uptoheaven.Mother!Mother!TellmewhatImustdotobeheldagaininyourwarmembrace.”Viokonthegroundstillgandmumbling.Mr.Finger,whohadfollowedcloselybehindher,saotofsomethingwhiteoer,ingnearerandnearer.Yes.Itwasthatrgewhitefishsparklingwithmulticoloredscales.Shestoppedashortdistantheshoreandswamtoandfro,afraidtoecloserlestshebeestranded.Mr.Fingerseemedtobeabletoinstinctivelyectwiththefish.Heshouted,

    “Ah,greatwhitefish!Areyouthemotherofalllivingthingsintheke?Willyouhelpapoororphangirlfindoutwhetherhermotherisstillliving?Areyouwillingtohelpherfulfillherheart’sdesire?”Thefishswitchedhertaisifi.Viojumpedupandsaid,

    “Ah!She’swilling!She’swilling!Oh,that’stoowonderful!”

    “Thankyou”saidMr.Fingerinaloudvoice.“Thankyouforbeingwillingtohelpus.Buthowarewetocrosstheke?”Thefishopenedherrgemouthasifindigshecouldholdtheminhermouthandswimacrosstheke.VioandMr.Fingeruoodhermeaningandlookedateachother.Mr.Fingersaidsoftly,

    “Whatifsheswallowsusforfood?”

    “Idon’tcare”repliedVioadamantly.“Evenifitisso,Iwillstillgiveitatry.Imayneverhaveanotherce.Youstaybehindifyouarescared.Iwillgoalonebymyself!”

    “No”saidMr.Finger,holdingherhands.“Iwillgowithyou.IfIloseyou,Iwillneveragainfindanotherwomanwhosuitsmesowell.”Sobothofthemjumpedintothewaterandswamtowardsthewhitefish.Thewhitefishopenedherrgemouthalytookthemiurnedaroundanddashedintothedark,turbulentwaves,makingfoldpace.As,thiskindandbenevolentaofthewhitefishwillultimatelybringcatastropheaationtobothherselfandtoKingDimitri’skingdomofDreams.

    Aishagraduallywokeupamidthefragranceofflowers.Beforesheopenedhereyes,thesilverychirpingofbirdsfilledherearsmixedwiththetinklingughterofyounggirls.

    6

    “Ah!”thoughtAisha,“Thismustbeanotherlovelyday!”Sheopenedhereyes,andsureenoughtheblueskieswereclear,calmandunblemished.Shequicklygotup,wenttothebathroom,didhermablutionsandhastilyleftherluxuriousbedroomwithoutanymakeup.ThroughtheFrenchdoors,shesawDornaandDeannapyingwithAmalia’smagi,tryingtofindthesecrettherein,sosheopehedoorandwalkedtowardsthem.Onseeihegirlsimmediatelystoppedtheirpyfulfrolidstoodatattentioionshipbetweenthebeautieshadalwaysbeencloseandintimateassisters,butonceDimitriofficiallybestowedthetitleofqueenonAisha,thetitlebroughtwithitarestriofsortsandcourtprotocolhadtobeobserved.Aishasmiledandsaid,

    “Whatareyoutwopyingatsoearlyinthemthatmakesyouughsohappily?”

    “DornaisstudyingwhythisbroomofAmalia’sfly”answeredDeanna.“Shewantstofindoutitssecret.”DornastraddledthebroomthewayAmaliadidandsaid,

    “IfIknewhowtooperatethisbroomandmakeitfly,IcouldtakeKingDimitri’sswordandhelpMedusadefeattheenemieswhentheydaretoefromtheskies.”Aishalookedupatthesereneandfarawayskiesandsaid,”

