A Wise Fix

“No.”

The look on the mortal’s face was one of shock as Wisdom denied his request. Had he become so used to her kind grovelling at his feet that he could not imagine a such an outcome? And it was not just the human that protested. Her daughters, all reintegrated into her very essence, struggled against their mother’s refusal. It was strange, having parts of herself resist, an internal war of conscience taking place, something that one such as Wisdom would know nothing of, but something she knew others less wise contended with frequently.

The need for her return to the realm of the humans was becoming increasingly clear. It had ceased to be the humans who needed correction, though, but rather her own kind. How had her offspring strayed so far from their purpose? Her mind danced in the memories of her daughters Lust and Desire and found ages of boredom and glut. Humans were nothing more than playthings for them, something they could toy with, tormenting them with their baser natures, before devouring the sexual desperation. Well, it had been that way before their enslavement to this Tim Thompson.

Justice felt different, though. Wisdom’s favourite daughter had always shown a way of understanding her world much more completely than her sisters. What was it that she had done to avoid the degradation that had happened to her sisters? How had her character not eroded?

Balance. Justice understood balance. Lust and Desire understood need, but it gave them no context, no vision outside of their appetites.

“But my sister,” the human complained, his feminine voice taking on a whiny quality, “Justice said she would help with her.”

“The needs of humans are rarely understood," Wisdom said dismissively, resisting the urges from her daughters to speak more deferentially to the mortal, "especially by those who ask for help. You would leap into a rushing river with no knowledge of its depth."

"I can't leave her like this," he argued, "she's..."

"Ensnared by her infatuation," Wisdom didn't let him finish, "My daughters allow me to see it, and it is a perilous desire that she carriers, both for herself and for you. Should my daughter Destiny appear, I am sure she could tell you of a downturn in both your fates."

"Then you can see that..."

"Enough," Wisdom snapped, "I have seen the foundations of this universe lain, I have no need for the advice of a mortal whose very existence is so short it is almost unfathomable. Your problem is true, but your solution is not. I shall provide a solution."

The mortal did not respond, showing prudence in his actions, avoiding Wisdom's ire. Perhaps there was hope for this species after all. She raised her hands and intermingled the powers of her daughters with her own, as she had before their birth. It was a feeling both foreign and familiar. The powers danced on her fingers, feeling the contours around Tim Thompson and his sister, exploring the intermingling, the ties that bound them together. Yes, it was as she suspected. She plucked, the pulled, then pushed.

"There," she spoke, smiling, "Your solution was within reach without a trade. Behold your sister with new eyes."

Tim Thompson turned to his sister, frozen in time. Immediately Wisdom could see the fruit of her labour. His eyes, outlined by dark lines applied by an expert hand, went wide. His mouth, coloured by a glossy red, fell agape.

"How did you..."

"It was a simple unblocking of something my daughters call a "taboo". A treasury of lust and desire for your sister already dwelt in your bosom," Wisdom explained, "Yet it was withheld from your heart by a wall of social convention. My daughters held the tool to unlock your feelings, and now you are free to long for her in the way you had hoped."

She watched as he licked his lips, carnal thoughts for his sibling filling in his mind for the first time, allowing him to see her in new and exciting ways.

"Thank-you," he breathed, "but won't people still think that this is wrong?"

"Yes," Wisdom walked forward and peered into the eyes of the frozen young woman, "For that we will need Justice's intervention. The trade of which you asked," she turned back to Tim, "and one more of which you know nothing. Your need has surpassed your knowledge."

"I don't understand," he said.

"Your understanding is not what is needed," Wisdom said patiently, "My wisdom shall suffice. Now, let us begin."