VI - Preconceptions

As expected, the vote to delay action on the charges against the Chief Councilwoman passed unanimously by voice vote. Nervous Council members quickly scurried from the chamber. Comments to the press were short and terse. The Delphi had asked the Council to swiftly deal with this most serious charge of misconduct by a high government official. Instead, the Council had gone into recess for two weeks. The Delphi would not be pleased.

Unlike most Council members, however, Kamon's thoughts were not on this grave matter of the state. His land was his most immediate concern -- and how the raping of it had come to pass. He wanted answers to his questions. The Delphi had paved the way for the cutting of his Minot trees. Therefore, she was the person he must now see. Confront the issue head on. Be direct. This was Kamon's nature.

Casio, on the other hand, was not at all convinced that a meeting with the Delphi was a good idea. Indeed, he counseled his friend against it. "Don't you think Pomade is going to somehow mention to the Delphi that you threatened her?"

"She might." Mentally, Kamon was already preparing for a meeting with the Delphi. No argument set forth in this conversation would dissuade him. "But they may not have talked. Few speak with the Delphi by phone. Even fewer are granted a personal audience with her."

"I know that," Casio answered, "but the Delphi signed off on the deal to cut your Minot trees. Don't you think the word will get back to her that you personally put a stop to it? Whether or not Pomade talks to the Delphi directly or not, the Almighty One knows by now what happened -- and why. Something like this doesn't stay a secret. You're not just taking on one or two people here, Hawk. Big money is involved! BIG MONEY! The State Lumber Association doesn't take kindly to being pushed around. You're up against big lumber and the Delphi. These are powerful people!"

"That's why I'm going to see the Delphi," Kamon spoke with determination. "No one can rival her power. What she approved, she can stop."

Casio shook his head in dismay, ample indication of his skepticism. "The Almighty One is just plain ornery right now, Hawk. Her marriage is on the rocks and for someone in her position, that's plenty to generate all kinds of irritation."

"We don't know that story about her marriage is true," Kamon countered.

"Sure it is," Casio asserted innocently. "I've heard the same rumor at almost every Capitol function we've attended the past year. The story is finally out, Hawk. The way I hear it, she hasn't known marital bliss ever since she took the job of top priestess five years ago. Must be something in the water over at the Domus. Nome knows she must have a reason for being the irascible woman that she is."

"Nonetheless, I'm going to see the Delphi," Kamon proclaimed with determination.

"Yeah. I figured you were," Casio muttered. "Nobody around here ever listens to me."

Kamon's mission certainly did not seem very promising, but he had to do something. Pomade could not be intimidated indefinitely. Sooner or later, Xenon Lumber Company would resume cutting his trees. He would lose all the trees around his home if he did not find some permanent solution.

The Delphi's complex was seven blocks from the Capitol Building. It did not take long for Kamon's long strides to cover this distance. He went directly to the front gate. A wrought iron fence ringed the fifteen acres of land.

The Delphi's five-story complex, known as the Domus, sat in the center of the estate. The Domus served as both a residence and working quarters for the Delphi.

The Delphi's governmental duties were few -- vetoing or signing legislation, that was it. Presiding over the state church took most of her time.

However, for all practical purposes, there was no clear distinction between her governmental and religious roles. The issuing of decrees could have a major impact on the country and its people, as Kamon was so painfully aware. The Delphi's opinion on any subject was practically law in itself. Thus, it often made little difference whether the Delphi was professing to speak for the government or for the state's deity. Hers was a powerful position; that was indisputable.

"Councilman Kamon to see the Delphi," he announced himself to the security guard standing inside the gate.

"Do you have an appointment, Councilman?" the guard asked.

"No," was the one-word reply.

The guard stared at Kamon, a bit bewildered. She had obviously expected more of an explanation than this from him. No one showed up at the Domus without an appointment. "The Delphi is always very busy," finally came to mind. She was firm yet respectful. This was a member of the Council after all.

"I know she's busy," Kamon agreed. "But I've come to see her. It's important."

The guard considered Kamon for a moment. She had heard the councilman was not easily deterred. "I think I'd better make a call," she finally said.

"Thank you," Kamon said. "I appreciate it."

