MISC: The Girl Who Saved The World Part 33

[George Phillies]

Dd my inquiry to Monique ever post?  I don't seem to have seen it.  The 
drawings in The Continentals remain excellent.

Returning to The Girl Who Saved The World.

“Did you ever tell anyone about the move?” Morgana asked. “That’s what 
they want to know.”

“I never used it in a match,” Janie said.  “I was saving it for 
National. Now Eclipse used it! Well, I have friends my age who come over 
to play Steel.  We try all sorts of moves, but we don’t record.”

“Actually, these days it’s mostly one friend,” Abigail said. “Joe 
Cartwright is a very polite young man, well, boy, he being about your 
age, Janie. You said he was a good player.”

“He got a lot better,” Janie said. “And he’s barely one year older than 
me.” She turned at her brother. “Don’t say it, Brian.” Her tone of voice 
held a touch of steel.

“I wasn’t going to say he’s your boyfriend,” Brian rushed out.  “Honest! 
You think I want you and Trisha to kill me, just because I deserve it? 
Besides, he’s not. Your boyfriend, I mean. And I wasn’t going to say the 
other thing you told me, either.”

“Brian!” Janie and Trisha did not quite shout at their brother.

“Oops!” Brian managed.

“And this would be, Brian Arthur?” Patrick asked.

“Joe asked me not to bring it up, Dad,” Janie said. “Because it didn’t 
matter, and I knew that you knew it already. He’s the guy who saved 
Trisha and me.  Except I thought you and mom both knew.  Or did you only 
meet Joe’s mom?”

“He’s the young man who saved you? He is an extremely polite, 
well-brought-up boy. It’s very nice of you, Janie, to reward him by 
playing City of Steel,” Abigail said. Especially, she thought, very nice 
by comparison with some of the other ways young girls sometimes thank 
young men who risked their lives to save a young lady.

“Complication planet!” Morgana said. “And we’re way short of time.”

“What’s wrong?”  Janie asked.  “Joe can’t have the Namestone.  He’s a 
boy!  The Bearer is a girl. The Bearer looks like you, Professor 
Lafayette, not him.  Well, sort of like you, if you wore slightly 
tighter clothing. Then you’ld look like her.  Joe’s mom is too tall to 
be the bearer. Joe doesn’t have any brothers or sisters.  He told me. 
Besides, I’m not even sure I played that move against him.”

“Slightly tighter?” Morgana rolled her eyes.  “As in ‘spray-painted on’? 
  Except I’m quite sure the real Eclipse doesn’t look like the 
paintings. Valkyria didn’t recognize her. The wanted posters give the 
bearer my height or Valkyria’s -- five-ten or six feet -- but the real 
Eclipse is I’d guess five and a couple-four inches. No matter. The 
complication…let’s save that for later. Where does this Joe live? How do 
you phone him?  Who are his parents? If Janie might have played this 
move against him, they’re going to want to question him next.”