Vasuvius and Brock (Episode One, Part Four)

Rhonda:  Just wait here a minute.  [She goes off to her bedroom]

Vasuvius:  So, my young friend, what do you think of our hostess.

Brock [blushing slightly]:  She is pretty and kind.  I am glad we are here to help her, though I hope we will not need to.  I cannot believe two unrelated, unmarried women are living alone together without any need for protection.

Vasuvius:  Yes, yes, but you mean to say she no longer appears boyish to you?

Brock [blushing more]:  Master, such comments are not appropriate while we are taking shelter under her roof.

Vasuvius [smiling]:  I believe this roof belongs to many, but still, I will "cut you a break" as I think they say in this region.

Brock:  Huh?

Rhonda [returning with a laptop]:  Alright, boys, gather around.

Vasuvius:  Now what might this be?

Rhonda:  This is a computer.  [She sits it on the dining table nearby]

Vasuvius [walking over]:  Now I must admit, this is not something I have seen before.  [Rhonda opens the laptop and the screen lights up]  Oh my, it is like a more compact version of the television.

Rhonda:  Yes, except it is much more interactive.  [She puts her fingers on the keyboard to enter her password and then glances at the two who are now hovering over her shoulder.]  Don't watch this part.

Brock:  Why not?

Rhonda:  It's personal.

Brock:  My apologies.  [He glances away, as does Vasuvius, but Vasuvius glances back as Rhonda hits the enter key and her machine starts to load]

Rhonda:  Okay

Brock [turning back]:  There's a painting!  But what are all those things [he points at an icon on the desktop, nearly touching the screen]

Rhonda [pushing his hand away]:  Don't touch the screen, you would damage it.

Brock [blushing, yet again]:  My apologies.

Rhonda:  You want to know where the library is.  We can look it up here.  [She opens a web browser and types 'Public Library']

Vasuvius:  It's printing information right on the screen!  So you tell it what you want to know about and then what are all those things.

Rhonda:  Links, to websites.

Vasuvius:  I'm not familiar with this term.

Rhonda:  Well you were interested in books.  They're kind of like books stored inside the computer.

Vasuvius:  Books are stored inside there?  All books?

Rhonda [shaking her head]:  No, not all books.  And it's not always free or easy to get the books either.  But anyway, here's what we're looking for.  [She clicks on a link for a map giving the location of the main library.]  There it is.

Vasuvius:  I just need some coordinates, distances.  You measure things in miles?  That is a measure of distance?

Rhonda:  Yes.

Vasuvius:  I don't suppose you know how many collets that is?

Rhonda [shaking her head]:  Not a clue.

Vasuvius:  Hmm.  Well a collet is approximately the distance a man can walk on foot in one tenth-a-day.  Does that help?

Rhonda:  I find it unlikely that you measure days the same way we do.

Vasuvius:  Yes, I suppose you are right.  I had not anticipated this complication.  [Frowning]  Perhaps I will have to travel by foot after all.

Brock [perking up]  Or we could go in one of those horseless carriages again.  A bus was it called?

Vasuvius:  You and your horseless carriages.

Brock:  They are fascinating!  And so fast!

Vasuvius:  I find this device quite a lot more interesting myself [pointing to the laptop] but if you would like to come with and help me find the books I need, we can certainly go by bus.  [Looking at Rhonda]  Could you kindly direct us to a bus then, my lady?

Rhonda:  Well, I haven't let you two out of my sight yet...

Brock:  Other than when you went to fetch this device [pointing at laptop]

Vasuvius:  Or when I demonstrated my teleportation ability.

Rhonda [with a sigh]:  Yes, other than those.  My point was that I would be happy to accompany you.

Vasuvius:  That is quite generous of you, my Lady.  And as compensation, I will gladly pay for our passage this time [Holds our a fan of dollar bills he has conjured up]

Rhonda:  You know what?  What the heck.  If you two are offering to pay for stuff, I might as well take you up on it.