The guard inclined her head, then went to the phone. Her fingers dialed a number. The ensuing conversation lasted several minutes. Kamon was too far away to hear what was being said; the guard spoke in low tones. Occasionally, the woman would glance in his direction, an apparent sign that references were being made to his presence. Finally, she hung up the phone and returned to the gate.

"You may come in." The guard spoke with confidence. She had clear direction.

"Thank you," Kamon said as he passed through.

The guard closed the gate immediately. "Please walk to the front entrance of the Domus. No one will be coming here to greet you. You did not request it." The guard's last statement was nearly a question. Despite the unexpectedness of his presence, Kamon was a member of the highest governmental body. Visitors of such importance usually arrived with escorts, or they were greeted at the gate by someone from within the Domus.

"That's fine," Kamon answered. "I don't want to needlessly take up anyone's time. I just need to see the Delphi."

"I can't say for sure that you will be allowed to see the Delphi, Councilman," the guard offered. "I was simply ordered to let you in." Kamon nodded an acknowledgement and walked away. He followed the long concrete driveway finally arriving at a stone portico that fronted a large rectangular-shaped stone and concrete building. He walked up the wide steps to the Domus. Another security guard awaited him.

"Go right in," the guard directed, "and have a seat in the front room. Someone will summon you."

"Thank you," Kamon responded as the enormous door was opened for him. He stepped inside.

Kamon had never been inside the Domus before. In fact, this was a momentous occasion -- the first male Council member to set foot inside the Domus. This was historic. It was newsworthy. But it might never be reported. Kamon had come for personal reasons. He had told no one except Casio.

He had come to meet with the head of the Fraus religion. This would be difficult for him. He had many differences with his own church.

The leaders of the faith were women. The ecclesiastics were also exclusively female. It had always been and forever would remain so. Such was the will of Nome.......according to the official teachings of the Fraus church.

The role of men was to worship Nome. To serve. To obey. To be silent. Such a concept was anathema to Kamon. In the secular arena, he had successfully challenged the notion that men must occupy an inferior status in society.

But the teachings of the Fraus religion were a far different matter. To publicly question these basic precepts was sacrilege, pure and simple. Anyone who did so would find herself in the temple prison with little delay. It was rare for a Fraus tribunal to deliberate long. Thus, even for a country as large as Marmot, there were few religious dissidents.

Kamon understood this fact of life very well. He knew the limits of dissent. Consequently, he did not speak publicly of his differences with the church's teachings. He talked with Casio of it, but no one else.

Kamon had entered a spacious room with high ceilings. Assorted antique chairs were scattered about. The windows were covered with fine red velvet draperies, the walls decorated with paintings of religious figures. His footsteps sounded clearly on the marble floor, echoing from marble walls. He went to the nearest chair and sat in it, a sturdy wooden piece of furniture with a velvet cushion. The guard exited. He was left alone.

An hour passed. Then two. Still no one came. If they thought he was going to be discouraged by the wait, they were mistaken. He had come to see the Delphi, and he would wait until he had done so -- no matter how long it took.

After another fifteen minutes had slipped by, a slim, middle-aged woman with blonde hair entered the room. Kamon recognized her -- Xanthan Gwen, the Delphi's chief of staff.

"Good afternoon, Councilman."

"Good afternoon." Kamon's tone was courteous. He had had many contacts with Xanthan Gwen at the Capitol Building. She conveyed the viewpoints of the Delphi to the Council members.

"Your visit is quite a surprise," Xanthan Gwen stated. "The Delphi doesn't usually see anyone without an appointment."

"You stop by my office on occasion without an appointment," Kamon responded. "You're always welcome."

"I appreciate that, Councilman. And you are welcome to call the Domus. I will speak with you anytime. But the Delphi is the head of the church. Her time is valuable. It is difficult to fit anyone into her schedule. Surely, as a busy councilman you can understand this."

Kamon nodded. "I do. But I have come to speak with the Delphi about a very important matter."

"May I ask what that might be?"

"It has to do with the cutting of Minot trees in my province."

Xanthan Gwen paused a second before speaking. "May I be frank, Councilman?"

"I wish you would be."

