"So what is we going to do 'bout this?" asked Angus Todd.
"First of all," said Piper, "I think we'd better prepare some more explosive potions. Come on, granny. I think I can show you a better one than you've been using. I have a potion that will vanquish most demons with one use. And there are a few other potions I can teach you to make. Ones that might come in handy."
"I reckon I ain't never too old to learn a new trick or two," said granny. "You youngins' git on outta here. Seems me and Piper got us some cooking to do."
Maribelle gathered up the items granny had removed from her satchel and put them back.
"I'll watch this fer ya, granny," said Maribelle.
"Thanks, Maribelle," said granny, glancing at Cole. "I reckon it's in purty safe hands fer the moment."
"Let's all go into the living room," said Leo. "We can talk about what else needs to be done."
"I'm going to start working on a Power of Three spell," said Phoebe. "One that might allow us to hide this thing from the demons even if it is only for a little while."
Everyone went to the living room leaving Piper and granny alone in the kitchen.
"Maribelle," said Paige, "what were those other items in the satchel? None of them looked anything like that amulet."
"They's our family heirlooms," said Maribelle. "Here, let me show you what they is."
She pulled out the large Bible and the other items in the satchel.
"This here's the family Bible," she said. "Been in our family fer going on six generations. We gots names of Mcellhennys going back fer more generations than that in here. We's going to need another one soon. This here one almost filled up."
"They's also this here ring set," said Cletus, removing the rings from the satchel. "They was Angus Todd's ma's rings. They was granny's afore that and her ma's afore that. Been in the Mcellhenny family since the War of Northern Aggression in 1860."
"You mean the Civil War?" questioned Phoebe.
"That's what my schoolbooks called it," said Angus Todd. "Pa and granny still calls it the War of Northern Aggression."
"Them rings gonna be passed on to either Angus Todd or me when we's get married," said Maribelle.
"What about the locket?" Leo asked. "It looked very old."
"It is," said Maribelle. "Come all the way from France a couple a hunnerd years ago. Granny telled us it once belonged to Marie Antoinette."
"That would make it very valuable," said Cole. "What's this? It looks old."
"That's our pride and joy," said Cletus, smiling. See that date at the top? 1777. That's when it was wrote. Was given to one of my great granddaddies We use to keep it in the Bible but Angus Todd had a feller put it in that pitcher frame fer us. Use to hang it over the mantle on the fireplace."
"1777?" questioned Phoebe. "That is old. What's so special about it?"
"It done been signed by President George Washington," said Cletus. "Of course, that was afore he was President. My great granddaddy what got that letter was living in Virginny then. General Washington come through one day and needed horses fer his troops to fight the red coats. So my great granddaddy sold him twenty-five horse. General Washington give him that there note saying he was going to pay him twenty dollar a head fer the horses."
"This could be worth a great deal of money," said Cole. "If the signature is authentic, I know some collectors who would pay you handsomely for it."
"Aw, we could never sell it," said Angus Todd. "Like pa said, it's our pride and joy. We's the only ones in Myrtle Creek what got anything like that. People come from miles around just to look at it."
"I can imagine," said Cole. "I could have it authenticated for you. Just to make sure it really is George Washington's' signature."
"Is you saying our great granddaddy lied?" asked Angus Todd. "Course it's George Washington's' writing. He seed him sign it hisself."
"Cole's right," said Phoebe. "We aren't saying that your great granddaddy lied or anything. But how did he know that was really George Washington and just someone who claimed to be him?'
"I reckon that makes sense," said Cletus. "We just figured it was George Washington. Ain't no reason for no one to lie about something like that."
"Well," said Cole, "I know some people who are experts at this kind of thing. They'd be able to determine if it really is Washington's' signature. Of course, I'd need to take it to them so they could look at it."
"Granny would never go fer that," said Maribelle. "Especially with you being a demon and all."
"Ex-demon," corrected Cole. "Okay, what about this? Let Phoebe borrow it. I'll take her to the people I know and they can authenticate it and then she can bring it back here. It shouldn't take more than a couple of hours and we promise to take as good care of it as you do."
"Hey, that's an idea," said Phoebe. "If granny agrees, we can take it in tomorrow. You'd have it back tomorrow afternoon safe and sound."
"Well," said Cletus thoughtfully, "I reckon that cain't hurt none. I'll talk to granny about it. If'n she says yes I reckon it will be okay to have yer friends look at it. Only I ain't so shore granny's going to like the idea. She protects them heirlooms closer than a mother hen and her eggs. Insisted on carrying with her while we drove here from Myrtle Creek 'stead of packing 'em away with everthing else."
"It can't hurt to ask," said Paige. "The worst that can happen is she'll say no."
"I reckon youse right," said Cletus. "I'll go talk to her about it now."
"So," said Cole while Cletus went to talk with granny, "did General Washington ever make it back to pay your great grandfather for the horses?"
"Naw," said Angus Todd. "We jes figured that once they whupped the red coats he done got too busy with setting up the movement and all. But it done got his name wrote on it so we been passing it down from generation to generation."
"I see," said Cole thoughtfully. "That's quite a story. If the signature is authentic, it will make a fascinating tale to tell your children and grandchildren."
"Yeah," said Maribelle, "'lesson the demons git us first. I reckon they don't give a hoot 'bout no President what signed a piece of paper."
"No, they don't'," said Cole. "But don't concern yourself with that. Piper and her sisters have a lot of experience fighting demons. I'm sure they'll come up with a way to protect you all."
"I shorely hope so," said Cletus. "If'n that amulet falled into the demons hands I ain't sure what was to happen."
"We'll do everything we can to make sure that doesn't happen," said Paige.