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Peabody walked across the space and stopped next to an exhibit marked,headquarters of nightshade. beware the drug. He stoppedand held up the pendant. It no longer glowed blue. Instead it had returned to a murky gray.

“Fascinating,” Peabody said. “I’ve never seen amber like this. I wouldn’t be surprised if it came from the Ghost City. It’s the same color as everything else that has been coming out of those ruins.”

“You’re sure it’s not Arcane?”

“Well, I can’t be one hundred percent positive without running some tests, but I don’t think so.” Peabody paused and closed his hand around the pendant. He concentrated for a moment and then shook his head. “No. It doesn’t have the feel of an Old World object. That vibe is very distinctive.”

“Thanks,” Gabriel said.

Lucy wandered down the main street of a miniature town named Scargill Cove. She stooped to read the small sign in a window.jones & jones. psychic investigators.

She straightened quickly when she heard Otis chortle. He sounded excited. She looked over the rooftops of Scargill Cove and saw a flash of gray fur disappear into what looked like a tunnel ride fashioned of some sort of purple crystal.

There was more chortling, muffled now. Probably not a good sign.

Lucy exited Scargill Cove and headed for the entrance to the crystal tunnel. She went past a full-sized carousel populated with creatures she had only seen in children’s books featuring Old World fairy tales. There was something ominous about the crystal eyes of the animals.

More muffled chortling echoed from inside the purple tunnel. When she reached the entrance, she saw a sign:the secret lab of sylvester jones.

The tunnel curved immediately past the entrance. Lucy could not see around the corner, but she could hear thumps and increasingly irritated growls.

“Otis, come out of there. You’ll break something. This is a museum. This stuff is super valuable.”

Otis growled some more. There was a significant increase in the thumping.

Gabriel materialized at Lucy’s side. “What’s going on?”

“Otis just went into that exhibit.”

The crystal walls of the tunnel started to glow an eerie shade of purple.

“I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” Lucy said.

Peabody rushed across the room to join them. “Did the dust bunny go in there? You must stop him. That exhibit is the most valuable one in the entire collection.”

“I’ll get him,” Gabriel said.

He moved through the entrance and disappeared around the corner.

“Otis?” he called. His voice echoed down the tunnel. “What are you doing, pal?”

Otis chortled enthusiastically, evidently pleased to have assistance.

“Let’s see what you’ve got,” Gabriel said. He sounded intrigued. “Huh. Interesting. I wonder what happens if you rez this button?”

“Stop them,” Peabody pleaded. “Please, Ms. Bell, tell Mr. Jones to stop.”

“Why don’t you tell him?” Lucy said. “You’re in charge down here.”

“He’s a Guild boss,” Peabody hissed. “One doesn’t go around giving orders to a Guild boss, especially when he has just done you a huge favor and you know you’ll probably need more favors in the future.”

“Oh, right.”

A muffled rumble reverberated from inside the tunnel. It was followed by a slow clanking sound. Otis chortled madly.

“Move over,” Gabriel said. “I want to sit in front, too.”

“Do something, Ms. Bell,” Peabody wailed.