plaintively. The last thing I wanted to do was spend the morning practicing dancing.

"The tango is more than a dance. It's sex on the dance floor. You need to practice."

"This is beginning to sound more interesting. What am I going to wear tonight?"

"That's what gave me the idea," Jenny said grinning. "That gay wizard costume they made you is ideal for the tango. The tight trousers will show off your legs brilliantly."

We got into position and I absorbed the knowledge of how to do the dance from Jenny's mind. My legs started aching in anticipation. Dancing is mainly a hind-brain thing but my conscious mind picked up enough to know this was definitely going to hurt. Jenny started the music and we began.

Half an hour later and I felt like I'd run a marathon. Muscles at the back of my legs I didn't even know I had, screamed out for mercy.

"Why don't you use your magic to heal yourself?" Jenny suggested.

It sounded insane, but when I gave it a try, it worked. I willed my muscles into better shape and that worked too.

Jenny placed her hands in all sorts of places and laughed.

"I just have to try out the new improved Jake Morrissey."

She was not disappointed.

We arrived at our room in the Palace at four thirty that afternoon. The police must have been getting very bored with staring at my house by then. As far as they were concerned I had never left it.

I changed into my fancy black wizard's outfit with the cloak and spun around so Jenny could admire me.

"We must get you to a barber soon Jake. You are beginning to look like a hippy."

Now that's what I mean about women. You dress up for them, learn their dances and all they do is criticize. But try telling them a dress they're wearing makes their bottom stick out and you're lucky if they'll talk to you again that century.

Esmeralda knocked at our door at five. I took the precaution of locking it and leaving the key half turned again. I ticked my mental score card as one up for me. This may be petty, but scoring points over Esmeralda was one of my few pleasures.

"Welcome fiancé… and friend to the Friendship Ball."

"How nice to see you, Esmeralda," Jenny said sweetly. "I suppose with Jake away all the time, you have to keep your hand in, if you want any pleasure."

"All men have base needs, and will find something conveniently base to satisfy those needs, when perfection is not available."

"I will concede that in the Princess of Salice, its country has found the perfect… bitch."

"Girls, can we keep the fighting to a minimum? This is supposed to be the Friendship Ball."

"It would be beneath my dignity to fight your girlfriend," Esmeralda dripped scorn over the last word. I've rarely heard it done better.

"That's what all those who know they would lose end up saying."

Jenny's parry certainly had Esmeralda's eyes flashing. I wondered if the main event would be the cat fight on the dance floor. Both girls seemed to be dead set on it.

"Jake, bring dad's ghetto blaster," Jenny said as both girls stalked out of the room.

The pleasantries before the dancing were far from pleasant. King Petre wanted to know if I wanted a late summer or earlier autumn wedding and I prevaricated as best I could. Esmeralda took Jenny on a tour of all the oldest and dowdiest ladies at the ball, making a point to comment on Jenny's dress, which was orders of magnitude more skimpy than anything worn by any of the other women present.

Jenny smiled her knowing smile at each barbed comment. Personally, I had my doubts our dancing would set the place on fire, but Jenny had no doubts at all.

"Hi Jake," said a grinning young girl. It took me a second to recognize Bronwyn. Someone had tied up her striking black hair in buns and she looked more like Princess Leia than a Welsh schoolgirl.

"Bronwyn, what about your parents? Where do they think you are?"

"I've left home. I'm going to live in Salice with Esmeralda."

I stared at the girl uncomprehendingly. "You mean, you've left home?"

"They broke into my room before I hopped back last night. When I got back home they thought I'd been out without their permission and my dad spanked me, really hard. So this morning I packed all my things and hopped here. I'm never going back, Jake, so don't try arguing with me."

Just when you thought things couldn't possibly get any worse…, I thought as I looked into Bronwyn's determined eyes. Still, in reality it could have been much worse. Spanking a young wizard coming into their powers and especially one with no conscience could have been more than a little dangerous.

"Hi Bronwyn," Jenny said cheerfully. "I see you came after all."

"I wouldn't have missed it for the world. Salice is cool!"

"Jake, I've spoken to the orchestra and told them we're going to provide our own music as it's in a style they don't know. I've promised to let them try and copy it for the second dance."

"Is that wise?"

"I hardly care. Your second dance is with Esmeralda. It's all arranged."

You have to admire my girlfriend. When Jenny sets her mind on destroying someone, she doesn't use half measures.

The other guests started to file into the ballroom and Jenny and I strolled along with them. Jenny's father's ghetto blaster sat on the edge of the stage and was attracting a number of whispered comments.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," Jenny said loudly. The whispering stopped and everyone turned to look at her. "The Wizard Morrissey and I come from the far off land of Wales and we wish to entertain you with a dance that comes from that place. The Wizard Morrissey has brought a magic music box which will provide the accompaniment. I'm sure that no dance in our world can be as sophisticated as those in Salice, but can I ask for your forbearance at our humble efforts."

I thought her speech was laying it on a bit thick.

"Please show us this dance Lady Jenny," Queen Janti said eagerly. "We are greatly intrigued by the world that you and the Wizard Morrissey come from."

Jenny winked at me. She started the CD and moved to my side.

There were many gasps as we danced. I was beginning to enjoy the tango. It isn't quite my idea of what sex on the dance floor consists off, but then it’s the next best thing if you're being watched.

When we stopped there was a long pause before the hall erupted in ecstatic applause.

Jenny was flushed from the dance and, I suspect, a little triumphant. She took me over to the wide-eyed Esmeralda and put my hand gently into the Princess’.

"Your turn, dear. Knock 'em dead."

Jenny walked to the edge of the dance floor triumphantly and stood casually alongside the King and Queen. The orchestra was tuning up nervously as Esmeralda and I made our way to the center of the floor.

I don't know what Esmeralda was expecting the orchestra to play but they made a valiant attempt at the tango. Esmeralda pulled her hands away from mine and stormed off. I was left standing all on my own, looking and feeling more than a little foolish.

I bowed low three times, taking in the three sides of the room where the guests were standing and then I turned and applauded the orchestra. They were making a staggeringly good go at the tune and I was impressed.

The rest of the ballroom joined in and the orchestra came to a ragged stop before taking a well-deserved bow. Then they started up a waltz beat tune and I walked off the floor towards Jenny.

"When did this friendly rivalry of yours and Esmeralda's turn into an all-out war?" I whispered.

"When she tried to get you to go to one of these do's without me."

"You told me that you probably wouldn't be able to come to all of them."

"That, Jake, is entirely beside the point. Esmeralda hasn't accepted you're not going to marry her. That is the point."