–oOo–
25 Chapter 25 Weavers, weavings and misweavings…
–oOo–
"It is in the middle of that puddle of fog" said d'Arcy while pointing at the wall of fog in front of them.
"Your puddle looks a lot like a Mountain" snorted Mr. Bennet. "And it could very well hide a mountain cliff just after a few yards of fog."
"It probably does" answered d'Arcy. "What we must do is climb over said mountain and slowly lower the airship into it. At a certain moment we should come out of the fog and see the city."
Charles made a face.
"Stationary flight is the most difficult piloting skill" said he. "And it eats the fuel in no time."
"We will be in friendly country and we will have enough time to give you the possibility to refuel. After all we should be here for a few weeks at least."
"Why so long" frowned Charles. "I have a lot of things to do and…"
"You'll like having a look at their libraries, I'm sure, Charles" smiled d'Arcy. "If I had to bet, I'd say that a few weeks won't be enough… We're probably here till November!"
Charles looked his brother in the eyes and noticed that he wasn't joking at all.
"Well, let's go and try to not crash into the next mountain…"
–oOo–
"We have visitors" said Tilana who had become, these last weeks and a friend and a mentor for Lydia. Donald looked up from the report he was writing.
"Who's coming?"
"Important guests" answered Tilana.
"Family?" asked Lydia.
"Most of them" agreed Tilana. "They are nearing from above. If we hurry, we should be able to reach the watch tower just when they come out of the fog."
Lydia took Donald's hand.
"Let's go, love, Papa is almost here."
–oOo–
There was fog and suddenly there was sun and a city with golden roofs built on a plateau surrounded by superb mountain ranges.
"Where's the fog?" asked Charles who was rather sweat bathed.
"There never was any fog, it was a smoke screen" answered d'Arcy. "They were tinkering with our mind to make us believe that there was something before us." He pointed toward a square tower whose top was filled with people. "If you can bring us near the watch tower, Charles, it would be the best. We should be able to exit the ship on top of it."
"Is there a place where we can moor it? I heard there are blizzards in these mountains."
D'Arcy smiled at him.
"There are, but never here! Here the climate is… Let's say special. Your airship shouldn't risk anything from the weather and the natives are a lot more open minded than you'll believe."
"If you say so, Geoff, let's show them our piloting skills."
–oOo–
Donald had never seen an airship of that size and that type.
And the engines were totally different from what he had seen on the few Russian models he had used in the past.
"Who's this?"
"This is probably Charles' latest airship" answered Lydia. "I wasn't aware that he had finally resolved his steam engine problem…" She pointed toward the fixed propeller engines of the airship. "Look they no longer function with steam… Charles was looking for a solution for years."
"Charles?"
"My sister Catherine's husband" answered Lydia with a smile. "He's rather a nerd when it comes to airships. He has always the most modern ones available."
"Which implies that said brother in law is at least wealthy, doesn't it?"
"One could call him so, indeed" said Lydia. "But I'm not sure wealthy describes really the amount of money he's handling daily." She winked at him. "Some say he is the richest man in the world."
"The richest man in the world is either Edward Gardiner or Charles Bingley," protested Donald.
"There is no competition possible between the two of them, love. Uncle Edward has much less money than Charles…"
"Uncle Edward?" He forced her to turn and to look him into the eyes. "You mean that Edward Gardiner is your Uncle?"
"Yes and Fitzwilliam Darcy, the Regent of Great Britain is one of my brother in law, my nephew William –that's him by the way, the boy in blue and green waving on the left side of the bridge- is the Heir of that same Great Britain and they are all here because you said you would propose and so I called mamma to let her know that her last daughter was getting married." She stopped smiling and frowned. "So be very careful not to get wet feet because you wouldn't survive it."
He shook his head.
"You never said anything…"
"Not true, I warned you that I was a member of the craziest family of the world…" She turned again and pointed at the airship. "That's her and from what I see, the only one who isn't here is Fitzwilliam." She winked at him. "You remember, he's the Regent."
–oOo–
"Of course not, mamma, we have been prudent…"
"I have brought my seamstress, Lydia, you'll have a new wardrobe in no time…"
"He's not only cute, he's kind and gentle, you'll love him…"
"You clearly are too thin, are you sure you eat enough?"
