Description
How does Christmas happen under a generated Dome?
What are those silver balls hanging in the air in the Worship House?
Why won’t they explain instead of throwing Leoshine into the deep end and expecting her to swim?
Leoshine has been living in her master’s room for five months when the ao Kenan Iliana arrives and starts adding celebrations full of sparkle, glitter, and shine to the calendar. Leoshine is dazzled, awed, and a little reconciled to these strange people.
Excerpt:
“Let me guess,” Iliana smiled. “When you entered the House today you saw all the balls hanging from the ceiling.”
Leoshine nodded. “Is this …? Will they always be there now?”
“No, they are decorations for a special occasion. Remember what I said to you when I gave the box to you?”
“Something about birth.”
“Yes! My! you are clever.”
Leoshine didn’t know whether Iliana teased her or really meant the compliment.
“’Receive the birth inside.’” Iliana repeated. “Ao Kevad, our great High King has a birthday just like the rest of us. Our calendar here doesn’t match the calendar in Aeolia, so Avram gave me the privilege of placing… well, replacing because they were there when
Myxolidia was built but faded away in the Schism. Anyway, I am placing our celebrations of Ao Kevad’s life into our calendar.”
Leoshine frowned.
“What is it dear?”
“Myxolidian celebrations are more about … us.” No, that wasn’t right. “They are more markers of change, not memories of a change.”
“Very astute!” Iliana nodded. “I hadn’t thought about that. Like when a child loses a tooth. You don’t celebrate teeth after they are all replaced.”
“We celebrate birth when it happens, but not the memory of that birth. That is only for the mother and grandmother to remember. If they like.”
“Ao Kevad’s birthday signifies more than a memory, Leoshine. That’s why I said, ‘receive the birth inside’ so many times. I urged every person who came for a box to be aware of the changes Ao Kevad makes in our hearts.”
