Dane could barely contain her excitement when she saw the invitation. Ornately lettered on the finest paper, it requested the presence of Simon S'chn T'gai (and that of his wife) at the 134th Classical Arts Banquet in Washington D.C. This was hardly Simon's first call to a high social function, but this time it did not conflict with either of their busy schedules.
They arrived at the old capital on a wintry evening. Dane wore a salmon-colored gown that blended nicely with Simon's clothing. Though the invitation called for formal attire, he chose to dress in the cream robe of a Yanashite priest, complete with green cape. It took courage for him to stand out, but in matters concerning the Shiav, he was absolutely fearless.
While Dane keenly felt her youth among the many gray-haired luminaries, Simon seemed relaxed and confident. All evening, their fellow guests approached him on musical and religious matters, fawned over him, and shook his hand repeatedly—a trial that he bore with patience, despite his continuing aversion to germs.
Later that night, he was quite certain that he would fall ill. As soon as they arrived home, he swallowed a heavy dose of an immune system booster and headed for the shower.
As he was settling into bed, Dane said to him, "You always talk about trusting God. Why don't you trust him to keep you healthy?"
Simon looked at her with surprise, for she seldom took an interest in religious matters. Then he said, "Yanash never promised to shield us from suffering—only to help us bear it well, like He did."
Dane thought over his reply as she went to check on the baby. Devon was fast asleep. By the time she returned to the bedroom, she had her response ready. "Well then…if what you say is true…when you worry about getting sick, aren't you facing tomorrow's trials with today's grace?"
It was not the first time that she had used his own words on him, and these particular words were a favorite theme in his homilies. But rather than being annoyed, he smiled at her and said, "You've been listening."
oooo
Simon did not get sick, did not even develop a sniffle, and life settled back into a familiar pattern. As always, he spent his days serving at the nearby Phoenix Temple. Dane had hired a good caregiver for Devon and returned to her seat in the Westbrook Orchestra. Now, more than ever, she enjoyed her music.
On weekends, she often took her violin into the temple and played Simon's sacred compositions at the morning Kuru ritual. When Yosak was the celebrant, Simon joined her, and the music was especially rich and beautiful. Sometimes they sang, as well—lovely chants that seemed to rise with the fragrant incense at the altar. Dane was beginning to love the peaceful atmosphere. Though the rites were performed in the Vulcan language, Simon and Yosak gave the scriptural readings and homilies in Standard, which all Vulcans learned as young children. In the beginning, Dane listened out of courtesy, never expecting to find anything of real interest in his controversial religion. After all, she was human, and even the Earth faiths had never held much attraction for her. Then, one day, Dane began to see these Yanashites in a different light. It was during a Testament reading "according to Spock", but it could just as easily have been "according to Sparn", for she had heard both names reverently mentioned many times before. As Yosak spoke, Dane listened as never before. This Spock, this Sparn, were members of Simon's family—now her family, by marriage. She knew Spock as a man of high character, and though she had never met Sparn, she felt sure that he was also trustworthy. The two men had known Yanash, had actually walked beside him and critically analyzed his teachings. They had seen him put to death and seen him rise again, more powerful than ever. Sparn, a stubborn self-absorbed man. Spock, the cool detached atheist. Even the headstrong, unprincipled T'Naisa had been profoundly changed by the one whom they came to call "Shiav" or "Savior".
What a dramatic story!
Secretly, Dane purchased the full set of Yanashite Testaments for her padd, and began to study them. Soon the Christmas season arrived, and they travelled to Plum Creek for a visit. There, Devon was baptized Yanashite by her father in the little temple near the cabin. Afterward, Dane quietly asked Spock for a moment alone with him, and the two of them lingered until everyone else left.
A hush fell over the temple. Spock waited patiently as she gazed at the icon portrait of Yanash and the titanium safe set into the wall below it. Her heart filled with so many questions, yet she could not seem to voice any of them. Then glancing about, she saw a plaque beneath a Christian Nativity display in a corner.
Pointing, she asked, "What does that say?"
Spock explained, "The first line is Vulcan—the second, Latin. Ana no shari. Unus et idem. One and the same."
She swung around and looked him in the eye. "You believe it? That Jesus and Yanash are the same?"
"In their divinity, yes. Of course, the human and Vulcan incarnations are quite separate and distinct."
Dane wondered at the certainty of this brilliant man. Could he be wrong?
She turned to the safe, where the Living Water—the sacramental Presence of Yanash—was held in reserve. "And that…" Her finger indicated the ornate lettering on the door of the safe. "What are those words?"
"Yako aisha nasharu." Without a trace of embarrassment, he translated, "Where love dwells."
