O0o 16 Grace At The Cathedral

The handing out of goods took place at the cathedral Halian had told Jules about. The people didn't shove or act greedy, just desperate. They were sick and slow. The cold, and their health, kept them from being pushy. Other things, too, probably. Jules didn't know their whole deal. He only saw that their hope for betterment didn't quite match their various hungers. And, he was moved to deep, abiding pity for their sake. He knew what it was to feel cold. He knew what an aching, empty belly could do to erode hope.

Jules noticed the quality of the clothing this veritable horde wore, was substandard; full of holes, and far too thin. Garments worn until they fell off, basically. He'd have to work hard getting clothing made. Also, the people seemed in need of things to carry their hand-outs. Baskets, bags, pots and pans.

????. These people were all so terribly in need. Broken. Jules's stomach heaved periodically with the stress of keeping a hopeful smile displayed. He wanted to break down, give in to spastic and violent shrieks against the sheer injustice.

Birth designation meant nothing in the lowest caste. The moment to moment needs were the important thing. Warmth, food, shelter, and the desire to be adequately clothed against the elements.

"Jules?" Felix shouted out from his cart, where he'd sat for two hours giving sick people basic medical care. Working hard, dirty, and quick, too, from what Jules had noticed. "I need your help, Jules!"

Jules put down his stack of blankets and went over quickly. Felix had a rag-bundled baby in his hands, and a woman on the ground at his feet, far too motionless to be alive. Jules crouched, his heart falling, and felt for a pulse. "She's gone," he said, rising. "Is that her child?"

The poor, poor thing. Dead from privation and ill use.

Felix's eyes were wet. "I..."

"Give her to me," Jules said, giving his friend an out. "You can't stop. Don't stop, Felix. These people need you." He carried the child with him to find Dasch.

"Dasch," Jules said. "Come over and look at this woman who died. See if you know her."

Dasch obediently followed Jules back to Felix's cart. He examined the woman's face, and nodded. "Her mam and pap died last winter," he said. "Baby belongs to some alpha stranger that pa.s.sed through near the same time. He ain't coming back." He bent down and picked up the woman. "I'll take her to the pauper's cemetery. There's already a pit dug for this winter's dead."

Jules pulled his cloak over the whimpering child, his heart aching. The kid wasn't even weened. Wouldn't know his or her mother. Wouldn't even have a proper grave to visit to see her. It wasn't fair, and it wasn't decent.

Jules went inside the cathedral with the child to get it out of the wind. He could do little else to minimize the baby's discomfort, for now.

As Jules looked around at the large, impressive building made of stone and colored windows, he felt a strange sort of peace settling over him. He walked up to the front, and found a bowl of water sitting out on a table. When he tested it with his finger, it proved to be warm. Probably because of a veritable wall of lit candles behind it.

Jules put the baby down on the strangely small table, and carefully unwrapped the filthy cloth from around it. A female child. She didn't have a diaper, but she hadn't soiled her wrap. Maybe seven months old. Dirty and thin. Eyes so blue they didn't look real. Like the sky in summer.

"I know I'm not your mom," Jules said. "I'm not gonna let anything happen to you, though." He put her in the water and began gently rubbing off weeks of dirt. "Someone must want a pretty girl like you, don't you worry, sweetheart."

She smiled at him, and weakly kicked her legs. The water probably felt good.

"I don't know what your momma named you, but I'm gonna call you 'Sky'," he said. "I'll bet you didn't know that this big building was fixed up by my alpha, Sky. He said it was for wors.h.i.+ping G.o.d and protecting the poor. Well, no offense, but you're pretty poor."

Sky giggled, and reached for him. She was so malnourished that the smallest movements cost her great amounts of energy.

Jules grinned even while his heart ached. He washed her head carefully. "Look at that. You're a redhead. Lucky you." He washed her as best he could, and braced her up one-handed in order to take off his cloak. He wrapped her up in it, knowing it wouldn't matter if she was a little damp, as his cloak was long and thick. "Now we have to find a way to feed you. Maybe that goat's milk Sphinx is getting will make you grow up big and strong, too."

When Jules turned, he saw Halian was standing right behind him. His eyes were sad, but also proud. "You baptized her, Jules," he said quietly. "The most honest baptismal I've ever seen."