Vasuvius [bowing slightly]:  A wise decision, my Lady.

Rhonda [closing her laptop]:  You know, I think maybe I could get used to this 'my Lady' stuff.

Brock [smiling]:  Of course, my Lady.

[Rhonda glances at him with a look of mild amusement/annoyance at which point he looks away]

Rhonda:  Come on.  [She leads them out the door, grabbing her keys and locking up behind her on her way out.  They walk back to the bus station as Brock and Vasuvius whisper a bit and then Brock asks some random questions about things they see along the way.  They arrive at the bus station and Rhonda glances at her watch.]  We left before I thought to actually check the schedule or see if we needed to transfer to get closer to the library.  I guess I might as well check now.  [She pulls out her smartphone and then looks up to see Vasuvuis and Brock both staring at her.]  Let's just say it's magic.  [She does a search for the schedule while Vasuvius tries to look over her shoulder and Brock keeps a safe distance.]  This should be fine.  [She puts the phone away and Vasuvius backs up.]  Should be just a few minutes.

Vasuvuis:  Oh good.  Then perhaps I can determine the exact duration of a minute.

Rhonda:  I can show you that.  [She holds out her arm to show him her wrist watch].  You have these where you're from?

Brock [looking over as well]:  Looks like a pocket watch, but much smaller.

Rhonda:  It's a wrist watch.  Anyway, a minute is the time for this little thing [points to second hand] to go all the way around once.

Vasuvius:  Fascinating.

Brock [Looking over at him]:  Is this really that fascinating, Master.

Vasuvius [Looking up at him]:  Everything is fascinating, my boy, if you know how to approach it.

[They wait a while longer with Vasuvius staring a bit awkwardly at Rhonda's wrist watch while Brock glances at Rhonda from time to time and Rhonda looks first at Vasuvius, then at Brock, and then at the bus stop.]

Rhonda:  I still can't believe this is happening.

Brock:  Neither can we.

Vasuvius [looking up]:  Might that be the bus approaching?

Rhonda:  I believe it is.

[The bus arrives, they get on and pay their dues, sit near the back.]

Rhonda [in a whisper]:  I mean you guys are from another world, supposedly, and here we are riding a bus to the library.  Isn't that just mind-blowing?

Brock:  I don't think so.  What would you expect us to do?

Rhonda:  I don't know.

Vasuvius:  Brock just wants to get home.  This is currently our best approach to help him do so.

Brock:  It's not just me.  You want to get home, too.

Vasuvius:  Yes, eventually, but I wouldn't mind investigating this world a little more first.

Brock [glancing at Rhonda]:  Yes, I suppose I wouldn't mind that much myself.  [Rhonda laughs a little to herself and shakes her head as she smiles.]

[They ride the bus, mostly in silence, through several stops until Rhonda tells them the next stop is theirs.  They get off the bus, nodding politely to the driver on their way off, and start walking.]

Rhonda:  It's a few blocks to the library, but I figured that would be easier to walk than to catch another bus.

Brock:  I am quite good at walking.  It was our main means of transport back home.

Rhonda:  You didn't have a horse or something?

Brock:  Sometimes, but they were often more trouble than they were worth, with neither of us being particularly good at handling them and thieves trying to steal them.

Vasuvius:  They were quite valuable creatures.

Rhonda:  Couldn't you just conjure up money to buy a new one like you did here?

Vasuvius:  To some extent, but it was not necessary.

Rhonda:  Unlike now with your dollar bills?

Vasuvius:  Of course.

Rhonda:  Interesting morality.

Vasuvius [cocking his head a bit to the side]:  Is it?

Brock [stopping dead in his tracks and pointing]:  Master, look!

Vasuvius [looking where Brock is pointing to see a bag lady pushing a large shopping cart along]:  What is it you notice, lad?

Brock:  Don't you see?

