Tales of Midbar: Secret Priest
Chapter 10: Dwendra's Time - part 1

I materialized in the ruined part of Grisnarl railway station. This would have been a creepy place under any circumstances but as it was in a town where Nuharas terrorized followers of other religions, particularly Winemakers, and it was red night with Aleph near the horizon, it was very creepy. I walked into the part that was still used, breathing more heavily than usual and found the place nearly deserted. I looked at the time table and realized I’d missed the last train to Kellrid by two hours! I went back to the deserted part and teleported back in time.

I felt a bit better now it was white day and I was relieved nobody on the train was dressed in traditional Nuhara gray robes and only one, a girl in normal Paxian dress, looked like a quippa. They were all ignoring me, which was the I way I liked it. I sat down and wondered why I was risking being attacked by Nuharas to tell Dwendra the Yohoist priesthood may still exist. The train jerked and then started accelerating through the skeleton of the station. I still hadn’t had sex and was still very upset about it. I now knew I could teleport through time and to other sephirot, where there were more anavim, so I had access to rather more anavot than I’d previously thought and could also go to places where I didn’t have to worry about the Trulist temple court. I’d asked how anavim got sexual partners and got lectured about how it was sinful to have sex without being married to your partner. Dwendra had suggested I replace a good matchmaker, which wasn’t very helpful. Nearly all anavim in all Midbar sephirot were Haprihagfen. To join Haprihagfen you had to be a Winemaker or a follower of an analogous religion from another universe, and an anav or anavah. Haprihagfen were only allowed to marry opposite sex, unmarried Haprihagfen. This meant male anavim almost always married anavot. Because of the agreement between Haprihagfen and Benai Nibeyim, I wouldn’t be allowed to join Haprihagfen even if I converted to Winemakerism. This meant my best chances of having sex were to seduce Dwendra or the Benai Nibeyim anavah. The Benai Nibeyim anavah (or perhaps anavot) was an unknown quantity. Dwendra was determined to marry a Yohoist priest. I didn’t think I’d be able to look her in the eyes if I sabotaged her in doing that. It would be better to help her eliminate the options and realize it was hopeless. As far as I knew, there was no reason for her not to marry the priest she was supposed to marry before she’d been given to Nuhar Zorg. I just had a feeling that wouldn’t work but that may have been wishful thinking. Also there was a chance an anav priest would have an anavah sister I could have or something. Well I’d tell Dwendra what I’d learned and hopefully something would happen that would help me.

White day is when the sapphires are on and Aleph is in the sky.

When I got to Kellrid, I teleported to Taunbrit, going forward in time two days. From Taunbrit, I caught a bus to Minris. I had to use money because my bus pass only worked in Laraget.

The bus dropped me outside the Cascade Hotel. It was black night but it was early evening on day two of the light cycle so there were still a few people around but nobody paid any attention to me. It was an easy matter to walk to the bridge, go across to the other side and take the road to the Vineyard gate. It was even pleasantly warm, not oppressively hot like it was becoming in Laraget. When I reached the gates, I found them closed and a sign saying they were shut at sapphire dark. No matter. I walked into the dark shadows of the hedge, ow, Opuntias! Then I remembered I was already here and couldn’t meet myself. Letting an earlier version of yourself see you was definitely changing something you knew about and therefore the paradox avoidance law would stop you from doing it, possibly by killing you. This meant I had to wait until I, and several others, had gone to the dog house to spend the night. Then it occurred to me that it might not be a good idea to talk to people about this before Dwendra had actually gone. I’d been told she had gone back to her time but not the details. I should go forward in time two days to avoid any paradoxes. I’d been told to try to avoid time travel but I was here now and if I went back to Laraget and then came back here after I’d finished my training, Yoldasia may do something to complicate things. I teleported forward in time, to the refectory shortly before midnight two days later.

I materialized in the refractory to replace there were just two old anavim in the place. They were sitting at a table drinking wine and turned to look at me. I remembered being introduced to these people. Yes, the woman was Ice, the matriarch of Clan Beit Kerem and apostle of Midbar-Binah. The man was called Mountain and was her husband.

“I’m wondering if you can help me with something,” I said. “Well I went back in time because you said Benai Nibeyim wanted me back in less than four days and now I’ve come forward in time again. I’ve got something important to tell Dwendra.”

“Sorry,” said Mountain, hunching his shoulders, “I’ve already taken her back to her own time and aren’t we only supposed to help you in life or death emergencies?”

“I know,” I said.

“We’ve talked to Benai Nibeyim,” said Ice, “and they say they’ll treat you better now.”

“Well they don’t seem to be doing that,” I said. “Mum and Miandri seem pretty much the same and Yoldasia has made it clear she hates me and they won’t let me get a job and I haven’t seen Narblo and I don’t know who else belongs to Benai Nibeyim. Oh, they told the police not to investigate me but they want them to replace out what happened the night I disappeared, which has the police confused. I think they don’t want the police to investigate me so they don’t prove I’m not the local serial rapist.”

“Typical,” muttered Ice, scrunching her nose.

“What do you want to tell Dwendra?” asked Mountain.

“I’ve discovered there are still some living Yohoist priests, Yoldasia let it slip.”

“How’s that possible?” asked Ice.

“I don’t know.”

“Dwendra told me she was planning to teleport the anav priest to after the Cataclysm in order to save the priesthood,” said Mountain. “This may mean she succeeded. I told her she’d have to arrange things so it appeared the priesthood had been wiped out in order to avoid a paradox.”

“So it seems as if you don’t have to do anything,” said Ice.

I stared into space, bit my lip, turned round slowly stamping my feet and scratched my head. This seemed logical but something told me there was still a problem and I couldn’t leave until I’d ironed something out. I still hadn’t had sex! I still really missed Dwendra! I needed an argument Ice and Mountain would replace persuasive! “I think what Dwendra did back in her time has something to do with Benai Nibeyim’s behavior. If I go back and talk to her, I may be able to make things better.”

“You can’t change what you know,” said Ice, tilting her head down but keeping her pupils pointing at me.

“I can change what happens in the future!”

“How?” asked Ice.

“I don’t know. If I replace out what Dwendra did in the past, I could work something out. Have her leave instructions for Benai Nibeyim to start being more reasonable tomorrow or something. Also it’s possible things won’t work out with the anav priest and I know she’s got more options.”

“You’re determined to go back in time and talk to her?” asked Ice.

“Yes I am.”

“In that case, Mountain will take you so you don’t get yourself killed but you look exhausted and Mountain’s had a hard day so you should spend the night here.”