Something in her voice led Bao to ask in his sweetly sympathetic voice, “You are troubled? We hope we have not occasioned this feeling.”
She shook her head with a fleeting smile. “We all are troubled on Newholme. Vulcanism is increasing to an extent that it may threaten both our food supplies and some of our water sources. The Men of Business are extremely worried about the cities and the farmlands, while we are more concerned with human life … “
“Do you mean mankind life?”
D’Jevier turned her face slightly aside, masking her eyes. “With all due respect to Haraldson, mankind is the only human presence on Newholme.”
“Where will you go?”
“If it gets any worse, we’ll have to go into the badlands. Though every tame mountain south and east has turned feral, the canyons west of the city seem to be untroubled. Foodstuffs will be needed, emergency supplies of all kinds … “
D’Jevier sighed dramatically, attempting to look wearied by her labors, hoping to misdirect her visitors. The recent tremors were indeed worse than others in the records, but the Hags had no real intention of evacuating the city as yet, preferring to delay any decision until the Questioner had departed. If she did not approve them and depart, any decision might prove to have been a waste of time.
Ellin and Bao took note of what had been said, then looked once more at the trio of images.
“Are your rites secret?” asked Bao, gravely, hand to throat, conveying awe.
D’Jevier shook her head. “Private would be a better word. We do not encourage attendance by scoffers, or by the inattentive and the ignorant, but we do not hesitate to inform persons who are interested. Our most popular rite comes at the Tipping of the Year when we concentrate on forgetting the disappointments of the past year, on setting aside events or relationships that have proven troublesome and unhappy, even within families, and on moving on to others that are more kindly, cooperative, and productive. Our rule is to bow, bow again, and get on. Our religion is based upon eschewing human sacrifice in favor of lives that are fulfilling, productive, and joyful.”
Startled, Ellin cried, “Human sacrifice! I am surprised you can think of such a thing!”
D’Jevier said with unfeigned weariness, “My dear young woman, our history is made up of millennia of human sacrifice. Well into the twenty-first century, huge armies of young men were sacrificed to tribal or national honor, women were sacrificed to male supremacy, children were sacrificed to brutality, all immolated in flames of painful duty. We try to determine whether the dutiful will suffer and to decide how that suffering may be compensated. We continually redesign our society to provide joy to those who incur pain on our behalf.”
“I’m not sure I get that,” Ellin said.
D’Jevier smiled. “One example will suffice. On most worlds women have a duty to bear and raise children. Some children are loving and generous; some women enjoy mothering; some families are happy. However, some women are unskilled, or have children who are unloving and selfish. Sometimes they grasp at their children, seeking from their children the joys that instinct tells them they should receive, and there is hurt and annoyance on both sides. Here on Newholme, we try to see that all lives contain appropriate joys, in order that children may grow up without guilt.”
“I see,” murmured Ellin, feeling an abyss open around her. Such a simple idea. Why had she never heard anyone speak of providing appropriate joys?
Bao, with a concerned glance at Ellin, murmured, “Madam, we are only envoys of Questioner. She has sent us to advise you that she herself will be calling upon you, probably rather soon.”
“I understand,” said D’Jevier, bowing. “Whenever you like.”
They went out together, standing for a long moment at the top of the stairs. The city moved before them with a certain intent bustle, people carrying this and that, going hither and yon, none of them sparing even a glance for the visitors.
“Something is wrong, here,” said Gandro Bao. “They should be showing curiosity about us, and they are not doing it. Everybody is being oh so very busy. Let us be going separate ways, to see what we can see.”