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Chapter 22 - The Initiation Begins

"Hazathath Temparth Agansit Zathara!"

"Again," Ted said.

He had slightly changed his made-up language, and now Eknie was demonstrating its hypnotic abilities just a day before the first part of the initiation ceremony.

"Hazathath Temparth Agansit Zathara!"

Eknie was the master of keeping a straight face in a situation like this.

"Hazathath Temparth Agansit Zathara!"

"Enough," Ted said and gave her the ladder to let her climb down from the stony pedestal.

"Dear sweet mother of worms." The woman shook her head. "It might even work for all we know."

"Of course it will work," Ted said, annoyed by the implication of a chance of failure. "Why, do you think my plans can go wrong?"

"They merely take different turns, that's all, and that is the beauty in them," Eknie said with a submissive movement of her upper arms.

That girl knew how to play him. She always kept her hands where he could see them, never made sudden movements unless it was absolutely necessary, and even the curve of her slender neck always moved along with his desires. Although her creepy obsession with him made her difficult to be with at times, she provided him such an intuitive experience of leadership that he just could not bear the thought of letting go of such an asset.

"You are right about that," he said with a smug grin. "It will be glorious. I am almost starting to think this is a fun task…and then…"

During his sentence, the clouds ripped apart to let the cruel light hit his head and eyes.

He felt the migraine pushing through – the rays intruded into his very bones and forced him to think of the most awful things he had ever experienced – and he clutched his head, rubbing his temples and closing his eyes for a moment.

When he opened his eyes again, she saw Eknie doing something similar. She let out a little moan of pain.

Every positive emotion that Ted had felt towards the solar deity disappeared. What did it think it was, torturing its worshipers like that?

"Oh, but you do not worship ME," its horrifying voice snarled.

It felt like shards of glass, it felt like everything strange and hostile intruding into Ted's mind.

He was so full of anger that he could hardly even speak.

"I want to go back inside," Eknie whined.

For once, Ted decided to humor her.

He wrapped her head in his scarf and walked her back into the manor.

"But was it a transcendental experience?" he asked as soon as he felt safe from the harsh daylight.

He did not care, really, if she felt safe. What mattered was that she was able to respond to him.

"Oh, definitely," she said, with unmistakable pain in her voice as she unwrapped the scarf that had covered her eyes. "At first I thought I was going crazy. Then I realized it did not matter at all. You know, because even insanity can shape reality."

This thought filled Ted's entire mind for a split second. It was like a prophetic vision, midday sun glistening on the stone blades of ancient ritual knives, markings etched on the sacrificial gifts, men and women screaming in their death throes. People had bled out for the sake of the sun god. Whatever it was asking right now was not too much, and despite the pain it caused Ted and Eknie, for some unimaginable reason he wanted to help it.

He was like the god of sun. The sun god was like him. They were so much alike, and that was why Ted needed to join its power.

The time of the initiation came.

The initiates were standing around in their robes, apparently trying really hard not to fidget with their hands. It was an exciting situation for Ted as well, but for different reasons.

He had hired a choir to musically accompany the event, and the men who were legally required to be anything but castrates were sounding suspiciously like castrates as they chanted the gibberish in synchronicity with Ted's speech.

"Weather, who knows where it comes from? Why does the sun give life? Why do the waves take life away? The priests claim they know. The scientists of the crown claim they know. Yet no one who has studied the faith, let alone the actual workings of this world…no one has truly revealed the reason for that. Does the lightning truly inseminate the earth? Where does thunder come from? I challenge you to tell me."

He looked at the excited men and women in their opulent robes.

They had not expected anything quite this mystical, he was certain of it.

Ted drew in a sharp breath through his teeth while flashing his most impressive maniac grin.

"As I thought. But we are here to bring a torch into the darkness of the misty and stormy moods of weather itself. We are going to supply the men and women who work hard for the forecasts with resources to open up the secret…of the FIN."

The last word echoed from the bare walls. Ted had chosen to take down all potentially distracting things like paintings and Raelian wall rugs, even though it was painful to him to be unable to show off his wealth. The Raelians had it good. They did not have to rely on rugs, magic and magic rugs any longer.

Ted had the privilege of being persuasive. He had rugs, both modern and ancient, but their distinctive patterns would have taken something away from the stripped down content of the ceremony. A disorganized focus was not what he wanted right now.

"We are now going to name you, initiates, for the purpose of effective and reliable communication, and to be discreet as well. There are forces that would like to see us wither away and give up our mission. In unity, there is strength, and this is why I ask you to only present yourselves within the Society by your new name from now on. In your civilian life or your city watch duties…you are allowed to use your birth name."