Episode Seventeen STREGE SYBILS Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum viditur. (Whatever is said in Latin sounds profound.) "What?” JC and Lix chimed in unison. "Tribe, I’ve got the vibe! Plus it’s the first time there's been a full moon on a Friday the 13th in like 100 years - Carlos told me so! Isn't that phat or what's the deal-bri-E-o?" Screeeaach, meeeww, whoaa, screeeaach! was then heard as the occupants of Cabin Eight and their fellow travelers on the Roma Express were tossled and jostled about. "What in Athena’s name!" Miss Olivia exclaimed, rubbing her head as she quickly disengaged herself from Lix’s lap on the compartment floor. "Blessed Priapus, ladies. What a trip! Did we derail? I wonder what could have caused such a commotion…" "This emergency stop's for like you, honey bunny," Brie interjected. "We went on a magic carpet ride 'cause you're sooo dreamy and hot...hey, who’s creepin’ on our teepee?" she continued in her baby voice. Black, brunette, blonde and rose-gold heads turned to see a kindly porter escorting what appeared to be a very old lady down the train’s corridor towards the Cybersybils’ compartment. A venerable gray head was partially covered by a shawl and the tiny woman was dressed in plain peasant’s garb, shuffling slowly along as though she hadn't a care in the world. Upon the curious duo’s arrival at the glass door, the railroad employee gallantly bowed and showed his companion into Cabin Eight. Holding forth a gnarled hand, the woman motioned for Miss O to rise. With a knowledgeable air she appraised the Peyton girl and nodded. Quite taken aback, Olivia could barely whisper: "Strega Nona?" "This lady is the Queen of the Strege," Olivia breathed with awe when she had regained her composure. "I met her at a flower cart she was tending for the sorceress Blanche in Paris last spring...this is incredible because Nona is the genuine article - I mean, her cauldron is never empty, which is allegory for..." "Later, Syb-Bull," JC advised with a frown. "Strega Nona and I have some business to discuss..." "No, she came for me, Don Juan Carlos and I do know why," Olivia insisted, standing her ground. "We have an important matter to discuss concerning the Sybilline scrolls - wait here and I'll return in a moment." So the others, who knew no Italian, tried to eavesdrop as the two learned ladies spoke swiftly in the melodic strains of Dante’s mother tongue. Whispers of: "Did you hear that?" and: "Did she say somethin’ ‘bout a beanie?" were heard wafting as an accompaniment to the very serious conversation which lasted the space of twenty minutes, during which time, the train did not move a single inch. At length, Miss O returned and began, "Strega Nona has graciously traveled all the way from Benevento..." "Where is Bennie-vendo?" Alexandria asked, wide-eyed. "Benevento," Olivia gently corrected, "is located in the Italian region known as the Romagna. Its famous walnut tree marks a sacred spot last defended in the name of the old ways by the 13th century’s King Manfred, who lost his life defending its branches. His prophetess wife was named Queen Sybilla and she was locked in a dungeon by the victors, who starved her to death for refusing to renounce the goddess Tana." "And your point is?" Juan Carlos fumed. "I'm sure you won't mind forgoing the trip to Spain, Don Juan Carlos, for I know the recovery of the Sybilline scrolls is close to your heart. Yet, Strega Nona informs me that the Council of Walnut Witches, the Stregheria, met late last eve and I am to go to Mount Soracte, north of Rome, for a very important happening awaits me there. I am not privy to the details, although I trust this wise woman with my life." "We are all going or no one goes," Juan Carlos said in a firm tone. "Capiche that? How did she know about you, anyway?" he spat at the Peyton girl. Strega Nona then began to rock and laugh, and waved a finger in the air, whereupon the iron horse began to neigh and whinny, galloping down the tracks once more, heading for the imperial stables of Rome. A most delightful surprise awaited the weary travelers as they disembarked at the train station, not quite certain by which mode of transport they were to journey to Soracte. The sight of a white limo caused Olivia’s heart to leap unexpectedly, and with a cry of unrehearsed joy, she recognized Lexi's car. "Bruce? Lexi...DUKE!!" Olivia gasped, hanging onto Gemma Tana for dear life while the kitten wriggled and squirmed impatiently in her arms. "How did you get here - who told you? I'm so happy and confused - I don't know what to say!!" "I can't stand her," Alexandria said to Brie with a frown. "What a douche. Don Juan, let's go...NOW!" "Okay, sweetums, mergirl," the man of the cat house agreed good-naturedly. "We'll all go back to France, the three of us...hey, that sounds positively kinky, don't you agree?" "Like