summer squall.
Artie drew Excalibur in front of him again, intent on striking the creature’s undefended backside—but just before he could act he had to duck a large, bulky object that soared over his head.
It was the microwave.
“Enough!” Artie shouted, though no one could hear him. “ENOUGH!” he screamed, to no avail.
He peered across the room. He could barely make Qwon out—the air was so thick with debris—but Artie could tell that she had lost control of her sword’s tempestuous power.
Bedevere and Artie momentarily locked eyes. Artie pointed Excalibur at Bedevere’s inactive phantom arm and then at Kusanagi. Artie watched as Bedevere’s lips made the word Phantoma! and the ghostly and magical appendage that Merlin had made for him grew from his stump in an instant. He reached down and grabbed Kusanagi around the blade just above the circular handguard. He yanked it quickly, breaking Qwon’s grip. The look on her face was one of shock but also relief.
The storm died, and the sabertooth/rhino wasted no time. It swiped a huge paw at Erik, who barely dodged it, and then it spun and tried to bite Kay. She backpedaled, holding out Cleomede, and her sword caught the beast across the jaw, drawing a deep cut. Dred and Artie pounced on the wounded animal. Bedevere dropped Kusanagi, launched over the kitchen island, and landed on the thing’s head, trying to draw its attention from Kay. It worked, but now Bedevere was in trouble. The animal was just about to dig its knifelike teeth into Bedevere’s good leg when Dred swung the Peace Sword and sliced off its left front paw. The creature cried out and Bedevere jumped to safety. Then Kay stepped forward and drove Cleomede deep into its side.
That was it.
The knights panted and regrouped and finally Artie asked, “Why would Merlin put this poor creature here?” He was not happy that they’d had to kill it.
“A test maybe,” Bedevere said.
“And why a sabertooth and a rhino?” Kay wondered. “Does this mean he’s going to attack us with some crazy horde of hybrid animals?”
“Who knows,” Dred said. “But I wouldn’t put it past—” He made a start as the doorbell rang. “What’s that?”
Qwon, who looked like she still couldn’t believe she’d made that huge storm, said, “Easy, Dred. Someone’s at the front door. That’s all.”
Kay ran down the hall, calling over her shoulder, “I’ll see who it is.” She checked the hall clock on her way. It was 2:32 a.m. Who rang the doorbell at 2:32 a.m.?
She reached the door and opened it halfway.
Two officers stood on the threshold. The older one—short, bald, stocky—had a hand on the grip of his holstered gun and a concerned look on his face. “Good evening, ma’am—er, miss—is everything all right in there?”
Kay, still panting from the fight, moved so that she blocked the view into the house. Being six feet tall helped. The taller officer craned his neck, trying to get a look inside. “Oh yeah, officers, everything’s fine. The, um, we had a gas leak. Pilot light went out, I guess. The, uh, whatchamacallit”—Kay snapped her fingers a few times—“the compressor on the fridge must have ignited the gas.” She’d seen this in a movie somewhere, and while she had no idea if it was plausible, it sounded good. “We were all upstairs. Kind of a mess, but everyone’s fine.”
“If there’s a gas leak, we need to call the utility company, miss,” the closest cop said.
“Oh, don’t bother. Like I said, everything’s fine.”
The taller cop took a few steps away from the door and bobbed back and forth. “Hey, Ed, isn’t this the Kingfisher residence?”
The short one squinted. “Yeah. It is.” He turned back to Kay. “Are you Kay Kingfisher?”
Kay frowned. “That’s right.”
The shorter one said, “You’ve been reported to the truancy board. You haven’t been in school for weeks.”
“And your father, Kynder, has been reported missing,” the taller
Artie drew Excalibur in front of him again, intent on striking the creature’s undefended backside—but just before he could act he had to duck a large, bulky object that soared over his head.
It was the microwave.
“Enough!” Artie shouted, though no one could hear him. “ENOUGH!” he screamed, to no avail.
He peered across the room. He could barely make Qwon out—the air was so thick with debris—but Artie could tell that she had lost control of her sword’s tempestuous power.
Bedevere and Artie momentarily locked eyes. Artie pointed Excalibur at Bedevere’s inactive phantom arm and then at Kusanagi. Artie watched as Bedevere’s lips made the word Phantoma! and the ghostly and magical appendage that Merlin had made for him grew from his stump in an instant. He reached down and grabbed Kusanagi around the blade just above the circular handguard. He yanked it quickly, breaking Qwon’s grip. The look on her face was one of shock but also relief.
The storm died, and the sabertooth/rhino wasted no time. It swiped a huge paw at Erik, who barely dodged it, and then it spun and tried to bite Kay. She backpedaled, holding out Cleomede, and her sword caught the beast across the jaw, drawing a deep cut. Dred and Artie pounced on the wounded animal. Bedevere dropped Kusanagi, launched over the kitchen island, and landed on the thing’s head, trying to draw its attention from Kay. It worked, but now Bedevere was in trouble. The animal was just about to dig its knifelike teeth into Bedevere’s good leg when Dred swung the Peace Sword and sliced off its left front paw. The creature cried out and Bedevere jumped to safety. Then Kay stepped forward and drove Cleomede deep into its side.
That was it.
The knights panted and regrouped and finally Artie asked, “Why would Merlin put this poor creature here?” He was not happy that they’d had to kill it.
“A test maybe,” Bedevere said.
“And why a sabertooth and a rhino?” Kay wondered. “Does this mean he’s going to attack us with some crazy horde of hybrid animals?”
“Who knows,” Dred said. “But I wouldn’t put it past—” He made a start as the doorbell rang. “What’s that?”
Qwon, who looked like she still couldn’t believe she’d made that huge storm, said, “Easy, Dred. Someone’s at the front door. That’s all.”
Kay ran down the hall, calling over her shoulder, “I’ll see who it is.” She checked the hall clock on her way. It was 2:32 a.m. Who rang the doorbell at 2:32 a.m.?
She reached the door and opened it halfway.
Two officers stood on the threshold. The older one—short, bald, stocky—had a hand on the grip of his holstered gun and a concerned look on his face. “Good evening, ma’am—er, miss—is everything all right in there?”
Kay, still panting from the fight, moved so that she blocked the view into the house. Being six feet tall helped. The taller officer craned his neck, trying to get a look inside. “Oh yeah, officers, everything’s fine. The, um, we had a gas leak. Pilot light went out, I guess. The, uh, whatchamacallit”—Kay snapped her fingers a few times—“the compressor on the fridge must have ignited the gas.” She’d seen this in a movie somewhere, and while she had no idea if it was plausible, it sounded good. “We were all upstairs. Kind of a mess, but everyone’s fine.”
“If there’s a gas leak, we need to call the utility company, miss,” the closest cop said.
“Oh, don’t bother. Like I said, everything’s fine.”
The taller cop took a few steps away from the door and bobbed back and forth. “Hey, Ed, isn’t this the Kingfisher residence?”
The short one squinted. “Yeah. It is.” He turned back to Kay. “Are you Kay Kingfisher?”
Kay frowned. “That’s right.”
The shorter one said, “You’ve been reported to the truancy board. You haven’t been in school for weeks.”
“And your father, Kynder, has been reported missing,” the taller
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