Chapter Eight
First Rites
When the moment came, a few minutes after Malcolm had left; Mother McCabe stepped out of the improvised Sacristy and was grateful that, for the moment, the backs of the majority of the people present were turned to her. 'Shift down, indeed', she thought. She knew that there were some eighty plus members of this crew, and though the majority counted themselves as members of one of the Christian denominations, many did not. She easily picked out, in different parts of the room, the Denobulan Doctor, the Vulcan First Officer and, seated near the back just before her, the Auran Biologist. Commander Tucker was seated beside her, and on her other side was the female ensign from Life Sciences … Elizabeth Cutler; she remembered. Beside her was the Security Officer that Malcolm had referred to earlier when he'd alluded to Security and Life Sciences getting along well. The seeming multitude of others she would learn in time.
It was traditional for announcements and introductions to be done at an appropriate part of the Service, so that it might begin directly. But she knew that though she could be introduced easily to everyone, she should learn the names and backgrounds of the eighty plus as soon as she could. But right now that was not the point.
The point was that there were far too few chairs for the throng that was packed into the room and lining three of the four walls. It would take a figurative shoehorn to force one more person inside.
She tried to swallow down the lump that suddenly appeared in her throat.
At a subtle signal from a crewman standing near the front of the far wall, close to the edge of the ten foot deep area set aside as the 'Sanctuary', Captain Archer, seated in about the middle of the room and not near the front, stood up. It was the signal for everyone else in the room to come to Attention.
McCabe was grateful for the subtlety, and started across the 'rear' of the room and forward along the 'center' aisle, actually grateful for the volume of clothes she had joked about to disguise the trembling that had started to assault her.
Reaching the cloth covered table-cum-Altar, she turned to her 'congregation', and was completely unable to speak.
She closed her eyes, trying to force calmness, to focus on her Service, and when she could look again she was grateful for their patience, and especially grateful that her voice did not break.
"The Service this morning is offered for the repose of the souls of the departed, particularly that of George Pineda, Priest. Our opening hymn, found on your seats, is 'A Mighty Fortress is our God'."
x
Ann Anderson, in charge of music, set the first hymn filtering through the speakers; those who knew the music and lyrics covering those that did not. McCabe had tried to select the most traditional music she could, having no idea what was familiar to so eclectic a group, and from the number of people who responded she decided she had made a good first choice.
About half way through the fourth stanza, Elizabeth Cutler, standing with her friends in the rear of the room, was distracted by a sharp gasp. She glanced at Tia, seeing the girl looking shocked. "What's wrong?" She whispered quietly under the music, barely loud enough for the young woman to hear.
"Nyasura. No thing." Tia whispered, forcing herself to recover quickly. "Wrong thing is nyas." Liz shrugged it off.
x
The Service continued through the opening Collect and led in turn to the first Reading, this of the Old Testament, which Trip Tucker had been asked to do. He stood up, coming forward from the last row and taking his place at the improvised 'Lectern', actually a support platform from storage that did not hide its true nature, as McCabe sat down in the seat behind him. He was far enough away from the wall that she had a clear view of the room past him, yet she kept her eyes front, not looking at any of them, focused on the Lesson as 'required'.
Opening the book set upon it, he found the marked spot and looked out at the 'congregation'. "This is from the Second Book of Genesis." He explained helpfully, if inaccurately, to the assembled crew.
As he began to read the story of the Garden of Eden, Liz Cutler, in the rear of the room near the door, heard a small, sharp gasp beside her, and when she looked Tia was sitting tensely, staring at Trip in the 'front' of the room with a look of utter shock, which actually grew worse as she watched. The golden woman wasn't breathing, and the more he spoke the more intensely … 'horrified' was the only word Liz could think of, she became.
She was not breathing at all, but looked absolutely stricken and on the verge of tears. All the color was draining from her face; Liz could actually watch it happen. She was about to touch her, get her attention and ask what was wrong when Tia was out of her seat, dashing past Liz and Jim and running for the rear door which opened just in time barely wide enough to admit her.
Trip stopped reading, just two sentences short of the end, startled at first by the sudden commotion and then absolutely mortified to see who had caused it! He had caught just a glimpse of Tia turning right into the corridor at a dead run and turned to McCabe, who was seated behind him against the wall. He prayed she had not seen it.
