Two Strange Girls is the fifth chapter of Gunnerkrigg Court. It can be found here.
Summary
At the Court's 7 Year Science Fair nominations, the judge bugs out over Kat's anti-gravity field generator. Much to Kat's chagrin, her actual exhibit was the effect of protein crystals in zero gravity. Nonetheless, she wins the nomination for Queslett House hands-down. After the nominations, Annie congratulates a disappointed Kat. Kat resolves to make a better exhibit (with diagrams!) and recruits Annie to help.
While looking for books in the library, they see two strange girls (hm...) in a neglected alley of bookshelves, one dozing on the shoulder of the other, who seems to have dirt completely covering her eyes. This one yells at Kat to mind her own business. Just before an argument starts, Annie steps in. The girl recognizes her and gruffly introduces herself as Zimmy and her friend (now wide awake) as Gamma. Zimmy says that she will be competing against Kat's exhibit in the science fair. Gamma drops a snide comment in Polish, to which Annie replies "That's not very nice" also in Polish.
This angers Zimmy (who doesn't know what Annie said) and she and Gamma (who seems a bit nicer than Zimmy) leave, Zimmy calling Kat "Bignose". (Annie assures Kat she has a lovely nose.)
At the science fair, the crowd gathers around Kat's gravity generator, while she angrily tries to direct their attention to the protein. Eglamore arrives with Anja Donlan, Kat's mum. Seeing Eglamore, Annie excuses herself from the exhibit while the two share a livid glance. Zimmy and Gamma find her and take her to their exhibit. Zimmy gloats about it and shows Annie a microscope, apparently containing her exhibit. Annie looks through and says what it contains is "an abomination". Zimmy just laughs.
The next morning, two science fair entries are smashed to pieces. This continues until only Kat's and Zimmy's remain. Kat believes it is Zimmy's doing, but Annie replies that confidence is not a crime. Kat reveals that she planted motion detectors in the science hall that day so that the perpetrator will be uncovered. That night, the detector goes off, and Annie and Kat sneak into the hall catching Zimmy and Gamma. Annie sees her stuffed wolf on a table and accuses Zimmy of stealing it. However, Zimmy pleads innocent, saying she and Gamma snuck into the science hall and found the doll there.
Zimmy pokes the doll, saying "Come out, I know yer in there." Surprisingly, the doll springs to life, telling Zimmy not to touch him.
The doll, indeed the one wrecking the science projects, reveals itself to be Reynardine and says he could take any body with eyes, living or dead. Annie says he tried to kill her, and Reynardine replies he can do nothing to harm her now, and points to his forehead, which now bears the symbol for Antimony
Characters Featured
- Antimony Carver
- Katerina Donlan
- Anja Donlan
- Donald Donlan
- James Eglamore
- Zimmy
- Gamma Czarnecki
- Sullivan's John
- Reynardine
Notes and Trivia
Alchemy References
- In his doll form, Reynardine has the symbol for antimony on his forehead, meaning Annie controls him. He seems to be able to make it appear and vanish at will (though this doesn't diminish its effect).
| v • e Gunnerkrigg Court Chapters | |
|---|---|
| Volume 1 | The Shadow and the Robot • Schoolyard Myths • Reynardine • Not Very Scary • Two Strange Girls • A Handful of Dirt • Of New and Old • Broken Glass and Other Things • Questions and Answers • Doctor Disaster Versus the Creepy Space Aliens from Outer Space • Dobranoc, Gamma• Mainly Involves Robots • A Week for Kat • The Fangs of Summertime
|
| Volume 2 | |
| Volume 3 | |
| Volume 4 | |
| Volume 5 | |
| Volume 6 | |
| Volume 7 | |
| Volume 8 | |
| Volume 9 | |
| Current Chapters | |
| Extra Comics | Bonus Pages • City Face (comic) • Annie in the Forest • Traveller • Coyote! • Zim Grim |