"Who would have believed that you'll have such a cute son, Kitty? Last time I saw you, you swore that you'll never be pregnant again…"
"Why did you come here? It would have been easier for everybody if…"
"Kybber path and then straight North, but we had to make a few detours because of the natives' hostility…"
"What sense in crossing half the world to get yourself a Scotsman?"
"She's beautiful, I've never seen a sleeker hull design…"
"He seems reliable and stout, good choice, girl, he won't leave you…"
"Her real force lies in the engines. They are top of the art honeycombed alumen combustion…"
"Papa had to stay in London, he is worrying about Serbia. You know there's an uprising there?"
"I like your leather trousers… Do they do them also for girls?"
–oOo–
Mr. Bennet and d'Arcy just stood at the side while everybody else was hugging, kissing and talking without rhyme or order.
Mr. Bennet winked at d'Arcy.
"You should go reassure the groom: he looks like he's at the brink of running away."
"Indeed, he is" smiled d'Arcy. "You're sure you don't want to let him wallow in his misery a little more?"
"No, no, let's get him an ally to reassure him before I get to him heavy footed. We need to get him in line but not terrorized. Not too much at least."
"I'm on my way, father…"
–oOo–
Lydia had spent the last half hour, embracing, kissing, being embraced and kissed by what could only be called a tribe. He had spent the whole time looking at the show with somewhere, deep within, an enormous desire to turn around and run.
"Unusual, aren't they?"
Donald turned around and was quite surprised to see a man, clearly a native with his turban and silk costume. He had never seen him until now but that was rather normal since he had probably not encountered more than one percent of all inhabitants of Gandhara.
"Indeed…" answered Donald. "I had no idea that Lydia was related to the Darcys!"
"Well there are only a few Darcys present. The most numerous are Bennets immediately followed with d'Arcys but you can find a few Bingleys to top the pot." The man pointed to two people who, more by the way they were dressing than by obvious old age, could be identified as the oldsters of the tribe. "Those two are Lydia's parents. I hope Lydia has informed you that she had already refused twenty-seven propositions that we know of before accepting yours."
Donald could only shake his head and make a great effort to hide his astonishment.
"Twenty-seven? That much?"
"Indeed, and in that little selected group were one Prince, two Dukes, three Earls and I don't remember how many lesser nobility…"
"Why do you tell me that?"
"To reassure you, boy!" answered the man. "So that you understand that there is no chance –if he wants to survive this trip, at least- that Edward Bennet would refuse to grant you your wish to marry Lydia. So, stop wriggling your hands like you were awaiting your first son's birth. There's no suspense here: you are already a member of the family…"
Donald wouldn't confess it, even to himself, but the stranger's words had appeased his worst fears.
Indeed, he had been scared that the father would refuse him. After all he was only the second son of a lowly Scottish Earl. And she was… well, Royalty!
"Thanks, man, it really helps! I was imagining a lot of answers even before I have learned who Lydia really was."
"She never told you?"
"Not a word" conceded Donald. "For me she was Lydia Darnet the Journalist and female Globe trotter. I never got a hint about who her family really was. I knew she had married sisters but never had she ever spoken about their real identity. Till an hour ago I had no idea…"
A voice from behind forced him to turn around to look at two little girls and a toddler.
"Hello, I'm Lexi and this is Deirdre and her brother Rupert. You are Lydia's lover?"
He looked at the red hair wide-eyed and open-mouthed for a very long time.
–oOo–
"So, you are the reason I had to abandon my quiet and homely life in Southern France to come freeze my toes and fingers under this awful climate?"
Donald could only send a silent thank to his future brother in law who had reassured him. Without him he would have stammered and looked silly for at least half an hour.
"I'm the one Lydia accepted as a husband" answered he with more cheek than he would have found possible a day earlier. "And to be very clear since she has already accepted to share my life, I'm following the normal procedure only because I want this to be as traditional as possible. But at the end your consent isn't really necessary. Even less so here where women rule over men…"
Mr. Bennet's tough face disappeared behind a smile. A shark like smile that looked rather unkind.