Of course, though she had not been paying attention to her 'congregation', the unexpected ruckus was just too distracting. Just his luck. He looked at her, having absolutely no idea what to say. She turned to him with a small smile, trying to take some of his obvious embarrassment down. "This doesn't usually happen until I start talking about 'Tithing'."
xx
After the Service, the remainder of which had proceeded without incident, Trip and Hoshi conspired to be the last to approach Mother McCabe. "Reverend, I'm truly sorry for Tia's behavior." Trip said. "I have no explanation."
"No, I'm not upset. But neither do I want to upset any of my new friends. I don't want to cause anyone here any distress. We've had too much of that already." She said feelingly. "Perhaps if I spoke to her?"
"I'll come to help." Hoshi said, outpacing Trip by a half second. "Sometimes she's a little hard to follow." She glanced up at Trip. He could overrule her offer, which was his right, or he could, as Lt. O'Cathain might quote 'Let discretion be your tutor'.
He opted for the latter with a nod. He'd find out the story later and privately.
xxx
"I really have no insights." Hoshi confessed to the woman after she had changed into her 'work clothes' of black pants and royal blue shirt with collars and cross. "We've talked a lot, about many things, except Religion. Except for one aspect, which she calls Daasii," she said, pronouncing it 'day-ah-sigh-ee', "she is intensely private about her planet's religion – or religions. I don't even know that." Hoshi remembered the one occasion when, with the best of intentions, she had accidentally walked in on what she too late realized were Tia's private devotions. The girl had been enraged, equating Hoshi's intrusion to rape, and had nearly thrown her out of her quarters. Since that day, Hoshi had never raised the subject of religion.
"I understand. She speaks very … very…"
"It's not that she's difficult to understand, but it can be interesting." Hoshi explained as they walked slowly down the corridor together. Hoshi did not want to arrive at the quarters nearby too soon.
"I understand she doesn't like to use the UT?"
"Hates it. I think it's a matter of pride. At first she just wanted to be able to be understood in places that don't have a UT, but since then its become … well, 'pride' or 'dignity', I'm not quite sure which is more, but whatever, she can be …" She hunted for the right 'diplomatic' word, "stubborn. Also, she's trying to find a balance between her own world's customs and ours, and sometimes I'm not sure which one is 'winning'."
"Why does either have to 'win'?"
"As far as I'm concerned, it doesn't. But it's not my life."
"So, let me get this straight. She thinks in … Auran?" She thought that was the name. Hoshi nodded.
"And translates it, when she can, word for word into the English she's learned. Sometimes she gets new words wrong; which situations can be interesting in themselves. But that's rare because she has a good memory for languages. But on the whole, once you learn the 'rules', you can pretty much keep up."
"Okay, what are the rules?"
"Well, a negative is always at the end, so sometimes you have to watch for it, because 'no' and 'not' often slip back to 'nyas' and 'nyasi' unless she's careful; and if you miss it; it can change the whole message. The word for 'yes' is 'daai', by the way." She said, pronouncing it 'day-aye'. "The verb often precedes the noun, and the adjective sometimes is even separated by the conjunctive. The infinitive or the definite article is often at the end, except in a negative; where that comes at the end; and the infinitive is split more often than not, far more so than we're used to. And two nouns in the same sentence are always paired, but in the personal/subject order, so I/you and You/I are distinctly different. There's no such thing as a contraction and -." McCabe raised her hand.
"That's the short summary?"
Hoshi grinned. "No, that's the short, short one." They stopped in front of cabin E/58, and she pressed the annunciation button. It took nearly fifteen seconds for the door to slide aside, and they looked at the golden woman in surprise.
x
Tia was dressed in the flowing floral garment she'd worn to the Service, but now it was rumpled, as if she'd lain in it. Her hair was slightly disarrayed, but her eyes were deeply golden, and though they were partially dry, her cheeks were wet. When she saw them, she hastily rubbed her hands over her eyes and cheeks, drying them further. "Anston," she apologized. "Shar-les I expecting was."
