Will Ye page 9
Pre-thoughts of her kept trying to get his attention, however -- like a nagging doubt that wouldn’t leave him be.
Smilerina’s color is what kept bringing his mind back to her: a kind of pinkish orange complexion that would glow or dim, depending on her mood. And her scant attire that revealed most of it. And those gossamer wings that could wrap her body like some translucent nightgown. And her cobalt blue hair that seemed to float around her head like a halo. And that smile, which beckoned with a promise of much delight.
But he didn’t think these thoughts or bring these images to mind very often -- not if he could help it.
He kept reminding himself that he had mushrooms to tend to.
The night before the market was to open for trade, Sourjack had decided to get a good night’s rest, since the competition would be fierce; as one might well imagine with nearly everyone selling harvested mushrooms at the same time.
And there was Smilerina, appearing before his mind’s eye, winking at him and whispering in his ear.
"The mushrooms are awaiting their selling, Smilerina," he said to himself out loud, as if she could hear him. "Please, leave me alone so I can do something useful and profitable instead of running around on weird errands striving to find that which has no being!"
Sourjack sighed. Some battles are more difficult than others, he thought with chagrin, as he rolled over and tried once gain to put her out of his mind.
Still, this place could use a bit more color -- brown and gray being the most conspicuous. Why, even the artist at the market had no pigment that could match her hues!
He smiled to himself, for the fist time in many a year it seemed, and began to wonder if gold and silver, and trinkets made of such, were actually buried somewhere near that cave. Or maybe he could find something that might prove to be a bit more interesting -- say someone who had gossamer wings, perhaps?
"What a treasure," he said to himself, almost under his breath, for she was surely evil and not well versed in the spoken word.
