by Lady Ellen
Persy pointed to the garden. “Look Thad, you can see all the wonderful herbs Mr. Hornby grows. There’s Althea, Bladderwrack, Borage, Celery, Cinnamon, Elecampane, Eyebright, Lemongrass and there, Marigold, Mugwort, Peppermint, and Stillengia, Thyme, Uva Ursa...Wormwood,” She hesitated. “And...Yarrow. Why, now that I look at it - it’s a complete herbal patch for enhancing psychic powers. And in alphabetical order.” Persy looked up at Mr. Hornby.
“All the easier to find them, my dear,” he grinned, but not just at his little joke, deeply, as if he was proud of Persy.
Thaddeus watched Mr. Hornby very closely now. There was more to this. What? Were there tears in Mr. Hornby’s eyes, or just the sun?
Persy was amazed. Why would these herbs be here and set out like that? She’d never really checked them out that closely before.
“Persephane! Thaddeus!” Angelica came out to the end of their walkway and spotted them. She was calling them home, very emphatically.
“Come here....we’ve things to do.”
“Ok...gotta go Mr. Hornby...see you later,” said Persy and grabbed Thaddeus’ sleeve and pulled him toward the house; not leaving him time to puzzle out this Mr. Hornby guy.
Angelica ushered them into the house. “Quickly. I’ve found Vadoma. You two travel tonight to meet up with her.”
Must Be The Gypsy In Me
Preparations went on the rest of the afternoon. As Persy, Thaddeus and Benson were to discover, the history between Vadoma and Angelica, plus Vadoma’s own special talents, entwined to make Vadoma the expert they needed.
“Vadoma is a Rom or gypsy (but they prefer ROM) and very talented at scrying; finding lost things,” explained Angelica. “We met some many years back, when she was having the devil of a time with a curse of black-green mold which kept growing on her vardo’s walls every night. It would show in the form of a woman waving her arms in the air, like she was shouting at Vadoma.
Now, what you need to understand is that the Romany are fanatical about hygiene. For instance, they only take their water from the upper most point of a river for drinking, then wash dishes or bathe downstream, then water and wash their horses and lastly wash clothes further down again. In the vardo, there are separate buckets of water for each of these things. So you can just imagine how a recurring mold on the walls would be distressing for her. No matter what she did, or what protection spells she cast, nothing helped.
Her mother knew your Grandmother, Persy. As Vadoma and I were about the same age, she asked Mother to ask me to help, thinking that together we’d be able to figure what Vadoma had done to bring this upon herself. So I jumped the Time-Linx to spend some time with her. She prefers to live in 1520, when it was better times for the Rom. She has her vardo near a Time-Linx portal by Hermannstadt, Transylvania, a town she always loved, but particularly when it was part of the Hungarian Empire.
After a few days going over where she had been, who she had been with, talked to and so on, we were still no closer to finding a solution to Vadoma’s problem. I then decided to Time-Linx back to the year 40 C.E. to try to seek the council of Sara la Kali, a very important wise woman of the Rom.
Vadoma felt that her talent for prophesy and seeing the location of things was a gift from ‘Sainte Sara’ as she was called now, so we agreed this would probably be the best place to get help.
Sainte Sara was extremely gracious and helpful. She explained that it was likely to be a muli which was a female gypsy vampire. They were created when a Rom dies and buried badly. They haunted repeatedly like this and it was usually because there was something they want. So Sainte Sara gave me a large smooth crystal and instructions on how to make it my own. Then I was to scry into it and see what came up, ideally the object of malcontent.
On my return, I proceeded to follow Sainte Sara’s instructions. I washed the crystal with pure water, and yes, I was given some of the best drinking water. To the water I added sea salt and essence of sandalwood. The crystal was then covered in a dark purple-black silk to keep the negative forces out and allowed to sit for over a week. At sunset on the evening of a new moon, I sat with it in my lap, concentrating on clearing my mind and allowing whatever was going to show itself to do so.
It wasn’t that long before I saw a very old shuvani, sort of a Rom wise woman, who appeared to live on her own. She sat at a table in her vardo studying a deck of tarot cards. She was covered in the usual colourful shawls and Rom trappings. But what was most noticeable was a very large ring on her right ring finger. It had very ornate filigree gold on its sides and a massive amethyst in the middle. I’d seen that ring before.
