AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Andipushed the thought away.Hersituation with herProtectorwas…different.Thewomen ofZo’rathThreehad no choice about mating withManimalssince that was all they had.Butshe was certain if she could just getCadeback to theKindredMotherShip, they could find some kind of antidote for him and bring his mind back to higher sentience.
AndthenI’llhave to explain everything we did together while he was in his animal state of mind,she thought, feeling her cheeks get hot.Maybeshe didn’t have to tell him absolutelyeverythingthough?Thepart about him finger-fucking her to orgasm and then licking her honey off his fingers again and again, for instance—maybethatcould just stay a secret.
Butwhat ifCaderemembered it all—maybe all the events were being stored in his memory to be examined once he regained his right mind?
Thethought madeAndiwince in shame.Shereally had to find a better way to control herProtectorwhile he was unable to control himself.Afterall, it wasn’t his fault he was acting like an animal with only one thing on his mind—shewas the one who ought to have the situation in hand.She—
“Sister?” someone hissed and tapped her on the shoulder.
Andijumped, shaken out of her guilty train of thought.
“Oh, uh—yes?What?” she whispered, looking up at the stern-facedZo’rathianwoman who was staring down at her.
“Here.Foryou.”Thewoman passed her a single white glove made of some thick, heavy material.Likea gardening glove,Andithought.
Shefrowned.
“Uh, what amIsupposed to do with this?”
“Putit on,” the woman hissed impatiently. “Itwill allow you to handle the branch of absolution.”
Andihad no idea what she was talking about, but she took the heavy glove and put it on her right hand.Toher right, she noticed that another one of theNewOrder“sisters” was givingFlow-da a glove to wear as well.
Thesisters went on, passing out gloves from the baskets they were carrying to the other people in the congregation.Thenthey came back with other baskets—these seemed to be full of greenery.Or, since this wasZo’rathThree—purplery,Andithought.Thesister closest to her handedAndia small bundle of long, whip-like branches with many tiny purple leaves on them.
“Becareful,” she said, as she handedAndithe bundle, which was a little longer than her arm. “Anddo not use it untilMotherStrict-ezz tells you to.”
“Useit how?”Andiasked, but the sister had already passed on, giving out bundles of purple branches to the others sitting on benches behind her.
Andileaned over toFlow-da.
“Whatis this about?” she asked, waving her bundle of branches.Theyhad a very strong medicinal smell—a little like eucalyptus.Italmost drowned out the ubiquitous fresh strawberry aroma that was everywhere onZo’rathThree.
Theother girl shook her head.
“I’mnot sure.Myfriend who was in theNewOrdernever said anything about this part of it.She—”
ButMotherStrict-ezz was speaking again soFlow-da abruptly went silent and sat back on the bench.
“Listento me—all of you!” she shouted in that strident voice of hers. “Anyof you who have done the thingsIhave shown here today are guilty—GUILTYISAY!”
Andiwinced.Shewas going to go deaf if she had to sit here much longer!
“Ifyou have eventhoughtof such things, you are alsoGUILTY!”MotherStrict-ezz went on loudly. “Andthose who are guilty needABSOLUTION!”
“Absolution,” the crowd murmured. “Absolution…”
“Butthere can be no absolution of guilt without punishment!”MotherStrict-ezz went on. “Soas one,Iwant you to raise the branches of absolution which have been given to you high above your heads.”
Everyonein the room did as they were told—Andiincluded, since she felt awkward not doing what everyone else was.Whatwas going on here, anyway?Werethey going to slap themselves with the branches in some kind of atonement ritual?Ifso, she certainly didn’t intend to slap very hard.Itwas lucky they had been given soft branches instead of something hard like a club to hit themselves with, she thought.
“Andnow,”MotherStrict-ezz declared. “Iwant you to all bring the branches of absolution down upon your left shoulder and back!Onmy count—one…two…THREE!”
Therewas a sound like everyone making a single handclap at once as everyone brought their branches down.Thiswas quickly followed byAndi’syelp of pain.Becauseeven though she’d barely touched herself with the long, whippy purple branches, it felt as though someone had jabbed her in the back with about a hundred razor sharp thorns!
“Oh—these arePainLeaves!” she heardFlow-da gasp. “I’venever seen any this big!”
Cadelooked upset and worried.Heput his face towards the bundle of branches whichAndistill held in her gloved hand and sniffed carefully before drawing back, a growl rumbling in his throat.Clearlyhe thought thePainLeaves, asFlow-da had called them, were a threat.Andicouldn’t say she disagreed with him.Itfelt like her back was on fire and she hadbarelybrushed it with the leaves!
