"What kind of movies do you like?" Portinari asked Augusta as he took a sip of
his espresso.
"I like historical epics and gritty, realistic dramas," was Augusta's reply.
"So do I," marveled Portinari. "That's unusual. Most women I meet like romantic comedies."
On the other end of the coffeehouse, Muffy and George watched the conversation between the two, although they couldn't hear the words exchanged.
"She's slouching," observed Muffy, writing another note on her pad.
George, meanwhile, wondered about Buster's warning. Was it possible that only the rabbit boy could see through the alien's camouflage? Or had Buster simply played an April Fools prank, and forgotten to admit it the day after?
"I saw an excellent film last week," Portinari went on. "A prison drama called 'Don't Feed the Animals'."
"Oh, I loved that one," said Augusta, lifting her coffee mug to her cherry lips. "It's definitely going to take home some Oscars. I just don't understand why they released it in March."
"Sip, don't gulp," Muffy wrote down on her notepad.
The time wore on. George started to shift in his seat as Augusta and Portinari seemed to find no end of things to talk about. He wished something would happen--Portinari's phony face falling off, a spaceship descending from the stratosphere to transport the man away, or simply the winding down of the date.
Finally Portinari looked at his watch. "I'm afraid I have an engagement soon," he told Augusta. "It's been wonderful talking to you and getting to know you. We have a remarkable amount in common."
"Yes, we do," Augusta acknowledged.
The next thing Muffy noticed was Augusta writing something in her appointment book. "He's asking her for a second date?" she said in amazement, glancing down at her notebook. "After all the blunders she made?"
Before long Augusta and Portinari were walking out of the coffee shop, trading smiles and pleasantries. Muffy folded her notebook and stuck in her pocket, muttering something about beginner's luck. When she looked up again, George had disappeared.
Running all the way, the moose boy reached his house, snatched up the phone, and quickly dialed Buster's Chicago number. "Hello?" came his friend's voice.
"I just saw Dr. Portinari," George informed him. "He looks normal to me. You're not trying to prank me, are you?"
"It's no prank, I swear," Buster insisted. "What did you find out about him?"
"Not much," replied George. "He's a psychiatrist, and he just had a date with Augusta Winslow."
The line fell silent for a few seconds.
"Augusta Winslow?" Buster spoke up. "You mean she's still a lady?"
"Yeah," said George. "I guess she's stuck. And so's Dudley."
"Hmm," Buster mused. "That must be really weird."
"I'll try to find out more about Dr. Portinari," George offered. "Talk to you later, Buster."
As Buster laid down the receiver in his Chicago apartment, he started to fantasize about what his and his friends' lives would be like if the spells cast on them by Dolly the witch had never been reversed.
He woke up one morning to a terrible shock. "Argh!" he cried. "Fern, what are you doing in my bed?"
"We're in MY bed," Fern pointed out. "We're a two-headed person now, remember?"
In Arthur's house, D.W. was blissfully cuddling a tabby cat by the kitchen table. "I'm so glad to have a kitty for a big brother," she gushed.
"Let me go, D.W.," said the cat. "It's almost time for school."
In the Crosswire mansion, Muffy's parents were admiring a solid gold statue in the likeness of their little girl. "We may have lost a daughter," said Mrs. Crosswire, "but at least we got a nice new statue."
While the rabbit and aardvark Beats were walking to school together, Rabbit Beat paused to pick an apple from an overhanging tree. "Ouch," grunted the knot in the center of the tree that looked like Binky's face.
The ceiling of Mr. Wald's classroom slid open, and a construction crane slowly lowered the fifty-foot-long George into the room, where he sprawled helplessly on the floor. The two-headed Buster-Fern creature staggered clumsily into the room and took a seat, followed by Arthur the Cat, who dreaded what he had to face every morning.
"Hey, look, everybody!" exclaimed the untransformed Francine. "Arthur's naked!"
Blushing, Arthur bounded onto a desk and started to lick his paw, while the teacher commenced with his lesson. "Let's review national capitols. First, what is the capitol of Sweden?"
