ersonal thing--if you can talk about it?"

Cortin was silent for a moment, then she sighed. "I guess I wouldn't
have brought it up if I hadn't intended to tell you, even though it's a
little embarrassing--I don't think of you as a child!" After another
brief hesitation, she went on. "It was pure wish fulfillment, I'm
afraid--the part with you, at least." She moved slightly away, just
enough that she could bring his hand to her breast. "You and Sis were
nursing, and I was actually able to give you milk. It felt so
incredibly good, especially you even though it wasn't exactly sexual
. . . I can't describe it, not really. You can't believe how much I wish
I could do it again, and not in a dream!"

Odeon cupped her breast, feeling the nipple harden as he stroked it
with his thumb. It stood to reason, given the additions he and the
other "staff" had developed since being sealed to her, that she
could--though possibly, to protect her secret from herself, not until
she was sealed to the true Protector. "Maybe you can, Joanie. I'm not
the Protector, but while you were under, Sis and I were empowered to
carry out some of those functions." He grinned. "The main one is the
Sealing--and its purpose, of course, is protection from sin for those
willing to give up that option."

"You and Sis?" Cortin was a little disappointed that she hadn't been
included, but admitted to herself that the two of them did make more
sense. "Mike, you know I've been doing my best to do His will; can you
give me that protection?"

"Gladly!" Odeon thought for a moment, then got out of bed. "Here, the
common-room, or the chapel?"

Her bedroom didn't feel like a proper place for a religious ritual,
Cortin thought, and she wasn't sure it would be polite to carry out one
of the Protector's rituals in a chapel belonging to Jeshua, even though
they were Aspects of the same God. "The common-room, I think," she
said, getting up. "Do we need icons or symbols, anything like that?"

That hadn't occurred to Odeon, and he said so. "I like the idea,
though," he continued. "We can't have icons yet, with the Protector
not wanting to be identified, but we should be able to manage something
with symbols. For Justice and Life, do you think?"

"Those are supposed to be His main concerns," Cortin agreed. "Scales
or a sword for Justice--probably a sword, since we all have those with
our dress uniforms. What for Life, though?"

Something sexual, wa