whatweshoulddo.Whatdoyouthink?”MedusaandWhiteFairyheiragreementaouttocarryouttheirmission.QueenAishaturnedandlookedquestioninglyatCharmaineaine.Clementinesaidsorrowfullyinalowvoice,

    5

    “IthinkthattheonlyrecourseisformetogobackpersonallytotheSeventhHeavenahefivenessofFatherZeus.ButhowIdothis?NowthatIhaveafleshbody,Iolobackthere.heramIwillingtoleavehereandpartwithKingDimitri,thebeautiesahingintheKingdom.”

    “Youolobackbecauseyouhaveafleshbody.”saidCharmainefromthemirror.“Beforeyoucamehere,youhadformbutnobody,whileIhadherformnorbody.Ihavetomakeuseofamirrororasmoothbodyofwatertoappear.FatherZeusdoesn’tevenk.Whydon’tIgobacktoSeventhHeavenandbegforhisfiveness.Perhapshewillfiveus.”

    “No,”saidAishaafteramomentofsideration.“Thiswillnotdo.HowdoyouthinkKingZeuswillreactwhenhelearnsaboutyourassemblingthecelestialgoldsmithsinhisoedowhandbuildthegoldpaceyouincurhiswrath,hemayimprisonyouorpunishyoumostseverely.Whatthen?AndwhenKingDimitrihearsaboutpeoyoubecauseofhim,hewouldnotsitbaddonothing.Hewouldleavenostourorescueyou.Thesituationwouldgetworse.”

    “’tbehelped”ughedCharmaihlessly.“Thereisnootherwayout.Butdon’tworry.WhenIseeKingZeus,Iknowwhattosaytodisarmhimahedisaster.Hemayevenbesohappythathewouldnolongerpursuethisanymore.ThenIebackhereaogetherwithyouall.”

    “Alright,I’llletyougo.”saidAisharelutly,knowingthatthesituationwasdireandshedidnotreallyhaveabettersolution.Butsherepeatedlyurgedhertobecareful.“Takegoodcareofyourselfandebacksafely.OtherwiseIwouldnotbeabletoatforittoKingDimitri.”

    “Don’tworry”answeredCharmaine,smilingatAisha.“Goodbye”andherimageatoncedisappearedfromthemirror,leavingonlytherefleoftheseoutside:afullmoonandmyriadsofstarsshiningdownserenelyontheworldbelow.Justthen,Medusacameback,havingsuccessfullydivertedthepackofhugebatsawayfromtheKingdom.WhiteFairyalsocamedownfromtherooftopgardenandsawaworriedAishapagrestlesslyinthehall.WhenshesawWhiteFairy,shesuddenlythoughtofsomethingandasked,

    “DoyouknowwhereCharmai?Doyouthinkyoucatchupwithher?”

    “Don’tfetIamapuffofsmoke.”smiledWhiteFairy.“ThereisnotapceIotgoto.”

    “Great!”excimedAishagreatlyrelieved.“PleasebequidcatchupwithCharmaine.Beherbackupandhelpherasmuchasyou.Letusknowhowthingsgo.”WhiteFairygedintoapuffofsmokeandstreakedaway.

    Inanotherdimensionoftimeintheuniverse,itwasstilldawn,fogyandmisty.Aslimyoungmaiden,adorhawreathoffreshflowers,waswalkingtowardsthestream.WhiteFairy,whohadcealedherselfamongtheflazedfixedlyatthegirl,watgasshefilledthepurebronzebasininherhandwithcrystalclearwaterandmadeherwaybacktotheimposingandresplebronzepathethroheterofthegreatpacehall,satasolemn-lookingmiddle-agedmanwithaheadofgloriouscurlylonghairreagdowntohisshoulders.Hisphysiquewasmuscur,statuesqueandmagnifit.WhiteFairyguessedhemustbeKioavoiddetebytheomnistgod,shequicklygedintoawhiteEasterlilyandhidherselfamongthemyriadsofflrowingbythesideofthestream.ItwasjustafterdaybreakandZeusdidnothavehisonasheusuallydidwhenferringwithhissubjects.Hewasjustgettioperformhisablutions.Just

whatweshoulddo.Whatdoyouthink?”MedusaandWhiteFairyheiragreementaouttocarryouttheirmission.QueenAishaturnedandlookedquestioninglyatCharmaineaine.Clementinesaidsorrowfullyinalowvoice,

    5

    “IthinkthattheonlyrecourseisformetogobackpersonallytotheSeventhHeavenahefivenessofFatherZeus.ButhowIdothis?NowthatIhaveafleshbody,Iolobackthere.heramIwillingtoleavehereandpartwithKingDimitri,thebeautiesahingintheKingdom.”

