Why hadn’t he thought to look with his supernatural sight earlier? Stupid, stupid. Because what he saw now was an echo of the phantom kangaroos… only a million times more potent. He saw ribbons of power and pattern, tightly compressed as it leaped up and out of the broken shell. It had the vague shape of a monkey as it coiled and twisted above the egg. Was it balancing upon the jagged edge of the stone? It was hard to tell.
A newly revived Auntie Sand scooped it up in her palms and placed it on an apple. Then she muttered, “No, no, a banana.”
Meanwhile, Bing shook off his stupor. They had to get out of here. Whatever that thing was, it was dangerous, and he didn’t want Walter anywhere near it. Certainly not in his currently dazed state.
“Come on,” he said as he tugged his friend up to his knees. “We need to get out of here.”
“Look, it’s no big deal—” Walter said.
“Eat a banana, nephew,” Auntie Sand said as she quickly peeled a half-mashed banana.
“Get up!” Bing ordered as he dragged Walter to his feet.
Walter was trying to move, but there was no room, and Auntie Sand had shifted to completely block the way.
“Complete the ritual!” she snapped as she scooped up the tiny spinning monkey and dropped him on the banana. “Say yes to the banana and everything on it!” she ordered.
“Yes,” Walter intoned.
“No!” Bing cried as he lunged forward, but the woman blocked him with her free arm. And while he was countering her attack, she shoved the banana—and the monkey—right into Walter’s mouth.
Walter gagged with his suddenly full mouth. He reared back, and Bing had a moment’s hope.
“Spit it out!”
It was too late. Walter quickly swallowed. Whatever that dancing monkey-shaped thing was, it was inside him now.
Auntie Sand shoved Bing backward, and Bing let her. He was too focused on his friend. She was watching Walter too, her smile wide and creepy.
“Monkey?” she asked as Walter stared at them.
The man took a deep breath and exhaled it in a rush. Then he turned patient eyes on his aunt. “It’s been a hard day, Auntie. The set has been disrupted by….” He shook his head. “I don’t know what. But I’m going to try and salvage the day’s schedule now, okay?”
She frowned at him. “Nephew?”
“Yes, Auntie Sand?”
“How do you feel?”
He looked at his watch. “Like we’re losing daylight.” Then he turned and shot Bing a hard look. “Don’t leave. We still need to talk.”
Bing nodded. His best friend had just swallowed something supernatural. Bing wasn’t going anywhere.
With a final nod to both of them, Walter stepped out of the trailer and spoke with a voice that carried. “Places, everyone! We’re going back to work.”
Bing twisted to look out the window. Sure enough, people who’d been milling around outside abruptly straightened and rushed back in. As he watched, three people hurried over to Walter, all of them asking questions. It was business as usual on a set. Whatever Auntie Sand had tried to do to Walter hadn’t kicked in yet.
Bing looked at the woman, who had joined him at the window. He tensed, wondering if she would attack him again, but she seemed supremely confident now that she’d accomplished her purpose… whatever it was.
“What was that thing?” he asked.
“The Monkey King,” she answered, as if it was obvious and he was an idiot.
“Obviously not. What was it really?”
She snapped her head around and glared straight into his eyes. “I know what I am doing.”
That’s what he was afraid of.