"It would be absurd to pretend that we at the Domus did not expect a reaction from you concerning those Minot trees. But quite honestly, I expected to get a very angry phone call from you. Never did I imagine that you would show up here unannounced requesting a meeting with the Delphi herself."

"Did you personally authorize anyone to cut the Minot trees?" Kamon asked.

"No, sir, I did not. Only the Delphi could do that."

"Then my business is not with you, Xanthan Gwen."

Xanthan Gwen's eyebrows raised slightly. Kamon was clearly determined to see the Delphi. And the tone of his voice hinted that he intended to have a frank discussion with the head of the state religion. "You are certainly full of surprises, Councilman."

"Will I be meeting with the Delphi or not?" Kamon asked bluntly.

"You will be, Councilman. I'm not the only one who is surprised by your visit. So is the Delphi. She is quite intrigued. Please follow me."

Xanthan Gwen led Kamon out of the room, into a smaller one, then up a winding staircase and down a wide hallway. At the end of the hallway, they passed into a large room.

A beautiful chandelier hung from the ceiling. Religious artifacts were plentiful -- hanging from the walls, resting on shelves, standing on the floor.

Across the room, was a high-back chair. Red velvet cushioning was molded onto the wooden frame. The chair itself was atop a small dais about a foot above the floor.

Seated in the chair was a stately woman. Her long flowing robe was a deeper red than the chair. The garment was trimmed in gold.

The woman was slender with high cheek bones. Her skin was pale, indicating a lack of exposure to the sun. Hints of black were evident in her silver hair, indicating its natural color at a much earlier age. Her blue-grey eyes were steady and alert. Despite her age, she appeared to be quite fit. This was the Delphi.

"Good day, Kamon," the Delphi greeted him. "We finally meet in person. I have heard a great deal about you. Your wait was unavoidable. I was engaged in daily prayer. And I do not usually greet visitors without an appointment."

"Yes, your excellency," Kamon began in the most polite tone he could muster. "I am grateful that you found the time to talk with me. I have come to bring before you a matter of great concern which I felt could only be dealt with by talking directly to you." Kamon was being courteous, but he did not feel compelled to apologize for coming without an appointment. "It concerns the Minot trees on my land, your excellency. The--"

"This is not a matter which is subject to discussion," the Delphi interrupted. "I have authorized the cutting of those trees for the good of the people of Marmot. The matter is settled. It is final." The Delphi was quite accustomed to controlling a conversation. She did after all occupy the most powerful position on the planet.

"Excuse me, your excellency," Kamon pressed on, "but this is something which is of deep personal significance to me. The--"

"Do your think your personal wealth is more important than the welfare of the people, Kamon?" The question was nearly an accusation.

"No, of--", he began obediently, but once again the Delphi interrupted him.

"When was the last time you attended temple services, Kamon?"

"Last week, your excellency, on the Bahar, the middle of the week, the day of rest. I always attend as required. I do not miss it."

"What about on other days, Kamon -- when you are not required?"

"Sometimes I attend on days other than Bahar," Kamon answered cautiously. He would win no confrontation with the Delphi on matters of religious observance.

"'Sometimes'." The Delphi's mere statement was almost an indictment.

"I am often busy working late in my office after Council sessions, your Excellency." Kamon offered no elaborate explanation.

"You should be praying to Nome regularly in the temple, Kamon," the Delphi admonished him. "You cannot expect to receive Nome's graces if you do not pray regularly. You are much too concerned with this material world. Personal wealth is not important to the eternal salvation of your soul."

It was wise for Kamon to remain calm. This was the highest religious authority on the planet. He took a deep breath and exhaled before he responded. He spoke slowly and deliberately. "Your excellency, I am not concerned with my 'personal wealth'. It is true that the Minot trees are very valuable. I do not dispute that. But that is not why they mean so much to me. I could have cut them down years ago, long before the passage of the 'Minot Preservation Bill'," he added pointedly. "I could have taken the money and lived in luxury, for I would have been one of the richest men or women in the world. But I did not. Everyone knows that I did not. I have been called a fool because of this. Without question, I am not concerned with my personal wealth. I have few material possessions. I live in the cabin my parents built. My father and mother are buried beneath one of those Minot trees near my cabin. It is my home, your excellency. Surely, you can understand what it must mean to me."