    “Youolobackbecauseyouhaveafleshbody.”saidCharmainefromthemirror.“Beforeyoucamehere,youhadformbutnobody,whileIhadherformnorbody.Ihavetomakeuseofamirrororasmoothbodyofwatertoappear.FatherZeusdoesn’tevenk.Whydon’tIgobacktoSeventhHeavenandbegforhisfiveness.Perhapshewillfiveus.”

    “No,”saidAishaafteramomentofsideration.“Thiswillnotdo.HowdoyouthinkKingZeuswillreactwhenhelearnsaboutyourassemblingthecelestialgoldsmithsinhisoedowhandbuildthegoldpaceyouincurhiswrath,hemayimprisonyouorpunishyoumostseverely.Whatthen?AndwhenKingDimitrihearsaboutpeoyoubecauseofhim,hewouldnotsitbaddonothing.Hewouldleavenostourorescueyou.Thesituationwouldgetworse.”

    “’tbehelped”ughedCharmaihlessly.“Thereisnootherwayout.Butdon’tworry.WhenIseeKingZeus,Iknowwhattosaytodisarmhimahedisaster.Hemayevenbesohappythathewouldnolongerpursuethisanymore.ThenIebackhereaogetherwithyouall.”

    “Alright,I’llletyougo.”saidAisharelutly,knowingthatthesituationwasdireandshedidnotreallyhaveabettersolution.Butsherepeatedlyurgedhertobecareful.“Takegoodcareofyourselfandebacksafely.OtherwiseIwouldnotbeabletoatforittoKingDimitri.”

    “Don’tworry”answeredCharmaine,smilingatAisha.“Goodbye”andherimageatoncedisappearedfromthemirror,leavingonlytherefleoftheseoutside:afullmoonandmyriadsofstarsshiningdownserenelyontheworldbelow.Justthen,Medusacameback,havingsuccessfullydivertedthepackofhugebatsawayfromtheKingdom.WhiteFairyalsocamedownfromtherooftopgardenandsawaworriedAishapagrestlesslyinthehall.WhenshesawWhiteFairy,shesuddenlythoughtofsomethingandasked,

    “DoyouknowwhereCharmai?Doyouthinkyoucatchupwithher?”

    “Don’tfetIamapuffofsmoke.”smiledWhiteFairy.“ThereisnotapceIotgoto.”

    “Great!”excimedAishagreatlyrelieved.“PleasebequidcatchupwithCharmaine.Beherbackupandhelpherasmuchasyou.Letusknowhowthingsgo.”WhiteFairygedintoapuffofsmokeandstreakedaway.

    Inanotherdimensionoftimeintheuniverse,itwasstilldawn,fogyandmisty.Aslimyoungmaiden,adorhawreathoffreshflowers,waswalkingtowardsthestream.WhiteFairy,whohadcealedherselfamongtheflazedfixedlyatthegirl,watgasshefilledthepurebronzebasininherhandwithcrystalclearwaterandmadeherwaybacktotheimposingandresplebronzepathethroheterofthegreatpacehall,satasolemn-lookingmiddle-agedmanwithaheadofgloriouscurlylonghairreagdowntohisshoulders.Hisphysiquewasmuscur,statuesqueandmagnifit.WhiteFairyguessedhemustbeKioavoiddetebytheomnistgod,shequicklygedintoawhiteEasterlilyandhidherselfamongthemyriadsofflrowingbythesideofthestream.ItwasjustafterdaybreakandZeusdidnothavehisonasheusuallydidwhenferringwithhissubjects.Hewasjustgettioperformhisablutions.Just