"Well done," said a deep voice coming from behind the group. They all turned around.
"Hey! Senor Diablo!" called Johnny, recognizing the rather churlish King of Darkness.
"Ah, good. You remember. Hey, Pepito, isn't this your little friend?" asked Senor Diablo, and his son, a boy Todd's age but a bit taller, stepped forward. He had evil eyes and the beginnings of his father's curling ram's-horns sprouting on his head. He recognized Todd.
"Hey, amigo! Thanks for catching Beto for us. We had no idea where he got to, but it turns out he was right here all along. Funny, no?" he said casually. Johnny didn't think so, though. "That guy's always getting out. We have to watch him more, don't we, Dad? It would be such a pain if he would have eaten everybody." Senor Diablo nodded absently.
"Yes, that would be messy. But, now, on a more serious note. You really could have picked a better place to live, Johnny. This house, or more correctly, the ground on which it was built, is a beacon for evil forces. That's why Beto came here. I'm sorry, Johnny, but this house must be burnt. I suggest you take everything you need and run. You have five minutes. After that, I must destroy your house and find four other people to take over your special tasks."
"Four? But there's only the three of us," Squee said, poining first to himself, then to Johnny, then to Devi. Senor Diablo smiled, but shook his head.
"Tenna here is a Mood Shield. Normally, she would radiate happiness to all those around her, protecting them, calming and soothing them. Unfortunately, it has been turned inward. She absorbs positive emotions from others and she only causes irritation or despair. She is numb to anger, fear... anything except happiness. Her doll, Spooky, causes her to be perpetually happy, filling her with more endorphins each time she squeaks him. Unfortunately, the side effect is that she squeaks him over and over and over, until those around her just want to BASH HER HEAD IN," Senor Diablo explained, and Devi nodded her head emphatically, as if she quite agreed with him.
"Why didn't she just come with us in the first place? I think that was cutting it a bit close there," Johnny snorted indignantly.
"It was critical that Tenna not show up with Shmee or Spooky until the very end. It's quite complicated, but the concept here was... I suppose like pulling the goalie in hockey, in a way. Shmee couldn't even tell you about her because Beto can read minds. He couldn't know that Tenna was coming. Now I must concentrate. Get your stuff and leave," ordered Senor Diablo. Johnny told Devi, Tenna and Todd to get out, and he grabbed his meager money, some unfinished Happy Noodle Boy comics, and as many bags of cheese nubs as he could carry. No sooner had he got out when his house began to burn. Inside he heard Pepito's voice, full of admiration.
"That is so cool, Dad. I want to be just like you when I grow up."
"Hey! Senor Diablo!" called Johnny, recognizing the rather churlish King of Darkness.
"Ah, good. You remember. Hey, Pepito, isn't this your little friend?" asked Senor Diablo, and his son, a boy Todd's age but a bit taller, stepped forward. He had evil eyes and the beginnings of his father's curling ram's-horns sprouting on his head. He recognized Todd.
"Hey, amigo! Thanks for catching Beto for us. We had no idea where he got to, but it turns out he was right here all along. Funny, no?" he said casually. Johnny didn't think so, though. "That guy's always getting out. We have to watch him more, don't we, Dad? It would be such a pain if he would have eaten everybody." Senor Diablo nodded absently.
"Yes, that would be messy. But, now, on a more serious note. You really could have picked a better place to live, Johnny. This house, or more correctly, the ground on which it was built, is a beacon for evil forces. That's why Beto came here. I'm sorry, Johnny, but this house must be burnt. I suggest you take everything you need and run. You have five minutes. After that, I must destroy your house and find four other people to take over your special tasks."
"Four? But there's only the three of us," Squee said, poining first to himself, then to Johnny, then to Devi. Senor Diablo smiled, but shook his head.
"Tenna here is a Mood Shield. Normally, she would radiate happiness to all those around her, protecting them, calming and soothing them. Unfortunately, it has been turned inward. She absorbs positive emotions from others and she only causes irritation or despair. She is numb to anger, fear... anything except happiness. Her doll, Spooky, causes her to be perpetually happy, filling her with more endorphins each time she squeaks him. Unfortunately, the side effect is that she squeaks him over and over and over, until those around her just want to BASH HER HEAD IN," Senor Diablo explained, and Devi nodded her head emphatically, as if she quite agreed with him.
"Why didn't she just come with us in the first place? I think that was cutting it a bit close there," Johnny snorted indignantly.
"It was critical that Tenna not show up with Shmee or Spooky until the very end. It's quite complicated, but the concept here was... I suppose like pulling the goalie in hockey, in a way. Shmee couldn't even tell you about her because Beto can read minds. He couldn't know that Tenna was coming. Now I must concentrate. Get your stuff and leave," ordered Senor Diablo. Johnny told Devi, Tenna and Todd to get out, and he grabbed his meager money, some unfinished Happy Noodle Boy comics, and as many bags of cheese nubs as he could carry. No sooner had he got out when his house began to burn. Inside he heard Pepito's voice, full of admiration.
"That is so cool, Dad. I want to be just like you when I grow up."