Teagan's Books

Saturday, May 11, 2024

Hello, everyone.  Considering my initial intention for this story was a single-post short story, I’ll say we’ve finally reached the concluding installment. 

All of the plot elements that are rounded up here have already been mentioned during the first two episodes. In part 3, I introduced the Hota character. The part he plays unexpectedly expanded… but he is more of a “device” than a plot element.

When we left Compass last time, she had met old Hota at the depot.  He gave her a lift out to the middle of nowhere so she could begin the “pilgrimage” the nuns (who had invited her to the planet) had suddenly demanded of her.  When Hota dropped her off at the base of a hill, he warned Compass that those particular nuns might be up to something.

If you missed an installment, or if you need to refresh your memory, click here.

Path of Lilies

Part-4

The light was intense but the air pleasantly warm as Compass began her climb up the hill.  The slice of light that directed her had become so faint that she had to tilt her head a certain way, with the sunshine at just the right direction, so she could see it.

By the time the synth had walked about twenty yards, she realized that she followed a trail.  There were no distinct markers or steppingstones, but the ground was harder packed.  If she half-closed her eyes, she could tell that it was a trail through the scrub and scraggly trees.

Although the path did not go in a straight line to the top of the hill.  It meandered and twisted.  She decided to keep following it, rather than going off the trail and battling the thorny weeds and possibly a poisonous sosho or three.

A little while later, she noticed wildflowers dotting the trail.

“No, not ordinary wildflowers,” she muttered.  “Lilies.  I would have never expected lilies here.”

The scraggly flowers were barely alive and sparsely placed, but they were certainly lilies.  Their petals were tightly closed, as if fearful of blooming.

There was something about lilies, she thought.  What was it?

Soon the struggling flowers showed regularly on both sides of the path she walked.

No one could say they grow in profusion, she thought, glancing at the flowers.  No, they look downright haggard.  However, they also seem…  Intentional.  There was once something here.  This was a place of spirit, or reverence.  Although it didn’t have anything to do with the convent that is here now.  This is — or it was much older.

The lilies continued, and gradually grew in abundance and vitality.  They became healthier as she walked uphill, although the blossoms remained closed.  Finally, the trail opened to a wide, flat expanse.  She was expecting some sort of monument, or maybe a temple, or an altar.  However, she found none of those.

“Nothing,” she said aloud.

As the sun of Waxčá neared its zenith, she noticed some of the lilies slowly opening.  Compass was not an expert on lilies, but there was something different about those blossoms.

A healing property, she abruptly remembered the reporter on the news screen at the depot, along with an article she read weeks prior.  There was hope that a certain type of lily could be used to produce a cure for the plague out in the Detritus solar system.  They had not found a variety of lily that worked, but the scientists were hopeful of synthesizing something… eventually.  Meanwhile the plage kept spreading, and the entire Detritus system was quarantined.

“How did you find this place?” the voice of Sister Agnes startled her.  “And how did you get here so fast.  You were told that before you can enter the hospitality of the convent, you must make the pilgrimage, and that you must go alone,” the young nun stated in a challenging tone.

The synth was surprised to see not only Sister Agnes but several other nuns.  She was amazed that she had not heard them approach.  Although she had been preoccupied with her thoughts.

“I did come alone,” Compass said, spreading her arms wide to include the hilltop.

An older nun stepped forward from the group.  At her stern glance, Sister Agnes bobbed a curtsey and moved to the back of the group.  Compass knew she must be the Reverend Mother.

“This holy site is part of the convent.  As you were told, you may not enjoy our hospitality without first completing a solitary pilgrimage,” Reverend Mother said in a voice that brooked no argument.  “Our rules must be strictly obeyed.  We tolerate no infractions.  Therefore, I must demand that you leave this planet on the first available transport.  Until such a vehicle arrives, you will have to stay at Waxčá depot.”

Compass sputtered in outrage.  She had been specifically invited.  She had not requested the invitation.  She did not like having her time wasted.

“It’s these lilies, isn’t it?” Compass asked, not bothering to keep a note of accusation from her voice.  “The flowers are why Haŋhépi Wi finagled things to cause me to come here.  And they’re why you wanted to get me to leave before I ever got to your convent, and…  And what?  Blundered onto this site by accident?  Just as I did anyway?” she added thinking of how the sliver of light that brought her to the place reminded her of the portal through which Wawókiya had entered the depot.

“These are the exact rare type of lilies that might cure the plague, aren’t they?  You already knew that too,” Compass alleged.

“I will not have this world, or this sacred place, compromised!  Plundered!” the older woman growled.  “Waxčá will remain a cloistered world, just as it was always intended, long before my order came to this planet.”

A familiar sound came to the synth’s ears.  She tried not to show that she heard anything.  The attention of all the sisters was focused on her.

A few seconds later, Hota’s battered land speeder zoomed onto the scene.  Wawókiya rode behind the old man.  A jumble of surprised noises came from the nuns when the Lakota being stepped off the speeder.

