ABSTRACT
A few weeks after the Elf-induced resistance scare, Paula Maven takes an afternoon off from work to tend to what remains of her vegetable garden. She has been so busy that she cannot remember even watering the plants during the past ten days. The prime casualty in the Maven yard seems to have been the tomato plants. The poor little things look terrible: besides being wilted, the jaws of small wicked witches have clearly been at work. Over the fence, she notices that Ernestine Feasor is also gardening. Miss Feasor had planted her replacement tomatoes at exactly the same time as Paula, but the leaves of her plants are undamaged (and of course, they are infinitely more turgid). Dr. Maven just has to find out why Ernestine’s plants have escaped damage.
