The Empty World | The Empty World Sequence [complete | rewriting]

Ten (these events are Eleven in revised scene list)

Rahab let them stay in her house through the afternoon, while she worked. Mother was very interested in the pots she had made. She asked if there were other good craftspeople in the city. Rahab had looked about to say something, then looked downward. "Well, of course, we have all kinds," she said, "What do you need?"

"Oh, nothing, I was just curious to know more about Sodom."

Rahab sat down at her potter's wheel, a thing that spun as long as she kept stepping on the pedal at her foot. She took a hunk of damp clay from a table and put it on the wheel, she placed on the table in its place a very wet lump of clay from a large barrel. She worked at the piece of clay on her wheel, smoothing edges with wet hands, creating a hollow at the top as she spun.

Rahab mentioned something they hadn't heard before. "The festival tonight should be nice, Mika made me a dress to wear," she said.

"Festival?" asked Mother.

"He made a dress?" Morpheus asked.

"There's nothing dishonorable about that!" Rahab said, "it is a beautiful dress, and I can't make my own clothes, my fingers do not know what to do with needle and thread in them! There is only Mika and I, someone has to do the sewing."

Morpheus laughed. "Please, I wouldn't wish to insult my host, I think it's a very important thing to do."

Rahab smiled. "You do?"

"Laughter," said Mother, "I'm sure that he does."

Rahab put her vase out to dry and washed her hands quickly. "I want to show you something, please come into our other room, it will be all right."

They both followed Rahab into her other room, it was divided in two parts by a curtain, each had a low narrow bed with an intricate quilt in it. There were several tables and trunks, there was one mirror of polished silver hanging on the wall of the larger part. The plaster walls were covered in charcoal drawings and several tables had small statues standing on them.

"You made all this?" Mother asked very softly.

"Mika sewed these quilts, and he did all these drawings. We have never had much paper in the house, but sometimes he draws into sheets of wet clay, or as with the walls, on plaster. That is what he does all day to pass the time: draws in the dirt."

"And the statues?"

"Yes, I made them." She went to a table in the small part of the room, the one that was hers. There was the head and torso of a woman made of red clay. It seemed to be Rahab.

Mother appeared to cry. She appeared to go down on her knees. She sobbed.

"Oh, what is wrong?" Rahab asked, opening her arms.

"No," said Morpheus firmly, "Don't touch her, let me." He bent down at Mother's side and circled his arms about her.

"What is it?"

"She is crying because these things are so beautiful and...she fears that they will never be seen."

"Things have been hard in this land since the war, there are a few people who buy these things from us. It is enough that you like them. Let me give you something we made."

"I would appreciate it more than you could ever know," said Mother quietly.

"This statue I showed you, it is yours. Please. I am sure that if you stay and meet Mika he will want to give you a gift too. I do like you. Please stay and come to the festival with us."