Page 90 of Nearly Roadkill
So, Toobe is on the run. Enter Gwynyth, a longtime friend of Jabba’s. Jabba describes her as a “cyberwitch,” solitary, a brilliant thinker and engineer, albeit eccentric and entirely self-taught.
You can see how G. talks.
I love her!
—D.I. Drew
GWYNYTH DIARY ENTRY: 12TH OF MARCH
Dark of the Moon in three days.
I got a message from Jabba out of the blue. “Expect ‘a friend’ to stay for some time.” I’ve made up the spare bed. Hope this visitor isn’t allergic to pusscats.
Ninkip fares much better. Tossed a colossal hairball right into the center of my altar (good omen) and looked at me as though to say, “Fine now, Mom.”
GWYNYTH DIARY ENTRY: 13TH OF MARCH
Dark of the Moon in two days.
Blackbird perched on the thrift store awning. Found the perfect straw hat for the coming Equinox. My Guides are having a field day.
Jabba has also requested I look out for and protect one Scratch and Winc online. Thank goddess I don’t have to put them up too. But I am curious. On my way home, I passed several street vendors selling Scratch and Winc merchandise. What am I getting tangled up in? I need to find a way to lure these two into the safety of my crystal cavern.
GWYNYTH DIARY ENTRY: 14TH OF MARCH
Dark of the Moon tomorrow.
The young charge has arrived, now firmly ensconced in the spare room, directly beneath the primary gearbox. I’ve issued him earplugs.
He had a particularly virulent trace attached to each of his log-ons. I removed them, of course; he’s quite safe now. But who would seek a child so doggedly? He has more intelligence than I gave him credit for: he asked to see my hardware. By the time we reached Room Five, his tongue was hanging out.
The new trace (who in heaven’s name called it “Typhoid Mary”?) is more powerful than I suspected. Must warn that pup to stay away from logging on for the next day or two.
GWYNYTH DIARY ENTRY: NO IDEA
Who cares what day it is, the bloody Moon is dark!
?????!!!!!!! The child logged on without my knowledge or permission, using Safesmudge. If it weren’t against my principles, I’d chop him up and feed him to the cats.
Note to myself: buy cat food.
END GWYNYTH DIARY ENTRY
NARRATIVE ENTRY, JABBATHEHUT
Lieutenant Wally Budge is happy: he’s finally found a solid link from Toobe to Scratch and Winc.
“Gotta add corruption of a minor to the charges,” he mutters almost protectively as he types. Until a message pops up:
To:Ms. Budge
From:Henderson, Enforcement
Subj:Perp Toobe
Wally,
We got lucky today. The kid signed on long enough for us to trace him. The perp is in New York. You won’t believe where we traced him to. We’ve got a network of 20 uniforms closing in, but we need you to make the collar…
