Despite the Angels - By Madeline A Stringer Page 0,21

to refresh his energies and talk to those who guided him.

The family, unaware of the wider world and secure in their own happiness, sang and laughed, the adults cradling the already sleeping children, as the moon set. It was only as the first tendrils of sunlight began to creep across the sky that they grew quiet, began to yawn and at last moved inside to settle for what was left of the night.

Chapter 8

Many days were spent in planning the naming ceremony. Alessia wanted all her old friends to attend, so she visited each one, to make sure they had no other plans for the day of the full moon. These visits took a long time, as Armishamai was admired wherever she was brought. Niklon’s mother was fulsome in her praise and, because she had never known of Niklon’s hopes, insisted that her son should admire the baby and congratulate Alessia. He did this with an empty expression, barely muttering ‘yes, lovely’ and not bringing himself to look Danthys in the eye. Everyone else was captivated by the baby’s smile and the dimple it produced in her fat cheek. Danthys was equally admired, only a little less openly. His brown hair and his paler skin were remarked on and there was much discussion about Armishamai’s colouring. It was wonderful to be back with friends and with so much to talk about. There were cousins and their families to see too as well as a feast to plan. Everyone offered to bring something, so there would not be too much extra work for Alessia’s family, who still had to keep working in the pottery.

“So, did you ask everyone what they planned to bring?” asked Alessia’s mother Tikda, as Alessia and Danthys came into the house one evening, laughing and chatting about who they had seen that day.

“No, but they all said they would bring something. There will be plenty. Oh, it will be the most wonderful feast!” Alessia, her eyes shining, danced around her mother. Tikda stood back and put out a hand to slow Alessia down.

“Hold on, hold on. Less excitement and more thought for just a minute. Do you not remember Tanthos and Falida’s feast? I thought no one would ever forget!”

“Oh, yes!” and Alessia began to laugh. “I suppose we had better go back and ask!” She turned to Danthys and when she could catch her breath, she explained:

“They got offers of food, just like we did, but almost everyone brought olives! There were about seventy people there, with one loaf of bread, one dish of lamb and about fifteen big bowls of olives!! It’s amazing we weren’t all sick. It was so funny, we laughed all night!”

“I don’t think Falida thought it was funny,” said Tikda, “It nearly spoiled her day.”

“It was her own fault,” said Alessia without thinking, then she heard what she had just said and laughed again, “just like it would be mine. That’s tomorrow sorted out, Danthys, we have to go and see everyone again.”

“Except Falida” warned Tikda, “don’t remind her.”

“I imagine Falida will check around herself, after what happened to her,” suggested Danthys, who had been falling more in love with Alessia as he watched her reaction to the old story. She was so straightforward, so quick to acknowledge her mistakes, so simply happy. He threw his arms around her and kissed her, then turned to Tikda, and kissed her too. Armishamai, caught in the crush of bodies, laughed and squealed and struggled. As Alessia turned to free the baby, she noticed a small dish on the table beside her. She picked it up and held it out to the others.

“Would you like an olive?” she asked, as a new wave of giggles bubbled out of her.

On the day of the naming ceremony, they were all up early, even though the guests would not gather till dusk. There were tables to be fetched from neighbours and set up on the flat ground beside the house. There were cups and plates to be counted and wine to be carried up from the shop in the town. There were dresses to be got ready, hair to be dressed and make-up to be applied. There were oil-lamps to be filled and wicks to be trimmed. They were all very busy, so in the middle of the afternoon when Tikda decreed that they should all go inside and lie down for an hour, there were cries of protest, particularly from Alessia’s sisters, who wanted to continue