“They already have a wizard.”
“True, but they don’t have the Strong and Montague Detective Agency.”
“We aren’t moving,” Monty said, limping away. “We’ll be fine.”
“I don’t know how you can say that,” I argued. “Once Angel sees this place, he’s going to have a stroke, then kill us, and then have another stroke. This is—”
The violet-white orb above us kept rising for a few more feet. I followed it with my gaze, expecting it to float right out of the city when it exploded with a thwump, blinding me.
When I could see again, all of the damage was gone. I stood there turning in a circle surveying the completely undamaged Times Square.
“You better call Ramirez and tell him we’re done,” Monty said as he limped around the corner onto 6th Avenue. “Tell him the city is safe—again. At least for today.”
“How did she do that?” I asked, catching up. “Wait, the hub. Is Ursula going to come hunt us down when she discovers what—?”
“The permutational persistence will have run its sequence by now,” Monty answered. “It will revert back to normal.”
“Which means it’s not hammertime?”
“Exactly,” Monty said. “I need a hot shower, a hot cuppa, and perhaps two to three days of uninterrupted sleep.”
“That sounds like an excellent plan—if you just adjust that cuppa for coffee, it would be perfect. I have to make one stop before I sleep for a week. Did you still want your laxative cookies?”
“Digestives—McVities, and get me three boxes, not two.”
“McVittles, got it,” I said. “Sounds like dog food, but okay.”
He shook his head, opened a portal and vanished from sight.
I stepped into a bookstore across the street from the Library, and grabbed some books, before heading downtown. I arrived at the Bowling Green hub and parked behind Ursula’s Widow. I pressed a finger on her car, leaving a fairly large smudge on the immaculate wax job before stepping into the Oracle.
“He did it anyway, didn’t he?” she asked. “Even after I told him not to?”
“He’s not big on following orders,” I said. “I brought you this because you’ve had a deprived childhood.”
I passed her a large box.
She opened it and gave me a small smile.
“Thanks,” she said, placing the box carefully to one side. “Where do I start?”
“You start with The Hobbit, then move on to The Fellowship of the Ring. Make sure you call me when you get to Gandalf’s best part.”
“Will do,” Ursula said as I turned to head out of the Oracle. “Where are you headed?”
“I have to go get some laxative cookies for Monty, and then I’m going to swing by the place and get my favorite hellhound”—I rubbed Peaches behind the ear—“some pastrami. Maybe have a chat with Ezra.”
<I’m your only hellhound.>
<That’s why you’re my favorite.>
<The angry man owes me meat.>
<We’ll get some at the place.>
<I would like that. Can I have extra for the beautiful guardian?>
<Let’s discuss it when we get there. I think there may be some lizard conditions.>
“You do realize who Ezra is…right?” Ursula asked. “Capital D?”
“Like Monty said…in the end, we all sit at his table. I’m just doing it now, while I can still enjoy it.”
I left the Oracle, jumped behind the wheel of the Dark Goat after the Sprawlmeister got comfortable in the backseat, roared the engine a few times, and headed uptown.
THE END
Author Notes
Thank you for reading this story and jumping back into the Monty & Strong World.
Writing this story (even in the midst of con-crud) was a great adventure. Hopefully by this point you’ve read the book, if not go back to the beginning—here be SPOILERS.
It was exciting to see the development of MS&P along with Cece and other assorted characters. Yes, we will see more of the young Jotnar ice mage in future MS&P stories as well as the Brew & Chew where she, Peaches, Rags, and Frank wreak havoc on an unsuspecting city, all while saving it. Hey, they had great teachers in the wreaking havoc department.
Peaches gets HELLFIRE in XL battle-mode! WHOA!
Felt like that needed its own space there. Peaches is growing and evolving(and negotiating…anyone want to form a Hellhound Onion?) along with Simon. This story is setting the foundation for what starts happening in the next few M&S books. Monty was willing to take the Dark Death, while Simon rejected the allure of power. The Dark Council has unofficially declared MS&P targets and placed them on a Kill On Sight list, which will make their difficult lives a bit tougher. In addition to all of that, there are forces from Simon’s past that remember…and plan to remind him. Painfully and violently.
I’m really excited to reveal what’s coming in the MS World in the next books, but Peaches just growled at me and promised to remove one of my arms if I did. I need my arms, so I will refrain…for now.
Even though there was a bit of destruction in this story, it couldn’t be permanent. Even M&S know better than to destroy Times Square if they want to continue living in the city. Another factor for the lack of destruction is that their past is slowly catching up with them. There is plenty of destruction that has gone unanswered, and those accounts are coming due…can anyone say Archmage Julien and The Hybrid?
On the subject of Chi, we don’t know where she is…yet. What we do know is that there are factions within the Dark Council that want MS&P eliminated, will do everything to remove her from power, and are willing to plunge the Council into a civil war.
That will all be explored in a story of her own titled: BLOOD ASCENSION-RULE OF THE COUNCIL, which will be the first of three stories culminating in her return, and facing off against the forces of the Dark Council. Michiko will do everything in her power to prevent the destruction of the Dark Council, but the cost she eventually ends up paying may be an ultimate one…we’ll see.
With each
