Chương 742: Day Seven Hundred And Forty

Dear Diary,"The purpose of Redemption, Is to make the world better, By letting us be better." - Tabitha Diaz, Doctrine of Tabitha, Book of Redemption Here in Verse Six, halfway through the Book of Redemption, Tabitha explains a reason why Redemption is so important to her, and in doing so cements herself as unique among the Gods in explaining, rather than commanding and expecting obedience, treating us as her beloved family rather than as servants.

The purpose of Redemption, for Tabitha, is to make the world a better place. Not by her definition, as this is not something which will be demanded by her, but by ours, as it will be implemented by the Agency she has rightfully acknowledged as our birthright as sapient beings, as people. And the better world, Tabitha's better world, our better world, will be ours, driven by our Agency, because it will become better as we make ourselves better.

Not specifically by her standards or to her liking, but by our own hands, by our own design, by our own Agency. - Priestess Most High Above All Others, Archmage Imperator Saffron Aetos-Diaz, Commentary on the Doctrine of Tabitha Whoa. A few of these I think I really nailed the Verse, and Saffron's Commentary just doubles down on that, making me feel like I'm not a total garbage Divine Being.

On most of them, I'm just really glad to have her backing me up, explaining shit that my Holy Book left maybe a little less than well spelled out, and generally making sure that somebody reading the Doctrine of Tabitha as a way to maybe get their life right didn't wind up sitting on the floor in the airport chanting because my bullshit melted their brain smooth. But now and then there's one like this, where whether I did good or not, she just takes it to a whole 'nother fuckin' level.

Yeah, I think I had a good point, the idea that I want Redemption and second chances to be a way for people to learn and grow, for the world to become a better place day by day, step by step. I think I managed to get that across pretty well in three lines, in twenty-one syllables. But then along comes Saffron. Don't get me wrong, I am not at all upset at her.

Maybe a tiny bit at me, or at Fate, or whatever, for putting me so close to somebody so awesome, who manages to show me up even when I'm holding all the cards. Like, I never want to sit down at a poker table with that woman, because I'll be holding a royal flush, and she'll find some way to beat me with the instructions for canasta and a green two from Uno.

Okay, cards on the table, pun intended, I absolutely want to play poker with her, because you absolutely know it would be strip poker with explicit forfeits for naked people, and I'd wind up carrying her to bed fully dressed and fully satiated. But she knocked this one out of the park, explaining that the better world I'm tryna put in place? Isn't mine. It isn't about me. It's about people, about my Worshippers, about who and what they want to be, about the kind of world they want to live in.

I have no idea where she got the idea that I'm that close and supportive of my... Yeah, I'm gonna shut up and try not to think about exactly how stupid I sound given what I'm going to be doing tonight. Speaking of, yesterday afternoon, like halfway through the afternoon, Saffron's hands slowed to a stop, gradually shutting down her coding windows. I just kept kneading her shoulders, hips, and thighs until she went still.

"Love?"

"Yeah, Kitten?"

"You'll be going to New Amsterdam tonight, yes?" I dunno why, but I felt some kinda way about that.

"Did you not want me to?" I felt her smile.

"Of course not, love. There is no crisis, and in case you've forgotten, or a black mood is trying to convince you otherwise, I adore every moment you spend with your Worshippers. No, love, I was simply going to suggest that while you are in New Amsterdam?" Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"Yeah?"

"Speak with your Clergy, and determine if perhaps one of them has been calling to you? Or more likely, if there is some poor Soul calling out to you from New Amsterdam." That confused me just a little, but fortunately the smartest person I knew was within me deboggling range.

"Uh, isn't New Amsterdam to the North of here?" She chuckled, squirming until I let her go enough to twist herself around until she straddled my lap.

"In case you hadn't realized, our Homestead is quite a ways North of Phileo and the Yards." Yeah, it still took me a little bit.

"Oh. Oh! So New Amsterdam is what, straight east of us?" She nodded, settling in on my lap.

"If anything, it's slightly southeast."

"So just ask them if they've been calling for me?" She nodded.

"I've spoken with people at Alliance Headquarters, asked them to subtly investigate, see if there are any who might be calling out to you." I frowned a little.

"Wouldn't they... Oh. You're thinking maybe somebody doing some shady shit and keeping it out of your sight particularly?" She nodded.

"And that of Alliance Intelligence." She started nibbling on my neck, and I held my brain together long enough to ask, "you want I should have the Clergy look as well?" She murmured and nodded.

"You looking to pre-game a little, Kitten?" She just nodded her head and licked my neck. Yeah, I delivered her back to the Homestead not entirely sheveled. Dropped off enough pizza to feed a small army, or my ladies, our kids, and the Homestead women, especially with our local Heroes stopping by to try my cooking. Once I got all the girls served with their favorite slices, not to mention making sure Siobhan and Marie were eating okay, I stepped to the temple in New Amsterdam. They ambushed me. I couldn't complain.

I couldn't be upset. Honestly, I'm not really upset, but I'm definitely a little sore. The moment I showed up, Dana called out, "Goddess! Welcome back!" Then the entire fuckin' congregation of the temple, including all my Clergy and the Temple volunteers, who stood in the front row, sang out, "Agency, Egalitarianism, Redemption, Consent, Equality, Restoration, Try, Evaluate, Retry." That left me shuddering more than a little bit, what with a couple hundred people all singing to me at once.

Those glorious bastards were awesome and sang beautifully and mercilessly. They sang my Doctrine to me, first all as one chorus, then as a round with each quadrant of the Temple singing a different part. By midnight I'd hit 'sloppy mess'. I mean, sloppy grinning mess, so I couldn't really complain about it, but still a sloppy mess. Worse, or better, or I don't fucking know what, they took turns.

After the first round, some broke off to watch, some might have gone for drinks, some might have been doing their own little mini-Revels right there on the benches. I do not fuckin' know, because they did not let up until maybe half an hour before dawn. Each singer walked past me, brushing their fingers across me and shuddering with absolute religious ecstasy as they went quiet. As false dawn colored the sky, the last of the Revelers walked out the door and Dana slipped up beside me.

"Was our surprise to your liking, Goddess?" I managed to cudgel my brain into operation enough to slur out, "love it. Y'guys are great." They nodded, then looked around.

"Ah, the children will be coming soon, so..." At that point I realized I hadn't had anything on since I arrived, and 'sloppy mess' kinda described the spot I'd been sitting in too.

"Oh. Hey. Yeah. I'm gonna get going in a... wait!" They froze, "yes, Goddess?" I waved them over, and when they got in arm's reach I pulled them into a hug. A completely platonic one, just to be clear, but it put my mouth close enough to their ear to whisper, "I've been receiving prayers from somewhere in this direction. Maybe from New Amsterdam, maybe from further east. Honestly maybe even from west of here. But I'd appreciate it if you could look into that? Quietly?

If somebody's doing shady shit on the down low, and it's hurting somebody enough for them to be praying hard enough to reach me when they're not Clergy?" I left the statement hanging, and Dana did not disappoint me.

"Of course, Goddess. I shall see your will done."

"Thanks, Dana." I gave them one last squeeze and dropped back directly into the Bath. I think it steamed a little harder when I dropped in.