Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn
From: aaron@space.ualberta.ca (Aaron Humphrey)
Subject: Elstree[Temple of Aditi] A Most Peculiar Child
Message-ID: <1992Jul31.163744.24560@kakwa.ucs.ualberta.ca>
Date: Fri, 31 Jul 1992 16:37:44 GMT

Delmara woke up the morning after the riots and went to unbar the door. 
She
was glad she didn't have any of that fancy stained-glass that some of the
greater temples did.  The noise had died down outside, and she could see a
few
members of the Guard about, so she opened the door wide.  Some temples also
gave sanctuary in times of crisis.  Not this near Low City you didn't.  And
that wasn't in Aditi's jurisdiction anyway.  Which might explain why her
temple
was so small and ill-frequented.

She went to get breakfast for Elstree.  There was milk this morning, thank
the
Lady--whatever else happened in Generica, milk delivery went on as usual. 
And
she still had eggs left over, so she didn't need to visit the Bazaar.  She
took
the leavings of last night's dinner, and mixed up an omelet.

Elstree emerged from her room, awakened by the smell of the omelets
cooking.
She sat at the little table, quiet as always.  The chld was Delmara's
best-kept
secret.  In the eight weeks since Aprili had arrived on her doorstep to
deliver her, since the dream in which Aditi had told her what name to call
her,
Elstree had grown to the size of a child of eight years.  She had first
talked
a month ago, but not to say much--just "'Mara."  Not "Mama"--Elstree never
said
that.  Now, she could even say "Delmara", and had said some surprisingly
complex things.  Mostly she stayed quiet, as now.

As if to belie the thought, Elstree spoke up as Delmara dished her half of
the
omelet onto her cracked plate.  "Bad things going to happen tonight,
Delmara,"
she said in her shrill eight-year-old voice.

"What kind of bad things?" Delmara asked, trying to keep her voice neutral
and
disinterested.

"Bad things.  Worse than last night.  Evil things."  She stopped, and
Delmara
was about to ask another question, when Elstree's eyes widened, and she
said,
"He's here.  Oh, Sweet Lady, he's here."

"Who is?" Delmara asked, but the child had lapsed into silence again.  They
ate
the rest of the meal in silence, their minds on their respective problems.

ADMIN: Nightstalker, email me if you want to get the Temple of Aditi
involved
in the Invasion thread.  Elstree is a very special child indeed, at least
for
the goddess Aditi, and for Alfvaen.  Since Alfvaen's in the invasion thread
now, we could get Elstree involved too...after all, once he finds out that
there's a Temple of Aditi in Generica, that'll be the first place he'll go.
We could have fun...

--
---Alfvaen(a.k.a. Aaron V. Humphrey, Page of Newts)
Canadian Network For Space Research, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
"Don't you point that raygun at me--I might just explode..."  Thomas Dolby
Current Album--Yello:One Second
Current Read--M.J. Engh:Wheel of The Winds