"I suppose one of my sons in law has informed you that I'm not really free to refuse your demand and, knowing that you imagine being able to survive patronizing me?"
All of Donald's confidence vanished in a second.
He was perhaps sure that his future farther in law couldn't refuse him but that didn't mean that said father in law couldn't make his life a lot more difficult than he wanted it to be.
Not to mention that, Mr. Bennet was the Regent's father in law and the future King's grandfather. Not a man you really wanted to upset.
Time to show a little more respect…
"Of course not! I'm not patronizing you in the least. It's just that Lydia and I we have a rather long story together and even if our being together happened only here in Asia, I'd like to be sure that no untoward word ever enters Great Britain…"
Mr. Bennet looked at Donald through half closed eyes.
"I doubt there is in Great Britain anybody foolish enough to gossip about one of the Regent's sisters be it Lydia. But I'm glad you are thinking about these ensuing complications. I must inform you that I'm totally aware that my youngest daughter had lived a rather exotic life till you asked her to marry you. I'm glad to learn that most of her exotic experiences had been lived with you but that doesn't absolve you of the sin of having seduced my youngest daughter!"
Donald decided that it was perhaps the good moment to make amends and to show contrition for what had definitely not been –even if he hadn't been the one who had seduced the other- a gentlemanly behavior.
"Let it be known that even if I don't regret a second of the time Lydia and I have spent together, I will admit that my comportment was in no way the behavior of a gentleman. I'm clearly sorry for that even if I will never regret what I have done out of love for your daughter. I therefore ask for your forgiveness for my misbehavior."
Both men looked at each other and finally Mr. Bennet nodded.
"For my wife's sake, I would very much like you to never speak about that part of your relationship with Lydia. Am I clear?"
"Of course, Sir, even if, for a moment, I have forgotten to behave like a gentleman, I hope I will be able to prove you and your wife that I'm still one…"
"So, do I, young man, so do I."
Mr. Bennet held out his hand and Donald didn't hesitate a second to shake it.
"Welcome to the family, son, and as I have said to my four other sons in law, let it be known that if you ever make my daughter unhappy I'll hunt and shoot you without a hesitation!"
–oOo–
"This is my eldest sister, Jane…"
Donald smiled at the young woman whose smile was indeed as welcoming and kind as all the tales about madame d'Arcy had been full of.
She hugged him.
"We are so glad you finally asked, we were worried that she would wear you out like the others…"
"You knew of others?" whispered Donald while looking around him to search for the happy mother. Luckily, she was discussing with the smallest –and probably youngest- of the girls a dozen yards away.
"We know everything about members of the family, even if they chose to wander on Earth's other side" answered Jane. "The world has notably shrunk with the invention of the Chappe wires. We had high hopes that she finally had found a man who would be able to see what she really needed…"
"And what should that be, madame d'Arcy?"
"A man willing to protect her and able to make her understand it, like we all do, mister Gordon."
"Call me Donald…"
"Only if you stop madame d'Arcying me…"
"I'll try but I'm a little overwhelmed. I had no idea I was asking myself into such a highborn family."
"There's nothing highborn anywhere in that family. We're at best lesser gentry, Donald, and we remember quite well how it was before we were all lifted to such extraordinary heights. So, please, stop considering us highborn… Even the kids are still quite normal and down-to-earth when it comes to look at the people who live around us. The only really arrogant one should be my beloved husband but Maureen and I are working steadily at rubbing that thorny outside away…"
"I'll do what I can, I promise…"
"That's all we ask, Donald, that's all we ask…"
–oOo–
The town had hosted them in what looked like a mix of temple and palace where they all had been set up in rooms and where a feast was awaiting them. A feast of fruits, raw vegetables and crunchy pastries whose tastes was more than exotic.
Tilana had been chosen to accommodate the town's guests and let them find their marks for the rest of the day.
An official meeting was scheduled for the next day with everybody, but the women and girls had been informed that they would be welcomed in a more intimate ceremony next morning. The moms decided unanimously not to inform their daughters. No need to prevent them from sleeping which would certainly had been the case had the girls known that they would be treated on the same level than their moms.
They had been sent to bed without the news and now they were all making believe that they were sleeping soundly in what was a huge nursery room.
