Tales of Midbar: Religious Intolerance

“Can we try to concentrate on practical problems?” asked Veran. “The road to Taunbrit is blocked, internet is out, we don’t know if we can get to Garblon or even Crater’s Edge by the west road. The internet’s out and the only communication system we have left only works for anavim! Add to that, the town’s full of extra people who’ve come for the trial and there are all sorts of legal issues about people not being supposed to see each other, like you two!” he flicked his finger back and forth between the Love Priest and Dad. “Have I missed anything?”

“This hotel’s flooded,” said Dad and he pointed to the Love Priest, “and he won’t let Ice send in magi to dry it out.”

“You only missed Haprihagfen blaming the storm on me and trying to take control of a Trulist artifact,” said the Love Priest.

“Who’s supposed to take control in emergencies?” asked the unfamiliar woman.

“I am,” said Veran.

“Unless it’s related to magic, psychic powers or Holy Sites, in which case it’s the magis,” said Ice.

“You don’t have a magis!” said the Love Priest.

“Not an adult one,” said Ice.

“We also haven’t established that this is related to magic, psychic powers or Holy Sites,” said the unfamiliar woman.

“You’re acolyte mage agrees with me!” said Ice to the Love Priest. “So does the police mage.”

“I’m going to rule that we take this artifact to the Vineyard,” said Veran.

“What!” shouted the Love Priest.

“Now it’s a moot point if it’s me or the magis in charge. Also you can get out of here and let the Haprihagfen magi deal with the flooding! I’ve probably got other messes to sort out. Don’t suppose you can find any magi to clear that road?”

“Help me!” the Love Priest said to the smart woman.

“It’s probably more a job for heavy equipment,” said Ice, “but I’ll send somebody to look at it.”

Veran and Ice started walking towards the door.

“I suggest go with this for now and possibly file suit later,” said the smart woman. “Oh, feces! I suppose you could argue it’s a federal case, I’m sure the Trulist leadership can think of something if necessary.”

Then the Love Priest looked at me and said, “I suppose you’re a Winemaker aren’t you?”

“Yes,” I said.

“You’re supposed to be leaving!” said Dad.

The Love Priest and the smart woman followed Ice and Veran.

“What was that about?” I asked.

“It’s complicated,” said Dad.

“I’m very intelligent.”

“I don’t know where to start. Ice claims that she’s contacted the mage council and had the Vineyard magis, who apparently is a young kid, figure out what to do about the artifact she thinks is causing the storm, which apparently is the one the Love Priest used to put the tether spell on Lishrashic, but she communicated with the mage council using a spell that only works for anavim, who are the rarest psychic korbar ...”

“I know what anavim are.”

“... and the magis and the mage council both think that the artifact should be moved to the Vineyard but the Love Priest claims that this is just being intolerant to Trulists. Anyway, we should be getting some magi to help dry out the hotel soon. Fortunately there were some powerful magi staying in the Vineyard yesterday. Does Ice really have a magis?”

“How should I know? You won’t let me learn magic.”

“It’s creepy thinking that there’s a young magis running round Minris or do they keep them locked up or what?”

“Again how should I know?” I shrugged my shoulders.

“It’s probably just as well I’m not letting them teach you magic, that way you’re less likely to run into this magis. Of course it will be worse in a few years when they reach their teens.”

“I’ll also be a teenager then. What’s so bad about magises anyway?”

“They’re very powerful and children tend to do silly things because they don’t know better or are being naughty. I suppose only three of the adult Haprihagfen can be anavim as they have to marry hipsickim so they don’t have psychic children so your friends must be hipsickim.”

I was a bit shocked that Dad didn’t know that the psychics not marrying each other law only applied to Trulists but thought it best not to correct him. I also knew that there was a small chance that psychics and hipsickim could have psychic children and was a bit surprised that Dad didn’t know this.

“I think to be a magis,” said Dad, “you have to be conceived at or near a Holy Site shortly after a magis has died. Not sure when the last magis died but it isn’t necessarily one of your friends. It could be Narim, he knows magic. I hope so, he’s a nice kid. It feels weird saying this but can you not tell Mum about the anavim and the magis, it will only worry her.”

“Sure.”

“Do you think you can take a look in the restaurant kitchen and see if you can find something for people to eat? On second thoughts, wait here in case anybody needs help and I’ll see about the food.”

“I need to use the washroom.”

“Do that first!”

Shortly, the lightning, thunder and rain stopped and the sky got brighter but remained cloudy. People started waking up; a bit like there’d been a huge, wild party; and started looking for food and drink. Some anavim arrived who I didn’t recognise, armed with artifacts, and started getting the water out and drying out things.

I was kept busy all day, helping my parents, Criadria and Vritan get the hotel back in order. After a few hours, the clouds disappeared and Minris reverted to its normal bright, dry, weather. Of course the trial had been postponed as the theatre needed to dry out, all the other venues were being used as emergency accomodation and several people who were important for it, including the judge, couldn’t be found.

I eventually fell into the spare bed in Breeze’s room (the apartment had taken a long time to drain and was still damp) just after dinner and fell asleep right away.