The Question...and the Answer?
They reached the door that led to inside. Steph reached to knock, but Mya stopped her. "Let me do it this time," she said, half-jokingly. Rolling her eyes, Steph let Mya knock.
The door opened, and a pretty young woman was standing there. She had soft brown hair, and a nice dress that matched her hair perfectly. Her eyes, strangely, were pink.
"Hello," the woman said. "I am Wira, Humfrey's daughter-in-law. I'm so glad you could make it," she smiled.
"Umm…hi," Mya said. "I'm Mya, and this is Steph. And over there is Grundy."
"Pleased to meet you," she said, smiling again. "Do come in. The Gorgon will have a snack ready while you wait."
Although not too pleased at having to wait, Mya and Steph realized that they were in fact quite hungry. "Thanks!" they both said, following Wira into the castle. Grundy followed along behind.
She led them through a few hallways, stepping lithely. Mya remembered her pink eyes. What was the significance of them? But she had little time to think, as Wira soon stopped, and the rest of the party came to a halt.
"Mother," Wira called sweetly. "Are you veiled? We have visitors."
Steph was a bit confused by this. Veiled? Mya remembered that Wira had said Gorgon, and knew that her gaze could petrify them. "Yes, dear. You can bring them right in." Wira started walking again, and the three followed. Soon they entered a room that must have been the kitchen. Standing there was a beautiful woman. Her face could convince the most happily married man to throw it all away. She had a perfect figure and her hair…well, it was made of snakes, that must entice the men, too.
Mya did a double take. "Wait!" she said. Everyone turned and looked at her, except Wira, who just looked in her general direction. "How can we look at your face? Shouldn't we all be stone?" She was quite concerned.
The Gorgon just smiled. "Do not fret, dear. I had my husband make my face invisible, and then use a spell to put a false replica back on. You are in no danger of being turned to stone." Mya breathed a sigh of relief. "Now please, sit, and have some refreshments while you wait."
Obligingly, Mya, Steph, and Grundy sat down. Wira, too, took a seat. The Gorgon brought them gorgon-zola, her specialty, punwheels, which were cookies, and tsoda popka to drink.
"I know you should be having a healthier snack, but this is somewhat of a celebration," she said with a smile.
"What's a celebration?" Steph asked through mouthfuls of food.
"Why, your being here, of course." The Gorgon smiled knowingly, but said no more. "Now please, rest and enjoy your snack. Humfrey will see you soon. I do apologize, but I have other chores to do. As much as I would like to stay and chat…" she trailed off wistfully.
"Do not be sad, Mother," Wira said comfortingly. "I'm sure they will come back for a visit."
"Of course we will!" Mya said, taking the bait. "Especially if we get delicious cheese and cookies like this every time!"
The Gorgon smiled at the compliment. "Thank you, dear. But I fear that you will not end up visiting me, but another of Humfrey's five and a half wives." She brightened up. "Of course, we do get a lot of time to talk in our off-time. So if you visit one of them, I will hear all about it. I suppose I should be on my way." Content, she went off to do her other chores with a little wave.
"She was nice," Mya said.
"And a good cook!" Steph added.
"But what was that about five and a half wives?" Mya asked the question that both she and Steph were wondering.
"I can answer that," Wira said helpfully. "You see, Humfrey is a very old man. He has married five times. And he also has one more true love, whom he never married. One at a time is allowed to visit him, while the others reside in…" here she paused, and blushed. "In…Hell." Obviously a sweet girl like her wasn't much accustomed to using such words.
"Oh, I get it. So they take turns living with him," Steph said.
"Yes, that is how it works," Wira said with a smile. Mya and Steph really liked her.
Soon enough, they finished up their snack. They carried their dishes to the sink. The mess cleaned up, Wira said, "I shall take you to Humfrey now. Please follow me."
Steph and Mya were eager to see him, so they followed right behind Wira.
She led them up a dark staircase. Here, Mya stalled. Steph had no problem, nor did Grundy, but Mya had never been too fond of the dark. Apparently Wira sensed her hesitation.
"Oh, I apologize!" she said sincerely. "I sometimes forget that others are not like me, and need the light." She touched the wall, and it lit up, all the way up the stairs. "Is that better?" she asked.
"Yes, thank you," Mya said, appreciating it. They started back up the stairs. And Mya figured out the mystery of Wira's pink eyes- she was blind. But she knew her way around the castle so well. It was remarkable!
Soon they reached the top. Wira led them through a door, and into a room. It was a fairly big room, with books and potions and all kinds of things scattered around everywhere. In the middle of the room sat a small man, almost gnome-like, hunched over a book.
"There is Humfrey," Wira said, standing beside the door. Apparently she would wait for them there.
"Thanks," Mya said. Then she, Steph, and Grundy walked towards the Good Magician.
