Pipp, Tourist, and the others crowded around the ornately furnished wagon. Pipp smelled a large, green cucumber, and said, "Wow, this smells like a cotton candy cupcake"! Tourist rolled his eyes, amazed at how Pipp was always hungry only for cupcakes. Wisebeardman leaned down to pet a goat, and the goat promptly started chewing on his beard!! Wisebeardman yelped, "Help, get it off me, it's got my beard!! HELP"!!
The blue ladybug muttered, "Shave off that beard, and you would'nt keep gettin' it stuck eveywhere"!! Still entranced by the sweet music they were hearing, they followed the sound to the back of the wagon and found a beautiful young girl named Arlene. "What lovely music you play," exclaimed Duchess Aimee. "Thank you," Arlene said shyly. "I'm playing it to lure my beloved Tintin down off his mountain, and return to me," she said wistfully.
The Duchess said, "Arwen, you go back and check on MissCris and make sure she's where we left her, then come right back here." Arwen gave a sassy salute, then faded into the Sunnysky and disappeared. Arlene said, "Who is MissCris?" The blue ladybug piped up and said, "She's a foolish girl who thinks only about coffee and she touched the statue of Zaoman after I told her not to"!! Arlene mumbled, "uh-oh, she'll be asleep for quite awhile then. The Zaoman's spell takes a long time to wear off on some people."
Pipp, who also had touched the statue and seen a vision of some sort, struggled to remember what it was. "Oh well, maybe once I eat a cupcake or two, I'll remember what it was," she thought. The Duchess said, "We are in search of the Gypsygirl. Have you seen her, Arlene?"
Arlene frowned and said, "Yes, but she went off to get King Shouryo. Some Charlatan seer told her that she is destined to be his queen." The Duchess said, "Yeah, right, King Shouryo getting married?! THAT'S a laugh"!! Secretly, the Duchess hoped that the Gypsygirl would'nt marry King Shouryo because the Duchess found King Shouryo rather irresistible. Without realizing it, she blushed beet red, a most unusual color for a Duchess to be. The blue ladybug, watching the Duchess, and being able to know a person's thoughts, became most disturbed as she started to realize that there was only ONE true love in the enchanted forest for the Duchess, but also at least THREE other suitors who each vowed in their minds to pursue her!!! The blue lady's eyes opened wide, and she was about to spill the beans, but decided to keep what she knew to herself. FOR NOW.
Arwen returned, and said, "MissCris is fine. Actually, she is snoring and drooling on herself." Arlene said, "oh good, the drooling means the spell is wearing off. We will have to go get her in another day or so."
next chapter: the gypsygirl, king shouryo and arlene and tintin