Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 88048 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88048 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
“Here the fuck I am,” the Oracle’s pleasant, low feminine voice answered and the mirror face appeared in the silvery surface.
“Oh!” Miri sat up and began scrambling for her clothes…before realizing she didn’t have any to wear.
“Is there a problem, my Lady?” Lynx asked, seeing her looking around.
“I was going to get dressed and then I realized I don’t have anything to wear. Except, well…” She looked at the discarded double-ended tail. “You don’t think I have to, uh, put that in again, do you?”
“Hopefully not,” Lynx said comfortingly. “Here.” He looked in the pack he’d brought and frowned. “Where is it? I’m sorry, my Lady, but your dress seems to have disappeared.”
“It has?” Miri felt her heart sink. The thin green dress hadn’t been much better than being naked, but at least it had covered her.
“I have an idea,” Lynx said, looking thoughtful. “Let’s try this, shall we?”
He helped her wrap up in the white sheet they had all slept under. It was considerably too big, but Lynx twisted it around her several times and then tucked it securely over her left shoulder, toga-fashion.
“Thank you,” Miri said gratefully. She’d had enough of being a naked pet to last her for some time—it felt good to have something covering her again.
“The answer you seek I am ready to speak,” the mirror face said to her.
“Perfect—thank you.” Miri left the bed and walked over to the enormous vertical mirror. The Oracle’s face was exactly on level with her own, she noted. “I would like to know who I should choose to be the Ruling Member of the Sacred Seven, the governing council which rules Yonnie Six,” she said clearly, restating her question just in case the Oracle had forgotten.
“Come very near to see it clear,” the mirror face replied.
Miri stepped up so that she was only a foot from the vast, shimmering surface. She was looking right into the Oracle’s eyes now—which were silvery and clear, the same color as the rest of the mirror face.
The face disappeared and a ripple took its place—small at first but then it spread out, becoming larger and larger until it covered the entire surface of the mirror. It was like someone had dropped an immense boulder in the middle of a vast lake, Miri thought. She watched carefully, waiting to see what the Oracle would show her.
But when the rippling finally ended and the surface of the mirror was clear again, Miri frowned as she stared at what was reflected back at her.
“Wait—where’s the answer?” she demanded at last.
The mirror face appeared again, pushing out from the silvery surface.
“You have seen it,” the Oracle said simply.
“But…you didn’t show me anything!” Miri exclaimed. “I don’t see anything in the mirror but me—my own reflection. Where’s the face of the woman who ought to be the Ruling Member of the Sacred Seven and lead Opulex and Yonnie Six?”
“The vision before you is clear and true,” the mirror face insisted. “The answer was given and truth will ensue.”
“But—” Miri began.
“Your time here is done, though barely begun,” the Oracle intoned. “You three must go, and please do not be slow.”
There was a thump and a startled cry behind Miri and she saw in the mirror that the enormous white-draped bed she had shared with the two Monstrum had abruptly disappeared and Lynx—who had still been lounging in it—had been suddenly deposited on the hard stone floor.
“Ouch!” he remarked, rubbing his backside, a look of feline irritation on his face.
“Oh, are you all right?” Miri turned to him but Saxon had already offered a hand and was helping his Bond-Brother up.
“Nothing wounded by my dignity, my Lady,” Lynx remarked. “But I’d say that was a fairly strong hint that we ought to be leaving.”
“I’d say so too,” Saxon growled.
“But…I didn’t get an answer!” Miri exclaimed. “We paid for an answer and never got one!”
“The answer received must first be believed,” the Oracle intoned from the giant mirror. “Come another day if you’re willing to pay.”
Then the enormous silver surface went dark, leaving them all in semi-gloom. At the same time, Miri heard a soft humming sound. Looking to her right, she saw the moving walkways which had brought them into the Oracle’s mountain were running again.
“I think we need to go,” Saxon growled. “Unless you want to go through the whole fucking process again?” he asked, raising his eyebrows.
“The Goddess alone knows what the Oracle would ask in payment the second time,” Lynx remarked.
Miri bit her lip. She still felt cheated—the Oracle’s mirror had showed her nothing but her own reflection. But the thought of going through the whole procedure again was exhausting. Better to just go home and try to sort things out herself, she decided.
“No…no, I guess we’d better go,” she told the two Monstrum. “Come on. But I’m riding on the regular walkway—not the pet walkway,” she added. “I’ve had enough of being paraded around naked to last me a lifetime.”