Six days passed. Gradually, I got used to living in the village. I met several other mimigas, found my way to several more convenient locations in and around the village, and tried several more delicious types of flowers in my meals.

My new life, however, was not normal or relaxed. I narrowly avoided being found by my family on multiple occasions; in fact, I was now living in the command chamber of the old Egg Corridor, since they inhabited Arthur's house.

Mostly, I concerned myself with research and travel to the Sand Zone, because I knew that Professor Booster's offer was short lived. If I didn't get him to Jenka's home by the end of the week, he would tell my mother where I was. Once or twice, as he followed behind my mother, he would pause and sniff the air, and turn to look at the brush I was hidden in, before moving on.

So naturally, I was excited when I finally got a local teleporter linked to the Sand Zone.

Testing it, I found myself in a barren land, surrounded by, (predictably enough), sand. I praised my luck when I saw Jenka's small cottage tucked into the cave wall just up a short, sandy slope. Getting here with Professor Booster would be a breeze, which meant I would no longer be in danger of being given away by him.

The next morning, I hid outside Arthur's House, and when the Professor came outdoors, I confronted him.

"Well, Sue," he said. "Today is the day. Have you found me a way to reach the Sand Zone?"

"I have," I said. "Now, let me make sure this is clear. Once I lead you to this Jenka woman, you will completely drop the idea of telling my mom and Kazuma my whereabouts, right?"

Professor Booster sighed. "I honestly don't know why any of this is going on, Sue," he said. "But that was the deal. I will keep quiet."

"Good," I answered. "Follow me."

The two of us walked briskly to the local teleporter, and with a flip of a switch, we were standing in the sand zone. I led the Professor up the hill, and we stood in front of Jenka's house.

Booster sat down on a flat rock. "Well, go on." He said. "Make sure she's available. If she's ready to see me, come back and let me in."

I nodded, and knocked on the door.

"Come in," called a soft, calm, female voice. "The door isn't locked."

I cautiously entered. Immediately, several dogs scampered over to sniff at me and run around, interested in the visitor. The cottage was small and bland. The only features were a small bed, a bookcase full of ancient, dusty books, and a small wooden desk, at which a bent and wrinkled old woman sat.

"Are you Jenka?" I asked hesitantly.

"Yes, dear," she answered. "But my! What is a mimiga like yourself doing out here?"

She stood and hobbled slowly toward me, but stopped when she was a few feet away.

"Ah, but now that I look more closely, I see you are a mimiga, but perhaps not the same as the others. Am I right in assuming that this is not the form in which you were born?"

"That… that's right," I answered. "You can tell?"

"The essence of magic lies upon you. Not particularly pure magic either. I can practically see my daughter's signature written on you."

"Well, yes," I responded. "Misery is the one responsible."

"So you wish for me to reverse the spell?" she asked.

"Woah! No, no no," I responded. "I want to be a mimiga! I came about something totally different."

"Might it have anything to do with the man sitting outside?"

There was no way Jenka could have possibly known Booster was outside. Then again, her magic was so powerful, little things like that seemed completely natural for her.

"Professor!" I called. "Come in!"

There was a brief moment of silence, and then Professor Booster appeared in the doorway.

Jenka scrutinized him for a moment. "Why… aren't you the funny little fellow I rescued from the labyrinth just around a year ago?"

Booster cringed a bit at being called a "funny little fellow", but he began to speak anyway.

"Yes. Jenka, the woman who saved me. I remember you well. In fact, I asked young Sue here to aid me in finding you again."

"Whatever for?" Jenka asked. "You have had your ailments cured, I returned you to safety. What else would you need from me?"

Booster was silent for a long time. "…I wanted to thank you. Sincerely. Perhaps I mumbled a word of gratitude when you tended a wound of mine, or brought me something to eat, but I was sent back to the mimiga village before my condition was fully well again, and I realized, I never had a chance to truly thank you, in a way to show my profound gratitude for your aid in a time most dire, rather than just the pleasantries and polite thanks I gave while here before."

Jenka stared at Booster, her small eyes peering through her enormous spectacles, and into his red goggles. "Not in a long time have I seen a person on this island with such a graceful tongue and thankful heart. 'Thank you' is a magical phrase, Professor."

"I wouldn't put it that way," said Booster. "I was just trying to give a just response to the care I received. I don't know if I'd say it was 'magical'.

"Oh? And why is that?"

"Because, as a man of science, I know of course that there is no such thing as magic."

I nearly laughed out loud watching this. Did Professor Booster have any idea who he was talking to? I honestly didn't care how scientific he was; there was no way he could say Jenka possessed no magical abilities.

Jenka looked both annoyed and amused. "No such thing as magic? Professor, magic is all around us. Magic weaves its way into the lives of the greatest and least of us all."

If this was an animated movie, Jenka surely would have broken into song after a corny line like that. Professor Booster however, being old, didn't quite have the same sense of corny as today's generation, and he responded with a corny phrase of his own.

You're right, my dear woman. There is one sort of magic, I suppose. It is the magic of science! The world is a complex place. Explaining the methodology, finding the truths, the unbreakable laws in the world around you, that's the real magic of our planet."

I didn't understand why Jenka didn't simply use her power to prove the Professor wrong. She seemed to have a more tactful way of doing it.

"Then Professor… Booster, was it? Explain some of the island's phenomena. Like why this girl is a mimiga now. That was brought about by a spell, was it not?"

"Not truly a spell," said Booster. "I believe it is simply a complex technology, calibrated to emit specific radiation that breaks and rearranges the DNA to produce a mimiga form without harming the body. Fascinating, but not impossible. Momorin Sakamoto found a way to reverse the effect."

I knew inside that the Professor was wrong, but it would be no use explaining that to him.

Jenka just smiled. "There are much harder examples to explain, but I'll leave you to think what you want for the moment. But consider this; perhaps not only is there a magic to science; perhaps there is actually a science of magic as well. Think of it that way, classifying magic into another category of your fabulous scientific web. Consider things science can't explain, things like gratitude, like that you found you needed to show me before you could be pleased inside. There is magic to gratitude, and for that matter there is magic to the soul. There is magic in love, magic in the very force of life! Perhaps the only reason you don't believe is that this 'hidden science' is too complicated for you. Is that it, Professor Booster?"

That did it. I figured Professor Booster and Jenka were about to enter an argument that would span years.

"Really?" asked the professor. "You imply that this 'science' is too much for me? We need to meet often and talk about this. I must be going now, before my associates miss me, but I shall visit again promptly. The science of magic… or magic of science… or perhaps, they're one in the same? No, no. I shall bring more input for this topic in a day or two."

Professor Booster said a respectful farewell, and Jenka responded similarly, a pleased smile on her face. He marched out the door, and I waved goodbye to Jenka before following.

We walked back toward the teleporter. "Pulsing Protons, that woman is infuriating." The Professor fumed, turning to his unusual habit of using scientific alliteration to express his anger. Then all of a sudden, he said something I hadn't expected.

"I've never had such a wonderful conversation in all my life."

Professor Booster once again let me know that I was in no danger of being given away by him, and we stepped through the teleporter together.

I think something changed in Booster's worldview that day. Perhaps a little something had changed in mine as well.