{(set: $favour to 0)
(set: $speciality to "")}
The Cerulean Rishi will arrive today and you’re off to a bad start.
Lesson 1: Staying up all night feeling sorry for oneself does not improve one’s mood.
Lesson 2: The consumption of an entire bottle of liquor, no matter how holy or ceremonial, will always result in a hangover.
Perhaps you should include those in your next sermon.
You [[struggle out of your bedsheets]].The noon sun pours into your Sleep Prism, casting holy Rainbows over your sparse furnishings. The light makes your head hurt.
That was your first blasphemous thought of the day. You must not permit yourself more.
There won’t //be// a next sermon if you fail to impress the Cerulean Rishi.
“Guruji,” he said (the bastard, using your honorifics), “consider this not a demotion, but a test. Show us that your devotion to the Spectrum remains unaffected by your...transgressions.”
A second blasphemy. One must not refer to Rishis as bastards, regardless of how much they deserve it.
You hurry into your robes. Mauve, like when you first emerged from the Temple, [[a decade ago]].
Unfurling like a flag, bouyant, peacock-proud, you strode out of the Mandir into the welcoming light of a new future, a freshly anointed Guru.
Your faith shone like a beacon, mauve for now, but soon — you were certain — cobalt, then cerulean, jade, xanthic, perhaps even — in hushed, private thoughts — saffron and then scarlet...
Your faith eclipsed your secret, crushed it like a cochineal beetle in a mortar. You forgot, of course, about the stain it would leave.
You immersed yourself in:
[[Rituals of the Spectrum]]
[[Dispensing Advice]]
(set: $speciality to "rituals")
Multi-hued lanterns. Sacred Oils. Hymns.
You did it all, diligently. The rhythmic patterns helped you think, helped you contemplate the Spectrum.
The Cobalt Guru who oversaw your first Lighthouse soon put you in charge of all the daily rites, leading the other Mauve Gurus. He praised the “spectral resonance” you brought to the space.
You never quite figured out what he meant by that.
[[Enough nostalgia, for now]].
(set: $speciality to "penance")
Penitents would ask fo you by name. Whatever the penance you set, they would leave confession radiant with light and truth.
The Cobalt Guru who oversaw your first Lighthouse called you his “Gold Hummingbird”.
You were never quite sure if that was a compliment.
[[Enough nostalgia, for now]].Backwater Lighthouses in the colonies don’t get a retinue of freshly-minted Mauve Gurus to help with upkeep.
The place is a mess. Unlike petitioners and pilgrims, who will only see the Foyer and the High Prism, the Cerulean Rishi will want to inspect everything.
“Disorder inhibits the passage of Light,” he always said. Bastard. (You’ve already blasphemed once by insulting him, so more shouldn’t hurt).
You tidy up. It does little to ease the pounding in your skull.
You haven’t worn Mauve in a half a decade, so the daily rites are a bit hazy. The fact that you’ve been lax about observing them during your Tapasya doesn’t help. But the Rishi will know if you missed them today. The Rishis always know.(if: $speciality is "rituals")[
To think such rituals used to be your area of expertise...]
You're going to have to [[consult the Book of Chroma]].
In the High Prism, all is multi-hued. The glow of the the Spectrum warms you. Yours is a tiny Lighthouse on some forgotten corner of the map; yet the Book of Chroma, refracted, reflected, and redirected all the way from the Scarlet Mandir, remains clear and bright.
You let the light wash over you, wash over your soul. It even eases your hangover.
Somewhat.
You don’t have much time, so you had better be fast.
Filling you with its hues, [[the Book of Chroma beckons|Check Book of Chroma]].
(set: $time to 60)
<span class="on-top">
(text-colour: "red")[''You have |amount>[$time] seconds left.'']
[''Withdraw from the Book'']<DoneReading|
(click-goto: ?DoneReading,"Your time is up" )
{(live: 1s)[
(set: $time to it - 1)
(if: $time is 0)[(go-to: "Your time is up")]
(replace: ?amount)[$time]
]}
</span>
(display:"The Book of Chroma"){(set: $rites to 1)
(set: $order1 to false)
(set: $order2 to false)
(set: $order3 to false)}
You have to hurry.
You can probably manage about four Rites before the Rishi arrives.
[[Review your list of Rites]]
(set: $rites to $rites+1)
You sit cross-legged on the floor of your Sleep Prism.
“Feed all your thoughts to the rainbow,” you remember the Mauve Rishi saying.
