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Carl's birthday was March 15th, 2455. He was from the first a strong child and his father's
pride. A son! Another shopkeeper for the town of Dentonsville! The Shopkeeper's
marriage to the girl he adored was hardly two years old yet this was her second
successful delivery, providing ample justification for their union. And such was needed, for
Becky was a female of dubious ancestry and his decision to marry her, taken before he
inherited his post, had been a controversial one. As befitted his station the child was christened in the Church of the Mission. The family, witnesses and guests gathered about the font for that occasion, waiting for the Pastor to appear, illustrated the stratification of Dentonsville society. Naturally, the family members took precedence, though there were very few of them on either side. By the Shopkeeper stood only his younger brother Thomas, the last from a total of fourteen siblings his mother had born; next to Becky was her adoptive mother Martha Wilson. Becky was an orphan. Her mother had been from a family that was a pillar of the community but her father was unknown: he was a wanderer of the forest, some said, an outcast, perhaps even a ghost; others implied that Becky's mother had been raped. Whatever was the truth, it was certain that Becky's mother had not long survived their encounter. Becky had been taken in by Martha, a woman of good birth, but many had been scandalized when the Shopkeeper took Becky for his wife. To the side of the family stood the group of town notables, the Mayor, the Sheriff, the Magistrate and the Miller and their wives. These four officials, together with the Shopkeeper, constituted the five full members of the Town Council and they were present in an official capacity: to acknowledge the birth of an infant who one day might also rise to a hereditary position of responsibility in the town. Close by these councilors stood a number of other guests from the settled community of the town: farmers, artisans and their wives, and together with them were the three elder lay Sisters of the Mission. Finally, to one side and at a respectful distance, was another couple, rough looking in dress and appearance even compared to the rest of the shoddy group, though racially they were indistinguishable. This was the final member of the Council, the elected representative of the 'Men Apart' and his wife. The word 'Men Apart' describes a group of people segregated from the rest of the community by their occupation and by their status. They lived, by law confined to a special enclave of their own, separate from the rest of town through which they were not usually allowed to pass. However, of all the town residents, only these 'Men Apart' had the right to cross the town boundary at will and enter the surrounding mostly forest lands. There, some were hunters while others were seekers of the metals, bricks and debris of all kinds that could be found in the numerous ruins and dumps that occurred in the surrounding lands and their women gathered herbs, roots and grasses that were used somewhat for food but more often as the only source of medicines available in the town. The 'Men Apart' were not supposed to keep any part of the fruits of their labors in the forest. Some of what they gathered was surrendered as tax at the nearest Collecting Center; the rest they traded to the town in return for food. The trade of the 'Men Apart' with the rest of the town was carried out only through the mediation of the Shopkeeper which explains the presence of this couple at the christening. The representative of the 'Men Apart' and his wife were on very unfamiliar ground. They were ostracized; regarded with disgust. Their presence reflected somewhat upon Becky for, it was being whispered that, whereas HE would have come anyway as a mark of respect to the Shopkeeper, SHE never would have if it had been other than a child of that Becky who is descended from the Lord knows who! (In fact the Shopkeeper had specifically invited both of them). The Pastor, decked with the purple and white satin of his order, entered from a side door and moved with a rustle of his long cloak. 'Are we ready to begin?' As if by a miracle music began to play and there was a tingle down every spine. 'Where is the child? Give him to me.' The boy was passed from the arms of Sister Charlotte to the pastor where he stirred briefly then began to writhe and scream, waving his arms in fury. Possibly he was responding to the uncertainty with which the Pastor held him or perhaps it was the too sweet smell of cloth. 'I, Michael Chambers, in Gods name and by the authority of the Secretary of State, as duly appointed Pastor and Missionary to the town of Dentonsville, baptize thee, Carl, in the name of...' Progressively the boy's screams threatened to drown the Pastor's words. An irritable thought passed through the Pastor's mind: he hoped the child was not setting a pattern for the future: misbehavior in the presence of the town; failing to appreciate the significance of the Pastor. He was relieved when he could finally hand the child back to the Sister. 'Where are the parents? Step forward please. Sister bring the book.' Carl and Becky stepped forward and the second Sister, Ruth, brought the gilded book wherein was recorded for posterity and by law the social history of Dentonsville. The Pastor wrote: TO CARL RELYT, SHOPKEEPER AND REBECCA - A SON, CARL 'Sign here, please. Now the godparents. Who are they?' It was considered appropriate to choose godparents who were likely to be still alive when the child attained maturity. The Shopkeeper had selected the Miller and a young, wealthy farmer, both in their early twenties. 'Now, Mayor, you'll be the witness? And I'll be the other.' The Pastor smiled wanly. 'There! That's done.' The people of Dentonsville enjoyed rituals. As the ceremony ended and the participants filed out their exit from the church was accompanied by triumphal music. Beyond the door a few inquisitive souls stood in a loose gaggle watching the fortunate emerge. The parents and the Pastor were the last to leave. The Shopkeeper shook the Pastor's hand uncomfortably, not meeting his eye. He had never learned to come to terms with Pastors. 'Good-bye Shopkeeper.' Flanked by the Sisters the Pastor smiled benignly. 'He's all yours now Rebecca until we claim him back to begin his education. A few short years. Use them wisely and remember we're always here if you need us. We'll help you keep a watch on him.' Becky kissed the Pastor's hand then each Sister on the cheek. By the time the Shopkeeper had put a protective cloak and arm about her and began to lead her off the Pastor had already disappeared. |
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