The Cosmic Mystery

Chapter 27: The Unicorn and the Wasp Part 4

          "A terrible day for all of us. The Professor struck down, Miss Chandrakala taken cruelly from us, and yet we still take dinner." The Doctor says as he gently stirs his soup with his spoon from across the table. I smile a little and his antics, having helped him come up with this idea. I knew a thing or two about killing insects, I had lived in a college dorm after all.

         "We are British, Doctor. What else must we do?" Lady Clemency says from the head of the table, her voice drawn in distraught despite her formal demeanor. I raise my eyebrows surprised by the accuracy of American impressions of the British.

        "And then someone tried to poison me." He says glaring around the table, somewhat breaking as he meets my eyes that contain some humor at his dramatics. "Any one of you had the chance to put cyanide in my drink. But it rather gave Emerald and I an idea." He says nodding his head in my direction and acknowledging my help in his process, it was a good feeling to feel smart next to him. Keeping up with him was a rare thing, one that I was often horrible at.

        "And what would that be?" The reverend says, and I'm slightly off put by his casual demeanor. As if he's confident and comfortable in a room with those who cower in fear at the lurking monster. Like an animal toying his prey, a concern I feel the need to raise to the doctor as soon as possible.

       "Well, poison. Drink up." He says his voice going high pitched as it often does when he knows he's thrown his enemy off. I watch as Donna nearly chokes in her soup, it was less funny when she glared at me from across the table for snorting. The Doctor continues after offering us both a chastising look. "I've laced the soup with pepper."

        "Ah, I thought it was jolly spicy." Curbishley says from his spot at the table, a hefty smile on his face as if oblivious to the danger he's in. He screams suburban dad in the wrong time period.

       "But the active ingredient of pepper is piperine, traditionally used as an insecticide." I say before the doctor does, enjoying his brief smile for the second it lasts before he continues his oh so ridiculous antics.

      "So, anyone got the shivers?" He jokes a little though it contains nothing but sarcasm. I glance at the faces around us taking in their individual expressions, once again reaffirmed of my worries about the vicar as he seems to grow nervous. I clear my throat slightly trying to gain the Doctors attention but he's too focused on those around him, doing the same as I. Suddenly the windows crash open, the storm outside thundering much louder as the wind blows out the candles around the room plunging us into darkness. Shouts begin as panic rises in the room, making it hard to hear. I stumble to the nearest wall, trying to gather a sense of my surroundings; to see anything.

       "Listen, listen, listen, listen." The Doctor says quickly and forcefully as the room quiets down and the sound of buzzing can be heard.

       "It can't be." I hear from the other side of the room, immediately recognizing Lady Clemency's voice as the one who stated it. Another thing to mention to the doctor.

       "Show yourself, demon!" Agatha shouts and finally I have some sort of direction in the dark room as I remember where the voices came from. I approach the table once more focusing in the brief moments the lightning flashes in the room.

       "Nobody move. No, don't! Stay where you are." The Doctor yells as the wasp buzzed menacingly at a distance. It takes no less than two seconds before loud buzzing can be heard. I stay still despite the chaos that breaks out trying to see through the dark. I hear the Doctor yell for everyone to leave but I catch a glimpse of the wasp, only as it zooms past me and I feel a sharp sting shoot up my arm as I move out of the way and clutch my arm to my chest as I find my way to the floor.