Read Online A Circle of Celebrations: The Complete Edition by Jody Lynn Nye - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jody Lynn Nye
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the Manifestations to either side and stepped into the center of the circle. Anger stared at him.
“Are you giving up on us now?” he demanded.
“No,” Pride said, consumed with shame. “I was making things worse. I must stop. Now they feel justified in their outbursts of anger.”
“So must I,” Greed said, coming to stand beside him. “My people are all breaking shop windows.”
“You want the three of us to do it all on our own?” whined Sloth.
“Why not? You should be proud of your ability,” Pride said, turning all the force of his talent on his companions. The three glanced at one another.
“Come on,” Lust said, throwing an arm over Sloth’s shoulders. “You, me, and Gluttony? It’ll be like old times. Remember all those Roman orgies? It’ll be fun.”
“Well …” Sloth hesitated. Pride gave every erg of energy he had in him. Sloth shrugged a quarter of an inch. “All right.”
It was almost fun to watch. To Pride’s chagrin, it worked all too well. A man and a woman who had been slapping one another across the face moved closer and closer into a passionate kiss as they were overtaken by a wave of red heat from Lust. Gluttony caused fragrant waves of steam to travel north along St. Peter and St. Ann Streets from the Café du Monde, the aroma of beignets and chicory coffee all but hooking themselves into the noses of half the people in the square. They forgot all about their arguments and wandered away in search of fried dough smothered in powdered sugar. Sloth overwhelmed hundreds of his followers with endless waves of ennui. They simply stopped fighting and sat down on the grass, too exhausted or lazy to continue. Half of them fell asleep where they landed. One by one, the revelers departed.
“Is that all of them?” Pride asked.
“Yes,” Greed said, surveying around them. From elbow-to-elbow crowds, the big park seemed almost empty. They sensed beyond the square throughout the city. Every single mortal who hadn’t gone home to bed was either eating, drinking, or carousing. To his great relief, the ennui that had stifled the souls of the humans during the day had fled. These people felt alive again. No more emptiness.
“Success,” Pride said, smugly. Envy gave him a look of utter disdain.
Behind the Manifestations, the chimes of the church clock tolled a single time. One o’clock.
“We’re here too late,” Sloth yawned. “Are we gonna get in trouble for running over time?”
“Doubt it,” Anger said, with dark humor. “If the Big Guy wants to make everyone sin without us He’s going to have to come here in person.”
“It’s not fair that He loves mortals more than us,” Envy complained.
“Watch it!” Pride said. “That kind of comment IS going to get us in trouble.”
“What more?” she asked. “I was shut out of every party in town. You treat me like a lesser talent, and kudos go to the self-indulgent sensation hounds in our number. Four of us end up with no followers. It’s been a horrible day. What else could happen?”
A torrent of water hit her suddenly in the face. The water cannons had finished their work on the side streets and arrived in Jackson Square. All the Manifestations were soaked to the skin before they could vanish into the nearest portal to the real world. Pride’s beautiful suit was dripping, and his tie had been knocked askew. Greed was laughing.
“Did I mention the Big Guy has a wry sense of humor?” Pride asked.
After Midnight
Closer. Just a little bit closer. Irmani Sim leaned forward in the polished wooden pew, folding her hands in the lap of her slim-fitting, green satin dress, trying to look as if she was praying. If only that fat man in the shiny blue suit didn’t look back at that moment, she’d be in the money—literally. As the minister called out the next hymn, the fat man stood up with the rest of the congregation. He was missing his wallet now, but with any luck, he wouldn’t even notice until he tried to
“Are you giving up on us now?” he demanded.
“No,” Pride said, consumed with shame. “I was making things worse. I must stop. Now they feel justified in their outbursts of anger.”
“So must I,” Greed said, coming to stand beside him. “My people are all breaking shop windows.”
“You want the three of us to do it all on our own?” whined Sloth.
“Why not? You should be proud of your ability,” Pride said, turning all the force of his talent on his companions. The three glanced at one another.
“Come on,” Lust said, throwing an arm over Sloth’s shoulders. “You, me, and Gluttony? It’ll be like old times. Remember all those Roman orgies? It’ll be fun.”
“Well …” Sloth hesitated. Pride gave every erg of energy he had in him. Sloth shrugged a quarter of an inch. “All right.”
It was almost fun to watch. To Pride’s chagrin, it worked all too well. A man and a woman who had been slapping one another across the face moved closer and closer into a passionate kiss as they were overtaken by a wave of red heat from Lust. Gluttony caused fragrant waves of steam to travel north along St. Peter and St. Ann Streets from the Café du Monde, the aroma of beignets and chicory coffee all but hooking themselves into the noses of half the people in the square. They forgot all about their arguments and wandered away in search of fried dough smothered in powdered sugar. Sloth overwhelmed hundreds of his followers with endless waves of ennui. They simply stopped fighting and sat down on the grass, too exhausted or lazy to continue. Half of them fell asleep where they landed. One by one, the revelers departed.
“Is that all of them?” Pride asked.
“Yes,” Greed said, surveying around them. From elbow-to-elbow crowds, the big park seemed almost empty. They sensed beyond the square throughout the city. Every single mortal who hadn’t gone home to bed was either eating, drinking, or carousing. To his great relief, the ennui that had stifled the souls of the humans during the day had fled. These people felt alive again. No more emptiness.
“Success,” Pride said, smugly. Envy gave him a look of utter disdain.
Behind the Manifestations, the chimes of the church clock tolled a single time. One o’clock.
“We’re here too late,” Sloth yawned. “Are we gonna get in trouble for running over time?”
“Doubt it,” Anger said, with dark humor. “If the Big Guy wants to make everyone sin without us He’s going to have to come here in person.”
“It’s not fair that He loves mortals more than us,” Envy complained.
“Watch it!” Pride said. “That kind of comment IS going to get us in trouble.”
“What more?” she asked. “I was shut out of every party in town. You treat me like a lesser talent, and kudos go to the self-indulgent sensation hounds in our number. Four of us end up with no followers. It’s been a horrible day. What else could happen?”
A torrent of water hit her suddenly in the face. The water cannons had finished their work on the side streets and arrived in Jackson Square. All the Manifestations were soaked to the skin before they could vanish into the nearest portal to the real world. Pride’s beautiful suit was dripping, and his tie had been knocked askew. Greed was laughing.
“Did I mention the Big Guy has a wry sense of humor?” Pride asked.
After Midnight
Closer. Just a little bit closer. Irmani Sim leaned forward in the polished wooden pew, folding her hands in the lap of her slim-fitting, green satin dress, trying to look as if she was praying. If only that fat man in the shiny blue suit didn’t look back at that moment, she’d be in the money—literally. As the minister called out the next hymn, the fat man stood up with the rest of the congregation. He was missing his wallet now, but with any luck, he wouldn’t even notice until he tried to
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