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I pulled into DG's driveway. I walked over and knocked on the the door.
"Who's there?"
"Red."
"Come on in."
I let myself in and sat down.
"What happened? The game must still be going on."
"I was there for business. As soon as I go the info, I came back like I said I would. Now DesertGrandma, I need to ask you some questions about the kidnapping."
"Sure, Red."
"I'm trying to figger out why the neuralizer didn't work on you and your husband. Could you tell me anything you and your husband both consumed the 24 hours before you saw the Gila Monster?"
"Yes, but why something we consumed?"
"Well, if you're both naturally immune, There's nothing for me to bargain with the MIB. Y'all don't wear contacts, do ya'll?"
"No."
"Their gizmo works with the eyes, so it would have to be something that affect the vision center of the brain or the eyes themselves. Something like glacoma drops or something like that."
"Neither my husband or I use any sort of eyedrops or take medicine for eye problems."
"I figgered that. So that leaves me only consumables."
"Let's see. We had chalupas for supper, and a Dos XX each. Breakfast was sausage and eggs, with coffee. Lunch was baked chicken with a salad, with an orange and a soda. Then about a half hour before I saw the Gila Monster, we had started sipping a high-powered drink from Australia."
"Australia?"
"Yep. You can't buy it in the U.S., but we can buy it in Nogales and pay a duty on it to bring it across the border. Expensive stuff."
"What's it called?"
"Zany Carter Deluxe. Let me get the bottle."
She brought back a 375 ml bottle, mostly full. They couldn't have drunk more that a shot glass full each from the bottle. I read the fine print on the label. Montsnmag Beverages PTY. Was there anything in Austraila that Montsnmags didn't have a finger into?
"Was that all?"
"Yes, Red. Did this help?"
"I hope so. You said this was expensive. Do you have another bottle we could put most of it in so I can take the bottle, with a little left in it, with me? It'll help."
"If it'll get my husband back, take the whole bottle."
"A little will do, as long as I can take the bottle."
"I'll go get another bottle."
DesertGrandma went to the kitchen and brought back a 750 ml bottle. I pour about 3/4 of the rest of the Zany Carter Deluxe in to the bigger bottle and put the cap back on the original bottle.
" Ma'am, I've got to go now. I can't make any promises, but I'm on course to try to get something done. Try not to shoot anybody until I get back. I''m not trying to get you likkered up, but you might sip a little Zany Carter along the way. I suspect that it was what made you immune to the Neuralizer. If those MIB boys come back, just pretend the neuralizer works. That way we can keep tabs on 'em if they start botherin' you."
"Yes, Red. You mean I can't shoot them?"
"No, that'll bother the neighbors. And it's awful messy to clean up after a shotgun. I may be a while before I get back, so don't worry. I'll be back as soon as I can."
I stashed the ZCD in the car and headed over to the science-fiction convention.
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