The Priestess and the Thief Kindred Tales 30 - Evangeline Anderson Page 0,4
endless meditation on the wrongs she had committed. By contrast the rustling green and purple leaves and the warm rays of the green sun above were a welcome relief.
But you’re not in the clear yet, whispered a little voice in the back of her head. The Ascending Priestess Superior has yet to pronounce your final judgment. Who knows what awful duties she might assign you or what punishment she might meet out when you finally come before her?
Elli tried to put that ominous thought out of her head and concentrate on the Veneration but it was difficult, especially since it was the Ascending Priestess Superior was leading the service.
“Let us venerate the Goddess, the Mother of All Life, who made and shaped us all,” she intoned in her chilly, distant voice. “Let us beg her to cleanse us of our sins that we might be worthy of her worship.”
The Ascending Priestess Superior was a tall, thin, cold woman whose hair and eyes were completely green from years of serving the Goddess. She was a cheerless person who absolutely never had a smile on her narrow lips and her sharp green-within green-eyes seemed to see right into your soul when she looked at you.
Elli had heard that life in the Sacred Grove had been lighter and less solemn under the Descending Priestess Superior and she could well believe it. Though she was dying of an incurable wasting disease, the old woman still had a twinkle in her eyes and a kind word for everyone. Elli had tended her as part of her novice duties until the Christmas party incident. Then she and the two novices who had sneaked out with her had been reassigned to “scut” assignments like cleaning the communal freshers and scrubbing the huge pots the gluey, bland ualla bread soup was made in.
But maybe I’ll get to see her again today, Elli thought hopefully. The old priestess reminded her of her grandmother, who had died when Elli was only nine cycles old. She missed the old lady—the two of them had really taken to each other in the time they’d had together.
I never should have sneaked out to the Christmas party, Elli thought as the Veneration ended and they all bowed to the marble statue of the Goddess, who had a benevolent look on her stone face. But she’d been curious about the new world she was now in—curious about the rest of the Mother Ship and its inhabitants. She was especially curious about the human custom of Christmas, which included bright decorations, delicious foods, and the giving of gifts.
Elli wished she had someone special who would give her a gift. And she wanted to sit and look at the twinkling lights of the Christmas tree and eat more of the sugary-sweet cookies with their bright green and red toppings. She wanted to know all about the human holiday which included some very odd details about a strange, portly male dressed all in red sneaking into your house at night to leave presents for children all over Earth.
How did he manage to get to all the houses in time, Elli wondered? And how did he know what gifts to bring? She had heard that this male—called “Santa”—kept a list of everyone and he had divided them all into two categories—“naughty” and “nice”. This was how he determined who got presents and who didn’t.
I suppose I wouldn’t get any gifts, even if I was allowed to celebrate Christmas with the humans, Elli thought sadly as the Veneration ended. I certainly would be on Santa’s naughty list, the way I’ve been acting lately.
Well, she was paying for her sins now, she thought as she went to the food prep area. It was her turn to scrub the soup pots—which was, admittedly, better than scrubbing the freshers—but not by much.
She just wondered if this was going to be her life forever. If only she could leave the Mother Ship and go back to her home planet or at least do something interesting and exciting. If only—
“Novice Ellilah, you’re wanted in the suite of the Priestess Superior.” The voice of the Head Cook, a priestess with doughy slabs for cheeks and small, critical eyes, spoke right in her ear.
“Oh!” Elli jumped in surprise, which splattered greasy dishwater from the sponge she’d been using all over her robes and the robes of the Head Cook.
“Now look what you’ve done!” The Head Cook’s eyes narrowed as she glared at Elli.