Post by joylogic on Aug 19, 2006 22:56:19 GMT -5
Recently...
The stars wheeled overhead even in the day, that's what his beloved had explained.
Utoh had been visiting the gypsy crone, bringing her oddments collected from Sockbear's he had dispatched to the peaceful side. These were small things, sometimes food or cloth for making bandages, some pennies, occasionally items of armor she could sell. She was wise, to Utoh, and had let him know she was privy to the secrets of the world.
The secret Utoh was most interested in lately was time...or the science, as the old lady put it, of Horoscopy. She taught him about the spin of the planet, and how it coiled through space. She taught him that it's cycles were not impossible to read, for one such as herself. And even though the fates had beclouded poor Utoh to these matters, for a small fee she would gladly unveil their mysteries for him.
But now she had a special request for her new devotee. The season had come for wise-fish. And if Utoh could gather them, she would be happy, for a share of his harvest, to teach him how to prepare and preserve the tasty treat. And she would even reveal to him her family's own occultic recipe for the wise-fish...the one that imparted special magical powers. And with these, she promised, her new student would be an even mightier hunter. And possibly...if he persevered, able o discern in the stars the telltale signs that would announce the comings and going of his love.
It wasn't that she believed Utoh's love really existed. But in her present dilapidated circumstances she was not above practicing upon the innocent credulity of this willing rube.
Lesson number one...Its not a fish till its in your backpack.
So don't get all distracted with passing trollops or dandelions, or marauding bears or giant spiders. Catch the fish. And bring them to his loving mentor.
Then the second lesson was, when hungry eat. Fish to sell later at market aren't always so important as some yummy dining now. So she taught Utoh that, fish, to taste good, must swim three times...in water, in butter, and in wine.
Now, she was not a cold-hearted or evil woman, even if she had concluded Utoh's love was a figment of his cranial situation. And she was true to her word. With some practice, and some tender instruction, she taught Utoh how to make a meal that indeed did fill him with vigor and mental acuity.
To you and I it's known as smoked sagefish. For Utoh sage was an herb, but "wise" was a value beyond measure.
Even if Utoh's new sweetheart was a pleasing dream, as the crone figured, this bore another relation to this course of study...one that reminded her of the bucolic days of her own youth. And so as her young pupil went back out to once again battle the Sockbear threat she reminded him with real affection in her words, "Fish and love are both best when fresh. So don't you waste your precious days, my boy."
Sockbears indeed. she chuckled to herself. But the bruises and scars were real enough. The boy was battling something out there. And if they be Sockbears to him, this boy who's shared his food, money and attentions with this old lady so generously, who am I to dispute it?