"What would they want with the girls?" asked Kitty who was quite worried Deirdre being the youngest with Rebecca, Mary's daughter.
"We could ask Tilana," said Lydia. "She should know!"
"Let's go" decided Jane.
–oOo–
"We test all females who enter the city" answered Tilana. "It is tradition, and with young girls it is even better because it is still time to choose for them the adequate lessons to teach them."
"What do you mean" asked Mary. "Aren't you teaching the same lessons to all your pupils?"
Tilana looked at her with amazed eyes.
"Of course not, why would we teach the same lessons to girls who don't have the same talents? What use would it have to teach flame weaving to a healer? It is difficult enough to master one school, why waste time learning things you'd never be able to use efficiently?"
"So, what you'll do tomorrow is search for our talents?" asked Elizabeth.
"Indeed, but the most important subjects will be the girls. For them we can still do something. For you I do fear it is too late. You probably no longer have the versatility to make your talent blossom at its fullness." She looked at them with pity in her eyes. "It would even have been better that you never came because it will be frustrating to know that you could have been a great weaver but that you never will because you came too late to be taught correctly." She shook her head. "But it is tradition, if a woman or a girl enters the city it is our duty to look at her gifts." She sighed. "I really hope that you don't have a great talent because it would be difficult for everyone involved."
–oOo–
"There is a woman and a young girl at the door…" said Charles to d'Arcy. "And they want to see Daarssi. I suppose you're the Daarssi they want." Charles winked at his brother. "Cute pair if you ask me, I suppose the elder one is your old bed mate." He made a face. "Which could mean that the young one is…"
"Family…" sighed d'Arcy while looking around. His wives were holding a meeting with the rest of the women and were surrounding the local guide.
"I'm on my way."
–oOo–
"Hello, Teela…" said d'Arcy with a smile. "I was hoping you'd give me news."
"I have been informed that 'Kasshiin' was back. I wouldn't have bothered you but Loodiv wanted to see you."
D'Arcy turned around and looked at the young girl.
"Loodiv?"
"I wasn't sure how to spell your mother's name, Loodiv seemed a good mix. Usable here and similar to your real mother's name."
D'Arcy looked at his daughter. She was as beautiful as her mother and a lot more European in her features. She had her mother's black hair and nose, but her eyes had the grey color he had himself and almost no epicanthic fold.
He opened his arms and after a few seconds hesitation she came to embrace him.
"I hoped that one day you would come back…"
"I came back eight years ago…"
"We youngsters were out of the city because of the Uzbeks. They had us hiding in the Libraries. And when you were done you didn't come back to the city."
"I had a lot of duties awaiting me in Europe and" he shot a frown at her mother, "nobody had gone to the trouble to inform me that you existed."
"It would only have brought trouble" protested Teela. "She was a little girl. I wouldn't have let her go with you."
"And now you would?"
"She's sixteen, it's her life and her choice. She would already have gone to America but I insisted that she waited till her coming of age." She smiled at him. "I had the hope you'll come back…"
"To you?"
"To her…" said she while shaking her head. "I'm now with Tiraku and even if he's not as good a lover than you he's a much better man to have at home." Her smile broadened while looking over his shoulder. "You wouldn't be married with the red-haired demon who's currently trying to look me to shreds?"
He joined her smile.
"Indeed, I am, come let's make the presentations, I'm sure you come along quite well with both my wives…"
She frowned at him.
"That's shocking!"
He winked at her.
"That's why I live in the Patriarchal part of the Human race, here you get the right to have more than one man and there I got the right to have more than one wife! Up to four if you want to know the exact number. Interested?"
She tried to hit him.
He dodged easily.
–oOo–
"He's an arrogant baboon, always was…" said Teela while looking in his eyes. "But he has his bright sides."
"I'll let you alone, ladies" said d'Arcy while bowing at them. "I suppose you have a lot to share and I wouldn't want to smother your honest comments in relation to my person."
He sent them a series of kisses and backed away.
"I must admit that I regret the time we shared a bed…" sighed Teela.
Jane and Maureen looked at each other and that made Teela laugh.
