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Authors: Anne Plichota
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between her gran’s two Lunatrixes, who’d quietly sat down next to her. The two creatures gazed at her with huge, bulging eyes, waiting for her to start a conversation , but Oksa didn’t say a word. She just sat there, absent-mindedly stroking the downy forearm of the Lunatrix, her mind on other things. Their Impicturement was scheduled for the next morning. How strange that was… While some people were preparing to go on holiday, others were about to enter a bewitched painting.
“Each to his own destiny…” murmured Oksa, somewhat ironically.
“The words of the Young Gracious radiate sarcastic intent,” remarked the podgy little creature.
“Very perceptive, Lunatrix!” sighed Oksa, glancing at him out of thecorner of her eye. “Anyway, I’m glad the Lunatrixa will be travelling with us.”
“The Lunatrixes must never experience separation from their mistresses. The Graciouses represent the reason for the existence of the Lunatrixes and their accompaniment is unfailing, whatever the conditions . The Lunatrix is the Guardian of the Definitive Landmark, he will therefore maintain surveillance over the presence of the Old Gracious here and the Lunatrixa will escort the Young Gracious into the picture. Death will be the representation of the only separation possible.”
The mere mention of this possibility made Oksa shiver. There was no doubt it was all very exciting, but she was acutely aware of the dangers posed by this adventure and of what was at stake. The next morning, she’d be inside the bewitched picture with her father, Tugdual and a group of courageous Runaways on their way to rescue Gus. It wasn’t exactly your common-or-garden variety of experience… Even with boundless confidence and optimism, she wasn’t about to forget that there were no guarantees as to the probable outcome. But Gus’s life was at stake. And so was her mother’s. The constant treatment administered by Abakum and Dragomira—based on injections of Vermicula, which were working tirelessly on her nervous system—had successfully stabilized her condition, but the Robiga-Nervosa was relentless and the paralysis was spreading through her body like an unstoppable black tide. And now Oksa knew why. Lasonillia…
“Is the Young Gracious encountering anxiety?” asked the Lunatrixa, gazing inquisitively at her.
“Er… I’m just a tiny bit
terrified,
you know!” remarked Oksa with a tense laugh. “I hadn’t planned on spending my school holidays inside a deranged picture. Still, I’m sure I’ll get used to the idea. After all, we could have decided to go to Iraq or Chechnya for a complete rest. But no! That would have been far too ordinary for the Pollocks. Our tailor-made break is just what the doctor ordered! Anyway, it’ll be child’s play: we go into the schizo picture, we free Gus, then we pop over to Edefia to picksome Lasonillia. Oh yes! And while we’re at it, we’ll save the world… Nothing like a package holiday with a difference, is there?”
The Lunatrixes didn’t say anything, they just looked bewildered by all this talk of a “package holiday with a difference”.
“I’d really like to know what they’re talking about,” she continued, looking at Abakum and Dragomira, who were still chatting in low voices. “What are they up to?”
“Ahem, ahem…” said the Lunatrix.
Oksa turned towards him, her eyes sparkling as a thought struck her.
“Oh! You know something, don’t you?” she said, tossing back her hair.
“The Lunatrix holds the knowledge of all kinds of things, the Young Gracious possesses that belief, is that not the truth?”
“I certainly do possess that belief!” said Oksa, nodding. “So tell me what you know… that I don’t.”
The Lunatrix looked around and then, reassured, leant towards the girl and rasped softly in her ear:
“The Young Gracious must receive the information that a traitor has given orders to begin surveillance of the Runaways.”
“What’s all
“Each to his own destiny…” murmured Oksa, somewhat ironically.
“The words of the Young Gracious radiate sarcastic intent,” remarked the podgy little creature.
“Very perceptive, Lunatrix!” sighed Oksa, glancing at him out of thecorner of her eye. “Anyway, I’m glad the Lunatrixa will be travelling with us.”
“The Lunatrixes must never experience separation from their mistresses. The Graciouses represent the reason for the existence of the Lunatrixes and their accompaniment is unfailing, whatever the conditions . The Lunatrix is the Guardian of the Definitive Landmark, he will therefore maintain surveillance over the presence of the Old Gracious here and the Lunatrixa will escort the Young Gracious into the picture. Death will be the representation of the only separation possible.”
The mere mention of this possibility made Oksa shiver. There was no doubt it was all very exciting, but she was acutely aware of the dangers posed by this adventure and of what was at stake. The next morning, she’d be inside the bewitched picture with her father, Tugdual and a group of courageous Runaways on their way to rescue Gus. It wasn’t exactly your common-or-garden variety of experience… Even with boundless confidence and optimism, she wasn’t about to forget that there were no guarantees as to the probable outcome. But Gus’s life was at stake. And so was her mother’s. The constant treatment administered by Abakum and Dragomira—based on injections of Vermicula, which were working tirelessly on her nervous system—had successfully stabilized her condition, but the Robiga-Nervosa was relentless and the paralysis was spreading through her body like an unstoppable black tide. And now Oksa knew why. Lasonillia…
“Is the Young Gracious encountering anxiety?” asked the Lunatrixa, gazing inquisitively at her.
“Er… I’m just a tiny bit
terrified,
you know!” remarked Oksa with a tense laugh. “I hadn’t planned on spending my school holidays inside a deranged picture. Still, I’m sure I’ll get used to the idea. After all, we could have decided to go to Iraq or Chechnya for a complete rest. But no! That would have been far too ordinary for the Pollocks. Our tailor-made break is just what the doctor ordered! Anyway, it’ll be child’s play: we go into the schizo picture, we free Gus, then we pop over to Edefia to picksome Lasonillia. Oh yes! And while we’re at it, we’ll save the world… Nothing like a package holiday with a difference, is there?”
The Lunatrixes didn’t say anything, they just looked bewildered by all this talk of a “package holiday with a difference”.
“I’d really like to know what they’re talking about,” she continued, looking at Abakum and Dragomira, who were still chatting in low voices. “What are they up to?”
“Ahem, ahem…” said the Lunatrix.
Oksa turned towards him, her eyes sparkling as a thought struck her.
“Oh! You know something, don’t you?” she said, tossing back her hair.
“The Lunatrix holds the knowledge of all kinds of things, the Young Gracious possesses that belief, is that not the truth?”
“I certainly do possess that belief!” said Oksa, nodding. “So tell me what you know… that I don’t.”
The Lunatrix looked around and then, reassured, leant towards the girl and rasped softly in her ear:
“The Young Gracious must receive the information that a traitor has given orders to begin surveillance of the Runaways.”
“What’s all
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