“Rrrruf! Rrrruf!”

“Eeep!”

What is the matter with you two?” Moira, the diminutive Goddess of Fate asked the animal friends of her prophet, Bluetopaz. Lucky and Hystrix had come running up to her disturbing her meditation time in the garden.

(Animal language translations for the benefit of human readers are provided by Purina Pet Chows)

“Bt is in trouble and needs your help! Please do something, Moira.” Lucky said.

“Please?” Trix echoed...

“Keleos turned her into a dog and she’s not dealing with it very well.” Lucky added while looking almost of the verge of tears.

“I know.” Moira replied as she picked up Trix and smoothed his quills back. “It’s only for a week and maybe it will teach her a lesson about speaking before thinking.”

“No, you don’t understand,” Lucky said. “Bt is really turning into a dog. Yesterday she was a human in dog form but gradually she’s loosing her human sense and becoming a mischievous puppy. She just buried all her quarterly reports in the stable refuse pile and then she snatched the ball from the soccer team and ran off with it.”

“Can’t you change her back?” Hystrix said in a wistful tone. “We need our human to take care of us.”

“I can’t do that!” Moira replied. “Well, yes I can but I won’t. If we gods and goddesses start undoing each other’s works it would plunge the world into chaos.”

“We’re doomed!” Lucky said rather melodramatically. “Who is going to feed us and take care of us?”

“Muahahaha!” Moira laughed, “I can’t change her back to a human but I can make a few modifications to her.”

“Like what?” Lucky asked.

“Oh, mostly I just be sure she remembers who she is and arrange for her to access that devious brain of hers. That should do it. You two may have to help her during this week but I’m sure between the three of you, it will work out all right.”

“It was so pitiful,” Lucky said, “She was trying to post a message this morning and her feet were too big to hit the right letters. She just sat down and howled in frustration.”

“Hmm, that could be a problem.” Moira said, but then getting an idea she add, “Your feet are just the right size to hit the keys, aren’t they, Lucky. She could tell you what to type.”

“What about me?” Trix asked. “What can I do to help?”

“I think your little feet would be just right to hit the shift key.” Moira said with a smile. “That would help both Bt and Lucky. And, I’m sure once Bt remembers she is a human in dog form she’ll think of other ways you two can help.”

“We’ll do it!” Lucky said with a big doggie grin. “We’ll help Bt just as soon as you change her so she can think like a human again.”

“Then you’d better go find her because I’ve already done it while we were talking.” Moira said as she gently set Hystrix down. “Go find her and let her know you’ll be helping her this week.”

So here we are all three of us hard at work....<g>



Bt The Wonder-Dog
Lucky The Wonder-Typing Dog
Hystix the Shift Key Wonder-Hedgehog

“Moira!”

“Yes?”

“It’s been a week and she hasn’t changed me back!”

“Already? It seems like only yesterday when Lucky and Hystrix came to see me.”

“It’s been a week and a day exactly, and I can’t put up with this any longer. I’ve tried to be a good sport about it but apparently she’s gone off somewhere and forgotten all about what she did. It’s starting to cause some serious problems now!”

“Such as?” Moira asked.

“Such as what happened yesterday.” Bt-dog replied.

“And that was?”

“When we thought Kel would take the spell off at noon or there about yesterday, Lucky, Trix and I decided to have a special celebration dinner. It took us a half hour at least for me to dictate and them to type up our carry-out order from The Battlefield. When it finally arrived it was delivered by the rats all dressed up in Zorro costumes complete with masks and long black capes. Do you know why they were dressed like that?” Bt asked.

“No, but I’m sure you’ll tell me.” Moira said with a sigh.

“They were dressed like that because they were afraid Afraid that their own goddess would punish them if she caught them trying to help us! They think she is turning into just another irresponsible Olympian.” Bt concluded.

“Oh, that’s not good!” Moira said. “Everyone should be able to depend on their own special god or goddess.”

“So what are you going to do about it?” Bt-dog questioned.

“I guess,” Moira said with a sigh, “I’d better get you changed back and go have a talk with Keleos. Hop up here next to me and let’s get this done.”

As Bt dog obeyed her goddess, Moira made a slight movement with her hand and then disappeared melting into the familiar white vapor. Bt-dog seemed waver and dissolve and slowly reform into the more familiar image of Bluetopaz.”



And then the dog reappeared and then finally settled back to the woman.

“Moira! Get back here! You did something wrong! I’m still BLUE!!!!



Bt