transformed into living quarters, storage rooms, and vaults. Though the adults in the âfamilyâ had always kept their distance from strangers, including these, Lillis had introduced herself to the Oracles during those few unchallenging months between learning to toddle and learning to read. She had been welcomed as a visitor and was welcome to use the multitude of education machines that stood in the front part of the Oraclesâ cave. They told her, when she asked who they were, that they were Oracles.
She asked if they could answer questions, and was told, âAll of themâÂif we want to.â Since all representations made to her by adults had been accurate in the past, and since the Oracles looked (somewhat vaguely) like adult Âpeople, she believed this representation to be accurate also and therefore valued her association with the Oracles. She blamed her own ignorance when those answers were almost never particularly useful. She thought her lack of understanding was attributable to her age. In fact, the Oracles often told her she would understand it better when she was older.
And it was on her way to the House of the Oracles at age seventeen that she had met a man who said he was visiting the Oracles, who said he thought heâd stay for a while, who said his name was Joshua, that she was a really pretty girl, and would she have any idea what disease was bothering his chickens? Discussions concerning the diseases of fowl were followed by discussions about everything under the sun. They became acquainted, and better acquainted, and very well acquainted, and not long afterward he built a very solid house in nearby Hench Valley, invited her to share it, and fathered twin girls upon her.
While all this was going on, he also intimated he had not merely happened to meet her, but had been sent for that purpose. And, she guessed, it was the Oracles who had sent him and the Oracles who summoned him away, along with their child.
A year or so later, it was from the House of the Oracle, she assumed, that the other men came, four all together, counting Joshua. All these men shared certain attributes. She often thought they could have been brothers. One she remembered best for his beautiful voice, not that the others had not had nice voices. One had played the guitar wonderfully, like a master, not that the others couldnât play well. One could tell stories that kept you waiting eagerly for the next word; well, they all did, really. All of them were full of laughter and pleasure. Nothing about this was a surprise; Lillis had been told by her first consort why they would be coming and leaving, and from everything she had read and knew, it had seemed a worthy reason. Until the last one and the last child: Trudis.
Well, Trudis now had a Pa in the house, and Lillis did not intend to share either the house or her body with the Pa. Relinquishing the problem that was Trudis, Lillis returned home. Home was rather depleted, only three members of her earlier âfamilyâ were there, but others arrived. All of them were interesting and most of them were pleasant. There wasnât much news. This one had moved to Wellsport. That one had gone south down the Big River to see the ocean. A man named Joshua had built himself a house up the hill, and was getting to be quite an acceptable neighbor. Lillis eagerly went to meet him. It was the same Joshua! Or Jeremy? Or Jubal? Strangely, she couldnât quite remember the little differences that had distinguished them before. He was indeed very acceptable, and they subsequently shared many pleasurable activities from mushroom and herb hunting, to fishing, to exchanging views about the possible future of the world, to playing cards or âcubeys.â This was a kind of spelling game involving ten dice with different sets of letters on the sides. One posited a question, then each player made an answer to that question by throwing the cubeys, then using the ten
She asked if they could answer questions, and was told, âAll of themâÂif we want to.â Since all representations made to her by adults had been accurate in the past, and since the Oracles looked (somewhat vaguely) like adult Âpeople, she believed this representation to be accurate also and therefore valued her association with the Oracles. She blamed her own ignorance when those answers were almost never particularly useful. She thought her lack of understanding was attributable to her age. In fact, the Oracles often told her she would understand it better when she was older.
And it was on her way to the House of the Oracles at age seventeen that she had met a man who said he was visiting the Oracles, who said he thought heâd stay for a while, who said his name was Joshua, that she was a really pretty girl, and would she have any idea what disease was bothering his chickens? Discussions concerning the diseases of fowl were followed by discussions about everything under the sun. They became acquainted, and better acquainted, and very well acquainted, and not long afterward he built a very solid house in nearby Hench Valley, invited her to share it, and fathered twin girls upon her.
While all this was going on, he also intimated he had not merely happened to meet her, but had been sent for that purpose. And, she guessed, it was the Oracles who had sent him and the Oracles who summoned him away, along with their child.
A year or so later, it was from the House of the Oracle, she assumed, that the other men came, four all together, counting Joshua. All these men shared certain attributes. She often thought they could have been brothers. One she remembered best for his beautiful voice, not that the others had not had nice voices. One had played the guitar wonderfully, like a master, not that the others couldnât play well. One could tell stories that kept you waiting eagerly for the next word; well, they all did, really. All of them were full of laughter and pleasure. Nothing about this was a surprise; Lillis had been told by her first consort why they would be coming and leaving, and from everything she had read and knew, it had seemed a worthy reason. Until the last one and the last child: Trudis.
Well, Trudis now had a Pa in the house, and Lillis did not intend to share either the house or her body with the Pa. Relinquishing the problem that was Trudis, Lillis returned home. Home was rather depleted, only three members of her earlier âfamilyâ were there, but others arrived. All of them were interesting and most of them were pleasant. There wasnât much news. This one had moved to Wellsport. That one had gone south down the Big River to see the ocean. A man named Joshua had built himself a house up the hill, and was getting to be quite an acceptable neighbor. Lillis eagerly went to meet him. It was the same Joshua! Or Jeremy? Or Jubal? Strangely, she couldnât quite remember the little differences that had distinguished them before. He was indeed very acceptable, and they subsequently shared many pleasurable activities from mushroom and herb hunting, to fishing, to exchanging views about the possible future of the world, to playing cards or âcubeys.â This was a kind of spelling game involving ten dice with different sets of letters on the sides. One posited a question, then each player made an answer to that question by throwing the cubeys, then using the ten
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