"You ask him," Mya said.
"No, you ask him!" Steph said.
"Wait, what are we asking him?" Mya asked Steph.
"Uhh…I don't know! I thought you did!" Steph answered.
"What's wrong, girls?" Grundy whispered. "He's waiting!"
"We don't know what to ask!" they whispered back in unison.
"Well, you have to pay a year's service for this Answer, so you better figure out your Question!" Grundy said.
"A year's service?!" they both asked, shocked. "You never told us about that!"
"Oops," was Grundy's reply.
All of their thoughts were interrupted by a grumpy voice. "Oh, get on with it!" Humfrey said. "You're cluttering up my room! Now listen, you don't know what your Question is, but I know what the Answer is. And you won't be paying the year's service to me, you'll be fetching an object that I require. So if you'd shut up and listen, it would all go faster, and you could leave me alone." Mya and Steph stopped talking, quieted by his Voice of Authority.
"You must bring me what neither of you can acquire," the Good Magician said. Then he turned, and went back to his reading.
"But how can we get it if we can't acquire it?" Mya asked. Humfrey ignored her.
"And how does that Answer our Question?" Steph asked. Humfrey ignored her too. They both sighed. Apparently, that was all the Answer they were going to get. Residing, they walked over to Wira.
"Do not worry," she said calmingly. "Often his Answer's are hard to decipher, and do not seem satisfactory. But he knows what he is doing. I'm sure you will both be left happy. And if it's any consolation, that was probably the most he's said to anyone in years! You must be truly special." Mya and Steph weren't too sure that this Answer would help them, but they did appreciate the compliment, and didn't say anything. There was no reason to take their frustrations out on this helpful, sweet girl.
They followed Wira back down the staircase, and through hallways. Soon enough they were at the door leading out.
"Here we are," Wira said.
"Thank you," Mya and Steph said together. "We really appreciate everything you've done."
"You're welcome," Wira said kindly. She was smiling. "I do hope you come back to visit. There will be no Challenges if you have no Question."
"I'm sure we will," Mya said. The conversation now done, Wira turned and went back. She probably had other things to do, too.
"Well, this is it," Mya said, stepping through the door. "The start of our adventure."
"Let's get going," Steph said, following her.
"Hey, wait for me!" Grundy yelled, running to keep up. "My legs aren't as long as yours!"
It was the start of an adventure, all right. And for better or worse, they were in it together.
************************************************************************
They reached the door that led to inside. Steph reached to knock, but Mya stopped her. "Let me do it this time," she said, half-jokingly. Rolling her eyes, Steph let Mya knock.
The door opened, and a pretty young woman was standing there. She had soft brown hair, and a nice dress that matched her hair perfectly. Her eyes, strangely, were pink.
"Hello," the woman said. "I am Wira, Humfrey's daughter-in-law. I'm so glad you could make it," she smiled.
"Umm…hi," Mya said. "I'm Mya, and this is Steph. And over there is Grundy."
"Pleased to meet you," she said, smiling again. "Do come in. The Gorgon will have a snack ready while you wait."
Although not too pleased at having to wait, Mya and Steph realized that they were in fact quite hungry. "Thanks!" they both said, following Wira into the castle. Grundy followed along behind.
She led them through a few hallways, stepping lithely. Mya remembered her pink eyes. What was the significance of them? But she had little time to think, as Wira soon stopped, and the rest of the party came to a halt.
"Mother," Wira called sweetly. "Are you veiled? We have visitors."
Steph was a bit confused by this. Veiled? Mya remembered that Wira had said Gorgon, and knew that her gaze could petrify them. "Yes, dear. You can bring them right in." Wira started walking again, and the three followed. Soon they entered a room that must have been the kitchen. Standing there was a beautiful woman. Her face could convince the most happily married man to throw it all away. She had a perfect figure and her hair…well, it was made of snakes, that must entice the men, too.
Mya did a double take. "Wait!" she said. Everyone turned and looked at her, except Wira, who just looked in her general direction. "How can we look at your face? Shouldn't we all be stone?" She was quite concerned.
The Gorgon just smiled. "Do not fret, dear. I had my husband make my face invisible, and then use a spell to put a false replica back on. You are in no danger of being turned to stone." Mya breathed a sigh of relief. "Now please, sit, and have some refreshments while you wait."
Obligingly, Mya, Steph, and Grundy sat down. Wira, too, took a seat. The Gorgon brought them gorgon-zola, her specialty, punwheels, which were cookies, and tsoda popka to drink.
"I know you should be having a healthier snack, but this is somewhat of a celebration," she said with a smile.
"What's a celebration?" Steph asked through mouthfuls of food.
