Having successfully given Dashiel the slip, Jazz and Dani ran down the stairs and through the hallway.
"That was too close," Jazz sighed.
"Way too close," Dani agreed, "Let's get out of here before somebody else finds us."
"Oh, you don't have to worry about that, dearie," Ida said from behind them, making the girls jump in surprise, "Everybody's outside for some reason."
"Mrs. Manson," Jazz shouted, "You scared us!"
"Sorry about that, dearie. I thought I heard voices, so I came here to see what was going on."
"That was us and Dashiel," Dani replied, "He found us snooping around in the study. We needed to get this staff and figure out what Penelope uses it for."
"Well then," Ida mumbled to herself, "Apparently, not everybody is outside like I thought."
"Why's everyone outside?" Jazz asked.
"I don't know, dearie. I saw Mrs. Masters and Bertrand out in the garden. She was carrying some heavy sack while her butler had a shovel. What in the world they're doing out there is beyond me. Incidentally, I haven't seen the maid since this morning. I'm starting to get worried about her."
"What about your son and daughter-in-law?"
"Oh, yes, dearie. I'm still very worried for Jeremy. He's still married to the devil's spawn."
"No," Jazz sighed, "I meant are they outside, too?"
"Oh, you meant that. No, dearie. They're sound asleep."
"You mean I was asleep, you twittering, old loaf."
The girls winced as they saw Pamela Manson march past Ida and straight up to them. She wore a hot pink, silk robe with a matching nightcap on her head tied with a blue ribbon. She had taken her makeup off before going to bed, revealing the wrinkles sprawled over her face and dark circles under her eyes.
"Oh, goodness me!" Ida shouted, "Its finally revealed it's true form! Look away, dearies! It's hideous!"
"Shut up, you rabid baboon! Do you have any idea what time it is! It's a quarter past midnight and all I hear is all of you shouting about! I'm trying to get my beauty sleep!"
"Goodness knows you most certainly need it, dearie."
"Toss yourself off the top of the stairs, you bleating cow! And as for you two, what you think you're doing sneaking around here in the middle of the night? You were supposed to have left hours ago! Don't tell me your idiot father's back again! And what do you think you're doing with Mrs. Masters' scepter!"
"You know what this thing is?" Dani asked, holding it out for Pamela to see.
"Of course I know what it is!" she glared at the red, swirling mist inside the crystal ball, "Mrs. Masters showed it to me when she first invited me over. She said it was a family heirloom."
"You were here before, dearie?" Ida looked confused, "I don't remember you saying anything about that."
"You wouldn't remember your own head if it wasn't screwed on tightly inside you, you forgetful old goose," Pamela remarked, slurring her words a bit as she continued to stare into the ball.
"What were you doing here?" Jazz asked, raising her eyebrow a bit at the slurring.
"What?" Pamela asked, staring intently at the ball, "Oh, Mrs. Masters invited me here to tea after we met at the dress shop. She seemed so nice."
"What happened when you came here for tea?"
"Hmm? Oh, yes. Tea. We had tea. She showed me her scepter, and then told me it would be a good idea for Samantha to marry Dashiel."
"And you just said yes?"
"It was a good idea for Samantha to marry Dashiel."
Pamela's eyes seemed to glass over as she continued watching the myst swirling round and round inside the transparent dome. The dazed smile was still spread across her face. Jazz and Dani looked at each other in confusion. Then, Jazz stepped forward and snapped her fingers in front of Pamela's face.
"Hello, Mrs. Manson?" Pamela stood still, not breaking her gaze, "Are you okay, Mrs. Manson?"
"Of course not, dearie," Ida answered as if the question was addressed to her, "My son is still married to a horrid demoness."
"That's right," Pamela nodded her head as a goofy grin spread across her face, "I am a horrid demoness."
Everyone all stared at her. She didn't appear to notice and kept gazing at the staff with that silly look still on her face. Dani waved a hand in front of Pamela's face, but she didn't even blink. Turning back to the other two, Dani gave them a look that can only be described as "what the hell." Jazz and Ida looked back at her with the same expression
"Congratulations, Pamela," Ida said finally, "That's the third time in my life you've rendered me speechless."
"Yes," Pamela agreed, "Yes, it is the third time, isn't it?"
"The third?" Jazz asked, "What were the other two?"
"The first time, dearie, is when she and Jeremy actually said, 'I do.' The second time was when she informed us Sam would be marrying Dashiel."
"Mrs. Manson?" Jazz turned back to Pamela, "Are you okay? Do you know where you are?"
"In hell, dearie." Ida answered.
"That's right," Pamela agreed, "I'm in hell."
"What is going on here?" Dani asked.
"Wait a minute," Jazz followed Pamela's intent stare back to the crystal ball, "I think this staff might have something to do with it."
She took the staff from Dani and waved it in front of Pamela's face. Pamela's eyes darted back and forth, following the crystal ball. Finally, Jazz brought it back down and held it between herself and Pamela.
"Pamela," Jazz said, holding the staff as perfectly still as she could, "Would you jump up and down?"
"What a wonderful idea," she replied, "Perfect exercise. Jumping really strengthens my legs. I think I'll jump up and down."
