green one you can see
down. Shes stopped cry- ing. She sits beside me and keeps staring at me with those eyes of
hers.
I am sorry, Father, she says. When the king doesnt answer, I see her glance toward the
door. I decide to change the subject. So whered you get the mushrooms . . . um, Your Highness?
Your Majesty, Talia whispers.
One of the fairy women turns to the other, and when she does, I see that there are wings
sprouting from her back. She whispers, Him? Hes her destiny?
Shush, whispers the other.
That is quite all right, Talia, the king says. I am cer- tain this young man is unused to
dining with royalty in . . . Florida, is it?
I nod.
A Spanish colony, if I recall, and rather a wasteland. Has it changed much in three
hundred years?
Um, a little.
The hunters found the mushrooms in the forest, the king continues.
Are they okay to eat? I ask. Its probably a rude ques- tion, and actually a hallucinogenic
mushroom could hit the spot right about now.
The king shrugs. Does it truly matter at this point? Talia flinches when he says that. The
king takes a large forkful of the mushrooms, chews, and swallows them. We all watch. He
doesnt fall over or barf or anything.
They are acceptable, he says finally.
I dont ask what the meat is, but Talia says, Is not the peacock excellent?
A bit tough after it has been drowsing three hundred years. The king glares at Talia. But
it will have to do. Hoo-boy. And I thought my parents were rough. This guys acting kind of like a spoiled
brat. But then, thats how his daughter is, too.
Again, I try to change the subject. This is peacock? Certainly, the queen says. Wow. Ive
tried it now, and its sort of gamy and tough, like duck in a really bad Chinese restaurant. I move it around on my plate.
Do you not have peacocks where you are from? Talia seems even more eager to change the
subject than I am.
We have peacocks. We dont eat them, though. What do you eat, then? Talia asks. I think
about it. Lots of stuff. People in America are from all over the place, so we eat pizza from Italy . . . Talia sighs loudly. I have never
been to Italy. . . . hamburgers . . . I have not been to Germany, either.
. . . French fries . . . I have not been to France. . . . tacos from Mexico . . . I do not
even know where that is. Would it not be grand, Jack, to go off and see the world? She gazes at me, smiling.
Talia . . . The king seems to be having some trouble with the chewy peacock and the
chewier mushrooms. Still, he opens his mouth to speak to her. That will be enough. Enough of what? All my life, you have made me stay in this castle, doing nothing, all for
the fear of spindles.
Obviously, we did not do enough for fear of spindles. Perhaps we should have locked you in
a cage.
Louis . . . The queens voice is whispery. It is the truth. No, it is not! Talia bursts
out. There was nothing you or I could have done to prevent it. The curse said, shall prick her finger. It was
preordainedmy destiny. You would have been better off had you pricked my finger yourself,
making certain a prince was on hand to kiss me. This is all your fault! Your fault!
Wow, its weird hearing her quoting me, like Im a law- yer or something.
Nah. Id never be a lawyer.
If that is the case, the king says, you would have been awakened by your true love. Where
is he, then?
Talia points to me. Here! Jack. He loves me. He has to love me.
There is silence. The lords and ladies stop in midchew. The king is obviously not used to
being yelled at. From the fairies, I hear a small voice say, He could not be her true
love. But how could my spell have gone so wrong? With a small sigh, she turns into a
small, birdlike creature and flies off. The other follows.
Hey, I say to King Louis, you want to listen to my iPod?
The king looks shocked. Whator whois an iPod? Its something from the twenty-first century. You can listen to music on it. Do you like
music?
I
down. Shes stopped cry- ing. She sits beside me and keeps staring at me with those eyes of
hers.
I am sorry, Father, she says. When the king doesnt answer, I see her glance toward the
door. I decide to change the subject. So whered you get the mushrooms . . . um, Your Highness?
Your Majesty, Talia whispers.
One of the fairy women turns to the other, and when she does, I see that there are wings
sprouting from her back. She whispers, Him? Hes her destiny?
Shush, whispers the other.
That is quite all right, Talia, the king says. I am cer- tain this young man is unused to
dining with royalty in . . . Florida, is it?
I nod.
A Spanish colony, if I recall, and rather a wasteland. Has it changed much in three
hundred years?
Um, a little.
The hunters found the mushrooms in the forest, the king continues.
Are they okay to eat? I ask. Its probably a rude ques- tion, and actually a hallucinogenic
mushroom could hit the spot right about now.
The king shrugs. Does it truly matter at this point? Talia flinches when he says that. The
king takes a large forkful of the mushrooms, chews, and swallows them. We all watch. He
doesnt fall over or barf or anything.
They are acceptable, he says finally.
I dont ask what the meat is, but Talia says, Is not the peacock excellent?
A bit tough after it has been drowsing three hundred years. The king glares at Talia. But
it will have to do. Hoo-boy. And I thought my parents were rough. This guys acting kind of like a spoiled
brat. But then, thats how his daughter is, too.
Again, I try to change the subject. This is peacock? Certainly, the queen says. Wow. Ive
tried it now, and its sort of gamy and tough, like duck in a really bad Chinese restaurant. I move it around on my plate.
Do you not have peacocks where you are from? Talia seems even more eager to change the
subject than I am.
We have peacocks. We dont eat them, though. What do you eat, then? Talia asks. I think
about it. Lots of stuff. People in America are from all over the place, so we eat pizza from Italy . . . Talia sighs loudly. I have never
been to Italy. . . . hamburgers . . . I have not been to Germany, either.
. . . French fries . . . I have not been to France. . . . tacos from Mexico . . . I do not
even know where that is. Would it not be grand, Jack, to go off and see the world? She gazes at me, smiling.
Talia . . . The king seems to be having some trouble with the chewy peacock and the
chewier mushrooms. Still, he opens his mouth to speak to her. That will be enough. Enough of what? All my life, you have made me stay in this castle, doing nothing, all for
the fear of spindles.
Obviously, we did not do enough for fear of spindles. Perhaps we should have locked you in
a cage.
Louis . . . The queens voice is whispery. It is the truth. No, it is not! Talia bursts
out. There was nothing you or I could have done to prevent it. The curse said, shall prick her finger. It was
preordainedmy destiny. You would have been better off had you pricked my finger yourself,
making certain a prince was on hand to kiss me. This is all your fault! Your fault!
Wow, its weird hearing her quoting me, like Im a law- yer or something.
Nah. Id never be a lawyer.
If that is the case, the king says, you would have been awakened by your true love. Where
is he, then?
Talia points to me. Here! Jack. He loves me. He has to love me.
There is silence. The lords and ladies stop in midchew. The king is obviously not used to
being yelled at. From the fairies, I hear a small voice say, He could not be her true
love. But how could my spell have gone so wrong? With a small sigh, she turns into a
small, birdlike creature and flies off. The other follows.
Hey, I say to King Louis, you want to listen to my iPod?
The king looks shocked. Whator whois an iPod? Its something from the twenty-first century. You can listen to music on it. Do you like
music?
I
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