As soon as Jaime's car was out of the driveway, Alex sat back down at the computer. He wasn't going to change himself and Miranda back; they really did enjoy having been turned into clowns. He couldn't even if they wanted to; Jaime had set the Chronivac to keep them in this form for at least two whole days.
The mental changes Jen had programed into their transformation included that besides their newfound skills, they'd have little more mental capacity than an eight year old. But they still had their memories-and Alex remembered how to work the Chronivac.
Alex chuckled to himself as he typed in what he wanted. This house was so dull. And he really wanted to thank his sister for what she did to him and Miranda.
******
Jamie pulled her car into the driveway of her house, got out, and took out her bags, pleased with herself. Not only had Tucker given her a special deal on face paint, balloons, and juggling props, he'd even allowed her to borrow the Cabinet of Doom, a popular magician's prop, free of charge. Jamie had an idea of how to use it with the Chronivac as part of the show tomorrow.
A small van pulled out into the driveway behind her car. The door to the van opened and out stepped Tucker.
"OK, I'm going to need help getting the Cabinet out," said Tucker. He and Jaime walked over to the back of the van and opened the back doors. Carefully they removed the Cabinet from the van and, placing it on a dolly, Tucker wheeled it into the open garage.
"Could you get your brother and his friend here?" he asked. "I'm going to need to show them how to use this.
"Certainly. They're practicing right now." Jamie smiled. "In fact, they're in full costume and makeup; it's how they like to rehearse."
"I had no idea your brother was a clown," laughed Tucker.
"Oh, he just took it up recently," said Jamie, and she went through the door into the house.
As soon as she stepped inside, Jamie was struck by the appearance of her house. The kitchen walls, which had been mundane and ordinary when she left, were now painted in a riot of colors and murals of circus scenes. She stepped out into the living room. It was the same here, and all the furniture looked as if it had come from a circus. All the people in the pictures hanging on the walls were clowns, and the various small statues and furnishing had a circus motif.
'Alex and Miranda,' Jamie thought glumly. 'I never should have left them alone with that thing.' Sighing, she walked down the multicolored and muraled hallway to Alex's room.
She opened the door, and saw Alex sitting at his computer. Alex looked at her. "Oh, you're back, sis." He pressed a key on the keyboard and the beam from the emitter struck Jamie square in the chest.
As the light from the beam enveloped Jamie, her skin faded to a creamy white hue. Black outlines of diamonds formed around her eyes and filled in with dark blue; her mouth, already red with lipstick, plumped out and stretched into a wide grin. Her cheeks became a bright pink and red heart formed on the tip of her nose.
Jamie's yellow slacks puffed out and faded into white bloomers while the pink blouse stretched out into a dress that reached to her knees. A white fluffy white petticoat formed around her waist and fluffed her skirt until it was nearly horizontal. Her pantyhose became pink sock with white stripes, and white polka dots appeared all over her new dress, whick was now also bordered with white and red lace. Her hair became bright red and curly, and was topped with a lace granny cap that matched her dress, while her trainers stretched and morphed into clown mary janes similar to Miranda's
Jamie blinked; shock was replaced with giddiness as the mental changes kicked in. How could she have been so silly? She'd turned her brother and Miranda into augustes, the zany prankster of the clown world. But a clown act couldn't work with just augustes; they needed a whiteface clown to play straight for them. And she was perfect for the part.
"Jamie," the three clowns heard Tucker call from the garage. "What's holding you up. I need to show you how the Cabinet works."