Chapter 40
As soon as Chloe came to stand before the oven top with Voula and Lena, she realised she was too short to look inside the cauldron.
She went to a corner, where a low stool sat, and she took it, returning to the stove. Stepping on the stool, she looked at the simmering yellow liquid for a few seconds.
Any ideas, Teacher? she said in her mind.
Where’s the bottle? Do you have it? Laranon replied.
It still lay where Elise had left it earlier on the counter, from what she’d told her. As she took it in her hand, Voula spoke, shaking her head with regret.
‘I really don’t know what you can do with that… It seems ruined to me.’
Without meaning to, Chloe shushed her. She knew, after all, that when a miracle is in the making, nothing sabotages it more than a human without faith. Energies mix, and positive needs to be the most positive it can be, without any negativity present to temper it. Besides, if she had the humans around talking, she wasn’t going to hear her teacher speak that well.
Hold on, Teacher… Give me a sec.
She turned to Voula. ‘I am so sorry. I didn’t mean to sush you. But, I am… Let’s just say, about to use a spell. And voices distract me.’
‘A spell?’ Mother and daughter said in unison.
‘Not like a witch would use one. I assure you, I am anything but. A better word for it would be the word blessing , actually. Like the Blessing of the Waters Ceremony on Epiphany.’
‘You’re going to put a cross in there?’ asked Voula, looking appalled.
‘No. Of course not. I’ll just say a prayer. But I am going to need some privacy. And quiet, if you don’t mind. Can you go and stand over there, by the end of the counter?’
She pointed to a spot a few steps away, and they went numbly there.
‘But… you are going to let me help with the serving of the soup after?’ asked Lena.
Chloe smiled sweetly at her. The child had way more faith than her mother did. Typical of children. ‘Of course.’
The kitchen grew quiet as the humans watched numbly from afar.
All right, Teacher. I have the bottle. What do you want me to do?
Does it have any liquid left in it?
Yes, Teacher.
That’s good. It’s good they didn’t empty it all. Makes my job easier.
Teacher… why are you asking about the bottle? Aren’t we supposed to fix the soup?
I ask, Beloved, because we are about to take advantage of the amazing phenomenon called Quantum Entanglement. Do you recall our relevant lesson?
Yes, I do. ‘Two particles anywhere in the quantum field can interact, affect each other, and even acquire the same state, even if they are separated by a really large distance.’
That’s right.
But, how is that related to the bottle and the soup?
Well, if I bless the bottle, then the same blessing will affect the soup. I am performing the quantum entanglement in my mind as we speak.
Chloe didn’t understand, but, of course, she trusted her teacher. What do you need me to do?
Answer me one question. Do you think the soup could need more olive oil or lemon juice at this point?
Chloe found the question mystifying but didn’t comment on it. She took one look at the cauldron and knew there was no way she would taste that. Not with a bottle of Tabasco in there.
She turned to Voula. ‘I have a question for you.’
Voula nodded silently.
‘Imagine that this soup was fine, that it hadn’t been ruined. If I asked you to choose between adding a little more olive oil or a little more lemon juice at the end, what would you choose to avoid spoiling the taste?’
Voula responded immediately. ‘Oh. I wouldn’t risk more lemon juice. But a soup can always take more olive oil. It won’t spoil the taste.’
Before she could think of an answer to send to Laranon, he spoke. Olive oil it is then, Chloe. Go!
I don’t understand, Teacher. You want me to put olive oil in the soup?
No. I want you to drink the remainder in the bottle. You said there was some liquid left in it. It’s not Tabasco any more. I just turned it into olive oil for you.
Oh… Ah! Wait a minute! Were you going to let me drink unsweetened fresh lemon juice had Voula picked that instead?
Laranon laughed out loud inside her mind. That would have been fun!
Teacher! I am shocked!
Laranon was still laughing when she tipped her head back, still standing on the stool, and began to drink the thick sweet liquid from the little bottle. It was olive oil, just like he’d said. Top quality, too.
‘ Nooooo! That’s Tabaaaascooooo! ’ said Voula rushing over. ‘What are you doing, Child? Are you out of your mind?’ She pulled Chloe down from the stool and put her hands on her cheeks, checking her eyes, turning her head this way and that. When she saw that Chloe was all right, she let her go and took two steps back, incredulous, her eyes glassy. ‘What just happened?’
Lena was standing before Chloe now, looking into her eyes intently. ‘Yes, Chloe, what did you just do? And how come you didn’t get burned?’
Chloe put a finger over her lips and shushed playfully. ‘You are not to tell anybody, okay?’
‘No, we won’t…’ said Lena.
‘I promise I won’t either,’ said Voula, ‘But, what did you do?’
