Willis’s friend Robert, whom he’d met at the diner all those weeks ago, was stunned.
“Hi,” Willis smiled.
In a sudden act of terror, Robert leaped back into the land rover and locked the door.
Willis slowly walked and peered in through the window.
“Look, I’m not gonna hurt you”
Paul was cowered on the furthest seat, gently swearing to himself.
“Robert, it’s me”
Robert didn’t react. Instead he began fumbling through the glove compartment. Suddenly he brought out a pistol and aimed it directly at Willis.
Although Willis had only been this way for about ten minutes, he was aware that a speeding bullet would do him as much damage as it would have as a human.
“Robert, listen to me, it’s me, your friend”
Paul wasn’t listening.
“Get back!” He shouted, “I’ll kill you, I swear!”
Willis sighed.
In a quick flourish, he thrust his hoovish hand through the window pane and calmly flicked the gun from Roberts’s hand. Before Robert could react, Willis’s hand was clasped around his neck. Paul froze.
“Listen to me. I’m not going to hurt you.”
Paul began to breathe gently, but still with a look of terror decorating his face.
As Willis watched, Robert’s face slowly became confused.
“Willis?”
“You can recognise me?”
“It is you? But- bloody hell Willis, what happened to you?”
Willis let go of Robert’s neck and opened the door.
“A spell”
“A spell!”
“Yeah, it was in Dan’s jacket”
Robert said nothing for a long time. He was obviously finding it hard to come to terms with these circumstances.
Then, “You do realise that you’re naked, right?”
Willis shrugged.
“Bloody hell,” Robert said again, “Can you turn back?”
“I haven’t tried. I suppose so. Don’t really want to just yet”
“Why not?”
“Well, it’s hardly the most unpleasant thing that’s ever happened. But that’s not the point. Don’t you see? This means that Dan could still be alive!”
“Oh come on Willis, I’ve told you-”
“No, think about it”
Robert raised his eyebrows. But then he began to understand.
“Bloody hell, you know, you may be right this time”
“I’m off to look for him”
Willis began to walk away.
“Now hang on”
Robert ran in front of him, although it wouldn’t really have made much difference, for now he was only two thirds of Willis’s size. Nevertheless, Willis did stop.
“You could be looking for days. You can’t just disappear, they’ll think you’re dead too. And what if you don’t find him. What’s your excuse gonna be when you come back”
“Maybe I won’t come back”
“Well then…well take me with you”
“What?”
“I’ll help you look.”
Willis crouched down to match Paul’s height.
“Why are you doing this?”
Robert looked at his feet.
“Let’s just say I’m looking out for you, man. You’re a good friend of mine and I won’t watch you go just like that”
“I’m touched Rob, I really am”
Willis smiled, as well as a bull can smile, and began to lead the way.
“Hey!”
“What now?”
“Don’t think you’re getting all the fun. D’you remember that spell?”
“Yeah, I memorised it. You really want to?”
“Absolutely”
“You know, I don’t know if it’s reversible yet”
“Yeah, yeah, you said. Now hit me with it”
“Alright. What do you want to be?”
“Surprise me”