Chapter Seventeen:
The gleam from the numerous candles in the church seemed to transfix Lady Glinda as she entered in the church that was technically built in her honor. She hadn't needed to knock for the door was open as if someone had known that she was going to be here.
Groups of maunts in their dark clothes seemed to float in and out of open doorways, going from this private chapel to that private chapel. But one of them did notice Glinda, and made her way to her.
"Greetings, stranger," said the maunt who looked as if she was about Glinda's age with dark hair pulled into a bun. Her hands took Glinda's in welcome and the maunt's dark eyes looked into Glinda's. Immediately the maunt recognized her and suddenly and quite oddly became more formal.
She let go of Glinda's hands and curtseyed.
"Lady Glinda, my apologizes for not greeting you properly. This lighting makes it so hard to see people's faces," said the maunt in nervousness.
"It's quite alright, Sister-" Glinda trailed off letting the girl finish her sentence.
"Sister Revinkins, Lady Glinda."
Glinda smiled at her, "It's nice to meet you, Sister Revinkins."
The maunt seemed to calm down and she smiled pleasantly back at Glinda.
"This is an unexpected visit, Lady Chuffrey. If we had known you were coming we would have prepared something for you," said Sister Revinkins.
"Oh, no," said Glinda softly, "I don't want that."
The maunt looked at her curiously, "Then if you don't mind me asking, why are you here?"
Glinda gulped. It was a perfectly reasonable question but Glinda was not sure how to word the answer.
"I feel," Glinda started off slowly, "compelled to help the citizens of Oz. I want to do good things, make sure that I am helping my Oz."
"A very good political answer," observed Sister, "But what is your real reason?"
Glinda sighed as she realized that Sister Revinkins was a tough woman to get lies by.
"Well, I guess that I came here for forgiveness," answered Glinda truthfully. Sister Revinkins merely narrowed her eyes.
"What-ever do you-" she began to say when a few maunts passed by and gave her a look, sending her back into her requirements when speaking with Lady Glinda or anyone of importance.
"Forgiveness will always be here when you need it, Lady Chuffrey," said the maunt with some difficulty for she really did want to know what the woman would have said to her question.
"Thank you," said Glinda as she looked around at the age ranging maunts around her. The cloister was dark and dreary with the tunes of old hymns being sung in the chapels.
"So what exactly would you like to do?" asked Sister Revinkins as she led Lady Glinda across the foyer into one of the chapels. Glinda pondered over what her options were.
"Well," she began, "Charity work does provide such a nice rush of good feelings, maybe I could help out with the children's ward or with the sick and dying."
Sister Revinkins nodded with an understanding look on her face.
"Yes," she said, "Charity will do that to people. We sisters do it out of the goodness of our hearts." She slid a glance at Glinda with a smile.
"Well I love to help," said Glinda cheerily sending Revinkins a gracious and dazzling smile.
"Good," said Sister Revinkins, "But if you don't mind accompanying me to Mass before we discuss details, then I won't be late again."
"Oh, of course," said Glinda, even though she felt a bit out of place in her green dress in the midst of all the maunts and nuns. Both Sister Revinkins and Glinda made their way to a pew in the candle-lit chapel from the foyer. The stained glass windows reflected the lights in all different directions, sending a rainbow of light every-where Glinda looked. For a moment she felt happy, and a warm feeling rose up inside of her that she hadn't felt in ages. But as quickly as the feeling came, it left her body as she felt a cool breeze flow through the chapel.
In her heavy black clothes Sister Revinkins barely seemed to notice the change in temperature.
The maunts hummed some strange tune as they assembled in the pews ahead of Glinda and Sister Revinkins.
Not one who had considered herself a devout Lurlinist Glinda felt quite out of place with the maunts inside the chapel. After all, their duties consisted of praying and devoting their time to the Unnamed God and Lurline, and Ozma if any of them believed she was coming back.
She leaned over towards Sister Revinkins and asked quietly, "Is this hymns or prayers or something else?"
Sister Revinkins had a faint smile on her young face, "Passages about the tale of Saint Aelphaba."
Glinda's breath stopped short. It was if all the irony in the world of Oz had come together and blasted her mistakes right back into her face. Glinda struggled to remain passive.
"Oh," she managed in a quiet voice as the rest of the congregation of maunts took their seats, Glinda and Sister Revinkins following momentarily.
The songs had now ended, and some maunt was up at the altar preaching about the legend of Saint Aelphaba.
Glinda twitched as her hands fidgeted in her lap. From what Glinda remembered the story of Saint Aelphaba was that the saint was some sort of mystic who went into the wilderness to become one with nature. She stripped down naked, and went through a waterfall to a cave where she ended up living. Hundreds of years later she emerged and scared all of the villagers seeing as they had came to the cave years beforehand and never noticed her. They named her a saint, and she blessed them. But then she returned to her cave and disappeared, never to be seen again. As she sat there on the uncomfortable wooden pew, Glinda thought about the differences between Saint Aelphaba and Elphaba Thropp. Well for one Elphaba hated water had some allergy to it if Glinda remembered correctly. She was no saint, though she had done nothing to cause harm yet. But it was Nessarose who devoted herself to the Unnamed God, even though Glinda didn't really want to think about either of the Thropp sisters at the moment.
Glinda sat in the chapel and really thought about this, something she hadn't done in a way since Elphaba had challenged her to do so at Shiz. She knew that Aelphaba and Elphaba were different but was there a possibility that they could be similar. Elphaba was reclusive; someone who worked better by herself and Saint Aelphaba lived in a cave where no one could find her.
Some would say that she was going crazy, but Glinda thought she was on to something. But suddenly the maunt who was speaking caught Glinda's attention, and her ears pricked up to listen.
"And there Saint Aelphaba stayed for a very long time," read the ancient maunt from one of the holy books.
The congregation recited in a ghostly whisper the next few words as it was customary, "And did she ever come out?"
The maunt looked straight at Glinda with a startling and knowing look as if she was looking straight through her soul, "Not yet," she said with a toothy grin.
I originally had a different ending to this chapter but I really like this one. My ending for this one originally will be revealed soon enough. So what did you think of the whole Saint Aelphaba story? I made sure I had my facts right, but if I'm wrong about something let me know. I have this whole great subplot with it. :) Also who can guess who the old maunt is? That's right I decided to make Yackle a bit younger in this, just for creative purposes. Any ideas or guesses as to what might happen next?
Thanks for the reviews everyone!
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