Chloe shrugged a shoulder. ‘I just said a… blessing. And it worked. The Tabasco is no longer Tabasco. It turned into olive oil. Both inside the bottle and inside the soup.’
‘ Whaaat? ’ said Voula and she practically dove over the counter. She grabbed a spoon and dipped it in the soup. ‘Oh, my goodness! You’re not lying! It’s fine now! It’s wonderful!’ she said upon tasting it.
She didn’t understand what had happened, and neither did Lena, but as Chloe cheered with them, she knew they were going to keep their word and tell nobody what they’d witnessed.
Voula began serving soup in beautiful decorative bowls while mumbling something about Elise missing. Lena beamed as she carefully took the full bowls to the counter to be taken outside.
Chloe stepped aside, just as Stefan rushed in to help.
Teacher… she asked in her mind, I think I understand how the quantum entanglement worked here. But, tell me, why did I have to drink the leftover in the bottle? Why didn’t you just bless the soup?
The blessing I performed required an act of faith. It required you to prove you knew I wasn’t going to hurt you.
Teacher… one more question. Why didn’t you just add water?
Laranon gave a glorious laugh inside her mind. It had a metallic quality to it, like rain falling on a tin roof. I could have, Chloe… But that wouldn’t have been half as fun as you drinking olive oil!
She tittered. Actually, Teacher, it was quite tasty… Gliding triumphantly toward the front to return to her table, Chloe chuckled to herself. Elise had just spoken in her mind to say she was coming soon. She couldn’t wait to hear what comeuppance she’d chosen for the saboteurs.
###
Elise stood by Perdika’s kitchen window looking out into the dimly lit back streets, her mind working. She was aware she’d been away from her post for a while. Chloe had just reached her mind to say Laranon had fixed their little problem. She couldn’t wait to tell her the details when she returned.
Some good news. Finally. Now, what do I do with these two? And I have to make it snappy. I have to get back and serve!
With an exasperated sigh, Elise turned to look at the cook. She was busy frying patties and serving salad for a new order that Takis had taken a minute earlier. Takis was helping her, cutting bread and serving tzatziki in a small plate.
No. I am not going to spoil any of the meals this poor woman has made. I am not going to do anything to risk her losing her job…
Elise knew from her own training, many human years ago, that an angel was allowed to deliver minor punishment without seeking approval from their supervisor, but they had to deliver it strictly to those who deserved it. No other innocent man, woman or child should be affected in any way to cause them any harm.
If I can’t spoil the food, then what can I do? She looked out of the window again, her eyes falling upon the clear night sky. It was so beautiful she got distracted again. So many stars… She amused herself then, thinking how much fun it would be if she could lock Aleka and Takis up in this kitchen and make them mute and blind for a day. She tittered. They’d surely see a few stars if they banged their heads together all day, grunting to each other, as they tried to find a way out. Ooh! That’s an idea!
She’d noticed the fuse box in a corner of the indoor seating area earlier. She went to it and just by thinking it, destroyed all the fuses. Sure enough, the place fell into complete darkness in the blink of an eye.
Aleka, who was sitting outside by the entrance at a table, gave a shriek. ‘Takis?’ she shouted.
‘I am here! In the kitchen!’ he responded.
‘I can’t see!’ Aleka had gone inside, her hands spread out before her as she slowly tried to find her way toward the back. ‘I left my phone on the counter where you are. Can you get it?’
The phones! I forgot the phones! With a single thought, Elise emptied their phone batteries. Aleka’s, Takis’s, and the cook’s too. Surely, that wouldn’t cause the innocent woman any real harm.
‘Where’s your phone exactly? Wait… Ah! I don’t believe it,’ Takis said. ‘My phone battery is dead!’
‘Find my phone! It’s on the counter by the microwave!’ shouted Aleka. She had now reached the corner where the fuse box was.
‘How can I find it in the dark, Aleka? Hello? My mobile is dead!’
‘Where are you?’ she asked.
‘I am here—Argh!’
Takis had had the same thought as she did, to go check the fuse box. It was behind a pillar, in a total blind spot. The street lighting that streamed in feebly didn’t reach it. Takis had just bumped his head against Aleka’s.
‘Careful!’ she said.
‘Sorry, uh… I have a flashlight here somewhere… Wait!’ he said, turning toward a counter nearby.
Elise got swiftly there and made the flashlight roll down to the ground.
‘Oh! I must have bumped it, and it’s now fallen to the ground… Let me try to—Ouch!’
For a second time, they bumped their heads together, seeing that she had bent down just as he did, both trying to get to the flashlight.
Feeling lucky that she could emit sounds without getting heard while in her ethereal form, Elise broke out laughing and made for the front door.
Outside, only three tables were taken. A couple were having drinks, a family of four were finishing off their meal, and another family were just settling down, ready to order.
