Fantasy Starship Gods

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The God Sanduval​

Things were calm in Boeotia. At least, things seemed to be calm. There seemed to be no more executions, no more child rapes. The population seemed to be complying. But the new rules about diet and dress and customs, to conform with the Church of the Unredeemed, were observed more in breach than in compliance. It would be a long, arduous road to bring these heathens to heel.

Father Sanduval hired his star pupil, Sabiba, as his personal chef. She brought such delightful treats to their study sessions, and she kept complaining he didn't eat enough. He liked her. She was also becoming extremely devout, accepting the faith of the Church of the Unredeemed quite openly now (at least when they were in private). Sabiba was his first genuine convert! Father Sanduval felt elated.

And yet... he was feeling increasingly tired. He found it hard to think straight at times, especially after meals. When people came before him to settle disputes, in the Palace of Sparticus, Sabiba would sometimes stand behind him. And when he had trouble thinking clearly, she would whisper suggestions to him, which made sense. More and more he came to rely on her.

Kristiana looked at Sabiba with mixed emotions. On the one hand, she wanted her father to be happy. On the other hand, the split with her mother was still a painful memory for her. It had happened when she was 12. Her mother had married Father, who was much older, knowing he was a pastor, but perhaps not knowing quite how devout he was. Or maybe she did, or maybe he changed over time. Whatever the facts, it was the extent of his devotion which drove them apart.

Father was simply too demanding. He wanted Mother to comply with every rule of the Church of the Unredeemed. She had to dress a certain way, talk a certain way, even walk a certain way. After a while, it became too much for her, and she left.

Kristiana had been faced with a choice back then. She loved Mother dearly, but realized that Father needed her even more. So she had stayed with him.

And now there was a new woman in Father's life. Kristiana hadn't even seen them so much as kissing, but a sixth sense told her that they were emotionally if not physically involved. Father was almost 70, and Sabiba looked to be in her late 30's... and Sabiba was married to someone else!

And yet Father, her super moralistic father, didn't seem to mind. He seemed befuddled around her, as if Sabiba had cast a spell over him. Kristiana tried to think of a way to talk with Father about her, but couldn't figure out what to say or the right time. Sabiba was officially their cook, but she seemed to be Father's constant companion now, always around him, always whispering in his ear.

In a way, Kristiana instinctively felt that Sabiba was stealing Father away from her, but the reality of it hadn't quite jelled in her conscious mind.

Kristiana spent her free time doing good works in the villages on the outskirts of Boeotia. She helped women take care of their children, helped fix fences, and even helped farmers carry their loads, as best as she was able. She was fully aware that she was undermining her image as a "Goddess" by doing these menial tasks, but she didn't mind. Kristiana got the impression that because of her young age she wasn't really viewed as a God as Father Sanduval was, but was more viewed as one of the "Gods' helpers".

Ingram went with her everywhere. Ever since the incident with the pig farmers he was her constant companion. He carried a staff now, which Kristiana realized was for more than just walking.

Ingram was about the same age as her, but was a very simple man, given his background. Kristiana found him surprisingly refreshing. Unlike the men she met on other worlds, Ingram was not jaded, or guarded. He said what he felt. And his smiles came easily. And best of all, he never tried to touch her. Kristiana was not so naive not to realize that Ingram was in love with her; but he was such a disciplined, honorable young man, that she knew she would always be safe with him, even if they slept in bed together.

Sleeping in bed together? Where had that thought come from?

It was ironic that Father held people in high moral esteem only if they were followers of the Church of the Unredeemed, while Ingram, who was totally unaware of the Church, seemed more virtuous than many of the followers that she had met.

"You don't have to follow me everywhere, Ingram," she once said to him.

"It is an honor to accompany the Goddess," said Ingram.

"I am not a Goddess, Ingram," she said in a low voice, so no one else could hear.

"You are to me," said Ingram. And that made her smile like nothing else could.

Father started to sense something between her and Ingram. He asked her pointedly about it one day.