The crystal clouded over again, and when it cleared, revealed the actual events which ended in a curse on that ring.
The old shuvani was named Elise, and because she lived alone, she died alone. Her body was discovered by Irenie, a young local ‘poshrat’ or half-blood Rom, who came once a week to check on Elise and bring certain food items from the nearby village. Of course, Irenie knew that the Rom death ceremonies would dictate that Elise, her vardo and all of her belongings would be burned. No one would be allowed to touch, much less take anything which belonged to Elise. But that ring - oh, how she admired and wanted it. And, being only half Rom, surely the threats to those who desecrated the dead gypsy’s belongings wouldn’t affect her, right? Wrong. But she didn’t find that out right away. It started several weeks later.
I saw her take the ring off Elise’s finger and hide it in her apron pocket. Then Irenie returned home to her village and told one of the men about Elise’s death. The arrangements were quickly made for Elise and her belongings to be burned.
Once again the crystal clouded to clear this time with Irenie screaming her head off in her sleep, dreaming of being chased by Elise as a muli, Irenie’s own death imminent if she didn’t return the ring.
On a final clouding and clearing of the crystal, the connection between Vadoma and all of this made itself known.
About two weeks after Elise’s death, Vadoma and her tribe settled for a short while on the edge of Irenie’s village. They were resting on their way to another larger city, to sell their hand-made wares at the markets there.
Well, after a day or two, it was beyond evident that Irenie’s husband, Milosh, was enchanted with Vadoma, hurrying there every evening with some excuse that he had to speak to one or another of the men, but all the time finding reason to speak to Vadoma. Irenie’s friends were very quick to tell her all about this and she sulked each evening when her husband came home, making matters worse for herself.
One evening when he returned, Milosh caught Irenie admiring Elise’s ring on her hand in the candlelight. He demanded to know where she obtained such a beautiful and obviously expensive bauble. She quickly made up a tale about it being given to her as a gift by a Frenchwoman for her ‘dukkering’—fortune-telling skills. Irenie explained that the woman claimed Irenie was correct about many things which saved her honour and fortune, so she gave Irenie the ring in thanks.
Although Milosh was far from satisfied with this explanation, tending to believe it was more likely that Irenie swiped it, he let it pass. That night, as Irenie lay sleeping, Milosh carefully retrieved the ring from her apron pocket where she always kept it and slipped out of their home making his way to Vadoma’s camp.
He quietly tapped on her vardo and she came to the door wrapped in shawls. He presented her with the ring and promised that next time when she passed through this area, he would not be encumbered with a thieving wife. But of course he claimed that ring was a family ring and his to give.
So poor Vadoma knowing none of this history and that he was in effect foretelling of Irenie’s impending doom, wore the ring, in all innocence.
To get rid of the curse of the mold in her home, Vadoma had to return the ring. We decided the best way was to dress in red, which protects one from muli and on the first full moon, go to the lake and throw the ring in for Elise to retrieve there or allow it to live at the bottom where no one else wo
uld be able to wear it. And that’s what we did.
The mold never appeared again, so we assumed this satisfied Elise.
Since that time Vadoma has always sworn to help me with any situation where she could. This is the perfect time to have her honour that promise,” Angelica finished.
By this time, they had eaten dinner and were all strolling down to the river. Persy, Thaddeus and Benson preparing to Time-Linx to Vadoma.
It was a beautiful June evening, the river alive with birdsong, insects chirping and fish splashing. They said their goodbyes, even knowing they’d return to what seemed to Angelica and Robert, the same evening.
“Oy, Perse...I’ll just be nestling up in your pocket again, if you don’t mind,” Benson said, “ ‘ere I go, on my most un-favourite ride!”
“Hop in, Benson,” Persy smiled, as she opened her shirt pocket wide.
Persy and Thaddeus turned to face the waterfall. Angelica guided them into Bellarya, then she and Robert stepped back, waving as the kids disappeared.
“Ok, sports fans,” sighed Persy, entering the Time-Linx “We’re off.”
