Flashback Alive -- Two-fold

[Philomena]

Minnie, met the little girl's eyes with a sort of bewilderment, and then a grateful, childish little smile, leaning to kiss the girl's forehead in a quick, timid dart of a movement.

"There now, Shearsy... there! Now pinch that in your fingers. Do you see how it feels smooth? It must always be fine and smooth, or it will scratch the leather's finish, hmm? Now, sprinkle it, very gently on the book, over the mussed spot..."

Minnie with the delicacy of sacred labor, pinched some of the powder and sprinkled it finely across the surface of the book, "Never smash it into the book, even if you drop a big clump, or you'll put your own skin-grease into it. Only sprinkle it in your fingertips. You see? Now, you try."

Minnie now touched the back of the girls hand, to prompt her, but she did not hold it and guide it as she had before - sprinkling talcum was not so delicate, and the worst of ends, after all, would be to make the child frightened of books. Instead, she leaned down close, so her face was just at the same level as the girl, her mouth just behind her ears, and her voice fell almost to a whisper, "There... now, just go slow, and don't be timid. Be generous with her, we want her to be nice and clean when we're done, non?"

Her other hand froze for a tentative, shy moment, then with the cautious tremble of one who has been rejected before, moves to part the girl's curls and stroke gently at the skin on the back of her baby-soft neck.

[Shiress]

Shiress placed two small fingers inside the mortar pinching a small amount of talcum between them. With Auntie Lefting's encouraging direction, she hovered her small fingers over the book and gently began rubbing them together causing the fine powder to fall delicately around the grease stain.

Shiress gave quick glances for approval toward her auntie. She leaned into the gentle caress about her neck. She was soaking up every bit of her Auntie Lefting. "Is this right, Auntie?" She asked. Her bright green eyes gleamed above a broad smile as her heart throbbed with satisfaction that she has done right.

[Philomena]

Minnie smiled, still close to the girl's face and leaned in to peck her cheek, "Why, that's perfect! You see? You are a little Qalayan, and did not know it!"

She leaned in then and sprinkled more of the powder, her hand moving around where the little girl's hand moved, the talcum making tiny poofs of cloudy white against the book's back cover.

"Now... we set it to do its work for a while. There, in my little box, do you see that bit of blue cotton-felt? Lay it there on Auntie Lefting's altar, won't you? We do not want to scratch those pretty silver-leaves, do we, then? And then... she reaches into the pocket of the little girl's pinafore. Inside, folded neatly is a tiny pair of white, pure cotton gloves, soft and gleamingly clean, "You will need these, my darling, hmm? These are your book gloves, though - you must not play with them, hmm? You must keep them clean and tidy, and not lose them."

Minnie's voice and smile, though, were not harsh or doubting - they were excited, the little thrill of the acolyte about her, teaching truths. This is not simply motherhood, to Minnie - this is divine office, initiation.

"The gloves, they are for our books. We wear them whenever we touch them, hmm? This way the books can always be clean, and treated with soft fingers."

[Shiress]

Shiress' head lowered in a shy, flattered way as her cheek was kissed with approval from her auntie. She watched as her aunties hand moved in the same motion as her own. When her fingers emptied, she lowered her hands to her side as she listened to Auntie Lefting's voice instruct her. She stretched her small arm out and clasped the soft cotton felt in her hand as her auntie plunged her hand inside her pocket.

Shiress glared curiously at the white gloves as she took in her aunties words. She gently reached for the gloves and slid each one over her tiny hands. She smiled as she happily clapped the gloves together. She tilted back on her heels as she clasped her fingers together then leaned forward with a toothy grin. "OK, Auntie." She said proudly

[Philomena]

Minnie guides the child's hands onto the book, and leads her to the altar, then, and helps her set it down, ever so, ever so, ever so gently, the talc quivering slightly on its upper surface. "There... there! We are nearly done. Now, all we need to do is pray. Come, kneel down with me, and pray. And then, we will find you a storybook?"

