.Black Leaf and Marcie are Dead!

"You said that," he pointed out, standing to walk over to her side. She ignored him.

"Mazes and Monsters isn't seen as a documentary. It's a laugh. They know better now. I just need for someone else to be the lightning rod." She turned around, eyes widening as she focused on Mike. "I want you to get Debbie."

"Now?"

"No, in a day or two. I'm going to prepare her. She thinks the game is real? Well, I'm going to put a match to that powder keg." She smiled, shaking her rings like dice. Mike flinched from her smile.

"I'm going to throw her down the rabbit hole," she said. One hand snaked out to take him gently by the jaw and aim his eyes directly into hers. "When I tell you, I want you to find her, and bring her back to Christ."

"Christ?" he asked.

"Yes. Surely your father has given you the proper instruction?" He nodded. Minerva's smile widened. "Then do so. Doctor Gray is having a revival and burning this weekend, right?"

"Yes," he nodded. "He came out of witchcraft, he's going to be saving college students and feminists from their wicked ways."

"Perfect," she purred, releasing him. "When the detectives and press finally reach Debbie, I want her so twisted up in fundamentalism that she froths at the mouth."

"Um..."

"Yes, Mike?"

"That just seems wrong," he said. "You're going to make her hate gaming? Before people start asking her about Marcie? And your weekend gaming?" He shook his head in confusion.

"Yes," she said slowly, wondering if she'd need to diagram this out before they were done. "She'll be the sort of evils-decrying nutjob the media loves to pay attention to. Next to her testifying about the Lord and the Filth of Satan RPG's, I'll be the voice of reason." She looked past her minion into the mirror. Could Eduardo squeeze her in before Sunday? If she was going to be on camera, might as well make the most of it.

"Ah!" he finally said. "So, if they see her spouting nonsense AND the truth, they'll think it's all nonsense."

"Except for people like your father," she added. "He'll think the whole thing is the Truth. But it's the police that matter." She turned towards the hall. After a step, she turned back to him. "Mike, make this work, or I'll tell the cops that Marcie told me who fathered her baby." He swallowed with an audible gulp. "And never come back here, ever." She walked away. Dismissed, he fled.

Minerva heard the front door close as she reached the linen closet. She retrieved the riding crop from the doorknob and opened the closet.

Doctor Gray twisted in his bonds, whining slightly. "You made a noise," she sneered. "You aren't allowed to make noises." It was just as well, though. She had a lot of anger to work off right then.