wings, dragon! Around his neck was a teeny, tiny sign that said just add

"...mental energy to restore me to normal size."
    Huh?  Oh well,  what could it hurt?  When you're in Desperationville--I took a deep breath,  and focused on the tiny dragon.  It was actually kind of cute,  with its teensy, iridescent wings,  and--Wow!
   Suddenly the dragon was about eight feet tall,  with fiery wings,  and talons that...In my mind,  I heard a definite  "Oops!"  and the vast creature shrank,  till I was holding an adorable  pocket-dragon that perched on my palm, shaking its shimmering golden wings as it settled.  It didn't speak aloud,  but I distinctly heard a silvery voice in my head:  "Oh,  this is great!  It was no fun being taped to that note,  let me tell you!  Petunia said someone might need my help;  so which one are you?  Uh,  just focus to articulate your thoughts.  Telepathy is so much more convenient,  once you get used to it.  Oh yes,  my name is Samantha."
    Speechless  (and thoughtless!)  I stared at the beautiful little dragon for a moment.  She batted long eyelashes at me,  and I was sure the tiny mouth curved in a smile.  I was suffused with a feeling of warmth and love.  Could this be another trick,  like the genie's wishes?  But I trusted Petunia,  not that there were a whole lot of choices available.
   "You can trust me,"  came the dragon's thought.  "I assume you'd like some help getting out of here--Mary Ann,  is it?"
   "Marianne,"  I thought back.  Maybe I could get the hang of this!
"My friends in other rooms are Oscar  and Minerva.  And we would dearly love your help getting out,  providing we can take Petunia with us."
   "No problem!"  thought Samantha,  and promptly disappeared--or rather,  shrank to tiny size and slipped under the door.  Through the keyhole, I saw her grow to eight feet and quickly dispatch the fire ant
with a scorching breath.  With another,  she melted the lock on my door.  I followed her to two other rooms,  where I was joyfully reunited with my friends,  Samantha pocket-sized once more.  We made introductions,  then gathered in Oscar's room for a council of war.
    "Ive had plenty of time to think,"  he said thoughtfully,  and I've come to the conlusion that the best thing to do now  would be to...
    

 

plunge people!"  Everyone gather your things, it's time to

Increased her size till there was room for all of us tucked under her wings.  Then she,  apparently,  dematerialized,  because the next thing I knew we were in Petunia's room.
   "Oh Sam,"  she chortled,  "I knew I could count on you!"  Not wasting a moment,  she hopped aboard,  and the world disappeared in a dizzying  cloud of multi-colored smoke.   When my head stopped spinning,  I was amazed to see the four of us sprawled on the floor of the jungle,  with a pocket-sized Samantha cuddling up to a surprised,  but obviously delighted George.
   "Petunia!"  he cried.  "You're back!  I've missed you so!"  He threw his arms around her,  glad tears dampening her purple fur.  "And you guys!  I can't tell you how much...

"...Um...Let's see now..."  George scratched his head with a dirty fingernail.  "What did she say again?"
      Minerva obviously couldn't decide whether to jump up and down or strangle him.  "Well,  George?"
she prompted.  At least you remember it was a she?"
    Suddenly his face cleared.  "Oh yeah!  It was your agent!  She wanted to remind you about something.  "Um... maybe something died...no,  no!  I remember now!  It's something coming up soon...I think she called it a deadline!"
    George's look of triumph clearly expected praise.  Instead,  he encountered  three stunned looks and,  in Minerva's case,  a decidedly peculiar one as we all stared at her.
    It was the first time I'd seen her flustered.    "I can explain!"  she spluttered,  red-faced.  "You see..."