Page 53 - WTP Vol. VIII #4

has only one request. He is a god of great appetites.”
Ju wondered if tax money was being spent on food that the priests threw into the river. “Appetites?”
“He needs a new concubine every year.”
Ju felt something freeze inside of him. “A new con- cubine?”
“It is a great honor for a family to have a daughter chosen to join He-Bo’s harem.”
Ju had a brief memory of the day his sister had been noticed by the local lord. She had been his playmate and he had cried when the guards took her away. Her dowry had taken years for his family to recoup. Ju now knew why the farmers were leaving the valley. Keeping his voice as calm as possible, he asked, “And does a girl honored by a god need a dowry?”
“Of course,” Sunshu sounded surprised. “Every father knows that he must make a marriage settlement when his daughter marries. Marriage to a god re- quires an even bigger amount.”
“And these monies, how do you send them to He-Bo?” Ju fought to keep the rage out of his voice.
“The dowry is put in a box and placed on the raft next to where the fortunate girl is tied to her wedding bed,” replied the man.
Ju did not believe him. The only way the priest could afford such expensive robes was by siphoning hard-earned money from the dowries paid by local families whose surviving children went hungry. Ju thought he would choke on his rage. “Who is the next bride?” He sweated with the effort to keep his voice casual, placid.
“Since the big families have selfishly taken the more beautiful daughters away,” Sunshu said, his voice constricting into a whine, “it is a serving girl from my own staff, Luyuan, the daughter of Flower, my house- keeper and cook.”
Still struggling to keep his anger out of his voice, Ju forced a smile and asked the most malicious question he could think of. “I imagine, considering that the girl is to marry a god, you will be spending a lot of money on the ceremony.”
“Yes,” Sunshu answered—his voice sounded weak with regret.
(continued on next page)
"J
been noticed by the local lord. She had been his playmate and he had cried when the guards took her away."
u had a brief memory of
the day his sister had
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