“And may the heavens protect my delicate little nervous system,” begged Benson.
“Delicate, my Aunt Fanny,” Persy gave a half smirk just before entering the brighter part of the Linx. ‘Totus Temporis, Totus Temporis’ they chanted, concentrating on Hermannstadt, Transylvania in 1520. Their vision was distorted by the light and shimmers and their surroundings changed into a bright blur. The wind blasted and all form except their own disappeared.
The abruptness of the end of this experience was no longer a shock to Persy. She stepped out into a small copse of pines. She and Thaddeus were sizing up their surroundings when Benson staggered out of Persy’s pocket.
“And another one for Benson, the spun-dry dragonfly,” he said as if announcing a goal at a football match. He crawled up to Persy’s shoulder and sat there, slowly beating his wings, trying to find his balance.
Thaddeus’ head swirled to the left when he heard rustling in the bushes by the trees.
“I hear it too,” whispered Persy, her hand grasping her wand in her pocket.
“Persephane? Thaddeus?” whispered a woman’s voice. “It’s your Mom’s friend, Vadoma.”
The bushes parted and a slim silhouette stepped into the evening light. She was wearing a multi-coloured bandana, a red shirt and skirt and a vibrant apron of blues, yellows and greens in floral patterns.
“Hello, you two, or should I say three?” Vadoma greeted them, having spotted Benson on Persy’s shoulder. Her large dark eyes, surrounded by long thick lashes, sparkled and her rich, deep chocolate hair which protruded from the bandana curled and bounced around her shoulders and mid-back. She vigorously shook Persy and Thaddeus’ hands, then waved to Benson.
Vadoma’s broad smile revealed blazing, perfectly aligned teeth. She grabbed Persy and Thaddeus by the arms and said, “Come to my vardo, we will have tea and talk. Come, this way.” She gently tugged them to walk with her back through the bushes. On the other side of the bushes, to the right was the most gorgeous wagon Persy had ever seen.
It was a large bow top, the roof painted a turquoise green, and the body background a deep crimson red. On all sides were panels, with frames around each one painted a cream colour. Inside each panel was hand painted intricate scroll work, weaving in all directions. The steps and shafts for the horses were a bright yellow with flowers in red and blue painted down their sides.
Thaddeus stood rock still, not a little slack-jawed. Vadoma grinned and said, “Come in...is no good standing on the outside...tea is inside.” She walked up the steps, removed her shoes and walked through the ornate door. Persy and Thaddeus followed suit.
On entering the vardo, they were even more taken aback. One area directly in front was obviously the kitchen, with very delicately carved oak doors and counters. To each side as they stood in the doorway were sitting areas, plump sofas and chairs covered with fabric of very bright primary colours with multitudes of patterns from flowers, to zigzags, to geometric designs, stripes, dots, anything you could think of that would be decorating material.
“Wow!” said Persy, looking all around. Even the oil lamps in the sconces on the wall, were of very ornate, etched glass.
“Oy,” said Benson, squinting all of his compound eyes “You should see this with my eyes. Looks like I’m in the middle of a life-sized kaleidoscope.”
Vadoma stood in the kitchen area, hands on hips, the kettle on. “I suppose it’s a bit overwhelming to the uninitiated, but it’s home to me. Sit, sit.”
“No, really, it’s beautiful,” stammered Persy as she sat on one of the sofas. “And these fabrics; most of the flowers on them are hand-embroidered. What a ton of work.” she pointed out.
“Hours and hours,” Vadoma agreed, “but I didn’t do it all, a lot of these were handed down to me.”
Vadoma walked over to them carrying a tray with teapot, three cups and thimble, and plate with slices of spice cake. She placed it on a small round carved table in front of Persy and Thaddeus, who had joined Persy on the sofa. Vadoma proceeded to pour the tea, “So, my friend Angelica told me a bit of something about a magical item which you must find. How can I help?” She sat on the chair opposite them.
“Well,” began Persy, “I think this whole thing will make more sense to you and easier for you to help if we give you the full story.”
“Agreed,” Vadoma nodded.