“Venerable!  You should not be here,” Sister Agnes exclaimed although the others tried to shush her.  “Oh, I humbly apologize.  Of course, one such as you might be welcome in any place that is protected by our order.”

“Sister Agnes, be silent,” the Reverend Mother hissed.  “The vibration of motors such as land speeders disturbs the tranquility of the lilies,” she added, with an uneasy glance toward the horizon.

All the other nuns followed the older woman’s gaze.  Compass found herself wondering what the woman seemed to expect.

Wawókiya took a ginger step, as if he felt something move under his feet.  Compass didn’t feel anything, but she had never been sure what sort of beings he and Haŋhépi Wi were.  He might well detect things that she could not feel.

A shadow fell across the spot where Compass stood.  Turning in the direction the others faced, she saw a tremendous green pod sprouting from the ground.  It took a moment for her to realize that it was a much, much larger version of the unopened lily blossoms.

The pod rose up until it was as tall as a tree.  It began to shift and bulge in strange movements.  The nuns murmured prayers.

Wawoh, as Compass thought of him, moved to her side.  That arrogant smirk, which so irritated her, played on his lips as he watched the giant plant.

“We should probably step back,” Hota muttered from her other side and put a hand on her elbow.

The pod bulged and expanded.  Abruptly the petals of the enormous lily burst open.  With them, a vast cloud of pollen was released.  All of the smaller lilies also irrupted with bursts of pollen.  Everyone was covered with it.

Amid a flurry of sneezes, the Reverend Mother demanded that everyone leave the holy site.  When Sister Agnes stopped sneezing, she produced that six-shooter she had held earlier and pointed it in a threatening way.

Compass wiped pollen from her face and started to dust off her clothing.  However, Wawókiya put his hand on hers to stop the motion.  He looked significantly at the orange dust and then winked.

Understanding dawned slowly, and Compass nodded silently.  Then he began sneezing in what appeared to be terrible allergy fit.

“Compass, take me back to the depot.  Quickly.  I need to go home for medical attention,” Wawoh choked out the plea.

“Oh no, Reverend Mother!  We’ve allowed the Venerable to become afflicted during his visit.  What have we done?” Sister Agnes cried and lowered her weapon, while the older woman glared at the young nun.

A horrified Sister Agnes, watched as Hota and Compass wasted no time in assisting Wawókiya into the land speeder and zipping down the hillside.

When they were out of sight — and range of the nuns, Wawoh motioned for Hota to stop.

Wawókiya sneezed again.  That time it was a genuine sneeze.  Then he held out a long double-terminated crystal.  A slice of light opened in the air.

“I wasn’t sure they would let us leave so easily,” he remarked.  “Between the three of us, we should have enough lily pollen on clothes and in our hair to begin creating a serum, or at least to clone some flowers.  While having to grow the lilies first would take longer, at least it would be a start.”

Compass looked down at her pollen covered clothes and grinned.

“Here.  Put these on over your clothes, so you don’t lose any more of the pollen,” he instructed, handing white coverall garments to Compass and Hota.

“You knew the lilies would explode like that?” she asked but he shook his head.

“I wasn’t certain.  I hoped there would be enough pollen to let me discretely collect a sample,” he admitted.  “When the giant one bloomed out, I dared a shred of optimism.  But this was beyond my hopes.”

“Was it Haŋhépi Wi?” Compass asked, meaning the elder Lakota-being.

“Most likely,” he said with a smirk.  “I will take my clothes back to the Inyan Beacon,” he added motioning to his once white buckskins.  “You take yours and do your own analysis.  Get the young bison to help you,” he said meaning Tatanka Cody.  “Hota also has skills that can help you.  Besides, I’m sure he would like to deliver the first batch of serum to Andesine where his son and grandchildren live.”

Wawókiya stepped through the slice of light and vanished.

A short time later, she and Hota reached the depot.  When they went inside the lobby, she found Tatanka Cody waiting for them.

“I heard you needed a ride,” Tank remarked.  “I also hear that we probably shouldn’t hang around here any longer than necessary,” he added and guided them to a private ship.

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Back on the hilltop at the sacred site, Sister Agnes looked down at the pollen that covered her beige habit.  She tilted her head curiously.  Then her head jerked up in epiphany.  The Reverend Mother’s eyes narrowed when she saw Agnes.  The young nun tried to look away, knowing the torrent of anger that would burst forth if her superior came to the same conclusion.

Sister Agnes heaved a sigh of relief, when the Reverend Mother looked away from her and turned to peer down the hillside.  Then the older woman whirled, stared at Agnes and then down at her own habit.  Suddenly she realized that the strangers had escaped with pollen from which they could produce the sacred flowers.

Her bellowed rage echoed across the valley.

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End

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Wishing you a wonderful weekend.  I love to hear from you, so friendly comments are encouraged. Hugs!

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Of course, there’s the obligatory shameless self-promotion…

Universal Purchase Links

E-book/Kindle only: http://relinks.me/B0D3D1XFVZ

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This is a work of fiction.  Characters, names, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, locales, or events is entirely coincidental.

Copyright © 2024 by Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene

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