by Davina Lee
A handful of musicians took to the stage, carrying with them instruments fashioned from old, cast off branches of the colony’s Great Tree, some taller than the musicians themselves, stripped of their bark and painted in festive and colorful designs Lina had seen in the Book of Origin. Lina was about to ask An Ming what they were when the first low, droning note was struck and began mixing with the hum that was all around.
“Oh good, they’re starting,” An Ming said.
The row of diploid women, seated with their backs to the cliff face, each raised a long wooden instrument to her lips in turn. The result was a layering of sound that would rise and fall, sometimes overtaking the steady hum of the people all around, but most of the time mixing in with it, adding layers of complexity that brought joy to Lina’s ears.
In Lina’s mind, with her new knowledge, she could see the compression waves in the air that started from the performer’s mouth, magnified by sympathetic vibrations from the long wooden tube, and finally spilling out into the surrounding air. The waves in the air reflected off the cliff face, growing stronger still, until finally combining with the natural resonance of the vases placed around the amphitheater, being amplified yet again to create a massive wall of sound. This sound was picked up by the branches of the colony’s Great Tree and transmitted into the ground by its roots to be felt in everyone’s feet.
Drummers arrived next. On the stage now, the gaily-painted diploids were beginning to bounce on their toes, bounding over in greatly exaggerated arcs to stop in front of waist-high drums. One by one they began slapping and stroking the tops with their bare hands, adding their sharp, percussive sound to the low droning hum all around. A large drum, that no single person could handle, was lifted to the stage and held on a slant by a pair of diploids. A third went to work on it with a pair of mallets the size of Lina’s forearm. Like the long, droning horns, the resulting sound of the big drum was felt as much as it was heard.
The droning pipe players began to take turns improvising solos to go with the overall sound—the music rising and falling and swirling around. As if on cue, the crowd began to take notice. The people attending to the grills started to synchronize their movements to the rhythm that was all around, tossing skewers into the air and catching them on platters, dancing behind their grills. Those not engaged in food preparations wandered into the open spaces, dancing and twirling, moving toward the amphitheater. An Ming smiled as Lina, too, began to dance, before joining in with a few twirls herself.
“Royalty is supposed to be above all this,” An Ming said, “but what fun is that?”
Lina spied Arabel, along with I and the medicine woman’s apprentice being escorted to the first row in front of the stage. The gold of Arabel’s tattooed back was still faintly visible here and there under the colorful and festive robes she wore. Others began filing in behind them, and soon the area was filled, except for a single, open aisle down the middle.
Then, just as the drummers had slowly added their contributions to the music, they each, one at a time, stepped back from their instruments. The pipe players tapered off as well, until there was only one droning pipe left, and then nothing. Even the constant buzz of the people was restrained.
There started in a low humming, not from the amphitheater, but over the rise opposite it. All eyes turned to the source of the new sound, as a mob of cheerful, humming children crested the ridge on their way toward the stage. They brought with them what looked like a miniature cloud skimmer that took three of them to carry. Another of the children had leaves and branches bound to her arms with twine, and still another had her entire back painted in gold and clutched a book in her hands. Lina didn’t need a vision to tell her what was taking place as the children took the stage.
“I am I,” shouted one of the children, “I will bring the medicine woman.”
Another child popped her head up from the center of the little cloud skimmer. “I am Lina. I am very sick.” The child proceeded to make such convincing retching sounds that the otherwise rapt audience began to chuckle.
“She needs the royal wine, then she can be her true self,” said a young girl painted up to look like the medicine woman. She handed a cup to the one portraying Lina.
The Lina on stage took a drink, promptly stuck her tongue out, and slumped over, so convincing in her act that the audience collectively sucked a breath.
“Will she be alright?” said the one with the golden painted back, who Lina assumed was playing the part of Arabel.
The girl with the leaves and branches was making her way to center stage now. “I will watch over her now,” she said, and spread her leaf covered arms over Lina’s body.
