“They just keep coming!” she wailed.
“Well, now that word has gotten out on G-Nom radio, I expect even more of them will be arriving.”
“Those pointy-hatted abominations!”
“Every abomination has a place in Ordinary as long as they follow the rules. The gnomes won’t hurt you. Well,” I said glibly, “they aren’t supposed to.”
“But I’m so beautiful!”
“That doesn’t… Wait.” I pivoted and stared at a blue-capped gnome with a wheelbarrow full of flowers.
Xtelle backed farther into the house, her head squishing into her neck so she had chins. It was a strange look on a pink unicorn.
“What?” she said. “What did it do?”
“I just thought maybe… No, I’m sure it’s fine.”
“Stop it. Do something to stop it! You’re supposed to save me.”
I lifted the barbecue grill’s lid. It was spotless inside. “Is this where you burned everything?”
“Of course not. Over there.” She waved her nose in larger swings.
I walked to the edge of the patio. A charred section of grass spread out in a three-foot circle.
“You burned Hogan’s lawn?”
“That patch of crab grass and dandelions? I should have fanned the flames.”
I bent and poked at the ashes and char. “This is all that was left of the box?”
“I’m going to say, yes?”
I strolled over to the door and opened it. Xtelle trotted backward, her eyes wide.
“There’s no burned trinket out there. I know you received a ring. Tell me what the ring does.”
“It makes me invincible in battle.”
“Is that the truth or is that what you tell people?”
“I’m alive, aren’t I?”
“You didn’t answer the question.”
She tossed her mane. “It protects me.”
“You use it for defense only?”
“Of course not. It can cause great destruction. The best defense is offensively smashing your opponent in the face before the battle even begins.”
“Sounds useful. Why didn’t you bring it with you when you came to Ordinary?”
“I assumed it was not allowed to bring that kind of power here. Was I wrong?”
“No. You were right. But now I need to see it.”
“It’s mine.”
