Miss Shumway Waves A Wand

“I think she’s right,” I said. “The whole thing doesn’t bear thinking about. How long are these powers likely to last?”

Ansell scratched his ear thoughtfully, “I’m not quite sure,” he said. “The Naguales used to begin their rituals at the beginning of the full moon. It may be that the power is influenced by the moon. If that’s so, she’s got to the end of the month before she returns to normal. Why not make hay until then? It’s not long. She’ll never be able to regain the power now that Quintl’s dead.”

“And a good thing too,” Myra said firmly. “I’m going to be very careful of how I act for the next few weeks. If I can get through that time without anything more happening, I’m g to be quite contented.”

I threw up his hands in disgust. “What about my snake-bite remedy?” he demanded. “Am I to get nothing out of this?”

“I’m sorry, Doc,” Myra returned, “but I don’t want anything more to do with this business. It’s all very well for you, but…”

“Can’t you do something?” Ansell appealed to me.

I was already racking my brains, “I don’t think so,” I said at last. “You see, she ain’t interested in the reward any more.”

“What?” Bogle said, sitting up. “What about us? Ain’t we considered?”

“That’s up to you, Myra,” I said, looking over at her. “Don’t you see we can’t claim the reward?” she said. “We’re not entitled to it.”

“It wouldn’t be honest,” I said, grinning at Bogle.

“Wouldn’t be what?” he snarled, growing red in the face. “What’s this… a gag?”

“I’m afraid our Myra’s become honest overnight,” I said. “A girl’s got to have her conscience, you know.”

“Yeah?” Bogle bellowed, “I’ll tell you something. She’s trying to gyp us!”

“You can believe what you like,” Myra said quietly, “but I’m not having anything to do with it. I want to go somewhere quiet and wait until the end of the month.”

I thought of all the publicity I’d lose and I thought of Maddox. What he’d do to me if I didn’t get this kid back to New York would be nobody’s business.

“Now, for the love of mike, don’t be in such a hurry,” I said. “Here, you two, get out. I want to talk to her.”

“It’s no good,” Myra said firmly, “I’ve made up my mind,” and she turned to the door.

“Can’t one, of you think of something?” I demanded.

“Really, Ross, I mean it,” she said over her shoulder. As she opened the door, the little Mexican girl came bustling in. She had a telegram which she handed to me. I took it and then waved her away. She seemed glad to go.

“Hold on until I’ve read this,” I said to Myra. “It might be important.”

“Hurry,” Myra said, standing by the door. “I want to change.”

I was staring at the telegram in astonishment. It was from Paul Juden:

Maddox cables girl has been found stop. What are you diddling with stop Civic reception to be held today stop Girl’s father claims reward stop Maddox loves you stop Juden.

“Well, fan me with a plate of soup!” I said and offered the telegram to Myra.

Bogle and Ansell crowded round her and read over her shoulder. There was a moment’s silence which was immediately after exploded by a general uproar.

“What does this mean?” Myra demanded. “Is this something you’ve hatched up?”

“Now don’t set yourself on fire,” I said hastily, “I don’t know any more about this than you do.”

“Yeah?” Bogle said, jerking Myra round. “So you don’t want the money, huh? You double-crossing little hooker! How the hell did you manage it?”

“Don’t be a damn fool!” I said. “She’s got nothing to do with it. It’s her father trying to pull a fast one over Maddox. It sticks out a yard.” I turned to Myra, “What kind of a man is your father?”

She hesitated “He—he’s a bit of a crook,” she said reluctantly. “But there’s no vice in him. He was just born that way.”

“Well, it looks to me like your father’s trying to gyp Maddox. What’s to stop him palming off some other girl as his daughter? You know, precious, that’s about what he’s doing.”

She stared at me, “But the photograph in the paper. They’ll know she’s a fake.”

“Maybe he’s found someone who looks like you.”

“Yeah, that wouldn’t be hard,” Sam put in. “Any one with a Veronica Lake hair-cut would do.”

This seemed to annoy Myra. “So I look like any one, do I?” she said angrily.

“Now don’t get up in the air,” Ansell said hastily.

I suppose it was the association of ideas. I don’t really know, but thinking about it afterwards, I guess that was what it was. Myra left the ground.

It was an unnerving sight. One minute she was sitting on the bed and the next she was sitting on nothing, about three feet above the bed.

The most astonished person in the room was Myra herself. “Now, see what you’ve done,” she said in alarm, “Don’t stare at me, do something.”

But we all just sat and stared.

“I don’t think I’ll be able to stand a great deal more of this,” I finally jerked out. “Will you calm down, Myra, and stop messing around?”