Oracle in the Mist by Linda Maree Malcolm Page A

were a family with familial ties.
    Henry and Ina became the natural leaders of the group and it was obvious that there was a great affection between them for on this island all of the differences of their upbringing faded into insignificance.
    The months became years and the children had almost completely forgotten about their other lives. Henry celebrated his twentieth birthday and Ina her nineteenth birthday when something most extraordinary happened.
    A native man with extremely dark skin appeared out of nowhere and spoke to the children in their own language. “Welcome to our island, we would like to meet all of you. The leader of my tribe wishes for you to come tonight to our celebrations and also wishes for you to know that you will come to no harm,” and with that he thumped himself hard on his own chest and disappeared the same magical way that he had come.
    â€œI can’t believe we didn’t know they were here all of this time,” Ina said to Henry.
    â€œThis is incredible,” Henry agreed. “That must be where all of the food’s been coming from all of these years. How have they remained hidden for all of this time?”
    â€œMaybe we haven’t been here for that long at all,” said Johnny and they all looked at him incredulously.
    â€œWell, you heard him. He said, ‘Welcome to the island.’ To him we only just got here,” Johnny made a very valid point.
    â€œWhat are we going to do?” asked Ina, not feeling very sure about meeting the whole tribe.
    â€œWell, I don’t see that we have any choice but to go,” answered Henry, logical as always. “If nothing else we have to go and thank them for sharing their food and this island with us for all of these years.” Ina could see that Henry was convinced and she knew him well enough to know that there was no point trying to change his mind. Her mind immediately went to the appalling state of their clothing. They had all outgrown their one set of clothes each and so had fashioned them into comfortable attire by cutting the legs off pants and sleeves off jumpers and shirts.
    All of their clothes were in tatters and very stained and stiff and faded like old cardboard due to being washed in sea water for so long. Oh well, the natives would just have to accept them even though they looked so bedraggled.
    That night the children made their way to meet the tribe as the man had returned to show them the way. The most astonishing thing about all of this was the fact that an entire village of natives existed right here where all of the children had been playing and frolicking for many years. It was as if a veil, which had now come down, had existed between the children’s and the natives’ world. But the children didn’t question it because by now they were used to all kinds of strange things happening.
    The elder of the tribe turned out to be an old toothless crone who was wearing virtually nothing and was shrunken with age and covered in necklaces of animal teeth. She was very much revered by the other natives. What she said was obeyed and the crowds parted so that she could come forth.
    â€œHenry and Ina?” she said when she saw them and she pointed her stick made of an old bone at them.
    â€œYes, that’s right,” they said in unison.
    â€œWhat do you think?” she asked, using her stick to swirl around her as if referring to the island.
    â€œExcuse me?” asked Henry.
    â€œI say, what do you think, child? Do you like what you have created?” she asked, smiling at them.
    Henry and Ina looked at one another puzzled.
    â€œOh, do you mean the island?” answered Ina, “Oh yes, we really do like living here and thank you so much for giving us all of that food all through the years and I’m terribly sorry for the way we look. We haven’t been able to locate more clothes …”
    â€œClothes don’t matter because now you wear what we