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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Silver Moon" data-source="post: 3854534" data-attributes="member: 8530">Chapter Two-hundred-eighteen, “Message from the Priestess“, Sunday, June 18th, 8:00 A.M. Minerva groans as she rolls over, her muscles tight from a night of sword practice. "Right, the sermon. I have been trying to think of the right words to get them to think of the gods will before they cast their vote in the election tomorrow. I think believe that I have already said what needs to be said, but I will repeat it once more as it is worth repeating. She drags herself out of bed rolls her shoulders to loosen the muscles and makes ready for the Sunday service. The worship service is well attended, with quite of few of the candidates from all three political parties in attendance, as well as several dozen first time attendees, many of them visitors in town for either the poker tournament or the Shakespeare play. Chester attends morning services at the church with Clarisse. She says to him, "I heard a rumor that there was someone shot up the Lucky Lady last night. Do you know what happened, Chet?" He says, "It was nothing like that, dear. Someone broke into the cooper's shop last night. Jeff Mills was outside getting some air, when he heard the glass breaking. He chased the guy off, but not before he got shot at. Luckily the shots went wide. I couldn't find the burglar." She states, "Well I'm just glad that nobody was hurt. Why would anybody try to rob the Cooper Shop, there's nothing there except empty barrels?" Chester shrugs. "Beats me. Maybe they thought Coyote Kay kept money in the shop. The best thing is that nobody got hurt." Minerva stands before the podium, looking every inch the righteous servant of the gods in her green priestly garbs topped with a crown of Olive leaves that nestles in her thick black, unbound hair wills the congregation to silence with her dark burning eyes and in a clear booming voice that carries across the square begins: It is imperative that all good people of Promise city; men, women, non-human and human, alike join together for the good of the town and the glory of the gods and make Their will known. Let us reflect upon the words of this brave man, and remember those who fought, and continue to fight, for the freedom and equality. Like an unchecked cancer, hate corrodes the personality and eats away its vital unity. Hate destroys a man's sense of values and his objectivity. It causes him to describe the beautiful as ugly and the ugly as beautiful, and to confuse the true with the false and the false with the true. In January 1863 a great American, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of non-humans, who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of captivity. But, we must face the tragic fact that the non-human is still not free. The life of the non-human is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. The non-human lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. The non-human is still languishing in the corners of Promise City society and finds himself an exile in his own land. So we have come here today to dramatize an appalling condition. In a sense we have come here to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men would be guaranteed the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It is obvious today that Promise City has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of various races are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, Promise City has given the non-human people a bad check which has come back marked "insufficient funds." But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this town. So we have come to cash this check -- a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind Promise City of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to open the doors of opportunity to all of the God's children. Now is the time to lift our town from the quicksand of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. It would be fatal for the town to overlook the urgency of the moment and to underestimate the determination of the non-human. This sweltering summer of the non-human’s legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Eighteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. Those who hope that the non-human needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the town returns to business as usual. There will be neither rest nor tranquility in Promise City until all are granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our town until the bright day of justice emerges. But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the non-human and female community must not lead us to distrust of all human males, for many of our human brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny and their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone. And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the hotels and boarding houses of our town. We can never be satisfied as long as a Non human in Promise City are not considered equal. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream. I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive. Go home knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair. I say to you today, my friends, that in spite of the difficulties and frustrations of the moment, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal. I have a dream that one day on the red hills of the south the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave-owners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day every state sweltering with the heat of injustice and oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. I have a dream that my children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today. I have a dream that one day the every state will be transformed into a situation where little non-human boys and girls will be able to join hands with little human boys and human girls and walk together as sisters and brothers. I have a dream today. I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Gods shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. This is our hope. This is the faith with which I return home. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day. This will be the day when all of the God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning, My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring. And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops and the mighty mountains From every mountainside, let freedom ring. When we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, non human men and human men, women ,dwarves and orcs, elves, vigilance committee and, merchants, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old non-human spiritual, Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last" The Elections are tomorrow. It is your duty to vote. It is your duty to vote against hate to send a message to those who have closed their hearts to the gods will. Tomorrow you must vote for light and freedom and equality for all of the gods children. Go home now and search your hearts. Tomorrow the gods will guide your vote. Chester listens to the sermon in rapt attention. He hopes that it will reach the hearts of those who don't want equality among the races. Mitchell Berg also attend the worship service and tells Chet afterwards "Helen agreed to take the duty at the jail, after being eliminated from the tournament she has no desire to go back and see the winners. Eddie had the night shift so I sent him to sleep and I plan to take a few hours off until the play this afternoon then I'll keep an eye on things there. That'll leave you and Neil to switch off between Main Street and the Lucky Lady." Chester says, "OK, Marshall. I can see why Helen wouldn't want to stick around the Lucky Lady. Since I was in the Lucky Lady last night, I can be on Main Street." Ginnie awakens Kate at 10:45 AM. Kate sees that Ginnie is already washed up and wearing a nice dress, with the green "Lucky Lady" employee armbands on. Kate exclaims, "10:45? Is Janet gone? I asked her to wake me before she left!" Ginnie replies, "She decided to wait another day, wanting to attend the worship service today with her friends. I think they had a reconciliation of sorts yesterday." "Good," Kate sighed. "I hated to think of her leaving with so much regret. And I'll get the chance to say goodbye properly." She put her feet on the floor, but stayed sitting for a minute. "I see you're all ready. I remember a day when you argued with me about needing more than one dress. I'm glad I won that one, and I'm glad to see you look so happy. Did you get good tips last night?" Ginnie replies, "Yes, $ 35.25 for just myself and another $ 12.65 from the shared tips pool." "Very well done," Kate said, surprised. "That's more than we make teaching in a month. Maybe I ought to stay in waitressing." Ginnie replies, "Only if we can find a place where the regular customers can afford to drop three-thousand dollars to play cards at. $ 20 of mine were from that Berwind man who spoke at the school. He's not playing any more so I doubt I will do as well today." She got up and hugged Ginnie. "I'll get dressed and be ready in just a few minutes." She got out her yellow dress with the low, square neckline and kept talking as she dressed and fixed her hair. "Harry said something about a surprise today. I wish I had time for a bath, I could use one." Ginnie replies, "Don't you know that 'Clean' cantrip yet?" Kate says, "Of course I do, and I'll be using it too. But it's just not the same as a good soak. A spell is not relaxing, quiet, and warm." When she was dressed, clean, and put together she went downstairs with Ginnie where they ate a quick breakfast of fruit, cheese, and bread and butter. "Maybe the big winner today will tip all of you well. They'll certainly be rich enough," she said as they locked up the house and made the short walk over to the Lucky Lady. They arrive at 11:15. Most of the employees are present including all of the children. Behind the bar covered over by a black cloth is a mounted frame three-feet-high by two-feet-wide. Kate smiled. "I think I have guessed the surprise," she said to Ginnie. "And I am indeed happy to see it. Yesterday might have been better though." "Why?" Ginnie asks. She leans down and whispers, "You will notice Mr. Franklin will not be present today. He had no reflection and was dealt with appropriately. I believe the surprise is our new mirror." "Good guess but wrong," is the young girl's reply. Kate asks, "How long have you known about whatever this is?" Ginnie replies, "A while." Kate asks, "Am I the only person who didn't?" Ginnie replies, "Only a few knew, I'm just one to keep an eye on things." Darla Peacock enters the room and tells the staff that Mr. Franklin has withdrawn for the tournament so there are only twelve players remaining. The three poker tables are set up in the center of the room. She gives them instructions and assignments. Van Horne comes downstairs wearing a new suit and his purple "Host" armbands followed by dealers Job Kane and Isaac Stevens with their blue "Dealer" armbands. The clock is now almost to half past the hour. Van Horne asks the assembled group if they are ready to open up. "I believe so," Kate said. "Harry, everything ready?" The Lucky Lady Dance Hall and Saloon opens its doors at 11:30 AM on Sunday and people begin to arrive at the tournament. Newspaperman Chumbley sets up shop on the Lucky Lady porch hawking copies of the latest edition of the Promise City Mirror, which most patrons coming in have in their hands. Not long after the Lucky Lady doors open is a public unveiling. Van Horne gathers everybody's attention and directs them to look over at the bar. Harry Rote removes the black cloth revealing of brand a new portrait of former Lucky Lady owner Niles Hoover. Rote says, "This elaborate picture frame was hand carved and stained by Cole Rixton. The portrait was painted by Patrick Enion from a photograph taken by Roger Fly. This painting will find a permanent home at the school now named for Niles Hoover but given the public attention of the Tournament we wanted to have the unveiling and initial public viewing here as part of this event, taking place at the establishment that Niles Hoover owned." Young Herbert Hoover makes a short speech regarding his late Uncle followed by a slightly longer speech by Harry Rote, who says that Niles was his best friend and is deeply missed. Kate pulled out her handkerchief and wiped her eyes. She had grown accustomed to Harry taking a larger role, but not to Niles being gone. None of them spoke of it much, but it was felt. She went over to Harry. "You're right, I'm very pleased. What a beautiful portrait." The unveiling over with, people begin to go about getting ready for the tournament. Most patrons get themselves something to drink from the bar and several get comfortable in seats and barstools and start to read the newspapers while they wait for the tournament to start. Lucky Lady Tournament Host Cornelius Van Horne states “Ladies and Gentlemen. Games will resume at exactly 12:00 noon. The remaining dozen players will be at three tables and will play until either 8:00 PM or until there are only eight players remaining, whichever comes first. At that time there will be a half-hour meal break and we will consolidate down to two tables. This next session will include only the silver $ 50 poker chips, gold $ 100 poker chips and platinum $ 500 poker chips. The minimum ante will be a silver poker chip. Yesterday’s copper chips have all been sold out but a few hundred bronze chips still remain and will be available for sale at the bar as souvenirs for twenty-five cents apiece.”</blockquote>

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