Queen Merinda paced her solarium, worrying about the impending war with the neighboring kingdom of Sith. Her husband, King Arithon, had confided in her the desperate need for gold to pay troops of mercenaries. If the cause was to be fought, she needed to find a way to that gold.

Her jewels would never be enough, though she was more than willing to part with them if it meant being able to ease her King's mind. So, where else could she find the necessary funds? Her pacing gained momentum as she pondered the problem.

"Perhaps I'll try using my focus crystal to see if I can reach the Oracle of Pith. Maybe she'll have some worthy advice for me," Meranda thought.

She unwrapped her crystal, extinguished a few of the candles, and cleared her thoughts. Deep in a trance she finally felt a presence. This presence, seen in her mind as a swirling mist, felt very different from the way the Oracle usually felt, but who else could it be?

"Oh Oracle of Pith, I implore you. Please help me to divine a way to help my lord husband, the King, to realize the gold he needs to make this campaign work," she beseeched.

The mist grew colder, and thicker; too thick. A voice answered her, yet it was not the voice of the Oracle. This voice was deeper, slimier, decidedly nastier. Yet, again, who else could it be?

"My Lady, I have heard your dilemma, and I may have the solution for you. There's a miner in town who has spoken of a wealth of gold to be mined in the hills where the dragons reside. He has need of coin to hire the workers to mine the gold. With that coin, he claims he could finance the war. I've seen this mine, and my augury has shown much glitter, which tells me there is indeed gold. Listen to me. With your jewels, he could bring forth riches beyond your wildest dreams. You could support the King's efforts with ease," this evil voice whispered.

"Oh, Oracle, we are in such dire need. Are you sure he's of legitimate background? Does he have the necessary tools to accomplish this feat? I fear there are many questions needing answers before I can judge the honesty of this fellow. Is there something I can do to get these answers?" Merinda implored.

"Alas, no. You must take my word for it. He is an enterprising fellow, and he has begun a new company of men to carry out this venture. It is still too new a venture to have any proven record, so you simply must take my word for it." This voice, which could only belong to The Whisper, that evil, incorporeal fiend, coaxed and cajoled in his inimitable way, while Queen Merinda stared, completely lost to the mist.

A knock at her door threw her clear from her trance. "Oh, bother. Just when I was sure to get the information I needed." She went to the door in a huff.

Merinda swept open the door to find none other than Motley, the court Fool. Dressed in his usual manner of wildly colored clothes with bells at crown and foot, he smiled brightly for his Lady Queen.

"Please, come in, Motley. I've just finished a scrying, and have reached, I believe, the Oracle of Pith. Now, mind you, she didn't sound her usual self, yet I'm quite sure it was her. Odd, though, her voice was almost masculine, and slippery. I don't recall ever experiencing such vileness in her in past scryings," Merinda mused aloud.

"Ah, Lady Merinda. I know of this venture, and I know of this oily voice. It was not the Oracle of Pith, it was The Whisper, that fiend from beyond this plane, no doubt meaning to cause you confusion. I'm here to warn you. There should be a way for you to find out more about this new enterprise. Any new company seeking funds from the people offers information. You just need to know where to look," Motley informed her. "But, with this being a mining project, the prospects should be obvious, don't you think?" Motley teased.

"Riddles? Fool, I haven't the time for riddles. What are you trying to tell me? Speak plainly!" the Queen begged.

"If you just think, the possibilities will come," Motley said in his most infuriatingly cryptic way.

Still swirling within the mist the Lady hadn't entirely dissipated, The Whisper was furious. He knew that this Fool would spoil his fun. Again. And he'd almost had the Lady right where he wanted her. Now she would most likely guess what it was she should be looking for.

What is it that the Lady Merinda should be requesting?

1) A balance sheet

2) Minutes to a shareholders meeting

3) A prospectus

4) A tombstone (with pepperoni, please)

Enter your selection in the field to the lower right, and get immediate feedback on the answer!

Answer: 3 A prospectus.

"My Lady, every new company must have a prospectus stating what the company will be doing, where their finances are, its business history, and any other proof of legitimacy they have as to the validity of their claim. While a prospectus isn't a guarantee, it will give you more information as to the reasoning, and proof, of the claims this miner has made. Only with this information can you make an educated decision," the Fool informed Merinda.

"Oh, Motley, you always seem to know just what's needed for any given situation. It's no wonder the King keeps you about him," said Merinda, feeling very relieved.

"Drat," the Whisper lamented. "That interfering Fool has done it again. I think perhaps it's time to weave a few spells to rid myself of this nemesis. Ah, well, there's always next time." And with that, the mist broke, and he was off to find new quarry for his evil little schemes.

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