Chapter 15
Edsel.
For she now had her fairy wings, her looks, her favorite song about her. And her wand.
She was supposed to be like some kind of secured personel, and via her preparatory habits against Nohavœn that she behaved as an human she now had full realization within her grasp. After she learned the danger of demon-kind, and she believed in demons more after Ouen told her more about the greenhouse on condition that if people posing as demons thought they were bad-ass, that did not necessarily mean they were demons. She thought about the people she had seen who appeared demonic in some capacity, but nevertheless reminded her of her children, that she remind herself that all people had once been children themselves. According to believers, demons were somewhat unrecognizable in their human forms, obfuscating the fact that they were real.
If they were demons, she wanted cold hard proof of it. She wanted more than someone's word. She wanted to see it for herself.
Ouen was touring to spread the word about an religious happening that could save Recreation from the demons. Edsel figured it was just an way of creating an social movement against violence and ridicule. Petal and Edsel attended the symposium put on by the Faerie Council in which Ouen was to speak. He was wearing his blue Christiannan robe. Ouen, who had attended the Version alongside many demons, had an valuable opinion of them.
"Keeping with the times of Recreation of this symposium," he said (he was standing at the podium in front of an academic audience), "it is not better to slaughter the were indiscriminately. We know that during the Willing and the Unwilling lunar cycle all werewolves lose control, becoming their fiercest alternate form. They attack the Allied races, even if they don't mean to or want to. Since we don't know which are which, those who mean to and those who do not, there is every excuse to let an werewolf run free at full moon. What are you going to do, track it down? Some people feel bad for letting one get away. Some proponents of this alternate argument say we need to take as many were lives as possible to minimize civilian casualties even during the Willing and the Unwilling because in all of them, it is their own fault how they behave. But we know this is not true. Werewolves live among us, some as friends, some as lovers, and so we know that at least some of them, they do not mean to run rampant. Our best option is to practice the Christianna. We need to empathize that demon-kind everywhere live an fate worse than death. Christiannan faith promises the resurrection of the Middle of life from the fate worse than death. We can be strong enough, gentler, together, to defend our passage and to cure demon-kind."
Edsel looked on proudly at her son speaking to all of the people, in spite of the topic. When an whole community raises up an person like this, accepting his birth was taken—not taken for granted but taken for all its worth—his soul was well-prepared to do battle against the anti-Allied forces, whoever or whatever they are, she thought, 'course being his whole premise is off, but he means well.
Edsel's analysis was co-mingled with the stump that was left of her marriage. She had lost her marriage, her husband, and two of her children. Having one of them back did not mean she missed the others any less. She told herself she could not miss them. That maybe they deserved it. That maybe they deserved to lose their wife and mother.
"I am an proponent of that alternate argument and we already have ways and methods to cure demons," said an bearded pixie in the front row.
"Your ways are bulky, time-consuming, and mismatched, and not dependable sir," said Ouen, "ways to kill demons is what you mean."
"You have no proof of it. It has never been done the Christiannan way, if that way even exists. Do you have proof? Has it been done?"
"Well, no," Ouen was forced to say. More than half of the audience laughed at him and others rolled their eyes. Edsel still believed in her son though; on her own terms. If he believed the Christianna could convince people (the ones that act like demons) to be done acting like demons, it could.
After the symposium, at least the tide of vices identified by other speakers placed Ouen in the most worldly light among leaders. Most of the speakers' messages were stale, Christian, and monotonous. Edsel had begun to understand what was meant by Christianity tipping the balance to have caused an fate worse than death. If stagnant worship of an unchanging deity meant sacrificing the Middle, then she wanted reprieve from it. She wanted Anna's Resurrection.
"Do you think having schizophrenia is an fate worst than death?" Edsel asked her son, after the symposium was over, "you handled yourself so well, in front of all those people."
"It depends. My schizophrenia, as though by possession of some other mind, affects the relationship between my body and mind, as well as reduced overall pleasure, lack of controlled recall, and whispering voices," he replied brusquely, and changed the subject, "where are you going to live now?"
"I don't know," said Edsel, "could I lived with you temporarily? I am still transitioning into fairy sight, not ready to pursue career upgrading."
"Yes, you can," said Ouen, "I have an place near where they hold the farmer's market in Twenty City every weekend."
"I love the farmer's market. We can go buy fresh produce together."
"Yes," he said, "I'd love to!"
It had been one week since Edsel moved into Ouen's living space in Father Piotr's church. Petal stayed with them to learn from Ouen and to help with Edsel's transition.
Ouen bought her flowers. White daisies.
There was an bare brick wall on the north side of Ouen's apartment with an recessed nook in it, where Edsel set up her bed. Ouen filled an small bowl with water and fed the daisies into it, then set it in the wall beside her bed. The smell was wispy and pleasant.