"He's just my bodyguard, Father," said Kristiana.

"He is a man, and all men have lusts in their heart," said Father Sanduval. "I want you to take great care never to be alone with him, child."

"Yes Father," said Kristiana.

"You must be pure for the day you wed a true follower," said Father Sanduval.

"Father, where I am going to find a true follower here? You and I are the only true followers in all of Boeotia."

"Ask not, and the Lord of the Unredeemed will provide," said Sanduval, looking upwards.

And so matters progressed as they would. Kristiana grew more and more fond of Ingram as she got to know him better. She wondered why he was still single. And then she found out, to her surprise, that the very element which made her most attracted to him was what had alienated him to other women.

"I was engaged, once," said Ingram, speaking with a pained expression as they walked to a poorhouse a mile down the road. "Her name was Ingridus."

Ingram and Ingridus?

"What happened?" said Kristiana.

"She cast me aside for another," said Ingram, looking pained.

Kristiana grabbed his hand. "Ingram, I can see how bad this made you feel! I'm so sorry! But tell me, why would she give up a beautiful, gentle man like yourself?"

"That's precisely it," said Ingram. "Ingridus said I was too gentle. She said... she said she wanted a more manly man." He dared to look at her for a reaction.

"Well, pardon my saying so, but this Ingridus sounds like a complete and utter fool to me," said Kristiana, grasping his hand tightly. "Any woman would have to be completely out of her mind to let you go!"

"You think so?" said Ingram. He looked down at her hand, the one that currently wasn't letting him go. She looked down as well, and the symbolism didn't escape either of them.

"Yes," she said, and she leaned forward, and gave him a kiss.

The sky didn't fall. The Lord of the Unredeemed didn't appear and strike them down. It was wonderful. His lips were soft and gentle. And then, when they broke apart, she moved closer, and hugged him, and kissed him again.

They had much to think about on their walk to the poorhouse after that.

Sometimes, Kristiana sat with her father in the Throne Room, while he dealt with disputes and other issues affecting the realm. She was surprised to see that Sabiba, who sometimes stood behind Father and whispered in his ear, now had a chair and sat on the other side of him.

One day two men were brought before Father.

"What have we here?" said Father Sanduval.

"Heretics, Lord. They deny the validity of the Book of Sparticus," said the herald.

Sanduval looked blank for a moment, as he increasingly did of late. Then Sabiba whispered into his ear. Sanduval looked at Sabiba, as if with surprised, but she nodded and looked sternly at him.

Sanduval spoke. "Heretics. They shall be punished. Heretics should be whipped. Ten lashes for each."

"Father!" said Kristiana, jumping up. "No!"

"Carry out the sentence," said Sanduval. The guards took them away.

"Father, I want to talk to you in private. Right now!"

Sanduval paused, then nodded. Sabiba got up to accompany them. "No, just Father!" she snapped. Sabiba looked angry, but didn't follow.

When they got to an inner lounge, Kristiana turned on her father. "Father, what are you doing? Unbelievers should not be whipped!"

"In this culture they would be executed," said Sanduval. "I am doing them a favor."

"By having them whipped?"

"They must learn to obey authority," said Sanduval.

"But should they not have freedom to believe as they wish?"

"They must learn to obey authority," Sanduval repeated, as if he had heard it somewhere else.

Kristiana stared at him. "What's happened to you, Father?"

"Nothing has happened," said Sanduval, in a chillingly empty voice.

"What has that woman done to you?"

"Nothing," Sanduval repeated.

"I think she is a bad influence on you, Father. I think she should go," said Kristiana.

"Sabiba is the best thing in the world for me."

"Father, no she's not."

"Sabiba is the best thing in the world for me," Sanduval repeated.

"Father, you're repeating yourself, word for word."

Sanduval looked at Kristiana with glassy eyes. "Sabiba... is the best."

Crying, Kristiana turned and fled.

