Free The Circle of Sappho by David Lassman

material of their nightdresses inadequate for keeping the occupants warm.
    The girls approached the second light, which emanated from inside a chamber at the end of the passageway. They passed through the wooden arched entrance in single file, and once inside lit their ceremonial candles from one of the many already there and that had been responsible for the distant light. The girls then took their allotted places in the circle of stone seats surrounding a large oblong-shaped altar, as they had done so on several occasions before, and placed their lighted candles in holders next to each seat. If their actions had been performed almost by rote, automatic and devoid of any true emotional input, now that the girls were seated the remaining empty seats became a stark, visual reminder of the events of the last thirty-six hours; the loss of Miss Leigh, their favourite teacher and leader, along with their friend, Grace, and more recently the mystery of Elsa, who had inexplicably failed to appear for the meeting. Had the head girl found her grief too much to bear and decided not to come, or had something tragic also happened to her? As they sat there in their thoughts, it suddenly dawned on them that if Miss Leigh was gone, who had summoned them here? They did not have long to wait for the answer. From behind a curtain which partitioned an annex room, a figure wearing a violet cloak and gold encrusted domino mask emerged. In spite of the mask, which covered the top half of her face, the girls knew her identity immediately.
    ‘What are you doing?’ exclaimed one of them.
    ‘I have assumed the Circle’s leadership,’ said Elsa, as she sat down in the place normally reserved for their teacher. ‘It is what Miss Leigh would have wanted.’
    ‘How do you know that?’ replied another girl.
    ‘Because if it were not so, why would she have given me this for safekeeping?’
    As Elsa held up a large golden key, candlelight reflected along its entire length. There were audible gasps but silence quickly followed.
    ‘With my elevated position,’ said the head girl and now group leader, ‘there are now two empty places in the Circle to be filled in order to make it complete again. We will begin this evening with the initiation ceremonies. The first of our new members has already undergone the cleansing ritual, it therefore just remains for you all to acknowledge her as a fellow muse.’ As Elsa said this, a girl stepped out from behind the curtain. The group immediately recognised Gretchen, the head girl’s closest companion in the school.
    A murmur went around the circle. ‘By what authority is she here?’ one asked.
    ‘By mine,’ replied Elsa. ‘As leader, I alone have the power to invite neophytes to the Circle and oversee their initiation. I have therefore decreed it that Gretchen takes my place within the nine. She will assume the role of Melpomene. You will all acknowledge her as such and receive her as one of your number.’
    Reluctantly the girls responded in unison: ‘We acknowledge you, Melpomene, revered muse of tragedy, and receive you into this Circle of Sappho. Keep our secrets close to your heart and your way will be joyous and light, but speak of them outside the Circle and your way will be dark and filled with torment.’
    Elsa smiled. ‘Good. Before Melpomene takes her seat amongst you, we have to initiate and receive Erato.’ At this the head girl nodded to her companion, who immediately went back behind the curtain. She returned a few moments later with another girl, which again the seated girls instantly recognised; that of Anne, who had been the best friend of Grace, the previous Erato.
    ‘I have prepared her for initiation,’ said Elsa, ‘which we shall undertake here, before performing our main ceremony outside.’
    Gretchen brought Anne forward, within the circle of seated girls, disrobed her and laid her naked, on her back, upon the oblong stone altar.
    ‘Begin the initiation,’ said Elsa,