The Patinoire

Mid-cycle on Degelhiver

I saw Jonsenson striding down the track today. He was on a mission, without a doubt. He had his special staff, didn't he! His 'My Staff of Office' (in a pompous voice). I hate that voice!

We're all working full-on to get the Solstice celebrations ready. He does nothing but stride around the place looking important and giving stupid directions in his boomy voice, usually telling people to do what they're already doing.

So, why's he like that, you ask? Well, it's all because this is the one time in the year when he actually has a role. He was 'Chosen', see? There's this ritual once every thirty cycles when the whole settlement gathers at the Patinoire. There's this big post in the middle. Well, it's more of a stalagmite really. It's an irregular spire that rises out of the ice. Who knows how it ever grew there. Anyway, there it stands. And there we stand. All agog in a great big circle. Then the Elders all form a tight circle around the pinnacle and begin a slow chant. We all set up a slow clap in time with the chant. At some point - I don't know what starts it - the chant gets drowned out by a low rumble. It's so deep you can't tell where it's coming from. Spooked me out when I heard it, I can tell you.

Then the Elders turn to the crowd. They tell us that the goddess of Eira has told them who the next Staff Bearer will be. Last time they picked Jonsenson. If you ask me his selection had much more to do with his father's gift of new robes to the Elders than anything to do with any natural ability to liven the staff. But then, no-one's ever livened the staff before. Not in living memory anyway.

There's a fancy-looking crystal set in a sort of funnel carved in the top. It's supposed to be Caesium or something. Got special properties but I've no idea what. I'm not even sure what 'livening' is supposed to be. I don't know if there's anyone here who knows exactly what's supposed to happen. But we do the Livening Ritual every cycle anyway.

The Livening Ritual is much like the New Bearer ritual, except that instead of going out on the Patinoire to the middle where the spire rises we have a much more festive time with a post set deep in the permafrost on the edge of the Patinoire ice. See there's this significance to the boundary between the permafrost and the ice that means when we take our ribbons and dance around the pole we're going from one season to the other.

These seasons, mind you, last over 5000 cycles, so none of us living has ever seen the other season. We're not even sure what to expect. What we are told though is that there will come a time when Staff Bearer will use the Staff during the solstice and it will enliven. That's all I know. I can't imagine that stupid crystal could do anything though. It's dull and always looks a bit soft to me.

It WAS funny this morning though when Jonsenson tried to meddle in the preparations. See, 'though he's the most pompous prannock that's ever worn snowshoes, he's also the most utterly inept. Well, with all the activity and all the recent warm weather, the permafrost around the pole is thawing a bit. This is actually unprecedented, even though the Elders have been marking a gradual rise in temperature for the last twenty cycles. This is the first time there's actually been a thaw of any sort. We're all a little agitated about this really. No-one knows if this is a good thing or a bad thing. Anyway, old Jonsenson goes marching up to the base of the pole to stare up at the preppers who are attaching the ribbons to the top. He, comes to a stop so fast that his feet slip in the melt. And then it all happened in sort of slow motion. I was working on the solars up here and saw the whole thing. First his feet went out from under him, but his body seemed to just hang in the air for EVER. So his one foot tries to return to the ground as his other foot flies up in front of his face. Then the first foot slips again while the other foot tries to get back beneath him. It's like this cycle has started where he's trying to run backwards, faster and faster. This went on long enough for the entire team of us to stop and turn to watch. Then he gives out this funny little squeak – quite un-pompous actually – and the next thing he's sitting on his wet backside in the melt. He grabbed at the Staff, glared around at all of us, then strode back up the hill to the base entrance and hydroponic vents.

When he'd gone from view there was a moment's stunned silence – so quiet you could actually hear the drips from the nearby icicles. As I say that I realise that I have never heard that sound before! Quite a mesmerising sound... Sorry – back to my tale; so, there was this silence and then, suddenly, everyone burst out laughing. All at the same time! It was an odd moment of unity and it put all of us in a fantastic mood for the rest of the afternoon. Everyone was shouting jokes across the ice. Well, across the melt really. And we've got a new phrase; 'doing a Jonsenson'. I tell you, he did more for morale in that one moment than the sum total of any positive contributions he's ever made to the colony through his whole snarky life.

Well, I must get on here. The celebrations start at sundown. We'll have a whole night of feasting and fun before the sunrise ritual. My solars will be the glitter on the night.

Chat later, friend. ...where have you come from anyway? I don't know you at all. Surely you didn't come all the way from Grottedunord? We haven't had guests from that way in my life time. The passes must have opened up...

Ah, there you are, our intrepid traveller! How are you feeling? Quite a night, eh? Come and join me on the ledges where we can watch the sunrise solstice ritual. It'll be starting very shortly – see the youngsters sorting out their ribbons? The lads take the pink and the lasses the blue and the four yellow ribbons are taken by the chaparones.

Watch. Here they go. ...ooh, I do love the music for this ritual. Best bit of the whole thing, although the dancers do some amazing things with their ribbons.

We all had to go through the pole rituals when we hit puberty. I remember some of the moves, but they change the dances every year. The bit I like is at the end when the last dance always tightens the pattern against the pole, drawing all the dancers to a tight circle against it before they can let go of the ribbons. It's supposed to represent the Elders' circle against the pinnacle during the Staff Bearer rituals.

Then the Staff Bearer will come in and take the ends of the four yellow ribbons to tie around the crown of the Staff. There's a secret trick to this so that, when he's finished, he taps the Staff hard on the Striking Stone – see it? There. At the foot of the pole, facing out across the Patinoire towards the pinnacle. Anyway, when he's finished his strikes, he stands the Staff in the centre of the Striking Stone with the yellow ribbons holding it in place. It's like magic!

Here they go now. Just relax and enjoy...

(whispering) Hey, see the glow in the East? It's nearly time!...

Here he comes now; ...he may be the biggest prannock, but I really do love the music he strides down to – real striding music! Gets you right here (punching his chest). Watch! Watch this! He's going to do the magic bit...

WHAT'S THAT?! What's happening? HaHa! Look at old Jonsenson! He's doing a right jig now! ...Look at that lightning, streaking out across the Patinoire! It's lighting up the pinnacle now! Look at it!

...Oh my Lady Eira! The rumbles...

...That light... it's turning the whole Patinoire into a lantern. Like the ice is a sort of lens now...

Wow...

Oh, wow...

...It's moving! Look – here comes the sun! The Patinoire is melting!

Oh... My... Lady...

That sunbeam; straight through the top of the pinnacle and into the Staff...

It's glowing now – the crystal! It's melting!

(BOOOOOOOOMMM!)

What's THAT???

I think the glacier's breaking up at the end of the Patinoire! ...It IS! Look at THAT!

Oh... I think the whole Patinoire is flowing out over the glacier...

Is that... Is that... The Ship?