PART 6 - After the Blood Flowed Like Rivers
by Sunraven, Jan 1999, revised Oct 2001

After being provided a lunch that tasted the same as her breakfast, Terra meditated for a while.Ý Each session with each Minbari leader left an emotional and energy residue that she had to assimilate and expunge. Not to mention all the other emotions she picked up in the close confines of the cruiser, as well. It was taking its toll on her.

The visitor's chime pulled her from her reverie.Ý Rathenn stood there, patiently waiting to take her to meet with Satai Relinn.

The Worker Caste Satai was a large man in greyish-tan robes with the scarred hands of a craftsman.Ý Terra performed the bow from one of lower status to a worker caste of higher status, and he bowed in return.

In a smoky voice, he said, "Welcome to this place, Doctor.Ý I have heard a great deal about you from my esteemed colleagues.Ý I trust that you will not think that I will be loosing hordes of enraged workers to attack you?"Ý His brown eyes twinkled brightly as he teased her.

Man, the grapevine in this place was wild!Ý What did they use, jungle drums or something?

"I didn't think that for a minute, Satai Relinn.Ý Of course, I also didn't think of it at the Shai'Alyt's quarters either.Ý From the vids that Satai Delenn provided me, I have gotten the impression that your caste is the backbone of Minbari culture, yet are rather ignored by the more volatile religious and warrior castes."

He smiled brightly.Ý "I had heard that you did not mince words, Doctor, and now I see that this is true.Ý My caste are the builders, the maintenance workers, the merchants, the midwives, the servants, the cleaners, and the cooks, among numerous others."

"And you?"

"Before I was Satai, I was a simple glass blower, who came from a long line of glass blowers.Ý I made religious and decorative ornaments for our temples."Ý The quiet pride in his voice made an impression on Terra.Ý This man was a person of tremendous inner strength, she could tell.

"Doctor, may I show you something?"

After a very slight hesitation, which brought out a smile from Relinn, she answered him. "Of course, Satai, I am at your service."

He led her out of his quarters and down the corridor to another door.Ý He entered first with Terra following, half expecting a horde of enraged workers lurking around the corner.

It was as though she had left the adult world and entered a crystal palace of dreams.Ý Her breath caught in her throat as she stared around her.Ý Deeply colored glass wind chimes sounded sweetly in a manufactured breeze.Ý The lighting of the room was designed to maximize the beauty of each piece.Ý She went to a glass sculpture of marbled purple that bridged spires of violet to entwine around each other.Ý From these graceful limbs, dangles of slender crystal danced in the breeze, sparkling multicolored rainbows from their depths.Ý

She went from piece to glorious piece, touching, looking, just letting the sheer beauty of the place enter her soul.Ý She wanted to commit it all to memory so that she could bring the image up whenever she wished for the rest of her life.

Relinn watched her reactions closely.Ý She was aware of his intense attention, but was too involved in appreciating her surroundings to think about it much.

In the very back of the room, slightly tucked away from its more complex brothers and sisters, stood a pedestal.Ý On it was a small glass sphere, attached to a necklace chain.Ý She approached it, curious.Ý After looking at the Satai for permission, she picked it up.Ý It looked small in the palm of her hand, about the size of a chicken egg, only round.ÝÝ Like a child, she held it up to her eye, towards the light.Ý And was completely transfixed.Ý Inside the sphere was a whole other world.Ý Glass spires, trees, flowers, waterfalls, all immobile inside the glass.Ý Everywhere she looked in the sphere there was something new.Ý Light glinted off blue crystalline pools around which trees leaned thirstily.Ý Her face glowed in a reflection of the beauty she was looking at.

"Do you like it?"Ý Relinn asked.

"This is the most exquisite thing I have ever seen.Ý Is it the representative of a real place, or an imaginary city?"

He smiled sweetly.Ý "Yes.Ý It is supposed to be a model of my home city of Lanturr."

"You have a city on Minbar that looks like this, Satai?Ý It looks like something out of a dream to me.Ý I can't imagine actually living in a place like this, except after I die and go to heaven."Ý She looked up at him in awe.Ý "The artist who did this would be greatly honored on my world, Satai, if he or she showed work like this to my people."

"Then perhaps our two peoples are not so much different as we all thought, Doctor.Ý The appreciation of beauty like this is the gift of the Great Maker to all sentient beings.Ý Oh, with the possible exception of the majority of our warrior caste.Ý If it is not made for war, then they do not notice it."Ý He said with cynicism and a bit of sadness in his voice.

