Weathering Storms

by Taborri Walker

  “So what do you believe is truly Peter’s plan?” Grace had not wanted to come either, but went for her husband and friend’s sake. Their children were grown and out of the nest, her husband Nicodemus was a skilled soldier and was recruited to lead the men who would be the Arm of God’s Might when the trip would occur.

  “Not entirely sure, but Peter puts us all in slavery, he and his men believe they are above us; those men he places to watch us and report our sins, who side with him always, who mete out punishment, and enjoy it!; he commits the sins of the flesh he punishes others for. Even on this poor waif, who is so horribly hurt! And my friends, he truly believes he is like unto Abram, that being childless I am Sarai and our Lakin here was sent by God to be his other wife so he may have children! I have always been a disappointment in that, to him.”

  “But… no one here will tolerate polygamy as it is illegal in the laws of the Country, as well as the New Testament. Peter preaches against Joseph Smith who is trying to raise his own church…” Grace stopped suddenly, an afore unknown thought occurring to her.

  “Yes, Grace. That’s been on my mind too. What does he plan to do with me? I already feel ill frequently… am I going to die that his dream be fulfilled?”

  “Ill? How?” Florence’s voice rose sharply.

  “At night. Burning in my stomach, I run for the privee and vomit several times. Feverish, tired, once some shaking that woke me up. I’m trying to figure out what’s causing it.”

  “Every night?” now in her Doctor mode, the Aunt would dig until she found the answer.

  “Since the arrival of our mystery child, no. Tired yes, but we all are, tending to her.”

  “I want you to record all you eat and drink separate from the congregation, Beulah,” Florence gripped her shoulders. “And when the sickness comes. If Peter truly is planning things against God and Common Law, it may go farther than this city and its residents, now.”

  “Yes,” Grace moved carefully and got to her feet. She had dizzy spells, brushed off as aging. After all, God granted seventy years for life and she had only a few more to go. This was normal course for imperfect bodies, to age and die. So she made changes to accommodate. “Let us get the waif back to bed; she is bleeding again. As soon as we can, pass the word for malcontents to listen more carefully, repeat to us when in common chores. Start putting,” Grace pulled the now soiled blanket off the bed and unfolded another. As Beulah pulled the woman’s body upright she dropped it behind and spread it out, then Beulah lowered her. “Supplies aside, hide them where the Monitors and Loyal Soldiers never go, in preparation.”

  “You’re thinking,” Florence lifted the slender legs and felt tremors while Beulah spread the blanket out, “of a mass evacuation?”

  “They can’t shoot us all,” was Grace’s grim answer.

  “No, but enough dead would frighten the rest into returning, especially if they took out the leaders first. But yes,” the women rose and Beulah and Florence used the blanket to lift their patient, as if in a sling, “start hiding things. It just might come to that. Grace, the bolsters, then roll her on.”

  After Grace and Florence went back to their beds, Deborah and Delia crept back in but Beulah would only shake her head and say the child had had a bad seizure. The three changed the bloody bandages and Delia took the 2-hour watch.

  Shni listened, horrified. He knew Sesha would want nothing more than to sit up and tell the woman everything, but they didn’t know enough to assume the women were entirely correct or sane themselves, although they were positively the victims of the group of men. In the meantime, the computer would file away all the goings on possible, which he would have Sesha access when she woke up.

  To say the Nestram would be pissed would be putting it mildly. The people of Brienda Prime’s first moon had a word, “razph” which was a deep, terrible anger that would grow with each passing wrong. When finally acted upon, utter devastation would result. Shni knew for a fact that was how it would be here.

  After which, if Sesha was successful in saving crew and ship, when she had to report to the Alliance Planetary Board, she could detail why she broke Interstellar Absolute Law about this world. Even if she was sentenced to planetary confinement, until mindwipe she would be content knowing she’d saved some people from such a horror!