"Why, your being here, of course." The Gorgon smiled knowingly, but said no more. "Now please, rest and enjoy your snack. Humfrey will see you soon. I do apologize, but I have other chores to do. As much as I would like to stay and chat…" she trailed off wistfully.
"Do not be sad, Mother," Wira said comfortingly. "I'm sure they will come back for a visit."
"Of course we will!" Mya said, taking the bait. "Especially if we get delicious cheese and cookies like this every time!"
The Gorgon smiled at the compliment. "Thank you, dear. But I fear that you will not end up visiting me, but another of Humfrey's five and a half wives." She brightened up. "Of course, we do get a lot of time to talk in our off-time. So if you visit one of them, I will hear all about it. I suppose I should be on my way." Content, she went off to do her other chores with a little wave.
"She was nice," Mya said.
"And a good cook!" Steph added.
"But what was that about five and a half wives?" Mya asked the question that both she and Steph were wondering.
"I can answer that," Wira said helpfully. "You see, Humfrey is a very old man. He has married five times. And he also has one more true love, whom he never married. One at a time is allowed to visit him, while the others reside in…" here she paused, and blushed. "In…Hell." Obviously a sweet girl like her wasn't much accustomed to using such words.
"Oh, I get it. So they take turns living with him," Steph said.
"Yes, that is how it works," Wira said with a smile. Mya and Steph really liked her.
Soon enough, they finished up their snack. They carried their dishes to the sink. The mess cleaned up, Wira said, "I shall take you to Humfrey now. Please follow me."
Steph and Mya were eager to see him, so they followed right behind Wira.
She led them up a dark staircase. Here, Mya stalled. Steph had no problem, nor did Grundy, but Mya had never been too fond of the dark. Apparently Wira sensed her hesitation.
"Oh, I apologize!" she said sincerely. "I sometimes forget that others are not like me, and need the light." She touched the wall, and it lit up, all the way up the stairs. "Is that better?" she asked.
"Yes, thank you," Mya said, appreciating it. They started back up the stairs. And Mya figured out the mystery of Wira's pink eyes- she was blind. But she knew her way around the castle so well. It was remarkable!
Soon they reached the top. Wira led them through a door, and into a room. It was a fairly big room, with books and potions and all kinds of things scattered around everywhere. In the middle of the room sat a small man, almost gnome-like, hunched over a book.
"There is Humfrey," Wira said, standing beside the door. Apparently she would wait for them there.
"Thanks," Mya said. Then she, Steph, and Grundy walked towards the Good Magician.
"You ask him," Mya said.
"No, you ask him!" Steph said.
"Wait, what are we asking him?" Mya asked Steph.
"Uhh…I don't know! I thought you did!" Steph answered.
"What's wrong, girls?" Grundy whispered. "He's waiting!"
"We don't know what to ask!" they whispered back in unison.
"Well, you have to pay a year's service for this Answer, so you better figure out your Question!" Grundy said.
"A year's service?!" they both asked, shocked. "You never told us about that!"
"Oops," was Grundy's reply.
All of their thoughts were interrupted by a grumpy voice. "Oh, get on with it!" Humfrey said. "You're cluttering up my room! Now listen, you don't know what your Question is, but I know what the Answer is. And you won't be paying the year's service to me, you'll be fetching an object that I require. So if you'd shut up and listen, it would all go faster, and you could leave me alone." Mya and Steph stopped talking, quieted by his Voice of Authority.
"You must bring me what neither of you can acquire," the Good Magician said. Then he turned, and went back to his reading.
"But how can we get it if we can't acquire it?" Mya asked. Humfrey ignored her.
"And how does that Answer our Question?" Steph asked. Humfrey ignored her too. They both sighed. Apparently, that was all the Answer they were going to get. Residing, they walked over to Wira.
"Do not worry," she said calmingly. "Often his Answer's are hard to decipher, and do not seem satisfactory. But he knows what he is doing. I'm sure you will both be left happy. And if it's any consolation, that was probably the most he's said to anyone in years! You must be truly special." Mya and Steph weren't too sure that this Answer would help them, but they did appreciate the compliment, and didn't say anything. There was no reason to take their frustrations out on this helpful, sweet girl.
They followed Wira back down the staircase, and through hallways. Soon enough they were at the door leading out.
"Here we are," Wira said.
"Thank you," Mya and Steph said together. "We really appreciate everything you've done."
"You're welcome," Wira said kindly. She was smiling. "I do hope you come back to visit. There will be no Challenges if you have no Question."
"I'm sure we will," Mya said. The conversation now done, Wira turned and went back. She probably had other things to do, too.
"Well, this is it," Mya said, stepping through the door. "The start of our adventure."
"Let's get going," Steph said, following her.
"Hey, wait for me!" Grundy yelled, running to keep up. "My legs aren't as long as yours!"
It was the start of an adventure, all right. And for better or worse, they were in it together.
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