The story won't be finished at 50k, I don't think. I need about another 5k to wrap it up.
excerpt:
When they had a moment of relative privacy, Moa’qi allowed himself a small congratulation. “Two wild cards came through there, Sylk. The Sacred One, and Steropé. Very nicely it did play. This afternoon we see if our plans bear fruit.
“Go see your mother. She will be looking for you.”
On the trip back to his hut, he found his mother walking along, talking to Gwadi. He greeted them, hugging his mother and smiling at Gwadi. His mother was congratulating Gwadi on her nomination of The Herbalist, but asked, “Do you think this will heal the rift?”
“No, it is just a start. But all things take time. Rushing things only spoils them. I should know.” She turned to Sylk, “How you holding up? Must seem odd being nominated…” She let it hang there, seeing if he would take the bait.
“I’m as surprised as anyone. Frankly, it seems to be to be a wasted nomination. No one is going to vote for a man barely out of trial for First Chair. I have no track record, no influence, no – credibility.”
Gwadi scanned his face, looking for clues as to his mindset. She was unable to find any, and this caused her to comment, “Maybe, maybe not. You are more assured than you should be. Which means you know something, or are very composed.”
She smiled at Anuncia, “Pardon on old cheese making fool. I’m just very used to looking at things and judging their readiness. He’s readier than most would suspect.” With that she turned down the path leading to her hut, and Sylk and Anuncia walked on, arm in arm. They did not talk, the time for talking was through. They walked alone with their thoughts, each with a concern about the upcoming vote, and the aftermath. They would just have time for a midday snack, and then it would be back to the deciding hut for the separate evaluations, and the vote.
Anuncia prepared a simple meal of bread and cheese, and they washed it down with water. Sylk then changed into less worn, more appropriate garments, a kind of cover up over his chest, and a longer more concealing breechclout. Suitably attired, he joined his mother, who he noted had taken time to change into a red and orange wrap, with flashes of green. He stopped and stared, trying to determine if it was just coincidence. “Come along, Sylk. What are you gawking at?”
“Mother, I have not seen that wrap before. But it reminds me of something from my trial. Where did you get it?”
Her eyes distant, Anuncia replied, “Your father designed it and had it made after his trial. He kept it until we married, then he presented it to me.”
‘After his trial?’, thought to himself. “Mother, who did Father’s Stand and Watch?”
“Jedediah himself.”
Sylk was quiet after this, his mind whirling through the possibilities. Their arrival at Center Village crowded out all other thoughts, and he collected himself, went inside to center stage, and took his former seat. Steropé came in and Sylk noted that she had also dressed for the occasion. She came up to him, shook his hand, and complimented his garb. Suddenly feeling flush, Sylk stammered a response, noting that she was very pretty. That was not what he meant to say, it had just come out, and was reduced to just sitting there looking up at her foolishly. Steropé laughed and thanked him, said she didn’t know he had noticed, turned away and, was that an exaggerated wiggle?, took her seat at the opposite end.
Sylk didn’t really notice anyone else coming in, he just sat staring at the dirt in front of him. He barely got through the reconvening of the Deciding Hut, and allowed himself to just be carried along with the flow of the events. He did not actually fully return mentally to the Deciding Hut until his name was called to go into one of the chambers off the main stage.
Single file, The Muktai filed off center stage and entered the first alcove. Sylk followed, trying to bring his head back into the game. He focused on listening with his feet, and identifying the various players of note within and without the hut. Strange, Moa’qi was not in the Deciding Hut. This revelation snapped his mind to where he was, and the plans unfolding even now. He caught sign of his Mentor on the edge of the village, coming in to the Hut. Where had he been off to? Sylk was now angry at himself, and sent his memory racing, trying to determine where his Mentor had gone, and when.
Bitterly, he realized that he had been so caught up with Steropé that he had no memory. Filing this fact away, he focused on being where he was now. All The Muktai took their seats, and Sylk stood front and center.
The Muktai that had summoned him after his nomination began The Query. “Sylk, why were you nominated?”
No comments:
Post a Comment