Mama Kuko arrived at the Valley of The Kings, and was accorded a warm welcome by Regus. She was happy, very happy to be back. She felt wanted, and she felt good.
There was no real problem that was raging through the Valley, and she was free to come and go as she pleased. She explored the places that she had always wanted to visit with her old friends, and she found herself feted wherever she went.
While she retained the humility of a healer, she could not help feeling that this was her home away from home. Dinner was often had with the royal family, who treated her with great respect and affection.
There was, one day, a case where she was called to assist. It appeared that the daughter of one of her dear friends had fallen prey to, what seemed to be some sort of demonic possession. The young woman was tearing her hair out, foaming at the mouth, biting and hissing at anyone who came close to her. Her eyes were glaring, mad, wild and dangerous. She would, from time to time, break off into some sort of demonic laughter, and would speak in strange tongues. When they could glean what meaning they could from her wild rambling, it appeared as if she was screaming about the changes to the world order, about the rise of a Terrible Trinity, a Terrible Trinity that would be born in the Valley, at the end of the current world order.
Melkus, her father and Deem, her mother, were in tears at the raging of their daughter, and pleaded with Mama Kuko to help.
When Mama Kuko approached Loona, as the girl was called, she looked deep into her eyes..... and stopped. Mama Kuko turned pale, as Loona looked deep into Mama Kuko's eyes, and laughed a demonic laugh. She turned away from Mama Kuko, as if she was the enemy.
Mama Kuko sighed, and turned to her friends and said, "this will take some time. I need to go back to my palace, and get some medicines for your daughter."
"The Kings Palace, you mean", laughed Melkus.
"Yes, of course,", said Mama Kuko with a smile, but as she walked back to the palace, she seemed lost in thought. There were occassional flashes that seemed to shoot from her eyes, as she looked down at the road, as she trode swiftly on the road towards the palace.
Regus met her at the entrance.
"What is it Mama?", he asked with a sad and troubled look. He had heard about the wild ramblings of the young girl, and was much disturbed by it.
"Loona seems possessed by some strange demon", said Mama Kuko. "I need to exorcise the demon from her body".
The days that followed were long indeed, for Mama Kuko. She laboured long and hard. Medicines were administered to the young girl. Prayers were uttered, and incense sticks were burned.
Finally, after almost a month, the Demon seemed to have left Loona, and she seemed to be a calm young girl again. Yet, she would not go close to Mama Kuko, the old lady who had healed her. There was some sort of aversion that she seemed to feel towards Mama Kuko, some strange fear that seemed to push her away.
Mama Kuko sighed, and one evening as she was talking to Deem, she simply said, "How she feels towards me is not important. What is important, is that the Demon has left her."
"Yes", said Deem. But, she looked at Mama Kuko with a troubled eye. This was indeed the first time that someone in the Valley had turned away from Mama Kuko.
The conversation with Deem and Melkus was short and troubled. Mama Kuko was, anyway, exhausted, and she walked back to the Palace in deep thought. Her dreams were troubled that night.
The Terrible Trinity is all she kept thinking about.
A few days later, the town was all agog with excitement, as a silver ship pulled up ashore. The SilverGull, it was called.
From it emerged a beautiful woman with three eyes. Her eyes were deep blue, and her hair was black. Her skin was white, yet a white that had a healthy glow.
Regus welcomed her to his palace. The lady seemed to have a regal bearing, and she carried herself as a princess would.
Dinner that night was a gay and happy affair. It was the first happy dinner since Loona had fallen ill. Erisa regaled the Royal Family and Mama Kuko with stories of her land. Regus looked on at her with unabashed admiration. Were it not for the presence of his wife, one gets the impression that he would have been rather more gallant than required.
After dinner, Mama Kuko invited Erisa to go for a walk. As they strolled, they talked of this and that, and finally Mama Kuko pointed to a bench under the moonlight sky and said, "Come, let's sit and talk".
Drawing Erisa close to she sat on the bench, looked straight at Erisa and asked straight out.
"What news of your father, Threye?"
"Threye is well", said Erisa. "He sends his greetings".
"What are his plans?"
"I know not", replied Erisa. "I am his daughter, yet his plans are often unknown to me"
Mama Kuko smiled, and said."I think that he wanted you to meet me", she said.
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