Wilkins’ Tooth

To pay off a debt, Jess and Frank begin a business called "Own Back". Unfortunately, their first client is the bully Buster and his gang. Buster wants one of "Wilkins's teeth", in revenge for Vernon Wilkins knocking one of Buster's teeth out. Buster doesn't use Vernon's first name, so Jess and Frank cunningly obtain a milk tooth from Vernon's brother. However, Buster has more reason to want the tooth than mere revenge: it's on its way to be used in some very unsympathetic sympathetic magic. DWJ's mastery of magical realism is still on its way to full growth here. It's an interesting enough yarn, but nothing particularly special. Warning for two racial slurs used by unsympathetic characters in the early editions, which are largely emended in the later ones. The story has a running joke that taboo words are replaced with the names of colours, but these words were printed in the clear anyway. Good story, but nothing special. Her great work was ahead of her.