Madeline arranged the chairs around a low table. She stopped for a moment to enjoy the sunshine flashing like diamonds off of the water spraying from the fountain in the center of the courtyard. The trees in the corners of the brick paved space provided just enough shade, making sitting out here very pleasant. Jasmine climbing the trellis nearby was in full bloom, providing a soothing scent. She would need that when the council arrived.
As the council leader, she had called the meeting and she thought back; the last meeting was ten years ago. She heard the front door bell chime and went into the house to greet her guests.
As she went to the door she called to her housekeeper, “Megan, they’re here, you can put the kettle on now.”
All four of the other council members were at the door. Greeting each in turn, she welcomed them into her home and led them to the courtyard.
“Bao, how has your arthritis been?” Madeline made small talk while they waited for the tea to arrive. Bao was from ancient Chinese heritage, and liked to dress in the old earth Chinese way, today, it was a cool blue silk blouse with gold peonies embroidered all over it. Her hair, gone white nearly 100 years ago, was drawn up into a bun.
“It’s been getting worse of course. The weaving is taking its toll. Fortunately I have my apprentice already trained. She’ll be taking over for me in another four or five years.”
Bao turned to her right, “Chandra, what’s it like on the new world, Gamma?”
Chandra’s heritage was from India but she dressed in the modern style, loose black slacks and a cotton tunic top the color of cinnamon. She too wore her hair in a bun on top of her head but her hair was still the shining black glory of her youth.
“It’s energetic, the hope and enthusiasm just explodes from the population. So the weaving, at least for now, is all bright colors and shards of light.”
Mariah smiled, “weaving for a young population can be so joyful.” Where Chandra was dark, Mariah was light. Her white skin and blonde hair, braided and trailing down her back were a contrast to Chandra’s dark skin and hair. She had chosen pale pink as the color of her tunic and it reflected the pink of her cheeks.
Neveah had brown hair she cut very short and was dressed in a sage green tunic. “It’s so nice to see you all again. I know we can’t leave our home planets often, but I wish we could get together more.”
Madeline agreed. “True, it would be nice.”
She looked up at the door to the house, “Ah, our tea is here.”
Megan put the tea tray down on the low table. “There, tea and an assortment of little sandwiches and cakes. That should make the afternoon’s business go smoothly. If you ladies need anything, just ring the bell, I’ll be right out.” She pointed out the little bell on the tray and satisfied everything was in order, went back into the house.
Madeline poured the tea and everyone took a little sandwich. Seeing that everyone was settled, she began.
“I’ve called us all together because we have a problem. I think you all know what it is.”
She looked around the circle and saw each woman nodding.
“We need more recruits, the human expansion is going faster and faster. We cannot keep up with the pace. Taking the emotions of a population and weaving them into their final history is not a magical talent that is common. It takes time to find a girl and test her. Even then, if she doesn’t choose to become a weaver, we have to start the search again.”
“What do you propose Madeline?” Chandra picked up a petit four.
“You all know the history, before the race left old Earth, there was a weaver in every country, picking up the emotions of her population and weaving them into the tapestry of their history. When humanity started expanding, it was slowly, and we could keep up, finding enough girls with the talent, to move along with them. Now, the expansion is so fast, we can’t keep up.”
She took a breath, setting her tea cup on the table. “I propose that we test boys too.”
She sat back and waited, watching the surprise on her friends faces. It didn’t take long; Bao was the first to recover. “Boys? Weaving is women’s work, always has been.” Her cup rattled in its saucer she set it down so hard.
Nevaeh finished her sandwich, “It’s never been done Madeline, never in all of our history, millennia.”
Mariah looked thoughtful, “I’m the youngest here, so perhaps I’m out of line but do boys even have the ability? Is it sex-linked?”
Chandra sat forward in her chair, she nodded. “It’s not sex-linked. Boys carry the ability in about the same percentage as girls. But really Madeline, a weaver is always female. Boys don’t have the patience.”
Madeline saw all four women nod at that. “Not all boys are alike Chandra, just as not all girls are alike. I know it’s not customary but I think it’s time to open it up.”
It took the rest of the afternoon and three more pots of tea but at the end, there really wasn’t much to the argument against except that it hadn’t been done before.
She showed her guests to the door. “Safe journey. I’ll get the seekers started tomorrow!”
929 Words
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