The cane hit Marah on the head with an audible CRACK! "NO, girl!" The young woman dropped her long ladle and backed away from the cauldron mewling. Korina emerged from the shadows wearing a deep scowl. "You are lucky you did not ruin the brew they way you were stirring it so! It is only strong and potent out of the pot because we treat the brew with such care when it is within."

The crone shook her head and motioned to the roiling cauldron. "Come, recite the incantation as I taught you."

Nick tipped his hat back and shook his head. "I'm sorry." He picked up the vase. "How can you sleep at night? One hundred dollars, for this?"

Nick was shaking his head as he left the office. "Moving truck, OK?" Bradley asked.

"Yea, computer crash - had to go old school."

"Nothing like a challenge. When's the hurricane supposed to hit again?"

"You've got 18 hours," the voice growled over the phone. It felt like a giant hairy spider was trying to crawl down Nick's back. "18 hours, and that's it. Then..." The phone went dead. The voice didn't need to explain, the young man had a good imagination.

Marah ran. The horror's laughter still filed her ears and tears stung her eyes. Something lunged out the darkness and the young woman struck out with her staff without a thought. The skeleton's skull shattered like a broken jar and the thing toppled with a clatter to the catacomb's floor. She had to get to her master and warn him, perhaps they could still seal off the tomb before it was too late.

Nick walked through the door and nearly ran into Bradley. "Dude, don't tell me you didn't see that."

"What?" the young man asked, but he couldn't wipe the smirk from his lips.

"Exactly. Her look was indecent! ... You need to go back in there and get her number."

The waiter's cough made the couple start, and killed their conversation. Nick eyed the teenager and he was happy to see him fidget. "I'm sorry Sir, Miss, but another party has asked if you could join them for a digestif." Nick eyed Maria who simply shrugged.

"Please send my apologies, but we were about to leave."

The waiter gulped. "Sir, Mr. Vizzini insists."

Nick blinked a couple times. "Mr. Vizzini?"

"Oh, daddy," Maria sighed.