  12

  Sesha stayed “unconscious” for ten more days after the rape. That was necessary for more than one factor; she really was hurt, gathering information was much easier and it built her story.

  The next morning when Florence was tending her, Sesha was up far enough in her mind to be filled in on everything after the rape. She laid quiet while Florence again washed out her female area and gently palpated her lower abdomen.

  “Hm,” it was enough to alert her helpers.

  “Florence?”

  “Her abdomen feels some different than one of ours. Despite her breasts, I wonder if she is fully developed yet… she hasn’t any hair, either, except on her head.”

  “Not even legs or arms?”

  “None at all. I’ve never seen a person, in any country I’ve been, without hair. I’m thinking a throwback again, especially now. But what could have caused this kind? Almost an albino, no hair… very odd. But I’m done for now, ladies, please get her set up for her meal.”

  There was a knock and “Good Ladies of the Lord, I hath thy bucket of seawater,” from the voice of a young man. Florence opened the door and let him in; he couldn’t help but look at the mystery women lying on her side so quietly and set the bucket by the rocking chair at the head of the bed. Leaving was actually inching towards the door, so he caught what happened next.

  As Sarah lifted the blanket off her feet, she inadvertently brushed her fingers across the bottom of one foot. Caught off guard since she was lightly conscious, Sesha couldn’t help it, she gasped a little. Her body started to shake.

  “Florence!” Leah heard the faint noise. “The lady!”

  Shni sent Sesha into a gasping, rapid breath with sounds of distress to accompany the quivering. It panicked Sarah and Leah, after hearing of the bad seizure she’d had before.

  “Is she dying?”

  “Lift her up to a sitting position!”

  “Pat her back… oh, you can’t - !”

  In their panic, they pulled her up by the arms and her head flopped forward. Sesha let out a few more gasps then settled into a deeper limp state.

  Sesh… that bucket… if you can get your arm into it somehow, I could really use the boost. You’re so damn dehydrated, after all.

  Do my best but I’m hurting right now. Can I rest a bit?

  Yes… I’ll keep listening to what’s going on outside, the window is open and with the computer boosting, I can hear quite a bit of the goings on. Settle down now, sweetheart,

  But she still heard conversation as the fading began.

  “It’s passed… it must have been a fit from the blow on her head.”

  “I hope she lives to tell us what happened.” Beulah mused.

  “I hope she doesn’t.” That statement of the woman called Grace startled Sesha. “How shall she escape so great Salvation if she lives?”

  Beulah recognized the bastardization of one of her husband’s favorite verses: “how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation?” and she entirely understood what the woman meant. Sesha didn’t, but felt a premonition of fear at the tones in the women’s voices. Then she slept.

  The next two days brought a few periods of lightening consciousness, enough to make them pay her more attention until she sunk into her deep coma again.

  Sounds of strikes were heard; the voice of a smaller child raised in a wail as chastisement was rendered, what, the women didn’t know for. It was a common happening, an everyday occurrence. Letting out a shriek of terror, Sesha fell off the bed for the first time, thrashing against hands trying to catch her. Both arms went into the bucket of seawater delivered earlier and it went over. This happened more than once until the women d
ared to call out the window for the punishments to stop, especially on the fifth day when she crawled, in a panic, eyes wide open, but, as the women put it, “not at home.”

  Seventh day again, Sesh. There was talk yesterday about the two going to be chastised. A man and wife this time, caught by a Monitor having sex in their own quarters, their own bed! Seems the act is truly not allowed except for procreation. Despite the pair telling the Reverend every verse about husband and wife being one flesh, they’re getting it anyway.

  There has got to be a stop to this… let’s make this a real upset day for me, all right?

  The clanging of the meeting bell made the patient jerk and gasp with each stroke. After that, every touch, every attempt to give water, juice or thin soup was rejected, which necessitated more touching.

