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

Ten (these events are Eleven in revised scene list)

"They are not far away," Morpheus whispered to his mother. She just nodded, then put on a smile. Morpheus slipped an arm about Mika's waist.

As they came to the market place, they met a flow of Human traffic moving along, there was no escape from the alley they stood in but to launch themselves into the press of the crowd. "I'll be all right," Mother shouted, "go on."

Morpheus pulled Mika into the crowd. The traffic thinned only a little, as they moved from the houses. There was music playing, everyone was dancing, singing, shouting. Strangers ran about kissing each other. Women and men were scantly clad. From the houses, women poured wine out their windows into waiting mouths.

Mika laughed.

"What is it?" Morpheus asked.

"Look at them teasing Lot. He won't come out, he won't even give wine and cake to people who pass his door during the festival."

"Why?"

"Oh, because he's a foreigner I suppose. He says the festival worships gods that offend his god. In all the years he has lived in Sodom and flocked his sheep where I flock mine, he has never said a kind word to me."

Morpheus laughed and turned away.

Mika didn't follow right away and so Morpheus turned back. For one moment the street was filled with a blinding light. People screamed. "Lot's house!" They were saying, "The foreigner has got emissaries from the land that invaded us in the war in his house, he won't take part in our festival and now they play some trick on us!"

Morpheus looked down at Mika, who was holding his hands over his eyes. He laughed. "Trick or Treat!" He saw Zerachiel glare at him from the window of Lot's house.

"Let's go over this way," Mika said. His eyes were open but he still blinked quickly. They made their way through the crowd, toward the bigger houses. In this part of the city, there was a dedicated dance area, people did not just mill around looking for sweets. Music came from everywhere, it became noise, except at the biggest house, the house of the king. Morpheus and Mika danced their way there.

The king's house had steps before it, and musicians had stepped above the crowd to play together on them. From the windows of the house, its servants threw cakes out over the crowd, and coins. And among the musicians Opium stood dancing slowly and singing in her high clear voice. Rahab was near the steps dancing.

"That's your sister singing on the steps of our king's house!" Mika said. "She is an amazing woman."

"Yeah, she is."

Morpheus was kissed. He turned slowly and saw smiling Mika. "Oh! It's tradition."

Morpheus kissed him back.

Mika danced close, squeezed Morpheus' arm. Morpheus kissed him again. A glancing look, and then they embraced each other as they danced, lips dragging along throats and collarbones, ears and jaws, and every so often they kissed full on the mouth.

Morpheus saw Rahab follow with her eyes, when they left. She smiled.

Mika stood in the small basin letting Morpheus sponge water over his body, letting Morpheus kiss him. "You are going to leave, this will never happen again," Mika said.

"Ssssh."

Morpheus stood and they were both clean, naked.

Mika tried to talk again.