“Yes! Yes, of course! How could we have overlooked this? Please forgive our egregious transgressions! Come this way. We have failed in our true purpose!”
Their groveling takes me by surprise.
“It’s really not?—”
I’m led into a room with rustic wood tables evenly spaced throughout. My head brushing against the ceiling distracts me, and I bang my knee on the corner of a table while we make our way to where they want me to sit.
“Bring the goddess her sustenance!” a brethren with eyebrows that grow down past his face and merge into a long beard yells down the hall.
This guy is clearly the boss. A few of the others jump into action and hurry out of the room to follow his orders.
“That really isn’t necessary. If you’ll show me the kitchen, I can make something.”
One at a nearby table is about to take a drink of water. Boss snatches the cup out of his hand. He hands me the cup and pushes it up toward my mouth.
What a dick move.I could have waited for my own. The guy who lost his cup to me hangs his head low and cowers away from Boss.
I give the cup back without taking a drink. “Please, take it. It’s yours.”
He takes it and looks next to me at Boss. The leader shakes his head ‘no’, and the brethren sets the cup down on the table reluctantly, clearly conflicted as to what he is supposed to do.
“We are but your humble servants, ready to serve your will,” the seated brethren says, bowing his head.
Boss disappears down a hallway and takes the tension in the room with him.
All is forgotten when platters of plump berries and steaming bowls of rice and meat are placed in front of me.
It’s possible being their goddess for a few days won’t be so bad after all. Maybe I can influence these brethren to stand up for themselves while I’m here. Sowing a little discontent for social justice sounds right up my alley.
I settle into my place andone of the brethren,who I nowrefer to as Bug-Eyessince he’s the only one who hasn’t removed his goggles underground, reaches out to hand me some grilled meat on a long skewer.
His hand veers up and all of a sudden, he’s feeding me. I awkwardly take a bite and pull away as quickly as possible.
“Hmm. Thanks,” I mumble with my mouth full.
“It is our duty toprovide foryou,” he says and forces the skewer back into my mouth. “Itis our highest calling.”
Before I can finish chewing the bite, anotherbrethrendangles a cluster of grapes over my mouth.
Oh,fuck that. I draw the line at being fed grapes. I snatch the cluster out of his hand and feed myself.
I’m not going to be here long. Nonetheless, it’s time to establish some boundaries.
“I can feed myself,” I say loud enough for the whole room to hear.
“But the prophecy says that you mustn’t toil or your displeasure willrain downupon us,” Bug-Eyes says.
“I’mnot displeased.I prefer to feed myself.”It’s odd that I have to repeat myself so many times. Can’t they let a girl eat in peace?
They murmur amongst each other, shaking their heads. Idon’tknowwhat’sso confusing about me wanting to feed myself. These poor heatstroked little guys have completely lost their minds.
Anotherleans in closely and lays a cloth napkin across my lap. I give an awkward laugh and inch away from him.
“I’m good, really. You don’t need to do all this for me.”
They stare back at me with confused looks.
“It is our duty and pleasure to serve you,” a brethrensays. Heholds up a glass of watertomy mouth like hedidn’t hear me tell them to knock it off.
