Chapter 9. `The incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God' - 1 Peter 3. 4
Heliomirabellisima looked out from high atop the immense walls of the city of Barerro. Far to the north were great snowy mountains shining in the sunset, with the highest peaks climbing far into the sky. The walls of the city, 100 feet high and 10 miles in circumference, were more impressive than any city walls in Avallonia save for the capital city of Rosen.
Heliomirabellisima took her leave from the fabulous mountain scenery and descended stairs made of stone until she reached the cobble-stoned streets of the city. The buildings of the city, which were generally between four and seven stories high, and made of both timber and concrete, crowded in upon each other as they rose above the streets, thus leaving the avenues and lanes at the foot of the buildings narrow and crowded pathways, jammed with people, horses and carts. Having a map to guide her steps, Heliomirabellisima soon found the charming restaurant she was seeking. She marveled at the entrance to the restaurant; the huge doorway was framed between massive iron gates which supported a granite entablature. Inside she encountered more marvels to behold. The scent of apples and freshly brewed beer and freshly baked bread prevailed over the palace, though there was also the perfume of some women who brushed past her, a wonderful perfume which only heightened the opulence of her new surroundings. A fire burned in a massive hearth to her right. To the left was the thundering clatter of fifty cooks in the kitchens. The walls were adorned with frescos fifty feet high, with scenes of Hercules and the nymphs who once enslaved him, and with scenes of a giantess battling a Kraken. Heliomirabellisima proceed down a tiled pathway lined with potted palm trees. She felt as if she was embarking on a long odyssey, as this pathway under the palms wound interminably past tables and alcoves, winding deeper and deeper into the massive restaurant. But it only required a minute or two of hiking before she brought herself to the place she sought: a table round which sat 10 kids and 3 other adult women. Heliomirabellisima sat herself down at their table. She was informed that the other kids and the other warrior women were at a different restaurant, one which was equally or perhaps even slightly more opulent than this one.
`Hi, I'm Jennifer and I'll be your server tonight,' said the smiling Jennifer.
`We saw a witch!' exclaimed Buddy, Valmyristarsis' youngest boy.
`You did? Where did you see her?' asked Jennifer, feigning terror in her voice.
`We're not supposed to talk about it,' said Kayla, Heliomirabellisima's eldest daughter.
`Yeah, but if you saw a witch you have to warn people about her,' exclaimed Jennifer, still thinking the kids were pulling a gag as she tried to play along with some good-humor.
`She has a big black Castle, and she had lots of wolves,' said Buddy.
`Oh I heard about that witch! She's a real bad one. Real bad,' said Jennifer.
Then Buddy started to cry and, then, soon enough, some other kids started screaming with terror - which of course made poor Jennifer - who might have been 19 - look as if she wanted to crawl under a table and hide from the shock of causing such distress in these kids.
`Don't worry about it Jennifer. It's not your fault,' said Mirabrasantes. `They are just a little high-strung. You know how kids get when they have too much sugar in them after some bad dreams.'
Jennifer slunk away but came back soon enough with some menus, water and baskets of fresh bread. There was a conspicuous silence for a few seconds as she poured the water for everyone. `All right then,’ said Jennifer. `I hope everyone is feeling better! I'll be back in several minutes to take your orders. If you can think of anything you might need right now I'll get it for you, otherwise see ya in a few minutes.'
Jennifer slunk away again, though looking relived she hadn't said anything to set them off.
`You look like the witch,' said Buddy when Jennifer returned.
`He means you're both very pretty,' said his mom, Valmyristarsis. `He didn't mean to insult you.'
`No offense taken! And thanks for saying I'm pretty! But maybe we shouldn't talk about that witch,' said Jennifer.
`We're better now. It was good for us to have that cry, to get it out of our systems,' said Kayla.
`Sounds like you've had some nightmares,' said Jennifer.
`No, it was a real witch,' said Kayla.
`Well you're very brave for not crying now. Witches can be scary,' said Jennifer.
One of the littlest of the little boys, Seraphinaria's 3-year-old, Jay-Jay, started crying and screaming again, because he was thinking about that witch and her army of huge wolves.
`OK, I'm just not going to mention that subject anymore,' said Jennifer, rather exasperated by the emotionally-charged and precariously sensitive atmosphere.
As Jennifer was speaking, Al Mancini walked up to her, gave her a kiss on the cheek, looked down on their tables, but didn't say anything, then continued on to the kitchen. He didn't have his chains on any longer. Jennifer saw that the women and all the kids were staring at him.
`Oh that's my boyfriend,' said Jennifer.
`That guy is still our slave,' said Kayla, `even though he escaped.'
`Really?' exclaimed Jennifer, wondering if this conversation would lead to hysterics, `Well, he's my boyfriend now, and he's not your slave any longer.'
`He has excellent teeth,' said Buddy.
