Just a glimpse

The outside world was unknown to her, but she could see a glimpse of it through the window in his room. There were rumors of the passage to the outside world. She had been slowly making her way around her world, looking for it. Now with it in her glimpse, she tried to ignore the grand window, and focus on the man. He noticed her awe. "I've been through the window," he said. "It is unsafe for our kind. There used to be five windows." She knew the tales and so changed the focus of her gaze to the man. He seemed surprised that she did not want to hear the story of the windows. He knew her real interest could not be him, but yet her eyes followed him. Finally, she spoke. " I was told that you paid for services." With most men, she would have assumed those services would be sexual, but she had researched him. He was a holy man, he wrote the scripture for the colony. He told men and women what to believe. She personally ignored his teaching, but she doubted that he did.

He looked her over he seemed unsure of whether or not to proceed. He needed someone who he could trust, he needed someone who others would believe, yet he was unsure if this woman believed anything but her own truths. She was dressed like a traditional woman colonist but most women would not have approached him. He usually picked the more enculturated members to help him out, She continued " Anna told me, she said you had asked her, but she wouldn't describe what you had requested of her. He smiled, yes Anna, he had hand-picked her.

The woman had talked with Anna, but mostly they talked about the window. According to Anna, he would disappear for two nights through the window. She had never gone with him. Her job was to write his dictation that he returned with from the outside world. The woman did not want to share her knowledge with him. It was better if she appeared ignorant. She stood silently and let the man make a decision.

He stared at the woman before him. Anna was a follower she did not want to share his knowledge with the rest of the colony. She did not have any drive or assertion, This woman was not passive. 'I don't know, he said I usually pick my helpers. He looked her over. Then broke the stillness"I don't know you, and I am sure you just know me as the scribe. I am Danson, and you are?" "Cinsey" she replied. She felt a tinge of confidence. He continued, give me eight hours to think it over.

She backed out of the room, and once out of his sight she started running, She wanted to scream and shout, and share her anticipation with someone, but she know that she had to tell know one. It was the way of the colony, if she was selected the whole colony would know. She knew he would research her, but she was a great actress, to most people she encountered she was a traditional colony woman.

Danson did not research Cinsey. He sensed that nobody really knew her. Most women would have quietly listened to his long dragged-out story of the windows. But did he want to take the chance of letting her know him? She most likely would not let him stay elusive. His mask would most likely fall in her continued presence. Nobody in the colony had really seen him. He silently desired to emotionally melt with another being, but could Cinsey be trusted? He sensed it would be a greater challenge than he had had while residing in the colony. Even though he didn't know her, he felt sad at the prospect of losing her, He smiled when after eight hours, he glanced up and saw a nervous Cinsey awaiting to hear his decision.