Tales of Midbar: Secret Priest

Dwendra sat there staring at Dad as if she was trying to set fire to him with her mind, and I have heard of anavim who could do that to people. Then she said, “Thou claimeth to worship Yoho but, contrary to his teachings, thou maketh him one of many gods and defileth prostitutes in his temple. How canst thou sayeth that ist truth? Winemakerism art just what some anavim told people about Yoho’s avatar, how art that the truth?”

“I think you now know there’s some stuff most people don’t know about that,” I said.

During our teleportation training, we’d been told Yoho’s avatar had lived in Malchut, the Earth sephir in Tom’s universe, where the nuclear war had not happened, and anavim from there had spread the news throughout the Earth sephirot and then to human colonies off Earth. The anavim who’d brought the news to Midbar had come from a universe where humans had left Earth after Yoho’s avatar had come.

“That is why I say it’s just symbolic,” said Dad, “nobody knows the truth. For all any of us know, this,” he waved his arms around to indicate everything, “is a huge illusion or computer simulation. It just causes trouble arguing about it.”

“I knoweth forgotten things from long ago. This includes a great Benai Nibeyim secret. That art the best way to show them I knoweth the truth but this doth requireth them for to remembereth the secret. Clearly Yoldasia knoweth at least some of it but wouldst not listeneth unto me.”

“I think we need to get more information about Benai Nibeyim,” said Dad. “How exactly are you connected with them?”

“I don’t think she can answer that without revealing some secrets you’re not supposed to know,” I said.

“My parents wert part of the organization but turned against them,” said Dwendra. “Therefore my information art rather out of date.”

“You’re only, what, sixteen?” asked Dad. “So the information can’t be that out of date.”

“They turned against the Benai Nibeyim a long time ago, I canst not telleth thou how long.”

“Could I speak to your parents?”

“They art dead,” Dwendra seemed suddenly sad about that although her relationship with her parents clearly hadn’t been very good.

“Sorry,” said Dad. “I suppose we should start with the most cooperative Benai Nibeyim we can find. Most groups have a weak link. What about Narblo or Miandri?”

“The adulterous katcheyim,” said Dwendra.

“So Clindar says,” said Dad, “but they don’t actually remember what happened.”

“It’s hard getting a straight answer out of Miandri,” I said. “Also she knows some Old Magic and she’s been at least partly equipped and Narblo is definitely a mage so that could be dangerous if they don’t like our questions.”

“Miandri probably doesn’t know much either,” said Dad. “Narblo would be more useful. There’s also the possibility of getting information about Benai Nibeyim from Haprihagfen although they’re not allowed to cooperate.”

“They canst helpeth me,” said Dwendra.

“That’s the loophole is it?” asked Dad. “Can I speak to my son in private for a few moments?”

When Dwendra had left the room, Dad said, “I’m having doubts about her sanity.”

“So did I when we first met. She isn’t as mad as she seems and I know things about her I’m not allowed to tell you.”

“I’m having very serious doubts about this Benai Nibeyim stuff.”

“There’s the whole your family being Benai Nibeyim along with Yoldasia and Narblo. Dwendra has information about the organization breeding psychics, particularly anavim. I think we need to find out what’s really going on, even if we can’t present it in court.”

“I suppose you have a point but be careful, these people are dangerous.”

“Yoldasia’s already said I’ll never be able to do anything much. Can I really afford to ignore something like that?”

“Where is Dwendra living?”

“I don’t know.”

Dad stared at me with his hands flat on his desk and I realized he knew this wasn’t exactly true. I couldn’t tell him she was staying in dog houses of different beitim in various sephirot.

“She’s staying with some friends,” I said, evasively.

Dad called Dwendra back in and said, “I think we should start by finding out what Haprihagfen are willing to tell you. Also Dwendra, you’re an orphan so I was wondering where you’re living.”

“Oh, I, hath some friends I stayeth with.”

“How would you like to stay with us?” asked Dad. “I think Miandri’s moving out and the police will finish investigating her room soon. Until then, you can sleep in Attan’s room and Attan can share Clindar’s room. Also, it may force Clindar’s mother and Miandri and her mother to explain why they don’t like you and if Miandri does stay, it would help complicate her plans, assuming she is part of some conspiracy.”

“It looks as if we shalt be seeing much of each other in the near future,” said Dwendra as we walked down the stairs.

I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. I wasn’t really over Miandri, I was definitely starting to like Dwendra and wasn’t sure if it was just the “rebound” thing people sometimes spoke about. Also I knew she was still determined to marry a Yohoist priest and had a nasty suspicion she might find a way to do that. I suppose she could marry and get impregnated by a priest before the Cataclysm and teleport into the future when pregnant but she either hadn’t thought of that or thought there was a better option.

“I didn’t know he was going to do that,” I said.

“I wilt needeth a better cover story if I am to stayeth with thou. I believeth we must journeyeth unto Minris.”

“Why there?”

“Benai Nibeyim art a powerful organization, Miandri hath magic and Narblo art a mage, as ist Miandri’s mother and we might encountereth other Benai Nibeyim magi. We wilt needeth magic and there art a young magis in Minris who needeth practice. Tom didst thinketh magic wouldst preventeth him from returning unto his universe but I doubt he canst get off Midbar and I hath no reason for to travel unto the Malchut universe.”

“Mum also has a nasty artifact that makes you feel tired and miserable. Minris is at a greater altitude but there’s a train.”

We stopped going down the stairs, turned and faced each other and held hands.

We came out the toilets of Taunbrit bus station. This was located near the lake, which was noteworthy for having picturesque buildings on stilts over it. We were really only interested in catching a bus to Minris, which was still at a considerably higher altitude.

“Would this be a goodly place for to purchaseth some clothing?” asked Dwendra, pointing to a large store across a bridge over the edge of the lake.

“I don’t know. I think this place is rather touristy so things tend to be a bit more expensive.”

Dwendra looked at me. I knew she’d made a lot of money from selling antique artifacts.

“Perhaps we should find the magis first.”

“Ist that not her?”

I saw where she was pointing. Two women, or perhaps teenage girls, were walking into the store, one had short dark hair and the other red hair in a bun. This was so unusual she had to be the Vineyard magis.