’sit.Pleasegoaoeverything.”Thesecretarywasayounggraduateoftheseminaryaraiheoldpastor..Heansweredastringof“Yes,sir.Yessir”totheordersandrushedtocarrythemout.Theoldpastorseemedtobegreatlyiedinthissedweddinghewasaskedtoofficiateat.Itwasnotthathewasn’tiedinNovelandMr.O’Brian’sweddinghehadjustperformed.Orary,hehadputagreatdealofthoughtandeffortintotheceremony.Thegroom’sillustriousfamilybackgroundehattheweddiswerefromtheeliteofiionalsociety.Thesenormallyhardtomeet,distinguishedandrenownedpersonageswereallgatheredtogetheriowithisgrandandmagnifitweddingofthetury.Thefactthathewastheparsonwhodirectedandofficiatedtheceremonycouldnothelpbutgivehimasenseofgreatsatisfa.

    21

    Theoldpastorthoughtbacktothedaywhenhewasfinaliziailsoftheweddingceremonywiththeitteechairmanresponsiblefrandproject.Whehinghadbeeledtoboththeirsatisfaaracthadbeensighechairmaionedcasually,

    “Bytheway,sir,afterthisgrandweddingisover,anothermuchsmallerscaleoneisscheduledtotakepcehereatthesamechurch.Sinceyouarealreadyhere,wouldyoupleaseofficiatethisooo?”

    “Really?Asmallerscalewedding?”saidtheoldpastorwhosecuriosityhadbeenaroused.“Whatkindofceremonyisthat?Couldyoubemorespecific?”

    “BysmallerscaleweddingImeanoherewon’tbeasmas.Ithinkonlyowowereihoughthescaleissmall,theweddingitselfisuniqueandreallyquiteoutoftheordinary.Ibetyouitisoneyouhaveneverbeforetakenpartinduringyourentirelife…”

    “Really?ThemoreyousaythemorefusedIbee.Couldyoubemoreexplicitaboutit?”

    “Well,thefactofthematteris,hebridewhosemarriageptalkedaboutandsighetractfor.Shehassomeintimategirlfriends,sixteenoftheminfact,whohasdecidedtoallmarrythesameman.Isn’tthatthemostbizarrethingyouhaveeverheardof?Ithinkitisaweddingyouhaveneverofficiatedinyourlifebefore…”Beforeheevenfinishedspeaking,theoldpastoradamantlyrefusedhisrequest,asitwenttotallyagainsthisbelief.Hisreligionbelievedinmonogamyandofficiatingataweddingofsixteenyoungwomenmarryingonemanwouldbedoningpolygamy!Alsopolygamywasagainstthewandbytakingpartintheceremonyhewouldbeeanaccessoryofthecrime.Itcertainlywasnotsomethiedanypartin.Theitteechairmanwasmuchaffrohissnubaabruptly.

    Theoldpastorthoughtthatthiswastheendofthematterandhewouldnotbeapproachedaboutitagain.Butearlythem,abeautiful,elegantandcssylookingdycameknogathisdoor.Hedidn’thavethehearttorefuseherentry,soheledherintohissmalllivingroom.ThedygavehimhercallingcardaakenabacktoseethenameofAishaG.Jeffersononit.Itwasaveryfamousnameinacademiathathehadheardalotabout,especiallyectedtohumanism.Thoughnotfamiliarwithherfieldofexpertise,hekhatAishahadalwaysbeenveryvocalstressingpubliclytheyioninsocietyandhadoftenproposedmeasuresforitsrevitalization.Thereasonshedidsowassimple.ShehadoftenheardDimitrisaythat“onlythepowerioncouldsavethedegradationofhumanity,whichwasfastgoingdownthedrain.”SoAishapropouhebeliefthatthereasonhumancivilizationwasabletodevelopsoswiftlyiwasonlybecauseitwasrootedinreligion.Onieditssupport,itwasasifapnthadbeenuprootedanddehenutritioninthesoil,causingittowitheranddie.Humancivilizationmus

