Part IV | Magic Hours | The Teapot of Sagittarius | A Midsummer's Eve
"Second star to the right and straight on 'til morning."
- Peter Pan's directions to Neverland for Wendy
In "Peter Pan" by J.M. Barrie
~
Zoe picked up another piece of mail off the small table in the Alcove Room. This time of year, the Alcove window was decorated in pale rose and pink flowers with a flowering bloom of pink roses and mums draped down the right side of the window. Zoe stood reading the letter in front of the Alcove Window while Levi snacked on a roasted hen leg and Hazel finished cleaning out her Travel Pack. Finn was inspecting Levi's IPS Unit and Ruby was taking a nap in the corner.
Levi looked at Finn with the IPS Unit and wondered aloud,
"What is the time on the Dragonfly Clock Finn?"
Finn didn't respond at first, but then all of a sudden, the IPS Unit's screen lit up a bright neon blue.
"It doesn't say anything yet." Finn responded.
"Just a sec..." Finn stared fixedly at the screen. The IPS Unit flashed blue again and the time and location emerged in black letters.
"According to the IPS Unit it's 2:12PM and we've been here at the Phantom City for just over two days."
Levi turned to Zoe who was still going through the mail,
"What does the letter say?"
Zoe started to read:
The Bavarian Ball
"If you are otherwise lost on a starry night, follow the Great Rift of the Milky Way through the constellation Cassiopeia and find the Summer Triangle asterism. Let Lyra's Harp, the Cygnus Swan and the Altair Star escort you to the Teapot of Sagittarius and there you will find a Magic Lamp in a Bavarian Flower Garden, along with its Keeper."
~
The Bavarian Flower Garden
In a Bavarian Flower Garden, a Magic Lamp emitted steam as the Teapot Constellation or the Teapot of Sagittarius and Madame Pink Tea waited at the tea table in the garden for her guests to arrive.
~
Levi, Zoe, Hazel, Finn and Ruby left the White Castle and arrived for tea at the Bavarian Flower Garden in the late afternoon shortly before Midsummer's Eve. They were met at the Palace entrance by a butler and escorted into the Flower Garden where Madame Pink Tea waited for them at the Garden's Tea Table. Madame Pink Tea stood up in greeting and beckoned for the travelers to join her at the Tea Table. After pouring everyone a cup of bright pink Hibiscus Berry Tea, Madame Pink Tea explained to Levi and Zoe, "Under exceptionally good conditions, the Milky Way Galaxy appears as steam coming from the spout of this Teapot. The Teapot's steam floats up toward the Galactic Center every time we have guests for tea."
"Why yes!" Zoe exclaimed. We understand! We are also wondering about the Teapot's Keeper?"
"Oh yes." Madame Pink Tea said, "These flowery notes were left here for you." She reached into her basket and handed each of them a pink, flowery note card with a message written on it. Ruby looked at her pink flowery note and it read:
~
The heart,
like the mind,
has a memory.
And in it are kept
the most precious keepsakes.
- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Notes:
{1} https://earthsky.org/tonight/gaze-toward-galactic-center/
{2} https://earthsky.org/tonight/summer-triangle-predominates-during-the-summer-seaso/
{3} "Marie Antoinette Playing A Shepherdess"on Etsy shop Meant To Bee Creative