The local jail was composed of stone cells with thick rough iron bars embedded in the windows, a large oak door with one small window. The floor was covered with straw.
Piper had seen horse stalls that were better furnished and cleaner. The straw was moldy and smelly. A bucket sat in the middle of the eight foot by eight foot cell that was used at the W.C. Piper had pushed all the straw toward the middle of the cell, as she had taken up residence in the corner. She was afraid of one thing. Rats!
Throughout her career as a witch she had learned to face all kinds of smelly and nasty demons and warlocks, but she never lost her fear of rats. Her fears were never as great now as they had been since a specific night in that magic club that was run by rat demons. Tonight she had another reason to hate the filthy beasts. Plague. The Black Death. The rats spread it around all of London, much of England and the entire European continent. No matter how tired she was, she wasn't going to put her rat guard down. Some peasant might find lying down and getting a good night's sleep in the moldy straw a blessing, but Piper was gong to stay exactly where she was. Too bad she couldn't freeze herself.
After appearing in the same alley as Piper, Leo and Henry followed Paige into the street. Leo looked quite determined staying with Paige, while Henry looked forward but couldn't help but peek clandestinely at everything around him. The street, the shops, the signs and especially the people. Henry knew that every one of them was long dead and that one fact seemed to fascinate him.
Leo whispered to Paige, "Henry and I should really lead the way."
Paige shrugged. "Of course, my lord and master," she kidded him knowing that as a woman she had lost every sight ever earned by her sex by visiting the seventeenth century. "It's up there on the right," whispered Paige. "The Quiet Stone."
All three entered the shop as the same proprietor looked impressed as three such well-dressed customers entered his humble little shop.
"Good day, good sirs and mistress. Welcome! What be thy needs?" he said opening up his arms and smiling broadly.
"Good day," replied Leo. "Hast thou seen a woman? This high, long dark hair wearing a cloak?"
He lost his smile. "Aye. She didst enter my shop and steal from me with her witchy powers."
Paige looked startled. Not only was their little secret out, but this fact did not seem to faze a middle-class storekeeper of seventeenth century London.
"Where doth she reside at the present time?" asked Leo.
"The constable be holding her now," he said a bit overbearingly. "She be no more trouble to the good people of London. How doth thee know of her?"
"We be her relations," said Leo. "And we art interested in the same bauble as she. It belongs to our family from times way past. Dost thou still possess it?"
He looked like he was being cagey as he admitted. "Aye. But thou art nie the only good people with interest in it."
"Our interest in it is quite genuine, good sir," asked Leo. "What be thy price?"
"25 pounds!" he replied increasing the last price due to the sudden interest in what he thought was a minor medallion.
"Done!" replied Leo tapping the counter. He looked at Paige who immediately materialized the necessary coins with her cloak.
"Pay him," Leo said trying to not sound condescending.
Paige reached in and dropped the coins on the counter one by one as the eyes of the proprietor kept increasing in size. There on the counter lay two weeks profit in one single purchase.
"Thou art good customers," he said pushing the coins into a strongbox. "This little medallion is yours. But beware. There may be bad karma about. And thou best leave the guilt of your relation to the magistrate. All of Berrytown hast seen her trickery."
"Many thanks for thou advice. Good day sir," said Leo as they walked out. They could hear the shopkeeper counting his sudden wealth.
"No haggling?" asked Henry.
"Paige could come up with any price he asked for. Besides in three days time, they'll vanish in the fire as would have the medallion. We haven't really affected things back here that much," replied Leo.
"If I knew it was that easy, we'd been millionaires years ago," said Paige quietly.
Henry looked surprised while Leo threw her a knowing glance.
"Of course there would have been consequences. The IRS would have immediately broken down our door. No one but warlocks ever get ahead in the magic game. Oh, well. Prosperity will just have to come the mortal way." Paige was really kidding for she was very happy with her life and family.
"Now where is the local jail?' asked Leo.
"Probably in the most centralized part of town," remarked Henry.
