Chapter IX
"Let's see...Mr. Crear at the pet store, the postman, Mother, that lady in the Neighborhood Watch who didn't return the Tupperware she borrowed..." Viola was compiling her 'Who To Incinerate In a Wave of Deadly Energy First' list, and she was enjoying it immensely. "Let's see, who else...Ah, I'll just put down 'Everybody'. There. Finished." She beamed proudly at her accomplishment.
Pavlov suddenly sprang to its pudgy legs and began yapping at the door to the Dome Room, emitting saliva-bubbles in the process.
Viola didn't look away from her list. "What is it, Pookie," she asked in a distracted way. "Need to go walkies?"
Pavlov barked some more, its tail wagging itself into a blur.
"Well, in a minute - Mummy's gloating."
Disappointed, Pavlov flopped itself back down onto the floor, and in a few seconds had forgotten what had stirred it in the first place.
Outside in the Dome Room, a sizable gathering was taking place. Kat, Wendy, Casper and the Trio had been hauled out of Pandemonium by Vic and the twins moments before James and the Wainwrights (not to mention Dibs the cat) had arrived to investigate. The ever-curious Broom had joined them and now all they needed was...a plan.
Wysteria had examined the Trio through a pair of spectacles she pulled from her blouse pocket and declared that they were not alive but only Material; that Viola had merely siphoned off their Astral energy and was using it in the way witches do - as magic - thanks to the stolen amulet she wore. Casper was disappointed at this, naturally, but the Trio were much relieved that they didn't have to die again in order to return to being ghosts, a state which they really preferred.
"Even limited to the energy of only three ghosts, Viola is going to be a tough opponant - considering that she has had free access to all our spells for at least two hours now." Mina frowned and paced around the Dome Room, Broom dutifully trailing after her a few feet behind. "After all, it was enough energy to use the Mirror of Hiird to get to our workroom in the first place."
The Trio were too disconsolate at being stuck in human form to even be impressed at the magnitude of their own latent - though stolen - energies.
"So what do we do?" asked Kat.
Andreas dug his hands into his pockets. "Well - Can we steal the energy back?" he asked doubtfully.
Wynona shook her head. "We'd need the amulet for that, and Viola's got it."
"Can we get the amulet away from her?"
"It would be highly dangerous," Mina asnwered James quickly. "No one could get that close."
Casper offered to go invisible and try, but he was instantly told by the sisters that that amulet would make Viola highly sensitive to his energy and not only would know he was there, but take his energy if she wanted - although she hadn't last time she had the chance. Apparently, the widow's actions would be difficult to predict.
"Well what are we doin' standing around this creepshow for?" Stretch suddenly demanded, losing all patience. He coiled up the tapestry rope he had helped untie from Vic's waist (Nicky had knotted it a little too tight). "I'm goin' in there to get my energy back. I'd like to see that fossilized old fleshie try somethin'." And before anyone could stop them, the Trio had marched into the Lab. Quickly and wordlessly, everyone followed.
Viola looked up from her busy task of nail-filing. "Can't you see I'm busy?" she drawled. "I have to maintain my otherworldly beauty, you know."
"Beauty?" snorted Fatso. "You might want to try applyin' that file to your face, then. It'd be a big help."
Viola drew back in some alarm. "Well!" she retorted. "Look who got up on the wrong side of the esophogus today."
Mina stepped forward. "Viola Laslowe, you have never been and never will be a true witch," she said.
"Why not?" snapped Viola, slapping her nail file on a table. "I lived with Charles for seventeen years! I had to listen to his stories about Witch's Balls and having brooms rebristled and and and...and the proper maintenance of a cauldron! I know what I'm doing!"
James stepped forward. "Mrs. Laslowe," he said firmly, "as your therapist, I demand to know why you neglected to inform me of the vastly pertinent fact that your husband was a witch!"
Viola leered at him. "Well, who's the witch now?" she chirped, then turned to look at Pavlov. The little dog was snoring in the corner in a sizable pool of saliva. "Oh, Pavlov!" she singsonged, "time for walkies!" And she shot a beam of energy at the little dog, which disappeared with a yelp in a flash of pink light.
"Uh oh," remarked Wynona.
"Uh oh?" parroted James in concern. "Why uh oh?"
The pink light vanished. In Pavlov's place now stood an eighteen-foot tall monster canine. Drool hung from its jaws in thick foamy ropes.
"Uh oh," said the Trio.
Pavlov stepped forward, sniffing eagerly. Everyone edged backwards away from it. Its dinner-plate-sized rheumy eyes drifted over all the assembled faces before resting on the form of Dibs, trying to unobtrusively sneak towards the Dome Room exit. With an excited yowl, the creature launched itself at the cat.
Mina raised her arm, fingertips glowing, to protect her husband, but it wasn't necessary.
In a whirl of motion, Broom set itself upon Pavlov, whacking the dog repeatedly on the head like a bristly rolled-up newspaper. Whimpering and cowering, Pavlov let itself be herded into a corner, where it crouched, drooling miserably.
Viola pouted. "Oh, poor puppikins," she soothed, beckoning for Pavlov to come to her.
"Is that all you've got, Viola?" Teri planted her hands on her hips. "Parlor tricks?"
"Mrs. Laslowe," James cleared his throat. "I really must withdraw my suggestion that you discontinue therapy. Shall we meet in your sitting-room, say...next Wednesday?"
Viola just shrugged and stepped to the side, bringing her closer to Kat and Casper. "I don't need my head shrunk, you - " Here she stopped as her amulet began to hum loudly. "Energy!" she shouted. "Astral energy - a ton of it!"
Casper glanced down at himself. "Go ahead and drain me, I don't care!" he announced, puffing himself up and hoping his friends were impressed.