It seemed strange and wonderful to hear a Vulcan like Spock referring to love. Dane's eyes welled with tears, and she was silent.
Gently he said, "It is good that you have permitted Devon to join the Yanashite Community."
Dane forced a smile, but something about his words disturbed her.
oooo
As the weeks went by, Dane began to understand why Spock's remark had made her uneasy. She had been steadily gaining confidence as a mother, but since Devon's baptism, a new and special bond was developing between Simon and the baby—a faith-based bond that Dane couldn't share. She had never been hostile to religion, only indifferent, but this new sense of isolation troubled her. More than once, she caught herself on the verge of complaining to Simon, but she could not bear to hear it from his lips. Sorry, Dane, but there's nothing I can do—it takes Vulcan blood to be a Yanashite.
And what if he accused her of jealousy—of envying the attention he gave little Devon when he held her close and spoke to her of Yanash? It would not be far from the truth.
Simon sensed Dane's sadness and wondered if, in the depths of her heart, she disapproved of his plans for their daughter's religious education. Soon the baby would be six months old. He could not help but notice the unhappiness in Dane's eyes when he let Devon sit on his lap and grab at the pictures of Yanash on his padd. He could only guess what was in her mind. Even in bed, as they lay together, she held onto her thoughts tightly.
One night, under cover of darkness, he asked her, "Sweetheart, are you sorry that Devon will grow up Yanashite?"
Dane took far too long to answer. When at last she spoke, her voice was ominously thick. "No. No, I'm not sorry."
Simon had no choice but to accept her words, though he suspected that they were not entirely true. He did not know what more to say. When it came to religion, he was always careful to keep from pressuring her.
Leaning over, he kissed her face gently and tasted tears. With his last sleepy thoughts, he placed her in the hands of the Shiav, then drifted off. But his dreams were not restful.
oooo
One rainy evening, Dane sat alone in a corner of the living room, her padd displaying a page of the Yanashite Bible. Devon slumbered peacefully in her crib down the hallway, and Simon would be late at the temple. In these quiet moments, she accessed the Book of Spock, which detailed the years immediately following the resurrection of Yanash and the explosive growth of the Yanashite Community. Spock's words were surprisingly poetic for someone so technical-minded, and as he wrote of his son's conversion at Mount Seleya, she leaned forward intently.
It had happened when Simon was twelve. The direct intervention of Yanash transformed the ill-tempered prodigy, and suddenly young Simon wanted to become a Yanashite. His request triggered a great debate over eligibility. Of course, in the end they baptized him despite the fact that he was only one-quarter Vulcan.
Since those days, the hierarchy had loosened the rules even more. Devon was only one-eight Vulcan, a mere trace, yet they had accepted her without question because she was the offspring of a Yanashite.
Dane sat back and listened to the rain pour down. After a time, the padd's screen shifted to scenes from the life of Yanash. In her pensive state, she seemed to feel him beckoning to her. Was it only her imagination? Did he really want her to belong to him?
Taken in context, she had found nothing in the words of Yanash that would exclude non-Vulcans from the faith. It was the Vulcans themselves making those petty rules. They said that she wasn't Vulcan enough to be a Yanashite, but perhaps they really meant that she wasn't good enough. It was widely believed that Vulcans considered themselves a superior race.
With a surge of anger, she tossed her padd aside and went to the main phone. Here and now, she would confront Spock and get some answers. The moment he appeared on the screen, she unleashed a torrent of frustration. "Excuse me, but I have to say this. Sometimes I think Yanashites are a bunch of hypocritical bigots. 'Where love dwells'? Those words are empty, meaningless. Your Yanashite Community is nothing but an exclusive club that cuts families right down the middle. You join us together in marriage, then put up barriers that keep us from sharing our souls. That's not what Yanash intended—it's not right—it's not even logical!"
Spock's eyes were wide with astonishment as she continued in a rush of hot words. "They say that Yanash loves Simon and Simon's child. Well, what about Simon's wife? Aren't we really 'one flesh', or is that just a pretty expression? And what about Devon's mother? I'm good enough to bear a child for the Community; aren't I good enough to belong to that same Community? What would Yanash say about that? You and your miserable, heartless rules…"
Dane's throat tightened with impending tears. Normally, she was a soft-spoken person. As she struggled with her emotions, a sense of horror came over her. What had she done? Spock was not just any man, but her father-in-law, and she was truly fond of him.
A hand rose to her trembling mouth, and she began to stammer out an apology, but he stopped her.
