by Jo Zebedee
'The Temple of the Animex,' he breathes to himself. Craning to stare upwards, he can see the walls tapering, reaching towards the pinnacle of the temple, the spire with its simple chimney. It will serve as a release for the oils and perfumes Apius intends to burn. The walls on the inside are just as smooth as those on the exterior, and the Re'Nuck marvels at the care that has been paid to the whole building. With so many working on it, there seems to have been no single item of his design missed. He breathes in the smell of fresh-cut wood, the cleanliness of the earth beneath the floors, the uninhabitedness of the place. Soon it will be filled with worshippers, a proper and worthy place for the word of the Animex to be heard.
'Inside these four walls, we can truly begin.'
The Work of the Earth
Asha arrives early to the fields, determined to make up for yestersunup's late appearance. Ajerus did no more than insist she stay later to make up the lost time, something she had intended to do anyway. She hopes that her additional efforts this morning will be enough for that to be forgotten. She begins raking the rows of seeds, which stretch as far as the eye can see. Many trees had to be cleared to make way for this cropland, but the wood from those has provided the raw products to make many homes within Genem.
Asha shakes her head as she wonders how much forest was levelled to allow Apius his temple.
Ajerus arrives not long after her, giving her a gentle wave. 'Keen to start today, Asha?'
'I believe it was important to make up for yestersunup.'
'A good attitude. That I have never questioned.'
'I am glad to hear it.'
'Is there any sign of growth in this quadrant?'
'Nothing yet.'
'Hmm. Perhaps it remains too soon.'
'It is impossible to know. That is why we are taking on this task, is it not?'
'How do you mean?'
'You may have the others fooled, Ajerus, but not me. This whole venture is purely an experiment.'
'The effort here is to provide more food for Genem.'
'Of course, on one level. But if you know so much about how the crops grow, why do we have so many different crops in so many different fields?'
'Do you want to eat the same meal each sunup, each sundown? We require variety.'
'Nonsense. The first priority for you is to see what will grow, and how quickly it will do so, and in what amounts. Then you will refine what will be grown.'
Ajerus turns away, looking out over the vast swathes of land which hold the hope for their future. It is rare to see them as quiet as they are now.
'Did you only come early to have this conversation with me?'
'Just a happy accident.'
'Very well, I am sick of having to keep such a secret. All of your colleagues believe I know what I am doing, that I am somehow in tune with the earth. None of that is true.'
'It does not matter to me.'
Ajerus turns back to face her.
'What? Then why do you even bring this up?'
'I wanted my suspicions confirmed. I think no less of you. You do a fine job, and are well respected.'
'That respect is founded on a lie.'
'Do not kid yourself, Ajerus. There are many lies around us. Some necessary, some not.'
Like the denial of this gift?
Asha is stunned by Ajerus's use of the mental speech, something that many know exist but has rarely been acknowledged this way.
I do not know if that is a lie, Ajerus. Perhaps just a necessity.
Perhaps.
'I am glad we had this conversation, Ajerus. It is good to know the truth of this matter. I shall work just as hard to make sure we achieve our aims.'
'Will you tell the others of this?'
'Of course not. It is irrelevant to me, and I cannot see what good sharing this information will do.'
'Thank you, Asha. If you'll excuse me, I have much work to prepare.'
'Of course.'
***
Asha watches the remainder of her colleagues arrive. The talk, when she finally has some company, is only of one thing – The Temple of the Animex. She listens intently, although holds her tongue for now. There is much surprise that the construction is complete, and there is also some debate about the merits of the burgeoning religion. Hilius seems sold on the hypnotic words of Apius, and is delighted that he and his fellows now have a building in which to hear the sermons. Jupos is far less convinced, and doesn't want to hear anything about the Animex. Her attitude is very much one of keeping your head down, although Hilius thinks she is denying a significant issue. Jupos responds by saying that the most significant issue is the ground beneath her feet. Her third companion, Deriz, has decided to head to the temple to see if this new religion is for him. He is undecided, and joins little in the conversation, preferring to find out more from Hilius. The four of them work watering their dedicated patch of land, turning the soil and looking closely for signs of growth from beneath. These seeds have been entitled Paluri, a fruit which to date has only been found deep in the forests.
'What do you think, Asha?' asks Jupos.
'Hmm?'
'About the matter of the Re'Nuck?'
'Apius?'
'You don't like his title?' interjects Hilius.
'I don't see what he has done to earn it. He seemed to just turn up with it one day.'
'The Re'Nuck earns the title every day!' Hilius's voice is raised, and in her peripheral vision Asha can see both Jupos and Deriz moving towards the other side of their quadrant.
Cowards. Afraid of the faintest confrontation.
'In what way, Hilius? By standing and shouting in front of a crowd? I could do the same, if I chose.'
'The Re'Nuck did not choose to do so, he was chosen!'
'You become defensive too quickly, Hilius. You can shout and cry all you like, but there is doubt underneath your words.'
'Doubt? The Re'Nuck is a great leader, just the kind of person that Genem needs.'
