Miss Shumway Waves A Wand

The first initial shock over, Myra reached for the bed rail and anchored herself. Then she pulled herself back to the bed. She settled on the bed with the lightness and instability of a thistle down.

“Levitation,” Ansell said. “It’ll pass off if you don’t excite yourself.”

“It’s rather fun,” Myra said, still looking a little scared. “Would any of you mind if I cast off?”

“Don’t do it,” Bogle pleaded. “Please don’t do it.”

“Oh, nuts!” Myra snapped. “Why shouldn’t I enjoy myself,” and she very cautiously pushed herself away from the bed.

She immediately rose in the air in a sitting position and then she overbalanced and turned upside down. Her feet shot up towards the ceiling and she hung suspended a few feet from the floor.

“Help!” she cried. “What am I going to do now?”

Ansell went to her rescue and got her straightened out. After a little balancing, she managed to float, lying full length.

“This is rather fun,” she said. “But it’s an effort to keep straight. Pull my feet down, Doc, I want to see if I can walk.”

“I can’t and won’t stand it,” Bogle said, closing his eyes and screwing up his fists.

“You shut up!” Ansell said, pushing Myra’s feet down and helping her upright. “She’s doing very well.”

Myra took a few hesitating steps and managed to cross the room some three feet above the floor. It was a shocking sight and I could hardly bring myself to watch her.

“I think I’d prefer to lie out,” she said, drawing up her feet and stretching out.

“I’ll give you a push,” Doc said and he did so, sending her floating across the room where she bumped gently against the wall. She was like a toy balloon and she bounced off the wall and came floating back to me. I reached out and dragged her back on the bed.

“Please stop,” I pleaded. “You’ll drive me crazy.”

“But, it’s marvellous,” Myra said, her face alight with pleasure. “You’re only jealous. Let me go once more across the room and then I promise I won’t do it again.”

“Well, if it means so much to you,” I said and shoved her off into space again. I must have given her too hard a posh because she shot across the room narrowly missing Doc who threw himself on the floor with a squeal of fear. She banged against the wall, ricocheted like a billiard ball and whizzed over Bogle, who cowered down in his chair. Then the power that held her up seemed to be snatched away, for she came down on the end of her spine with a thud that made the coffee cups rattle.

Ansell hurried over to her and helped her up.

“Ooch!” she said, limping across to the bed. “There’s nothing for you to laugh at.”

“If you could have seen yourself,” I said, wiping the tears from my eyes. “You’d have laughed too.”

“Next time I take to flying, I’ll pad my undercarriage,” she said feelingly, as she sat down on the bed.

Bogle peered at her between his fingers. When he assured himself that she was sitting quietly, he took his hand away and sucked his teeth noisily. “Don’t ever do that again,” he said. “A sight like that doesn’t belong anywhere.”

“Think of the shoe leather I’ll save,” Myra said, smiling happily. “That was really something to experience.”

“Can’t we get our minds down to business?” I asked. “Not that I can think clearly. This’s about the craziest moment of my life, but we’ve still to settle about your father. Can you discuss him without becoming inflated?”

Myra’s face clouded, “I was forgetting him,” she said. “There’s nothing to discuss. I’m going to see him.”

“Now, don’t be in too great a rush,” I said. “The first thing to do is to get hold of Juden. He’ll have details. Then we can decide what to do. We’ll get packed up and go to Mexico City as quickly as we can. We ought to get there by to-night. Then we can talk things over with him, make plans and see what it’s all about.”

“Sam and I are coining,” Ansell said firmly. “Don’t you get any ideas about stopping us.”

I looked questioningly at Myra. She shrugged. “Oh, well,” she said, “I suppose they’d better.”

Just then the verandah door pushed open, and Whisky came in. “Mexico City?” he growled.

“I haven’t been there since I was a pup. I’ll come along too.”

I shook my head. “Listen,” I said firmly. “I’m not interested in your puppy life. We haven’t room for you and none of us like dogs. If you want to go to Mexico City you make your own arrangements.”

Ansell was staring at the dog in delight. “My goodness! He’s worth a fortune. Of course, he must come with us,” he said.

Whisky eyed him suspiciously. “If you’ve got any ideas of exploiting me,” he snapped, “forget them I’m against any form of sweatshop labour. I’m coming with you because I’m tired of the other dogs in this town. A change will do me good.”

“He talks like a real gentleman, doesn’t he?” Bogle said in awe.

Myra went to the door. “I think I’m going mad,” she said in a firm voice.

Whisky eyed her thoughtfully, “Upon my word that’s a pretty trull,” he said. “Whoever gets her will be a lucky dog.”

Myra looked at him, her eyes wide with horror, then she disappeared, slamming the door behind her.

Chapter NINE