$(document).ready(function() { 
   var slides = $("#slides .slide").length;
   var rand = Math.floor(Math.random()*slides);
   
   $("#slides").prepend('<a class="prev" href="#">Previous</a><a class="next" href="#">Next</a>').cycle({
        timeout: 6000,
        speed: 1000,
        fx: "fade",
        slideExpr: ".slide",
        prev: ".prev",
        next: ".next",
        startingSlide: rand
    });    
});