Chapter 2: Isaac's Helpers
"I wonder who Isaac is getting to help him," Sheba thought aloud.
"I don't know, didn't bother to read his mind," Ivan shrugged.
"Yeah, well-"
"Shh! Here comes Picard!"
Ivan held out one hand as the Mercury Adept came ambling up the path, and cast mind read.
*Doo...doobee doo....mm....coffee....hey! I someone reading my mind? STOP READING MY MIND!*
Ivan pulled out, but Picard had already found their hiding place in the bushes.
"Well, if it isn't my two favorite Jupiter Adepts," he grinned at them. "What are you doing hiding in the bushes reading people's minds?"
"Nothing," they answered in unison.
"Oh, really," Picard's grin was becoming strained. "Don't try it again, okay?"
And he walked off down the path.
"Drat," Ivan muttered. "We didn't find out a single thing!"
"We found out he likes coffee," Sheba supplied.
"Yeah, odd, I always saw him as a cup of tea or glass of milk type person," Ivan shrugged. "Well, good point, I'll go report to headquarters, you keep tabs on our Lemurian friend."
And with a slight rustle, Ivan disappeared.
Sheba followed Picard stealthily, sticking to the trees beside the path when she could, always just out of sight. Picard didn't seem to have noticed her yet, but he was getting dangerously close to where the party site was.
*Isaac!* she created the telepathic link with their leader. *He's getting to close.*
*Alright,* Isaac replied. *Now, guys!*
All seventy two Djinni appeared in little flashes of light, crowding around Picard's feet and making the little squeaking noises that they did when they were excited. Sheba was impressed. Only Isaac could convince all of the Djinni that it would be a lot of fun to join forces.
Picard, of course, was forced to stop.
"Hey, what do you guys all want?" he asked, staring down at them.
They all began squeaking more insistent, heading in the opposite direction down the path. A few of them disappeared, then reappeared on top of his head and on his broad shoulders. Two of them (he was pretty sure it was Fever and Spring) bickered for a moment on who got the reigning place in Picard's hair, but Spring won quickly and Fever, making funny little noises, retreated to Picard's crowded shoulders.
"You want me to go that way?" he asked, turning around. Several of the Djinn that had settled in his long hair began disappearing and reappearing, their excitement growing.
"Alright, I guess," he shrugged and began walking in the opposite direction.
Sheba sighed with relief, continuing to follow Picard.
~*Meanwhile*~
Ivan got to where Felix and Mia were, slightly out of breath.
"Picard likes coffee," he announced.
"Coffee?" one of Felix's eyebrows disappeared underneath his hair. "I saw him more as a cup of tea or glass of milk type of person."
"So did I, but that's what he likes," Ivan shrugged.
"Alright, Felix, I'll go to the market. You stay here in case Ivan or Sheba finds out anything else," Mia ordered. Felix nodded and left at a quick walk.
"I'm heading back," Ivan nodded, and turned and ran.
The site of Picard being attacked by the Djinni amused him quite a bit.
"I wonder who Isaac is getting to help him," Sheba thought aloud.
"I don't know, didn't bother to read his mind," Ivan shrugged.
"Yeah, well-"
"Shh! Here comes Picard!"
Ivan held out one hand as the Mercury Adept came ambling up the path, and cast mind read.
*Doo...doobee doo....mm....coffee....hey! I someone reading my mind? STOP READING MY MIND!*
Ivan pulled out, but Picard had already found their hiding place in the bushes.
"Well, if it isn't my two favorite Jupiter Adepts," he grinned at them. "What are you doing hiding in the bushes reading people's minds?"
"Nothing," they answered in unison.
"Oh, really," Picard's grin was becoming strained. "Don't try it again, okay?"
And he walked off down the path.
"Drat," Ivan muttered. "We didn't find out a single thing!"
"We found out he likes coffee," Sheba supplied.
"Yeah, odd, I always saw him as a cup of tea or glass of milk type person," Ivan shrugged. "Well, good point, I'll go report to headquarters, you keep tabs on our Lemurian friend."
And with a slight rustle, Ivan disappeared.
Sheba followed Picard stealthily, sticking to the trees beside the path when she could, always just out of sight. Picard didn't seem to have noticed her yet, but he was getting dangerously close to where the party site was.
*Isaac!* she created the telepathic link with their leader. *He's getting to close.*
*Alright,* Isaac replied. *Now, guys!*
All seventy two Djinni appeared in little flashes of light, crowding around Picard's feet and making the little squeaking noises that they did when they were excited. Sheba was impressed. Only Isaac could convince all of the Djinni that it would be a lot of fun to join forces.
Picard, of course, was forced to stop.
"Hey, what do you guys all want?" he asked, staring down at them.
They all began squeaking more insistent, heading in the opposite direction down the path. A few of them disappeared, then reappeared on top of his head and on his broad shoulders. Two of them (he was pretty sure it was Fever and Spring) bickered for a moment on who got the reigning place in Picard's hair, but Spring won quickly and Fever, making funny little noises, retreated to Picard's crowded shoulders.
"You want me to go that way?" he asked, turning around. Several of the Djinn that had settled in his long hair began disappearing and reappearing, their excitement growing.
"Alright, I guess," he shrugged and began walking in the opposite direction.
Sheba sighed with relief, continuing to follow Picard.
~*Meanwhile*~
Ivan got to where Felix and Mia were, slightly out of breath.
"Picard likes coffee," he announced.
"Coffee?" one of Felix's eyebrows disappeared underneath his hair. "I saw him more as a cup of tea or glass of milk type of person."
"So did I, but that's what he likes," Ivan shrugged.
"Alright, Felix, I'll go to the market. You stay here in case Ivan or Sheba finds out anything else," Mia ordered. Felix nodded and left at a quick walk.
"I'm heading back," Ivan nodded, and turned and ran.
The site of Picard being attacked by the Djinni amused him quite a bit.