She had been expecting his visit ever since the moment she had run in fear from the Mess Hall, making it back to her room in a mind-shattering tumult, managing to lock her door before falling upon the bed, sobbing as her universe unraveled and threw her mind into a cataclysmic maelstrom, her soul slammed down to perdition, to Ierilsnu; her whole cosmos shattered.
She didn't know how long she'd lain there, weakened and shaken by the titanic catharsis.
When she'd heard the door chime, she'd thought it had been Charles. She'd gone to the door, not knowing what to say, fearful of his anger but not knowing how to explain her behavior.
She'd expected his anger when he arrived, knowing she deserved it and having no way of thinking how to avoid it other than that. She thought he would be angry, suspected that she might have been had their positions been reversed, but could not think of dealing with it when her entire universe was coming apart!
That it had not been him at the door, but Hoshi and this new Priest, only disconcerted her further. She was now even more embarrassed, having absolutely no idea what to say or do. And the emotions she looked for in them were not apparent, making it even harder to prepare.
x
"He'll be coming later, but we wanted to see you first, see that you were all right."
She opened her mouth to speak, and found she could not bring herself to lie.
"Nyas." She said softly, looking away, unable to keep their eyes. "I 'all right' am nyasi."
"I am sorry, child. I had no intention of upsetting you, or anyone else here."
"You did nyasi. That is, you nyasi; but…" She shook her head, unable to think of the words. "In come?" She stepped aside, letting them into the room. When the door closed, she stood by it, trying to collect her thoughts. "Anst- Sorry I my behavior for am." She said softly. "Shocked I was."
"Our Services are intended to be uplifting; comforting. I'm sorry you did not find them so." McCabe said equally softly, but Tia shook her head.
"Is that not." She looked appealingly at Hoshi. "How explain can I? Human you are, know I the words not."
"In Auran then?"
Tia tried to speak, but could not. She tried again, and then shook her head in frustration. "How I you explain to? If angry you were; defend myself I could. But explain what impossible is, how can I?" Hoshi would have been perfectly willing to let her off the hook, but she could tell the girl did want to talk.
"Try."
Tia turned to the woman, barely knowing what to say. "Anston – when upset I am, tied tongue I get. That song all you sang? In the end; 'Lord Sabaoth' you mentioned."
"'Dost ask who that might be'," McCabe quoted, "'Christ Jesus it is he; Lord Sabaoth his name'."
Tia nodded. She clenched her hands together, not really wanting to say it, but she had come this far and had to explain. But it was such a … violation of her privacy that she actually had to force the words out through her unwilling lips.
"Lord Sabaoth the Consort of Aura is. Lord Sabaoth the Unchanging."
"'From age to age the same'." McCabe finished, suddenly uncomfortable.
"Thought I it a coincidence was. Lurine … Wanted I to it a coincidence think was."
"Until Commander Tucker read the Old Testament." Tia nodded; then turned away, stepping over to a set of drawers beyond the head of the bed. She hesitated, turning back to the women.
"Told you of my coming here has she?" She asked McCabe.
"Very little."
"'Refugee' for me the word they use is. Conquered my world is and slaves of the Silurians we are, what we the klusert ku vorklis call; in your tongue the 'demons of hell'. They you call 'snakes' or 'serpents' from your world's biology." She took a deep, trembling breath. "Your world. Serpents you have; do we not. Until here I came, knew the word nyas." She hesitated; then with a start seemed to remember. "Qualsia – um, 'please'. Sit?" Hoshi chose the chair from the desk, turning it around, allowing McCabe to sit on the more comfortable bed. They noticed that the bed was as rumpled as the front of Tia's dress. That, and her moist eyes earlier, told them more than they needed to know. They waited, watching as Tia tried to gather her thoughts.
"Escaped I, and others, did; in a ship of the Silurians. My friends they were. But died they did when caught and attacked we were. Shar-les, and others, they me rescued. Almost dead I was, but saved they me did.
"But nyasura, um, 'nothing' of Aura have I. Books, art, music, clothing …" She fingered the flowing garment she wore. "Similar to my clothes this is. Hoshi and Liz did Risa on for me buy, but is mine not."
"It is yours." Hoshi maintained, but Tia shook her head.