But even your favourite Rishi’s voice can’t dull the //thump-thump// in your brain.
You try to focus on one hue, and contemplate its meaning, but it keeps morphing into the Cerulean Rishi’s disapproving face.
Bastard.
[[Review your list of Rites]]{
(if: $rites is 3)[(set: $order3 to true)]
(set: $rites to $rites+1)
}
Thank the Spectrum your singing ability was never graded at the Mauve Mandir.
Several birds fly off the balcony in disapproval.
You break into a hacking cough at least twice, but manage to complete the hymns. Barely.
The Lighthouse definitely feels <em>brighter</em> after your singing.
Right?
[[Review your list of Rites]]{
(if: $rites is 1)[(set: $order1 to true)]
(set: $rites to $rites+1)
}
The most tedious of rites. You light each lamp one by one.
Spectrum knows you have little time for the grace and dignity this rite deserves, so you bound up and down the stairs swinging the lamps high above your head, hoping you catch every corner with each hue.
Even the one up-and-down trip takes it out of you. You can’t remember how you ever found the energy for seven.
//Endless Grey//, everything hurts. (Swearing in a Lighthouse is only a minor blasphemy. And a Guru should be allowed, right?).
[[Review your list of Rites]](set: $rites to $rites+1)
“Manic” is probably a better descriptor than “ecstatic” but you finish the required movements as best you can.
The pounding hangover provides an uncomfortable rhythm for your motions.
[[Review your list of Rites]]{
(if: $rites is 2)[(set: $order2 to true)]
(set: $rites to $rites+1)
}
You can’t find your ladles, so you stick your fingers in the first jar and smear the oil on yourself.
Of course, that means your oily fingers drop the second jar.
The crack rips through the air like the Rishi’s disappointment made manifest.
[[Review your list of Rites]][
[[Meditate]]
[[Sing the Polychrome Hymns]]
[[Light the Seven Lamps]]
[[Perform an Ecstatic Dance]]
[[Apply the Oils of Cleansing]]]<Choices|
(if: $rites is 5)[(go-to: "Rishi Arrives")]
{(if: $order1 is true and $order2 is true and $order3 is true)[(set:$favour to 1)]
(if: $favour is 1)[You did the rites well enough, you think...]
(else:)
[You're not sure that was //entirely// right, but you have no more time to dwell on that.]
}
A quick dip in an icy bathtub, a hurried galumph towards the foyer as you scramble into your best robes, and the Cerulean Rishi is here.
He looks resplendent, as usual, as he emerges from his craft.
He eyes you up and down and is that...pity?
Finally, in the High Prism, he regards you.
“Guruji,” he says (Bastard), “I trust your Tapasya has been...redemptive?”
Has it?
[[You nod graciously.]]
So many things.
But one question burrows its way out of your mouth before the others have a chance.
“How is Mehdi doing, Rishiji?”
The Cerulean Rishi’s eyes narrow.
His footsteps linger long after he’s left.
You’d forgotten that he could lace even his footsteps with disapproval.
The rainbow hues of the sunset infuse the High Prism with gorgeous colour, and yet you feel hollow.
END OF PART I
[[Begin Part II |Part 2 Title]]
Either way, he does not appear terribly impressed.
{
(if: $favour is 1)[“I see that you’ve been keeping up with the Rites, at least...”]
(else:)
[“From the state of how you’ve been handling the Rites, it would appear not...I am disappointed.”]
}
He pauses to sniff (rather dramatically).
“I will return with the Jade Rishi at the end of the week. He will be the one to pronounce final judgement. I hope you take the rest of the week to...apply yourself as assiduously as possible to your duties.”
You nod. How well you handle your duties over the week will be observed, it seems.
“Do you have anything you’d like to [[ask me before I take my leave]]?”
(align: "=><==")[''Book 6
Precept 5'']
And to All Gurus of the Mandir
Mauve, lowest yet not least
Noble Cobalt,
Cerulean, whose devotion is ever rising,
Jade, seeking higher truths
Those of Xanthic, of unshakeable faith,
Sacred Saffron
And to Scarlet also,
These words should act as a guide to aid in the maintenance of the spiritual health of the community.
(text-style: "underline")[On the Nightly Prayer]<Chap1|
(click: ?Chap1)[Guru!
The Spectrum and its goodness must be cast wide so that all may glory its splendour!
Yours is a holy charge: Against the darkness you must be a bulwark! When the light fades, yours is the duty to keep alight the flame of Spectral Zeal through prayer.
Recite the Prayer of Night, O Pious Painter, once, nay, thrice, nay, sevenfold, we exhort! For seven is the number of the Spectrum, and in seven we find holiness.]
(text-style: "underline")[On the Quotidian Acts of Devotion]<Chap2|
(click: ?Chap2)[Humble Guru, wise Guru
To sanctify your place of worship we offer these rites, whose careful and assiduous observation leads to holiness.
If you rank among those of the lowest, yet not least, of Mauve, you must first wash the walls of the holy place with the glorious light of the Seven Lamps! Let each corner be illuminated by monochrome light as you traverse the holy space!
If you rank among the Jade, you must instead begin with contemplation. Quiet exploration of your inner mind leads to truth.
The first rite is followed by anointing oneself with the Oils of Cleansing, to purify oneself for the third rite.
For the third, unless you don the Mauve, the Ecstatic Dance, so dear to our bodies, must be observed! Those of the Least must instead sing the Polychrome Hymns, lest the furor of the dance overcome their bodies at this stage of the daily devotions.
A fourth rite must also be observed! If it is a feastday, a nourishing broth must be distributed to those in need so too they may have sustenance with which to seek the Spectrum. And if it not a feastday, Guru, a free decision you must make on what form your fourth rite does take!]
(text-style: "underline")[On Penance and Atonement]<Chap3|
(click: ?Chap3)[Hark, O Guru!
The path to multihued goodness is not direct, but shadowed, labyrinthine, and difficult. Yet, it is not unforgiving, for what is a person if not fallible before the Spectrum?
O Guru, guide those lead astray by the dark and grey! Much as the trellis guides the vines, so too must you offer penance as structure and support.
The penance you prescribe will be as such.
''To the penitent whose mind is clouded with doubt'', seek to offer kindness. Counsel them to recite the Prayer of Night not seven-fold, but seven-fold that also, for a period no less than one month. Thus shall doubt be cast aside.
''From the penitent who seeks the pleasures of the flesh by way of fruits of a tumescent nature'', demand an abstinence from the consumption of meat for a week, and a half-day fast for three days after. Recommend cold juices to cool the blood.
''To the penitent who has sought heresy'', you must act as the cauterizing iron. Burn away all traces of grey! You must recommend a fast of fruit and water for a period of no less than seven months. You must insist on daily painting, to be displayed at their abode.
''To those who clothe themselves in but a single hue on a feastday'', you will ordain service rendered to the Mandir for the duration of a one day and one night.
''To the man who seeks the embrace of another man'', you must be swift, lest the weed of this unfortunate desire blossoms. A Guru with such a trespass must be stripped of rank, while a penitent must be isolated, sent into the wilds to contemplate propriety for a period of no less than seven months
''To penitents that peddle false idols and relics of the Spectrum'', prescribe the Ecstatic Dance, to be performed every morning and every night for the period of one month. Urge chastity for that period also.]
<span class="save">{(if: (saved-games:) contains "Slot A")[
(link: "Resume from an Earlier Save?")[(load-game:"Slot A")]
]}
</span>
<div style="text-align:center;clear:both;">
''The Book of Chroma
by Sharang Biswas''
//Part I//
[[Wake Up]].
</div>{(set: $prayer to "")}
You were ten years old when you discovered Brilliance.
Baba was religous in the way that ordinary folk were. It was never about piety or belief. The Lighthouse was just there, the way the trees were just there. When the leaves fell, one swept them. When one’s son came of age, one took him to the Lighthouse.
You [[felt differently]].At the Mauve Mandir, Mehdi once Wove you a poem. The talent for Weaving light was rare, so while you INSERTTEXT, Mehdi would be secreted away by a Saffron Guru, to learn arcane and holy arts. The talent would have no doubt propelled him all the way to Scarlet.
Is it bad that you've forgotten the poem? That you only remember the feeling the poem brought you? The feeling of when your craft got caught in a fast-moving current, propelling you up and up until you //burst// through the thermocline into crystal-cold waters...
Technically, one wasn’t supposed to use such talents for “quotidian” uses. A small blasphemy to mask the bigger sin the two of you were committing.
It’s probably best to [[stop thinking of Mehdi]]...
{(if: $speciality is "rituals") [(replace: "INSERTTEXT")[oversaw the daily rituals]]
(else:) [(replace: "INSERTTEXT")[spoke with pilgrims about their problems]]
}The Rishi has just left, but Jade will be paying you a visit soon. As if attention from Cerulean weren’t enough.
{
(if:$favour is 0)[You messed up with the rituals, there’s no doubt about that, You’ll need to do a better job if you want to impress the Rishis and be reinstated to your old position. A far better job.]
(else:)[At least you didn’t completely mess up. Your rituals seemed to be in order. That should help, right?]
}
Speaking of rituals, the horizon is a deep bronze and it’s [[time for the evening prayer]].You were ten years old when you entered a Lighthouse for the first time.
From the moment you entered the foyer, with its warm tapestries and glowing lamps, you were dazzled.
In the High Prism, the Guru stood tall and dignified.(click-append: "dignified")[. His sermon settled against you like a blanket, heavy with wisdom, but softened by the reassurance that the Spectrum would illuminate your soul]
The view through the crystal walls was breathtaking.(click-append: "breathtaking")[: ocean as far as the eye could see. The faint shadow of your village in the distance, bubbling contentedly under the surface]
And the people!(click-append: "people")[! You’d met folks from neighbouring villages from time to time, but never so many in one place]
As they sang with you, as you all sang with one voice, illuminated by the cobalt light of the altar, you felt [[Brilliant]].
This was where you belonged, here, in the Lighthouse.
A boy you thought you recognized from school gave you a shy wave. His smile was bright.
You were ten years old when you started [[looking at boys differently]].With the stress of the day, it's probably a good idea to refresh your memory. {
(if:$favour is 0)[You've messed up enough today as it is.]
(else:)[You did the rituals well enough, but with the Jade Rishi coming, you wouldn't want to press your luck.]
}
The altar warms your fingertips. Woven light straight from the Crimson Mandir wells up within you and the [[Book of Chroma brightens]].(set: $time to 60)
<span class="on-top">
(text-colour: "red")[''You have |amount>[$time] seconds left.'']
[''Withdraw from the Book'']<DoneReading|
(click-goto: ?DoneReading,"Start Prayer" )
{(live: 1s)[
(set: $time to it - 1)
(if: $time is 0)[(go-to: "Start Prayer")]
(replace: ?amount)[$time]
]}
</span>
(display:"The Book of Chroma")Wow, you can't find the actual prayer itself. Have you fallen that far out of favour from Scarlet? At least you know how many times to recite it...?
You'll have to improvise something...
(display: "Verse 1")
{
(set: $line1 to "O Radiant Spectrum! This Guru begs for your guidance and blessing...")
(set: $line2 to "Glory to the Spectrum and those illumined by Its light...")
(set: $line3 to "Scarlet Mandir, hear my call...")
}
How did it begin? Mehdi would know.
How is his Tapasya doing? Did he get demoted too?
//Endless grey//, the Cerulean Rishi is a bastard.
You've decided you don't care about the particular blasphemy of swearing at a Rishi.
Anyway, the Prayer:
"[[$line1 |Prayer 1a]]"
"[[$line2 |Prayer 1b]]"
"[[$line3 |Prayer 1c]]"okay...
Then there's a chant about...about //darkness//, yes, followed by...
Lovely, warm darkness, with Mehdi's skinny frame nestled in your arms, shivering not with cold but—
Stop! Prayer! Now!
{
(set: $line1 to "From this shadow, we beseech you, O Spectrum! Deliver us...")
(set: $line2 to "Faith and adherence to Duty will guide us out of the labyrinth of the night...")
(set: $line3 to "Through the Mandir and the wisdom of the Rishis do we find Light...")
}
"[[$line1 |Prayer 2a]]"
"[[$line2 |Prayer 2b]]"
"[[$line3 |Prayer 2c]]"{(set: $prayer to it+"
//Mumble Mumble Mumble...//
"+$line1)
}
(display: "Verse 3"){(set: $prayer to it+"
//Mumble Mumble Mumble...//
"+$line2)
}
(display: "Verse 3"){(set: $prayer to it+"
//Mumble Mumble Mumble...//
"+$line3)
}
(display: "Verse 3"){(set: $prayer to it+$line1)}
(display: "Verse 2"){(set: $prayer to it+$line2)}
(display: "Verse 2"){(set: $prayer to it+$line3)}
(display: "Verse 2")And then after another verse, the prayer ends.
Much like you and Mehdi ended. You were bound to be caught, even if it was years later.
After your formal induction and assignments—him to the Xanthic Mandir, you to a Lighthouse—fleeting trysts during pilgrimages and the sporadic Melas you could travel to were all you had. Perhaps it was for the best that you were caught before your "relationship" inevitably petered out...
