Sorry for the backdating.  Fighting a recalcitrant Internet connection from
mom-in-law's house <grrrrrr...>
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Vitamin U Redux
by Cousin Tok
Place:  CERK
Time:  Saturday afternoon, the 14th
After "Spicing Up the Blood (1/1)"

For a while after Shelley and Arletta left her office, Tok mentally
rehearsed how she was going to persuade Lacroix to try the asafetida.  None
of the scenarios she played in her mind had a happy ending.

Two of the mortal Cousinly Kitties had joined her.  Duncan stretched
himself up and patted Tok's leg to get her attention.  "Hello, sweetheart,"
she said as she scratched between his ears.  "How's the handsomest black
kittyboy in the world?"  Duncan looked bored -- nothing like the time a
couple of Wars ago when he'd dropped a glowing pink rat corpse on the
General's head and lived to tell the tale.

Willow, a petite grey female, was on Tok's desk, sniffing at the various
things Arletta and Shelley had left.  The vial of testing solution received
a cursory sniff.  <Not food.  Toy?>  A soft paw tapped the vial, knocking
it over.  Tok rescued it before it could fall to the floor.

Willow then turned her attention to the jar of asafetida.  The jar's seal
was fairly tight, but the cat must have been able to detect some
scent.  She looked up at Tok.  "Mrowr!"  <Open it, Mother.  I must examine
the contents.>

Knowing that Willow wouldn't give up, Tok shrugged and opened the jar to
let Willow have a sniff.  One was all it took.  The poor cat jerked her
head back and let forth a string of feline profanity.  In her haste to
escape, she leapt from the desk and landed squarely on Duncan.  The two
cats scrambled out the door as Tok replaced the lid on the jar.  This did
not bode well.

Sighing, Tok picked up her phone.  She'd just have to wing it, she decided
as she dialed Lacroix's penthouse.  As she explained to him that she had
something to discuss about the switching problem, a strategy slowly formed
in her mind.  She scooped up the jar and the vial, and made a quick trip to
the kitchen on her way to the elevator.

* * * * *

"What are you doing with *that*," growled Lacroix when Tok stepped off the
elevator with a small plate of tofu souvlaki.

"Don't worry, sir -- it's not for you. It's merely for demonstration
purposes," Tok hastened to reassure him.

Lacroix arched an eyebrow as Tok hastened to place it as far from him as
possible.  "You said you had something new to report?"

"Yes sir.  Shelley and Arletta have done some more research --"

"NO. MORE. SOUVLAKI."  Lacroix so seldom raised his voice that the effect
was quite remarkable.

"Of c-course not, sir."  Tok couldn't help taking a step back.  Or
three.  "They realized that the, um, souvlaki was an inefficient means of
providing you with the vitamin U, so they decided to test the individual
ingredients.  They discovered that the real source is a spice called ..."
Tok consulted her notes, "... asafetida.  Apparently, it's been used to
treat many of the same ailments that vitamin U is supposed to cure.  I
think it's been in use since Roman times, even."

"That is what's in the jar?"  He held out his hand, and Tok wordlessly gave
him the asafetida.  She flinched as he unscrewed the lid, remembering
Willow's reaction.  But Lacroix's reaction was unexpectedly mild.  "Ah yes,
I do recall this spice."

"You do?" Tok squeaked.  At his look, she said, "Of course you do, sir."

"You said you had a demonstration for me, Tok?"  Lacroix returned the jar
to her and waited expectantly.  "You may proceed."

Tok placed the plate of tofu souvlaki on the table and placed a tiny amount
of the spice on a second plate.  "This testing solution," she held up the
vial, "indicates the presence of vitamin U by turning the food
blue.  Electric blue, to be exact.  The deeper the shade, the higher the
concentration.  If there's no vitamin U at all, the food turns another
color."  Tok placed a small piece of chocolate from a candy bar next to the
souvlaki and applied some solution.  The chocolate was now a brilliant hot
pink.  "Now the souvlaki."  The sample turned light blue.  "There's some in
it, but not a lot.  Now, with the asafetida ..."  A drop of solution turned
the asafetida a deep electric blue.  "This is much more concentrated, so
you wouldn't need to consume nearly as much.  We think the supply in this
jar could be sufficient.  A pinch in a bottle of blood..."

"Do you have any idea how that will *taste*?"  Lacroix glared at her icily.

<No, and God wiling I won't find out.>  "If we don't try, we'll never find
out for sure if it works, will we?  Or did you enjoy your time in Nick's
body so much that you can't wait to see what happens next time?  What if
your next switch is with Schanke?  Or Tracy?"  <Lacroix has no respect for
wimps,> Tok thought.  <No guts, no glory.>

She watched him move his gaze from the jar to the electric blue spice and
back again.  "I heard about what happened at the Shrine last night.  The
confrontation between you and the Egyptian." Lacroix's gaze snapped to her
face.  "You need to be yourself to deal with him.  What if he finds you
again, only it isn't *you*?  What if you've switched again, with Nick or
Janette or Natalie?  They'd be at risk.  Their faction would be at
risk.  *We* would be at risk.  Isn't that worth a little discomfort to
prevent?"

Tok waited nervously to see how he reacted to her plea.  After a
considerable pause, he picked up the jar.  "I will make the experiment."

"Thank you, sir.  I'll tell Arletta and Shelley."  Tok started backing
toward the elevator.

"Say nothing of your last plea.  Let them believe that I merely wish to
avoid leaping into a mortal body."

"Your secret is safe with me, sir."



Cousin Tok
and the Cousinly kitties
tokaara@mindspring.com / AIM Tokaara / ICQ 46441308