"What were you thinking, Icy!" scolds Alysoun the next morning when she visits and I tell her of the net talisman and how it melted into Stormy's body. "You took a terrible risk putting that thing on her like that," she continues, emphasising her word with gestures and agitated flapping of her wings. "It could have been meant to kill her. You should have at least cast an Ostende Mihi spell on it before putting it on Stormy."
"I had no reason to mistrust the source of this gift," I reply defensively. "If my admirer wanted us dead, she could have done it months ago. If the net talisman was meant to kill Stormy, why haven't I been done in by any of her gifts to me?" I add pointing out my new etched silver dragon motif gorget with its inlaid bits of red sapphire to represent the dragon's eye and the dragon's fiery breath – a gift from her that I now wear in place of my Gloomix talisman.
"I don't know," replies Alysoun, letting out a sigh, "nevertheless, you should be more careful."
"So, what does this net talisman do? Can you tell us that much, Alysoun?" asks Darcy bringing the conversation back to more practical matters.
"I have done a sonic probe into the parts of Stormy's body that I can look into," explains Alysoun. "The network has sent tendrils from itself into most every organ of Stormy's body. These tendrils appear to be bleeding off electrical energy from her organs and routing it to the Whisperian crystal which now acts as an accumulator and a discharge unit as well. When the Whisperian crystal has a surplus of energy, it releases it harmlessly as light."
"That sounds like wonderful news to me," I reply, smiling. "It looks like there will be no more need for discharge bracelets or a special chair or a special bed with a built-in discharge unit. Stormy has her freedom and we have back ours to a degree. It also seems to have done wonders for her disposition. I've never seen her so relaxed and cheerful in my life."
"True," says Darcy, a little more dubiously, "but this talisman may very well spell Stormy's ruin as a Storm-Witch."
"Perhaps other talents will emerge," replies Alysoun to Darcy's misgivings about Stormy. "I have often heard you say how she has moments of uncanny clairvoyance and Icy also mentioned to me her inventiveness. Perhaps these talents will develop now that her mind has quieted and she can concentrate fully on them."
"I guess it is all wait and see," I sigh, "but Stormy as we once knew her is no more... and this new person... we might as well call her Leffi."
I hear singing coming from the livingroom. One voice is Stormy's sweet, young soprano but the other... I hesitate to believe what I'm hearing. "I thought that Stormy could start relearning Witchspeak by learning some simple songs," says Darcy. "Shall we join her?"
We find Stormy in the livingroom curled up on a love seat singing her heart out while her Whisperian crystal pulses in cadence. The second voice is that of the automatron we have come to call Housekeeper. Housekeeper's voice, although singing in flawless Witchspeak, is a perfect imitation of the mature soprano belonging to Miss Faragonda, the headmistress of Alfea Collage. One thing I have to say for Miss Faragonda is that Faerie can sing. Our Miss Griffin could not hold a tune in a basket even if her life depended on it. Yet, it is a riot to hear Miss Faragonda's voice singing the Alfean Planetary Anthem, O Radiant Jewel Amongst The Stars, as a duet with Stormy – and in Witchspeak no less.
"Well, done, Stormy!" praises Darcy first in Witchspeak then repeats it in Gaelic. "Ladies, shall we sing harmony with Stormy?" And so the five of us make beautiful music together. Stormy and Housekeeper sing a soprano descant while I sing the mezzo melody, Darcy sings tenor harmony and Alysoun warbles and trills a ground.
"Hey, we make a pretty good quintet," I say and the others agree. "Perhaps with a few more voices, we could have rocking Witch choir."
"That's not a bad idea," says Darcy slyly, "but I wouldn't invite Lupa to sing with us when any of the moons are full or else all we'll ever hear from her is 'Aaaa-rooo!'"