"Don't be worried, I'm over that particular addiction. I'm with the same man for the last eight years and we are well matched. But if Tiraku is a good husband, he's in no way as good a lover than Daarssi was."
"Still is" teased Maureen.
"Don't be cruel, Maureen" protested Jane. "It's not…"
"No, please," interrupted Teela. "She's right, I'm not here to cry on the follies of my youth, I'm here to ask you to take care of my daughter who wants to follow her father out in the world of men. And I'd like to be sure that she has a grown-up woman to look up to and to ask about the world."
"I'm not sure we enter under the denomination grown-up" smiled Jane. "But your daughter is welcome with me."
"With us…" added Maureen.
"Thanks a lot, it will be easier for me to know that she'll have a woman to follow…"
"She will be with us and since we form a rather close knot with our sisters, she'll have more choice than she would imagine…"
Jane looked at the teen girl who had, until then, not said a word.
"If you want to stay with us, you're welcome Loudiv, and I'm even gladder to have you aboard with the girls. They are entering the age where we" she winked at Maureen, "old moms have great difficulties to bring their babies to speak with them. You could perhaps help us to stay in touch with what they really want…"
"I'll do my best" agreed Loudiv while looking around in search of said girls.
"They are in the great room first floor" explained Jane "and they are probably not yet asleep".
"Then I'll go seek them out…"
"Thanks" said Jane. "But, please don't tell them about tomorrow's meeting, they wouldn't sleep at all…"
"Don't worry, I'll be as silent as a grave, but they'll probably have other reasons to be excited."
"I don't doubt it but I'm sure that knowing about the meeting would surely keep them awake!"
Loudiv smiled at them, stood up and walked toward the scales.
"Don't worry she's as serious as they come."
"Which will be a great help with my Betty who's just the opposite…"
–oOo–
"So, you are our sister…" asked Betty in French since Loudiv spoke only that European language.
"Indeed, I am, we share a father but we have different mothers. It is not unusual in Gandhara. So, I'll wear my mother's name to show the difference. You can call me Louviv Teelayak where the suffix –yak means daughter of. What is your name?"
"We normally wear our father's name" explained Lexi. "But I suppose that using Gandhara's naming procedure I'm Alexandra Maureenyak. And Betty would be Elizabeth Janeyak."
Betty nodded while thinking.
"But you are welcome to use papa's name whenever you want… In Europe wearing papa's name is a great help. A lot of people show us quite a lot of respect because of it."
"Respect must be earned because of one's deeds not because of your father's."
"You're right" agreed Lexi. "But while small it is difficult to gain respect for what we do, grown-ups don't take us seriously enough. So, it helps nevertheless to have people grant you a part of father's respect. You know that women in our countries are barely above kettle, don't you?"
"Mamma warned me but she also said that papa would be able to grant me protection." She smiled at her sisters. "Not that I need protection, I'm an efficient waterweaver and I do know the basic protection spells but it is good to know that out there where insanity reigns there is a way to be protected against men and their basic instincts!"
"What is a waterweaver?" asked immediately Betty to cut off Lexi whose question would have had a totally different content. Men and basic instincts had always had a certain appeal for her. She didn't doubt that she would ask Teela at a later point but for now questions about magic were what was interesting her.
"It is my weaving specialty" answered Loudiv. "It's the element I'm attuned to." She looked at the place over Betty's head and soon a cloud was forming… "If you want to be trained I can go on…"
Betty looked over her head and smiled.
"Another time perhaps, for now I fear it wouldn't please our moms."
"I'm able to dry you afterwards…"
"As said, another time and outside…" She smiled at her older sister. "You stay with us?"
"I could if you make me a little place…"
"Of course, come…"
–oOo–
"She's beautiful…" whispered Jane.
"You are beautiful" corrected d'Arcy who wasn't quite sure if Jane had spoken about Teela or Loudiv. In doubt make a compliment, was always a good compromise.
"I was speaking of your daughter" pointed out Jane who, with the passing years was becoming quite the adept at deciphering her husband. "She has your eyes…"
"And, luckily for her, quite a lot of Teela's features too" said he in a whisper but he could feel that Maureen wasn't asleep at his side.
"How many other d'Arcys are there out there?" asked said Maureen.