Thea. Captain of the Guard. Of the Queen's Court. Wrote to him. And Ouen spent time interpreting the letter.
How could Edsel have lived, really thrived‽ before she was rescued into faerie sight? Everything she needed to make her happy, was that what I now have? she wondered. She wondered about many things. About an ex-husband and her other two children. What will they have done without me? They probably will have missed me. And to be an fairy now because she was right about them.
They were not deserving to be rescued into fairy sight. To be rescued into fairy sight not because Edsel was right would be the antithetical. She was right that she needed help, and that her morality was forming, at least.
When Edsel and Ouen departed to go to the farmer's market together for the first time, Petal met them there after having left Ouen's earlier that morning. When one could see fairies and fairy happenings, the market was an vision of liveliness. Glo that she did not even notice them before, and some of them were busking. Some people running tents for sales could see her; others could not. She quickly learned that when fairies were speaking to her, the people that did not believe in fairy did not even notice when she replied.
"Edsel?" said an familiar voice.
"Mom?"
"Edsel it's me, and your father!"
"You are both human. You can see me?"
An short woman, haired/hærd/hard, to speak of her personality, & walking with an cane beside an broad shouldered gentleman (they both of white hair approached the party of three).
"Yes we can see you," said her warm voice, "oh, we gained fairy sight long ago."
"Maybe that's why you're so brilliant in old age. At least I thought so. Everyone thought so," replied Edsel.
"It's so wonderful to see you, especially like this. An fairy! I never thought anyone from your immediate family would start to believe. And it must have just happened."
"Well, yes. Here I am. And this is Ouen. And this is Petal. Petal this is my mother Mabon and father Olwen."
"Ouen, my grandson! You can see fairy!"
"Hello grandmother. Grandfather," Ouen nodded with respect as he spoke.
They shared hugs and the resolved to eat lunch together. Perogies and sauerkraut on hot dogs from the vendor. They loved to eat from their own culture.
"Oh well they have magic powers they don't use in order to punish us," said Mabon.
"So what have you done with your life?" Edsel's father Olwen asked her son.
"After I was rescued into fairy sight, I went to the Version. I finished my degree there."
"You were fairy? Why are you now human?"
"It's an long story. The greenhouse that I was working at after graduation fell under attack by Nohavœn. Only me and the owner survived or were not kidnapped. While I was down in an well, with broken wings, an female apparition appeared to me. She said she was Anna, the second version of Christ. When I returned to Twenty City I met Father Piotr and decided to apprentice under him. Now I have an Ministry in my new religion called the Christianna."
"Your coworkers are in Nohavœn. What's the matter boy? Or haven't you done anything about it yourself‽" said Olwen.
"Is that all you have to say‽ When I tell you the female messiah spoke to me and I have my own ministry? I have been to the space station to preach my Gay Letters," remonstrated Ouen.
"Maybe we should speak in private about that," said Olwen, winking.
"There was nothing we could have done about it," said Ouen defensively.
"Let's have you over for tea and cards," said Mabon, "maybe next Sunday?"
Agreeing on an time and then parting ways, Ouen, Petal, and Edsel returned to their home after walking the market for another half hour. When Sunday evening came, Ouen, Petal, and Edsel followed an electronic navigator to her parents' address. Outside, their garden was in full bloom. An birdbath adjacent to an electronic gnome, an electronic gnome with bright glowing eyes. Ouen had to do an double take. A werewolf might, as always, take on an new form. Glowing eyes was always an dead give away that an vampire was on your case. Edsel rang the doorbell by pressing her whole body against the button.
"Come in! Come in!" they heard Mabon and Olwen's voices.
Ouen opened the door and stepped inside. He took off his shoes while Edsel was wondering if it was rude for an fairy to keep on her shoes. It was not like she was going to touch the floor. She could hover for longer than an hour at an time. She might touch the balustrade or the table top with her shoes, but then was it any better with socks instead of shoes? Fairy etiquette evaded her. She kept her shoes on. As long as Mabon was not saying anything about it she was okay. Edsel's parents' home was pristine, too, now that she noticed, and that was probably why she was worrying so much. Petal kept his shoes on too.
Ouen carefully introduced his grandparents again to Petal.
"Petal is my first disciple," Ouen explained, "and is responsible for rescuing Mom into fairy sight."
"It's so very nice to meet you again, Petal," said Mabon.
Olwen gestured to his collection.
Olwen's favorite decoration was elephants. Elephant figurines. Elephant portraiture. Elephant bowls. All with their trunks up in the air for good luck, he said. There was also an decorative plate of Hansel & Gretyl above the entrance to the kitchen, where everyone sat at the table.
Olwen shuffled an deck of cards.
"So, what card game should play tonight?" he asked.