It pained Kamon greatly to reveal even such small details about his innermost feelings. He was a private man, and such revelations were the front door to his soul. He did not wish to open that door to a person he hardly knew. Yet, at this point, he could think of no alternative if he were to save his home.

The Delphi's eyes narrowed. She seemed surprised . "I was not aware that your parents were buried on this land, Kamon," she said quietly. "Of course, this is a complication."

Complication? Kamon thought to himself.

"Certainly, I will order the cutting of the Minot trees stopped immediately," she continued. "But this is a serious matter. I was aware that the western branch of the Fraus religion had liberalized some teachings over the past century, but I did not know that some tenets were being apparently ignored all together. I assume this is the case in your situation, that you have acted out of ignorance, nothing more."

"Ignorance?" Kamon was bewildered. "Excuse me, your Excellency, but I really do not know what you are talking about."

"Your parents, Kamon," the Dephi explained, "their heathen burial. I cannot believe that you would openly admit such a thing to me if you knew that it was a transgression against the teachings of the church."

"Heathen burial?" Kamon was still perplexed -- and now a bit annoyed.

"Yes, Kamon. Obviously, you were never taught that to bury the dead in a place other than a temple cemetery is a heathen act. I do not blame you. I regret to say it is the fault of the church. The eastern branch allowed the western half of the church to 'liberalize' some teachings over the past century. This was a serious mistake, one that I plan to correct during my reign. I will give you time to move the bodies of your parents to a temple cemetery, Kamon. Their souls must be honored."

"Excuse me, your Excellency," Kamon was stunned, searching for words, "but I am not inclined to move the bodies of my parents. They have been buried in the plot of my father's choice. I would not wish to dishonor his memory by moving his body or my mother's."

"But you must, Kamon," the Dephi insisted. "This is an important teaching of the church. If the bodies of your parents are not placed in a temple cemetery, they will remain in a heathen burial site. This cannot be permitted. I will contact one of the priestesses in the Capitol to call upon you personally and to instruct you in this teaching."

"I will meet with the priestess, your Excellency," Kamon was trying to be cautious, "but I do not intend to move the bodies of my parents."

"You must, Kamon!" The Delphi's tone was now sharp. Twice he had disagreed with her. "You will give your parents a decent burial in a temple cemetery!"

"My parents have been given a decent burial," Kamon said with a level voice.

"This is not a request," the Delphi fired back, shocked at his blatant refusal. "It is an order from Nome's chosen servant! In matters of the temple, my authority, derived directly from Nome, is supreme. You will do as you are ordered!" she finished sternly.

Kamon was angry, but his voice did not display it. "I will not," he stated flatly.

It was a stunning display of defiance on the part of Kamon. This act could easily be labeled sacrilegious. To defy the Delphi was tantamount to insulting Nome herself. It was unheard of; it was a most serious matter.

"It is as I suspected!" the Delphi shot back angrily. "You are like any other man -- irresponsible, incapable of handling authority. You do not belong in the Council! It is not a place for men! They are not capable of serving Nome in such a lofty capacity! The Council should never have granted men the right of suffrage, should never have seated you in the Council! It was a break with tradition of a kind they had no competence to authorize!"

So, the enraged Kamon thought to himself, she has clung to her bigoted viewpoints despite the change in laws. There was nothing to be gained here. He could never come to an agreement with this woman.

The Delphi continued her tirade, "You will not bargain for those trees with the bodies of your parents! It is disgraceful! That is my final word!"

"The grave of my parents will not be disturbed," the big man retorted, still very careful to keep his anger in check, "and I will stop anyone who tries."

With that, Kamon wheeled and strode from the room. He did not wait to be dismissed. He had defied the Delphi. It was best to leave quickly. The issue for which he had come -- the Minot trees -- remained unsettled, but at the moment, he knew of no acceptable resolution.

Kamon's long strides quickly carried him out of the Domus and down the drive. The security guard opened the gate for him. She noted the dark, forbidding expression on the face of the towering man as he passed. He must have had quite a meeting with the Delphi, the guard thought.

END OF CHAPTER