CHAPTER SIX HUNDRED and SEVENTY-ONE

(part six)

“It’s missing some of it,” Holmes said.

“Go ahead,” Apollo said.

Holmes gave him a hard look.

“I don’t take orders from you,” Holmes said.

Hecate and Heather laughed openly at the shocked look on Apollo’s face. Holmes was grinning by the time they stopped laughing.

“Okay,” Holmes said.

“Wait,” Perses said. “How do you remember this?”

“I remember everything I see,” Holmes said. “Anything I’ve ever read. I can mimic anything I’ve seen.”

“Let the boy speak,” Heather said.

“The prophecy goes like this: ‘There will be a female child — not an average child, but a female child, none the less — many, many oracles from now. She will rise from the greatest house of the great houses. Her champion will place everything on the line for her. The greatest blade will guide this small hand, to the smallest blade, where the finest cut will change the fate of those strive for power and gold over true greatness.’”

Holmes repeated the prophecy in English. No one said anything for a long moment.

“They took out all of the identifying information,” Hecate said. “I bet . . .”

She looked at Heather, who nodded.

“We are all here,” Sandy said in English. “You may as well tell us.”

“Yes, I’m sorry,” Hecate said in English. “You are right. I was thinking that by taking these pieces off the prophecy, someone could use it to control people.”

“She’s avoiding saying that they killed all of the female children in the area. Hung them up so that their blood reddened the streets,” Apollo said. “That’s the legacy of this prophecy. By removing details, they were able to terrorize the region for a very long time.”

“Shit,” Holmes said.

“I need to put him under the dryer,” Sandy said. “You are welcome to stay or go terrorize someone else for a while.”

“I like this one,” Apollo said about Sandy.

“Don’t . . .,” Heather started.

Apollo went to hug Sandy and she kneed him in the groin. He grunted.

“Don’t touch me,” Sandy said.

Holmes’ eyes went big, and he tried not to laugh.

“She doesn’t like to be touched,” Heather said.

“I see that,” Apollo said. “Please accept my sincere apologies.”

Scowling at Apollo, Sandy led Holmes to the dryers and stuck him under. Holmes was done under the dryers by the time the Gods and Titans had disappeared.

“Where’d they go?” Holmes asked.

“I never know,” Sandy said. “What you did there was super brave. I’m proud of you. You turned a horrible experience into something that will truly help people.”

“People?” Holmes asked. “They aren’t people.”

“No, they aren’t,” Sandy said. “But the world is full of people. The Vanquisher is said to be able to destroy the world. That’s what we’re talking about here. You were super brave and really helped.”

Nodding, Holmes blushed.

Sandy took him back to wash out the dye. She dried and styled his hair, and then showed him how to slick it back if he wanted to. The entire rest of the time, Holmes’ cheeks held a little bit of blush in them. He waved to Sandy from the door.

Shaking her head at her weird life, Sandy went to the back to clean up and get ready for the next client.

Denver Cereal continues on Monday...