Kristiana sought out Ingram, because there was no one else to talk to. She explained what was happening to her father.

Ingram had heard of Sabiba. "She is said to be a woods witch."

"What?" said Kristiana.

"She married Anber, one of the richest men in all of Boeotia, even though she was poor and came from a family of ill repute," said Ingram. "He was said to be an arrogant man, who owned many lands. But after they married, he changed. He became soft. Obedient. Sabiba ruled their household. It is said that she sees other men, and even brings them into her home, and yet her husband does not object. They say she had cast a spell over him. They say she can cast a spell over any man."

"That's ridiculous," said Kristiana. "There's no such thing as spells." And yet, that's how Father were acting. Like he was under some kind of spell.

"If you can, you should try to get your Father to send her away," said Ingram.

"I tried, but he won't listen!"

"Then it may already be too late," said Ingram sadly.

Kristiana tried talking about her problems with others, using the holocomm. Sometimes she talked with Tara McCallister, or Pam Bloomberg, but the person she found most accessible was Naomi Weinberg, who was with the Brothers in Heraklion.

Naomi would always listen patiently as Kristiana described her growing alienation from her father, and her worries about Sabiba. But then, after patiently listening to everything she had to say, Naomi always had the same answer:

"Why don't you come and visit me in Heraklion?" she asked.

"How will that help me?" Kristiana asked.

"Sometimes all you need is a change of scenery to give you a fresh perspective. Come to Heraklion, Kristiana! We'll get massages together, and relax in natural hot springs, and sit around gardens and look at exotic birds. You'll have a great time!"

"It sounds fun," Kristiana admitted. "But I don't feel right leaving Father all alone now."

"But he won't be alone. You said it yourself, he has Sabiba."

Kristiana stared at Naomi's holoimage. It was as if Naomi hadn't heard a word she had said. It was as if Naomi simply had a one-track mind: to get her to come to Heraklion.

Two mornings later, Sabiba sought out Kristiana. "Can I talk with you for a moment, dear?"

Kristiana nodded. They went to the same lounge where she had talked to Father a few days ago.

"I feel like we've gotten off on the wrong foot," said Sabiba. "I very much want to be your friend." This was the first warmth that Kristiana had ever seen from Sabiba.

"Now that I'm friends with your father, I want to have good relations with you too." She smiled sincerely at Kristiana. "You can see how that would benefit both of us, can't you?"

Kristiana nodded. "Father has been acting strangely lately. I'm worried about him."

"He's been under a lot of stress. I'm not sure you realize how stressful it is for a God to rule others," Sabiba smiled.

Kristiana nodded again. Maybe that explained it.

"I want to help your father in any small way I can. I know you do too. So, can we be friends?"

Kristiana nodded. She was starting to feel a little better about Sabiba. Just a little.

Sabiba smiled. "That's great! By the way, I was just thinking, I have a son who's just about your age, only a few years younger. His name is Dickon. He's very nice. Very gentle. Would you like to meet him?"

"Maybe," said Kristiana tentatively. She actually liked being with Ingram, but didn't want to bring him to Sabiba's attention.

"Wonderful! I'll tell him to drop by the Palace this afternoon, right after lunch. You can walk around in the gardens in the back for a bit, if that suits you."

Today? Kristiana wanted to spend time with Ingram. But she only smiled and nodded.

"This will be so good, for both of us. I think this is the beginning of a new relationship between us," Sabiba said, smiling as she hugged Kristiana.

That afternoon, Kristiana met Sabiba's son, Dickon. He was tall, and thin. He had wavey brown hair which curved over his forehead. He had a crooked nose and leering eyes, and was not freshly shaven.

"So you're the Goddess," was the first thing he said, after they had been introduced. He said it almost like a sneer.

"Um hm," said Kristiana, not sure how to respond to that.

"Hey, nice breasts," he said.

"What did you say?" Kristiana asked, stopping in her tracks.

