The Ball of Balls

Chapter 44

All kinds of curious objects stood in the attic: stuffed animals, jars with unknown fluids, dusty furniture, and of course the glass orb, sitting on a table next to the window.

''Okay, get to work, mates,'' Miles said.

''But... I don't know how this thing works...'' Taytay said, while he tapped against the glass orb.

''Just let me figure this out,'' Dean said and he pushed Taytay aside. Dean stroked the orb and said quietly: ''Hello? Oracle?''

The glass orb rang: ''BEEP... BEEP... BEEP... this is the voicemail of the Oracle. The Oracle is momentarily in a call. Leave a message or try again later.''

''I have to try again, but I don't think that I have enough magic to try again,'' Dean said and he inhaled deeply.

''Come on, Taytay, you can do this,'' Miles said, but Taytay gave him a suspicious look.

''Do I have to?'' Taytay said without much confidence. ''Okay then...''

Taytay stroked the orb just like Dean did and said loudly: ''Hello, Oracle? I have to ask something.''

''Hello, you're speaking with Luna, also known as the Oracle. You have three questions left.''

''Uhm, hi,'' Taytay said shyly. ''We want to defeat king Wade, but we don't know how to, yet. So.. uhm... the question is... how?''

''Let me take a look. That's not going to be easy. But I can't tell you like this, there are too many people in the room you are in. Only the one who called me can hear my message.''

''What does it matter if I'm going to tell them anyway?'' Taytay asked bluntly.

''THAT'S JUST HOW THE UNIVERSE WORKS, LITTLE FAIRY! You aren't even a real fairy, so I would just tone the attitude down a little if I were you.''

''Let's just listen to them...'' Robert said, while pushing Charlotte and Miles out of the room.

''Can we trust Richard with this?'' Dean asked. ''Shouldn't I try one more time?''

''I thought that your magic ran out?'' Yannick asked, while walking towards the door. Doubtfully, Dean followed him.

''And furthermore, you can't ask the same question twice. So hurry up, because I will hang up otherwise and then you can say bye bye to your plans.''

''Wow, how bitchy is that Oracle?'' Samantha said, while also leaving the room.

When everyone was out, the Oracle started her story: ''Alright then. You will find king Wade in the ballroom, where he will have convened a lot of knights. But capturing Wade will not be a big problem, the biggest problem will be convincing the people of the Land of Winchats that Wade isn't their right king. There will have to be a new king and the people will have to accept him.''

''And how do we do that?'' Taytay asked.

''Prince Robert is planning to ask Muzzy Miles to marry him. I didn't want to say it to the rest of your little group, so that was part of the reason that I didn't want them to hear this. Once he marries, the people will accept him as their king and Miles as their new prince.''

''Oh, and something else.... Do you think that Dean and Yannick are together? They act so chummy.''

''Yes,'' Luna said dryly, before she added: ''You don't have any questions left, bye!''

''Oh shit. I only had three questions? Uhm, guys! She hung up!'' Taytay shouted through the door.

''What did they say?'' Rey, Miles, Samantha, Yannick and Robert asked in unison.

''Wow that sounded polyphonic,'' Dean said.

''We have to go to the ballroom and capture king Wade!'' Taytay shouted almost enthusiastically.

''And how do we do that?'' Rey asked.

''Bind him with a rope? Or handcuffs?'' Charlotte said with a little smirk.

''No... ew...'' Taytay said, disgusted. ''We have to convince the people or something, I wasn't paying enough attention.''

''Richard...'' Miles said exhaustingly, ''why are like this?''

''But if I'm understanding this correctly, we have to overthrow Wade,'' Rey said.

''I can take the throne from my father...'' Robert said doubtfully. Taytay farted out of excitement.

''Okay, let's go back to the ballroom,'' Miles said impatiently. The group followed Miles with full confidence back down the stairs.