Sanctum's closest thing to a heart that wasn't a forge was this Flavor place. Imagine a huge, quiet cave tucked inside the upper chest bone. It didn't have books but instead had rows of crystals. Each crystal was a small vial that held just one drop of a liquid. Every one of these had a label that was written in a fragrant and more than human letter that changes its smell as you read, thus allowing you to eat the letter. This was the place where the Cult kept the most secret of its food laws.
Naomi Frost was walking silently among the rows, her silk dress making a faint sound on the polished bone floor. She was carrying a paper with a request from a pretend food expert. The expert wanted to know the reason for the sad mineral taste of some lymph samples. It was merely an excuse to gain access. Her actual motive was in her pocket - a warm lump - and resonated with her sister's words in her head.
She needed to listen for trouble.
The place was not vacant. Lemuel an old man so thin that he appeared to be nerves in a robe was moving along the shelves, cleaning the vials with a cloth. And in a corner with a dim light, Cardinal Sebastian Wilder was sitting.
He was not reading; he was tasting. There were three vials of different colors - gold, silver, and a dark purple that Naomi was unfamiliar with - on a black stone. Using a fingerbone as a dropper, he put a drop of the purple stuff on his tongue.
He closed his eyes. He shook a little. Not 'cause he liked it, but more like he was desperate. His calm face turned for a moment into a strong longing face and then back to normal again. His eyes became purple.
He saw her. He smiled. "Lady Frost. What a nice surprise. Trying new tastes?"
Naomi slightly inclined her head and quickly catching up with her thoughts said, "Your Eminence. I was studying the aftertaste of sadness. For a song idea." She lied.
"Sadness," said Wilder, moving towards her. He was holding the purple vial. "An extremely peculiar flavor. The taste of losing your possessions is what triggers the desire for them, thus, it leads to trying the next level." He was offering the vial to her. "This is something unheard of. We call it 'Void-Nectar.' It's the fluid from a dead god's eye. It doesn't let you see things; rather, it makes you feel the space where things come from. Ultimately, it makes you want to see things."
She had the vial. It was quite cold. When she was looking at the liquid, she didn't see her reflection; instead, she saw a tiny empty spot.
"Sounds strong,"
"It's just a step." he said softly. "It lets you taste the best flavor when you're ready. To become someone new." He was looking straight at her, signaling that he expected her to understand. "Some folks are satisfied with what we've got. They don't wish for things to change. It's like children who only want baby food even though there is a big meal waiting."
That's a clue. He was trying to get her on his side, or seeing if he could. She looked slightly taken aback. "A big meal? But we are running out of stuff, aren't we?"
"Running out is only the way you see it!" he exclaimed, his eyes brightening. "While some see an empty plate, I see less stuff and therefore the flavor gets stronger. The Final Eating Time won't be a little one. It'll be huge! All the flavors, all the power, all the dreams, released all at once. We won't taste it little by little; we'll dive into it. We'll become it."
He was breathing fast. The stuff was getting his hunger going. Naomi was scared. This wasn't just talk; this was like a drug addict wanting to feel nothing and calling it good.
"It sounds like big changes," she said slowly.
"It is changing, he said softly. But changes need help. Even quiet help." He touched her hand, the one with the vial. "Your sister…she knows people. She hears things. If she could change what she says...if she could see that the best thing for a dying god is to die fast, instead of slowly, her voice would be important.
He was asking her to get her sister to his side. Making the main troublemaker agree with him was that bold.
"Bianca is strong," Naomi responded cautiously.
"Even the strongest river changes when the ground breaks," Wilder said smiling. "Think about it. The old world is coming to an end. You can be part of its death…or part of the new world when it starts." He took the vial back, touching her fingers. "Enjoy your study. Find the taste of 'Wanting.' It's in the adrenal stuff. It's good."
He left the place with the smell of ozone and wanting lingering there and Naomi alone. The spot where he touched her was looked at by her and it felt like she was holding something dirty.
She had definitely found something. The ground breaking the reality he wanted to destroy. And, he wanted her and her sister to help him.