"Where is it?" demanded Toushell as the four stood in the entryway of the manor. "Where is the egg?"
"Chill," said Paige, annoyance in her voice. "It's up in my room. I'll go get it."
"Your sure are ancy to get your hands on that egg," said Phoebe.
"I have told you of the danger it represents," said Toushell. "The sooner it's disposed of the sooner the danger will be past."
"Just relax," said Piper. "Paige will be right back with it and we can put an end to all this."
Several moments later Paige came down the stairs carrying the egg. As she reached the bottom of the stairs she held the egg out for everyone to inspect. The most noticeable thing about the egg was a large crack in one side that ran the entire length of it.
"I warned you," said Toushell. "It has all ready begun to hatch. Give it to me. It must be destroy immediately. We have no time to waste."
"Not so fast, big fella," said Piper. "We're not about to turn it over to you. We're more than capable of destroying an egg all by ourselves."
"You still do not understand the danger," said Toushell. "If the egg were intact, destroying it would be a simple matter. But as you can well see it has all ready begun to hatch. The magic of the gargoyle will prevent you from destroying it in time."
"I don't think so," said Piper. "Paige, put the egg on the table."
Paige laid the egg on the entryway table and stepped back. Piper brought her hands up and the egg exploded. Almost immediately it reformed this time with several smaller cracks now apparent in the shell.
"Okay, that wasn't such a good idea," said Phoebe. "Maybe a spell will work."
"There is no time," said Toushell. "I warned you. Now your foolish attempt has weakened the shell allowing it to hatch even more quickly. There is still time to dispose of it and protect us all from the danger. But I must take the egg now. Once it hatches it will be too late."
"It will only take me a minute to write a Power of Three spell that should..." Began Phoebe.
As she was speaking the egg vibrated slightly. As it did, several of the small cracks lengthened on the shell. A very small piece of the shell fell away and lay next to the egg on the table.
"See?" insisted Toushell. "In a few moments the egg will hatch. Are you so blind that you will risk us all for your foolish distrust of me? The egg can be destroyed before it hatches but only if I get it to the proper place. But it must be now. A moment longer and there will be nothing we can do about it."
"Where do you have to take it to destroy it?" Piper asked. "We can orbed it there and destroy it ourselves."
"There is no time," said Toushell. "There is a place in the underworld designed for just such an occasion as this. But if you suddenly appear there the demons that inhabit that area will attack. While you may be able to protect yourselves against the attacks the egg will hatch while you are defending yourselves. I can take it there and have it destroyed without interference. But it must be now. Surely you see the danger we are all in. I must take the egg now."
Piper looked at Phoebe and Paige. They were out of options. Leo had intimated that gargoyles were very formidable creatures. They knew next to nothing about them and didn't have a spell or potion ready to vanquish it should the egg hatch. Reluctantly Piper nodded indicating the Toushell should take the egg.
"Come back here when you've disposed of it," said Piper. "We need to know everything we can about these gargoyle eggs in case we come across another one."
"Thank you," said Toushell. "I won't be gone long. Its destruction is a simple matter in the underworld. Then I shall return and tell you all I know about gargoyles. That may prevent this from happening again."
Toushell reached down and picked up the egg. Then he suddenly shimmered and was gone. Piper just looked at Phoebe and Paige again.
"You really think that was a good idea?" Phoebe asked.
"I don't see we had any other choice," said Piper. "Even Leo seemed to think this gargoyle thing was a major danger. My explosive power was useless against it and we didn't have time to come up with a potion or a spell. I just hope we've made the right decision."
Suddenly Leo orbed into the manor. He looked around for a moment.
"Where is he?" Leo demanded. "Where's Toushell?"
"He took the egg to destroy it," said Piper. "I couldn't blow it up and it was beginning to hatch. He said there was a special place in the underworld where they could destroy it easily."
"No," gasped Leo. "I was afraid something like this might happen. You've been duped. Toushell is no demon. At least not in the traditional sense. And by giving him that egg you may have just allowed him to resurrect the gargoyles."
"What are you babbling about?" asked Phoebe. "He was all fired up about destroying it."
"That's what he wanted you to think," said Leo. "Toushell is a Shaper. A creature that has the ability to shape shift and possesses a rudimentary form of telepathy. He used his telepathy to implant subliminal suggestions. That's why you trusted him so easily. It wouldn't work on me. White Lighters are immune to it. But you're human. Not even your magic could protect you from his subliminal suggestions."
"Why would he do that?" asked Paige. "He seemed intent that the egg should not hatch."
"Quite the contrary," said Leo. "He wants it to hatch but he wants to be alone with it when it does. The first creature the gargoyle sees after it hatches is imprinted on the gargoyles psyche. It will see Toushell as its mother or father once it hatches."
"What will he do then?" asked Piper.
"The gargoyle will be able to locate any other eggs that still exist," said Leo. "Once it does that, Toushell will see that they all hatch. And he was right about one thing. They are a very great danger. With them he could easily destroy any witch or demon that opposes him. And take control not only of the mortal place but the underworld as well."
"And we just let him walk out of here with that egg," gasped Piper.