All right! Here's the next chapter and thank you for bearing with me.
I wasn't sure what I was expecting.
I didn't even know how the pendant worked.
But I just yanked on the pendant, tugging at the chain. Apparently, the charm was magnetic, as Shadow had speculated, because it came off with a single yank. It also flickered with a greater intensity when it came off the chain (probably a bad choice of words), almost as if saying, Oh, heck yes! Finally, some action! Give me something! Anything!
I hesitated. What if I got it wrong? What if I imagined something I shouldn't, and it poofed on me?
The pendant buzzed in my hand. I could fairly guess what it was saying. Quit stalling. You wanted to sing and play music, right? I can do that! Just open up!
Could it help me with that?
"Amos?" DJ asked. "I don't know what you're doing with that pendant, but –"
KER-BOOOOM!
Oh, right. There was a monster still tearing up Studio Six Two. The Gargantua's foot went down on the dining table, flattening it to a plastic wad. Another few steps, and it'd be near the stage. I was running out of time.
"But that just happened," DJ finished.
How can you help me? I thought. I was probably going crazy, yes, but I didn't have many other options. There was a monster that had a steel plating and a severe allergy to music, and it was nearing the stage at an alarming rate. If I was going to do this, now was the time. Besides, after talking with avatars, avadarks, and other monsters, talking to a pendant didn't seem any sillier.
The pendant hummed a heartbeat later, Visualize an instrument. Anything.
Well, if that was it…
I visualized a basic instrument – the Stradivarius I'd played earlier. If it had logged it, the pendant could probably produce it, right?
The pendant hummed, then spat a light in a particular pattern: a triangle with a horizontal line through it.
Really? That simple little gram? It did indeed look like a violin with a bow against it. I traced my finger along the David's star pattern, following the path of the light.
After a few seconds, the pendant buzzed, a sort of sleepy buzz, like, Yeah, sure. I can do that.
All right then. Now what?
A thought came into my head. Try a toss up.
Huh? It wasn't the weirdest thing I'd heard all day, but it sounded like the pendant was suggesting it.
The pendant buzzed again, then jerked in my hand. I swear, it nearly jumped out of my hand. Whoa. Seriously excited little thing. It was definitely raring to go.
So I was supposed to toss it? I felt a wave of panic. I'd never been good at catching anything. What if I dropped it?
Another buzz. I got its message clear enough: Quit second guessing and just throw! This pendant was getting more annoying by the second.
Fine, then. I tossed the pendant into the air.
I could catch a pink flash from the pendant as it hit peak altitude. Then it started falling – or was it flying? – back into my hand.
It hit me in the palm with enough force to nearly knock me over.
"Nice catch, Darvosky," Imira said.
"Oh, shut up." At least her comments put the buzzing in perspective.
It then glowed with more intensity, then blasted rays of light that formed a holographic projection like the screen of the Holo. All of a sudden, I was holding not a pendant, but a fully formed Stradivarius violin that was a replica of the one I'd played at Uncle Jeb's, but… I dunno, pinker. The body was maroon, with a pink neck. Another burst from the violin hit my palm, sending a holographic light, then a solid item in my hand – the bow to the violin.
"Whoa," Miriam murmured in awe.
Whoa was right. I couldn't believe what I'd done. So it wouldn't be helpful in combat, but it was useful right now. And right now was what I wanted to focus on.
I held up the violin and started to play.
The note resonated through the crowd. No mistake, it sounded as only a Strad could. I guess the pendant only took the best of the best.
At least it got the Gargantua's attention. It howled as if in pain and wheeled around to face me. I was right – the music was harmful to it.
I started playing the Spring Symphony. I wanted the monster's attention on me, and more importantly, everyone else's attention. I wanted them to see what I could do. Besides, if I was going out, I wanted to go out playing Vivaldi.
José smiled, tearful. Did it bring back memories for him? I wondered. I caught Papa still herding the crowd, trying to ease up everyone. I wasn't sure if he heard it, but I didn't care. I had another message on my mind – reserved for him.
I approached the stage, still finishing out the first movement. The monster was screaming in agony now, but not moving. Either it was in too much pain to move, or its legs were paralyzed. I could work with that.
I finished the symphony, and glanced at the violin, looking for where the pendant had been. I spotted a little divot where the pendant was, on the back of the violin. I tugged at the groove, and the violin vanished – bow and all.
Well, that was exciting, I thought I heard the pendant say when it resumed form. The voice in my head was definitely louder this time – as if the pendant and I were getting attuned to each other. Its buzzing was also more sluggish, at ease, as if it had burned off some impatience with that tune.
Can you try another? I thought. I intended to keep the monster fully occupied and give the people a reassuring show. Here, I could do both.
After a few minutes, I could catch another buzzing. Eh, sure. Just think of it, I'll show you the pattern.
I had to pause. Just think of it? It couldn't be so simple.
All the power of music, in this pendant. Could it be for real?
Well, no time to lose. I thought of the keyboard I'd messed around with at Uncle Jeb's. The pendant hummed, then emitted a different sign: something that looked like a rectangle with the short sides pinched in – or a flattened hourglass.
Okay. I didn't exactly have time to think about the significance, because of the monster in the room, but I traced along the new pattern and tossed the pendant up again.
This time, when it fell, it stopped three feet in the air – the right height for a Casio keyboard. The projection materialized and then took a solid form – a pink and maroon replica of the keyboard I'd played on prior to this. The white keys were carnation pink, the black keys a deeper maroon color. My own personal keyboard.
I began to play out a few chords. Then, on a whim, I started to sing.
And the verse for today is: Job 42:2. Stay tuned!