"Hey - easy!" Dice apologized, "Just a little humor."
Reaching over, he took the ribbon out of Sally's hair. Placing one end between his palms he began rubbing his hands together and it was slowly pulled between them until disappeared. Next, he made two fists and rolled his hands together at the thumbs with knuckles toward Sally.
"So!" he asked,"Which hand is it in?"
Sally blinked, looking at his hands, then checked behind each of her ears.
Dice gave a laugh, "Come on, pick a hand."
Sally considered for a moment, then pointed at one.
"Eh, maybe..." Dice said with a shrug, then chuckled: "You really are a princess, an every princess needs..."
He rolled his fists apart and a sparkly band slid out around his thumbs. "A tiara!"
All the McDougles (and Ferditta) gasped. "Is...is it real? Sally whispered in awe, "Is it mine?"
"You bet!" Dice placed it on her head with a grin. "Take care of it..." then he winked and added with a stage whisper "It's magic!"
"Oh yes sir!" She said solemnly. "Thank you Mr. Dice!" then she spun around "Mommy LOOKIT! A real Magic tiara!!!"
"Those coins?" He nodded to Billy, "Those are magic too. You remember that, okay?"
"Yes sir Mr. Dice - I mean Dice the Magnificent!" he corrected. "I won't spend em, ever!"
Mr. McDougal extended his hand, as the two men shook he said, "That was the most incredible..."
"Ya'll best be getting on the road, there's storm coming." Dice nodded to a line of thunderheads rapidly growing in the southern sky.
"What about your...truck?" Roland cringed as he looked at it.
"No worries folks!" Rodney gave a dismissive wave. "The rest of the caravan is behind us, we'll be okay."
Dice leaned toward McDougal and whispered: "That's a shit-storm brewin'...an we're with Oh Shit."
The red-haired man cocked an eyebrow, then nodded with a grim look, "Any instructions?"
"Stay away from Cooterville..." Dice added "...take highway 23 to Podunk Junction."
"Read you, loud and clear."
Both of them extended and bumped fists, then elbows and each pointed at the other with the classic 'gun finger' before McDougal turned and headed toward the station wagon.
"Come on kids!" he said in a cheerful voice. "Dice the Magnificent is right, we need to get on the road."
"Aw dad!..." They both objected.
"Ah-ah!" Dice cocked his head and wagged his index finger. "Do like yer ol' man says, cause the magic only works for the good kids."
Both the McDougal children nodded and grinned, then scampered toward the waiting car.
"Thank you Dice the Magnificent!!!" they called out as it pulled away.
Everyone waved until the family's car disappeared over the crest of Skidmark Hill, then the other two agents quickly walked over.
"Okay - give us an intel dump!" Rodney cringed as he spoke.
"Is it that fuckin' bad, Dice?" Sam asked with a serious look.
"Wait!" Ferditta demanded:"What in the FUCK just happened!?!"
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