Read Online A Circle of Celebrations: The Complete Edition by Jody Lynn Nye - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Jody Lynn Nye
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waste of all those goodies! Stop them, stop them!”
“I can’t,” Anger said, his teeth gritted.
“They want what they can’t have,” Envy said. “Peace of mind. We are superfluous to them now. They enter the new day with no repentance. They will all be damned!”
“Forget damned, they’re hurting each other,” Sloth said. “What happened to letting the good times roll?”
“Is that all you ever think about, you lazy galoot?” asked Lust.
“Of course. What else?”
Anger turned to Pride. “What should we do?”
“Can we distract them? Put their minds on something else? Will that break the rage?”
Anger nodded, his hot brown eyes burning as he listened to the hearts of his followers. “It should.”
“Circle around him,” he ordered the others. Envy glared, but obeyed. The six joined hands and concentrated on spreading their own influence. Pride reached out to the adherents he could sense in the growing throng. They must consider their own dignity now, he told them. “You are too far above this to resort to name-calling and assault. Draw back. Return to your homes. Maintain calm and set an example.”
Across the square, those in whom pride was the strongest dropped their fists and backed away from their opponents. If their rivals were surprised, it added to the feeling of the prideful ones that they were making the best decision. They started to withdraw.
Then Envy’s aura touched his, infiltrated it. The humans in Pride’s cadre felt their self-esteem grow, but they began to doubt whether they were as well regarded as they felt they ought to be. No one should stand above them! Anger reasserted itself, in spite of the Manifestation’s inaction. Fights were rejoined. A large, heavy African-American immediately ahead of him drew his arm back and socked his opponent, an equally hefty white man. The second man fell, working his jaw.
Pride broke out of his trance and dropped Envy’s hand. “Stop broadcasting,” he said. “You’re making things worse.”
Envy was instantly offended.
“Do you think I’m not equal to the rest of you?” she demanded.
Pride put his arm around her shoulders. He would have to deal with her later, but not now, not when so many mortals were at risk. “You are the epitome, the absolute of your emotion,” he said gently. “But you are too effective. No one can withstand your influence. You’re adding to their sense of resentment.”
“That’s what I do!”
“But not now,” he pleaded. “It’s after midnight. Dawn is coming.”
“Don’t you dare single me out!” she shrieked. “You’re saying I’m not as good as you are!”
“I’m not,” Pride said. Even if he felt it was the truth, now was not the time to say so. “Just be still for the moment.”
Angrily, Envy tugged her other hand out of Sloth’s and stood beside Anger in the center. “Just get it over with. We’ll deal with this later.”
Pride nodded. He reached out to his followers again. He brought his influence to bear on as many of his adherents as he could touch. To his horror, the brimming well of anger was so powerful that it overwhelmed the mortals’ good sense. Instead of backing down, they redoubled their efforts to conquer their opponents. A regal-looking gentleman in evening dress who had been about to back away from a dancer from the Gay Pride krewe suddenly advanced upon him and began to poke the man in the chest, hammering home every syllable of his argument. The dancer did a spin on one foot and delivered a roundhouse kick to the well-dressed man’s jaw. He toppled over backwards and measured his length on the cobblestones. As soon as he could regain his feet, he grabbed the dancer by the shoulders and head-butted him.
No! Pride thought at them. That’s not what you should be doing. But it was his own fault. He glanced at Envy. She was going to crow, but he had no choice. For the sake of the mortals, he had to sacrifice his own pride. He dropped the hands of
“I can’t,” Anger said, his teeth gritted.
“They want what they can’t have,” Envy said. “Peace of mind. We are superfluous to them now. They enter the new day with no repentance. They will all be damned!”
“Forget damned, they’re hurting each other,” Sloth said. “What happened to letting the good times roll?”
“Is that all you ever think about, you lazy galoot?” asked Lust.
“Of course. What else?”
Anger turned to Pride. “What should we do?”
“Can we distract them? Put their minds on something else? Will that break the rage?”
Anger nodded, his hot brown eyes burning as he listened to the hearts of his followers. “It should.”
“Circle around him,” he ordered the others. Envy glared, but obeyed. The six joined hands and concentrated on spreading their own influence. Pride reached out to the adherents he could sense in the growing throng. They must consider their own dignity now, he told them. “You are too far above this to resort to name-calling and assault. Draw back. Return to your homes. Maintain calm and set an example.”
Across the square, those in whom pride was the strongest dropped their fists and backed away from their opponents. If their rivals were surprised, it added to the feeling of the prideful ones that they were making the best decision. They started to withdraw.
Then Envy’s aura touched his, infiltrated it. The humans in Pride’s cadre felt their self-esteem grow, but they began to doubt whether they were as well regarded as they felt they ought to be. No one should stand above them! Anger reasserted itself, in spite of the Manifestation’s inaction. Fights were rejoined. A large, heavy African-American immediately ahead of him drew his arm back and socked his opponent, an equally hefty white man. The second man fell, working his jaw.
Pride broke out of his trance and dropped Envy’s hand. “Stop broadcasting,” he said. “You’re making things worse.”
Envy was instantly offended.
“Do you think I’m not equal to the rest of you?” she demanded.
Pride put his arm around her shoulders. He would have to deal with her later, but not now, not when so many mortals were at risk. “You are the epitome, the absolute of your emotion,” he said gently. “But you are too effective. No one can withstand your influence. You’re adding to their sense of resentment.”
“That’s what I do!”
“But not now,” he pleaded. “It’s after midnight. Dawn is coming.”
“Don’t you dare single me out!” she shrieked. “You’re saying I’m not as good as you are!”
“I’m not,” Pride said. Even if he felt it was the truth, now was not the time to say so. “Just be still for the moment.”
Angrily, Envy tugged her other hand out of Sloth’s and stood beside Anger in the center. “Just get it over with. We’ll deal with this later.”
Pride nodded. He reached out to his followers again. He brought his influence to bear on as many of his adherents as he could touch. To his horror, the brimming well of anger was so powerful that it overwhelmed the mortals’ good sense. Instead of backing down, they redoubled their efforts to conquer their opponents. A regal-looking gentleman in evening dress who had been about to back away from a dancer from the Gay Pride krewe suddenly advanced upon him and began to poke the man in the chest, hammering home every syllable of his argument. The dancer did a spin on one foot and delivered a roundhouse kick to the well-dressed man’s jaw. He toppled over backwards and measured his length on the cobblestones. As soon as he could regain his feet, he grabbed the dancer by the shoulders and head-butted him.
No! Pride thought at them. That’s not what you should be doing. But it was his own fault. He glanced at Envy. She was going to crow, but he had no choice. For the sake of the mortals, he had to sacrifice his own pride. He dropped the hands of
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