"I have no idea" he answered. "Perhaps one other in China but I never had a confirmation. She never told me, and my search was fruitless until I had to move. So, I believe there's no other child but I can't be totally sure. But if there is, I hope I'll someday have the surprise to meet him or her."
"You're quite the adept at making daughters aren't you" whispered Maureen.
"There is a Tao law in China that says that satisfied women bear girls and frustrated ones boys! I take it that it shows that I care about my partners' pleasure."
"You are the most arrogant bastard I've ever met" grumbled Maureen while biting him.
"No secret revealed there" laughed d'Arcy. "And I must protest, it would have been arrogance if it wasn't the truth… But since it is…"
"You're going to have to pay immediately" threatened Maureen while jumping her husband.
"With ease, you'll see…"
–oOo–
"Where are we going?"
"I'll show you the most secret and sacred place of Gandhara" answered Loudiv who was leading the little horde of girls. "Your moms will soon follow but for now we'll have to make a little ceremony together…"
"A magical ceremony?"
"Every ceremony is magical in essence" answered Loudiv. "The difference rests in the knowledge of the celebrants. What you are going to witness is real magic and it will reveal your most secret inner self. What we are going to do will change you forever."
"Why are we doing it then" asked Deirdre. "I don't want to change…"
"What you want or not has no importance, Deirdre" said Loudiv. "You will change if you want it or not. The difference lies in the fact that after the coming ceremony you'll know what to choose and why to choose it. Without this ceremony you would never know what lies in your heart and what you can do to make it blossom."
"Why aren't we with our moms?" asked again Deirdre who was more than worried.
Loudiv stopped and crouched in front of her little niece.
"Because we, the women of Gandhara, need to be able to look at all your bodies without the shadow interference of your mammas. We are going to a place where you'll be, for a very short moment, able to show us what you could be in the future. The presence of your moms would only muddle the vision. We just need a look and then we will call them. You have nothing to fear, love, I promise."
Betty came and embraced Deirdre.
"We are with you, Didi, you have nothing to fear at all…" She lowered her voice. "And we are going to a place no boy will ever see. Only girls are admitted and only once in their life are they admitted without their mom." She winked at her niece. "It's now or never, girl! Don't you want to live, for the first time of your life, something really unique your mom will never ever know about?"
Deirdre not totally reassured nodded nevertheless.
She would do it, because she wanted to see that place where boys where not welcome.
While she was.
–oOo–
It was not at all what they expected.
They had imagined a dark cellar and it was a bright garden.
They had imagined a place with lots of grown-ups and it was a fairy tale of little fluffy creatures who were more afraid than they were.
Their fear immediately disappeared to push them toward the task of taming one or more of the little creatures.
Deirdre was the first to succeed in luring a little fluffy red and blue fluff rabbit to sniff at her hand. And soon she was feeding it with raisin she had forgotten having in her pocket.
Soon she shared her raisins with everybody and soon everybody, save Betty, was covered with one or more of the fluffy things.
Betty looked at Loudiv and frowned.
"Hush" whispered Loudiv in her ear. "For them they exist, and since they believe in what they are seeing the fluffies will stay with them…"
"But there are not real" protested Betty in a whisper. "They are hollow pictures."
"We call them illusions, Betty. And since you are a light weaver you see them for what they are, just pictures we have created, and they feed with energy." Loudiv pointed towards a yellow and blue cat-dog who was sitting on the side. "You see the cat-dog, there?"
Betty nodded.
"Concentrate on his pelt. What color would you have chosen for him?"
Betty thought for a second and immediately laughed.
"That one" said she while looking at his violet and pink pelt.
"Call him now, he is yours and you can even change his form if you wish… Just think about it. Everything's possible!"
And everything was.
–oOo–
"What are they doing?" asked Jane while frowning at the strange behavior of the girls who seemed to cuddle things that didn't exist. "And what's that in Betty's arms."
Because in Betty's arms sat a strange creature, half goat, half cat with wings and an enormous fluffy tail who looked at them with a very d'Arcyesque arrogance. And while she was looking at it said tail doubled in size and the beast changed twice his color.
