>MYSTERY BOX and friends

No, you should use gulfweed. What if Jean Ramsey, vile and traitorous, decides to start early? You'd be away in the Fen, powerless to stop her!

Henry said gulfweed was kind of rare, but you don't need much, and you don't have much time to use it otherwise. It's a good thing you practiced with it back in Headspace and Satellite, so the dizzy numbing sensation is old hat, and you make contact with Earl without fuss.

"...Hon?"

Earl's a little startled— you didn't exactly get a chance to warn him— but acclimates quickly. (You guess he does manse stuff on a regular basis.) When you try to fill him in about the Jean Ramsey situation, he waves a hand. "Already got the news. If she's heading for Hellsbells, I'll be giving her a warm welcome! Haw! You think she will?"

"Um..."

No, you don't think she will, but you need Earl anyways. You feel bad for asking, a little, since he'd probably be out of harm's way without you, but you have to. So you do. "Volunteers?!" Earl says, and "What a bitch! No offense," and, when you lock your mind-hands together and say it: "What? Me? You think she'll let me?"

"She's been gone for months. I— I don't think she has to know you're not living at camp."

"Well, if you're sure... are you paying me? 'Cause I normally get paid to bash people's faces in."

You blink. "I— I'm sure I can— I bet Monty would be happy to pay you, or—" Or when you're God you can make a lot of chit appear? You don't want to say that.

"Haw! Your face! Naw, it'd be an honor. I get paid to do some bashing, but, kid, the kind of people who pay..." Earl scratches his cheek. "Same kind of stock as your Ramsey, seems like. Getting to be on the good side, once in my life— payment enough."

For once in his life. "Um, I should say— you could die. You might die. There's going to be a lot of people trying to kill you, and—"

"What's new! You think the juice is allowed? Or are they strict about—"

"I really doubt they're strict." If Jean Ramsey has been using the Crown on people. "I'm sure it's okay if you need to turn into a— you know. And I'll be helping, even if there's probably rules against that. So you also might not die. I just want to make sure you're okay with—"

"Kid, in my line of work, you don't worry about that stuff. You start worrying, you stop making money, okay? Say, would this tourney happen to have a cash prize?"

"Um, I think you get a— a wish. You could wish for money. But you won't get it, since I'm going to win... sorry."

"Hey, better you than me! No skin off my back. Speaking of backs..."

Earl wants to see your tail. You show it off, hoping he won't ask to touch— he doesn't (it's imaginary, so maybe he can't), but does ooh and ahh rapturously. He wants to know if you can swish it, and how hard. Pretty hard, it turns out. "Oho! You know what?"

"...What?"

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