a me-najh, or somethin' Arabic," Brie giggled rather loudly, laughing at her own stupidity. "I am so glad you're here," Olivia gushed while she hugged Duke closely to her. "I missed you so much - when did you come back to Europe? I couldn't stop thinking about you - honestly." "Last week," Domenico blushed. "What's he doin' here? You can't hang with that hood, Olivia. Do you understand...please listen. I've been wantin' to say somethin' to you for the longest time and didn't dare, then Lexi wrote and told me to get back here pronto...." "Tell me later," Olivia breathed, a catch in her tone. "I have so much to share with you, too...yet Mount Soracte awaits...let’s go. Lexi - Bruce, do you have any champers in that limo? I feel like celebrating! And Duke, take this ruby ring - I think it rightfully belongs to you!" In the twinkling of an eye, or as previously said in Rome, In Ictu Oculi, the magnificent coach of a modern Gepetto Ruggieri carried an august compliment to a lovely spot some 20 minutes North of the station, to the vicinity of a certain sacred mountain called Soracte. Strega Nona, who had been persuaded to come along for some bubbly, informed Miss Olivia and her true friends that they were meant to leave the limousine, stand outside and contemplate the snow-capped peak for a moment, then return. Which the group did, albeit none the wiser for the foray, only chilled by the cool October breezes. "Strega Nona says we are going to have lunch now, then finish the journey to the base of the mountain..." Miss O then cocked an eyebrow in Duke’s direction. "I am curious," Olivia continued after a meaningful pause, "why our wise Strega asked us here. I know it was the home of the Wolf cult whose name mirrors the secret name of Rome. She knows I know that much – she’s Strega Nona. So what is she telling me?" "Miss Olivia," Lexi replied, "if the priestesses had in their possession the holiest of holy names – what other secret might they have harbored, hmm?" "By Athena!! The scrolls! The sacred oracle that was called the Sybils, one for each volume!! Oh, Strega Nona, thank you, thank you," Olivia cried, hugging the Walnut Witch who giggled merrily and touched her fan's strawberry hair with glee. "Lexi, you are the best...next to Bruce and Dom, of course!" "Much more work and investigation lies ahead, Olivia. Dear Strega Nona wanted to give you this gift as a thank-you from the Walnut Witches. They like you and that’s a good thing. Now, is anybody else hungry?" the designer asked, lifting Strega Nona’s skirt ever so slightly to produce a picnic basket of plenty. "This is a blessed day," Olivia said with real contentment after a satisfying meal. "I always dreamed life could be this sweet – it’s so beautiful here – I know the Books are nearby, I know it." "We’ll get them, all of us together," a no-longer-famished Domenico agreed. "Lexi, what’s that - what are you doing over there, drawing? You better not be makin' me ugly..." Without saying a single word, Strega Nona leaned across to Lexi, took his sketch pad and colored pastels, and began to draw, singing as she did so: Lo spirito della alba, Svegliando li, Pian, piano, O buon umo! And the result was a very handsome portrait of Olivia's dashing Duke as he had appeared in another life - Nona's handiwork was most certainly a replica of the genius Raphael's Bindo Altoviti. And the final lyrics, Ma pero sempre, Col tuo lavoro, Svegliando li, Pian, piano! made for the recreation of a mysterious former Olivia in the likeness of Maddalena Strozzi, another subject of Raphael. "What about Gemma Tana?" the Sybil piped, proud of her new, fuzzy pet. "What did he look like way back when?" Domenico whispered something to Strega Nona in Italian, she waved her chalk and voila! "Spirit of the dawn, waking, awaking, softly and gently, thou good man! I am the spirit, One who brings comfort, I come to thy aid, to give thee courage, to give thee fortune, Yet it will come, ever from labor." "Gods, Duke, you must possess an amazing auditory recollection," Olivia praised her friend. "No, O, I cannot take the credit – Strega's chant was a song my departed mother, Anna, would sing. C'mon," he clapped, looking away. "To Soracte! A propitious moment awaits." "Strength and honor," Lexi, Bruce and Domenico vowed, an oath borrowed from the Roman legions of yore. "How appropos," Olivia smiled, any momentary sadness for the Duke's loss leaving. "I have some secrets of my own and soon you will all know them, agreed?" The triumverate left the limo and followed their empress into the void of space-time, for they knew that to the woman of the valiant heart, strength and honor meant more than any two other qualities combined. The text of this Episode is set, via computer-driven cathode-ray tube, in Book Antiqua - of course!    Text Copyright © 1999 - 2005 cybersybils.com All rights reserved.