Under a Starless Sky

Chapter 83

The group sat in the great hall. There were many on the circle, many more around the circle. Shen was

at the 12 o’clock position, lotus posture, holding a baby. TL was appropriately looking at whoever was

speaking, following the conversation- yet, was also holding a private conversation with Shen. A storm

of a debate raged around them, varying in intensity from rain to full out thunderous wind. All babies

were held. Toddlers were free to roam. Some babies were nursing.

‘You’re in a good mood,’ TL said.

‘Yeah, why not?’ Shen asked.

‘How far back do you track it?’ TL asked.

Shen concentrated. He became puzzled. “I don’t know. I haven’t been tallying.” His smiled deepened. ‘I

have actually been happy for a while.’ He frowned. ‘I don’t understand it. It’s not earned. I haven’t done

anything.’

‘Oh, you’ve done a lot,’ TL said.

‘Such as?’ Shen asked.

‘You’ve been living your life,’ TL said. ‘You created a community.’

‘You had as much to do with that as I, if not more,’ Shen said.

‘Have you ever considered what the number one thing all abusers have in common?’ TL said. The

question brought Shen’s eyes to her’s- what a weird way to begin a proposition. Her eyes met his on all

planes, physical, mental, and emotional. Her comment seemed out of place. He didn’t see a connection

with anything they were doing. It didn’t mean there wasn’t a connection, as AI personality could make

some wildly obscure connections and line them up logically, but he didn’t even see a leaping point. His

inner mind was silent as he waited for the connection to arrive. When he didn’t answer, TL filled the in

the blank. ‘They isolate people. You want to control someone, you isolate them from others. You control

who they interact with, what they see and hear, what they read. People who were abused tend to

isolate themselves from others. People who are depressed tend to isolate. People who are sick,

physically or mentally, they get isolated. People who are bullied get isolated- first by the people

harassing them, second by the immediate group who are not wanting to associate with the perceived

‘weakness’ that resulted in the bullying, and then lastly by the person being bullied- themselves-

believing they are unworthy. You created a community. You let people in. You allow for a freedom of

discourse. Everyone here has a voice.’

‘I let ghost in,’ Shen said.

‘Ghosts are people,’ TL said.

‘I let Irks in,’ Shen said.

‘Animals are people,’ TL said. “Any act of acceptance is love. You let people in. You let love in. We

have created a place where people can come and love and grow and discover their own boundaries.

There are good people here. That’s a reflection of you.’

Shen looked at the baby. He perceived a connection, made a face at the baby. Baby mirrored. ‘And

now I am being called away.’

TL gave him a hug. ‘Are you worried?’

‘I should be,’ Shen agreed. ‘Every time God spoke to someone in the Bible, something bad happened

to them.’

‘He was a tough employer,’ TL said.

‘Maybe mother will be easier,’ Shen offered.

“Based on your relationship with your mother?’ TL asked.

‘Probably shouldn’t go there,’ Shen said.

‘How about the archetypal mother?’ TL asked.

‘I was told not to fool with her,’ Shen said.

‘How about the song ‘Mother,’ by Police,’ TL asked.

‘Oh, that would be synchronicity,’ Shen said, laughing out loud. ‘That would bother me.’ Now the song

was in his head and he gave a cross look to TL. ‘You know I hate that song. It reminds me of that one,

‘they’re coming to take me away’ by Napoleon XIV…’

The debate was interrupted. Jerica hit the back of his head. “Are you paying attention?”

“Ow. Yes,” Shen said. Everyone was looking at him. “No. Sort of. Not so much. I think Arne and Orton

want to take ships and take Sinter by force. The Valkyries seem in alignment with that. Dragon clan

wants to storm Sinter from the sky. You, and the wives, are clearly bias, as you want me to remain

here…”

“Mother has spoken. If she wanted us to go to war, that would have been clear in the directive,” Ili said.

Ili, who had surrendered her positioned of village seer to the next called, had retired to Shangri-La. She

had been listening to the debate. She had been trying to hold her tongue, as she was not an authority

here. She was the oldest in the community and by default an authority here. She held her youngest

granddaughter, Arne and Aslog newest clan member.

“He isn’t going to just walk to Sinter,” Imly said.

“No. He will have to go through normal channels,” Ili said. “He will go to West Midelay and request

passage.”

“They’ll kill him on sight,” Jerica said.

“They cannot. He is protected by Mother,” Ili said.

“Forever?” Ciara asked.

“Until he has accomplished mother’s task,” Ásdís said.

“And what is that?” Þuríður asked.

“Go to Sinter,” Shen said.

“And then what?” Jerica asked.

“Prophesy against them,” Shen said. “Then come home.”

“They will fucking kill you,” Jerica said.

“We take Sinter by force with Dragons and ships,” Ashly said.

“That wasn’t the directive,” Ili said.

“It wasn’t not the directive,” Ashly said. “Go to Sinter and let it rain ash. That’s prophesy enough for

me.”

“They intended for us to be ash,” Imly said, referring to the missile strike. People understood the death

from tech.