Vasuvius [after looking in silence for a moment]:  But that's impossible.

Rhonda [looking as well]:  What?  It's just some homeless woman.

Vasuvius [shaking his head]:  Perhaps, but it doesn't appear to be so to us.

Rhonda:  What do you mean?  What does it appear to be to you?

Brock [in a completely serious voice]:  A witch.

Rhonda [instinctively laughing]:  A witch?  Like with a broomstick and warts and stuff?

Brock [looking at her with a confused look]:  I don't think so.  A witch is a magic user, like Vasuvius...

Vasuvius:  But quite unlike Vasuvius, she tends to use her powers for ill and harm.  Curses and such.  The presence of a witch could mean great danger, but it could also potentially mean a way home.  She had to have gotten here somehow.  Perhaps we can compel her to tell us how to get home.

Brock [reaching to his back where his sword has been hidden this whole time]:  I can be quite persuasive if needed, Master.

Vasuvius:  It might not come to that.  If we can get the jump on her, perhaps I can make use of a spell to convince her to tell us what she knows.

Brock:  But, Master, you haven't mastered the truth spell yet!  When you tried it on me last week, I was able to answer nearly half of your questions with lies.

Vasuvius [shrugging]:  Well, we need to do something.  She's getting away.

Brock:  Indeed.

Rhonda:  You two are crazy.

Brock [turning back to look at her]:  Maybe, but even apart from us trying to get home, a witch walking about on your streets could be a very bad situation for your fair city.  I recommend you get to safety while we track her.

Rhonda:  Yeah right.  What's the worst she's going to do to me?

Brock:  Let's hope we don't find out.  [He walks away after Vasuvius who has already started approaching the witch.]

Rhonda [walking after him, and speaking in a whisper as she catches up]:  Why don't you just cast some sort of spell on her?

Vasuvuis:  I intend to, but it has to be the right spell.  If I get too close to her, she'll surely detect me, and if I use a spell she's resistant to, all hell may break loose.  I need to figure out just what sort of witch she is.

Rhonda:  How?

Vasuvius:  By watching.  [He stops short and ducks behind a light pole as the woman stops pushing her cart to pick up a glass bottle.  She turns it around in her hands and then tosses it into her cart.]  She is interested in the glass bottle.  That is very revealing.

Rhonda:  It is?

Brock:  It means she likely specializes in distortions.

Rhonda:  Meaning what?

Brock [looking back at her]:  I really must insist that you wait here, my Lady.  Vasuvius will soon be making his move and I don't want you to be in danger.

Rhonda:  He won't be in danger?

Brock:  Of course, but he can handle it.

Vasuvius:  Brock, wait here with the lady.  I know what I must do.

Brock [nodding]:  Yes, Master.  [Vasuvius starts walking towards the woman very slowly.]

Rhonda:  But...

Brock [turning back and glaring at her angrily]:  Don't disrupt and don't disobey.

Rhonda [eyes growing wide in fear and taking a step back]:  Geeze.  I didn't mean to upset you so.

Brock [softening]:  I apologize, my Lady.  It's just that Vasuvius requires full concentration and I desire to keep you safe.

Rhonda [pointing]:  Well whatever he requires I think he thinks he's got it.

[Brock looks ahead to see Vasuvius approaching and just starting to take out his wand.  However, before he starts to cast whatever he was going to cast, the bag lady suddenly jerks her head and looks straight at him.  Making a noise that's a cross between a hiss and a screech, she knocks her shopping cart over, bottles spilling everywhere, grabs a wooden rod from beneath the cart, and lunges at him]

Brock [shouting]:  Master!

[The witch looks over at him instead, distracted just long enough for Vasuvius to cast his spell, which consists of a blue lightning like bolt emitting from his wand and hitting the witch squarely in the forehead.  She stumbles backwards, but doesn't quite fall down.]

Rhonda [looking around wildly but seeing no one]:  Geeze, what if someone sees?