'That Genem needs? Who are you to decide what Genem needs? We have never had titles and leaders before. There are more pressing matters at hand that praising the 'gods'.'
'You side with Jupos, then?'
'In essence, yes. But Jupos's views are milder than mine, rest assured. I look at all the effort that has gone towards that temple and cry to think what else could have been done. These fields could be twice the size, growing the food we need. They could have been out in the forests, hunting for food to sustain us. There are still many buildings needed around Genem, and the materials that could have built them is now invested in a temple!'
'Your vision is so short, Asha. The food and the buildings will take care of themselves, in time. But for now what we need most of all is to ensure we set off on the right spiritual path!
'At least we can agree on that. But I would rather have food in my belly than a contented soul.'
'Then you are sorely misguided, Asha. Belief will take care of much.'
'Work and integrity will take care of much.'
'Now you question the Re'Nuck's integrity?'
'What evidence have you of his integrity? What makes you think he communicates with the gods?'
Hilius steps forward, his stance tense and coiled. The wooden hoe is raised in his hands, as though he were ready to strike out.
'You are wrong. You cannot see it, but you are wrong. And in time you will come to know it.'
'We shall see just how far your idolatry gets you, Hilius.'
Hilius throws down his hoe and turns away, stomping furiously away from the quadrant.
***
On the opposite side of Genem, in a field untouched by agriculture but trampled by the many feet of a procession, the temple rises gloriously into the sky, backlit by the orange sun. Even from outside, a booming voice can be heard – the certain tones of the Re'Nuck.
Within the temple, the decorations are still yet to be in place. But that has not stopped m
any arriving to hear the word of the Animex, sitting on the floor or leaning against the walls. Each of them stares intently at the Re'Nuck, who does not stand at an altar or lectern as he had envisaged. Still, he knows he will remember this sermon, perhaps more than any other.
'A very warm welcome, all, to the Temple of the Animex! You may be thinking to yourself that this place looks basic. For now that is true. But as quickly as this magnificent building came to be, so will the interior of this temple realise a similar beauty. The first thing I wish to say today is thank you. When I first set out upon this path, all I had was belief, nothing more. I thought that if I could pass my belief to one person, that would be a success. To be stood here feels like a wonderful dream. And it is all of you that have made that so. With your faith in the Animex, with your dedication, with your efforts and labour and generosity. So I thank each and every one of you for allowing me this moment.'
A cheer emerges from the crowd, and Apius allows them their moment. The sound resonates throughout the temple.
'Please, brothers and sisters, let us commence with sermon for today. This place is made for the worship of the Animex, our fathers and creators.'
Apius pauses. No one dares break this moment. It seems as though the congregation is unwilling to even breathe.
'Genem has grown swiftly around us, and it will be the first of many settlements, you can rest assured. As we, the Noukari, move forward, there will be more. Perhaps this will be the largest – perhaps this will be dwarfed by those that will come in time. We must strive to be great, because in this respect we are the closest thing to the gods! We must tread the footsteps they once trod, guiding a new society in the proper direction!'
A pause. Reverent silence. Apius can feel the temple amplifying his words in a way that is both physical and emotional. Imagine it full to the brim with finery and regalia!
'So this is a time when we must all rise. And that process has already begun with the walls that surround you. But we must continue to ascend, to become greater than we are, greater than we have ever been. This is a time for the Noukari to truly assume the mantle of the children of the gods!'
With this final, booming proclamation, Apius allows the thunderous applause to ring out around him.
First Worship
Sunup comes quickly, almost too quickly for the two moons. Their pallid outlines can be seen in the sky above Noukaria, their luminescence drowned out by the orange glare of the sun. The village sees its denizens heading out on their appointed tasks, as passed down from the ruling committee. Fieldworkers rush to their respective quadrants, builders gather materials and carry them to their place of work, hunters collect their basic weaponry and say goodbye to their wefis and Hasbans. It may be the last time they see them. For each placid Saren and Vopal, there remains the ever-present danger of the Hiyel. Each took on their role willingly in the early days of their gathering, before even the huts of Genem has been formed, and those roles remain many sunups on. Sacrifice and integrity is what Noukari civilisation has been based upon.
But this particular sunup sees many heading in one direction – towards a clearing at the edge of the village, and towards the vast building that swallows up so much of it. They carry crudely lashed chairs, simply woven silks, rudimentary carvings and offerings of whatever they consider valuable.
These provide merely a starting point.
Over the sunups that follow the items being lugged to the temple grow more elaborate and more wondrous. Their carriers beam with pride as they discuss what they have found or constructed with their fellow worshippers.
All the while, Asha watches them. The misplaced pride sickens her, as does the amount that Apius continues to ask while other tasks are ignored. She has heard the whispers on the field, where Hilius has refused to speak to her since their disagreement. He has been looking full of himself, filled with the gloatish pride that has possessed so many. Jupos has told her all she needs to know about the ceremony anyway.
Then Ajerus came to inform her that she was being moved to another quadrant.
'What is this about, Ajerus? Why this sudden change?'
