Zoe Zelda Zeleski (known as snore to her schoolmates) slowly closed the fantastic medieval book with a satisfied smile. It was a book of alchemy and sorcery from as far back as Merlin up to Nicolas Flamel containing much of the knowledge Merlin, gained when he was travelling the world, waiting for Arthur to grow up and he would be needed. He either met or read the works of such men as the 6th century Indian Kamada, and many others. It was a fairly comprehensive history of alchemy.
Glancing at the clock, she saw it was getting late. Not wanting to miss the pass of two moons across Saturn she rushed to her observatory, settled down at her telescope and zeroed in on the planet. She watched for several hours as faintly blue Epimetheus and almost blood red Titan drifted across the face of the giant ringed planet. When the show was over, she sighed happily and made her way to bed.
She was wakened, much too early, when the cat Ebeneezer jumped up on the bed and walked up her body. When he reached her face, he butted her chin and licked her nose, and mewed, letting her know that it was breakfast time. She reached up, wrapped a hand under his body and placed him on the bed beside her.
“All right Ebby, it’s not that late.” She got up and headed for the bathroom. Finished there, she made a hurried breakfast for herself and filled Ebby’s food and water dishes. Then, gathering her bag of magical herbs, salves and so forth, she left. She had a lot to do this morning.
Her first stop was with Old Lucy Brennan, whose daughter couldn’t make her stick to her diet. She had stomach ulcers and had sneaked some jalapeno, and her ulcer was bleeding again. Zoe dosed her and warned her once again that if she didn’t watch her diet she would bleed to death.
Next call was the Clancy’s. Little Tommy had fallen and cut his head open. His mother was worried but Zoe reassured her that Tommy would be fine. Just keep the dressing clean and use the salve. Mrs. Clancy calmed Tommy down with a cookie, and passed on a message; there was a frantic call from Jock McDonald; his prize bull had gotten into a patch of Water Hemlock and was in a bad way. Knowing how dangerous this was, how rapidly the poison took effect, Zoe rushed to the scene.
The bull was in the last stages before paralysis and death. He was frothing at the mouth, which was badly blistered. He was convulsing violently. Hurriedly taking out her wand, she waved it over the bull, reciting “Retro saevus condico temperavi placidum”. The convulsions stopped, the breathing eased, and the bull dropped into a deep sleep. She treated the mouth blisters with a salve and left instructions for use. Exhausted, she returned home, to rest and prepare for another busy day.