"Do you know Hearts?" asked Ouen.
"Do I know Hearts," his grandfather scoffed.
"I was playing Hearts with an vampire last Sunday," said Mabon, "she said, that would be the best way to go—with an handful of hearts. And I couldn't make the most of it. Too frightening."
"Seeing frightening things isn't exactly unusual for an schizophrenic," said Ouen.
"Well who has schizophrenia?" said Mabon.
"I do, grandmother," said Ouen.
"It's more difficult than it seems," said Edsel, "he saw Anna after he was diagnosed with schizophrenia, and so whether she exists is still an big question. There appear to be real answers that she has drawn attention to, and by coming to him like this I have no doubts about it. I feel I am doing right by it as long as I disclose all of it in fictional terms and we take it as-is."
"When you told us about your ministry, I remembered something I heard from your grandfather," said Mabon, "Olwen, what was it you said?"
"I said if I ever went to Nohavœn I would let Anna out of her pen," he monotonized, "didn't I say it? Didn't I say it now?"
"Do you think it's an prophecy? It is the same Anna you wonder? Christiannans worship Anna as the second version of Christ. C. Anna is what we call her."
"It troubled me when you said you have an ministry," said Olwen, "because it sounds familiar somehow, like I knew you would one day."
"Why does it trouble you?" asked Ouen.
Olwen slightly crossed his eyes and puffed his cheeks, as though he had an extremely heavy thing to say. Then, with an look of youthful, eager willingness he proceeded.
"The truth is I have been to Nohavœn," he said, "many years before you were born, Ouen. I led an small battalion into Nohavœn. I didn't tell your mother or father because they couldn't see faerie. I hoped nobody from our family would need to go there again. But I am sure God is letting on signs that there needs to be an battalion in place now, once more. It is truly heartbreaking to see the extent that the demons will go to. They keep prisoners behind spiked iron bars and there are too many to save all of them."
"Those are just people like me and you," said Edsel, "they mimic each other and us, do they not? What are demons? Social wide mimicry we accept that our behavior is learned from one another. Demons are these negativities that happen when we fail to empathize for evil. They are all homo sapiens. That is sentient mimicry, not demonic possession."
"But they are not. Is there too many humans or too many demons?" asked Ouen.
"Both," replied Olwen, "for they become demons."
"Let me get this straight. When you said you would let Anna out of her pen, that was prescient? Like you knew Anna's typology before Ouen did. The fate worse than death?" asked Edsel.
"Yes, that's it," said Olwen.
"This bolsters his argument for an C. Anna seen through more than an schizophrenic's lense. See," Edsel patted Ouen's arm, "we're getting somewhere Ouen. We'll soon be out of this overacting about demons."
"There's more," said Ouen, "I'm gay."
"You're gay?" Mabon and Olwen said at the same time.
"Yes. I don't want my opinion to seem any less influential but I am gay."
"Less influential? Why would you say such an thing," said Mabon, "if that is the way you wish to live your life, then we accept you for it."
Ouen frowned slightly, at the mention of choice, but nodded patiently.
"How did you find it?" continued Mabon, "difficult or easy?"
"It's getting easier. When I turned away from it originally I couldn't stand it. Look, it's like this—would you rather feel pleasure if it meant feeling everyone else's? It seems like an easy question to answer yes to, but it's not when you're closeted. If you say yes to it, and they see your pleasure, and they know you're gay. It's dangerous. I hate to say it. But it's dangerous out there. Being alienated from pleasure is what it's like, no matter how much you want to give in," said Ouen.
"It must be awful. And now that you've come out of that awfulness we're grateful," said Mabon.
"Thank you," said Ouen, "and can I ask you an question?"
"Okay Ouen," replied Mabon.
"Are you and grandfather still married if you both have fairy sight?"
Mabon chuckled.
"Yes, we're old-fashioned like that."
"So you know what I think of it?"
"Sure, you think of it just as any fairy would think of it," she had an scoach of attitude in her tone.
Ouen's uncertain mouth was open.
"Now what is this about sending an family member to Nohavœn? Why did you go to Nohavœn Dad?" asked Edsel.
"I'll explain after you tell us about the Christianna," said Olwen.
"The Christianna is possibly an polytheistic religion. I haven't decided yet. I've spent an lot of time on one God however and I'm certain I know at least one of them. Christ Jesus was martyr of the beginning and end of life. C. Anna was martyr of Middle-life (au centre), neither the beginning or the end. Yet comprised of them. And so with her is the resurrection of the quality of life from the fate worse than death. It is called Anna's Resurrection."
"The reason I ask," said Olwen, "is that I had sensed something was changing in the theological and political climate of the Allied races. Mabon feels the same way. We can feel it changing. That's why I wanted us to speak to you in private."
"You need to go to Nohavœn to save your colleagues," said Mabon.