Terra looked at the gentle Minbari.Ý "Thank you for honoring me with the chance to see such beauty as this, Satai.Ý I will gladly carry memories of this for the rest of my life."

She looked into the sphere again.Ý As he watched her face again light up with a radiant inner light that he had never thought to see again in this lifetime, he smiled sadly.Ý Ah, Sador, I miss you, he thought, reminded of another face that had lit up the same way whenever she looked at the sphere.Ý She doesn't look like you on the outside, but I think she has your soul, love, or one a great deal like it.

She glanced up with a questioning look on her face, her empathy having picked up the sadness.

Instead of explaining, he said, "You would honor me, Doctor, if you would accept this as a gift from my caste to you, for youräappreciation of itä and for the help you will be giving my people in these peace talks."

Without thinking, she put her empty hand to his shoulder, which was definitely against all Minbari rules of protocol.Ý "Sir, I cannot take this from you.Ý This is someone's lifework, I can tell.Ý To take such a treasure from Minbari hands would be like thievery."

He smiled his sweet smile again, shaking his head.Ý "Terra, your people are so like us in so many ways, and yet so different.Ý Let me increase your knowledge about my people.Ý When one of us gives a gift to someone, we feel that unless what we are giving is cherished by the giver, then the gift would be without value.Ý If a Minbari offers you a gift, to not take it with joy and appreciation would offer grievous insult to the offerer.Ý You do not mean to insult me, do you, child?"

"God, no, Satai.Ý Never!Ý I will take your gift with great joy, and whenever I look at it, I'll be reminded of the beauty of my people's heaven, and of your city of Lanturr.Ý And of you."Ý She put the necklace around her neck, pulled her hair out over it, and held it again, the look of wonder moving back to her face.

His smile widened, and the twinkle came back into his eyes.Ý "Now you are talking more like a Minbari, Doctor."Ý He led her out of the crystal room and back to his quarters.Ý "I have gotten what I wished from our interview, Doctor McClare.Ý And I understand that you are to have dinner with the Shai'Alyt and his aide tonight.Ý Considering your experience from last night, you may want some time to yourself to prepare."Ý He touched the globe on her chest with one scarred hand.Ý "Wear this tonight to show him of my favor."

"But, Satai," she grasped the precious piece.Ý "It might get broken, or something."

He surprised her by laughing loud and hard, so that several Minbari walking through the corridor turned curiously to look.

"This looks fragile, Doctor, but be assured that it is very well protected.Ý It is encased in a molecular skin of acrylar, the hardest substance on Minbar, except, of course a warrior caste's headbone.Ý That is definitely harder."

Rathenn came up to them in time to hear the last comment, and looked at the Satai reprovingly, though he bowed the proper respect.Ý After Terra said goodbye and they left, she picked up the globe and looked at it again.

Rathenn startled her by saying sharply, "Where did you get that?"

She looked up at the normally quiet Minbari.Ý "Satai Relinn gave it to me, Rathenn.Ý What has you so startled?"

"He has shown you an unimaginably great honor, Doctor.Ý That piece was Satai Relinn's marriage gift to his wife Sador, who was one of our most famous painters.Ý He has kept it close to him since her death over twenty-six years ago.Ý It is a lifework and a masterwork as well.Ý Many Minbari have offered him their life fortunes for it.Ý He always refused.Ý Strange,"Ý He seemed as though he was murmuring almost to himself now.Ý "He would always tell the offerers that the globe would tell him when it was time to go, and then he would give it to the person it spoke for.Ý Almost as though it was alive."

"But Rathenn, it is alive!Ý Maybe it isn't sentient, but it glows with life."

He took her the rest of the way to her quarters in silent thought, and bowed a little more deeply in leaving than he ever had before.

After meditating for about an hour on the subject, Terra knew the gift she would give in return to Satai Relinn.Ý She got on the secure channel to Earth and made the arrangements.Ý She would need to check with the Satai, and to arrange for a pilot to take them to the arranged place on earth, but then she would be set.Ý She made the call to Satai Relinn, and asked him if he would allow her to take him to Earth tomorrow.Ý "My government will see that you are well protected, Satai, and you will honor me greatly, as you did today."

"Of course, Doctor.Ý I will come, for you have my curiosity aroused now."

She smiled.Ý "Good.Ý Until tomorrow at 10:00 ETS, then."

-- continued in part seven --