Ch. 12: Preview #6

Nearing the end of Chapter 12 now (there'll be another chapter covering the rest of the Exhibition). Let's see how much Theo's ego inflates :)

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☄☄ “Impossible!”☄☄ cursed the unseen woman.  ☄☄ “Rrrrghh… but no matter.” ☄☄

Theo leaped over the pit, darted around the battlement—and there was Jen, in that conflicting dress.  So muscular and feminine at once.  Still tied to the plank, which had been wheeled in front of a shallow pool of smoky gray liquid.  The real Panthers surrounded her.

But the look on his Mighty’s face stopped him cold.

Jen cycled through disbelief, shock, and crushing dismay at seeing what had become of her Mouse.  She barely recognized him and could only assume that her absolute worst fears had been realized.  After all her efforts with him, he’d decided to grow!

How COULD he!?!  Panic clutched at her chest.  She’d even spanked him to make sure he behaved! Where had she gone wrong!?

☄☄ “You have been more troublesome than expected, Mouse,” ☄☄ the feminine voice drawled.  ☄☄ “Just for that, I will punish your Mighty after all.  Begin!” ☄☄

Skylar turned a crank, dropping Jen into the gray pool from head to toe.  She came up gasping, sputtering, indignified.  And a tingling feeling was already spreading.

☄☄ “It needn’t have come to this, foolish Mouse.  Oh well.” ☄☄

Theo had dashed to the edge of the pool, just in time to see Jen shrinking.

☄☄ “Again!” ☄☄

“No!” Theo yelped, knowing he had to try to stop this somehow.  Jen would literally murder him, unless … Agh, what could he do?  Brandishing his sword at the Panthers only drew their laughs.  Nora stepped up to him smugly, still a full head taller than him and burly beyond belief.  A warning tilt of her head made him think twice about swinging.

Too late anyway – Skylar dunked Jen in the pool a second time, filling his heart with dread.  He feared Jen’s fury … even though, as she shortened and softened before his eyes, she was now no bigger than him.  He put a shocked hand to his mouth, trying to block out the roiling crowd and comprehend what he was seeing.

☄☄ “Do something!” ☄☄ Jen barked, another nearby mic amplifying her words to scary proportions even with her body diminished.  ☄☄ “Find a way!” ☄☄

He stepped back, raising his arms.  “How?  I…”

The angelic chorus played again, unexpectedly, overlaid by the soothing voice of the Lady of the Lake: ☄☄ “ ‘And the virtuous knight on bent knee gathered his courage.’ ”☄☄

“What?  Uh…”  His eyes returned to Jen, still seeking her guidance out of habit, even though … should he have to?

☄☄ “ ‘The knight bent his knee…’ ”☄☄

The sour Jen huffed.  ☄☄ “I don’t know.  Do it.” ☄☄

He kneeled – and promptly the Lady spoke, as if reciting from the pages of history: ☄☄ “ ‘…For though he faced a fearsome host, his heart was true.’ ”☄☄

“Umm…”

☄☄ “ ‘Thus he raised his sword high, so bright in his enemies’ eyes that it gave light like thirty torches…’ “ ☄☄

He raised the weapon, and blistering, blinding light engulfed the floor.  He gasped and dropped the sword, thinking it was the source—but no, from spotlights above, and behind.  Bright for him, but absolutely blinding to the Panthers.  They shielded their eyes, grunting, staggering.

☄☄ “Go!” ☄☄ Jen barked – but he was already on his feet, charging headlong, a man of action and bravery once more.  He slammed into Nora then Skylar with reckless abandon.  Normally he wouldn’t have budged the giant brutes an inch, but so caught off guard were they that they stumbled, off balance, backward and backward until they plunged into the spiky pit!

“Nooooo!” Nora boomed, as they too hit the foam and lay motionless.  The floodlights dimmed—and the crowd couldn’t stop cheering.

“Whoa.”  Theo staggered and breathed.  Did that really just happen?  “Holy…!”

He stumbled back to the pool in a daze.  I really moved two huge Panthers ten whole feet?  That was incredible.  Obviously, he realized, it was staged.  They let him do it.  But still!