Part 32 (1/2)
Then it formed into the Demoness Metria. ”What's up, doctors?” she inquired, her outfit becoming almost but not quite translucent, so as to compel the eyes of the males in the party without quite cauterizing them. It was evidently a fine art; Justin appreciated the precision of it without quite being able to remove his own eyes from the sight.
Breanna looked as if she were stifling a bleep-loaded outburst. Justin knew why: Metria was normally mischief, and this was a very important project. If they told her to go away, she would remain to pester them. But if they didn't, she might remain anyway. The question was how to get her to depart without alerting her to the fact that something extremely interesting was occurring.
”We are merely contemplating this dull rock,” Justin said. That was technically accurate.
The demoness turned, showing more silhouette than a normal woman could manage in a lifetime. ”Say, that looks just like a foop.”
”A smelly what?” Breanna asked.
”A piece of filth, dirt, dung, muck, feces-”
”p.o.o.p?”
”Whatever,” the demoness agreed crossly. ”A smell p.o.o.p.” She started to fade out. But then she reversed. ”Hey, wait-that wasn't the word! I said foop, not p.o.o.p. What are you doing with a foop?”
”Bleep!” Breanna swore. ”It almost worked.”
Metria looked at her. ”Are you trying to get rid of me, or only pretending to try to get rid of me?”
”Does it matter?”
”No. Obviously you folk are into something interesting here. You might as well tell me, on the off chance that I'll find it boring and fade out.”
Breanna shot a desperate glance at Justin. He was able to receive it because he had managed to avert his eyes from the demoness when she faded and was keeping them clear now. It was a struggle, because his eyeb.a.l.l.s were straining to return to the barely showing cake and buns.
”It is indeed a foop,” he said. ”We are trying to determine what it may be good for.”
”That's easy. It controls demons. Since n.o.body in his right mind wants to do that, I'll just remove it and throw it away, saving you the trouble.” She reached down toward the stone, her decolletage flexing dangerously.
”No!” Justin and Breanna cried together.
The demoness paused. ”Do you care to come clean now? I called your fake.”
”Our what?” Justin asked.
”Pretense, dupe, counterfeit, dare, challenge-”
”Bluff?”
”Whatever. Tell me all about it, or I'll steal the Foop and throw it away.”
”This is-this is-” Justin sputtered, unable to get the word out.
”Blackmail?” the demoness inquired sweetly, her short skirt becoming scantier.
”Whatever!”
”I guess we'd better tell her,” Breanna said reluctantly.
”Very well,” Justin agreed, though he would have preferred to utter a brush-scorching expletive. ”This is not just any foop-it is the Swell Foop.”
For once they saw the demoness aghast. Her clothing became entirely opaque. ”The Swell Foop! You actually got it? I thought that was an untamed quack pursuit.”
”A what?”
”A feral ugly-duck hunt. One quarter of an inch off-center.”
”A wild goose?”
”Whatever! Have you any idea how dangerous that thing is?”
”No. Do you?”
”No. But it hasn't been used in centuries.”
”So what were you saying about a foop controlling demons? Does the Swell Foop do that?”
”Of course. It controls Demons. You know, the major ones, big D's, like the Demon Xanth.” She frowned. ”If I may get serious a moment, you don't want to mess with that one.”
”It is not our choice,” Justin said.
”I suppose it isn't. But you are entering treacherous waters.”
”It's weird seeing you serious,” Breanna said.
”It's weird being near the Swell Foop.”
”So how does it work?”
”I don't know.”
”You don't know!” Justin exploded. ”You said-”
”I said it was dangerous. I did not say I knew how to operate it. No demon does, of course. Otherwise we'd turn it permanently off.”
”Really?”
”No. No demon can touch it.”
”But you threatened to steal it and throw it away.”
”That was a bluff, even for a regular foop. They are immune from demon molestation.” Then she reconsidered. ”However, I might stop you from using it, if I freaked you out.” Her clothing began to turn gla.s.sy.
”Metria, this is serious business,” Justin told her sternly. ”If you don't want to help, then kindly fade out.”
”Spoilsport.” Her clothing opaqued again. ”A demon girl just wants to have fun.”
They returned their attention to the Foop. ”How will we know when we have the right combination?” Jaylin asked.
”We shall have to give it a command each time we change the Rings,” Justin said. ”When it responds, then we'll know.”