The Saga Continues

“Cheese balls?”  Writer Lady asks.

“Yeah, TP coated the cheese balls with some magic stuff that streamlined them.  So they would go faster.”

“Did they?”

“Oh yeah.”   Ray answers with a grin.  “The first ones moved so fast that they burned the plastic.  No track could hold them.  So TP made them fly.”

“Flying would be the next logical step.”  Writer Lady agrees.

“TP filled a bag with faerie dust.   He put another slick coating on over that so we didn't lose any speed.   Those balls were flying everywhere.  Across the floor, on to the furniture.   They made bright orange tracks along the walls.   The walls looked really cool.   You would have loved it man.   TP said some words and waved his hands and then those cheese balls really picked up speed.  One took out a lamp.  Another one broke that ugly glass thing everyone avoids but you never put flowers in.”

“My great- great-great grandmother's vase?”

Ray nods.

“The one that was supposed to have sunk on the Titanic but her best friend saved it by holding like it was a baby until she reached dry land.  That one?”

“Ye...yeah.”  Ray says.

Writer Lady's face contorts into something scary.  She takes a deep breath and her face relaxes.   She says, “Continue.”

“The first cheese ball flew into Diomedes' mouth by accident.  The rest just like...followed.”

“Diomedes ate a whole bag of cheese balls?”

Ray nods.

“A whole bag of cheese balls that had been rolling all over the dirty carpet, furniture, walls, then been coated with magical goo?”  Writer Lady asks.

“How dirty do you mean?  Because the carpet looked okay to me.”

“Clean but not clean enough to eat off of.”

“Oh.”  Ray says paling a little.  “Faerie dust.   They had faerie dust on them too.” He reminds her.

“No.  Let's not forget that.  TP uses that dust for just about everything.  We have no clue what's in that!   No wonder the poor dragon is sick.”  Writer Lady's eyes scan the room looking for the guilty party.  TP has not moved from his spot near the monitor.  Watching and giggling as Tinkletoes, Dobby, House, and Mural Man try to help Diomedes.  “You.”  She says glaring at the faerie.

“Ooops.  Time to go.”   TP says.

“Not so fast.”  Writer Lady says, catching him in her hands.  “You have made a mess.  A big one.  It's time you helped clean it up.”

A high pitched noise is heard coming from Writer Lady's closed hands.  “What?” She asks.

“Let me.”  Ray leans down and puts an ear to Writer Lady's hands.

“Say that again TP.”  Writer Lady says.

TP repeats himself.

“Romantic quest.”  Ray says.  “He can't help because it Tinkletoes' romantic quest.”

“Romantic quest!  Ask TP how many romantic quests are there in which the ill-behaved imp who started it to begin with sits on the sidelines, watches, and laughs.”

Ray listens.  “More than you think?”  He interprets.

Writer Lady shakes her head.  “He tried but this is not your typical situation. Tinkletoes deserves more help, help from you TP and he's going to get it.”

There is more high-pitched chattering.

“You'll cut off Tinkletoes' nuts.”  Ray reminds her.

“Surely Tinkletoes has more confidence than to think that fixing one mess like this makes him a bigger man.”

More chatter.

“TP says he doesn't think he is and you'll be cutting off his nuts.”

“Fine.”  Writer Lady says.  “When this is all over I'll sew them back on again.    He won't even know they're gone.”

Ray raises his head and stands up.   “I hate to tell you this man.  But I think he's gonna notice.”

“I'll have to find a way to make it up to him then won't I?   I'll owe him one.”

“It might not be a complete disaster.”   Ray assents.  “Maybe if you invented some super delicious new Dragon Slayer cupcakes.  He might feel better.”

Peter and Dylan return from outside in time to hear about the food.

“I know goodies always make me feel better.”  Ray says.

Dylan looks at Ray and nods in agreement.

“So losing your masculinity is okay as long as there are cupcakes?”  Writer Lady asks.  “That's the message I'm getting.”

Ray, Peter, and Dylan all look at each other.   “It helps.”  Dylan says.

Diomedes stands in the center of the living room.   The dragon is changing colors more slowly and he seems less stressed.

“It was the cheese balls.  Dragons must be allergic to cheese balls.”  Dobby says.

“Are you, um...lactose intolerant?”  Mural Man asks.

“No.”  Diomedes answers.  “I am a magical creature.  I can eat whatever I like and reject whatever I don't like.  It all metabolizes the same.”

“When you reject it?  How does a dragon do that?”  Mural Man asks.

“I say, “Eu...” and make a disagreeable face.”

“You don't eat it?”  Tinkletoes asks.

“Only one bite.”  Diomedes responds.

“A rejected food wouldn't do this then.”  Tinkletoes says.

“That is correct.”   The dragon agrees.

“Then it must be some type of parasite.”  Mural Man says.

Tinkletoes looks at Mural Man, “What?   Did Monitor Man play a veterinarian once too?”

“He auditioned for a role as a zoologist.  Unfortunately, he didn't get it.”

“Yeah, well you win some and you lose some.”   Tinkletoes says looking briefly towards the bonus room.  Tinkletoes looks back at Diomedes.  “If you've got some kind of bug or worm living in there it only means one thing.  We need to find out what it is so that the enemy can be neutralized.  Bend over.”