She wanted to say “Stop!” to Dr. Luzon, but he would not have listened. Instead, he called to Braddock to drive recklessly down into the Vale, whereupon they were immediately surrounded by the Faithful.
Most of them had never seen a snocle before. Some cried out in alarm, “The Great Monster!”
Others said, “No, an angel of the company.”
But when they saw her, people didn’t know what to think. Ascencion, whom she saw on the edge of the crowd, gave her a hard look and then turned, to appear a short time later with the Shepherd himself.
The Shepherd looked smaller, somehow, and rather ordinary, not larger than life as he usually appeared. His chin was smooth, to show his purity over other men, who must wear whiskers. His hair was cut short for the same reason, although the women were never, ever to cut theirs unless they were being shamed for some wrong.
He did not, at first, look very friendly to Dr. Luzon, though he retained that air of peaceful detachment and complete calm he carried with him at all times when he wasn’t preachinguntil he fell into a terrible rage. But now he spoke softly. “We are a solitary and forsaken people, living apart on the hideous monster that is the back of this world. Why have you disturbed us?”
Matthew Luzon said, a slight yearning entering his tone that Goat-dung had not heard there before, “Why, we have come to you for wisdom, of course, good Shepherd. I am Dr. Matthew Luzon, an investigator for the company, and this is my assistant, Braddock Makem. The child you know.”
“I know her,” the Shepherd said, his calmness turning cold as his eyes touched Goat-dung’s face. “She is a traitor who has run from the light. What business has a company investigator got with her or with me?”
“I am a special sort of investigator, Shepherd,” Matthew explained. “It is my job to purge the company’s holdings of lies that corrupt and mislead the people. Many on this world lie about its nature, seek to make us believe it is not merely a planet, but a sentient organism, whose natural events have intent and intelligence behind them. The girl told me of your teachings. I believe you know the truth and would learn it from you. I would have you testify before the company about this truth, as well.”
“The company needs my testimony?” the Shepherd asked. Goat-dung would have suspected he’d be delighted. After all, in his teachings, the company was the great force that had changed all of their lives and cast them into anguish at the mercy of the Great Monster. He seemed to be weighing his words when he answered, “This gives me much to ponder. I will do a teaching this evening. You may attend. But there is another matter between us. This girl …”
“She told me of your teachings, Shepherd. She’s impressed me very much, and I would like to retain her as my research assistant.”
“That is impossible. We are betrothed. Tonight will be our deferred wedding night. After the teaching, there will be a feast, and then she shall cleave unto me even as her mother did.”
Matthew turned to Goat-dung with a mockery of happy surprise on his face. “Why, Goat-dung! Congratulations.”
She hung her head.
Ascencion came forward and took her in charge and led her away to the makeshift tentshed that was the newly rebuilt wedding hut, while her selfproclaimed rescuer ignored her plight to court her chief tormentor. As she shuffled along behind Ascencion, however, she heard the Shepherd tell Matthew, “After the wedding, she will no longer be Goat-dung. Everyone must address her, as befits my wife, by her new name, Dolores.”
Dolores: Full of woe. What could be more appropriate for her? Goat-dung thought. No, in her mind, she would think of herself as ‘Cita.
She allowed herself to be dressed in the ceremonial “Taking Gown,” the cloak-like gown that all of the chosen women wore when the Shepherd took them to wife. Once garbed. she was left alone to wait hopelessly for her weddinguntil there were shouts from the far end of the Vale and in her mind she heard Coaxtl’s voice saying: