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Description
For decades, the people of Sakehaven believed themselves the last on earth. No internet, TV or radio signals came through the fog that surrounded their town and no travellers arrived. When the bravest among them left to explore they came back mad, or not at all.

This changed when the Prophet Alizar emerged ghostlike from the fog. He carried four weighty tomes which told the story of a young girl who achieved immortality through the transformative power of love. The townspeople were so impressed they made Alizar their Theorach in the belief he spoke for God.

The new faith grew stronger each generation. When the Sixth Theorach came to power, all male babies were named “Edward” and all female babies were named “Bella” after the saints in the sacred texts. As these Edwards grew up, they sprinkled their skins with glitter to make sure they would sparkle and slept in beds without blankets in the hope it would lower their temperatures. The Bellas grew up to be wan and wistful, and sought to attract the Edwards by not doing very much at all.

One day another outsider arrived. She was not remotely wan or wistful, and brought a strange companion who seemed a shapeless mass of flesh. The townspeople were naturally frightened but did not harass the newcomers as they made their way to the temple that dominated Sakehaven.

The Sixth Theorach appeared on the steps. “What causes this commotion?” he asked.

“Ignorance and fear,” said the newcomer. “But we’re here to change all that.”

“And who are you?” asked the Theorach.

“I’m Sho,” said the stranger, “and this is Tel. If you ask him any question, he can answer it correctly, so long as someone else, somewhere, knows the answer to it too.”

“Very well,” said the Theorach. “What am I thinking?”

Tel waved a hand dismissively. “You’re thinking I don’t know the answer,” he said.

The Theorach’s smile disappeared, for the whole town was watching him. “Has anyone else any questions?” he asked.

Bella Gubbins stepped forward. “How does Edward Prellie sparkle more than other boys?”

“He mixes powdered quartz with his makeup,” said Tel.

Prellie blushed beneath his powdered quartz. “What does Bella Gubbins do in my absence?”

“She jumps off a cliff,” said Tel, “but no-one else would call it such, and the worst she ever gets is bruises.”

Now it was Gubbins’ turn to blush. Over the course of the next few hours, many comparable questions were asked, and Tel answered all of them while Sho stood to one side and smiled. The townsfolk did not smile though; as the questioning continued they grew steadily more embarrassed and in time demoralised. Then the Theorach called for silence. “Sho,” he said unsteadily, for his dignity was almost gone, “why don’t you ask Tel a question? But please make it a question about something other than Sakehaven and its good inhabitants.”

Sho just smiled a little more. “Is Stephanie Meyer’s ‘Twilight’ series a work of fact or fict - ”

“Stop!” cried the Theorach. “In the name of all things sacred, I order you to leave this town, and take that abomination with you!”

“With pleasure,” said Sho, and went on her way. That night Sakehaven was strangely quiet; and in the morning it had changed. The Edwards had stopped sparkling, and the Bellas had discovered new interests, but no-one ascribed these changes to the transformative power of love. The Theorach did not emerge from his temple for some time; but when he finally did, he was wearing the Prophet Alizar’s robes and carrying the weighty tomes whose words had lost their resonance. With an air of fierce determination, he strode off into the fog and was never seen again.

Description
For decades, the people of Sakehaven believed themselves the last on earth. No internet, TV or radio signals came through the fog that surrounded their town and no travellers arrived. When the bravest among them left to explore they came back mad, or not at all.

This changed when the Prophet Alizar emerged ghostlike from the fog. He carried four weighty tomes which told the story of a young girl who achieved immortality through the transformative power of love. The townspeople were so impressed they made Alizar their Theorach in the belief he spoke for God.

The new faith grew stronger each generation. When the Sixth Theorach came to power, all male babies were named “Edward” and all female babies were named “Bella” after the saints in the sacred texts. As these Edwards grew up, they sprinkled their skins with glitter to make sure they would sparkle and slept in beds without blankets in the hope it would lower their temperatures. The Bellas grew up to be wan and wistful, and sought to attract the Edwards by not doing very much at all.

One day another outsider arrived. She was not remotely wan or wistful, and brought a strange companion who seemed a shapeless mass of flesh. The townspeople were naturally frightened but did not harass the newcomers as they made their way to the temple that dominated Sakehaven.

The Sixth Theorach appeared on the steps. “What causes this commotion?” he asked.

“Ignorance and fear,” said the newcomer. “But we’re here to change all that.”

“And who are you?” asked the Theorach.

“I’m Sho,” said the stranger, “and this is Tel. If you ask him any question, he can answer it correctly, so long as someone else, somewhere, knows the answer to it too.”

“Very well,” said the Theorach. “What am I thinking?”

Tel waved a hand dismissively. “You’re thinking I don’t know the answer,” he said.

The Theorach’s smile disappeared, for the whole town was watching him. “Has anyone else any questions?” he asked.

Bella Gubbins stepped forward. “How does Edward Prellie sparkle more than other boys?”

“He mixes powdered quartz with his makeup,” said Tel.

Prellie blushed beneath his powdered quartz. “What does Bella Gubbins do in my absence?”

“She jumps off a cliff,” said Tel, “but no-one else would call it such, and the worst she ever gets is bruises.”

Now it was Gubbins’ turn to blush. Over the course of the next few hours, many comparable questions were asked, and Tel answered all of them while Sho stood to one side and smiled. The townsfolk did not smile though; as the questioning continued they grew steadily more embarrassed and in time demoralised. Then the Theorach called for silence. “Sho,” he said unsteadily, for his dignity was almost gone, “why don’t you ask Tel a question? But please make it a question about something other than Sakehaven and its good inhabitants.”

Sho just smiled a little more. “Is Stephanie Meyer’s ‘Twilight’ series a work of fact or fict - ”

“Stop!” cried the Theorach. “In the name of all things sacred, I order you to leave this town, and take that abomination with you!”

“With pleasure,” said Sho, and went on her way. That night Sakehaven was strangely quiet; and in the morning it had changed. The Edwards had stopped sparkling, and the Bellas had discovered new interests, but no-one ascribed these changes to the transformative power of love. The Theorach did not emerge from his temple for some time; but when he finally did, he was wearing the Prophet Alizar’s robes and carrying the weighty tomes whose words had lost their resonance. With an air of fierce determination, he strode off into the fog and was never seen again.