"They are all holding an illusion in their arms" explained Tilana. "And the only one you see is Betty's because hers she creates while the others are created by weavers on the outside. It was necessary to focus the kids' minds on something else than their apprehension."
"And why was it necessary to have them without us?"
"Because you would have muddled the visions, we would have had from their bodies…"
"Bodies? What bodies?"
"We need to explain a lot and it would be better to do it in an orderly fashion." She pointed towards the bare room where the kids where going on with their strange behaviors.
Betty came towards her and showed her the creature in her arms.
"That's Fluffy, mom…" said Betty. "She would like to stay with me, would you agree?"
"Why not, love, what do we need to do to get her happy?"
Strangely the creature reacted at her words and a forked tongue slithered out of her cat mouth to stroke her hand.
"Fluffy likes you, mom… That's great. And she needs nothing just to be loved and stroked from time to time…"
Jane reached out to touch the creature's pelt and she was surprised that there was a pelt to feel.
The creature even purred at her touch.
"Can I hold her?"
"Why not?"
And the creature jumped on her shoulder and she felt its tail winding around her neck.
"Impressive" smiled Tilana. "And she's doing it all out of instinct. There's a real talent there…"
Betty was visibly walking on air and her eyes were shining like never before.
"What happens with Fluffy when you're asleep?" asked Jane.
Betty looked at Loudiv who reassured her.
"She'll sleep with you and be at your side when you wake up…"
"She won't disappear?"
"Why would she disappear, dear?" asked Tilana. "She will stay with you as long as you want her to be there."
Betty's smile grew even more and Fluffy jumped back into her arms.
As soon as Betty was out of hearing, Tilana lowered her voice.
"An illusion can linger even when her creator is asleep but most of the time it will just disappear. But, as soon as Betty will look for it in the morning Fluffy will be back. Most of the time if will come from behind to give the child the illusion she desires. But very soon she will be able to put her creature to rest when it is no longer needed."
Jane pointed at the other kids with her chin.
"What happens with them?"
"They are just stroking and cuddling little furry creature that others have called to 'live'. They will stay with them as long as they believe in them. But once they fall asleep the creatures vanish and save Betty who's a light weaver, they won't be able to revive it."
"Why did you do it?"
"To force them to think about something that was able to quiet their minds. We need quiet minds to be able to read the auras. Once their minds focused on cuddling and stroking the rest was easy. We have all the answers we need, and we will give you the information we have gathered while they were here without you."
"When?"
"Just at the end of what is coming. Now we need to see what your potentialities are. And for that we need you to follow us into the inner chamber," said Tilana. "Loudiv will stay with the kids and you will come with me."
They did as was told and soon they passed a door to enter what was clearly a forest meadow.
"You are all seeing something else that is surrounding you. For now, just take the circle before you into account and sit down on the stools and look at the crystal that rotates in the middle of the circle. Just sit and look at the crystal, that's all we ask from you…"
–oOo–
The inner council was there and there was perplexity in the air.
"The five sisters are amazingly powerful for untrained weavers, no surprise that the witches have tried to get them on their side…"
"What's surprising is that they resisted to the temptation. With as much power bubbling in them refusing must have been so much more difficult."
"What's important is that they resisted and that we have the chance to teach them the way of the weaver."
"They are too old; it would be a waste of time."
"We cannot let them without minimal teachings. They are too powerful to risk a slip into darkness."
"The risk is too great we should erase them…"
"No weaver will be erased under my command."
"You're weak and your compassion will cause us great harm."
"And you are reckless and disrespectful."
The circle bubbled with assents coming from all the united weavers.
The inner circle was the ultimate board of competence in matters weaving and, by tradition and efficiency, each school had an envoy in the circle. And there was no democracy involved with the designation of the delegate. What was involved were the only things that mattered: power and skill. So it happened that on the inner circle only the best were found because it was the essence of the inner circle to select those who would provide it with the best chances of success. And, as it happened some time, having the best skill and the greatest power was in no way related with being a good person. It was clearly the case with the shadow weaver whose power was great, whose weaving skill was impressive and whose lack of compassion was scaring.
But if the weaver's presence in the circle was spontaneous, the direction of the circle was not. The members did choose one of them to be the head weaver, or Axis, and there, compassion and comprehension were clearly important matters to emerge as the leading form.
