Pouli Sings a Clue
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The minute the village gate came into view, Pouli’s head inflated. “Cedar Valley,” he whistled.
“So you know this village?” Raven questioned.
“Cedar Valley is home to Katina’s friend!” Pouli explained. “He helped Pouli with the baby. He is a good boy.”
“My mother has a friend here?” Philothea asked hopefully.
“His hat is straw,” Pouli explained.
“Did you pull out the straw?” Fae asked. “Did you make a little nest?”
“Focus, Fae,” Raven ordered, scratching the bird’s head. “Pouli, does this friend of Katina’s have a name?”
Pouli twirled his wings and broke into song.
“The baby’s long-awaited fate,
Lies outside the western gate,
Outside the gate, there is a man,
Who will reveal Katina’s plan.”
That man with wisdom so divine,
Will give the power that is thine,
His words shared, will help her bloom,
And seal the wicked Zeno’s doom!
“Yeah, that’s not a name,” Zoe commented. “I suppose there’s no point in asking you to be more specific.”
“He has a big straw hat,” Pouli continued, as if that would clarify everything.
By now, Philothea was beginning to realize something about Pouli. He only remembered details he found personally interesting, like straw hats that could be pulled apart and made into a nest.
“What else did he have, Pouli?” Philothea asked. “Did he have anything shiny?”
Pouli seemed very pleased with this question. “He has a shiny knife and a scythe. (It is very sharp.) And a fork for throwing straw! It falls everywhere in a little rain.”
“A farmer?” Zoe shrugged.
“Very good, Zoe,” Raven replied flatly. “That narrows it down to the majority of the world’s population.”
Zoe crossed her arms. “Fine. You figure it out.”
“Did he have red hair?” Raven tried.
Pouli flipped his head upside down at Raven’s question.
“He has a beard like an eagle’s nest,” Pouli answered.
“Red?” Raven repeated. “Is his name James?”
“His hair is the color of grapes,” Pouli answered. “He has many grapes.”
“Well, his hair couldn’t be green or purple,” Raven shrugged. “So I suppose it must be red. And the only red-headed farmers in Cedar Valley that I know belong to the family of James the Red.”
Her brow was furrowed. She rubbed her chin.
“You don’t seem convinced,” Zoe pointed out.
“It’s just that James the Red never struck me as particularly wise,” she answered. “On the contrary, he’s always breaking his wine press and then asking me to magic it back together.”
“‘Magic isn’t a verb,’” Zoe quoted. Philothea detected a hint of triumph in her voice.
Raven ignored the comment.
“He is a good boy,” Pouli assured.
“We have to go and see him,” Philothea exclaimed.
Raven bit her lip. “Can you promise me something?”
“If it’s about keeping a low profile and staying alive, absolutely,” Zoe answered dryly.
“It’s like you read my mind,” Raven smirked. “I don’t know James the Red that well but… well, he’s… a little odd. Promise me you won’t do or say anything about who you are or where we are going until I tell you it’s safe.”
“Odd how?” Zoe pressed.
“His whole family is cursed,” Raven explained. “Some say it was Zeno’s doing.” She rubbed her chin thoughtfully, then added more to herself than anyone else: “Of course, if he did help Katina, that could explain why.”
Philothea giggled nervously.
“Don’t worry, he’s harmless enough,” Raven clarified. “It’s just… well, he only speaks in proverbs.”
Philothea choked on a laugh.
“What?” Zoe commented.
“You’ll understand when you meet him,” Raven said. “Just promise me you’ll be careful?”
Philothea nodded, hoping that whoever this James was would indeed be a friend of her mother’s and be able to provide her with the wisdom necessary to master her powers.
“Once I pass through that gate, the villagers will start offering me work. You two wait outside until I’ve taken my first job, then come in quietly and make your way through the western gate to the vineyard of James the Red.”
Philothea nodded vigorously.
“Find out if he knows where King Cyrus is,” Raven instructed. “And Zoe, make sure Thea doesn’t let anything important slip.”
“I got this,” Zoe answered.
The Fables of Para Sympan 