Zardoz
CHAPTER FOUR GALINDA
Galinda was the oldest of our sisters and the kookiest. She was a recluse; living nearly like a hermit in her forbidding northern castle with her dour servants. She literally spent twelve or more hours a day locked in a room with her precious magic mirror doing who knows what strange and perverted things in there by herself - believe me there were rumors. At least she was not a threat like Ravenna or a tiresome, whorish burden like dear Theodora; she kept to herself and stayed out of the affairs of other witches. So I was surprised when we were welcomed so quickly and politely by her guards and taken into her private sitting room where we had tea. She was not at all surprised to see us or Culane whose presence should have caused quite a stir.
"I was appraised that you were coming and bringing a man," by our dear sister Ravenna, she said in her slow, soft drawling voice as she sat primly on the couch with her tea cup in her lap. She wore a loose voluminous dress of light blue satin with a string of pearls around her neck; her blonde hair was done up as usual in one of her fantastic styles piled high on her head all ribbons and curls and loops with jewels set in it; her sensuous mouth was painted deep red and her eyes lids were thick with shadow of the same color as her dress. She seemed very subdued even for her, and very sad, she seemed to be making a great effort not to break down in tears.
"Ravenna knows already?" I asked startled and worried.
"Oh yes. The bitch broke my mirror. She entered it somehow last night and I found myself staring at her ugly vindictive face instead of my own beautiful visage. She warned me that a man had come to take over Oz and had already seduced the two of you, had made you give up your vows and now would be coming for me. She demanded that I raise my troops at once and march against you from the north while she marches from the south; when I refused she let out a hideous scream which cracked my darling mirror in several places and made it go as dark as lead."
I glared at Culane and Theodora; I was already very mad at them since I had discovered that he was wasting his precious man juice on her slutty little cunny when it could be put to better use making gold, and now there was this. As I expected Ravenna was already on to us and would make us all pay for threatening her. "Do you see what you have brought upon us?" I shouted.
Galinda ignored my outburst, her tearful eyes were focused inwards on her own grief. "Now I have nothing," she lamented, "that mirror was the most precious thing in the world to me, it filled my time, gave me company. What am I to do with myself now? How am I going to live?"
Obviously she was going to be of no use to us, and Ravenna would crush us; I began to think of how quickly I could abandon these fools and join Ravenna, trying to calculate what price she would extract from me for my actions so far, but the trickster Culane was not alarmed at all. "I can fix your mirror," he said simply.
Galinda stopped weeping and looked at him; "That is not possible, it is a work of great craft and magic built long ago and infused with my spirit."
"Of course I would need your help, that would be essential, but the mechanical problem, I can handle. I apprenticed as a magic mirror maker in my youth in Eire, we make some very fine articles there. With your help I have no doubt that I can do it, and I can make it so that Ravenna can never get inside it again," he said confidently.
Galinda looked at us for guidance her lips parted with hope showing the bottom of her two top front teeth, a little overbite which was said to be so attractive. Theodora, who was draped over Culane, fawning on him said brightly, "If Culane says he can do something, then he can do it; he has never failed has he Evenora?"
I was half way out of my chair about to lash out at them with anger when her words gave me pause. It was true. I realized that Culane knew what he was doing, he did not make idle boasts, so I sat back down, uncertain now if this was a completely lost cause, but also troubled by the fact that everything Culane needed to happen always fell in to place. "It is true," I said cautiously, "if he says he can fix your mirror I believe he can." I turned and glared at the smiling soldier, "and he had better be quick about it too."
Galinda wiped the tears from her eyes daintily with the edge of her scented handkerchief and turned all of her sultry charm on Culane, speaking in a husky voice, batting her long dark lashes, practically wiggling her pert little up-turned nose. "If you can truly restore my beloved mirror I will grant you anything you wish," she said.
"Will you join our cause and see Theodora restored to her lands?" he asked
'Of course, and more, much more, you only need ask," with eyes locked they had both stood up while talking; "Will you fight Ravenna?" he asked.
"Most certainly Culane, she is a cruel bitch and needs to be punished and put in her place."
Theodora clapped her hands; "We are going to win!" she cried happily, the poor girl oblivious to just what kind of "assistance" Culane would be requiring from Galinda.
Galinda smiled down at us as she placed her arm in Culane's, "Of course this is a matter of great privacy to me," she said, "My servants will see to all your needs, and perhaps your crystal ball might come in handy now."
Smug Culane smiled at us; Theodora blew him a kiss and I glared at him.
"How long are you going to be?" I asked acidly.
"Many hours at least; it is a complicated and delicate operation, but we should be ready by daybreak. Perhaps you might want to return to Emerald City and prepare your troops for the march," he said as they strolled off arm in arm towards her private tower.