How does the prayer end, again?
{
(set: $line1 to "Praise be to the Spectrum, under whose Hallowed Light we seek to be worthy!")
(set: $line2 to "Let us, as one people, spread joy, thanks, and Brilliance!")
(set: $line3 to "May we all find solace and comfort in this Lighthouse!")
}
"[[$line1 |Prayer 3a]]"
"[[$line2 |Prayer 3b]]"
"[[$line3 |Prayer 3c]]"
{(set: $prayer to it+"
//Mumble Mumble Mumble...//
"+$line1)
}
Okay, you should have a [[passable prayer]]...{(set: $prayer to it+"
//Mumble Mumble Mumble...//
"+$line2)
}
Okay, you should have a [[passable prayer]]...{(set: $prayer to it+"
//Mumble Mumble Mumble...//
"+$line3)
}
Okay, you should have a [[passable prayer]]...The first time you intoned a full prayer at an altar, you had been standing in the Mauve Mandir's Roshan Griha, facing your entire cohort of fellow acolytes.
"Back straight," the Mauve Rishi said sharply. "Give the prayer the dignity it deserves!"
Mehdi grinned at you from the back of your audience. His hair was messy. Mehdi had lovely hair, wild and dark like the corals at night—
"Spread your fingertips!" The Rishi's voice cut in. "You're not a vulture gripping a carcass!"
But when you delivered the prayer faultlessly, you earned a nod and a smile from the Rishi, and more importantly, a [[wink from Mehdi]].
(set: $prayerCount to 1)
(text-colour: "black")["$prayer"]
Repeat the verses.
{
(click: "Repeat the verses")
[
(replace: "Repeat the verses")[(text-colour: "black")[$prayer]]
(set: $prayerCount to it+1)
(display: "Repeat the Verses Function")
]
}
You think that's enough times? [[Finish the Prayer]]{
(if: $prayerCount is 7)[(set: $favour to it+1)Yes, that's right. //For Seven is the Number of the Spectrum and in seven we find Holiness.// You didn't mess it up this time!]
(else:)[That wasn't right, was it? Did you miscount? Did you forget? Either way you've messed this up.]
}
"Don't //stray// again," the Cerulean Rishi had hissed, his words rimed with frost.
{
(if: $favour is 0)[Your mistakes are accumulating. He won't be pleased when he returns with the Jade Rishi.]
(if: $favour is 1)[Hopefully, he'll see that your blunders are balanced out by the things you managed to get right.]
(if: $favour is 2)[You've made very few mistakes during your Tapasya. He'll see that, won't he?]
}
You drag yourself back to your bed before you can dwell too long on the blasphemy of whether or not you still care what the Rishis think.
It's only in dreams that you can see Mehdi again, after all.
END OF PART II
[[Begin Part III |Part 3 Title]]
Repeat the verses.
{
(click: "Repeat the verses")
[
(replace: "Repeat the verses")[(text-colour: "black")[$prayer]]
(set: $prayerCount to it+1)
(display: "Repeat the Verses Function")
]
}You need to stop. These memories are painful.
Just try and make the right repetitions, yes?
The altar begins to hum with a cobalt light. The colour no-longer surprises you as it did during the start of your Tapasya. Perhaps you've grown used to your new lot?
You [[intone the words once]].<div style="text-align:center;clear:both;">
''The Book of Chroma
by Sharang Biswas''
//Part II//
[[A Memory|Part 2 Begin]].
</div>In the mauve light of the altar, the woman's tears sparkle like clumps of bioluminescent algae.
At the end of your first year at the Mauve Mandir, Mehdi wove you a a poem in the form of a shimmering rainfall of mauve sparkles. They fell gently, each drop on your skin blossoming into a line of of verse—
"—and thus, Guruji, I beg of you to recommend Penance!" she ends. She bites her lip, as if to keep it from wobbling.
Oh. Right. [[Your duty]].Dressed in pure white, back straight, the woman cuts the figure of a perfect penitent. Hear tear-stained cheeks and strained voice seem to indicate genuine remorse.
{
(if: $speciality is "rituals")[You never were that great with dispensing advice...]
(if: $speciality is "penance")[But this is what you're good at, isnt't it? Seeing penitents? Weren't you the "Gold Hummingbird"? (And no, your Tapasya still hasn't illuminated what that Cobalt Guru meant...)]
