13

They made it back to the Ectomobile without comment, each lost in ideas. They were just leaving the downtown area when a police car pulled up and flashed its colored lights. "It may be Morse code," Pete suggested, reaching for the row of switches mounted beneath the dashboard. "I'll flash back." Instead he rolled down the window and grinned. "Top o' the mornin' to ya, Officer! Fine day for a drive, am I right?"

"Where are you going?" the cop asked.

"Home. We'll send the bill Certified Mail. You'll have to sign for it."

"I mean, you're not finished are you?"

"You need to hire a different contractor for clean-up jobs," Ray said, leaning toward Pete.

The man chuckled, but didn't actually sound very amused. "But you never even went near O'Gill's."

"O'Gill's?" Venkman repeated, looking at his companions, then turning back to the police officer. "What are O'Gill's?"

The man pointed. "The local pub. The most haunted spot in this place."

"Is it zombie happy hour?" asked Pete.

"Are you jokers really the Ghostbusters?" he asked, bending in an effort to try and see deeper within their vehicle.

"Very," Pete told him. "Okay, so where's this O'Gill's?"

The police officer offered to escort them. "Fancy," Peter mentioned, waiting for him to get back in his squad car and lead the way. "Okay, so run this all by me again? Is she a genie or not, 'cause I was thinkin' 'bout all the stuff I wanted on the drive over here."

"If she's a genie as you say, then it seems likely she's able to convert the energy she collects into matter." Egon told him.

"Matter?"

"Bologna sandwiches," Ray supplied.

"You didn't eat it, did you?"

Ray turned away, looking guilty. Winston, seated behind him, made a face of revulsion. "Man, that thing was on the floor!"

"That thing," Egon corrected, "was a Zener card."

"Oh, that'll make potty time interesting later," said Pete. "Do you think you'll be pooping a star, a circle, a plus sign-"

"Peter," grunted Egon, silencing the smirking man. He whispered to Ray, "Write down your guess. We'll see if you're right later."

Winston winced.

They rode past a cemetery that looked like someone had been detonating land mines in it.

"So, she sort of is like a genie," Pete prompted.

"That has not been ascertained."

"Say, dunno, Egon, okay? Just shrug and say dunno."

"But…how does she…ignore time and space?" asked Winston.

"I really wish we could test her further," Dr. Spengler sighed.

"I could really go for a taco," Venkman announced. "A mahi mahi taco with extra guac." He chuckled and held one aloft. "I love this kid!"

Egon plucked it from his hand, removed a plastic bag from a pocket of his jumpsuit and sealed it within. "I'll deal with that later."

"Spoilsport," grumbled Pete.

The police officer pulled up beside a music store, exited his vehicle, and pointed farther up the street. Beneath a swinging sign that said O'Gill's and featured a cartoonish leprechaun with a bemused countenance and a large mug oozing foam stood the entranceway to a freestanding structure that looked dark and foreboding nestled within a horseshoe of surrounding businesses. Winston activated a PKE meter and was careful not to get it near Amanda. "Ray," he asked. "Would you take a look at this?"

"This is the likely source of the activity," the other man confirmed. "The readings seem to indicate a very strong entity…maybe a very strong demon or minor demi-god."

"No," Pete whispered, lowering his forehead into one palm.

Ray asked, "What do think…?" and gestured at the teenager.

Egon touched the tip of his tongue to his upper lip. "I don't know."

"This could be quick and painless, or…."

"Don't say quick and painless and then say or and let the sentence trail off," Venkman grumbled.

"Take her? Leave her?"

"What if it's more powerful than she is and it somehow gets hold of her?" Zeddemore asked.

"Not the analyzing again. You wanna go in the bar, kid?" Peter asked her.

"'kay."

"Might be big, bad boogeymen in there."

"Hm," she said.

"Are you actually afraid of anything?"

She shrugged. "No."

"Guys?" he asked.

Egon shook his head. Ray looked like he had something to say but was afraid to say it. Winston opened the car door and stepped out to inhale cool, sweet air.

"Me, too," Venkman said, exiting the driver's side.

Ray looked pained. Egon closed his eyes.