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-pet, 

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. 

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 my 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 elven realm last summer.

QUINN:
Aye, I do, ya weren’t dressed like that then. 

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.