She straightened herself up and jumped in place, still smiling. Jazz and Dani both winced as her bare feet made a loud thud! on the floor when she landed. Pamela, however, didn't appear to notice and contined to bounce about in a dazed bliss.
"Okay! Okay!" Jazz shouted, "Stop! That's enough!"
"I think I've had enough jumping for tonight. It really messes up my back you know. And I'm not quite as young as I used to be."
Thankfully, she stopped and stood still before them. Even during her little spontaneous exercise, not once did Pamela's gaze break from the ball.
"I-I-" Jazz stammered, staring at the rod in awe, "I think she's hypnotized."
"Oh, yes. Certainly. I am hypnotized. Free-will is completely overrated these days."
"So that's what it does," Dani took it back, carefully avoiding looking into the crystal ball, "It hypnotized people. That must be how Penelope convinced Mrs. Manson to marry Samantha to Dashiel. She hypnotized her."
"Well," Ida said, "At least now I know Pamela's not a complete idiot, like I thought. Mind you, dearie, she's still an idiot."
"Oh, yes," Pamela nodded, "I am an idiot. I have no intelligence whatsoever."
"Hmm," Ida stroked her chin as she grinned mischievously, "Let me see that thing for a second," she grabbed the staff out of Dani's hand and waved it in front of Pamela, "Now, listen closely, dearie. You will lovingly treat Jeremy like the handsome prince that he is. And you should be grateful he allowed you to marry him!"
"Jeremy is so handsome , isn't he? I'm so happy he let me marry him. Oh, I love that man so. I shall treat him like the prince he is for the rest of my life."
"And you will lovingly treat Sam as the beautiful princess that she is, just like any other loving mother would who actually cares about their daughter. And you will call off this ridiculous wedding!"
"Sam is such a princess, isn't she? I love my daughter so much! I don't know what I was thinking with this ridiculous wedding. My sweet Sam deserves a better man than Dashiel! That's it! This wedding is off!"
"And you will treat me with respect that a wise and beautiful queen like me deserves!"
"Ida, you are the wisest and most beautiful woman I have ever met. I'm so lucky to have you for my mother-in-law."
"Anything else?" Dani asked sarcastically, crossing her arms.
"Just one more, dearie," she turned back to Pamela, "And the last thing you will do is that everytime you hear your name, you will quack like a duck."
"I think I shall quack like a duck when I hear my name. It exercises the vocal cords, you know."
"Why did you tell her to do that?" Dani asked.
Ida smirked, "Every queen needs a jester, dearie."
Dani scowled and took the staff back. Just then, they heard someone shuffling down the hall towards them.
"Mother?" Jeremy called out, "Pamela?"
"QUACK! QUACK QUACK!"
Jeremey approached them looking confused, "Pamela?"
"QUACK QUACK QUACK!"
"Pamela-"
"QUACK!"
"Are you alright?"
"Oh, yes, my darling!" Much to his surprise, Pamela wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace and kissed him on the cheek, "Oh, how kind of you to be so concerned for me!"
"Okaaaaaay," he gave he a slight shove and looked around in confusion, "Mother, what are you and Pamela-"
"QUACK QUACK!"
"Doing-" he gave her a strange look, "Doing out of bed? And what are you two girls doing here?"
"Oh, um," Dani looked at Jazz in a panic.
"Father apparently took this staff to try to prove Bertrand's a ghost," Jazz quickly explained, "We were just returning it."
"Oh. Well, I think Mrs. Masters is upstairs asleep."
"No, she's not, dearie. She and the butler are outside."
"In the middle of the night? What on earth are they doing running around outside in the dead of night? And for that matter, what are you and Pamela-"
"QUACK!"
"Are you- Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, my dear prince!" Pamela wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned in close against, "Especially with you nearby. I'm such a lucky woman!"
"To answer your question, dearie," Ida spoke up, "Pamela-"
"QUACK QUACK QUACK!"
"-and I couldn't sleep. So, we decided to discuss Sam's wedding."
"Ugh," Jeremy sighed, "Not again."
"We need to cancel it, darling!" Pamela said firmly.
"We- We need to- To what?" he clearly wasn't expecting this answer from her.
"Indeed! Sam is clearly much too good for Dashiel. Besides, our little princess needs to marry somebody she actually loves, not some dolt she abhors."
"I- I-"
"Dearie, why don't you and Jeremy discuss this later in the morning. I think you two ought to go back to sleep."
"Oh, you are so wise! What would I do without you? Isn't your mother just wonderful, darling?"
"Um- Uh-"
Pamela led Jeremy back into their bedroom as she continued to sing praises about her mother-in-law. Ida chuckled and turnec to Dani and Jazz.
"Now would be a perfect time to skeedaddle, wouldn't it, dearies?"
Nodding eagerly, the girls sped down the hall and headed for the servants' hall.
"Well," Dani said, "At least now we know what this thing does. Hopefully, Desiree might be able to tell us what the necklace is for."
"How?" Jazz asked, "We don't have the necklace."
"No, but the book has an entry on it. Maybe she can tell us what it is from that. Now, let's get back to the inn. Hopefully, Mr. Pointedexter isn't too mad at Father."
Jazz sighed as she imagined Mr. Pointdexter tossing hers, Dani's, and Father's bags out the window of their former room.
"I wouldn't bet on that."
