5th Ashan, 722
After the last meeting with Mr Pendleton , Faith had set things in motion. So, now, it was time to speak to the people of Eureka. She had a meeting this afternoon, Mr Pendleton was coming here, but before that Faith had asked Alex to gather together the settlers in the Inn.
Things had been unsettled here, Faith knew, since she had returned from the Barriers, alone. Padraig and she had founded the settlement, but the lack of his presence was keenly felt and she knew, both because she was used to being in a situation where she was in charge and because she understood people at a fundamental level that the people here needed answers.
In truth, they weren't the only ones. She had waited, hoping that he would return, but he had not. There were reasons for that, she knew, and she held nothing but love for her husband in her heart. But, there was a bottom line and that was simple. He wasn't here. She was. Their children were. And, of course, the settlers were. And so, they couldn't remain in limbo, any one of them, and she couldn't ask them to wait any longer.
Looking at the Inn where they held their meetings and so on, Faith felt small. Her thumb found the wedding ring she wore, entwined leaves with the engagement ring nestled above it and she breathed in. That in-breath held a prayer for Padraig that she would see him again - that the children would. But the out-breath was one of determination. There was no question in Faith's mind - she could and would manage just fine. She had no choice, after all. She didn't want to and every inch of her ached with how much she missed him.
It was a punishment more cruel than any she had ever experienced, she thought with a soft smile which gave away nothing of how she felt. Considering her upbringing in the slave pens of Athart, that was saying something. But she was here and she had a job to do.
So, she got about doing it.
Stepping in to the Inn, she looked around and she saw that the people were already gathered. Her memory - granted to her by Vri - was good enough that she could greet them by name, ask after their families, mention small details. It was important, Faith knew, and more than that it made people feel like they were being given individual attention.
It was worth taking the time to do that and so, Faith did it. Each person - there weren't so many of them, all things considered. She'd spotted Alissa, her bodyguard, as she came in and she simply made her way around to her. The issue for Faith wasn't so much the settlers, per se, but the Quacian refugees who seemed to think that she was some kind of spiritual leader. It made her uncomfortable, but that was what they needed to do.
So, she said nothing more, and simply greeted each of them in the same way as she greeted everyone else.
When she was done, she moved and stood next to Alissa. She was short and hard to see, so Faith moved and sat on the bar. People were sitting here, either on chairs or on the floor, and so they could see her then. Looking around she considered that it was just like teaching a class. . Alissa sat next to her and what Faith spoke, Alissa signed in the Common Sign which had been used more and more in Eureka.
"Thank you all for coming," she said. "I'd like to talk to you about Eureka and where we're going to go." She smiled brightly. "The short answer is that we're going to undertake a very exciting project. But the longer answer, well, let me take a moment and I'll explain."
