From Night On: Magdalene

Chapters 15-16

Chapter 15:

Religare: To Bind and Make One

Within the chamber of the billowing flame, the group mulled over the information as they were surrounded by the timeless murals that told a part of a much larger story that had been buried and hidden from the world. If it were just words and pictures painted on walls, the tales and revelations offered by their short guide could have at best been accepted as another religion's views of the gods or, at worst, rejected on the spot. What held their intellects from these simpleminded extremes was the fact that they had experienced the miraculous along their journeys to that moment. Before then, each of them had heard varying accounts and explanations, tales and legends, myths and fables that seemed to confuse the reality as different voices told the stories, but Quaden's story, the same that was painted all around them, offered a unifying account that seemed oddly comforting. Comforting in some ways, though, but distressing in others.

For Mathew and Thomas, the information was an adaptation, an addition to what they had learned of the gods throughout their lives, but, for Meira, it was a positive affirmation of all the religions except hers. There had been no mention of "the one true God," nor had there been any insinuation or eluding that such a being might exist. As it would seem, all of the "false gods" appeared to be real while her God had yet to be mentioned.

An eruption of laughter came from Thomas as he stared at Quaden with the comedy causing a stream of tears to roll down his aching cheeks. "What's the joke?" Quaden asked as he straightened his back and grew stern.

"You," Thomas struggled to say through his fit, "are Atlas!"

"Thomas!" Mathew barked at him without result.

Quaden approached Thomas, his fury increasing with every step as his face turned a dark shade of red. "Yes," he said, "I am Atlas. You got a problem with that?"

"No, no," Thomas responded, bent over and clutching his sides, "I truly believe you, but the irony is knocking the wind out of me!"

With fists clenched as his knuckles turned white, Quaden appeared to be on the verge of sending the man to the floor under his will, but he stopped. His eyes began to move about as if he was searching for something, perhaps, to hit Thomas with.

"Thomas!" Mathew yelled, again. "Stop this at once. Show him some some respect!"

"No!" Quaden stopped Mathew. He looked down at his hands and then back up to the murals. Glimpses of his former glory as the titan flashed in his mind as though they were partially remembered dreams from long ago. Mathew was about to walk to Thomas and thrash him about for his insult, but Quaden held out an arm to bar his path. "He's right," he said as he looked up to meet Mathew's confusion. "I'd be stupid to not notice the irony, myself," he began to laugh with his friend.

"You took the saying 'big things come in small packages," Thomas began laughing even harder, "and just..." he trailed off, trying to think of a good description. "I don't know how to call it, but, by the fates, you're at the far far FAR extreme!"

"What is wrong with you?!?" Meira screamed. "You're disrespecting him to his face and think it's funny?!?"

"Meiri," Quaden smiled, "it's okay." He then tried to approach her to comfort her. "Are you okay? You look really upset. You know that I can handle myself and that I wouldn't let him belittle me." Thomas erupted into more laughter. "Bad choice of words in the moment," Quaden laughed. "I really get the comical irony and I know he isn't meaning to disrespect me."

"But you're letting him do it!" she argued. "He's disrespecting you and the gods of this holy place." She released her glare upon Thomas, bringing his laughter to an abrupt end as he fell to the floor, shaking in fear.