“I traded it,” Delaney said. “You know that, Jean. And if I had to do it again, I would.” At my look, she held up one hand. “Yes, I would have done some things differently, like tell you and Myra about the trade before I did it, though I don’t know how I would have. But Bathin did save Ben. That’s worth a lot to me. And he hasn’t damaged my soul. I’ll get itback.”
Here she grinned. “That demon doesn’t have a chance against usReeds.”
I rolled my eyes, but smiled too. If anyone could figure out how to get Delaney’s soul back, it was Myra. And I knew she’d been working on that problem non-stop.
“Mmm-mmm-hmmph!”
Ah, the head wasawake.
“Wow,” Hogan sat forward, his long arms propped on his knees. “Look at the littleguy.”
Abner mumbled a reply. It was hard to tell through the duct tape, but he looked reallyexcited.
“Go ahead and take the tape off,” Delaneysuggested.
“You so don’t want me to do that,” Isaid.
“Jean.”
“Fine.” I pulled off the tape and Abner smacked hismouth.
“Why do I feel so funny?” he asked. “Wait...I’m a zombie, aren’t I?Gno!”
“Denial,” I said. “First stage of zombie gnomegrief.”
“Well, it could be worse. Zombies are such popular critters rightnow.”
“Acceptance.”
“Boy, I could use a bite toeat.”
“Hunger.”
“Like, a lot to eat. I could chew my way through a concretetruck.”
“Morehunger.”
“Got anything to eat?” he asked no one inparticular.
“No,” I said. “And the laststage....”
“Gnock-gnock.”
Hoganlaughed.
Delaney shook her head. “I thought you made up the knock-knock part ofthis.”
“Nope. So what do you think?” I askedHogan.
“He’s...hey, your name’s Abner, right?” Hoganasked.
My front door opened and Myra walked in. “Do you have candy? There are kids on the block and they’re headed this way,fast.”
“In the kitchen in the wormbowl.”
Her gaze flicked to Abner, then Delaney and Hogan, then she walked off to thekitchen.
“I am Abner Doboodoo, the head of all Ordinarygnomes.”
