“Why are those sandwiches so big?” asked Verity, looking at what Mizuki was preparing. The sandwiches had grown in complexity and height as Isra watched and were now in the final stages of assembly.
“Are they too big?” asked Mizuki, lowering herself until the sandwiches were at eye level. “I don’t think they’re too big.”
“How are we meant to fit them in our mouths?” asked Verity.
“We’ll cut them in half,” said Mizuki, making a chopping motion with her hand, then taking down one of the knives from the wall.
“Is that actually going to help anything?” asked Verity.
“Personally, I like a sandwich that you need a strategy to eat,” said Alfric.
“Can you add some egg to mine, or is it too late?” asked Hannah.
“I’m not making you a fried egg,” said Mizuki as she cut the sandwiches.
“Och,” said Hannah. “Not
Mizuki stopped cutting and blinked at her. “Are you serious?”
“It’s traditional,” said Hannah. “Don’t look at me as though I have a second head, ay.”
“Traditional to Cairbre?” asked Alfric.
“Where else?” asked Hannah.
“I don’t know,” said Alfric. “The seminary?”
“They don’t eat eggs there,” said Hannah, rolling her eyes. “Too oblong.”
“What?” asked Verity. “You’re making that up.”
“’Strue,” nodded Hannah. “In the seminary, there are many pains taken to eat only that which brings us closer to Garos. It’s silly, of course, but the thought is that it might help with a better awareness of what it means to be a cleric, for it is said in the Book of Garam Ashar, ‘The studious man spends his life in devotion to his subject of study, lest he split from his path’. The only real way to be an expert is to devote yourself, mind, body, and soul, to live, breathe, eat, and dream the object of your obsession.”
Isra was watching Hannah as she spoke. It wasn’t the first time she’d quoted the Book of Garam Ashar. When she did, her voice changed somewhat, her accent becoming less thick, as though she was mimicking a teacher. Isra’s bookshelf was quite short, but she had all six of the holy books. She had read them all at least once. She’d hated the Qymr Mos, but the Book of Garam Ashar was inoffensive, if a bit strange.
“Wait,” said Mizuki. “Was it just hard-boiled eggs, or were fried eggs fine?”
“Just hard-boiled, ay,” said Hannah. “Take a form with asymmetry and give some symmetry to it, and that would be no problem.”
“Are we ready to eat?” asked Alfric. He’d been eyeing the sandwiches.
“I don’t keep hard-boiled eggs in the house, so we’re good to go,” said Mizuki. “Keep in mind the dining room hasn’t been used in a few years, and I didn’t have time to dust.”
“I dusted,” said Hannah.
“Oh,” said Mizuki as she scooped up the plates. “Well, thank you.”
The dining room was just off the kitchen and was dominated by a large wooden table. It was, curiously, square and set in the middle of a square room. It held seating for eight, and Hannah shared a side with Mizuki.
“Whoever built this place liked symmetry,” said Hannah. “It’s refreshin’. Reminds me of the seminary.”
“The worship of the gods is a little different in Kiromo,” said Mizuki.
“They have a philosophy of ‘living by the gods’, and one of Garos’
domains there is buildings. So buildings, according to Kiromon
philosophy, have to be
Hannah had been eating her sandwich but stopped as Mizuki talked. “They are?”
Mizuki nodded. “All imported from Kiromo by my grandfather when he came.
The tree was, ah, a giant cherrywood, I think, a
“Well, then I can’t work on the house now, can I?” asked Hannah.
“You can’t?” asked Mizuki.
“It’s a religious rite,” said Hannah. “A split tree or stone like that is probably testament to Kesbin.”
“God of Nothing?” asked Alfric. His sandwich was halfway gone, and Isra had hardly touched hers. “Why?”
“Division and subtraction are aspects of Kesbin’s will,” said Verity. “A divided tree or divided stone is a powerful invocation.”
“I should have thought of it,” said Hannah. “I saw the testimony to Garos in the design of this place but failed to see the others.” She clucked her tongue. “This will need some thinkin’ on.”
“Can’t you just do it anyway?” asked Mizuki. “You’re not a cleric of Kesbin, right?”
“Already I’ve done too much,” said Hannah. “An invocation like this, strong as it is, is nothing to be trifled with.”
“But what happens if you do?” asked Mizuki. “Like, how would it be bad?”
“Oh, probably nothin’ much,” nodded Hannah. “Most likely we’d get a visit from a cleric of Kesbin, if it was noticed. They can levy fines through the hexmaster, same as any church.”