}
"Behenji—"
She's older than your Ma, but to a Guru, everyone is a Bhai or Behen.
"—you 'acted on lustful feelings', is that right?"
"I used oil of ambergris and fucus to woo a man!" she wails.
[["Do you love him?"]]
[["What did he have to say about this?"]]
She shivers.
"I don't, know, Guruji! Can a woman my age be in love?"
"Rest assured, Behenji, anyone can love."
Can they? Can you? The Cerulean Rishi certainly told you you can't. Not in the way you want to.
"I'm so ashamed." she sobs, "He's only in his thirties—a baby, really. But he has these strong hands, and his wetsuit clings so tightly that I can't help but admire his—"
"-yes, yes, I think I understand!"
"I scented my flesh for a man! Please, can I be absolved of this sin?"
You know what you're //supposed// to do first. See [[what the Book of Chroma has to say]].Her eyes widen as if startled by the qeustion.
"I wouldn't dare confess my feelings to him, Guruji! I don't want anyone to ever find out!"
You can relate. Except that you never confessed to a Guru and you //were// found out.
"He's the Principal of my Scavenge Team and each day I see him, my heart races with secret longing! My stomach clenches and blood rushes straight down to my—"
"—Thank you, Behenji! I understand!"
"I scented my flesh for a man! Please, how can I be absolved of this sin?"
You know what you're //supposed// to do first. See [[what the Book of Chroma has to say]].(set: $time to 60)
<span class="on-top">
(text-colour: "red")[''You have |amount>[$time] seconds left.'']
[''Withdraw from the Book'']<DoneReading|
(click-goto: ?DoneReading,"The woman waits" )
{(live: 1s)[
(set: $time to it - 1)
(if: $time is 0)[(go-to: "The woman waits")]
(replace: ?amount)[$time]
]}
</span>
(display:"The Book of Chroma")The woman looks at you expectantly as the mauve light fades away.
When you found Brilliance, all those years ago with your father, you trusted in the teachings of the Spectrum completely.
Then you met Mehdi.
Do you believe the woman deserves penance? She certainly seems to belive so herself.
If you don't prescribe the right penance, the (bastard) Cerulean Rishi will know. And tonight is when he arrives to judge you.
If your blasphemous thoughts show on your face, the woman doesn't appear to notice. She trusts you and will do as you advise.
[["Abstain from meat and fast for a half-day following that."|Wrong Answer Perfume]]
[["Recite the nightly prayer forty-nine times each night for a month."|Wrong Answer Perfume]]
[["Eat only fruit and water for seven months. And paint daily."|Correct Answer Perfume]]
[["Fire. Your sin must be cauterized by a burning brand."|Extreme Answer Perfume]]
[["You do not have to do any penance. The Spectrum forgives."]]
The woman takes a step back in surprise.
"But Guruji, I sinned!"
"So you have said, Behenji. But the Spectrum understands. Those who act out of love are not punished by the Spectrum."
"They aren't?"
You're feeling:
[[Reckless]]
[[Satisfied]]The woman nods uncertainly.
Was that right? Did you corectly interpret The Book?
"I will do as you say, Guruji," she whispers. "But will it help? Will it stop the impure urges?"
Honestly, you're not sure. Especially if you prescribed the wrong penance.
You nod, you hope, with sufficient solemnity, not trusting yourself to say anything.
"Spectrum Illumine You," she intones [[as she departs|Woman Dismissed]].The woman sucks in a breath.
Err...Was that too extreme? //Endless grey//, you made a mistake in your interpretations, didn't you?
The woman nods slowly.
"Yes, Guruji," she whispers, "yes, that sounds right. For such a mortification of the flesh, the flesh itself must be purified.'
Her voice wavers. She trembles. She will do as you recommended. For better or for worse.
You hope it's not for worse.
Your hopes have a habit of dying.
"Spectrum Illumine You," she intones [[as she departs|Woman Dismissed]].
{(set: $favour to it+1)}
The woman nods exuberantly.
"Yes, Guruji, yes! I will fast! I will paint! I will think only about the Chroma! I'll pay extra tithes to the Lighthouse! I will—"
"—Very, good Behenji!" you interrupt.
She certainly believes she deserves the Penance you gave her. It's what The Book recommends, so //maybe// it'll do her some good.
That "maybe" was blasphemy, wasn't it?
"Spectrum Illumine You," she intones [[as she departs|Woman Dismissed]].You shake your head.
"No, Behenji. The Spectrum celebrates love!"