"No," he said. "Every one of your points is valid. In fact, I have submitted this very question to the Council of High Priests. We must settle the question raised at Simon's inquiry once and for all. In Marek's words, 'Should anyone and everyone be admitted to the faith?' Yours is not the only mixed marriage. With the emigration of Yanashites from the home world, it is becoming more common. Personally, I believe that the Shiav embraces everyone who comes to Him, regardless of race. But we must await the Council's decision. Be patient with us."
oooo
The storm was over. Stars peeked through the tattered clouds as Simon strode up the damp walkway and entered his home. Dane sprang from a chair and rushed over, her blue eyes large and anxious.
"Oh, Simon," she said breathlessly, "I've done something terrible!"
Simon's heart stood still and he blurted the first thing that popped into his mind. "You wrecked the car."
"No." She shook her head contritely. "Worse…much worse."
Before he could venture another guess, she gave a blow by blow account of her verbal assault on Spock. Simon would not help but smile. At 24 years of age, he was still quite young enough to enjoy the thought of Dane scolding his father. And after all, this had been no petty argument. Her reason for confronting Spock seemed like a direct answer to Simon's prayers.
Greatly relieved, he said, "So that's what has been bothering you. You really want to convert? Why didn't you tell me?"
She gave a guilty little shrug. "The whole thing made me so angry, but I didn't want to be angry at you. It's not as if you made those silly rules."
He nodded. "You said it; it's only a rule, not a doctrine. And rules can be changed." Overjoyed, he swept her into his arms and held her close. "Oh, honey…it's going to happen, I just know it…"
oooo
With the unburdening of her heart, a new sense of peace and belonging came over Dane. Even her relationship to music underwent a change. It was no longer the all-consuming passion of her life, but a gift from the Creator of all good things. As she awaited the Council's decision, Simon's extended family—Yanashite and Catholic alike—did everything to encourage her spiritual journey. Even the temple's pastor, Yosak, permitted her to begin formal instruction with a small class of Vulcans. One month into the course, another human female joined them—the fiancé of a young Yanashite. A warm bond of friendship quickly formed between Dane and the newcomer.
Simon conducted the class, and he cautioned them that any ruling would take time. These days, matters of such importance tended to proceed slowly, and though he was quite hopeful, there was no guarantee of a favorable outcome. What mattered most was their inner disposition. Yanash saw their hearts. Regardless of the Council's decision, anyone could know the Shiav and love Him.
Though Dane knew that her husband was right, she yearned to participate fully in the faith. For now, all she could do was pray. And with that thought, she realized how very much she had changed.
oooo
On a bright spring morning, the phone chimed. Dane set down her violin and went to the screen. Spock appeared with an ominously grave expression.
Dane felt her hopes slip away as she dropped into the chair.
"Please prepare yourself," he carefully began. "I have received word from Vulcan. All matters currently before the Council have been vetoed."
She swallowed hard.
Spock looked upon her with regret. "As little as one negative vote was sufficient to block my request. Next year I can resubmit the action, and I intend to do so."
"Thank-you," she said numbly, and ended the call.
Her eyes went to a sunny patch on the carpet, where Devon played happily with her toys. Then Dane's vision blurred, and she was sobbing.
Later, Dane wondered if Spock was having a bit of revenge that day when he had been so quick to call her. As it turned it, the early message had suffered an error in transmission. The Action for Universal Initiation had been held over for revision, and its new form was soon approved. In the interest of family unity, non-Vulcan spouses would henceforth be welcomed along with any stepchildren and other children subsequently adopted into a Yanashite family. Those who were not telepaths could confess their sins aloud.
Dane and Simon were ecstatic. They celebrated the good news with a trip to Plum Creek, where Spock apologized to Dane so graciously that she felt ashamed to have ever doubted his intentions. That very afternoon, she put on a baptismal robe and accompanied her family across the clearing, to the little temple nestled among the pines. There, the seminarians joined them as she renounced sin and spoke vows of fidelity to God. Then at her husband's hands, she received a pouring of water from the sacred Fountain on Mount Seleya—the same water that geysered from the stone upon which Yanash sacrificed Himself as Spock and his uncle Sparn looked on. For an instant it seemed as if she, too, stood on Seleya with the cool Fountain spray wetting her face. Tears of joy mingled with the water of baptism.
To complete the ritual, Simon embraced her and pronounced, "Dane Clare S'chn T'gai, I welcome you to our Community in the Holy Name of Yanash."
With the Shiav at the center of her heart, Dane smiled. Now, as she looked toward the future, she saw Devon growing out of babyhood, and their little family sharing the beautiful Yanashite faith each day, in their home and at the temple. As they journeyed through life there would be trials, but it was written that the Shiav never failed. His hands would always be open, giving them the strength they needed to endure every difficulty.
oooOOooo