"Stockholm," thought George, but try as he might, he couldn't raise his enormous arm.
When class let out, Fern and Buster maneuvered their shared body toward the washrooms. They were wearing a specially tailored outfit that was a blouse and skirt on one side, and a shirt and jeans on the other. Next to the boys' and girls' rooms a third room had been constructed for two-headed half-boy half-girl people.
Maybe Augusta Winslow didn't have it so badly after all, thought Buster.
----
Augusta herself was thinking the same thing as she walked into her apartment and kicked her high-heeled shoes to the side. April, who sat at the desk reading an ancient alchemy book, swiveled in her chair. "How did it go?" she asked excitedly.
"Very well," Augusta replied. "Everything came naturally. I didn't feel strange at all."
"That's funny," said April in a slightly surprised tone. "Your future self went out with about ten different men before she..."
The girl suddenly fell silent, and embarrassment spread over her face.
"What's wrong?" asked Augusta, who had started to go through her mail.
"I don't want to spoil your love life by giving away the future," said April meekly.
Augusta thought for a moment. "Yes, you're right. Better if I remain in suspense. Any sign of the time reverser?"
"Nope," April answered.
"It's essential that we find it," said Augusta, stepping into the bathroom to change out of her dress. "I've been driving all over Elwood as part of my job, so if it's anywhere in the city, I'll sense its presence eventually."
April went back to reading about the use of wormwood in good-luck charms. A few seconds later Augusta poked her blond rabbit head out of the bathroom door. "You said my future self dated ten different men," she said to April. "Does that mean I won't marry Rick Portinari?" Her voice carried a hint of earnestness.
The cat girl lowered her book. "I don't know who you'll marry. I know who your future self married, but you won't necessarily marry the same man, because I'm changing the course of your future just by being here."
Augusta's expression became thoughtful again.
"You like him, don't you?" said April with a grin.
"Yes, I do," was Augusta's response. "He reminds me of me when I was ten days younger."
TBC
"I like historical epics and gritty, realistic dramas," was Augusta's reply.
"So do I," marveled Portinari. "That's unusual. Most women I meet like romantic comedies."
On the other end of the coffeehouse, Muffy and George watched the conversation between the two, although they couldn't hear the words exchanged.
"She's slouching," observed Muffy, writing another note on her pad.
George, meanwhile, wondered about Buster's warning. Was it possible that only the rabbit boy could see through the alien's camouflage? Or had Buster simply played an April Fools prank, and forgotten to admit it the day after?
"I saw an excellent film last week," Portinari went on. "A prison drama called 'Don't Feed the Animals'."
"Oh, I loved that one," said Augusta, lifting her coffee mug to her cherry lips. "It's definitely going to take home some Oscars. I just don't understand why they released it in March."
"Sip, don't gulp," Muffy wrote down on her notepad.
The time wore on. George started to shift in his seat as Augusta and Portinari seemed to find no end of things to talk about. He wished something would happen--Portinari's phony face falling off, a spaceship descending from the stratosphere to transport the man away, or simply the winding down of the date.
Finally Portinari looked at his watch. "I'm afraid I have an engagement soon," he told Augusta. "It's been wonderful talking to you and getting to know you. We have a remarkable amount in common."
"Yes, we do," Augusta acknowledged.
The next thing Muffy noticed was Augusta writing something in her appointment book. "He's asking her for a second date?" she said in amazement, glancing down at her notebook. "After all the blunders she made?"
Before long Augusta and Portinari were walking out of the coffee shop, trading smiles and pleasantries. Muffy folded her notebook and stuck in her pocket, muttering something about beginner's luck. When she looked up again, George had disappeared.
Running all the way, the moose boy reached his house, snatched up the phone, and quickly dialed Buster's Chicago number. "Hello?" came his friend's voice.
"I just saw Dr. Portinari," George informed him. "He looks normal to me. You're not trying to prank me, are you?"