You find your voice strengthening.
"In fact, I think you should tell this man how you feel. Find him in private and confess. If he isn't amenable, then at least you were honest, and I'm sure he won't hold it against you. If on the other hand, he is..."
You let it hang. The woman bites her lip.
//Endless grey//, you've sinned horribly. But you've begun to think new thoughts, begun to question your old thoughts. Your Tapasya //has// been doing you good.
The woman is smiling unabashedly.
"Spectrum Illumine You, Guruji," she intones [[as she departs|Woman Dismissed]].You did the right thing, didn't you?
But you don't have much time to linger on that.
No sooner have her footsteps padded away, when your next penitent hurries into the High Prism.
You're tired.
You begin.
[["Bhai, what brings you to the Lighthouse?"]]
You shake your head.
"Just...maybe don't do it again."
The woman's smile is warm. You willfully went against the Book of Chroma, but for now, her smile is warm.
"Spectrum Illumine You," she intones [[as she departs|Woman Dismissed]].He stands before the altar, shoulders slumped, eyes downcast.
He's fourteen or fifteen.
His hands are balled into fists at his side.
His penitence gown is too small on him.
His hair is unkempt.
He swallows.
[[He is terrified]].
The two of you swim in silence, treading unspoken words.
"Give the penitent time," the Mauve Rishi's advice echoes in your memory. "They're at the Lighthouse to heal, not to chase down a wild shark."
It's a good thing Mehdi left for the Xanthic Mandir. Patience was not his strongest suit. He would been awful at comforting penitents at a Lighthouse.
A good thing Mehdi left you.
A good thing.
"My Baba told me to come and seek forgiveness for my sins," the boy finally says in a rush.
He didn't begin with the customary words. His voice carries the hoarseness of puberty, but the slight tremor you hear isn't part of that.
His next words cause you to jerk your hands away from the altar as though it's caustic.
He says, [["I kissed another boy."]]
"I kissed another boy."
Kissed another boy.
[[Kissed—]]...and a single verse is all that comes to you.
//''To the man who seeks the embrace of another man'', you must be swift, lest the weed of this unfortunate desire blossoms. A Guru with such a trespass must be stripped of rank, while a penitent must be isolated, sent into the wilds to contemplate propriety for a period of no less than seven months.//
You should be questioning the boy. Asking him about how he feels. Prescribing penance.
[[But you cannot]]. Colours whirl and you can't stop them can't stop them—
Silver (click-append: "Silver")[ fish glimmer among the dark corals and your celebration robes are far too tight and Offering Wine lingers on your tongue and Mehdi's breath smells of sweetened kombu and his body feels like it's sparking electricity and you can't think you can't think because he is asking if he can kiss you—]
Black (click-append: "Black")[ness encloses you and warm tears stream into your ears and your sobs are choked back because you don't want to wake the other acolytes and you don't want to let go of Brilliance because you do believe you believe so fiercely your faith burns like acid on your tongue but how can how can how can you be—]
Grey(click-append: "Grey")[ is all you see on Mehdi's face and you want to hold him because he is shaking in his xanthic robes and you taste bile as the Cerulean Rishi's harsh rebuke continues—]
Almost as an escape, [[you reach for the Book of Chroma]]...You have a choice.
When you were ten, you found Brilliance among the refracted morning sunbeams in your local Lighthouse.
When you were twenty-five, you found love in shadowed, colourless corners of the Mauve Mandir.
When you were thirty, you were stripped of you rank and banished to the colonies to think on your sins.
The Rishis of Jade and Cerulean will arrive tonight to judge your fitness to remain a Guru.
What is your choice?
You have come too far to give up on Brilliance now. [[You will face the Rishis]].
The Rishis be damned to Grey, you cannot do this anymore. [[You'd rather leave on your own terms than be formally Obscured]].
(colour: #000000)[
Your Principal ends the shift early today.
"It's the Mela," he explains as he removes his diving gear. Even though his hair has been trapped under a helmet, it's ridiculously messy, as though someone has been running his fingers through it for the last hour.
A painful pang of memory causes you to look away.
The others in your Scavenge Team murmur in excitment. The Mela is expected to be extra special this year. Apparently, a Rishi will be there.
Your Principal asks you if you want to accompany him to the Mela.
You decline politely. You don't like being alone with him. And besides, you haven't stepped foot in a Lighthouse since your disastrous Tapasya, since you were Obscured by the Cerulean Rishi.
