Chapter 25: The God Taylor and the Goddess Alexis
The assassin was interrogated. His name was Iolas. He had been sent by a Tollah named Salmoneous to kill Taylor. When they went looking for Salmoneous, they found him hanged in his quarters. His suicide note said he couldn't bear to live in a world ruled by a false God.
The funny thing about Iolas is, he no longer seemed so eager to kill Taylor. He had been promised 400 women in the Heavens, and that had been enough to motivate him to kill. Taylor spoke to the man and couldn't detect any anger. He wasn't evil, just manipulated.
After getting the man to promise never to kill him, or anyone, Taylor let him go, much to everyone's surprise. It was clear to him that Iolas had been used as a tool. It was also equally clear that Salmoneous had also been used, by someone else. But who had been the ultimate mastermind of this plot, and what had been their real purpose? And how had Iolas gotten access to the Palace? And if someone wanted him dead, couldn't they have tried harder than sending one man with a dagger?
All he had was unanswered questions.
Alexis, however, quickly hired a defense force. They were led by a big man named Aresto, and were called the "Grasping Hands of Taylor." When Taylor learned, however, that she had hired fifty or more of the men, he had asked why so many.
"They're not just needed for guarding duties, dear. They can go forth and enforce your edicts," said Alexis. "If they can save just one baby from being slaughtered, just one girl from being raped, isn't it worth it?"
Taylor, who had been reluctant to create a religious police force to begin with, was forced to admit that she was right. But something about Aresto made him uncomfortable. The man had a very stern gaze. He probably just needed to get to know him better.
Meanwhile, Alexis started to disappear from his bed at night. After two nights of this, he confronted her.
"I... don't know how to tell you this," she said.
"Then just say it," said Taylor, prepared for anything.
"You snore, dear," said Alexis.
Taylor exhaled, feeling relieved.
"I just need a good night's sleep, that's all," said Alexis. She gave him a kiss. "I'll still be by to take care of the God's needs."
Alexis was as good as her word. Twice a week, like clockwork, she appeared to "tend to his needs", and she was every bit as passionate as she was before. So maybe it really was about his snoring.
If he snored. Taylor had never been aware of it.
While his bedroom grew lonely at times, Drusilla was always there to bookend the experience, the last sight he saw when he went to sleep, and the first he saw when he woke in the morning. He found himself starting to have real conversations with her.
She was a 17 year old girl. She had been promised to another boy when she turned 18, but had given that up to be a Handmaiden to the God. To him.
"Don't you regret losing the chance to get married?"
"Oh, no Lord," she said, getting on her knees and hugging his legs. "This is the highest calling I can imagine."
"Well, if you can ever imagine anything else, you're free to leave at any time and get married, or do whatever else you want to," said Taylor.
Drusilla drew back, horror in her eyes. "Is my God banishing me?"
"No! No no no," said Taylor hastily. "I'm just giving you a choice."
"Then I chose my God," said Drusilla. She really did have magnificent breasts. She always wore those low cut dresses. And it wasn't typical, because most other women in the Palace didn't dress like that. She seemed to be dressed for... seduction. What exactly were all the proper duties of a Handmaiden of the God? Taylor didn't want to know.
********
Tara McCallister was helping the farmers. She lived in the Palace, and she slept in the Palace, but the less time she spent in the Palace, the better. She was aware of all the lives they had saved by pretending to be Gods, but still wasn't comfortable with the idea of it. Seeing Taylor sitting on that throne, deciding disputes between people, and acting like a God, made her decidedly uncomfortable.
And Alexis was even worse, the way she sat by his side, whispering in his ear, looking so very smug.
Tara wanted no part of it. She had to admit that she still felt some jealousy towards Alexis; Alexis had managed to snare Taylor when she had failed. And then there was this new girl in the Palace, a new servant named Drusilla who was Taylor's new "handmaiden", whatever that was. All Tara knew is that Drusilla dressed like a whore and every time Taylor looked at her, his eyes practically rolled out of their sockets. She could see that he tried to hide his feelings of lust for the girl, but they were as plain as day to Tara. She only hoped that Taylor wasn't using his "God" status to take advantage of the young girl.
