169 - Minis is Good At Fixing Things

Kyriala had returned to the Balcony, with both babies on her lap.  She still wore the Imperatrix’s robes that did their best to reflect as if made out of mirrors, but the children had been divested of the gold and silver lace so they didn’t mar them. I love you, you silly man, she thought as she watched Minis pace across the Plaza.

People were celebrating, confused, not sure what they should be feeling.  The Mercier's flooding over to stand by the Temple to be first in behind Minis. All a round the square the vendors that had been set up for Mella’s rain festival weren’t breaking down their booths, but intensely discussing the issue with people from the Ministry Celebratory. Gloves clasped together, head waving to make a point, shoulders twitching to indicate this, or that. They want to stay set up while Minis is doing this… he says it’s a little like the Yeola-e Kiss of the Lake, though the Assembly has set it up to be less lethal. Maybe, but the Ten Tens are fully as dangerous and fickle as Arkan people.

Minis reached the Temple and walked up the last few steps, turned and held up the gold kerchief over his head. She managed to unhook an arm from around Daurama and waved. She felt sick that that nasty man had managed to set Minis up like this, though it could be that the Temple was their only comprehensive solution to this illness.

She thought that proposing to appoint Kallen to the post of Fool was a brilliant way to neutralize him.  Get Mikas and Risae and Muunas Himself to help, love.  Don’t hurt yourself.

They’d talked about it, long into the night, all four together and Gan and Farasha were still in the Temple till her baby was born, so they would be there the whole time and Kyriala would go across more quietly, with less pomp, later in the evening.  She didn’t want to shift people’s attention from where it should be, which was Minis doing this in the spirit of sacrifice to his people.

I don’t like Ilian Kallen or any of his handlers.  His family thinks they are so smart to keep pushing him under our noses, not realizing that we would prefer they shoved a dog turd there instead. She sent a quick apology to Selinae for her crude and savage thoughts.  I have babies right now, but that doesn’t mean I cannot think.  If Kallen accepts the role of Fool, he will be worked very hard. Ah, I saw…

Minis had turned and walked through the open doors, followed by a good piece of the crowd, gold handkerchiefs waving in gloved hands.  The front hall of the Temple was set up with pews out for people to sit and Minis walked up the golden river of tiles, disappearing from her sight.

“Imperatrix.” Matthas Mahid stood just at the doors of the balcony, hands hidden in his priest’s robe sleeves.  He looked thin and quivered where he stood as though some kind of current ran through him that he couldn’t control.  “You know that You needn’t worry.”

“No, Matthas. Failure is always possible.  Very unlikely in this case but I feel what I feel.” She turned toward him slightly.  “Unless you are speaking with the Temple’s Voice?” She didn’t think he was.

“I will go with him. Ergas the Temple needs this. The Imperator, if he is very careful, will be able to help the Temple settle into an entirely new configuration.”

“So the Ten were silent to encourage this to happen? Never mind. Minis is very good at fixing things,” Ky said.  “Even Mahid. Perhaps especially Mahid.” She inclined her head at him and he stood still barely breathing.

“I hear the Imperatrix.” The crowd inside the Temple burst into a hymn, “I Open My Soul”. Matthas looked over her shoulder.  “I must go.”

“Thank you, Matthas.”