Snippets

'What I received in The Passage is not an Infallible.' Chrona allowed that to hang there. Hoping that she'd been inadvertently provided a working version rather than the final. However what she saw in the Renewal Plan was too intentional. Too strategic. Though very well concealed. Anyway there was no such thing as an Infallible. She'd led the Sisterhood believe that such a thing existed to make the whole process more dramatic. Ritualistised. Now she was tired of dramatic. It had all happened so many times. But this was different. This was dangerous.

Basilica realised she had been thrown a hand grenade rather than having an honour bestowed upon her. The honour was conferred on her, part through her tireless efforts to demonstrate worthiness. Also it was a demonstration, at that very late hour, that youth was valued in leadership. The Authoring Envoy and Precipt of the Suffragaito, both very long serving, made the selection having given very few advancement opportunities to the younger generations elsewhere. Now this token appointment confronted a serious problem. Not of her making and initially beyond her understanding.

'Do you think I could cut it as a nun. Meditate all the time.' Helen paused. Looking for something else to add to that list. 'That's about all from what I understand. Meditate all the time. Lose a bit of weight maybe.'

The Bhante laughed. 'There are a range of practices, but what you describe is at the core. Weight loss being optional.'

'Are there different classes of nun. You know. Could I be the kind of nun who still enjoys occasional casual sex, alcohol binges, TV streaming, overwork.' She nodded to herself as if in revelation. 'I guess I'm describing my life. Is there a part-time nun program?'

A girl raised her hand. 'Is this why women aren't in combat roles. They don't have enough aggression. Too reasonable.'

'It's one of them.' Said the History Professor.

'Would there be wars if women ran everything?' She said. There was some laughter from across the gender spectrum.

Paul thought about this for a while. 'You know, I don't think there would be. There would probably be some nasty snits every now and then.

'My strange and more and more inconvenient magnetism, which we haven't talked about yet, no doubt has no boundaries across species.' She stopped and was silent in thought for a minute. 'I've only realised now a dog has never barked at me.'

'My heart goes out to you.'