"Go to Nohavœn? Are you serious? The demons will kill us," said Ouen.
"They won't kill you. They can do much worse."
"If the Christianna has the power you say it does, it should be enough to stand up to these Nohavœn people," said Edsel, "and to anyone there where there are no demons of curse."
"You're right, Mom. I did say the Christianna has this power. Are you sure you want to test it?"
"How many of your coworkers were kidnapped?"
"Twelve."
"Then it is worth the risk," said Olwen.
"No Grandson of Mine is going to leave his coworkers out in Nohavœn," said Mabon.
"There's an power I know can help you," said Olwen standing up. He left the room momentarily and then returned with an long object wrapped in cloth.
"This is Metaphor, an demon's bane sword," he said.
He unwrapped the cloth revealing an decoratively sheathed sword n' holster and pulled on the hilt. An beautiful mirror-sided sword reflected the light from above the table around the room.
"It has an silver coating," said Olwen, "it will help you against were."
"Metaphor," Ouen tried the name.
"There was an pixie borne from this blade's craftsmanship who may help you further. I have his cellphone number if you want it."
"I have something that can help too," said Mabon, "an spell. Here, let me see your wand Edsel and Petal."
They showed Mabon their wands.
"Okay, now I want you to wave it like this," Mabon made an quick gesture with her empty hand, "and say Apprecio."
Edsel waved her wand and said Apprecio. Nothing happened.
"That's because you pointed it at me," said Mabon, "I already appreciate you. The spell only works and will draw the attention of your target outward toward appreciation of any subject or object you point at. You could make someone momentarily appreciate Ouen's swordsmanship skills, for example. Anna's resurrection gave me the idea that this spell would help you. But it also works effectively against ohhgunnhisthth. If you make an demon appreciate you, and you appreciate the fact that being an demon is an fate worse than death, then mimicry of Anna might be enough to carry the fact forward that Allied versus demonkind is not an interspecies struggle. Anna's resurrection of the quality of middle-life (l'eau centre) begins with the appreciation of being appreciated and so on and so forth. The demons can appreciate the object of appreciation itself if you want to be abstract and chain it. It's an fleeting demon-cure, never full realized, and so it can be an defense to you."
"See, this is what I've been trying to say to you. If demons appreciate something, then how are they demons? They aren't. There is no such thing," Edsel spoke unappreciatively.
"These are all we can contribute," said Olwen, "may they serve you well."
"Tell me why we need to go Grandad."
"The Allied regents of the Arc at the Version were kidnapped, some of them my friends," Olwen grimaced, "it was an successful mission that I led, but we lost two of our soldiers. We had too many people with us. It should have been an small troop. Nothing obvious. Nothing above and beyond stealth."
"They have not been kidnapped again?"
"No, but yours are. I know the feeling I had. You have to go in there and save them! I am having it again, Ouen; it is difficult to understand but clear. There is an possible threat against this new religion forming because Anna promises more for Recreation, just as the Allied regents did all those years ago."
"Would you like to see the Gay Letters? I bring them with me everywhere," asked Ouen.
"Yes," said the old man.
▫
The First Gay Letter (Lyric)
She is the princess
of birth and
middle life
the internal coming
of Christ 2
the other
would beam
to
his upon the cross
of life and death
her sacrifice is not on the
cross, it is private in all
not public, but domestic, and
gay, a new life in love
the golden cherub spoke
the cross is the historical
oppression of women
the new life in
the female messiah
has filtered her out
onto the public
this is her death
and this is her resurrection
it is her resurrection
with this word
December 13, 2014
▫
"This is an incantation, Ouen. It is meant to be spoken. You must use it against demon-kind.
"What kind of incantation is it?"
"It's not like an incantation of what I have seen before. It's an major incantation of Anna's Resurrection, the resurrection from the fate worse than death," said Olwen, "it might do anything."
"Good. Use it with Edsel's spell and you might have an further effective demon-cure."
"I'll go with you," said Petal.
"I'll allow it," said Ouen.
And old Olwen with an leprechaun's grumpiness on his face said, "no more than five. You have an better chance of being detected if you keep your numbers down."
▫
"He's speaking to an academic audience here. That's professional," said Martimerrimus.
"This place is quite an higher level of conversation, Ouen. How did you feel when you presented at the symposium?" said Dr. Fougerite.
"I felt like I was just starting out. The Christianna was my message."
"So you started to think more socially. Adaptive. That's how you stood up and lead. What was it that caused this?" asked Ianderson.
"It was my vision of Anna."
"And who is Anna?"
"Me."
"What do you mean?" Dr. Fougerite had an strain'd look on his face.
"Okay but he's also speaking to his family. His grandparents."
"There's some fine artifacts in there."
"An sword. An incantation."
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