"Now, of course, we have one more problem. She's a bit flat. Laurel, the pump?" Laurel handed a bicycle pump to the Magician, and he stuck the nozzle into Marisol's bellybutton, then started pumping. A bulge of air appeared around the flattened girl's belly, spreading outwards. The Magician kept pumping, and Marisol finally began to return to a human shape. The Magician gave a few more pumps, then pulled the nozzle out.
"And, now, we've only got one last issue-" The Magician held up Marisol, showing her to the audience. There were seams around the edges, and her limbs were fairly cylindrical. Her face was stuck in an open-mouthed expression of surprise. "I don't think she ever intended to be made into a blow up doll. Laurel, could you take her back stage, and put her with her, um, toys? At least she can still use them." Laurel grinned wickedly. "And Laurel- please, be careful around the sharp objects. If you're thinking of having your revenge for the costume, may I remind you that Mari was careful to put back all twenty pieces when she reassembled you."
"And now, let's take care of Robyn." The Magician looked at the blender. "This is rather more material than I've got paperwork to deal with." He sighed. "Well, there is another route... Hitomi- bring me kit number five, please?"
Hitomi wheeled out a covered table, and the Magician pulled the sheet off. On it was a large burner, a large alembic, and lots of tubes. He opened the alembic. "Hitomi, a hand, please." His assistant helped him pour the contents of the large blender in. He started up the burner. Soon, the slurry of girl was bubbling, and a fine red mist began to rise, condense in the tubes, and drip into a glass at the end. Eventually, the alembic was empty, and only a glass of the red fluid remained. The Magician picked it up, smiled. "Essense of Robyn, ladies and gentlemen." He dropped in an ice cube, stirred it- and drank her in one long gulp. "Well, even if she wasn't always the best assistant, at least she tasted good, ladies and gentlemen."
"And now that she's been taken care of, it's time for my next illusion. Would someone wheel out the box?" He waited. "Is anyone available? Hmmm. I'm running low on assistants, tonight... I'll have to fix that, somehow." The Magician clapped his hands together, and when he spread them apart, a large red silk cloth unfurled from thin air between them. He showed the front and back, and then grabbed it by the center, held it low to the stage, then quickly lifted it and whisked it away, to reveal a new assistant, with long, wavy black hair, in a loose, red silk dress. She smiled and took his hand, as Laurel wheeled out a box shaped like a person, arms and legs spread wide.
(To be continued...)