Part Three

Waiting for Dawn

Elisa sat in a comfy chair, mouth hanging open in shock, as she absorbed the tale before her.  Or the lack thereof, in Lexington's case.  (Tale, tail – close enough, fussy!)

            Brooklyn and Lex finished relating their plan, Lex sprawled on the floor in the clock tower, still unable to keep his balance with a missing appendage, and Brooklyn noticeably keeping his right arm behind his back.

            Broadway sat in a corner, still bawling, Goliath was still trying to hide behind the couch, and Hudson was wondering why no one would talk to him.

            Elisa finally shook herself, forcing her startled mind to work properly.

            "I don't understand who could have done this!" she exclaimed.  "It's hard enough to get up here as it is – and besides, no one knows you live here!  How and why.  I wonder.  Hm."

            "Elisa," Brooklyn pleaded, kneeling before her in proper begging position (except that instead of his hands being folded in pleading mode, one hand held onto the stump of the other), "please help us!!  As soon as the sun rises, you need to some how put us back together!  It's the only chance we have!!  We can't go on living like this – that would be silly!!!"

            Detective Maza looked down into those earnest, desperate, pleading eyes and sighed.

            "Of course I'll try to help you, Brooklyn.  I'm just . . . startled that this happened, that's all.  Do you . . . have any thoughts as to how I should . . . euh . . . put you back together?"

            Brooklyn blinked, shrugged, and turned to Lexington.

            " . . . well, two options come to mind," the clever little Gargoyle stated.  "Krazy Glue, or Fluffer Nutter."

            Elisa frowned.

            "I outright refuse to be seen buying anything with the name Fluffer Nutter.  You guys hang tight – I'll go get some Krazy Glue.  Make sure you all have all your pieces!"

            "Good point," Lexington agreed, throwing a dirty look at Broadway, who was still weeping uselessly.

            Elisa left them then to deal with their dilemma and headed for the local CVS.  Not only did she know they carried the glue in question, but she'd heard that they still had clearance Christmas Candy in stock, and was hoping to load up on Santa-shaped gumdrops.

            Brooklyn looked at Lex and sighed.

            "Well, since I'm the only one who still has both mobility and my wits, I guess I should go collect Goliath's teeth . . . "

            A whine came from behind the couch.

            "Aw, grow up."

            Lex grimaced as Brooklyn left the room to pick up missing Gargoyle pieces and turned to Broadway.

            "Broadway . . . it's okay, buddy.  Stop crying."

            " . . . my poor toes . . . "

            "Do you have them all?  Do you have all of your toes, or are some missing?  Broadway, do you have all of your toes?"

            " . . . my toes . . . "

            Lexington sighed.

            "Brooklyn!" he called.  "Make sure there aren't any spare toes laying around, too!"

            Hudson was glaring evilly at the TV.

            "I canna hear a word they're sayin'!!" he yelled, outraged.

            "You don't have any ears, Hudson."

            " . . . "  Hudson, having not heard the reply, didn't say anything.

            Brooklyn came back in carrying a set of teeth and a toe in his hand and two ears wrapped up in his tail.

            "I think this is everything.  You have your tail.  My hand is on the couch.  Broadway has the rest of his toes.  Elisa's getting the glue.  What now?"

            "Now?" Lexington repeated, baffled.  "I . . . can't think of anything else."

            "Hm."  Brooklyn flopped onto the couch next to his hand.  "Then all we can do is wait for dawn.  That's a long way away."

            "Well, we can't exactly go on patrol when we're like this."

            "I know.  We need to kill time."  He sighed and grabbed another can of cat food from another secret place.  "Hungry?"

            "Um . . . no."

            A long awkward silence fell over the clock tower, broken only by the blaring television, Broadway's wailing, and Goliath's perpetual whining.

            Finally, Brooklyn cleared his throat.

            "Um . . . wanna play twenty questions?"

            "Sure, why not."

            "Right – you go first."

            "Okay – are you wood?"

            "No."

            "Are you stone?"

            "No."

            "Are you metal?"

            "No."

            "Are you dairy?"

            " . . . yeah."

            "Are you cheese?"

            " . . . yeah."

            "Brooklyn, are you a slice of provolone?"

            " *sigh*  Yeah."

            Another long awkward silence.

            "Lex?"

            "Yeah?"

            "This is gonna be a long night."

            "I think you're right."

            Elisa then came bounding back up into the clock tower.

            "Hey, guys!  I'm back!  I got the glue – and some hollow milk chocolate snowmen!"

            Broadway sniffled, but looked up with cognizance for the first time that night.

            " . . . hollow . . . milk . . . chocolate . . . . . . . . . snowmen?"

            Elisa smiled gently, handing a box to him.

            "Eat all you like, big guy!" she suggested.  "You'll feel better."

            She turned and tapped Hudson on the shoulder, giving him a box as well.

            "Aye!  I didna hear ye come in, lass!  Been here long?"

            "No, I just got back."

            "I said, been here long?"

            Elisa sighed and turned to Lex and Brooklyn.

            "So?"

            They shrugged.

            "We have all our pieces," Brooklyn said, pointing to where they'd put all the pieces (except for Broadway's toes, which he was still clinging to) in little piles.  "We just need to wait for dawn."

            Elisa made a face.

            "Yeah – I can see how that would be rough.  Chocolate snowman?"

            "Please."

            She gave them each a box of hollow milk chocolate snowmen, then carefully crept behind the couch to confront Goliath.

            "Goliath . . . "

            The big one whined and took off, dashing outside to find another pigeon to hide behind.  She took off right after him.

            "Goliath, wait!  You don't need to hide from me!  I – I understand, I really do!  C'mon, Goliath!  You know me better than to think I'd judge you just because you don't have any teeth!!"

            A mournful howl arose outside.

            Elisa sighed, shaking her head.

            "Lost cause.  So what're you two planning on doing all night?"

            Lex and Brooklyn again shrugged.

            "Cat food?" Brooklyn offered politely.

            Elisa politely declined.  Instead, she offered a suggestion.

            "Let's play twenty questions!"

            Brooklyn groaned and wrapped his wings completely around him so no one could see his face.

            "Okay!" Lex agreed.  "You go first."

            "Are you mammal?"

            "No."

            "Reptile?"

            "No."

            "Amphibian?"

            " . . . yes."

            "Are you a fish?"

            "Yes."

            "Freshwater?"

            "Yes."

            "Lexington, are you a trout?"

            "Yep."

            "Hm."