’sit.Pleasegoaoeverything.”Thesecretarywasayounggraduateoftheseminaryaraiheoldpastor..Heansweredastringof“Yes,sir.Yessir”totheordersandrushedtocarrythemout.Theoldpastorseemedtobegreatlyiedinthissedweddinghewasaskedtoofficiateat.Itwasnotthathewasn’tiedinNovelandMr.O’Brian’sweddinghehadjustperformed.Orary,hehadputagreatdealofthoughtandeffortintotheceremony.Thegroom’sillustriousfamilybackgroundehattheweddiswerefromtheeliteofiionalsociety.Thesenormallyhardtomeet,distinguishedandrenownedpersonageswereallgatheredtogetheriowithisgrandandmagnifitweddingofthetury.Thefactthathewastheparsonwhodirectedandofficiatedtheceremonycouldnothelpbutgivehimasenseofgreatsatisfa.

    21

    Theoldpastorthoughtbacktothedaywhenhewasfinaliziailsoftheweddingceremonywiththeitteechairmanresponsiblefrandproject.Whehinghadbeeledtoboththeirsatisfaaracthadbeensighechairmaionedcasually,

    “Bytheway,sir,afterthisgrandweddingisover,anothermuchsmallerscaleoneisscheduledtotakepcehereatthesamechurch.Sinceyouarealreadyhere,wouldyoupleaseofficiatethisooo?”

    “Really?Asmallerscalewedding?”saidtheoldpastorwhosecuriosityhadbeenaroused.“Whatkindofceremonyisthat?Couldyoubemorespecific?”

    “BysmallerscaleweddingImeanoherewon’tbeasmas.Ithinkonlyowowereihoughthescaleissmall,theweddingitselfisuniqueandreallyquiteoutoftheordinary.Ibetyouitisoneyouhaveneverbeforetakenpartinduringyourentirelife…”

    “Really?ThemoreyousaythemorefusedIbee.Couldyoubemoreexplicitaboutit?”

    “Well,thefactofthematteris,hebridewhosemarriageptalkedaboutandsighetractfor.Shehassomeintimategirlfriends,sixteenoftheminfact,whohasdecidedtoallmarrythesameman.Isn’tthatthemostbizarrethingyouhaveeverheardof?Ithinkitisaweddingyouhaveneverofficiatedinyourlifebefore…”Beforeheevenfinishedspeaking,theoldpastoradamantlyrefusedhisrequest,asitwenttotallyagainsthisbelief.Hisreligionbelievedinmonogamyandofficiatingataweddingofsixteenyoungwomenmarryingonemanwouldbedoningpolygamy!Alsopolygamywasagainstthewandbytakingpartintheceremonyhewouldbeeanaccessoryofthecrime.Itcertainlywasnotsomethiedanypartin.Theitteechairmanwasmuchaffrohissnubaabruptly.

    Theoldpastorthoughtthatthiswastheendofthematterandhewouldnotbeapproachedaboutitagain.Butearlythem,abeautiful,elegantandcssylookingdycameknogathisdoor.Hedidn’thavethehearttorefuseherentry,soheledherintohissmalllivingroom.ThedygavehimhercallingcardaakenabacktoseethenameofAishaG.Jeffersononit.Itwasaveryfamousnameinacademiathathehadheardalotabout,especiallyectedtohumanism.Thoughnotfamiliarwithherfieldofexpertise,hekhatAishahadalwaysbeenveryvocalstressingpubliclytheyioninsocietyandhadoftenproposedmeasuresforitsrevitalization.Thereasonshedidsowassimple.ShehadoftenheardDimitrisaythat“onlythepowerioncouldsavethedegradationofhumanity,whichwasfastgoingdownthedrain.”SoAishapropouhebeliefthatthereasonhumancivilizationwasabletodevelopsoswiftlyiwasonlybecauseitwasrootedinreligion.Onieditssupport,itwasasifapnthadbeenuprootedanddehenutritioninthesoil,causingittowitheranddie.Humancivilizationmus