Space Witches 1: The Book of Witches

22. How to Win the Lottery

"You have a visitor, miss," he said, looking at me.

"Me? But no one knows I am even here! Are you sure?"

"Quite sure. The young lady in question has already made your acquaintance. On the lottery shuttle on our way back from the Nordic Plate."

"Elaine?"

"Indeed it is."

I may have imagined it but I think Burt's nose twitched reprovingly.

I got up and followed Burt. He took me down in the elevator and to the downstairs hall. Something pink and fluffy was fluttering about.

"Oh how pretty it is here!" Elaine announced from behind one of the pillars.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, too surprised to be polite.

"I came to bring you this," she appeared in a flurry of pink frills and glitter. She was wearing hideous glittering pink eyelashes this time and stiletto heels so thin they were on the brink of being lethal weapons. She seemed to be feeling much better than in the morning.

What she was handing over was my new phone.

"Oh, thank you! Now I can call home!" I hurried to take it from her hands.

"The phone calls will be routed through my secretary's phone. I already have it as you said I'd be your secretary. I even got to pick the color!" Elaine showed me her new phone which unsurprisingly had a pink cover.

"Umm... that's pretty, I think..." I decided to be polite.

Looking at her I wondered how long I would manage to play nice. Still, I had asked her to be my secretary. Even if the circumstances had forced me to do so, I had to take responsibility for my promise.

"Now where can I put my bags?" she asked.

"Your bags? What bags?"

I did not see any bags.

"The ones outside. I told them at the Lottery Center that I could come and live with you already, as I only have one official performance left - the crowning of the new Miss Lottery."

Burt sighed and opened the front door, revealing a pile of mostly pink and baby blue trunks. A little pink... something...was growling on top of them.

"What are those? And - what is that?"

"Those are my things and that is my dog. You have not met him yet as I had taken him to a dog beauty parlor where he stayed the night. I knew I had social engagements that would take a while, you see," Elaine enlightened us. "Please ask your servant to carry them inside. Munchkin! Come here!"

The little... dog... hopped down and ran to Elaine, throwing a triumphant glance at Burt who looked as if he didn't much appreciate being called a servant.

"That's a dog, you say? Looks more like crab bait than a dog to me! And what on earth have you done to it?"

Miro was standing behind us, laughing.

"Those are my things and that is my dog. You have not met him yet as I had taken him to a dog beauty parlor where he stayed the night. I knew I had social engagements that would take a while, you see," Elaine enlightened us. "Please ask your servant to carry them inside. Munchkin! Come here!"

The little... dog... hopped down and ran to Elaine, throwing a triumphant glance at Burt who looked as if he didn't much appreciate being called a servant.

"That's a dog, you say? Looks more like crab bait than a dog to me! And what on earth have you done to it?"

Miro was standing behind us, laughing.