“And someone intervened,” TL said.

“Something intervened,” Calypso said. She was present in the town hall meeting. So was Rock. He

was online so much anymore, thanks to the demands of the Valkyries, he had lighted full sentience.

“Mother?” Shen asked.

“Who is mother?” TL asked.

“May I?” Ili asked.

Arne looked at her. “Wow. I don’t think I’ve ever heard you ask to speak…” Aslog glared at him.

“What?”

Ili touched Arne fondly, not offended. “I am merely a guest here.”

“Technically, you’re first wife,” Jerica said.

There was laughter. Shen said “yeah, we’re Harold and Maude,’ to which TL laughed, a genuine,

surprised laughed, followed by snorting.

TL recovered. “Second,” TL said. “I am first.”

“We should have a competition,” Shen said.

“In your fucking dreams,” Jerica said.

“I am in,” Imly said.

“I’d compete for that,” Ili said.

“You don’t have to compete,” Rock said. “He and I’d give it up for you.”

“I love you, too,” Ili said.

“Ili, tell us about mother,” TL said.

Ili nodded, collected herself and her deepest thoughts- it was a collection of sacredness, reverence-

her face relaxed and the wrinkles seemed to go away as she accessed something deep in her- it if she

was engaging in a ritual even though the only movement was to hug her granddaughter. By the time Ili

spoke, all the children in the room had grown attentive- the transformation and energy in the room was

that palpable. “Her name is Moa…”

“Mother of All,” Shen said.

The fact that he had interrupted Ili had drawn the silent wrath of several of his wives, and some in the

outer circles. Ili was not offended. TL and Shen shared silent revelation, as Moa had been an

encounter in one of their past travels.

“She has many names. I am particularly fond of Eloah. She is the One that became many, yet remains

One,” Ili said. “She is the guiding light that directs all activities. She is the darkness from which we are

borne. She is the first One. She is the last One. She is every One in between. Few hear her voice, but

her heart light touches us all. We go where she calls. We are returned to her when we are complete.” Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!

“Are we ever complete?” Þuríður asked.

Ili chuckled. “Completion in incompletion. Perfection in imperfection. In truth, there is no darkness. All is

light. Close your eyes- you are not seeing darkness, you are seeing the light that permeates you’re

entire being. It is the light that permeates all reality. It is the one ocean. It is the one heartbeat we all

hear. The heartbeat we return to when our hearts quiet.”

Shen tried to grapple with darkness was light with eyes closed. TL translated- ‘you see with your brain,

not your eyes. Your brain is always on. Imagine a television screen, power on, but no signal- that black

is not true black, not off, it’s a dark light…’In truth, Shen had never been in the dark- he had just failed

to see.

“Eloah, singular form of God. Feminine. In the beginning, Elohim created us,” Shen said. “They created

us like them, male and female.”

“The first people,” Ili said.

“Am I going to die?” Shen asked.

“Yes,” Ili said.

“You don’t know that,” Jerica said.

“That is part of the contract for this world,” Ili said.

“No,” Jerica said.

Shen touched Jerica’s knee. He looked at the floor. He looked at the baby. He finally came up to eye

level. “It was never my intention to stay here, in this world. I am invested. If going to Sinter ends

hostilities and allows for us to be peaceful together, then that is what I will do.”

“No,” Jerica said.

“Mother has called, I am going,” Shen said. “That is it.”

“That is not it! You have obligations here,” Jerica said. “To more than one. You are needed.”

“You love me,” Shen said.

“Yes,” Jerica said.

He put an arm around her and pulled her into him. She put her head on his shoulder.

“I love you, too,” Shen said.

“Then don’t go,” Jerica said.

“Every one of you here would give your life for the other, for your children, for your family,” Shen said.

“We would give ourselves for you,” Jerica said.

“I believe you,” Shen said. “So, allow me to do the same for you, for my children, for my families, for my

village.”

“I am afraid,” Jerica said.

“That’s normal,” Shen said. “So am I.”

“Then don’t go…”

“It’s decided,” Arne said. “Shen is an adult. He has been called and he is answering that call. We will

walk with him to Midelay in the morning.”

“And deliver him to his fate?!” Jerica asked.

“He will go to his fate or his fate will come to him,” Ili said. “Allow a man to walk.”

Jerica stood up. She took the baby from Shen. “If you love me, you will stay.”

“I wish you wouldn’t bind me so,” Shen said.

Jerica left the circle. No one spoke as she left the hall.

“Sister Wives, please join her,” Shen requested. The others got up, each touched him, and departed to

be with their sister. When they were gone, Shen continued speaking. “This is not going to be easier by

morning. I am going to leave now.”

“You should wait for morning,” one of the Valkyries said.

“Day or night, the Forest’s Dark is my road. I will meet their Light before the day’s light,” Shen said.

“You will not go alone,” Imly said.

“Oh, he will not,” Arne assured her.

“Night Sisters, we walk!” Imly announced.

Shen took TL’s hand.

“I’ll go with you as far as I can,” TL assured him.