    “Lookhowpeacefultheskieslook.Idon’tthinktherewillbeanymorebattles.ClementineandCharmainehavereturheirheavenlyfatherandromisedtocoatthegoldpacewithirontodiminishitsluster.KingZeushasnoreasontoattackus.Eveniftheever-jealousZeusthinksofrevenge,hisbeautifultwindaughterswoulddotheirbesttodissuadehim.”Justthen,apuffofsmokeflewstrai

uptoheaven.Mother!Mother!TellmewhatImustdotobeheldagaininyourwarmembrace.”Viokonthegroundstillgandmumbling.Mr.Finger,whohadfollowedcloselybehindher,saotofsomethingwhiteoer,ingnearerandnearer.Yes.Itwasthatrgewhitefishsparklingwithmulticoloredscales.Shestoppedashortdistantheshoreandswamtoandfro,afraidtoecloserlestshebeestranded.Mr.Fingerseemedtobeabletoinstinctivelyectwiththefish.Heshouted,

    “Ah,greatwhitefish!Areyouthemotherofalllivingthingsintheke?Willyouhelpapoororphangirlfindoutwhetherhermotherisstillliving?Areyouwillingtohelpherfulfillherheart’sdesire?”Thefishswitchedhertaisifi.Viojumpedupandsaid,

    “Ah!She’swilling!She’swilling!Oh,that’stoowonderful!”

    “Thankyou”saidMr.Fingerinaloudvoice.“Thankyouforbeingwillingtohelpus.Buthowarewetocrosstheke?”Thefishopenedherrgemouthasifindigshecouldholdtheminhermouthandswimacrosstheke.VioandMr.Fingeruoodhermeaningandlookedateachother.Mr.Fingersaidsoftly,

    “Whatifsheswallowsusforfood?”

    “Idon’tcare”repliedVioadamantly.“Evenifitisso,Iwillstillgiveitatry.Imayneverhaveanotherce.Youstaybehindifyouarescared.Iwillgoalonebymyself!”

    “No”saidMr.Finger,holdingherhands.“Iwillgowithyou.IfIloseyou,Iwillneveragainfindanotherwomanwhosuitsmesowell.”Sobothofthemjumpedintothewaterandswamtowardsthewhitefish.Thewhitefishopenedherrgemouthalytookthemiurnedaroundanddashedintothedark,turbulentwaves,makingfoldpace.As,thiskindandbenevolentaofthewhitefishwillultimatelybringcatastropheaationtobothherselfandtoKingDimitri’skingdomofDreams.

    Aishagraduallywokeupamidthefragranceofflowers.Beforesheopenedhereyes,thesilverychirpingofbirdsfilledherearsmixedwiththetinklingughterofyounggirls.

    6

    “Ah!”thoughtAisha,“Thismustbeanotherlovelyday!”Sheopenedhereyes,andsureenoughtheblueskieswereclear,calmandunblemished.Shequicklygotup,wenttothebathroom,didhermablutionsandhastilyleftherluxuriousbedroomwithoutanymakeup.ThroughtheFrenchdoors,shesawDornaandDeannapyingwithAmalia’smagi,tryingtofindthesecrettherein,sosheopehedoorandwalkedtowardsthem.Onseeihegirlsimmediatelystoppedtheirpyfulfrolidstoodatattentioionshipbetweenthebeautieshadalwaysbeencloseandintimateassisters,butonceDimitriofficiallybestowedthetitleofqueenonAisha,thetitlebroughtwithitarestriofsortsandcourtprotocolhadtobeobserved.Aishasmiledandsaid,

    “Whatareyoutwopyingatsoearlyinthemthatmakesyouughsohappily?”

    “DornaisstudyingwhythisbroomofAmalia’sfly”answeredDeanna.“Shewantstofindoutitssecret.”DornastraddledthebroomthewayAmaliadidandsaid,

    “IfIknewhowtooperatethisbroomandmakeitfly,IcouldtakeKingDimitri’sswordandhelpMedusadefeattheenemieswhentheydaretoefromtheskies.”Aishalookedupatthesereneandfarawayskiesandsaid,”

    “Lookhowpeacefultheskieslook.Idon’tthinktherewillbeanymorebattles.ClementineandCharmainehavereturheirheavenlyfatherandromisedtocoatthegoldpacewithirontodiminishitsluster.KingZeushasnoreasontoattackus.Eveniftheever-jealousZeusthinksofrevenge,hisbeautifultwindaughterswoulddotheirbesttodissuadehim.”Justthen,apuffofsmokeflewstrai