"I don't know what you mean, Hal," Jules said. "She was dirty, and it was a good way to warm her up a little."

Halian nodded. "Let me see her."

Jules pa.s.sed the baby over.

Halian smiled, and touched Sky's cheek. She laughed, startlingly loud. "Oh, how precious she is," Halian murmured. "She can't go to the orphanage."

"Your mom wants more children," Jules said.

"My mother has Keita," Halian said. He put Sky down on a long, wooden bench, and took off his Cashmere long-coat. "Put my coat on, Jules. You and I are going back to the manor early."

"Bringing Lucien?" Jules asked.

"My brother is balled up in the bottom of our cart with a blanket over him, crying," Halian informed. "Yes, he's going back with us, too. It seems he got a lesson today in how rich he really is."
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In short order they were on their way home, Lucien driving. He sniffled miserably every so often, wiping his face. Halian held the baby, talking to her softly.

It seemed they flew home. Halian hopped out of the cart and walked directly for the back of the manor, Jules and Lucien following. They came in the kitchen door, and Halian immediately went toward Ellaine. "Ellaine," he said. "Would you like a baby?"

Jules groaned, and slapped his forehead. "Hal, you don't ask like that," he whispered as Ellaine gaped at them all.

"A baby?" Ellaine wiped her hands, and approached.

"Her mother died at Felix's feet, and she has no father," Halian said. "I didn't want her going to the orphanage. You once mentioned to me that you were sorry you couldn't have more children..." He handed Sky over. "You're the best person I know for raising children, and Bill is beyond reproach."

Ellaine peeled a flap of the cloak away to reveal the smiling, beautiful baby, and her face ??????. "You give her right to me," she said quickly. "I'll take care of this girl."

"Her name is Sky," Halian said happily, smiling.

"Of course her name is Sky," Ellaine said. "Oh, Bill is going to ???? being a father again. And Meg will be so ????? to get a sister. Our house will soon have the sound of running feet once more..." Ellaine's eyes welled up with tears. "Thank you, Halian." She clutched the baby close, and gave a little sob. "I need to go and get bottles ready, make a place, find Meg's crib..."

"Go," Halian said. "Jules and I will finish supper. Or, I'll take orders from Jules, as I have no idea how to cook." He kissed Ellaine's forehead. "Congratulations, you're a new mother."

Ellaine practically floated out the back door. Halian laughed a little bit, and sat down. "Well, that felt good," he announced. "I guess it's back to practicality now, though. What can I do to help with supper?"

Jules wiped his face, and started checking pots and pans, aware of Lucien just barely making a controlled fall to sit at his brother's feet. "She's got venison roasts, boiled potatoes and carrots already going. The bread's baking..." Jules checked the cold storage. "Let's cut up some apples. I'll show you how to make pie. Bill loves apple pie, and it would be a nice way to round off the news he's going to get."

"He already knows," Halian said. "He saw you take Sky, and told me that if you didn't want the baby, he did. That's how I knew where you'd gone." He reached down and patted Lucien's shoulder. "Luc, are you all right?"

"No," Lucien said. "I'm not. Those ??????, Halian..." His breathing hitched on a sob. "Why did I never notice them before? They're in every town and city in the world, and ? ????? ??? ????!" Balling up a little bit, he pushed his face against Halian's knee, s.h.i.+vering. "That woman ????. I ??? her go down. She died, and the baby would also have died, if you and Jules weren't there. All the blankets, food, and fish, don't mean ???? if they don't have shelter or medicine! They're dressed in rags, barefoot in winter!"

"Yes, I know," Halian said gently, stroking his brother's hair. "We do what we can, Luc."

"I've wasted more money on silk cravats than they've ever even seen in their lives," Lucien whispered. "I feel so... ??????! I thought Mother and Father were throwing money away when they donated to charity!"

Jules put the things out for making pie, and closed his eyes a moment. Lucien did have a heart, after all. That had to make Hal feel so much better.

"Why does he allow this?" Lucien asked. "Why is this part of his plan?"

"I don't know," Halian said in response to the strange questions. "I wish I could tell you, Luc."