Not much, really.

Once back on the quad, Joan located the Mystic Talisman stall and ogled the crystal pendants until she caught the attention of the shopkeeper. "Is there anything in particular you're seeking?" a man decked in several of his own crystals asked.

"I was wondering how these things work," Joan said.

"All crystals vibrate at a certain frequency, and these vibrations help you attract things like luck, wealth, courage, love, or whatever you need in your life."

"How about answers?"

"For that, I recommend lapis lazuli. It symbolizes truth. People who wear it say that it helps them understand others better."

Joan leaned in close to the shopkeeper and lowered her voice. "That's not what I meant." The hustle and bustle of the festival around them assured Joan that she would not be overheard, as Mokuba also had to draw close to stay in the loop. "Have you ever seen any of these stones glow?"

"Glow? A crystal would have to be vibrating at a very high frequency with lots of energy to do that. It would also have to be a high-quality specimen with no flaws to hold up to that sort of stress. I've heard rumors of that happening, but only for precious crystals like emeralds and diamonds."

Joan slid her ring hand out of her pocket and presented it to the shopkeeper. "Activate random glow."

"Holy smoke! Is this a joke?"

"Yes," Mokuba chimed in, "but let's pretend it's not for a moment."

"I should really get back to my customers."

Mokuba pulled out a hundred-dollar bill and pressed it into the shopkeeper's hand. "We're doing research for a new game concept and would really appreciate your insight."

"OK. Well, um . . ." The shopkeeper took a closer look at the couple before him. "Have I seen you two somewhere? I think maybe there was some meme on the internet."

"That's not important," Mokuba said. "We need to know whatever you can tell us about these gems."

"OK, so it appears you have an opal, a sapphire, a ruby, and an emerald."

"It's peridot," Joan corrected.

"Now that is strange. Peridot is only a semi-precious crystal, but it is used for channeling, so it could have something to do with why the ruby is lighting up."

"They all light up, but we're not completely sure why."

The shopkeeper took a closer look at the names engraved in the metal. "Huh. This is out of my league. I've got a few friends who might know more, though. I can ask around."

"Cancel all glow effects." Joan pulled a business card out of her purse and handed it to the shopkeeper. "Let me know if you come across anything."

Mokuba handed the man another hundred dollars. "But keep this as confidential as possible. We don't want our next game concept getting out too soon."

"Right. Um . . . I'll see what I can find. Here, take a lapis just in case it helps." The shopkeeper reached over to a nearby rack and pulled off a leather cord from which dangled a blue stone in the shape of a lotus. He handed it to Mokuba.

"Thanks." Not wanting to be rude, Mokuba donned the necklace, hoping it wouldn't wind up fused to his body like Joan's ring. With that, they left the Mystic Talismans stall. As soon as they made it out of the shopkeeper's line of sight, Mokuba took off the talisman and pocketed it. "I don't want to take any risks."

"I think you're being paranoid," Joan said. "It's probably too weak to do anything to us, but better safe than sorry, I guess."