`He recognized us as he walked by, but I guess he didn't want to stop and chat,' said Kayla.
`Yeah, that must be super awkward for him,' said Jennifer. `I mean it's really really awkward for me, so imagine how Al's feeling! But he's so good looking, so I suppose he's like: I'm so good-looking, so nothing is ever awkward for me! I wonder what you're supposed to say when you stumble across your really good-looking slave that ran away? I suppose if he was my slave, I'd be like: "Hey, how ya doing? Come back, please, please, please come back!'
You'd think he'd want to sneak out the back door,' said Kayla. `I mean he is still, legally, our slave.'
`We're not going to have any trouble here, are we?' asked Jennifer. `Just to clue you in to a few things, if you make trouble for me and my boyfriend, well, I'm sure you won't do that. My brother-in-law likes my boyfriend, and so do all of my in-laws, and these in-laws of mine can be really sweet but they can also be a bunch of crazy mothers, let me tell you, just the craziest mothers - you know, crazy with knives and revenge - with people disappearing and their bodies never being found - that sort of stuff.'
`Yeah, yeah, we're not going to cause you and Al any trouble,' said Mirabrasantes.
`He looks just like the young Rock Hudson,' said Kayla.
`His compekshun is bad,' said the 3-year-old Buddy.
`His complexion is fine but it was given a low rating because of his personality,' said Kayla, correcting Buddy.
`He is argoomentive,' said Buddy.
`Argumentative,' said Kayla.
`Well I wish he wasn't argumentative!' said Jennifer. `Never heard of Rock Hudson. Oh, he's coming this way….Hi hon.'
`Hi sweetheart,' said Al to Jennifer.
`Hi Al,' said Mirabrasantes.
`How have you been? Hi kids! Nice to see you all again.'
`Hi Al!' yelled the kids.
`Legally you are still our property,' said Kayla.
`Kayla shush!' exclaimed Heliomirabellisima.
`I'll be back in a little while to take your orders,' said Jennifer. `I'm sure we can all be friends and there won't be any trouble. But please understand that no one is going to reimburse you for the price you paid for Al. Like I said, I got these in-laws who know have to deal with their enemies. When they bury `em they stay buried. OK? Got it?'
`Can you bring us some more forks and plates?' asked Kayla.
`You got it,' said Jennifer. `I'll be right back those those.'
As Jennifer retreated to the kitchens the manager of the restaurant came over to the table. He came on like a drill sergeant and star
ted telling these 3 and 4-year-olds that he is shocked, shocked, that they are so scared of a stupid old witch, and if that he had seen that witch he would have spanked her bare bottom, saying he wouldn't be afraid any witches, and they should not be scared either. `Most witches, you know, if you punch them in the nose will run away crying. So next time you see that witch just punch her in the nose.'
`You're not taking us seriously,' said Kayla.
`Oh yes I am, if I ever met that witch I would just pull her pants down and spank her bare bottom, that's what I would do.'
`Excuse me,' said a stranger, a man perhaps 65-years-old, with gray-hair pulled back into a pony tail, brown eyes - a tall lean chap. `Now don't start crying kids - be brave! - but I know that witch, or I know of her - she has a huge black Castle, dark eyes, she’s a young and beautiful witch, with lots of wolves - I know who she is – she’s Vyryvyr.'
`Exactly,' exclaimed Kayla.
`Well, this guy is the supreme military commander of the city,' said the restaurant manager, `so we can trust him with 100% trust, unless he's an enemy spy, in which case we're really screwed.'
`See you guys later,' said Al.
`Bye Al!' yelled the kids.
`Thanks for stopping by, Al - take care,' said Mirabrasantes.
The women gave their names and ranks and invited the supreme military commander of the city, Vince, to take a seat with them at an adjoining table where the kids couldn't here them conversing.
`There's no doubt she let you go for a reason. But she never lets anyone go – I mean not alive,' whispered Vince, `so I don't know what to make of this, aside from jumping to the assumption that, you will, unwittingly, do her bidding on your mission in the north.'
`We have Her Majesty's permission, but not her blessing, to perform this mission,' said Mirabrasantes.
`I can't prevent your mission, but as your superior officer I have the authority to help you. What's your plan?'
`Hadn't we better make sure your credentials are in order, such as by going to your office?' asked Heliomirabellisima.
`All right. Finish your meal and then come on over - out the front door, left to the wall, right to the stairs - up the stairs and there's the guard house - and we'll discuss your plan, not that I'm authorized to amend your plan since it is authorized by the Queen.
`There's six other women. We'll bring them to your office.'
`Very good,' said Vince, and then he added: `Watch your backs and watch for daggers when you're around these other women. Vyryvyr must have a spy, or two, or three, among you. She would not have let you leave her Castle alive if she didn't have a scheme of some sort.’