Brock:  That depends on who wins.  [He draws his sword from his back and rushes forward as Rhonda takes more steps backwards and looks to be about to bolt, but then rushes forward to the light pole and watches in shock as Vasuvius and Brock case the witch down an ally, disappearing from sight.  She waits several beats and then runs after them.  As she approaches the ally, she sees it shrouded in darkness.  She stands at the edge of the darkness, not sure what to do, hearing no noise from inside]

Rhonda [after waiting a few seconds, speaking timidly and quietly]:  Brock?

[The instance she speaks, the bag lady witch lunges out of the ally, hissing at her and grabbing her around the throat.  Rhonda screams as boils erupt all over her face.  Brock then emerges from the darkness with his sword in front of him.]

Brock:  Arrghh!  [He stabs the witch through the back.  Her eyes grow wide and she releases Rhonda, falling to the ground in a pile]

Vasuvius [exiting from the shadows as they fade around him]:  What did you do?!

Brock:  I'm sorry master, I had to stop her [he points to Rhonda]

Vasuvius:  Oh my.

Rhonda [looking at her boil covered arms and crying]:  What did she do to me.

Brock [putting away his sword and kneeling beside her]:  It will be okay.  It's only a spell.  Now that she's dead, Vasuvius should be able to easily dispel it [Looking up to Vasuvius]  Right, Vasuvius?

Vasuvius:  Yes, don't worry, my Lady.  It's all going to be okay.

Rhonda [tears still streaming down her boil ridden face as Vasuvius waves his wand about her]:  How can it be okay?  You really killed her.

Brock [Taking her hand as the boils fade from it]:  I had to.  She would have killed you if I didn't act quickly.

Rhonda [Still in a daze]:  Killed me?

Brock [dropping her hand as the remaining boils fade from her body]:  Perhaps now is not the best time to explain.  [Glancing up at Vasuvius]  What do we do now, Master?

Vasuvius [shaking his head]:  I'm not quite sure.  I have to admit he presence of a witch certainly changes things quite a lot.  I just wish I had been able to interrogate her.

Brock [resolutely]:  It could not be avoided.

Vasuvius [nodding]:  Yes I suppose it could not.  [He waves his wand around the woman's body and it slowly fades away until just a pile of rags is left.]

Rhonda [still sobbing a bit, and trying to wipe the tears from her face]:  I think I'd like to go back home now.

Vasuvius:  Yes, of course.

Brock [taking Rhonda's hand to help her up]:  I'm so sorry, my Lady.  I failed to protect you.

Rhonda [wiping the last of her tears away with her free hand and forcing a smile]:  No, I ought to thank you. I mean, if aliens are coming to my city, at least I have the two of you on my side.

Vasuvius [staring at the former witch pile]:  Indeed.  Perhaps it was not just some random mistake that landed us here after all.

Brock:  Master?

Vasuvius [looking straight at him]:  Perhaps we were summoned here by someone seeking our help against things such as this [gesturing to the witch pile].

Brock:  Then why weren't they waiting for us?  [He starts to walk, guiding Rhonda along.]

Vasuvius [walking as well]:  It's not an exact science, so to speak.  Perhaps they weren't sure exactly who they were summoning or where they would land.

Brock:  Well then we have to find them and help them.

Vasuvius:  Yes, just as soon as we get this fair Lady safely home.

Brock:  Of course.

Rhonda:  I'm helping.

Brock:  I don't think so, my Lady.  You saw what just happened.

Rhonda:  Yes, and I don't want it to happen to anyone else.  Ever.

Brock:  Very well then.  It's decided.  [Forcing a weak smile.]  Vasuvius, Brock, and Rhonda, to the rescue.

Vasuvius [nodding]:  For as long as it takes.

[They walk down the street back towards the bus stop as the sun shines brightly behind them illuminating them such that they nearly glow.  A dog runs oinking across the street behind them and out of sight.]