The Archivist by Tom D Wright

now. Erick goes to sea with the morning tide, and it will be many weeks before his fishing vessel returns. We just can’t bear to wait until then.”
    Danae nudges me, and points to an offering plate on the altar. I am not sure this is such a good idea, but now that we have an audience I cannot get cold feet. Reaching into my pocket, I pull out a pouch and spill a handful of silver coins and a gold one into my hand.
    The old man looks down at the small pile in astonishment and hesitates, apparently unsure how to respond. I tip a couple more gold pieces into my palm, and he is suddenly sure.
    “I, um, understand your urgency. Let me put on my vestment, my child,” he says as he sweeps the coins into his hand. When he deposits the coinage in the offering plate and dons his garments, I notice a reflection in one of the polished metal panels on the altar. The image is distorted but I can see that the Disciples remain at the door, watching us.
    Turning back to us, the clergyman chants an opening prayer and then places a hand on each of our heads while he loudly asks, “Do you both freely wish to join together, as faithful and lifelong partners?”
    “Yes, I do so wish,” Danae responds while I wonder, what the hell is she thinking? Then I consider the pair of Disciples behind me, plus what must be at least three or four dozen of them on the street behind them. If I do not respond, my life will be a short span indeed.
    “Yes, I do so wish,” I answer.
    The priest then asks, “Do you both pledge to shelter each other from the rain, to warm each other in the cold, to nurse each other in sickness?”
    “Yes, I do so pledge,” Danae responds and I follow her lead as I glance at the reflection.
    “We were mistaken, these aren’t the ones we’re looking for,” one of the Disciples calls to Father Alendo. Then they turn toward the exit.
    The priest ignores them and continues, “Do you both, in all conviction and with caring, give to each other all that which is yours to give, holding back nothing with regard to love and respect, obligation and service, for all your days on earth?”
    “Yes, I do so give,” Danae and I both answer, as I watch the Disciples walk out the door.
    The priest smiles as he joins our hands together. “Then in the eyes of God above the land and below the sea, I bind you both together for life: breath to breath, heartbeat to heartbeat. May your days together be long upon the earth. You may now kiss.”
    Danae looks at me with a raised eyebrow, until I recognize her cue and turn to give her a quick peck. She rests her hand on my shoulder as she leans into the kiss, and I lose myself in the softness of her lips and the taste of her mouth, so that the moment extends far longer than I expect.
    Just as I reach the point where I do not want it to end, it is over and I am wondering what the hell just happened. My God, that woman can kiss!
    Get a grip, I remind myself, you are on a retrieval in the midst of a conflict. And we are supposed to be friends. So I shove my feelings in that warrior’s lockbox, which I probably will not open anyway when I get back to the Archives. There is just too much in there.
    The priest leans over and whispers. “I hope you don’t mind that I cut straight to the vows, since you only have a few hours together. I didn’t think you’d want to waste your time on ceremony.” He winks at us, and folds his hands together.
    My head is spinning as I thank him and grab Danae’s hand. We retrieve her bundle of clothing and then I haul her down the aisle as fast as we can move without running. I just want to get the hell out of this town, but I am certain the priest interprets my eagerness to leave his chapel of love for something else altogether. Which is fine with me, in case the Disciples return and question him about us.
    Dusk is settling in when we exit, and the street appears to be clear of Disciples for the moment. Maybe they have their own service to attend.
    We head