So Tara did what Tara did best. Farming. She had been originally on the way to the small agricultural settlement on La Honda, to serve as a technical advisor. She decided to serve the same role here in Arcadia. She went from farm to farm, studying their crop techniques, offering advice and tips. The locals were grateful, but of course also surprised that a God would take the time to offer farming advice.
Tara got the sense that the population hadn't quite decided whether she was a Goddess or not. Most seemed to believe that Taylor was a God, and Alexis was a Goddess. But where she and Jefferson was concerned, the verdict was decidedly mixed. Many thought that they were simply "helpers of the Gods". Not that it mattered to Tara.
Tara helped out a farmer who was having trouble planting corn in rocky soil. She told him how to till the soil better and what additions to make which would help with his yield. The farmer, grateful for her help, invited her to lunch with his family.
Tara readily agreed. She sat down with the farmer, his wife, and two daughters. They made their prayers to thank the Gods of Sparticus, with a huge plate of food in front of them. And then, with the prayer done, the man scooped up the plate, and dumped a third of it into the fire.
"What are you doing?" Tara cried. For it was obvious these were poor folk, who could not afford to be wasting food like that.
The farmer looked surprised. "Merely giving up the third portion as an offering to the Gods."
Tara got a nasty suspicion. "You do this at every meal?"
"Of course."
"And everyone does this?"
"Everyone who believes in the Book," said the farmer. "Why, is something wrong?"
********
"Something is very wrong," said Tara. She was in the Throne room, addressing Taylor and Alexis. "These people are living hand to mouth, and yet they throw away a third of their food."
Taylor sighed. "Infanticide. Child rape. Whipping of women. Execution of heretics. And now this. Add it to the list."
"I'm serious, Taylor. We have to do something about this. These people are starving themselves to death."
"Quite right, dear," said Alexis, smiling at her. "Your concerns for the little people are touching." She spoke as if she were a Goddess. "But I fear that if we instruct people to stop making offerings to the Gods, they will agree in principle, but then in private still throw out much of their food."
Taylor scratched his head. "Let me look in the Book. Maybe I can find a theological underpinning that will justify-"
"No, I have a better idea," said Alexis, her eyes shining. "They want to sacrifice a third of their food to the Gods, do they? Well, let them. Their Gods are here, in this Palace!"
"Are you suggesting that we force them to give up a third of their food to us?" said Tara.
"They waste their food already," said Alexis. "They will want to do this. We won't be forcing them to do anything."
"And what will you do with all this food?" Tara asked skeptically.
Alexis reached out to touch Tara's hand. "We'll give it out to the poor, to the neediest, to the hungry, of course!"
"It sounds like a good idea," said Taylor. "It's better than seeing all that food go to waste."
"Yes, it does," said Tara, still feeling uneasy, but not quite sure why.
"Then it's agreed," said Alexis, smiling broadly. "Najib! We have a new proclamation to issue!"
********
"You are a wise and just god," said Drusilla, as she watched him get undressed as night. Taylor had become so used to her watching that he no longer gave it a second thought when she saw him naked.
"Thanks," said Taylor.
"You will distribute food to the poor and hungry. You are truly a god who cares."
Taylor slipped into his nightclothes. He went over and gently touched Drusilla by the shoulders. "I do care."
"And do you care for me?" said Drusilla.
Taylor abruptly was at a loss for words. "Um... ah... of course."
She looked at him. That's all she did. She just looked at him, with those big, black eyes. Begging to be kissed. She was silently begging for it. It didn't take a telepath to realize it.
Taylor felt something stirring inside his pants. He abruptly turned away. "Good night, Drusilla."
"Good night, God."
********
A young man with sandy hair sat in Alexis's office. "You are Sebelius," said Alexis.
"Yes, Goddess."
"Najib has recommended you to us to supervise the redistribution of the collected food," said Alexis. "Do you feel this is a task within your abilities?"
"Yes, Goddess."
"And what percentage of the collected food has Najib demanded you remit to him?"
"Goddess?" said Sebelius.
"It was a simple question," said Alexis. She rose, and went behind him, and put her arms on his shoulders, touching him, ever so slightly.
"G-Goddess..."
"Do you know what happens to someone who lies to a Goddess?"
"They get sent to the Womanless Forest?" said Sebelius.
"Womanless. Think about that. To never feel the touch of a woman, ever again. To never feel this," said Alexis, and she let her fingertips graze his chest while her breath was hot against his neck.
