* * * * *
Toby Swofford and Jo Blackburn were having a busier night than anticipated. First, the weird incident at the Retroplex. Now, a homicide!
"What have you got, Doc?" the detective sergeant asked the coroner.
The latter shook his head: "Initially speaking? It appears this man choked to death on his own blood, after having his throat cut. But, the way it was cut? Whatever knife was used is something outside my experience."
Swofford then went over to confer with his younger partner, who had just finished taking the preliminary statement of the riding school's owner.
"The vic's wife found him, Sarge. She ran to find Mr. Morgan, here. And, he called us. While waiting for us, he looked around the barn. And, he found fifty of his instructional saddle mounts missing!"
"Horse theft?" he muttered: "In this day and age?"
Swofford shook his head. Then, something occurred to him.
"Morgan? Say! Is he any relation to...?"
Jo nodded: "His son Biff is one of the Goodson Academy students we interviewed, earlier tonight."
"How fast can you drive us over there?"
Jo grinned: "You mean, without having a pilot's license?"
* * * * *
There was stunned silence for at least two minutes. Then, for the second time that night, Michael broke down and cried. Sandy gave him a comforting hug until he had managed to recompose himself. Then, Michael asked how it had happened.
"I was at the Azuling embassy near your father's castle," replied Toray: "Informing him about something of grave concern that had been brought to my own attention. Namely; that the Osiri have learned the secret of Aperture-making!"
"That much we had already determined for ourselves," said Willek: "How they managed it is what we don't know."
Toray shrugged: "All I know is that a defrocked priest of the Great Parent was involved. Bribed with the same gold for which unscrupulous Azuling merchants have been selling contraband weapons to the Osiri."
"I thought gold was even scarcer on our world than it is here," declared Martin.
"The Osiri have found a plentiful source of it, somewhere. And, they are using it to good effect!"
"But, what makes you think my father is dead?" demanded Michael, getting back to the point.
To which Toray replied that an Aperture had coalesced out of thin air, at their meeting. An Aperture in the shape of a fiery lion's head...from the open jaws of which Osiri warriors began to emerge like saliva on the muzzle of a mad dog!
"Your father and I, along with the contingent of bodyguards he brought with him, managed to fight our way out of the meeting room. Unfortunately, we found out that the Osiri had evidently opened a _second_ Aperture, elsewhere in the embassy! With no other recourse, we fled to the basement chapel."
It had been their intention to use that Aperture to flee in search of Michael and the others, to see if they were being similarly endangered.
"But, no sooner had the chaplain and his acolytes finished chanting, than the Osiri raiders broke down the door. Your father opted to stay behind, delaying pursuit of me for as long as he could."
"So, you didn't actually _see_ him die. Did you?" countered Michael.
* * * * *
For the second time, that night, Wes had parked his Ram Charger at the terminus of the cross-country training path. And, he ran along it as fast as he could.
The air rifle had been loaded with the first of the chemical-filled tranquilizer darts. And, what he planned to do with it gave the over-privileged bully a sense of gleeful anticipation.
"Frigging weirdoes!" he muttered to himself, in reference to the Smith family. What he planned to do to them had originally been intended _only_ for them. But, if Sandy wanted to throw in her lot with them? Then, so be it!
Through careful spying on her and Michael, he knew where the Smiths kept the spare key to their back door. And, sure enough? It was still there. Hanging on a hook behind a forsythia bush to his left!
He removed it from that hook, and quietly let himself in.
* * * * *
"So, you didn't actually _see_ him die. Did you?"
Before the Azuling nobleman could answer that, Lorraine started growling. And, Willek sat bolt upright.
"Landor! Behind you!"
Michael spun about...just in time to see a red dot appear on his gray windbreaker. It was at that exact same instant that Lucy jumped in front of him, an Osiri club-knife in her right hand!
She thereby took the dart that was meant for Michael, Falling to the living room carpet, face-first. Wes swore out loud, as he hastened to load the next dart into the air rifle as swiftly as possible. But, Michael was far quicker!
Somersaulting to his right, Michael regained his feet with the club-knife in his left hand. He then threw it under-handed; knobbed end first.
WHOOSH!
THUD!
"UHNNNNNN!"
Wes fell to his knees, clutching his groin in pain. Pain that was not alleviated by Michael knocking him to the floor, and sitting on his chest!
"I'm gonna cut off your testicles, and WEAR THEM FOR A NECKTIE!!" he screamed. But, Sandy screamed even louder for him to stop.
"Look! LOOK!!!"
Michael looked...and was rendered speechless by the sight of a naked, five-inch tall redhead in Sandy's cupped hands.
tbc
Giantess World
Author's Chapter Notes:
MORGAN SCHOOL OF EQUESTRIANISM
GOODSON, CONNECTICUT
10/24/09 (11:15 PM/EST)
GOODSON, CONNECTICUT
10/24/09 (11:15 PM/EST)