Eye of the Beholder II

"What kind of mirror was it? Is it that mirror?" A tall skinny boy asked, pointing to the gilded hand mirror on my step. The questions popped up one by one as I sat there grinning. This was the perfect distraction from life’s daily ill's, wasn’t it? Making smiles. "All right, settle down and I will continue." I did not promise to finish. Lei had moved to sit on the bottom step by my feet, her hand curled around my knee. I dropped my hand into her rich chocolate curls.

"Where was I... oh, right Aunt Nevermind carefully handed the mirror to Sarah.’ As you speak to each of your suitors, position yourself so that you will be able to see him in the mirror. The image will show you the true person to whom you are speaking.'

The first suitor who came into Sarah's chamber was Manley Studdscroft. He was a tall blonde man with muscles as hard as stone. He stood before Sarah and flexed his biceps. All the while, Sarah moved around trying to get a good view of him in the mirror. 'Why do you jump around so?' asked Manley irritably. 'I'm just trying to get a better look at you,' replied Sarah sweetly.

'So, what's your sign?'

'Sign?' Manley had a puzzled look.

'Oh, that's just for conversation,' said Sarah. 'I heard about it from a slave who was talking about a place called the 70's and Discos; I really don't know what it means.'

'Oh,' grunted Manley as he started flexing the muscles in his other arm.

Sarah was really falling in love with this manly man; however, she still hadn't seen his image in the mirror, and she had promised Aunt Nevermind that she wouldn't make a decision until she had. So, she moved around some more.

Manley was starting to flex the muscles in his legs when Sarah finally caught his image in the magic mirror. One look was all she needed, for there was the ugliest thing she had ever seen! His hair was green and looked like a thousand squirming baby eels; his skin had huge open sores with little worms licking out of them; his teeth were black with pieces of decay dropping off of them. And, even though Manley looked his usual handsome self when she looked at him directly, she screamed and sent him out of the room! Manley was baffled!

The second suitor then strutted into the room. This was Studly Dudly. Now Dudly had bright red hair which didn't stop at his head. His shirt was open and the red curly hair continued down his chest. Around his neck hung five or six gold chains. She started to play with the curly hair on his chest. Dudly puffed out his chest even more. He was such a manly man! 'Surely,' thought Sarah, 'I am in love!'"

I paused there, picking up my cup of water amid the giggles of children. I saw Mezoo passing by on her way to her own wagon and waved. Ogedaii was there too, listening for a moment and surely thinking that Sarah just needed a good hard spanking. I grinned and then returned to my story...