The Rite of Spring: Fragment 49
Report
in which mother gets the last word

The story is interesting and valuable because I believe it gives insight into the process by which an incarnation takes place. But it is also a very tragic story. Its principle character was the young Rhiconaiach Princess, Aonan a'Aonach. Following the death in ambush of her father and brother, Aonan became bearer of her line, and according to Rhiconicfhearchaorusduadh custom, must seek her assigned master as soon as possible in order to pass on the line. Her betrothed, one Gruath, Prince of the Rhiconicfheandonach, was serving in the Guard.

Having had the restricted upbringing typical of women of her people, Aonan did not speak the language of the Place, and knew nothing of its customs; however, separated from her escort by an ambush on the Midnight Pass, she carried on into the Place alone. She met and was befriended by a dragon hunter, a woman named Linnain who banks with this House, but later separated from her. She accidentally committed a minor blasphemy by incorrectly referring to the God as female - a slip which is easy for foreigners to make; and she was arrested.

As this report is likely to be archived, I will repeat the judgement of the God in this matter, although of course it will be known to you. The judgement was, in full: .QP "I have heard of a young woman who speaks of me in the feminine, against custom. This is not a serious matter, but if it is ignored may increase tension between the devotees of the Houses of Light and the Houses of Pleasure. There will be a public, but symbolic response. She will celebrate the Rite of the Plough in the Theatre on the Day of the Cock coming. My Hand will deliver her to my Cock this evening. My Cock will ensure that both the physical and symbolic aspects of the rite are completed. My Mouth will announce my will in this."

According to the custom of the Rhiconicfhearchaorusduadh, of course, a woman who had taken seed of a man not her assigned master could not carry the line. True to her upbringing, Aonan steadfastly refused to submit to the judgement. This caused great soul-searching in our brother House. The House decided to carry through the judgement by force if necessary, although Kiara tells me that Tan, the former First of that House, voted against this decision, and had refused to carry through the Rite without Aonan's consent.

On the night of the second Cunt of the Cunt the dragon hunter, Linnain, broke into the House of the Cock and exchanged places with Aonan. The two women, both pure-blood Rhiconaiach, are said to be very similar in appearance. Linnain, a homosexual, normally chose to dress in an androgynous or masculine fashion, and we must suppose that Aonan, on her escape, was dressed in this way. It appears that Aonan now stole a small boat and went immediately across to the Doorstep.

Many of the Guard were of Aonan's own clan, and it would be easy to assume that she would have been immediately recognised by them. This assumption does not take into account the nature of Rhiconicfhearchaorusduadh society. Women, after reaching puberty, are at all times veiled in the presence of men, and women of good family are rarely allowed into the presence of men at all. It is unlikely that Aonan would have been recognised, even if she had appeared in the rather strict form of dress adopted by Rhiconicfhear women of good family. A woman not wearing a veil would be assumed by Rhiconicfhear men to be a prostitute. One of the shocking discoveries of the past week has been that prostitutes were kept by the Guard, and, indeed, ill-treated by them.

It appears that Aonan, on her arrival on the Doorstep, failed to make her identity known, was taken to be a prostitute, and was used accordingly by a large number of men some at least of whom were personally known to her. We have this partly from the evidence of one of the unfortunate young women rescued after the arrest of the Guard, who, being a Iachaorach, has taken refuge in this house, and partly from interviews with survivors of the Guard.

However, Kiara tells me that Aonan was fiercly proud of her Clan, and would hear no ill spoken of them. We must put ourselves in the picture of this very sheltered young woman, having endured with great fortitude her imprisonment, and the imminent prospect of a fate which to her people would seem worse than death, fleeing to her own people in the expectation of welcome, succour and safety, only to meet with worse treatment than the worst of her expectations.

Her sense of personal worth, of her own integrity, and of her identity as a member of her people must have been swept away. When, the following evening, taking advantage of the disturbance among the Guard, she fled up the steps, I am in no doubt that her intention was suicide.

Over the past two thousand years we have seen many people who wanted to become the incarnation; in so far as we can tell, none succeeded. We have seen many people who were widely thought of, either for their goodness, their piety, or their ability, as suitable incarnations. In so far as we can tell, none of these people have become incarnations either. Incarnation is not given either to ambition or to merit; that is not the God's way. I believe that the new incarnation is Aonan; I believe that Aonan was chosen because, although her body was healthy, her life was finished. She no longer had plans, or ambitions, or even hopes; and so she became God. I think we can conclude that Tan, Kiara and Linnain have gone to join her because, at the end, they were the only people who loved her.

We must mourn the loss of Kiara, who served both this House and her people well. We must mourn Tan also, as a devoted and effective first of his own House and a good brother to us. If we knew more of her, I am sure we would mourn Linnain. But most of all we should grieve for Aonan, not her passing from us, but her life which led up to it. The manner of her last season I have outlined above, but it is worth looking back beyond that.

Her mother died in labour bearing her fifth child, a son who did not survive (midwifery among the Rhiconicfhear is very poor). Of her two sisters, the younger, Atienan, was killed in a fall from her horse. The middle sister, Ceathran, was expelled from the clan. She eventually made her way to the Iachaorachaorusduadh, and consequently I was able to discover her story from our sisters among them. However, her survival is, we must presume, unknown to Aonan.

Of her four personal companions, one was killed on their way to the place, and the other three appear to have been taken by the Coiremhiconicfhearchaorusduadh. Her surviving brother, and her father, were killed in a recent skirmish. As Rhiconicfhear maidens are never allowed to talk with any man other than a brother, and it is unlikely that she knew well any woman other than her immediate family and those companions, Aonan had lost everyone to whom she had any chance of being personally close.

We should not wonder that, at the end, she chose to take her own life. That being so, we must see the God's decision to make use of her body, rather than that of someone still vital, as yet another sign of His love for all His children.

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