"Your mammaries. Your titties. Your bodacious ta-ta's. They look really nice," said Dickon. "Although if you wore something tighter, they'd stand out more."

Kristiana stared at him, completely open-mouthed. Whoever had taught this boy any manners? Apparently, no one.

"My Mom said you were very sexy," said Dickon. "I can see she was right. I mean, sexy, not like a slut, but in a wholesome girl-next-door kind of way. But you're not really like that, are you? I mean, it is just an act, right?"

"What do you mean?" Kristiana asked.

"You put out for guys, don't you?" Dickon asked, a little anxiously. "My Mom says that you're all religious and stuff, but that on the inside that you're just like any other girl. You put out for men, don't you? It's really important to me. I don't want to waste my time dating a girl who won't put out for me."

Kristiana didn't know, precisely, what 'put out' meant, but she had a sneaking suspicion.

"Excuse me, please. I have another appointment," she said, walking briskly away.

Father Sanduval sat in his private quarters with Sabiba after dinner, the time when he always felt drowsy. He was completely naked, but she was fully clothed. He always enjoyed these sessions with her. She rubbed him down, and told him what to do.

"You love me more than anything, don't you?" she asked.

"Yes," he muttered, with a happy smile as she rubbed him.

"Say it," Sabiba commanded.

"I love you more than anything," said Sanduval.

"You need me by your side," said Sabiba, rubbing his back.

"I need you by my side."

"You want my guidance in all things."

"I want your guidance in all things," said Sanduval. It felt good repeating what Sabiba said. Easier. Easier than thinking things through.

"It is time to help the people of Boeotia," said Sabiba. "They need our help."

"Need our help," Sanduval said dreamily.

"You must double the religious tax to 30%," said Sabiba.

"Why?" Sanduval asked.

"So we can spend more to help widows and orphans," said Sabiba. "I will supervise the distribution of the money. You trust me to do that, right?''

"I trust you," Sanduval smiled.

"Good," said Sabiba. "There's just one more thing. Your daughter. Kristiana. A lovely girl. I think she would go perfectly with my Dickon."

"Dickon?"

"My son," said Sabiba. "She should date my son."

"No...." said Sanduval. "Kristiana must only be with a member of the Church of the Unredeemed."

Sabiba sighed, and took what looked like a mint out of a little bag. "Here, I bought you a little treat. Suck on this."

Sanduval took it in his mouth. It tasted minty, just like the wonderful pudding Sabiba always made for him.

"Let it melt in your mouth," she said, almost hypnotically.

In a moment, Sanduval felt like he was drifting on a cloud.

"Now, about Kristiana. You want her to start seeing my son Dickon, don't you?"

"Dickon...."

"Say it."

Sanduval felt like he was watching someone else, but he did as he was requested. "Kristiana should see Dickon." He said the words casually, without meaning, but somehow, when these sessions ended, whatever he said, however casually, became etched in stone in his mind.

"Good," said Sabiba, giving him a kiss on the cheek. "And if things go well, we can have a double wedding."

"Daughter."

Kristiana looked up. Her Father was addressing her from his side of the breakfast table. Sabiba looked innocently on.

"Sabiba tells me she has a wonderful lad, about your age. His name is Dickon."

"I've met him, Father," said Kristiana.

"I want you to go on a date with him."

Kristiana couldn't believe her ears. Father had never asked her to go on a date with any boy! And now he wanted her to see Dickon!

"No Father!" she said, careful not to make eye contact with Sabiba. "He's not for me."

"How do you know, dear?" said Sabiba sweetly. "You haven't given him a proper chance."

"I know. I can tell."

Sabiba looked at Sanduval. "What do you think, God Sanduval?"

"You should give him a proper chance," said Sanduval.

"Do it, Kristiana. Just one date. Do it for us," said Sabiba, putting her hand over her father's.

And Kristiana didn't know what horrified her more, that she was being compelled to go on a date with Dickon, or that Sabiba had used the word 'us'. Just how involved was Father getting with this woman?​