QUINN:
Hey Al - ya might not believe this - but there’s an owl behind ya on ma bed.

ALESS:
Yes I kn-know. She f-f-followed me home.

QUINN:
She’s a she eh? An she followed ya here and ya welcomed ‘er in, didja?

ALESS:
N-no. She’s b-b-been assigned t-t-to me. She’s l-l-like 

my p-partner at Ma-ma-magick School this year. 

QUINN:
Gr-date. Then what’s she doin’ up on ma bed?
She ain’t planning to make a nest up there is she? 

ALESS:
Oh n-no. I won’t l-let her d-d-do that. She’s only here c-cause, well, 

she  wanted t-t-to see where I live.

QUINN:

Why wouldnae she? It’s only natural for an owl to be 

curious about such things, eh? 

ALESS:

I c-can’t speak for other owls, b-b-but Agnes is.

QUINN:
Right. Agnes.

ALESS:
C-come over and l-let me introduce you.
She’s very fr-friendly.

QUINN:
Hey Agnes …

ALESS:

Didn’t I see you at  M-m-magic School today? Are they st-still 

t-t-testing you t-t-to see if you’re gifted?

QUINN:
Naw, they know I am, just cannae sort out what ma gift is yet. 

She’s OK ya know, Agnes is. 

ALESS:
I’m glad she l-likes you. 

ALESS:

… How do you feel about having a ma-magical gift? 

QUINN:
It’s cr-dazy and a wee scary too.

ALESS:

Once you know wh-what you c-c-can do - they’ll help you g-get 

control over it, and it won’t b-b-be scary anymore. 

That’s how it was for m-me. 

QUINN:

Aye. All right Al, she can stay.

Meanwhile in Harmonia and Lu’s sitting room …

LU:
… Oh - hello Xyla, what are you doing here?

XYLA:
Waiting for Harmonia.  

LU:
It’ll be a long wait. She won’t be back for 66 hours 

and 38 minutes - if all goes according to schedule. 

XYLA:
Why is that?

LU:
She’s on holiday in Texas with her family. Had you bothered to 

call first you could have saved yourself the trip.

XYLA:
It’s just as well. She’s probably forgotten what we 

discussed during my last visit. 

LU:
Which was?

XYLA:
Your father is distracted by his new boyfriend.

LU:
Oh that, yes she told me. He’s enamored with Io,
his newest apprentice. I think it’s adorable.

XYLA:
He has ceased working.

LU:

Has he? 

smiles

Then he really has it bad. Good for him. 

XYLA:
It is not good and it must be stopped.

LU:
Oh, now I see why you’re here. Daddy doesn’t listen to you, so you wanted Harmonia to intervene on your behalf. I assume she ignored your request.  

XYLA:
Or conveniently forgot it. 

XYLA:
… That leaves you, Lu to remind him of his obligations to me. 

LU:
You’re mistaken. I only record his activities I don’t interfere with them.

XYLA:
You will do as I command.

LU:
Xyla …

 inhales deeply and slowly 

Listen to me - you don’t own me, or my sister.
We don’t owe you a thing - if anything you owe me.

XYLA:
I owe you?

LU:
You put me under this dreadful youth spell without my permission. 

Whatever power you think you have over daddy is between 

the two of you. As for Harm and me - you’ll leave us out of it.

QUINN:
Sis, didja know there’s an owl in ma room?  

Sorry, dinnae know ya had company.

LU:
Quinn, do you remember Xyla? She was with daddy when you 

visited him in the elvin realm last summer.

QUINN:
Aye, I do. 

QUINN:
… Nice to see ya again.

XYLA:
I must go. Lu, we will speak of this again.

Xyla magics herself away …

LU:
That was odd.

QUINN:
Didja see that? She just faded away right before me very eyes!

LU:
Oh don’t let her bother you. Xyla’s always been a bit dramatic.
However I’ve never seen her so … she almost recoiled
as you approached her.

QUINN:
Eh?

LU:

When you visited daddy - did you spend any time with her?

QUINN:

Naw, not really.

LU:

Very curious.