A Messenger from Nephelokokkygia

Hatching Day

Chapter 12: Hatching Day

"No, no! The adventure first," said the Gryphon in an impatient tone: "explanations take such a dreadful time."

--Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Schrodinger finally retrieved his gold scroll at night, while the corvids slept. In response, Chiaroscuro began zealously guarding Bennu's egg, expecting the cat to try eating it at any time. As he would not move from the hearth, the Murder had to bring food down to him. Schrodinger, for his part, spent all his time outdoors, stressing over his translation.

One afternoon, having finished a lunch of almost-cooked salmon, Grace caught the cat hissing and clawing the ground. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"It's pointless, Grace Grey," Schrodinger mumbled. "Whoever inscribed this message was as annoyingly playful as they were well-learned. There are multiple languages: Greek, Chinese, Arabic, even hieroglyphs. Individually, I know the words. What makes it impossible is the arbitrary way they're mixed together!"

"Okay, give an example." Grace tried to smile. "I only read English, but if we put our heads together...maybe it will help."

"Very well. You see this picture of a tadpole?" Schrodinger pointed a protracted claw at an image. "It's the Egyptian word 'hfn'." He made a sound like coughing up two hairballs. "It translates 'a hundred thousand.' But right after, we have this symbol." He gestured to what looked like a sideways eight. "Which represents eternity."

"So a hundred thousand, plus forever." considered Grace. "Wow, just that first one already seems like forever to me! But what if the tadpole picture really does mean a baby frog? A tadpole that never grows legs or comes out of the water. And if we find that, maybe we'll have an ingredient to the cure for those spores!"

"Okay. The last item in this grouping," Schrodinger pointed to two sets of crossed lines, "is a Chinese word for 'lament.'"

"'Lament.'" Diana pulled her mixed-matched feet from the river and dried them on the grass Schrodinger had clawed up. "A song of mourning."

"A squonk's like a frog." Fox also approached. "Diana's young, that's the tadpole bit. And she certainly laments a lot."

"Furthermore," added Diana, "the 'eternity' bit refers to how the verses I compose shall live on long after my early, tragic demise...if I ever find paper to write them down on."

Fox cracked her knuckles. "So, we bottle her tears, and this whole serum or whatever's finished!"

"I can't fathom how the prankster-scholar who inscribed these symbols centuries ago could have predicted Diana Hemlock's birth." Schrodinger sighed. "Plus, there're other ingredients to this ostensive Radixomniummalorum bokor remedy. Here's what I've translated so far." He screwed his eyes shut before reciting:

"Delight can be found in the smiles of spiders (40 gills for base)

Peace from the rheum of Death's brother (Beyond 32 grains, Life's 3rd becomes all)

Sorrow in lament of ever-young frog (16 scruples, mix, strain. Keep in 2 separate pans)

Freedom wanders with a dog whose home is unsolid (4 locks. Add to base with 2nd pan)

Balance achieved by a philosopher's sword (stir in a widdershins direction)

Strength held in the cradle of Land-and-Sky's ruler (carefully pour in concoction)

Enlightenment kindled by a sunbird's plucked quill (cook 4 minutes till boiled. Try not to burn)

These 8 parts you'll need to undo Evil's Roots, which decays mind and destroys will.