  Florence did every calming measure she knew; speaking softly in the girl’s ear, having her helpers rub specific spots or gently bathe her limbs with warm water. To Keep the rules for duties of Mercy being performed on the Sabbath, a small fire was kept lit in the kitchen to heat water and food. So all they had to do was put the pot on and carry it up.

  With mid-day meal Beulah stopped in. “Wish me to stay? She is having a difficult day but hopefully means the lass will be waking soon.”

  “Keep watch on the window. If there is waving, come. If you hear someone yelling for you, come quick.”

  “I will. And plates for you three are coming, then Grace and Rachel will relieve you two, Deborah and Delia. Since it is a day of rest, if tired, go to bed. It is allowed for those of us who nurse the waif. I must go now; the Reverend wishes me by his side for the meal.”

  “Lucky you,” Florence hugged her. As Beulah left, the food arrived and their patient slept a while, happily.

  But then it started. The crowd was called, the couple brought up together.

  “Monitor Seth did find thee in the act of intercourse when it was night prayer-time. ‘Tis a sin to forsake worship of Our Tower From the Enemy for the lusts of the flesh!”

  “Most Holy Lord Reverend,” the husband spoke up boldly. There was no way out of this; punishment would be rendered no matter what was said and he and his wife had agreed to speak their minds. “If it was’t time for Prayer, why was’t the Monitor on his feet, walking abou? Why was’t all in the house bedded down then? I submit to you the charges are false and the Monitor must suffer punishment.”

  The crowd saw how Allway turned beet red with fury. No one had ever accused his Holy Men of falsehood!

  “It doth say in the Scriptures that man and wife are one flesh; it doth state in Hebrews, chapter 13, verse 4, as thou thyself hath read to the Congregation that Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled! Thou woulds’t go ‘gainst thine own Beliefs?”

  “Thou awkward Sinner! Breed-bate among the Flock! Thou durst bring circumstance again’ me? Thy attempts to divert from the punishment of thee and thy wife shalt result not only in jading, but hull at the time of new day tonight! Hath I not been teaching, shewing forth that our Calling is to the marriage of the Lamb, as spoke in Revelations? Doth the Word not state in Matthew ‘For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven?’”

  “We have not passed from life unto death, Peter Allway,” now his wife spoke up. Her shaking had stopped, knowing that death would be coming soon and accepting that had steadied her. “Mo’e thou changest the Word of the Lord and insist ‘tis the only truth. Fools we were for following you; do thy worst, wolf in sheep’s clothing. We have no fear of thee, what throes we be placed in nor of Hell when we be executed. To be free of thee and thy evil helpers wilt,” she got no further.

  Peter Allway roared, a sound of a fragile mind on the brink and snatching a short whip from one of the Monitors, began to savagely beat the woman about the face.

  The congregation fell back in horror; the Monitors rushed in, pulled him back and hung up the couple. While four of them, plus the Reverend continued the beating anywhere, the other Monitors and off-duty soldiers surrounded the crowd, aiming guns at them, keeping them in place.

  “Once a year,” Beulah sighed in Sarah’s ear. “Why now? With the stranger so weak and trying to bring those wishing out into a solid group, Grant and Penelope surely would have known,”

  “There is frantic waving,” Sarah whispered, cutting her off.

  While the couple had been arguing with Allway, Shni woke Sesha and filled her in.

  What are you going to do?

  Act out, a lot this time. Eyes wide open but unaware of the real surroundings Ready? Help me out when I need.

  Okay, Sesh.

  The blows began to fall; the couple started crying out despite attempts not to. Sesha began to thrash and moan, relaxing a bit when a hand touched her forehead and ‘shh’ was heard, but the more blows fell and the louder they cried out, the more upset she became.

  Just a minute in Sesha had managed to sit up, wailing frantically, eyes still closed. Rachel wrapped arms gently around and pushed to lay her down again, shhing her softly. With a shriek borne of utter terror, Sesha flipped herself off the bed, knocking Rachel over as she scrambled frantically. Eyes open, whimpers and harsh breathing forcing out of her mouth she crawled frantically around.

