Dear Naruki,

By all means, please explain how the term "inflammatory" applies to this
situation:

It was a lovely summer day in Valnuary and Flair and I had just returned
from aiding sick puppies in Hashan, helping a little girl find her lost
kitten in Jaru, and giving some food to the vagrant in Tasur'ke when we
saw a young girl wandering among the roses in Ashtan's subdivision. She
was crying, but luckily, I had a lollipop in my pocket from earlier in
the day when I was recreating the great lollipop and truffle war for
some children at the Loving Hearts Orphanage. She was lost and so we
offered to help her find her way. But first things first, we thought we
should probably take her out of the tattered rags she was wearing, check
for lice in that ragmop of disheveled hair, and make sure she had more
than candy in her stomach.

So off we went to our nearby home. While I bathed, fed, and clothed
Rose, Flair was indeed in contact with Shallamese authorities. As soon
as she tried to sing for her supper, you see, we realized that she was
not Ashtani. While waiting for someone to get back to us about what we
should do (can you imagine two Ashtani walking IN to Shallam with an
orphan? now you tell me, what would a "predictable" response to that
be?), the girl rode Fats our elephant around our garden area, found an
interesting way to utilize our ritualistic instruments (did you know
that banging two platters together has a very musical effect?), and
basically lodged herself in our hearts. So after hearing nothing back,
we contacted Shallam again and asked for the paperwork to adopt the girl
we now called "Rose."

That's right, we asked for the paperwork. We made assurances that Rose
was being cared for, would have welcomed a home inspection, etc. Instead
of acting in what I might have concluded to be a "predictable" manner,
however (one would think that those who embrace the Light and thereby
Compassion would have rejoiced at the idea of an unwanted child finally
be loved by parents), Shallam acted in a most disturbing way.

It was late at night, just after what we'd called Rose's first birthday
party. Many of our city and housemates were present for the festivities,
which included balloon animals, jambalaya eating, (please note: no mimes
were present due to a horrible mime related incident that has forever
trapped my youngest daughter Alice in the visage of a ten-year-old.darn
you mimes!), games of pin the tail back on Flair's old mule Ugly, and
elephant rides for all. I had just bathed Rose and tucked her into a new
pair of blue pajamas when we heard noises outside our house. Flair
shuttled Rose and I off to the garden, where he had us hide in a small
shed. Crouching there, trying not to make sound, my new daughter
shivering in my arms Well, I can tell you, I was frightened. I thought
perhaps the Spawn had been raised, or the Beast of the Crypt was loose
again, or worse yet that Belladona had a bone to pick with my family.

Soon, footsteps could be heard outside the shed. Rose cried softly. I
held her to me and tried to comfort her. Just then, the door to the shed
flew open. And there stood something I wasn't prepared to fathom:
Altarius. He thrust a lit candle into the dark shed and soon spied me
and Rose huddled in a corner underneath some of Fats feedbags. He pushed
the candle at Rose, held it right under her little nose. I thought he
might burn her! Something in the moonlight shone at his back. Was that a
crossbow? Grabbing at Rose, he tried to leave, but thankfully my husband
and his friends came out of hiding just then and made quick work of him.

Being the conservative stay-at-home mom that I am, I quickly offered his
corpse. I mean, waste not want not right? The next thing I knew we were
branded Shallamese enemies! Apparently for defending our Ashtan home in
the dead of night! Or was it for loving Rose and -asking- to be her
parents? Or was it for not having stepped a foot in Shallam in ages (is
there now a law against not going in to Shallam to match the one about
being from Mhaldor? if there is, could you please post it?)?

Now Naruki, you state that what we did was "inflammatory." How is loving
a child and defending your home "provocative" or "seditious"? Or are you
referring to the fact that I am bring true Light to this situation? And
if so, whom am I inciting? Maybe those who understand that Light and
Evil are some times a stone's throw away from each other, especially
when those who profess to represent the Light are blinded by their own
insufficiencies?

I have been enemied to Shallam without cause, without reason, and
without any hope of rectifying whatever it is I am accused of. I have
been thrown in with 'child killers," given their same punishment
(although at this point, I'd take their company over those who act as
false prophets for truth and justice) and that, dear Naruki, is wrong.
Perhaps this is a situation that the great Lady Miramar, Goddess of
Justice, can set right. Surely, I can't depend on those in leadership in
Shallam to do so because their own consciences keep getting in the way.




Penned by my hand on the 4th of Phaestian, in the year 414 AF.