"Not you," snapped Viola, then she grabbed Kat by the arm. "This one."
"Kat!" cried Vic, lunging forward impulsively.
"Let her go!" demanded Nicky.
Viola pulled Kat closer, and the humming intensified. "What are you hiding, you little brat, hmm?"
Wysteria gasped as a bit of the pink cloud puff Kat had taken from Pandemonium oozed out of the teenager's back pocket.
Viola saw it at the same time, and while she was distracted Kat twisted free.
"Give me that!" ordered Viola.
Kat glowered. "Forget it!" she shouted, and instantly she was surrounded by a protective wall made up of Casper, Wendy, Vic, the twins, and Broom.
"What is that stuff?" Stretch wanted to know.
"It's pure Astral energy," Wynona replied. "Even a bit of that could turn Viola completely Astral in seconds."
"Really? Completely?" Stinkie shot a meaningful look at Fatso.
"Sounds good to me," replied Fatso. He reached through the barrier of adolescents (and Broom) to pluck the cloud from Kat's pocket.
"Hey!" shouted Kat. "What are you doing?"
"Demonstrating applied learning. Watch." Fatso tossed the cloud to Stinkie.
"Hey Viola," said Stinkie, waving the cloud like a Milk Bone. "You want this?"
"You miserable cockroach of a ghost," growled Viola, suddenly furious. "Let me have it!"
"You better let her have it," said Fatso.
"Okay," said Stinkie, and he lobbed the cloud at Viola, who caught it deftly in midair. It instantly vanished, and the amulet stopped humming and went from glowing faintly to glowing brightly.
"Hah!" crowed Viola.
"No!" cried Mina. "What have you done?"
Viola slowly began to turn transparent, energy streaming from her body. "Now, I'll - huh?" she interrupted herself, as a pitch black tear appeared in the corner, right on top of Pavlov, who disappeared into it with a surprised yelp. Viola began to be pulled towards it. "No!" she cried, trying to gain a foothold in the carpet. "This isn't supposed to happen!"
"What's going on?" yelled Kat over the roar of Astral wind that was sucking Viola into the rift. The widow was the only thing in the room affected by the vacuum.
"She's too Astral to remain on the Material Plane!" surmised Wysteria in surprise.
James blinked, and turned to Fatso and Stinkie. "You guys were paying attention!" he exclaimed.
"Hey - what about our energy?" demanded Stretch, pointing to the amulet. Viola was now bracing herself against the sides of the rift and cursing.
"I'll get it!" Casper darted over to Viola and tried to get a hold of the amulet, figuring he could slip it over her head while she was busy clutching the sides of the tear.
But Viola released her grip with one hand to sieze Casper by the tail. "You!" she hissed. "I'll take you with me!"
"Casper!" cried Kat in terror.
Viola lost her remaining hold on the side of the tear and was immediately pulled out of sight. Casper managed to grab the edge to keep himself from being sucked completely in.
"Help!" he shouted. "She's still got me!"
Wendy was distraught. "What do we do?"
"Stand back," said Stretch, quickly fashioning a loop from the tapestry rope. He swung it over his head several times before hurling the lasso into the rift just as Casper disappeared with a yell.
The rope went taut.
"And you guys doubted my aim," Stretch smirked over his shoulder at Stinkie and Fatso exactly half a second before being yanked towards the rift. He was narrowly rescued by the other two ex-ghosts.
"Help!" Casper's voice repeated, distant and echoing.
"Heave!" shouted Fatso, and the Trio strained on the rope.
Kat gasped. "It's closing!" she cried, pointing to the Astral tear.
Casper appeared at the opening of the shrinking rift. "She...won't let go!"
Viola, still clutching Casper, was hoisted into view. "I'm not going just yet," she growled.
Behind her, deep in the rift, a canine voice slurped and yowled.
"No, no, down Pavlov!" Viola shouted over her shoulder. "No walkies! No waaaaalkies!" she cried as she lost her hold on Casper and was sucked out of sight. The rift closed immediately.
Casper, now pulled in only one direction, shot directly into Stretch, who fell backwards into Stinkie, who fell backwards into Fatso, who tumbled to the floor. The four of them lay in a heap.
Everyone rushed forward. "Casper," breathed James, "are you all right? Fellows?"
Casper and Stretch blinked at eachother for a moment. "Get off of me, Shortsheet!" Stretch finally grunted, shoving Casper away. He stumbled to his feet, assisted by the Wainwright sisters and James, who then helped Stinkie and Fatso up as well.
"But she's still got the amulet!" Wendy pointed out.
"No she doesn't - Ta da!" Casper announced proudly, holding up the softly glowing amulet. He gave it to Mina.
"That was really cool," said Vic. The twins agreed, slapping the small ghost on the back.
While the kids talked excitedly, Wynona turned to James. "Sorry you had to see that," she said.
"Uh..." James cleared his throat. "That wasn't so bad," he lied politely.
Mina beckoned to the Trio. "Let's get you gentlemen fixed up," she said.
Dibs miaowed loudly at her feet.
"Yes, yes," Mina smiled. "You too."
Wysteria turned to James as the Trio followed Mina towards the Dome Room door. Dibs started to join them, but paused at the doorway to listen. "I'll be sorry to see you leave Friendship," she said. "It's not too often we get to battle the forces of evil - as it were - let alone with help."
James crossed slowly to his daughter, who had fallen silent, and put his arm around her. "Well," he said, "as long as things are all right here."
"Yeah," agreed Kat. "You'll be okay, right Casper?"
Casper lowered his eyes, then glanced around at his new friends, who smiled encouragingly back at him. "Yeah," he said with a nod.
"Well," said James, "let's go - " he paused at the word 'home' - "back."