"It's no prank, I swear," Buster insisted. "What did you find out about him?"
"Not much," replied George. "He's a psychiatrist, and he just had a date with Augusta Winslow."
The line fell silent for a few seconds.
"Augusta Winslow?" Buster spoke up. "You mean she's still a lady?"
"Yeah," said George. "I guess she's stuck. And so's Dudley."
"Hmm," Buster mused. "That must be really weird."
"I'll try to find out more about Dr. Portinari," George offered. "Talk to you later, Buster."
As Buster laid down the receiver in his Chicago apartment, he started to fantasize about what his and his friends' lives would be like if the spells cast on them by Dolly the witch had never been reversed.
He woke up one morning to a terrible shock. "Argh!" he cried. "Fern, what are you doing in my bed?"
"We're in MY bed," Fern pointed out. "We're a two-headed person now, remember?"
In Arthur's house, D.W. was blissfully cuddling a tabby cat by the kitchen table. "I'm so glad to have a kitty for a big brother," she gushed.
"Let me go, D.W.," said the cat. "It's almost time for school."
In the Crosswire mansion, Muffy's parents were admiring a solid gold statue in the likeness of their little girl. "We may have lost a daughter," said Mrs. Crosswire, "but at least we got a nice new statue."
While the rabbit and aardvark Beats were walking to school together, Rabbit Beat paused to pick an apple from an overhanging tree. "Ouch," grunted the knot in the center of the tree that looked like Binky's face.
The ceiling of Mr. Wald's classroom slid open, and a construction crane slowly lowered the fifty-foot-long George into the room, where he sprawled helplessly on the floor. The two-headed Buster-Fern creature staggered clumsily into the room and took a seat, followed by Arthur the Cat, who dreaded what he had to face every morning.
"Hey, look, everybody!" exclaimed the untransformed Francine. "Arthur's naked!"
Blushing, Arthur bounded onto a desk and started to lick his paw, while the teacher commenced with his lesson. "Let's review national capitols. First, what is the capitol of Sweden?"
"Stockholm," thought George, but try as he might, he couldn't raise his enormous arm.
When class let out, Fern and Buster maneuvered their shared body toward the washrooms. They were wearing a specially tailored outfit that was a blouse and skirt on one side, and a shirt and jeans on the other. Next to the boys' and girls' rooms a third room had been constructed for two-headed half-boy half-girl people.
Maybe Augusta Winslow didn't have it so badly after all, thought Buster.
----
Augusta herself was thinking the same thing as she walked into her apartment and kicked her high-heeled shoes to the side. April, who sat at the desk reading an ancient alchemy book, swiveled in her chair. "How did it go?" she asked excitedly.
"Very well," Augusta replied. "Everything came naturally. I didn't feel strange at all."
"That's funny," said April in a slightly surprised tone. "Your future self went out with about ten different men before she..."
The girl suddenly fell silent, and embarrassment spread over her face.
"What's wrong?" asked Augusta, who had started to go through her mail.
"I don't want to spoil your love life by giving away the future," said April meekly.
Augusta thought for a moment. "Yes, you're right. Better if I remain in suspense. Any sign of the time reverser?"
"Nope," April answered.
"It's essential that we find it," said Augusta, stepping into the bathroom to change out of her dress. "I've been driving all over Elwood as part of my job, so if it's anywhere in the city, I'll sense its presence eventually."
April went back to reading about the use of wormwood in good-luck charms. A few seconds later Augusta poked her blond rabbit head out of the bathroom door. "You said my future self dated ten different men," she said to April. "Does that mean I won't marry Rick Portinari?" Her voice carried a hint of earnestness.
The cat girl lowered her book. "I don't know who you'll marry. I know who your future self married, but you won't necessarily marry the same man, because I'm changing the course of your future just by being here."
Augusta's expression became thoughtful again.
"You like him, don't you?" said April with a grin.
"Yes, I do," was Augusta's response. "He reminds me of me when I was ten days younger."
TBC
