Tales of Midbar: Religious Intolerance

“We promised her parents we wouldn’t do that!” said River. “So we’re not. Can you think of another way to find the spaceship part? It’s made of the same unusual combination of polymers, alloys and fullerenes as that helmet. How can you use something to find an object that’s made of the same material?”

I knew but it was a psychic power so I didn’t want to say it.

“Dowsing,” said Narim. “We don’t have dowsing rods.”

“You’ve got a map,” said River.

I spread the map out on the wall, the others holding the corners down. I’d seen this done on internet shows but I’d never tried it myself. Concentrating on my helmet, I ran one finger along the left edge and another along the bottom. I felt that there were places where they definitely should be. Then I imagined lines from my fingers, going up and across and saw where they intersected. It was to the east, just past the gate and south of the bridge.

“So you’re psychic,” said Tenenet.

“No.”

“You don’t have to be psychic to dowse,” said River.

I put the map away and then we jumped up onto the wall.

“Be careful where you land!” said River.

Then we jumped down to the ground.

[Midbar has weaker gravity than Earth.]

We made our way through the trees and vines along the short cuts. I led the way, as I already knew them, but River kept telling the others to follow me and keep to the path. The path I took went along some cat walks with some swinging ropes connecting bits of it. There were some spiny Pereskias and Selenicereus growing among the other things. Some Selenicereus were flowering, with their huge, white, fragrant blooms. When I glanced back, I saw that the other kids, particularly the two from out of town, looked a bit scared. I realized that, although the trees and vines still looked spooky in red night, it didn’t bother me anywhere near as much as it had done when I’d first arrived.

We reached the area I’d found by map dowsing. Sure enough, there was a bright red associate, located on a platform on the north side of an old olive tree with lots of associates bound to it.

“Stop!” I said as we approached.

The others stopped behind me.

“What is it?” said Narim.

“Booby traps!” I could see the bright white associates, indicating them. “The spaceship part is on that platform.”

“I’ll get it!” said Narim, rushing forward.

“No!”

Just then, there was an explosion of light.

“That’s a three minute penalty for setting off a booby trap,” said River, “and you’re dead Narim.”

“I tried to warn you,” I said.

With one booby trap gone, it was a fairly easy matter to get past the others and get the spaceship part. It seemed to be some old electrical components stuck together.

We got back to the playground and found Breeze’s team, which included Lishrashic, waiting for us. I found this slightly annoying but not surprising. After all, she knew the Vineyard better than me. I placed my part in the swing set, which was the spaceship. Then we waited for the others, eating some frozen fruit and watching a few meteors fly across the darkening sky as Aleph descended to the western mountains.

Cloud was third and Irvis last. He seemed rather upset about it. I was happy that I’d beaten the boys, who also knew the Vineyard better than me.

Alfter Irvis had put his part on, we climbed on the swings and a spectacular display of magic fireworks went off.

We went to the roof of the main building as Aleph set. There were mattresses and sheets and we found places to lie. As well as the kids; River, Kerdnac, Ice, Stone, Plentary, Lishrashic and Iandris had come up. Dad had gone home.

We set about finding places to lay down to watch the meteors.

“This is where I’m going to get married,” said Breeze, picking up a sheet.

“Who are you going to marry?” asked Tenenet. “Irvis, Eleprin?”

“I know I’m going to marry a man,” I said, “Winemakers are orientationist.”

Oddly I realized as I said it that I was going to marry a man. I knew that the same way that I knew I was important.

“I’m also going to marry a man,” said Breeze.

“It’s more accurate to say that we believe same-sex sexual relationships are sinful,” said Ice. “We also believe that rape and adultery are sinful. A homosexual may become a Winemaker, just as anybody else should be able to but the Trulists won’t let people convert. A homosexual Winemaker should try to control their desires to avoid sin, just as heterosexuals should marry somebody of the opposite sex and be faithful to them or kids shouldn’t eat too much! It is our custom for women in our community to get married up here but we haven’t had a wedding for a long time. Men from here have always got married at their brides’ homes.”

“I could marry a sleg,” said Breeze.

“What’s a sleg?” asked Narim.

“They’re young, male Haprihagfen who haven’t found a community to join yet,” said Ice. “There are a few young women with no communities, they’re called slegmetot. If Breeze becomes a Haprihagfen ...”

“I will!” said Breeze.

“... she’ll be subject to normal Haprihagfen marriage laws. She’ll be able to marry any single, male Haprihagfen who wants to marry her, except for some close relatives.”

“Isn’t that illegal?” asked Iandris.

“I believe you’re talking about a Trulist religious law,” said Ice, “which doesn’t apply to Winemakers.”

We lay down to watch the meteors. It seemed strange to see icy blue things, like very fast moving stars, shooting across the sky in front of Bet. After a while Lishrashic and Iandris left. Plentari told us stories from her people, which didn’t sound like anything I’d heard from Criadria. Stone told us something of his adventures since leaving the Vineyard, although I’m pretty sure some places he claimed to have visited didn’t exist! I didn’t feel as if he was lying but I think that was because he was trying to amuse us rather than trick us. Ice had tails of her youth, when the last Vineyard magis had still been alive. These also sounded rather far fetched.

I came out the washroom and found Iandris leaning against the wall, she had a strange smile.

“Hey want to see something interesting?” she asked.

“Well?” I said. I was tired and didn’t want to miss any good meteors.

“Come on! It will be fun!” She smelt strongly of wine and she pretty much pulled me out the front of the building. “You’ll have an adventure your friends didn’t. Don’t you want to outdo Breeze! You might even find that secret you’re looking for.”

I couldn’t help thinking about the last time somebody had taken me for an adventure. I was also surprised that she knew that I was trying to find the Haprihagfen’s secret.

Iandris led, well more dragged, me away from the building, northward, towards the shrine. She was laughing and saying how much fun it would be. She was carrying a small electric lamp so we could see.

Then we met Lishrashic, who also had a lamp, and he took over, also smiling and saying that this would be fun. Iandris stayed on the edge of the trees north of the Mokom Goyai.

“Where are we going?” I asked.

“To the shrine. There’s something interesting there.”

“Can’t we see it some other time?”

“Then it won’t be special.”

We came to the shrine and Lishrashic led me to the doors beside the altar. “Can you open these?”

“No.”

“Ever tried?”

“No.”

“Then how do you know you can’t? Iandris told me how well you did with that game. This is where that secret is hidden.”

I looked at the doors. The feel of Yoho’s presence was strongest here and I found it uncomfortable. I knew that he knew I was really a Trulist.

“I think if you relax and try to let the feelings inside you,” said Lishrashic.

I knew that. I didn’t really want to. I tried feeling the doors with my mind. Love. Disapproval. Concern. “Sorry Yoho,” I thought. “I don’t like pretending to be a Winemaker but I have to.” Would Lishrashic know I wasn’t a real Winemaker if I couldn’t open the doors?