“Ah, didn’t want to stay cooped up?” a voice came from behind them. They turned and saw Orram, also in line to get into the temple. “I can’t say I blame you.”
“This place is massive,” Tera observed, looking up at the walls that towered above them.
Orram nodded. “A true point of pride for our people. A great amount of care was put into its construction.”
“I find it hard to believe that this was all done by hand,” Tera said.
“I must confess that we used simple machinery for the building,” Orram replied. “We are not backward technophobes, you know. We just don’t like those computerized devices that you’re so familiar with, and with the way Shell City is run, I’m sure you can understand why.”
They were finally able to enter the temple with all the other people, shoulder to shoulder as they shuffled forward. The interior was even more impressive than the outside. Along the sandstone columns that held the structure together were gold inlays that sparkled in the sunlight that bled in through the windows. It was impossible to tell from this distance, but both Ethan and Tera had a hunch it was real gold.
The walls were covered in tapestries so large that they could cover a soccer field. The images and patterns were abstract and hard to discern, though some familiar shapes could be identified. There were birds, flowers, snowflakes, and stars. Ethan saw what he thought was a goat and Tera imagined one shape was a tree.
At the top of the temple, to cap off the decor of the place, was a massive mural of the planet Earth. An ethereal glow came off the blue globe, reaching out to the dark, star-dotted heavens that surrounded it. Four hands reached out towards the planet, one coming from each corner of the ceiling. The fingers stretched towards the blue orb like they were receiving some divine gift.
The three of them marched in file with the worshipers until there was nowhere left to advance. Eventually, they were all standing so close together that there was hardly room to lift their arms. They stood like this for a few minutes, until it seemed like every square foot of the temple was packed. Reaching just above everyone’s heads, just at the front of the chamber, was a stone platform. Once the commotion of the crowd started to settle, a woman in a white robe and hat like Orram wore strode onto the stage.
“Good tidings, my congregation,” the lady on the stage said. “We welcome you into God’s house.”
“Amen,” the crowd said in unison.
“That’s Sister Tarrin,” Orram whispered to the two guests. “She studied under me for some years. She’s a decent priestess, but a bit grandiose, in my opinion.”
“Let us bring out the children to be named,” Sister Tarrin said, waving her arm off to the left side of the stage.
From behind a curtain, six children emerged. They all looked at their feet timidly as they stepped up to the middle of the stage where the priestess was. They couldn’t have been much older than seven or eight years old. All of them avoided looking directly at the audience as they were intructed to face them.
“These children are presented before the holy spirit and everyone in this chamber to be named — to become adults,” the priestess said, her voice booming through the temple. “Every child here represents the phoenix of humanity. They are what keeps the spirit of the Earth moving and they bring our people closer to God. Each soul born in the world lights up a new star in the night sky, and those with the strongest faith burn the brightest.”
The priestess stepped away from the center of the stage, retrieving a clay bowl from behind one of the curtains. She brought it up to the first child on the right and dipped her thumb into the dish. A bit of oil glistened off her thumb as she wiped it on the boy’s face, from his hairline to the tip of his nose. Then she dotted him on the chin.
“Speak your name, child,” the priestess said.
“Kartun,” the boy said. He raised his eyes and looked out over the crowd as he did.
“And does Kartun swear to serve God and his spirit, the Earth?”
“I do so swear.”
The crowd erupted with cheering and applause. The boy beamed, a new look of pride washing over his once-shy expression.
The priestess moved on to the next child. Dipping her thumb in the oil again, she anointed the little girl like she had the boy.
“Speak your name,” she said.
“Zenna,” the girl replied.
“And does Zenna swear to serve God and his spirit, the Earth?”
“I do so swear.”
Applause ensued again.
The process repeated with the other four children, each declaring their new names as they were anointed with oil.
“Maylee!” one girl declared.
“Ozrius,” a boy said.
“Natir,” another girl named herself.
“Orion.”
With each new name, the crowd clapped and cheered them on, welcoming them into their society. Tera couldn’t help but feel a little warm at the scene. Each child smiled with such joy that it was contagious.
“These are always my favorite masses,” Orram said after they applauded the final child. “So joyous.”
“Orram, do mind telling us a little about your religion?” Tera asked as the priestess started going into a sermon.
Orram’s eyes seemed to twinkle a little, and he smiled wide. “Not at all, Ms. Alvarez!” he said. “I always love teaching people about our worship. What do you want to know?”
“This God that you pray to,” Tera started, not quite sure how to word her question, “is he the Christian God, from the New Testament?”
“Yes, but that hardly encapsulates it,” Orram replied. “He is also Allah and Yahweh. He’s Buddha, he’s Jesus, he’s you, and he’s me.”
Tera and Ethan looked at him with cocked eyebrows.
“You