She goes first to the little tinder box on her shelf, and lights a flame, setting it to a slender, pure white, spermaceti candle just behind where the book now rests, just before the shining picture of Qalaya. Then, she she shakes the punk out, replaces it in the tinder box, and then kneels before the alter, her knees snap-crackling as she takes her place before the altar, her eyes closing, with an absolute trust in the little girl's integrity, her hands folding quietly in her lap. She murmurs softly, then, her words quivering and intense and reverential.

"Mother Qalaya, please forgive us both, my Shearsy for mistakes, and me for my gross neglect. Help little Bitter-Tree, that she can be whole again, and keep her very safe for us, and make her beautiful again. And we will both be so very careful in the future."

She does not open her eyes, but speaks quietly to Shiress then, "Do you want to say anything to her, dear?"

[Shiress]

Shiress mimicked every move her auntie made. Her auntie knelt. A less graceful flop to her knees, Shiress knelt also. As her auntie closed her eyes so did Shiress with a quick peak to make sure her auntie didn't do something while her eyes were closed. She watched as her auntie's hand folded and went to her lap. Shiress followed suite. She sat quiet and still as her auntie began her prayer.

Shiress peaked through slightly opened lids as she was asked to pray. She closed her eyes again with a settling wiggle and began to pray herself. "Dear Q'yia, please a-give me for putting grease on th-a book. help make it better and make us keep it safe."Her words was as true as a small child can mean them. Shiress meant every word she spoke. Every intention to love and protect the books filled her little heart. She loved these books simply because she knew her Auntie Lefting loved them.

"OK Auntie, I ish done." She said with a satisfied smile as she glanced to her auntie noticing that her eyes were still closed. She quickly straightened her head and shut her eyes again. A quick look through a cracked lid insured she was still doing it right.

[Philomena]

Minnie nodded, without opening her eyes, and murmured out the close to her prayer:

"Bless, for me, the ones I love. Bless Lanie first and best and most. Bless Gypa, that he come safe to me in Spring. Bless all our books, and bless the Library. Bless Hannah. Bless the Evalin, as well, howe'er she should be blessed. And bless little Shearsy, that she will grow up strong, and good, and well-read. And then if you've any left, bless me, mother Qalaya."

Then, she lay her hands palm up on the altar for a moment, the inkstained fingertips dark in the spermaceti light. Then, she opened her eyes and blew the candle out, and turned to Shiress with a little, happy smile.

"There. Now, we leave it for an hour or two. And now, why don't you and I go and find some stories? Or! I can show you how to swing on the window-sashes," her little face grinned puckishly.

[Shiress]

Shiress' face illuminated with the thought of swinging from the window sashes. She jumped to her feet causing her soft golden curls to relocate on her head. "Yes Auntie Lefting, I want to play!"She said as her arms flung through the air. "Will you play with me? Please?"

[Philomena]

Minnie grinned, a certain playful wickedness sparkling in her eyes, "Well... you must promise to be very careful, and not try any tricks..."

Then she went back to the box, and digging around for a minute, pulled out a good stout strip of canvas, almost webbing, then went to the window. She reached out of it, and pulled back the right hand shutter, andgrabbing the bottom slat, with a jerk and a pop, slipped it out of its mooring in the heavy, strong wood frame. She repeated this three times, then popped out one more slat just above the mid=line framing.

Then, pulling the shutter all the way shut, she gave a grin at little Shearsy, and crouched to her level, putting her hands on the girls shoulder, and looking owlish with her great spectacles, "This is one of my little boy's favorites, only he is getting too big for it, now! You are lucky to be a little girl, you know that? Now, are you afraid of heights, Shearsy-love?"

[Shiress]

Shiress watched with growing excitement as her auntie prepared for a fun filled lesson. The sight of her auntie pulling slats from the window shutter intensified her excitement as she tried to imagine what her auntie had in mind.

The mention of a 'little boy' distracted Shiress. Her gaze became distant and blank as she pondered her Auntie Leftings words. She cut her deep green eyes around as she began to speak. "Im not afraid of high places Auntie, but where is your little boy?" She asked as her head tilted slightly to the side. It didn't feel right to her when her auntie mentioned that she had a little boy and the young Shiress was determined to find out why.