“Now what’ll we do with him?” several voices called out.
“I told you we have a dilemma on our hands. Our rules require all who reside at Liberty Mountain also be members of our society,” Lisa shook her head, “That pathway is closed to us. He can’t stay here.”
“Then send him away,” the Frost Queen yelled out.
“He’s done nothing wrong. Throwing him outta here in the dead of winter is a death sentence. We would be wrong to do that. We can’t do that,” Alice broke down in tears and sobbed into her hands.
“It’s okay, we’ll think of something,” Lisa placed a comforting arm around Alice.
“Like what?” Alice asked between sobs.
“I don’t know. I haven’t thought of it yet,” Lisa said with a hug, “Give me time.”
“I don’t understand how good rules can be so bad. He’s a good man and he saved my life when we were trapped by the blizzard. I would never have made it home without him,” Alice sniffled and blew her nose and proceeded to walk down memory lane as she recalled our time together in the abandoned mine shaft.
I squirmed with discomfort as she described in excessively explicit detail our farting game and the mutual bestowing of SkyWolf and Seraina as secret names in our sweaty christening ritual.
“He’s not the same man he was when he first came to us. Our experiencesin the dark place changed each of us. I’m not the same person I used to be and neither is he,” Alice rose from her chair and nearly smothered me in a fierce hug.
“Madame Moderator! Madame Moderator!” Darlene shouted as she jumped to her feet with her arm in the air.
“I move SkyWolf be admitted to the Society of Sisters as a non-voting affiliate member.
Lisa reclined in her seat and studied Darlene for a few moments before leaning forward and brushing a stray strand of hair from her eyes. The leader’s silence was unnerving, as was the silence in the room. It was as if everyone had forgotten how to breath.
The leader closed her eyes in intense concentration for several seconds and took a deep breath before speaking.
“Martha, can you come here for a minute,” Lisa called the head of the Kitchen crew to the stage.
Lisa stood with the gavel in her hands as Martha approached.
“My position does not allow me to speak to motions before the body. To do so, I am asking that Martha temporarily assume the duties of Moderator. There is a motion on the floor and I would like to offer a second,” Lisa handed the symbol of authority to Martha.
“I second Darlene’s motion. I think SkyWolf will be a wonderful addition to our society.”
“So moved and seconded. Discussion?” Martha paused and surveyed the silent hall.
Crickets.
“Hearing none, all those in favor please signify by saying ‘Aye'” Martha called out.
I noticed that the Frost Queen stood silently with her arms crossed as the thundering roar of approval echoed from the rafters.
“All those in opposition?”
Again crickets as Frosty and her companions remained silent. The motion passed without objection. Thus SkyWolf was born into the Society of Sisters.
As for the unused page Lisa had bookmarked in her journal?
I smiled when I read her handwriting, “It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change – Charles Darwin.”
——————–
Leave a Reply