Mistress of the Night - Don Bassingthwaite [69]
They approached a door that opened onto the cloisters.
"Ready?" asked Julith.
Feena smoothed the simple pale blue gown that the seamstress had prepared for her and checked the silver web in her hair.
"Ready," she said.
Julith pulled open the door. Feena walked through, passed across the shaded walkway, and stepped out into the golden light of afternoon that flooded the courtyard.
Around Selune's sacred pool, a group of about a dozen people were gathered: representatives of the city's merchants, craft guilds, the Nessarch's office, and the high priests and priestesses of the council of temples-even Colle Shoondeep. Velsinore and Mifano were there as well, Mifano making restrained conversation with various people while Velsinore kept a critical eye on the acolytes who moved among the group, offering chilled wine.
"Thank you all for coming," Feena called.
Conversation stilled and faces turned toward her as she walked across the grass. The acolytes made a silent, graceful exit, except for one who quickly brought wine to Feena and Julith before departing. Feena inclined her head to her guests. They returned the gesture-some more enthusiastically and graciously than others. Colle barely nodded. Mifano's bow was deep but cold and stiff. Velsinore didn't move at all.
Feena ignored the three of them.
"As some of you may know," she said, pronouncing each word as clearly as she had practiced with Julith, "it has become a tradition at Moonshadow Hall to open our doors to the poor of Yhaunn on the night of the new moon in what we call the New Moon Beneficence."
"And a wonderful tradition it is, too!" said Endress Halatar.
Feena nodded in acknowledgement of her praise and said, "It is always popular, and it has won Moonshadow Hall much favor in the less wealthy parts of the city. The New Moon Beneficence was never intended to bring worshipers to Selune, however, only to provide some relief to the poor. We can't help all of them, though. Each new moon, we find ourselves turning people away. That's why I would like to invite you all-other temples, the city, merchants, and guilds-to share in this act of charity. All of us are wealthy. If we work together one night a month; we would be able to provide for many, many people."
The group reacted in startled silence, glancing among themselves, some with an expression of immediate skepticism, some with cautious interest. Velsinore and Mifano, of course, looked ready to spit fire, but they didn't dare say anything-challenging their Moonmistress-Designate in front of outsiders would only highlight the division within Moonshadow Hall… Feena held her breath. The reaction was exactly what Julith had predicted, and if only the guests would react in accordance with the rest of the young priestess's expectations-
Colle rose to the occasion. "Preposterous!" he blustered. "The poor will certainly benefit, but once word came out that this was all Moonshadow Hall's idea, how would that make the rest of us look?"
Feena let out her breath. "As you yourself said in our last council, Colle, it's a great shame when temple competes with temple. If the announcement is phrased properly, all Yhauntans will see is the group of us working together for the common good. It will benefit all of us-" she nodded to the representatives of the city's civil authorities-"Temples, merchants, and guilds."
Colle blinked, his bluster countered, and Feena turned to Endress. Julith had suggested that the old priestess would be the most likely to support the idea. Feena was relieved to see interest sparkling in her eyes.
"High Mistress of Revels?" she asked. "What do you think?"
"You know I love any excuse for a party." Endress chuckled. "Especially one for a good cause." She tilted her head. "But there would be a tremendous amount of organization involved."
"With your help, I don't think it would be difficult." She looked to the high priest of Ilmater, the suffering god who was traditionally the patron of the impoverished. "Sir?" she asked humbly.
He nodded slowly