Mother is right. The things of the spirit are more important than the flesh! She must be right!
She turned off the freeway and drove to the street listed on the pamphlet. She felt uneasy driving in this district; it was run down and full of warehouses, disreputable looking bars and luncheonettes. She felt the tips of her fingers grow cold as she drove slowly, looking for a parking place. She saw a small building, nestled in between two large, abandoned buildings; the glass-front door was draped from inside with blue velvet and there was a symbol glued to the glass, the same symbol that appeared on the pamphlet – a sort of dagger, with two rings at the top. When Marion saw it, she knew she must be at the right place. That symbol had fascinated her from the beginning. It seemed to have an irresistible pull all its own.
She parked the car, carefully locked it, and walked to the building, glancing furtively about. She reached the door and knocked timidly twice. There was no answer. She knocked again. The velvet behind the glass was pulled aside slightly, and Marion thought she could see an eye peering out at her. In the next moment, the door opened slowly, just a crack.
"Can I help you?"
It was a woman's voice, and from the sound of it Marion thought it was an older woman.
"Yes… yes," she said. "I'm looking for the headquarters of a group called Vallus?"
"You wish to be purified? You wish to be strengthened?"
At first Marion was puzzled by the questions, but then she realized that this was some sort of test, or ritual, and she was determined to make good.
"Yes," she said with assurance. "I do. I am a willing seeker."
Slowly the door opened. Before Marion stood a tall woman in her early forties, dressed in a robe of pure white with golden crescents scattered over it. The tightness of the robe revealed the woman's lush, curvaceous body beneath.
"I am Alida," she said, in a low, husky voice, "High Priestess of Vallus. Come in, my dear."
She stepped inside and Marion moved in as the door closed behind her. She found herself in a sort of office area. There was a desk, a few chairs, and pictures on the wall of ancient Gods of some sort. A huge picture, hung on the center of one of the walls, depicted a huge ancient God that seemed part-man, part-cat. The lower torso was definitely masculine, especially, Marion noted, blushing slightly, in regard to his sexual endowments. For this strange creature had an enormous penis and large balls dangling beneath. The penis was in a state of erection, and coming out of it, like a cornucopia, were all manner of animals, men, women, fruits, flowers, birds. It was a highly unusual picture, and Marion was completely taken by it. The top half of his torso was that of a cat, completely black, with pointed ears, whiskers and strange, hypnotic green eyes.
"That is our Lord and Master," Alida said seeing Marion's immediate fascination with the picture. "And yours, too?"
Marion turned to the woman, somewhat startled.
"Well, I think so. But I really came down to investigate first. I… I… mean… I'm sure I'll find it interesting but…"
Suddenly a flash of anger crossed Alida's face.
"We don't want dabblers here! This is not some kind of game for children you know! If you are interested in finding truth and the way, then you are welcome, but if you are here to laugh and waste our time, then please go!!" "No… no," Marion protested, cowed by Alida's fury. "Please, I'm very interested. I want to learn all I can. Please let me stay."
Alida stared at her coldly for a moment, then her face broke into a warm, motherly smile.
"Of course, my dear. I did not doubt you. But there are so many who are only fools and thrill-seekers. The true pilgrim is hard to find, but I do believe that you are one of them. You have a sincere tone to your voice that makes me believe you…"
Suddenly, she closed her eyes and threw her hands upwards as if in some kind of fit or revelation.
"OH!" she cried, startling Marion, "Vallus speaks to me! He speaks to me!"
There was a moment of silence, and Alida seemed to be listening to some kind of inner voice. Then she opened her eyes beaming at Marion.
"Oh, my dear," she said, ecstatic, "how very lucky you are! How very lucky! Vallus has chosen to speak to me about you! He says that you are to be trusted, that you were once a priestess, a High Priestess, who worshipped him in person… in person… centuries ago in Mesopotamia! Oh, my dear girl what a blessing it is to have you here at last!"
She knelt down and kissed the hem of Marion's dress. At first Marion was completely taken aback by what she was saying, but there was also a feeling of excitement she felt hearing all these exotic pronouncements. After all, perhaps it was true! Perhaps she was a priestess long ago. Hadn't her mother told her about reincarnation and things like that? And she had been compelled by that dagger-like symbol – perhaps that was another omen that she was meeting her destiny across the ages. Glancing again at the strange picture of Vallus, she felt her heart begin to pound wildly in her chest, she felt exalted… like a chosen creature… like a priestess!
Alida rose from her kneeling position before Marion, tears of happiness brimming in her eyes.
"This is the Day of Days, the day for which we have been waiting!"
"What do you mean," Marion asked.
"We, the disciples of Vallus, have known for months that we were to be visited by someone of great importance. But we didn't know when that person would come, or who it would be. But now! Now! At last the prophecy is fulfilled!"
She turned and moved to the door that appeared to lead to other rooms inside the building; she opened it and called inside.
"Raoul! Raoul! Come quickly! Quickly!"
She turned again to Marion.
"I want my son to meet you. He, too, has been waiting for this day!"
In a moment Raoul appeared and Marion was immediately taken with his dark good looks. He was nude from the waist up, a pair of tight, clinging velvet pants revealed a slim, muscular torso in perfect relief. She was particularly fascinated by his earring, something she had rarely seen a man wear before, and recognized the familiar symbol swinging in miniature from it. Despite her resolve to cling to the spirit, she felt an involuntary spasm of physical attraction pass through her when she saw the slim young man. He seemed so different from Ed, so sensitive and tender.
"Yes, Mother?" he asked, glancing at Marion.
"My son, Vallus has sent us his priestess… this is she! What is your name, my dear?" she asked.
"Marion…" she said softly, "Marion Hill."
Raoul smiled warmly and approached Marion, gazing steadily, almost hypnotically into her eyes.
"Marion… an exquisite name," he murmured. "And you are sent to us from Vallus. I kneel at your feet, oh radiant creature."
As his mother had done, Raoul knelt and kissed the hem of her dress, then rose, staring adoringly into her eyes.
"Oh, my son, this is the supreme day for which we have all waited!" She turned to Marion. "Welcome, welcome, my dear. We have much to teach you about your calling, and you, I'm sure, have much to teach us. Raoul, show Marion the rest of our temple to Vallus, while I run some errands." She turned to Marion with an apologetic look. "I have some wearying daily task to complete in the material world outside. Tedious things, but they must be done. I leave you in the hands of my son. He will tell you what you need to know. I will return shortly."
She quickly slipped on a coat that covered most of her glittering garb and with a strange smile she slipped out the door.
"Come," Raoul said, extending his hand. "Let me show you our temple."
Trembling slightly, Marion put her hand in his. His hand was small and tapered and felt strange around hers. He led her through the door into a dark, narrow hallway.