Chapter Text
"That looked like a simple task. For the first step to gave some sedative herbal tea. I put into it leaves of: happy plant, valeriana, oregano, thymus, melissa and hypericum, and Their Excellency said to add a hop and passion flowers, "a humulus" and "passiflora" to be clear.
I mixed everything together and brewed for a number of hours. The resault had a strong unherbal but poisenous scent, and looked like a soup of dirt even after the filtering. This mix would fell ill any other cookie, yet the Virture infront of me were sipping it with such daintiness as royals drink wine from spoon.
It was hard to tell what emotion was writen on the face of todays patient. Like there was no emotions at all. I inspected a vis-à-vis. They were calm, composed, yet tired, coming from paleness and dark spots on their skin, along with slow movements.
I glanced sideways at the notebook, where all the subsequent steps of the operation were described with terrifying precision, carefully written in the handwriting of the senior Professor. My gaze caught on the part where the structure of the eye socket was described. Even though I, like all of us then, was driven by a blind thirst to get an answer to such a forbidden question, doubts began to swirl in my head. So I asked then:
— Our Virtue, Your Excellency, can I be given by a light?
They took a good sip of medicine when sat composedly, holding the saucer in the left hand. The cup was put on the saucer with smooth motion like was moved while being in glue. Only after that:
— Ask, the one who seek.
And we threw formalities aside.
— Do you fully sure in our search? — I blurted on one breath under their heavy gaze. They were silent for some minutes, while tilting his head to the shoulder. And crooked a lips in smirk.
— We all will do a sin, yes. Yet, — they placed cup on table and folded hands in front of themself. — It's maybe only way for future enlightenment for all of us and more. Or, — they chuckled humorlessly. — Our small avanture will open a Pandora box.
I'm not sure what is "Pandora box" mean, but in the next second they placed cold clawed hand on my trivial one. And opened unblinking eyes in full scale. I swear to all Five, this gaze could stole my soul if wanted.
— We will share a secret with you, youngling, — they started with soft murmur. — The stone or not, good or bad… This ones head keep inside something for lo-o-ong time. And even we don't know is it better to keep this inside or to let go…
The look of these eyes became distant and empty in a moment.
I was ready to start talking again to find out what exactly was inside and how it could end up outside and whether it needed to be there. But the Virtue shushed me with hush sound and lean in their chair. My mouth closed so suddenly that my jaws hurt from clenching them so hard.
— No wisdom like silence...
Afterwards, a lingering silence fell over the room. I didn't know what else to say, and I wasn't allowed to say anything else. About fifteen minutes later, I heard footsteps outside the door. I remember the Professor White Bread entering the room. He had a wide smile on his face, wildly inappropriate for the situation. He announced that we were starting in an hour.
This was the last time I hear the Virtue of Knowledge spoke."
— Fruit Ice Cookie,
The Assistant of Professor White Bread Cookie