Things settled down, with the on-stage Arabel and I sitting at Lina’s bedside. Arabel was paging through the book on her lap and the one portraying I was in long and hushed conversations with the medicine woman and her apprentice. Children would come and go from the scene and the on-stage Arabel would take time to dote on each one of them before saying goodbye with a hug. Finally, the one playing Lina sat bolt upright. “I’m a queen!” she exclaimed.
This got a laugh from everyone, including Lina, and a healthy round of applause once it was determined that this was indeed the end of the performance. The children left the stage and made their way to the front row to mob Arabel and I with excited chattering.
“Go to them,” said An Ming, patting Lina on the back. “Enjoy your moment of fame.”
Lina scampered down the low rise. She made it halfway to the stage when the mob surrounding Arabel began to elongate and stretch to encompass her as well. Lina stepped carefully, conscious of little feet.
“Did you like it?” an excited child asked, the one who had played the part of Lina.
“It was lovely,” said Lina, scenting joy. “I was really sick, wasn’t I?”
The little girl nodded vigorously and scented love, before squeezing Lina’s hand and bounding off. Some of the other children were leaving as well. They were being rounded up by their mentors, reminded to eat their fruits and vegetables, and told that bedtime was in their near future.
Lina turned to see An Ming had come to stand beside her.
“It was beautiful,” Lina said.
“It’s not often we get visiting dignitaries.” An Ming smiled.
Lina watched the children, clutching fruit and vegetable skewers, being herded back over the rise by their mentors. A few turned to smile and wave, so Lina waved back and put on her brightest smile.
* * * *
“Now it’s time for the adult party.” An Ming winked at Lina.
On the stage, previously occupied by the young acting troupe, diploid workers were busy assembling several large tubs elevated on sturdy wooden stands. People in the crowd, who were not busy with other tasks, began to pluck pieces of fruit from the lower branches of the Great Tree and deliver them to the tubs.
The music was starting up again with a low drone from the pipes, and a trail of young women filed in two by two and hand in hand. Each pair, clad in long white dresses, stood before one of the large tubs.
“What are they doing?” Lina asked An Ming.
“They are preparing to make the royal wine. It is a rite of passage for the young women of the colony. Soon they will climb in the tubs to stomp the fruit to pulp. When that is done, they will submerge and pleasure themselves to let their waters mingle with the nectar from the fruit. Is this not how it is done in all colonies?”
“Not in ours.” Lina thought back to the dark ritual at the Queen’s Gala. She shuddered at the memory.
As Lina was shaking off the images of her colony’s Great Tree swarming with masses of masked humanity, she heard the drummers retaking the stage. She turned toward the source of the new sound and noticed brightly painted dancers had joined in as well. The first pair of young women was being helped up into their fruit tub. They pulled up their skirts and began stomping. Soon the rhythm of drumming was their accompaniment.
Lina lost sight of the w
omen in the tubs for a moment as her eyes were drawn to the dancers at center stage. Each woman was completely nude, except for intricate and bright, monochromatic, bio-luminescent ink designs, covering the front of her from head to toe. On the back, the dancers were covered in a dye so dark that it appeared to pull in light from around it. As they began to move, the dancers would employ their alternate bright and dark sides to put on a beautifully choreographed light show timed with the music. Lina’s jaw hung open in awe.
All at once, the dancers turned to face the elevated wine tubs, throwing their arms back and arching their backs to concentrate their combined bio-luminescent glow onto the young women in the tubs. The women, bathed in light, still marching in place to the pulse of the music, held their skirts high, showing the crowd the sticky nectar clinging to their calves. The low hum from the crowd increased two-fold.
The crowd began writhing with the beat, and the endless parade of fruit-delivering diploids was a long, undulating serpent-like thing, kissing the skins of the ripe fruit in their hands, twirling to present it in the direction of the colony’s Great Tree. After a bow of respect, the individuals in the line moved to the stage to hand the fruit up to the young women. In exchange for the fruit, the receiving woman would offer herself to be touched or kissed, while her partner continued stomping the mash.