"Of Aura have I things no. Even a fuur – a 'blade' of grass, a pebble. Nyasura. Nyasura but my memories." She turned to the drawers and knelt down, opening the lowest one. She very carefully, very reverently, took out a red garment and laid it on her lap. She glanced up at Hoshi, who did not hide her recognition of it in time. She held up one sleeve of the garment enough for the women to see the intricate golden threads woven about the wrist, encircling it in a curious, flowing pattern of curves and curlicues. "Made this I from one of your ship's robes did. Exact not, but closest could I make. Only one time you me in this see did."
"I've told no one." Hoshi promised.
"Daai." She nodded; assured. "Know I do. Trust you I always do." She looked at McCabe. "Today special clothes you wore when commune with your God you did. When commune with Aura, this I wear."
"I understand."
"Tell one no. Wedsa - Private it is."
"I promise."
Seemingly satisfied that the promise would be kept, she reached into the drawer again and drew out a large, thick, bound book. If anything, she handled it even more lovingly, hugging it to her chest. She raised her eyes to them as she held the book protectively, as if unwilling to part with it for an instant. "This gave me Liz." She said softly. "A friend it her to gave, but says she 'I'm no artist', so she me it gave to. Here have I been putting what remember I do the words of Aura, against the day when remember I will not." She replaced the short red robe in the drawer and stood up, again hugging the book protectively to her chest, and told them feelingly: "This the most wedsa – the most private thing is have I. Even to Shar-les I it would show not."
She lowered the book, turned it around, opened first one page, then the next. Then, clearly fighting her own desire, her own reluctance, she turned it around and offered it to Mother McCabe.
The woman accepted it with as much reverence as she could, clearly treating it as the precious thing it was. She looked at the pages, which were large enough to offer plenty of room for sketches, finding intricately curved and flowing writing. Great care had obviously been used in the symbols, which were all curves and curlicues, ornate, intricate and precise. Unfortunately, she had no idea what they meant. She looked up at Tia. "I'm sorry."
The look on Tia's face was plain; one of self-reproach. She'd been so wrapped up in her thoughts and feelings she hadn't thought to realize the woman could not read Auran. She glanced at Hoshi, who had been looking on from her chair, but could not see the writing well, particularly upside down.
Hoshi left the chair to sit on the bed beside McCabe, now looking at the graceful curves from the proper perspective, but did not touch the book; well aware she had not been invited to do so. Tia reached down, her golden finger touching one of the intricately flowing symbols, indicating where her friend should start.
Hoshi, who had not seen much Auran outside of practice sessions with Tia, in trying to teach her how to read English as well as she could speak it, took a few moments to read ahead, trying to get the sense of the flowing script before starting to speak. As she did, she could feel her mouth slowly dropping in wonder, and chilled fingers brushed her heart. When she'd read half the page, she looked up at the young Auran, her voice reduced to a breathy whisper. "I have no explanation for this."
"What?" McCabe could barely contain her curiosity.
Hoshi looked down at the spot Tia had indicated and began to read, her voice soft and filled with wonder. She did not think she could speak above a whisper.
"In the day that Aura made the land and all that was above, when no plant of the field had yet sprung up in the land; for the Lord Sabaoth the Unchanging had not caused it to rain, a stream would rise from the land from the cup of Sabaoth and water the whole face of the ground. Then did Aura form man and woman from the gold of the ground, and breathed into them her breath; and they did live. And Aura did plant a garden in Edal Boan ('to be forever'); and there she put the man and woman whom she had formed, to till and keep it.
"Out of the ground the Lord Sabaoth made to grow every tree that is to sight pleasant and good for food. In the midst of the garden did he put the tree of Life and also the tree of Death. And Aura and her Consort Sabaoth commanded them, 'You may eat freely out of every tree of the garden, but out of the tree of Death you shall not eat, lest you shall die.'
"And the man and his bondmate were both naked in the way of things, having no need of protection other than Aura. And they dwelt in communion with Aura all their days, and the days of their children, and of their children's children to the last generation; and they did eat of all the trees of the garden, and of the animals that Aura did give to them to eat, and the plants that Sabaoth did give them, but they did not eat of the tree of death, and to this day do they remain one with Aura."
She'd reached the end of the page, and Tia took the book back, cradling it in her arms. Not one of the women had any words.