Thaddeus and Persy with minor help from Benson (although Persy spent more time containing him) went through the whole tale, from Persy’s coming of age and receiving the Cimaruta from Angelica, to Fawna’s plea for help, the freeing of the Fairy Folk and ultimately Melanthios’ Hand of Glory act, resulting in the theft of the Cimaruta.
“Grandmother feels we can’t just go willy-nilly into Bodesnoir. If we’re going to pinch the Cimaruta back, we have to know where it is. Bodesnoir’s too big and too dangerous, to say the least,” Persy said.
“Yeah, I hear that,” Vadoma agreed. Persy and Thaddeus looked quickly at each other. Vadoma obviously DID do the roaming thing and spent time in other eras.
Vadoma got up from her seat and walked over to the kitchen table. As Persy and Thaddeus watched, she cleared the table of a vase with flowers in it, putting it on the kitchen counter and walked to the back of the vardo, where they could no longer see her. Within a few minutes, Vadoma came back carrying in both hands, something wrapped in a deep purple silken cloth. She sat at the kitchen table, placed the object on top and lets the cloth fall back. There, on a small, highly polished wooden stand sat the most exquisite crystal ball, about ten inches around. Vadoma went to a cupboard at the back of the kitchen and brought out a tambourine, decorated with dozens of ribbons of red, blue, yellow and purple. She placed this on the table as well.
Persy and Thaddeus stood, hoping Vadoma would allow them to sit with her and watch.
“Come here, come here,” Vadoma smiled. “I will need your energies near me as this is your quest, and I’m sure you want to see this anyway.”
Benson zipped over and landed on the table to get a closer look.
“Hey, Perse, have a goggle at this. It’s all sort of cloudy in there.”
Persy and Thaddeus sat at the table and stared at the crystal ball. There was no doubt that this was a very powerful magical item. One could feel the pulsations around it without even touching it. On closer inspection, there were indeed, clouds rolling around inside.
Vadoma sat in front of the ball and took the tambourine in her right hand.
“I have to prepare my spirit to be at the proper vibration to read well,” she explained, “and I do this with the assistance of the grai; a sort of rhythmic beat I make with the tambourine. You’ll have to be very quiet and still. There will be time once I start scrying through my crystal ball in which you can ask questions. Understand?”
Persy picked up Benson and put him on her shoulder, just to keep his tiny but overly-active nose
out of things for now. She and Thaddeus nodded their agreement with Vadoma.
Vadoma closed her eyes and extended her right arm down her side so that the tambourine almost touched the floor. She started to shake it in a very distinctive rhythm, over and over. Three beats, three beats, then two, two...three, three, two, two, repeatedly. Persy felt herself starting to drift off, mesmerized by the cadence. After a few minutes of this, Vadoma allowed the tambourine to slip softly to the floor. Her head had dropped forward, then she sat up straight and placed both hands around the ball. Her face was somber and her eyes slightly glazed over. She moved her hands in varying directions over the ball, not actually touching it, but skimming it with a space of about a quarter of an inch between the ball and herself. The clouds became very turbulent and then suddenly were gone.
Neither Persy nor Thaddeus could see directly into the ball to view what Vadoma was looking at, but Vadoma’s eyes cleared and she requested in a monotone voice, “Tell me what you seek, Persephane.”
“My Cimaruta,” Persy replied.
In the same flat voice, Vadoma continued. “There’s a woman, dressed in black robes, dark hair, standing reading what appears to be a Book of Shadows. In the corner of the room, there’s a being, curled up sleeping. It appears to be covered in black and red scales.”
“Ugh, know that one,” whispered Benson. Persy tapped him on his head to indicate he should be quiet.
“Yeah, yeah,” he muttered. Persy gave him a sideways scowl.
Vadoma went on. “Your Cimaruta is in the room, but I can barely detect it. She must have a masking spell on it, knowing we’d try something like this. And if that’s the case, it’s amazing I can pick it up at all. Just confirms how strong its magic is.”
Vadoma moved her hands over the crystal ball, over and over in hopes of picking up a clearer picture of where the Cimaruta was.
“Can you sense where in the room the Cimaruta is?” Thaddeus asked. Persy looked anxiously at Vadoma.
