Ric pointed at the book. "Mr. Mendes, get the book and try something. I'll keep Josh at bay." He crouched a little and faced his transformed friend.
He looked into the tiger's eyes. He did not see hunger, but hate. Josh hated him for some reason.
Suddenly the tiger leaped. Ric reached out and put his now strong arm into the leaping tiger's chest, keeping him from going farther. The weight drove Ric back. He quickly pulled himself closer, grabbing at the tiger's neck to keep him from biting him.
While the two struggled, Mr. Mendes slipped around and grabbed the book. He looked at the pair, and quickly found the page that Josh had read. He decided not to try the spell, but quickly flipped through the pages.
"Hurry, will you?" said Ric, still struggling against Josh.
Francisco found what he hoped would work. He read the page.
Suddenly, Josh stopped struggling. Ric heaved and tossed him across the room. Josh didn't move, but began to shrink. The fur began to shorten, his face began to flatten, the teeth began to get smaller. In a matter of a half a minute, the fully-grown adult tiger became a cub. It hissed and growled.
Ric looked at the cub. "Ok, he's a lot less dangerous, but he's still a tiger."
"I know. I didn't want to try anything big until we figured out something. He tried to kill you, Ric."
He walked over and grabbed the tiger cub. "And I think I know why."