Page 159 of Demons Dig Donuts

“I think it’s all right, big man.” Gammy patted Dill’s arm. “No grow right now.”

Dill huffed and gave Mr. Heiss a dirty look.

“I’m okay. Promise.” Indy rubbed his chest and took a deep breath. “We were, uh, sorta having a conversation and it got personal, really personal, and I was maybe gonna talk to him about, well, certain things? Certain, yeah, those certain things.”

“Certain things I already knew,” Mr. Heiss said softly.

“Yeah, that.”

Gammy scoffed and planted her hands on her hips, glaring at Mr. Heiss. “If you knew Indy was sick, why didn’t you offer to help, huh? It’s obvious you care about him, you big stinky dope!”

“He hadn’t asked me, for one.” Mr. Heiss lifted his brow. “And I clearly did not know the full scope of his illness. If I had, I would have offered—”

“Is this before or after you wanted to chop off my hand?” Indy chimed in.

“Oh my God.”

“Well, offer now!” Gammy waved her hands. “Help him!”

“Help!” Dill declared, mimicking Gammy and also waving his hands around.

“I did.” Mr. Heiss groaned lightly and gave Indy a pleading look even as he said flatly, “We’re leaving.”

“We are?” Indy laughed. “Why did it sound like a question?”

“I would very much like to leave.”

“Not yet!” Gammy narrowed her eyes, still clearly skeptical. “Whatever is going on with Indy is going to take some serious magic to heal. The brew I cooked up only bought him a few days, and now it seems like he’s actually gotten worse. It might be tied into whatever demonic magic Mr. Kalt used to save him.”

“Mr. Kalt never actually promised to cure me,” Indy said with a sigh. “He just, you know, did the whole everlasting life thing. Like hitting a pause button.”

“Yes, and now that your deal is broken, everything has been put on fast forward.”

“So, that’s what this is? All these years catching up to me in a few days?”

“Yes. Everything that should have happened is happening now.” Mr. Heiss’s gaze strayed to Indy’s brow and then immediately dropped back to his eyes.

“What? What is it?”

“It’s nothing.”

“It’s not nothing. What is it?”

“You’ve changed. A small bit. Since we’ve met. You look… a little older.”

Indy grabbed his forehead and seethed. “Do I have a fucking wrinkle?”

“You do not not have a wrinkle.”

“Gammy?” Indy demanded, dropping his hand. “Do I?”

“Aw, sweetie cakes. It’s nothing!” Gammy soothed. “You really can’t complain about one tiny wrinkle.” She considered it for a moment. “Well, you could, but don’t whine to me. I’m all creased up like an old purse.”

“Ew, ew, ew. That is summoning a visual I did not want!” Indy rubbed his forehead insistently. “Is there demon Botox? Can we discuss that? Can we also erase the whole old purse thing, too, while we’re at it? I wonder if Misingno will take that memory.”

Dill chirped curiously.

“What? Botox? Needles for my face,” Indy explained. “Stab, stab, stab.”