s Odeon's first reaction, because that was the
life-creating act--but the Sealing itself wasn't, not really. "The One
Who empowered Sis and me mentioned flowers; how about those?"

"Sounds good," Cortin said. "If you'll get the sword, I'll see if I
can improvise an altar."

Not long afterward, they had done so. A small table she'd covered with
a white silk sheet held Odeon's dress sword and a vase of Peace roses,
plus a chalice of milk and a piece of bread he promised she'd
understand soon. It was improvised, true, and not even consecrated,
but Cortin found herself deeply affected by it.

"What do you think?" Odeon asked.

"I like it, very much," Cortin said. "It feels right--a simple altar,
no fancy vestments--" She looked at herself, then at him, and smiled.
"None at all, in fact. Is this how He wants it, do you think? An
intimate kind of worship, maybe just family and close friends, with the
senior spouses as celebrants?"

"Sounds reasonable to me," Odeon said. It was an odd feeling, having
her ask his opinion on the proper way to worship the Protector; after
all, if it felt right to her, acting in that capacity, who was he to
say otherwise?

"To me, also."

Cortin turned, not really surprised to see Sis and the rest of those
who'd been at the airborne conference. Under normal conditions she
would have been astonished, and probably suspicious as well--but these
were hardly normal conditions, with Shayan on the loose, the Protector
manifesting to Mike and Sis, and herself having visions. It was
normality, now, that would have surprised her. "You and Mike will
celebrate it for us?"

"And each other, yes." The nun smiled. "Neither altar nor ceremonial
is truly necessary for the Sealing or its celebration, but since we
expect both, they add to the pleasure. Unfortunately we have not yet
devised a ceremony, so we will have to content ourselves with informal
prayers." She approached the altar, embracing Odeon as Cortin and the
rest knelt.

As she'd said, the prayers were brief and informal, praising God in His
Aspect of the Protector, asking His blessings on those who were worthy
of and wanted Sealing but couldn't be given it until the Protector came
into the open, offering the milk and bread on the altar in their behalf
until they could partake of the true Milk or Seed of Life.

That reference puzzled Cortin, until the two celebrants asked that God
make use of them to do the Protector's work,