4f: Sofonisba Centipedes

Past the floating chains of islands,
Past the drifting groundless forests,
Past the rushing deep-space rivers,
Past the fiery motes of starstuff,
Sailed the spaceship, Kiss of Fortune
On an epic quest for turnips.

Past the flocks of feathered space-fish,
Past the drifting mindless jellies,
Past the spaceship-snaring spiders,
Past the turtles on migration,
Sailed the spaceship, Kiss of Fortune
On an epic quest for turnips.

Past the wrecks of iron dreadnoughts,
Past the lairs of dreaming dragons,
Past the shim'ring astral portals,
Past the ruined demon temples,
Sailed the spaceship, Kiss of Fortune
On an epic quest for turnips.

On the evening of the fifth day,
there arose a sudden wind-gust:
Kiss of Fortune pitched and toppled,
turned and nearly capsized over,
almost smashed into an island
by the fearsome blast of space-wind.

But the rookie crew's quick thinking,
and a burst of frenetic effort,
stopped disaster, only barely,
and the ship and valiant sailors
tied up to a verdant island
full of giant toxic space-bugs.

Soon they found themselves in combat
with a horde of fearsome hunters:
centipedes of mindless hunger
rushing, swarming, all-consuming,
with their giant poison pincers
that would paralyze and eat you.

But the women fought them bravely,
though it was their first encounter
as a team in line of battle.
Fought them with their varied talents:
all for one, and one for all, with
growing teamwork, growing cunning.

Captain Ra fal, bold and cunning,
fighting with her blood-red paddle,
roaring, smashing, yelling tactics.
Gladys Joyjuice, body-builder:
fighting with her sword and potions,
right in front to shield her comrades.

Tsinta woodborn, fae-touched mystic,
fighting with her beams of starlight,
and the fury of a savage.
Sofonisba, arcane archer,
fighting with her mystic longbow,
and, when needed, with her rapier.

Mabellyne, the master tinker,
fighting with her crafty crossbow,
and the calmness of a scholar.
Bright young Mary, fearless princess,
fighting with her family heirlooms:
scimitar and mica armor.

All though evening, all through morning
they were fighting, or were stalking
for the fearsome toxic foe-beasts,
for they knew that, on this island,
other people might be stranded
and those people needed safety.

After all the foes were vanquished,
it was time for celebration.
time for all to join in feasting,
feasting on the vanquished foe-beasts.
All were gathered, all were working
on the victory barbecuing.

Three there were who claimed the knowledge
of the proper ways of cooking.
Three there were who sought to claim the
title of the chief pit mistress:
Sofonisba Anguissola,
Mabellyne, and also Tsinta.

Through the day, and through the evening
all were smoking, all were basting,
all were carving, all were turning.
All were using all their cunning
all their knowledge, all their wisdom,
on the task of meat perfection.

And when all were done with cooking,
then the meat was served and tasted.
In the end, there was one victor
only one who claimed the title:
Sofonisba Anguissola,
chosen queen of barbecuing!

Next (Mary)