Part Ten

When Marie had devoured her sandwich and finished her tea Argyle guided her to the back of the workshop. The table was cluttered and she wondered exactly what it was of the bits of pieces that was going to help her get rid of a Sniffer.

"I've been working on this for a while now, not for Sniffers especially but all enhanced critters." Argyle picked up a shiny ball with tiny vents scattered over the surface.

"I have no idea what that is..."

"Of course you don't. It's the only one in existence. You see a certain mixture goes in here..." Marie recognized the signs of Argyle venturing into lecture mode and she held up her hand.

"I don't need to know how it works, just tell me what to push and how to keep myself from getting blown up."

"Hmf! Very well..." Argyle held up the ball, it fit nicely in his hand, and pointed at a small button. "This is the safety, after you push it these-" he pointed at the small pressure vents "-activate and you want to keep from pushing them."

Marie nodded and tilted her head. She still failed to see how the small thing was going to take out something as stubborn as a Sniffer.

"Now the base of this is filled with enhanced explosives, my standard mix, but it's what's in the rest of the space that's interesting. That is filled with enthrodust and dried water, now this might sound like a rather timid mix but when it activates it creates a rather nasty slime which will incapacitate any modified being rather effectively."

"Hmm... what about the Handler?"

"The explosives should be enough to handle it but just in case the slime will not play well with human skin. So don't get caught in the blast."

"I'll do my best. What's the radius?"

"Now, see this is a prototype so I am not entirely sure... I'd try to have something solid between me and the blast if I was you, like a house or a brick wall..."

"Untested dangerous explosives - you sure know how to show a girl a good time Argyle." Marie smiled at her friend who tried to look like he wasn't blushing at all.

"Just... be careful. OK?"

"Always. Pack it up for me? I have a date with a certain sneaky red-head soon."

"Oh, do send Sparky my regards will you? And tell him that thing he ordered has come in." Marie nodded as she watched Argyle put the volatile ball into what mostly looked like a house wife's purse and secure it with a few straps.

Soon she was out the door again, on the way out she saw something glimmer on the ground. When she bent to look she couldn't figure out what she saw at first but then she remembered the electric wave and the thing that had tripped Argyles alarms.

She put the disabled whirlyfly in her pocket. It might be of use later on, if nothing else it was a clue.