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Authors: Catherine Green
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she said looking to Gal for confirmation. He nodded his agreement.
Noy raised her hand tentatively. “My fourth cousin, in the C quadrant, was telling me about some really cool stuff they were doing with music. Inviting Serfs to come and jam, then using the music to help them access the Palace. Usually it’s enough to help them overcome their Interlopers long enough to learn more.”
Cale nodded. “That’s the hard part right, getting them to see it’s real.”
“Noy, you, Dror and Cale start on Serf education. I’m sure you can come up with something cool. Tal, Noy and Jov scan around campus. Dava’s with me. Obviously we keep up our Service and learning. Text if you See anything.”
“Does anyone want to come and help set up for the Kalish’s party tonight?” Noy asked.
“Sure, why not?” Noy shrugged. Dror nodded.
Tal shook her head, “I’ve got a stupid group project to do. Have I mentioned how awful it is? I’m stuck in a group with this study partner of mine. She’s an Other, but nice and inoffensive. Now this cute Serf has latched himself onto her, and I have to spend all my time watching him try to chat her up.”
Cale groaned, “That’s all we need.”
Dava grimaced, “You poor thing. How do you stomach it?”
“Right now the saving grace is that she seems pretty uninterested,” Tal chuckled.
Chapter 4
I looked around my room and checked my watch. Then I looked around some more. I’d already checked the Facebook page of everyone I’d ever met. I’d read all the celebrity gossip. He was still not back. In a minute I might have to start researching the history of internal imagining. Anything not to think about Seth or Seth talking to Josh or Seth coming over to my house or Seth being in my room.
As Wikipedia opened, I had a brainwave as I thought of a topic totally unrelated to Seth. I’d finally take the time to look up Tal’s religion; maybe it would make her seem a little less weird.
The People, known also as the Avdiim or Servants , are an ethno-religious group found in most parts of the Western hemisphere. Converts to the Way have been absorbed into the People throughout the millennia.
One of the oldest religious traditions; elements of belief can be found in the Judeo-Christian, Islamic, Buddhist and Bahai faiths.
The Avdiim were traditionally thought to live in the Palace , a higher spiritual plane linked to the physical world. Acts of Service in the physical world are used to fuel a cosmic battle within the Palace realm. A complex mythology maps the intricacies of the Palace. Adherents are understood to be combatants in the battle between Connection and Oblivion within the Palace, as well as fighting their Interloper , a quasi-demonic force that resides within each of the Avdiim attempting to dominate. The calendar year is divided into different spheres of influence, the Days of Esau and the Days of Jacob; together with specific times of governance, a constant cycle of introspection and spiritual renewal defines the practice.
Dietary practices include ritually slaughtered meat and careful inspection of all food stuffs to prevent the digestion of arthropods.
I got up and opened my door, “Simone, what’s an arthropod?”
I’d found a room in an apartment advertised on the campus Listserv . It was on the other side of campus from the official student ghetto, but still close enough to run to class if I missed my alarm. My roommate, Simone, was a hippy PhD student who spent the majority of her time either writing her thesis or skypeing her long distance boyfriend. Sometimes having a PhD student as a housemate had its advantages. Simone was a mine of useful information.
“A bug,” her tone was suspicious. “Why?”
“The People, you know the religion, don’t eat them.” I called back.
“I thought they ate cheesecake?”
“I think they do, and they’re chiropractors. Do you know anything else about them?” It was worth a try.
“Besides being
Noy raised her hand tentatively. “My fourth cousin, in the C quadrant, was telling me about some really cool stuff they were doing with music. Inviting Serfs to come and jam, then using the music to help them access the Palace. Usually it’s enough to help them overcome their Interlopers long enough to learn more.”
Cale nodded. “That’s the hard part right, getting them to see it’s real.”
“Noy, you, Dror and Cale start on Serf education. I’m sure you can come up with something cool. Tal, Noy and Jov scan around campus. Dava’s with me. Obviously we keep up our Service and learning. Text if you See anything.”
“Does anyone want to come and help set up for the Kalish’s party tonight?” Noy asked.
“Sure, why not?” Noy shrugged. Dror nodded.
Tal shook her head, “I’ve got a stupid group project to do. Have I mentioned how awful it is? I’m stuck in a group with this study partner of mine. She’s an Other, but nice and inoffensive. Now this cute Serf has latched himself onto her, and I have to spend all my time watching him try to chat her up.”
Cale groaned, “That’s all we need.”
Dava grimaced, “You poor thing. How do you stomach it?”
“Right now the saving grace is that she seems pretty uninterested,” Tal chuckled.
Chapter 4
I looked around my room and checked my watch. Then I looked around some more. I’d already checked the Facebook page of everyone I’d ever met. I’d read all the celebrity gossip. He was still not back. In a minute I might have to start researching the history of internal imagining. Anything not to think about Seth or Seth talking to Josh or Seth coming over to my house or Seth being in my room.
As Wikipedia opened, I had a brainwave as I thought of a topic totally unrelated to Seth. I’d finally take the time to look up Tal’s religion; maybe it would make her seem a little less weird.
The People, known also as the Avdiim or Servants , are an ethno-religious group found in most parts of the Western hemisphere. Converts to the Way have been absorbed into the People throughout the millennia.
One of the oldest religious traditions; elements of belief can be found in the Judeo-Christian, Islamic, Buddhist and Bahai faiths.
The Avdiim were traditionally thought to live in the Palace , a higher spiritual plane linked to the physical world. Acts of Service in the physical world are used to fuel a cosmic battle within the Palace realm. A complex mythology maps the intricacies of the Palace. Adherents are understood to be combatants in the battle between Connection and Oblivion within the Palace, as well as fighting their Interloper , a quasi-demonic force that resides within each of the Avdiim attempting to dominate. The calendar year is divided into different spheres of influence, the Days of Esau and the Days of Jacob; together with specific times of governance, a constant cycle of introspection and spiritual renewal defines the practice.
Dietary practices include ritually slaughtered meat and careful inspection of all food stuffs to prevent the digestion of arthropods.
I got up and opened my door, “Simone, what’s an arthropod?”
I’d found a room in an apartment advertised on the campus Listserv . It was on the other side of campus from the official student ghetto, but still close enough to run to class if I missed my alarm. My roommate, Simone, was a hippy PhD student who spent the majority of her time either writing her thesis or skypeing her long distance boyfriend. Sometimes having a PhD student as a housemate had its advantages. Simone was a mine of useful information.
“A bug,” her tone was suspicious. “Why?”
“The People, you know the religion, don’t eat them.” I called back.
“I thought they ate cheesecake?”
“I think they do, and they’re chiropractors. Do you know anything else about them?” It was worth a try.
“Besides being
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