128. De-stare Potion

In Mrs. Di Limbo’s kitchen stealthily and under cover of darkness, varied and peregrine ingredients were to be poured into a cauldron in the hope that one or another would fuel a potion that would counter the Faux Gorgon’s stare.

Those present were Mrs. Di Limbo and her son Nimbo, Mrs. Felina Shyboy, Mr. Blake and Alpin. Each had brought with her or him something to be put in the pot.

Mrs. Gelsomina Di Limbo brought the water in the pot that was on her cooker to a boil and was first to drop something in it.

   

                                         

“All coral descends from the Gorgon Medusa. Her blood turned into coral when her head was cut off and fell into the sea. Blood from the right side of the Gorgon’s head brings the dead back to life. Blood from the left side is a deadly poison.I have ground this bit of  coral I had in my aquarium into powder. I don’t know the side the blood that turned into this coral is from, but since our friends cannot be any deader than they are, I think we should cross our fingers and hope this will bring them back to life.”  

Mr. Blake’s turn was next.

      

                     

“Cow’s parsley, dock and waterlily,” he said, dropping these three ingredients into the cauldron. “These plants have been used by old wives to free mortals who have become paralyzed after an unfortunate encounter with fairies. Magic is magic everywhere. This could serve our purpose. “

Felina Shyboy stepped up next.

                     

        

“As you know, I made a list of the victims and have been asking you all what the people that were petrified liked best. I think we should put in the potion something that each of the Gorgon’s victims liked. It might make them want to come back to life. I have picked out a little something for every one of them, like a few drops of whisky for Fergus MacLob O’Toora and the other hard drinkers, sprinklings of sugar and spice for Heather and Thistle and Fiona, an imperial violet for Titania, drops of perfume and the petals of different flowers for the other ladies, etc. This slurp of blueberry slushy is for my husband. He has one every afternoon.”

After Felina had poured in a great many things, it was Alpin’s turn to make his contribution to the potion.

                                         

“I will toss in junk I don’t like,” said Alpin. “I don’t want to waste anything valuable. I’ll cast in the make-up that makes one look a thousand years younger that I found among a certain lady’s Christmas gifts. I don’t need that, and  if it can rejuvenate a mummy...”

                               

“Don’t ask me why,” said Nimbus, once Alpin was done. “But I have a hunch airplane de-icer will do the trick.” And he poured in a good amount of glycol.

When Nimbus was done, Mrs. Di Limbo allowed the potion to boil very slowly till it was almost dawn.

“Will it work?” asked Alpin expectantly.

The answer to his question was yes. After being dunked in the potion for a a few seconds, all of us came flying out of it. And all of us were as good as new. So was Ty. Felina and Mrs.Di Limbo rubbed the statue that was Ty all over with the potion and he was back to normal even before we all were.  The first thing he did was ask for a blueberry slushy and the first thing I did was write down the recipe for De-Stare Potion, and everyone asked me for a copy to keep in their books of spells.

Here is what I wrote, but don’t try this unless you already have a lot of experience with spells. Some spells backfire. Be especially careful with the airplane de-icer if you are mortal. It could be inflamable. Don’t cover the cauldron. It could explode.    

RECIPE FOR DE-STARE POTION

In a kitchen, late at night,

In grave silence, with not much light,

Pour into a boiling cauldron,

Made of copper, not of iron,

Cow’s parsley, finely chopped,

Over which a wild hare hopped.

Powdered coral, red or pink,

Stir in till it blend, not sink.

Three waterlilies, with their dew,

Let float about the bubbling brew.

Broad leafed dock that has wrapped butter

Also drop into the water.

Something that the patient liked,

With this the brew must now be  spiked.

Something that the brewer despises, 

With this the brew the brewer too spices.

Last but not least, don’t be a miser,

When pouring in airplane de-icer.

Rub the resulting potion on the patient as dawn breaks,

And breakfast together on fruit, hot chocolate and king cakes.  

Life went back to almost normal and the de-stared cats gathered again round what we now called  the Gorgonwell. Small and large rocks were piled on its heavy stone top, and no one was to draw water from it again. Because they had a thrill-seeking streak, they enjoyed the tingling sensation of sitting on the well and having what could be danger beneath them.

                                              “Is it safe to sit here?”