"Not necessarily," said Paige. "How about that stone building label GAOL?" she asked.
Leo looked rather anxious. "Great! Now orb in, find her and get her out. We'll meet you that alley!"
"One medieval jailbreak coming up," said Paige as she disappeared.
Piper was crawling up the wall as two menacing looking rats wandered across her floor. Even though they seemed to ignore her, Piper was still shaking in her antique shoes.
A sudden white light lit up the darkness.
"Paige! What are you doing?" she asked not smiling due her terror.
"Rescue rangers reporting! Let's blow this joint!" she said reaching out and then holding on tightly to Piper.
"That was my idea, but I didn't think I get far away after I demolished the entire north wall," she said wrapped up in Paige's arms. "Beam us out of here!"
They both disappeared and then reappeared in the alley.
"Leo. Oh my God! What are you doing here. And Henry? What is this a family reunion? Not that I'm complaining. Oh it's good to see you all!" she said kissing him again and again. "I was so sure I'd up kindling on some witchy pyre."
"I am very relieved too, but let's quickly get out of here!" insisted Leo.
"No! No! No! No! No! We have to get the time travel amulet. In the wrong hands it could spell disaster," explained Piper while never letting go of Leo.
"First they have to figure it out," suggested Paige.
"The fire is starting tomorrow. We don't have much time. This whole part of the city ends up in ashes," explained Leo.
"Isn't that Chicago?" asked Piper.
"Not from what I've seen around here. No fire protection. Shoddy construction. Dry and rotten wood structures. This place is a tinderbox," observed Henry.
"Like I said we have to hurry. Now where do we find it?" asked Leo.
Piper shook her head. "They took everything from me. I don't know where their evidence room is," said Piper shaking her head.
Henry looked confused. "How do we ask for it without drawing attention to ourselves?"
"Easy," said Paige. "AMULET!" cried Paige as she stuck her hand out.
Nothing happened.
"Amulet!" she repeated.
"Time traveling amulet!"
"Damn amulet!"
"Wonderful time traveling amulet!"
"Time traveling thingy!"
"Magnificent portal opening cross-dimensional piece of jewelry!"
"Stupid junk!" cried Paige as she finally gave up. "I'm sorry, but I'm just not focused enough or it's beyond my range," sighed Paige.
Piper patted her. "You did your best. Now maybe we can try scrying."
"Maybe, but where do we get a good map of London?" asked Leo.
"And no scrying crystal," added Piper as she buried her head in Leo's chest.
Paige lit up. "Ah, I have one in my Wiccan first aid kit. One never knows when they need powered toadstool or … Ta da! A scrying crystal! Sometimes I'm far from my cauldron."
"Where's your cauldron?" asked her husband.
Paige patted him on the chest. "Just an expression, Henry. I still do most of the witch stuff in the Manor attic as always. Now maybe be can find some kind of road map at ye old bookie shoppie. Let's get going!"
The four adventurers were about to leave when Piper suddenly exclaimed, "Hey wait a minute! I'm wanted around these parts and I don't care to be turned into a Warren barbeque!"
Paige again lit up. "I'll take care of that too!"
"What would we do without you?" Piper asked just slightly sarcastically.
"Probably be in even more trouble! Zibo lima mandri rex!" she exclaimed as Piper turned into a blonde beauty.
Piper looked in a nearby dirty window. "Whoa? Where did that come from!" she asked stammering at her new look.
"Probably from People Magazine. Sorta a cross between a young Madonna and Kelly Ripa. With a little Playmate of the Month thrown in for good measure," replied Paige looking very satisfied with her work.
"And this is suppose to keep attention from us?" asked poor Piper as both their male companions had a hard time keeping their eyes off of her.
"Look I've been in the people designing business for quite a while. Do you want the Crone of Cawdor?" asked Paige who seemed as peeved as Piper sometiems got.
Piper looked one more time at the vision she had become. "No I guess I can like with it for a day. At least these people now how to treat a true LADY. All right Scooby Gang let's go find the Londonderry auto club!' she quipped.