The weavers all knew at any specific moment which one of them was the leading force of the circle. And for years now it had been the weaver of thoughts who had been dubbed by her peers. And the weaver of shadows, notwithstanding her power and skill, was at the very bottom of the others' popularity. Being reckless and inhumanly harsh has its downsides.
"Don't forget that should we decide to erase weavers who present a danger to the community your untethered ambition and abysmal hatred could very well place you into just that same category. We accepted years ago that a sister of the inner circle could be thus unreasonable and disrespectful because the circle lusted after your power and skill. But that acceptance would disappear with the loss of your power. Whatever the circle wants, I as a human being, believes that we should throw such as you out of the circle and, better still, out of the weaving threads."
"And you volunteer to throw me out?"
"With the help of the circle it won't be a problem…"
"Sisters, I repeat, there won't be an erasing under my command and since I'm not yet dead or senile my replacement is not yet on our agenda. The inner circle knows its needs better than we do and it never lets feelings and temper lessen its efficiency. The shadows are a part of the Whole and the stronger the power of shadows, the stronger the Power of the circle. We let the weaving threads decide and it will be thus also in this matter. Without feelings and temper to muddle the decisions. Let's concentrate on them…"
Silence came upon the inner circle and they began to weave.
–oOo–
At some moment through the meditation the kids have joined and physically and mentally. It had been amazing to see them and welcome them in their light forms. Seeing Janet as she would be –or as she saw herself as an adult- was rather astonishing. They would have to be very watchful about the men coming her way. Because there would be quite a lot of them, they were certain of it.
"Welcome to the circle" said a mind-voice. "As you know Gandhara is a city where women rule, and they rule because we –Gandhara's women- have maintained our knowledge of what the Universe is really about. Women in Gandhara rule because they have kept the power to see beyond the veil. Well, some of them have and the best and most skilled of those women form the inner circle." There was a silence. "What you are now hearing is the voice of said inner circle and it gives you, by including you in his layers, the power to see beyond the veil. And seeing beyond the veil you are able to see what the future has in store for you and those you see."
Jane looked at her sisters and what she saw was quite reassuring. Behind each of them she could see a succession of shadow forms that, she was sure of it, were the followers in their blood lines. And Mary's line was quite impressive, either she or some of her daughters would have quite a lot of followers and all of them were in a very golden and reassuring light. Lizzie's line was steady but straight and flowing in the shame violet shade as herself, Maureen's was numerous and multicolored –gaudy even-, Kitty's was the smallest but with a line running very far into the future and whose colors were changing and not fixed at all. Lydia's would begin slowly to erupt in multitude later in the line. She looked at Betty and was rather scared that out of her nothing flowed at all. Would she…
"You mothers shouldn't be afraid by the void you see behind your offspring" came back the voice. "The lines are yours till the age of forty-nine, once passed that age, your line disappears and new lines appear behind your daughters who are at that moment at the center of their own lines. At forty-nine you're no longer, in the great wholeness, considered as a spring. Forty-nine is also the minimal age a woman can join the inner circle here in Gandhara. That's because at that age she's no longer burdened by her line's flaws."
Jane let herself be cleansed from her fears. She felt it like the day she, Maureen and their husband had visited the superb waterfalls Inner Croatia was hiding to the world. Of course, he had insisted to jump into the –cold- water and they had followed. While they were under the falls she had had that same sensation, that of a marvelous cleansing that was scrubbing her very soul. She couldn't help but smile, that day had ended like a lot of others when they were both alone with their husband.
"Please stop broadcasting that, Jane" Maureen's voice was suddenly in her mind. "I'm sure that nobody here has had any doubt about our real relations but showing them everything in great detail had never been in my intention."
She blushed and stopped when she felt the laughter that was filling the circle. She was appeased by the fact that even Lizzie was more amused than shocked. Well it wasn't as if she had ever lied to her. But it had always been a tacit understanding between them not to speak about…
"Jane! Please! Think of something else, the kids are with us in the circle…" mind-whispered Lizzie.
She did her best not to think about her and Maureen and d'Arcy… Which, of course, made things even worse…
–oOo–