Page 60 of The Broken Mirror
“Hey, that was quite a wake-up call,” the voice says.
Filomena gasps. “Did that really work?”
“I’m here, aren’t I? You bet it worked! You got skills, girl!”
“I can’t believe this! I’m Filomena, by the way.” She bows slightly.
“I know!”
From below, Jack calls, “Filomena, who are you talking to up there?”
Filomena leans over the edge of the loft, waving the mirror around. “It worked! Guys, it worked! We made a talking mirror!”
“Whoa, whoa,” the mirror says. “Getting a little motion sickness here!”
“Sorry.” Filomena laughs. “I didn’t realize you’d feel that.”
Downstairs, Jack wakes the rest of the League of Seven from their power naps, and everyone gathers to figure out the next move. Introductions are made to the talking mirror, whose name, they are informed, is Ira Glassman.
“Ira Glassman, I’m Filomena Jefferson-Cho. Pleased to meet you,” says Filomena politely.
“Can you, like, see us?” Alistair says, staring into the mirror’s face.
“Yeah, of course. What do you think I’m looking at right now?”
“But what about now?” Alistair turns the mirror facedown on the table.
“Alistair!” Filomena turns Ira faceup. “That’s so rude.”
“Sorry, just trying to figure out the mechanics. We’ve never had a talking mirror before!”
“I’m not just any talking mirror,” Ira says. “I’m a cool talking mirror.”
They all laugh.
“Add this to your list of inventions, girl genius,” Gretel says, bumping Rosie’s shoulder.
“This was all Filomena,” Rosie says demurely.
“No way! I’d have never known what Zera was talking about without you. This is a total collaboration.”
“So now that we have the mirror, what exactly is the plan, Fil?” Jack asks.
In all the commotion of actually successfully creating a talking mirror, Filomena forgot to tell them about her plan and why they need a talking mirror in the first place.
“Right.” Filomena launches into her idea. “So we know that, because of that announcement, all of Never After is now under the impression that we’re a bunch of delinquents who don’t take anything seriously. But what the prime minister and the ogres aren’t anticipating isushaving a way to communicate with all the other talking mirrors in Never After.”
Everyone’s nodding along and listening. A conspiratorial smile creeps onto Jack’s face.
“I think we need to give an official announcement of our own,” Filomena finishes.
Though she fights it for a while, eventually the League of Seven decides it should be Filomena who gives the announcement. After all, she is the one who created thetalking mirror and came up with the plan, and she’s the only one of them who was directly snubbed in the prime minister’s announcement.
Filomena now stands in front of Ira, who Rosie is holding up. Gretel’s done Filomena’s hair and outfit to look “especially regal.” The League of Seven stands behind Rosie, facing Filomena, for support. Alistair is at the ready, holding signs written with the script in case Filomena forgets what she’s supposed to say. That was Gretel’s idea; she said Filomena would be just like a talk show host. Filomena is the only one who knew what she was talking about.
“You ready, kid?” Ira says. “Just say when and I’ll annoy my brethren and show up on the other talking mirrors.”
Jack gives her a thumbs-up from over Rosie’s shoulder.