'It must be this way, Asha.'
'What does that mean? This is about Hilius, isn't it?'
Ajerus looks down at the ground, unwilling to answer.
'Well! Tell me, Ajerus. You are supposed to be the leader here, aren't you? If you can't bear to tell me the truth...'
Very well. It is about Hilius. But not just that.
Why the sudden change of speech, Ajerus? Afraid people might overhear?
Perhaps. They could probably overhear if they attempted to do so.
We don't know that.
It's not just because of Hilius. He and I... started to talk. About everything.
Everything? It is quite apparent to me that you mean only one thing.
Must you always be so direct?
Direct? I simply call it the truth.
Very well. Hilius spoke to me about the work of the Re'Nuck. I was curious, so I attended a sermon.
Sermons? Is that what he calls them?
Please, Asha. It just so happens that I was inspired by his vision.
What vision is that? Of him sat atop a throne, commanding Genem as though he was a god?
That's enough, Asha. My decision is made. You have a new quadrant, and a new set of co-workers.
You're moving me so I don't cause trouble.
If you must put it that way, yes. I don't want any more difficulties. What we have to do here is important enough.
So you waste time playing at religion!
Marshal yourself, Asha. I would hate to have to remove you from the workforce.
Yes, master. I shall go to my new quadrant at once. Enjoy all your religious discussion.
Asha...
She finds herself surprised that she can snap her mind closed so quickly. Ajerus looks at her, stunned, but she says nothing more before making her exit.
***
Half of Genem buzzes with an unfamiliar excitement. After short lives filled with work and drudgery and duty, there is the promise of celebration, something to break the routine strangling each sunup. The other half of the population are mystified, uncertain, a little curious. Perhaps some of them will attend, simply to see what this new religion might mean to them. It could be something life-changing. It may alter nothing. But it offers something different, a much-needed variety.
Asha watches people heading towards the temple from the doorway of her hut, shooting sullen stares at anyone who glances in her direction. Zerial sits uneasily, wishing his wefi would come back inside. It is as if she attempts to stop people from going to the temple by willpower alone, killing their excitement and sending them scurrying back to their huts. But people simply continue to file their way towards the temple.
'I can scarcely believe what I see, Zerial. So many I had considered to be good people. So many I had considered better than this.'
'Calm down, Asha. I doubt that all of them are true believers.'
'Does that make it better?'
'Well, they may not get swept up in it all.'
'May not. So we might be losing more to Apius.'
'In what sense are they lost to us, wefi? They believe something you do not. Is that so irreparable?'
'It might be.'
'You have become such a doomsayer, Asha. With every word you seem to spout venom!.'
'Venom? Is that how you see me, Hasban?'
'That is what you are becoming. Where is the carefree Asha that I was paired with, the girl that ran through the forests and cried her joy to the moons?'
'That was a long time ago.'
'Not so long, my love. Not so many sunups we should lose count. Our race is not so old, Asha.'
'Very well. But much has happened since then.'
'Enough to leech all the happiness from you? Your character has begun to change so deeply, and I do not... I do not know how to recove
r you. I feel as though you are lost to me.'
'Then perhaps I am. Perhaps there is no way to recover what we have.'
Zerial sighs, having no recourse. The conversation was supposed to open some kind of channel between them, bring them closer, remind them of what it means to be Hasban and wefi.
'Perhaps it does not mean what you think, Zerial.'
She walks out of the door as she says this, her footsteps crunching softly on the forest floor.
***
Asha blends into the crowds heading towards the ceremony. She attracts a glance or two, nothing more than would be expected. She feels self-conscious, as if people can sense that she is not one of them. She casts off the feeling, mixing with everyone as openly as she can. She is surprised by how naturally falsity comes to her. She returns empty words with her own neo-religious proclamations, and is able to pass as one of the flock. The only thing she is missing is the offering in her hands that most of them have. For a moment she sees Hilius in the crowd, but hangs back to avoid crossing his line of sight. It doesn't matter if she arrives as one of the last to the ceremony, as long as she is there. She has to see what this is about, and just what it will lead to.
She trails into the clearing as one of the last of a long procession, talking uneasily with those around her, masking her ignorance as to previous sermons. She hates to admit that the temple is a spectacular building. Too much so. How many of their number have slaved to create such a thing? Despite herself, she feels a slight chill as she enters the Temple of the Animex. The interior of the temple is sumptuously appointed, at least the part of it she can see. It seems as though almost all of Genem is crammed into this space to hear this. It is all she can do to angle herself a space at the rear of the temple. Craning her neck, she can see Apius stood before the congregation, placed behind a wooden altar festooned with plants and flowers. She recognises some of them as being rare, found far from Genem. What else will the Re'Nuck's vanity drive him to? The hubbub of the crowd dies down as Apius steps before the audience. A woman reaches out to him, but her hand is snatched back, presumably by a chastising Hasban 'My brothers, my sisters, welcome to this most auspicious of sundowns. The moons will bear witness to this, and the gods too shall behold our ceremony.'