Soon there was enough fruit in the tubs that the first of the dresses came off and flew through the air. The young woman tossing it reached down into the tub, grabbing handfuls of the fruit mash and began covering herself from the neck down. She twirled once around, proudly displaying her sticky, naked body. A wild cheer went up from the crowd. Her fruit stomping partner did the same and no more fruit was delivered to their tub.
A moment later there was another loud cheer as the women in the next tub undressed and coated themselves in sticky nectar. With each full tub, the music reached a new crescendo, as did the humming from the crowd. The dancers continued their movements, alternating intricate patterns of light and dark over the entire scene. The crowd moved as one with the music. Even Lina and An Ming twirled, pressing their bodies together. As the last white dress was thrown, the dancers all turned outward to bathe the crowd in light as the music swelled to a new height. Everyone cheered.
The young women standing in the fruit barrels turned toward each other and after wrapping in a warm embrace, each began a slow and deliberate exploration of the other’s mouths. Lips and tongues were on display as the fruit stompers nipped and sucked at each other, all the time marching in place. Soon sticky hands were being wrapped up in equally sticky hair and the first pair of women fell to their knees.
An Ming moved to take up position behind Lina. With her hands wrapped around Lina’s waist, she whispered, “Their fruit is ready. They will now pleasure each other so that their waters can mix with the nectar and turn it to wine.”
Lina watched one young woman’s hands disappear under the level of the nectar, while her partner simultaneously arched her back and opened her mouth to let out a sound that was lost in the most recent swell of the pipes and drums. At the same time, she felt the warmth of An Ming pressing into her from behind.
“Watch.” Queen An Ming whispered, her lips poised just under Lina’s earlobe, warm breath tickling Lina’s neck, “Here they go.”
As Lina watched the bodies writhing in the tubs, locked in each other’s arms, she felt the tip of An Ming’s tongue touching the lower end of her scent gland. Lina shivered. One fruit-covered woman was reared up on her knees now, arching her back as her partner in the tub held her fast about the waist and leaned in to clear a tongue-trail of fruit from the other woman’s navel to the base of her neck. Lina felt An Ming’s tongue skipping lightly over the very outer edges of her scent gland, mirroring the winemaker’s movements. She shuddered anew.
“Stay here with us, Lina,” An Ming husked into her ear. “We will rule the colony as one until it is time for me to pass the crown.”
Lina watched the show unfolding on stage from the corner of her eye as she shivered under An Ming’s touch. Lina felt the queen’s hand under her robe, lightly touching and tracing the curves of her body. The dancers on stage were alternating positions, hunched down facing away from the audience one moment, and fully exposed fronts with backs arched the next. The result was a blinding flash, followed by almost absolute darkness, with only a low glow giving any hint as to the location of the stage.
The music was building its intensity in time with the choreography until finally a great crescendo hit like a blast wave. All of the dancers turned outward, with every second one taking up a twirling motion, causing the blinding light over the crowd to pulse. That was when Lina felt An Ming’s tongue plowing straight through the center of her scent gland. Lina threw her head back and shuddered, while An Ming steadied her with a hand at Lina’s hip and another one with fingers splayed, exploring just under her navel. Lina moaned as the feeling overtook her.
“We can do great things, together, Lina,” An Ming whispered. “All you have to do is stay.” She was beginning to scent the mating pheromone.
Lina’s temples pulsed rhythmically with the music. Her nostrils flared. Her eyes fluttered and closed. As An Ming wrapped Lina’s waist with her left hand, she brought the fingers of her right to brush lightly against Lina’s sex. Lina began to swoon. She felt An Ming pulling her tighter, steadying her with a strong hand. She let her head fall against An Ming’s shoulder.