None of them seemed in the least fased that the restaurant lights had all gone off. Tea lights were flickering on the tables, and the streetlights helped a little to see where you’re going, and to make out other people’s faces, but only just.
Diving behind a pillar at the entrance, she took her visible form in an instant, then went to the newcomers first. No doubt, the two halfwits would remain busy in there for a while longer, looking for the flashlight and trying to get it to work. She had emptied the batteries inside that, too. Still, she had to hurry. She didn’t want them to come out and see her.
She went to the family that had just arrived. ‘Hello. I am really sorry, but we will not be serving tonight because of unforeseeable circumstances beyond our control. Sincere apologies.’
‘But, why?’ asked the man.
‘Some electrical issue. We cannot cook.’
‘But they are eating!’ he said, pointing to the family nearly finishing their meals.
‘Yes, well, they came earlier. We still had electricity then.’
‘Is this a power cut?’ asked the woman. ‘I just thought you were going for a romantic mood tonight.’
‘No, sorry.’
They stood and made to go. ‘We’ll come back another night,’ the woman said, gathering the children to go.
‘Can I recommend Trata two doors down? It’s really nice,’ Elise told them with a mischievous grin. ‘It’s that way! They’re opening tonight. Free dessert for all and live music!’
‘Thank you!’ they all said in unison as they hurried down the steps.
With them gone, Elise went to the other tables, everyone sitting close together, which saved time.
‘Sorry, we are having a technical problem with our power supply, as you can see. And I realise this may sound rude, but can I ask you to leave?’
‘But I am still eating!’ said the woman at one table.
‘And I haven’t finished my cocktail yet!’ said the woman at the other one.
‘I am sorry, We… erm… have received a call. It may be a prank call, we don’t know, but we can’t risk it.’
‘Prank call? Like a bomb threat?’ said a teen girl all dressed in black. She had a nose ring and blue streaks in her hair. She sounded excited about it.
‘Yes, that’s right. The police are on their way. They told us to empty the premises immediately. We apologise for any inconvenience. You don’t have to pay. Everything’s on us.’
Everyone left in a hurry in under ten seconds. Elise gave a long sigh and got to work. Those idiots were still inside, but, from the distance, she could hear them talking in the kitchen about candles and a lighter. She heard them opening and closing drawers in the semi-darkness, and she guessed she didn’t have long.
They had just said goodbye to the cook. Obviously, she’d left through the back door, and they’d let her go early, since the evening was ruined. Good. Makes it easier for me to deliver the rest of the punishment to just the two of you.
Now that the cook was gone it was too late to wish her battery back to full capacity, but it wasn’t too big a deal. Worst thing that could happen to her would be to have to ask a passerby to let her phone her husband to come pick her up.
Elise gave a low whistle, and, just as she’d wished it, the walls at the seating area began to fill with spiders. Spiders of all sizes materialised in every corner, on every surface. In record time, every chair and table at the seating area had been connected to everything else in an intricate web, of, well, spider webs. Thousands of spiders had answered her call, it seemed, to get to work and make this place inaccessible. Spiders were amazing creatures, especially when under angelic influence. Hard workers. And super-fast.
Tiny brown lizards had answered her call too, coming out through cracks in the cement. About a dozen began to slither through the front door of the restaurant, heading inside. And, if Elise had given them instructions clearly enough, they were heading straight to the kitchen.
She stepped back and admired her handiwork for a moment, then came down the steps onto the street, just as Aleka began to wail.
‘ Aaagh ! What is that slimy thing? Eeww ! Is it you? Are you feeling me up? Now? Really?’
‘No, no, it’s not me! Uh! Oh! What’s that?’
‘Help, Takis! Whatever it is, it has many legs, and it’s climbing up my leeeeg !’
Elise laughed out loud. Good! But I am not done just yet... She tapped her chin, then turned around to face the traffic for a few moments. Something caught her eye on the promenade on the other side.
She smirked, then gave another whistle. Four large stray dogs came rushing from the other side of the street where they had been lying curled up under a tree.
As soon as the dogs came to her, she patted each on the head, and they grew sleepy. Guiding them with her mind, they all went to lie on the steps that led up to the restaurant, one dog on each step.
The animals were so big they had taken over the staircase completely, their legs dangling in mid-air over the steps.
‘Good! No more customers for Perdika tonight! Serves you right for sabotaging your neighbour!’ she said, tittering to herself.
And with that, she began to stride back to Trata, whistling a tune. She was still close enough to hear when another shriek from Aleka echoed from inside.
‘ Taaaakiiiss! Come quick! What’s that on my face? Yeuch ! I can’t get out the door! It’s all covered in… What’s that? Ugh ! Spider webs? Eeeeeeeeek !’