.. what have you been eating?" I had to deliver a message to Merlin before the Powers would fix my license. Garlic is the cure. I relieved him of his ...atch. His alchemy was simple ... lead, time it, switch it with gold, and time it back. The Powers have a weird sense of humor. Or should that be has? Singular? Plural? Whatever. Whenever I do their dirty work I head for Italy and some great pasta ... it washes the foul taste out of my mouth." Well, it's pretty foul now." You should smell it when. Tom transferred there in late February. His family had moved there from somewhere in Ohio. Northern Ohio at least, so snow wasn’t something totally unknown to him. He was about five inches taller than me, had medium brown hair and blue eyes a little lighter than my own. He looked like he might have played football but I later found that his build was not the result of that, but rather of other physical activity. He had a ready smile and easy going manner which quickly let him fit in. He. " He'd been listening to a country music radio station last night when he pulled into his driveway. The news had come on and he had punished himself by listening to the commentator desecrate everyone connected to his case from the Mayor down. His name had been mentioned, along with the no comment he had given the station when they had called yesterday asking for some kind of up date. Would the term "we still have nothing," be considered an update?The lab reports were coming in on the second. "If you think it felt so nice and silky just imagine how swishy and silkyit would feel to wear all of those pretty things," she said causing me tostammer in surprise. "I...I have to be going Mrs. DuBois," I said but Madge continued holdingme, cuddling me almost as we stood together in the kitchen. "You're not like other boys, you're smaller, quieter and more gentlearen't you sweetie?" she said as she continued holding me gently urging meto relax. "Maybe you should have been born a girl? Would.