The Rite of Spring: The First of the Cock

The Rite of Spring: Fragment 30

The First of the Cock
in which the High Priests debate the wisdom of the God

First thing in the morning, I usually run three thousand manheights North along the riverbank and back, in order to be in trim for the steps when the summons comes. Usually, Bynach, who is First of the Cunt, runs too - all the Firsts of Houses must do, really, but it is our practice to run together, partly to be companionable, but often because there is business between our Houses that it is convenient to discuss privately. That morning, Bynach called for me just as I was ready, and we set off together, down River Street and through the up-river gate, going against the flow of vegetable carts coming in to the market. When we got through the gate we found Clater, who is properly called 'The Ear to Heaven', because the Ear is a bit funny about calling anyone 'First'; but in practice she is First of that House.

For me, the Ear is the most mysterious House, because - well, because it has no mysteries. There is no part of the worship of the Ear from which anyone is excluded. They are not like the Eye or the Mouth, where only adult males can enter the place of worship, and where, even then, there is an inner place where only the initiates can go. Anyone can take part in the ceremonial of the Ear, but when you do take part - and I have done so often - it is hard to know what it is that has happened.

You might think that in the celebration of the Rite of the Ear there would be song, or sweet music, or verse, but there is not. If you ask, they will tell you that it is the part of the Mouth to sing, or speak, or play the pipes; it is the part of the Hand to play upon the lute or the fiddle or the tambour. The part of the Ear is to listen. And so they worship the God by sitting on the ground, in silence, and listening. And that is all that happens. You sit on the ground, and you listen, and the small sounds of whatever place you are in fill the silence around you. You listen, sometimes, till a fourth part of the day has gone. And then, without any signal I have ever seen, everyone rises, and stretches, and carries on as folk carry on after anyother ceremony - sometimes quiet and thoughtful, sometimes animated and gay.

Anyway, we set off up the riverbank that morning, running steadily in the cool of the morning mist, and Clater ran beside us. I assumed she must have something to say. Sure enough, after we had been running for a while, she spoke, her words coming in little gusts as they do when you're running.

"The girl... you had... from the Hand... yesterday... is... a Ricnic... princess..."

"I know..."

I panted. "Aonan a'Aonach."

"Yes... well... the Foot... think that... if you do... the rite... there'll be trouble... on the... Midnight... pass."

I put my hand on her shoulder, and slowed to a halt. Bynach ran on a few paces, and looked back enquiringly. I beckoned her back, steadying my breath. We gathered round.

"Look, Clater... I think the Foot may be right. We're certainly going to have trouble with her. But the God has spoken."

I could see that Clater was really troubled. She said

"The God has spoken, and the Mouth of the God has served it's part. But the Ear has not served well, for from the Ear the God has learned only a part of the tale, and a part that is too small for judgement. I have had hoisted the flag of supplication..."

I nodded -

"So have I, but nothing yet has come of it."

"No", she agreed. "But I expect to be summoned to the God anyway on the Day of the Foot coming - could the rite not be delayed 'till then?"

I shook my head, emphatically.

"You will have had the words of the God from the Mouth?"

She assented.

"The God has spoken. And Clater, we must assume that the God knows this; the wisdom of the God surpasses our understanding."

"I know, and we must have faith. But it is the duty of my House that we listen in the World for that the God would hear, just as we listen for the voice of the God that the world must hear... and we have failed in that duty. And, have you not considered that the Guard are Ricnics?"

I barked a short laugh.

"There's worse than that. She is betrothed to the Captain of the Guard. When they find out - and she is going to them - I think they will revolt."

Clater looked haggard.

"Oh no, oh no, oh no. Can we trust to the wisdom of the God in this?"

At this, Bynach spoke:

"When you reported the case to the God, did you give the woman's name, or a description of her?"

Clater nodded.

"Both. But our shame is that we'd already had report of her, so that we should have known who she was, but that the two things weren't put together until after I had been summoned to the God".

Bynach thought about this for a moment, and then said

"look, Clater, either the God is the God, in which case we must trust to his wisdom. Or else the God is just the present incarnation. If the God is just the present incarnation, then either the incarnation is in the power of the Guard, or else the Guard is in the power of the incarnation. If the incarnation is in the power of the Guard, then he knows the names of the Chieftains of the Rhiconicfhearchaorusduadh. If the Guard is in the power of the incarnation, then we will have to trust in the incarnation to protect us from the Guard. Either way, we have to trust. It's all we can do. So let's complete our run and get on with it."

And we did complete the run, loping silently through the wispy cloud, and returned to the city in our normal way. But later in that day I heard that the Ear had announced that Clater had laid down her responsibilities, and was going to spend some time in a place which the Ear keep high up in a valley in the rim, which is known for its isolation and silence. I wondered, when I heard this, was this something that Clater chose, or was it the way in which the Ear punishes those who are felt to have failed their House? I just don't know. For me, the Ear is the most mysterious House.

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