  Don’t go around the things in the room, Sesh, her Gem cautioned her. Where you were prisoner would be laid out differently, so run into things, act like you’re hiding when there’s nothing to hide in or behind.

  She took his wisdom to heart and huddled in the middle of the room, trying to pull something over her, it appeared to the three women who frantically followed her around.

  “Child… child, it be all right! Thou art not in danger anymore,” the words fell on deaf ears.

  “All she hears are the screams,” Florence said. “Get the shutters,” to their horror the nightgowned mystery waif made it to the window and reared up on her knees.

  There, right before her eyes albeit a little ways off, was the sight of another horrific beating. As the whips came down again and again on the couple, Sesha began screaming again, writhing as if the beating was being performed on her. Frantic for their patient and with fear that her condition would worsen, the women tried to pull her away from the window.

  Help me now, Gem… they can’t pull me off!

  It gave her wonderful strength far and above what her weakened state would normally be, for she was weakened. Days of not eating or drinking nearly enough, the injuries she suffered on ship and further for this subterfuge had taken its toll on her. But now, seemingly lost in her horror, her strength would be much greater than it should be, and it was. None of the women were unable to pry her fingers off as Sesha clung to the sill continuing to shake and scream, acting out the scene below as if it was hers. Finally Grace stood up fully and waved frantically, hoping someone would see her and alert Beulah.

  There was a minor stir in the crowd; Rachel saw Beulah walk around the back of the crowd carefully, then move quickly around the back of the guard tower. She’d be less noticed as leaving the meeting that way, although everyone knew she’d be forgiven since it was to tend to the mystery woman.

  Sesha was still clinging to the sill when Beulah’s steps were heard coming fast; Rachel opened the bedroom door.

  “She’s been crawling about since the punishments began… she is clinging to the window and we cannot get her off. She doesn’t answer, Beulah, yet her eyes are open.”

  Sesha felt the older woman’s strong arms circle her tenderly and she wailed again, panicked. “Shh,” Beulah let go one hand and stroked her still matted, dirty hair. “It’s all right, child… you are safe now.” The Reverend’s wife knew that while this young woman was safe, almost everyone else here wasn’t.

  The screaming outside ceased suddenly as Allway yelled “cut them down, hull them at once! God is a Just God, He will not abide discord among the Brethren! The Word doth state, ‘A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth. Frowardness is in his hear
t, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord. Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy. These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.’ Thus has God spoken, thus shalt they be put out of the Camp and away from the Salvation of the Lord!”

  As the Monitors cut down and drug the couple towards the shipyard, Allway sprinted as fast as his large body would allow. The screams of the girl upstairs in his house had penetrated; even the Congregation had heard and heads had swiveled away from him! He had to find out what happened.

  “Relax, sweet child, trust me.” Beulah was relieved for the silence and she laid her hand on top of Sesha’s and stroked it like she had just done her hair. Sesha went limp all at once, as if fainting, collapsing backwards onto Beulah’s lap.

  “Help me,” she requested, and the three women lifted her back to the bed, bundled her tightly in the blanket and Rachel laid down with her, the small body in her arms close as a small, sick child would be. She would stay awake and be instantly ready to soothe as needed. So when the Reverend thudded heavily up the stairs he was met outside by Beulah and Florence.

  “The screams from the beatings did rouse the child; she fought against us, tried to hide and almost went out the window in her terror. As the garboil ceased she did fall incapable after wetting herself and biting her tongue to blood. Peter,” Beulah didn’t approach him as the Reverend but as husband again, “I know you desire Masterdom of God’s Word over all here, but God has sent us this Lakin to care for. The pashing and its effects cause much fear and increase the throes she already be in. If you must punish as commanded by the Word then let us caring for her take her to the unmarried woman’s building. She will not be able to hear the blows or screaming if the doors and shutters are shut; in the peace and quiet she should revive.”