Chapter 10 Julia With Her Friends

"Hello, Mr. Samuel!" said Uncle Jack in a loud but merry voice.

"Hello, Uncle Jack!" replied the owner with a courteous smile.

Uncle Jack had a glance at the show case in which so many kinds of sweets were arranged. He thought for a moment, put his hands in his pockets and marched left and right. He took out all the money he had and counted twice or thrice.

"What happened, Uncle Jack?" asked the confectioner. "If you don't have enough money right now, you may pay the rest later."

Uncle Jack looked at him, smiled and counted the money once more. "Yes." he cried. "I got it." He then directed to the sweets in light orange and said, "Please weigh it, Mr. Samuel, half a kilo."

The confectioner gave a short grin and started weighing the ordered sweets. Uncle Jack marched again for the second time and stood near the counter. He looked at all the varieties one by one and got confused.

"Err...just a minute, Mr. Samuel!" said Uncle Jack, stopping the confectioner from weighing, in a funny way and scratched his right ear, trying to concentrate his mind on any one point. He then directed to another variety of sweets with his index finger. "I haven't tasted it yet." said Uncle Jack. "Please weigh this one."

The confectioner, though irritated, smiled and put the sweets he had taken out, back in the showcase and weighed the second variety Uncle Jack had demanded for, and packed them all. He then forwarded the packet towards Uncle Jack.

"Here, Uncle Jack!" the confectioner said awakening him who had by then drowned in some kind of thoughts. Uncle Jack quickly took the packet from his hand, almost snatching, and put the money on the counter, all in coins. The confectioner felt himself go red in anger but didn't utter a single word. After he had counted the money and found everything ok, he nodded his head. Uncle Jack hurried to his donkey. The confectioner caught his head, sat down on a chair and kept on watching Uncle Jack with his eyes wide open till he disappeared from his sight.

***

Rose, Julia's friend, plucked a beautiful flower from the royal garden and smelled it. "How sweet!" she exclaimed. Julia smiled but didn't speak anything.

"Keep it carefully!" said Jasmine. "You'll soon need it... for Andrew." She looked her with askew eyes and smiled.

"Oh! Really?" Julia said in astonishment, turning to them who were walking in the garden just behind her.

Rose felt shy and elbowed Jasmine. "Don't tease me!" she said.

"Hey Rose! It's not bad to express your love to someone." Julia said. "If you love Andrew, you mustn't conceal it."

"Okay, Your Highness!" Rose said in an acting way. "Now come to the other point... what do you think next about that wonderful child... our queen's only symbol?"

"Hmm... good question." Julia said. "She had been given a name, you know?"

"What name?" Jasmine asked.

"Melissa!" she replied.

"Melissa – a lovely name." said Rose.

"I'm eager to see her, talk to her." Julia said. "Anyway, she is safe there, and the couple loves her a lot."

"Better for her, isn't it? Jasmine said.

"Yeah! But, I think... we should do something for the poor couple." said Julia.

"Something...? What?" they asked in surprise. Their eyes were set on Julia's face, not understanding anything.

"...Something to help them overcome poverty." Julia explained to them. "The couple is very poor... almost in a pitiable condition. And Melissa – she's our princess, an extra ordinary snake that takes birth once in 3000 years long period. We can't let her suffer..."

"Right!" Jasmine said.

"We agree with you." Rose said. "But, have you decided anything yet... regarding this?"

Julia delayed for a few seconds and then said, "I need to consult Frazer. He'll surely find a better way."

Both Rose and Jasmine nodded their heads in consent. "Now, we must go, Rose!" Jasmine said, turning to Rose and stretched her hand towards Rose. Rose caught Jasmine's hand and both of them said, "Okay, Julia, see you again. Bye!"

"See you, friends. Bye!" Julia said and turned to the palace.

***

"It's very time taking." said Lady Marconda. "I don't know how many nights I've to pass here."

Sam flickered his eyes in surprise. He looked a bit confused and stared at her face. He then smiled but didn't say anything.

Lady Marconda went near the cauldron and examined the liquor very attentively. She then turned to the hunchback and said, "Sam! The liquor is ready now. Collect it in a pot."

The man quickly obeyed her and started collecting the liquor in a pot. The witch again sat on the rock and waited for Sam to collect the liquor and hand it to her. Her pet owl hooted and flew to her. She stretched out her left hand to make him sit.

"Ha... ha... ha..." she laughed nastily and her laughter echoed in the midst of the forest. "Zomaro! Hope... the day's not far away," she said, "I get the child-snake and quench my thirst... ha... ha..." The owl accompanied her in her laughter and a cunning laugh came out from his mouth.

"And you'll become the most powerful ogress in the world, won't you?" the owl said and once again they both gave a loud laugh.

The aged man, by that time, had emptied the cauldron and transferred all the liquor in a large vessel. He turned his neck and gazed at the witch for further instruction.

"I want to taste it right now! Fetch me some...!" she said to him, making her pet sit on the rock beside her. She then clasped her hands putting fingers in each other and waited for the liquor. Her eyes were glinting in the hope of success.

Sam poured some liquor in a beautiful but old fashioned white cup and handed it to the ogress. The ogress took the cup from his hands and sipped to the last drop within a moment.

"Strange but quite strengthening!" she remarked with an evil cackle. The sign of joy and satisfaction could obviously be seen on her face.

***

Lady Marconda, covered in sludge from head to toe - perhaps she had dived in the mud during her meditation to please Tarapolas, crossed both her hands on her bosom. She was standing with her body half buried in the mud. It was a very tough task to trace her in such a peculiar condition. Nearly three months had passed meditating there. She would come there every fortnight and pray. It was the last night and she was feeling impatient.

"Ah!" she gasped. "O Master, Tarapolas! Help me!" she was groaning. "I'm in a great need." She closed her eyes and repeated the devil's name several time. She then whispered some charm words and suddenly smoke spread out all around her and someone laughed loudly in a most wicked manner. When the smoke was cleared, her eyes fell on the devil Tarapolas whom she had been praying for months in that lonely place, away from the view of all the people. He twisted his ears, looking at Lady Marconda.

"Ha... ha... ha... Lady Marconda!" the devil addressed her.

"You made the best use of your time... ha... ha... ha..."

"Thank You, lord!" she said, bowing once more.

"I'm pleased with you."the devil said. "The magical liquor has already increased your strength. But, I think, I must give you something more..." he left his sentence incomplete.