Lina saw the world around her through closed eyes, with only the rhythm of alternating light from the dancers making its way through her eyelids to glow in a deep, pulsing red. The steady humming of the pipes continued assaulting her eardrums, as did a gentle humming now from An Ming. Lina could feel An Ming’s hand cupping her sex as her steady arm kept Lina from falling. Lina inhaled sharply, and her world went black.
* * * *
The humming was still coming through ever so slightly, but much softer and tinged with despair. It wasn’t An Ming’s voice anymore. Lina opened her eyes. She was no longer at the party. She was back at home in her own colony. But it was not the colony that Lina had left. The pier where she landed was littered with debris, and there was evidence of a recent explosion. Lina turned her attention to the source of the humming. She made her way quickly through tunnels, once filled with activity, now without a soul around, searching for the source.
Finally, as she entered the palace grounds, Lina discovered the origin of the sound. The people of her colony were gathered in the queen’s courtyard, dressed in black. The queen was laid out in repose. The dry, withered leaves of the Great Tree lay scattered on the ground all around her. As Lina entered the courtyard, all eyes turned to her. Hands reached out. The humming all around grew louder, more defined. It was tinged with fear. Lina, pressed her hands to her ears to block the sound, but the wailing only increased.
Lina shook her head. “No,” she whimpered. “No.”
The terrible sound never stopped.
“No!” Lina said sharply.
* * * *
“I’m sorry,” said An Ming.
Lina blinked.
“I thought it was what you wanted.” An Ming took a step back and bowed her head. “I never would have…I’m sorry.”
Lina turned and threw her arms around An Ming’s broad shoulders. She laid her head on the queen’s chest as a tear leaked from her eye. “I had a vision,” Lina said. “Of my homeland. It wasn’t good.”
An Ming pulled Lina in close and began scenting calm, familial love.
Chapter 10: The Island of Home
To continually walk the path of righteousness is no easy task. Hidden dangers lie in wait with every footfall, the temptation to stray at every fork. And there will come a time when even the most steadfast of queens will find that her efforts have turned inward to serve herself instead of serving her people as it should be.
It is at this time that the wise leader will remove her crown and pass the burden of leadership to a new generation. For if a
queen should continue to lead while blinded to these dangers, every footstep is one step closer to the abyss. And when a queen falls, it is the loss of not just a single soul, but all the souls of her colony.
—Addendum to The Book of the Origin by High Priestess Arabel (Bella) Aurelius Nobilis.
* * * *
“I wish you could stay with us,” said An Ming, “but I understand your reasons for leaving.” She was standing at the pier, dressed in full royal regalia—long white robe, golden necklace glittering in the early morning sun—holding Lina’s fingertips in her outstretched hands. The pier was packed three rows deep with on-lookers and well-wishers.
“I must go to my people,” Lina said, projecting enough for the crowd to hear. “If my vision is true, then they need someone to guide them, now more than ever.”
Arabel was busy being mobbed by a cluster of children, off to the side, all saying their goodbyes and scenting happiness and joy. She had a kind word for every one of them as they each hugged her in turn.
Queen An Ming stepped aside to let I and the medicine woman’s apprentice, whose name was Yasmin, come forth to take Lina’s hands, I on one side, Yasmin on the other. Lina addressed them both. “You will do great things together, for Them and for others. I’ve seen it,” Lina said.
Yasmin presented Lina with a pouch of herbs for tea. “Just in case,” she said. She and I wrapped Lina in a hug, and scented familial love.
“Thank you,” Lina said. “And thank you for your gift of sun in the night, I. It will speed our journey home.”
As Arabel approached to bid her goodbyes, Lina dropped to her knees to receive a hug and a scent from each of the children. She reminded them to always listen to their mentors, who were wise whether they believed it or not.
After a final round of embracing by all, Queen An Ming presented Lina and Arabel with one last gift, a sapling from the colony’s Great Tree. “May its branches shelter you on this journey and always,” she said.