Morgaine shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s too soon to tell.”If not now, maybe in time.
“Well, let’s knock on his door and get him to help us with that still. There’s no way I can open that heavy secret door all by myself.”
“Are you sure this is what you want to do?” Morgaine asked. It was a new moon night and the candle she held made only a dent in the darkness as it flickered in the drafty basement air.
Sly barely heard her as he concentrated on the still Gwyneth was putting together. With the false wall opened up and the windows cracked, everything seemed safe enough…as long as no one called the Health Department. He pulled a large spider web out of the way and wiped his hand on a rag they’d brought down to catch spills.
“I haven’t come up with any better ideas, yet,” he said, absently. “Have you?”
She let out a long sigh. “No.”
Gwyneth stuck out her hand. “Sly, honey, hand me that wrench, please.”
Sly picked up the tool from the floor and gave it to Gwyneth. “Are you sure I can’t do more to help?”
“We’re almost done, sugar.” She tightened the last of the bolts. “Speakin’ of sugar, is everything set as far as the mash is concerned?”
“I followed your directions to the letter.” He reached down and helped her up. “Has it fermented long enough?”
Her long black skirt was covered with dirt, dust and who knew what else. She brushed it off and blew a few strands of dusty red hair out of her face. “Yep. Like I said, this recipe is quick.”
Morgaine stepped back with one hand on her hip. “Now what?”
“Now we take this still for a spin,” Gwyneth said, excitedly. “Let’s go upstairs and get the mash Sly made up. My mouth’s already waterin’ for some good ol’ home brew. This is the smoothest whiskey you’ll ever taste.”
“Don’t forget we’re trying to adapt the vampire wine cure we’ve heard about,” Morgaine reminded her.
“But Josie’d never heard ‘o that.”
Sly smiled at Morgaine. He hoped she wasn’t jealous of her younger cousin anymore. He’d spent a lot of time with her and done his best to put those fears to rest.
“Of course I haven’t forgot. Have ya’ll discovered what the secret ingredient is?”
“Not yet,” Sly and Morgaine answered simultaneously.
Gwyneth elbowed Morgaine out of the way and headed toward the stairs. “Then don’t go givin’ me no warnin’s.”
“I wasn’t giving you a warning. I was giving you a reminder.”
“You was naggin’ like the preacher gettin' the town drunk to church.”
“Ladies,” Sly interrupted. “Let’s keep our eyes on the prize. First a drinkable batch of whiskey, and possibly later a cure for vampirism.”
Morgaine sighed. “You’re right. I’m getting ahead of myself.”
As the three of them traipsed up the stairs to Sly’s apartment, Gwyneth whispered, “Can y’all see any of the sludge I painted around the front door? The last thing I want is for someone to come along and wash it off before it sets up.”
Morgaine said, “I’ll take a closer look, but I thought you did a good job with it this afternoon.”
Sly glanced at the door frame which appeared to glow faintly around the edges. "Can either of you see that? It's glowing."
“I can’t see anything. It seems to have dried clear. We need to test it, though,” Morgaine said.
“Oh, that’s right. I plumb forgot. Sly?”
“Uh-oh. What do I need to do?”
Gwyneth smiled. “Nothin’ much. Just mosey on outside and see if you can get back in.”
