Finally in the crowded hall

Dinnertime at the convent was much more crowded than the lunch hour. Many of the initiates staying at the convent worked away from the hilltop enclave during the day, but with the sun dropping in the western sky all these men and women were waiting eagerly for the hot food waiting in the great hall. It seemed to Winlay that she heard every dialect of Veertor as well as the slow lazy sounding drawl of the islands and many others that she couldn't even place. The appearances of the initiates was as varied as their voices and more than a few times she almost called out Mika’s name when she spotted a golden haired initiate moving ahead of her in the throng. Each time she realized in time that the individual was not her friend. After a few times Winlay realized that the blonde hair that she thought so distinctive was not as uncommon as she had at first believed.

Once inside the great dining hall Winlay spotted Mika easily enough. She was standing near the great windows that looked down on the sprawling city of Telnon and the sheltered harbor that nestled in the city’s great arms.

“There you are!” Exclaimed her friend as she half walked and half skipped towards her. “Quick let’s get in line. Have you ever seen so many people?” Winlay could only smile as she moved with Mika to the growing end of one of the four lines queuing for food. “Look at that one,” and then in a whisper “I hope he leaves us some food.” The man Mika had indicated towered above the others. The color of the robes was the same grey as all the other initiates, but this man’s robes were made of a far finer material, and they were tailored to accentuate his impressive frame. His position about a eight people in front of where the girls stood made it nearly impossible to miss his comments to the several initiates who clustered behind him like ducklings following their dame.

“Of course I have to eat the same food as the rest of you, but that doesn’t mean it has to be cooked the same way.” His voice was confident and pleasant and Winlay could see why he had already attracted his own entourage. “My father has made the necessary arrangements, watch and learn.”

Winlay found it difficult to imagine what more the man could want, in addition to fruit and warm rolls served with butter each diner received a large bowl of stewed chicken and brown rice that made Winlay’s mouth water when she got close enough to smell the large serving pots. However, she was as curious as the rest of the initiate brothers who attended to him like a retinue of courtiers.

“I’m brother Jerome of the Lansing Marches,” the tall initiate told an older nun supervising the servers, “I have a special platter because of my health concerns.” The nun eyed the robust man skeptically, but sent one of the servers into a staging room and he returned with a covered tray which he handed to the novice initiate with a slight bow.

Brother Jerome lifted the enameled cover from his tray and showed his companions that his meal, although chicken and rice like those of his peers, consisted of a whole roast chicken with a golden glaze that dripped from the roasted skin of the fowl onto a bed of rice as white as northern snow. Even from where Winlay and Mika stood the smell of exotic spices made it clear that Jerome’s meal may have cost as much as ten or twenty of the meals served to the other initiates.

“Ahhh,” sighed the initiate as he walked past Winlay with his tray “Chicken and rice. Not a feast, but we all have to make sacrifices.” The food that just moments before had Winlay’s mouth watering, now seemed dull and ordinary. This could only be another case of the corruption that Sister Margaret had told her was becoming more and more pervasive in the Church.

“I should accidently drop a handful of salt on his ‘medicinal platter’” muttered Mika under her breath and several others rumbled in similar protests. Understanding that there was nothing she could so about the corruption, Winlay stepped to the nervous server with a bright smile and announced just a little louder than was needed.

“I’d LOVE some of that stewed chicken please, it smells as good as grandma’s.” Even as the words passed her mouth Winlay realized that the stewed chicken did remind her of her grandmother’s cooking and her brief flash of bitter envy lifted as suddenly as it struck. The server beamed at her as he nearly overfilled her bowl and the elder nun gave Winlay just the slightest smile before her face was masked again with its stern facade. All around Winlay the initiates joked as well about how they’d be sure to get indigestion if they tried to eat Jerome’s ‘medicinal’ platter.

It took Winlay and Mika a few minutes to find empty seats, but no sooner than they said their prayers than the meal was interrupted by a middle aged sister who wore a band of black across her white robes.

“I need the attention of all the initiates, especially those of you who arrived just today.” She announced in a surprisingly loud voice and the room fell completely silent as all turned to hear what she had to say.