He doesn't know this, of course. He thinks you're standoffish. Or maybe that you're private.
Alone at home you soak your aching muscles in a warm tub and try to mutter a prayer to the Spectrum.
You don't know what to say.
THE END
[[Play Again?|Title]]
]As the last of the penitents leave, your shoulders slump. It's been a long day.
Aamit looks concerned.
"Guruji, are you well? Should I bring your meal to your Sleep Prism?"
You nod in thanks.
He's a good Adjunct. Fresh from the Mauve Mandir and eager to prove himself, he's also genuinely caring. Does he know about your past? Does he know that the Guru he was assigned to assist scraped through a Tapasya?
At least you //have// an Adjunct. You were worried the Cerulean Rishi would hold a grudge and leave you to fend for yourself. Or maybe the bastard deliberately picked someone handsome to see if you'd slip.
You won't. That's—that's behind you.
Yes.
Sleep comes fitfully. You dream of babbling old women and sorry-looking men. You dream of lamps yet to be lit, oils yet to be applied. You dream of hair, dark and wild—like the night sky that only you Gurus get to see— but that dream fades quickly.
In the morning you awake before dawn and begin your chores well before Aamit.
You chose the life of Brilliance.
It's what you've wanted since you were ten.
Isn't it?
THE END
[[Play Again?|Title]](colour: #000e22)[
The Cerulean Rishi will arrive today and you’re off to a bad start.
You've lit the lamps. You've applied the oils, you've done all the necessary rituals but the Lighthouse is a complete mess and you doubt there's any more time.
Your scramble into your most formal robes. They're still rumpled and stained from your sermon to the Scavengers yesterday.
Aamit rushes into your Sleep Prism. Naturally, your Adjunct looks resplendent. Since your elevation to Cobalt and Aamit's arrival fresh from the Mauve Mandir, he's been both helpful and annoyingly well put together.
"Guruji, the craft has arrived," he says breathlessly. "It's—it's trailing Saffron banners!"
What?
//Endless infitine omnipresent grey//, you were only expecting the Cerulean bastard. What on earth brought //Saffron// upon you?
You'll find out soon enough, in the [[High Prism]].
]
{(set: $time to 3)}
//One Year later...//
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//One Year later...//
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(colour: #000e22)[You collect yourself. You're a Guru of Cobalt. You did spendidly during your Tapasya. You're getting promoted again.
You have nothing to fear.
Do you?
By your side, Aamit's hands are clasped behind his back. He only does that when he's nervous.
The Cerulean Rishi flounces in. Judging from his expression, he's not too happy about your promotion. If you believe the rumours Aamit gathered on his last jaunt to the Mauve Mandir, the higher-ups were impressed by your piety this past year.
Except...there's something else. The Cerulean Rishi refuses to meet your gaze.
"May I introduce," he says coldly, "His Excellency, the Saffron Rishi."
It's the hair that you notice first. Wild and dark, like a shark surging through the waves, like a coral reef at midnight...
"Guruji," Mehdi says warmly, "I'd like to congratulate you on your promotion. I've heard you have some new ideas. The Saffron Mandir is very interested in what you have to say."
THE END
[[Play Again?|Title]]
]<div style="text-align:center;clear:both;">
''The Book of Chroma
by Sharang Biswas''
//Part III//
[[The High Prism|Part 3 Begin]]
</div>(enchant: ?page, (text-colour: white) + (background: black))(colour: #FFFFFF)[
You haven't been to you local Lighthouse since you abandoned Brilliance.
But today is special. Today is a Mela. The Saffron Rishi himself will be there.
The Lighthouse is packed with celebrants. The line for penitants extends out of the building itself but you're patient.
It gives you time to think about the past year. For the most part, it's been good. In an interstitial colony such as this, people don't pry into your past, don't ask questions about your old job. Even though you're no longer a Guru, your training at the Mandir allowed you to rise quickly and in a short year, you became the Deputy Principal of a Research Team.
You sometimes sneak the Principal into a dark corner of the Repair Complex and make him gasp and moan your name.
It's been good.
It's finally your turn. [[You approach the saffron light of altar]].
]{(enchant: "?Page", (background: #000000))}
(colour: #FFFFFF)[
"Spectrum Illumine you, Rishiji," you intone, before the Saffron Rishi has a chance to speak.
A sharp intake of breath.
You smile.
"Bhai, what—err—what brings you to the Lighthouse?" Mehdi stammers in reply.
THE END
[[Play Again?|Title]]
]