“If I do, will you leave me alone or will you force me to return?”
“You’ll have to ask, and even then I’m not willing to guarantee it will be possible.”
“While you spent the night here, are you certain your wives or daughters were alone?” To them the possibility was all too real, for they had noticed the way females looked at me and they flared up in anger. He had to convince them I should not be harmed by keeping his bulky body in the doorway. Once they were gone he turned to me with a sour look. “You have cost me the loss of a friend, one I also admired and respected (Samkin). I would be careful where I walk if I were you.” His face cold, he left me alone, calling out for a mug as he descended the stairs.
As I walked around the town, I sensed the warm but tingling presence of Robbie enveloping me so I felt free to think my thoughts or examine small differences in the way people here solve common problems of survival. I saw that the main grocery shop is run by a man I know works for Kaproti, so I entered and the scents of the foods and herbs sort of reminded me of the old grocery shops in certain parts of Athens where they still sell beans, lentils, cheeses and so on that are not prepacked. I’d love to return here as a Terran to smell the alienness.
The first time it happened I did not pay attention, but when the second customer left without cash being exchanged I waited to watch the next customer. When she also left without paying, the purchase only entered in a book, I became curious. I heaped up a variety of sweets on the counter and waited to see whether I would be asked to pay. I was and I did, laughing at myself as I gave the sweets to kids in the street.
I felt Robbie wanted me to go a little further down a side street so I complied, curious as to his reason. The last house had broken windows, weeds and rubbish in the yard. Almost hidden, a tiny form was sitting on the ground. Quietly I crept to it and hearing a voice I listened. A make believe world was being enacted within the mind of the child, too simple yet intricate, nothing that made sense and yet beautiful. The body moved, two hands on the ground turning it. My breath caught. It was a girl of maybe four or five years and her legs lay on the ground at odd angles, ruined and stunted. Her head…I realised she suffered from a local equivalent of alopecia. As I sent my healer I peeped in her mind. God, what loneliness, her few short years spent without a friend to talk with or play. Parents who had no time for her, sometimes reluctantly feeding her. I could not find one moment of love received in her mind and she was not aware of what was lacking, drifting through her days, self-sufficient and shut in a tiny world of only one person.
“My name is Tsina, may I play with you?”
I waited as my words percolated, sinking, meaningless noise that only slowly were becoming understood. Her eyes stared up at me blankly and then they widened, filled with both wonder and fear. I sank to the ground, not too close, so that I would not feel threatening to her.
“Have you got a name?”
She nodded without giving it to me. I waited, remaining silent but smiling. “Iftiki.” A lump formed in my throat. ‘iftiki’ is their word for ‘thing’.
“May I give you a new name? Do you like…Niriki?”
A woman from a neighbouring house shouted and the mother of Niriki stepped out of her house. She stared at me with surprise. “What do you want? Leave my child alone.”
I pulled my purse out and threw it to her. “That for your daughter.”
She gasped when she saw the gold coins and asking me to wait she ran off. When she returned with the father they had a crowd with them. In the meantime I asked my healer to slow down, I wanted Niriki bought before they saw her healed.
When the father agreed, I demanded to know who has to witness the transaction for it to be legal and binding. They did not understand what I was talking about, so I told the father to ask Kaproti to come. He quailed at the idea, so I made them come with me as I carried Niriki.
Kaproti demanded to see how many coins I was paying so I leant over and whispered to him, “Do not take any.” His eyes narrowed in anger, but he protested he’d not intended taking any.
“What do you want of me?”
“There is no legal authority in this town apart from you. You are their law enforcement and judge, so I want a paper from you stating the parents have given me their daughter of their own free will for Kiris and Nericha to adopt.”
Once the transaction was completed and I had the paper, the crowd did not disperse. They were curious as to what I intended doing with Niriki. Loudly I called to the tavern manager that I wanted a bath prepared immediately and new clothes for the child.
“You have given all your coins, how will you pay?”
“Kaproti, am I good for the credit, as your customers at your grocery shop are?” Reluctantly he nodded his agreement and the man rushed off.
By the time Niriki was clean and dried, the clothes had arrived. I would not allow anyone to see her until she had recovered from the shock of seeing her legs fully grown and beautiful. I could feel our Maria crying in my mind as my family shared with me the joy and fear in Niriki’s mind. I held her as she learnt to stand on her own two feet and then, holding both her hands I had her take her first steps. Filled with joy I picked her up and swirled around, laughing.
When we walked into the main tavern room there was instant silence and even Kaproti was not immune to the shock they all felt. I smiled. “Didn’t I get the bargain, isn’t she lovely?”
Soon I was using all the healers of my family as everyone came to be healed. Presuming, acting as if I had the right, I sat at Kaproti’s table with Niriki in my arms. “You are not going to ask to be healed?”
“There is nothing wrong with me.”
“You do not want to be rid of some of that fat? What about the way your feet swell and ache?”
Fiercely he whispered back to me, “Keep your magic to yourself, I will not be indebted to you.”
“There is good magic and bad magic. There is no reason for you to fear good magic.”
“Stay away from me!”
I was depressed when the days passed without either of the parents of Niriki coming to take a look at her. Whatever she looked like then, how could anyone have the soul of a child living in their home and not love it? Whenever I feel sad, my little Niriki raises her head and stares at me. She does not understand what is happening or has happened, but she refuses to leave my side. I’ve decided I must bring Nericha for them to bond.
Neri was sitting on the carpet by Kiris and his fingers were playing with her hair. They were not startled to see me suddenly appear. I hugged them both and then pulled Neri to me. “I have a new little sister for both of you to adopt. I’ve named her Niriki.”
“Is she from Thieves Town?”
He gave a short bark of laughter. “Sometimes I feel that way too.”
“Neri, will you come with me, she must bond with you, she is becoming too dependent on me.”
“She is four years old?”
“As you count your years, not Terran.”
“You are afraid she will love you and then Robert will want to marry her?” Kiris gave her a startled glance and then he grabbed her to him as she burst out in peals of laughter, her eyes shining with pleasure at her own humour and his reaction.
Kiris pretended to admonish her, “You forget my little heart that Samantha is a male now, maybe she wants to marry her.” I did not mind being teased for they were using humour to hide themselves from their joy and fear at having a new member in their family.
Niriki was asleep in our room and they stood over her holding hands, their faces gentled by the sweetness of her sleeping face. She moaned in her sleep and I brushed my hand gently over her arm. She woke up, staring into my eyes. She then saw the other two and whispered, “Tsi?”
“It’s alright my love, these are your new brother and sister. Now you will have someone to play with and love.”
In the end I was forced to jump back to their house with them and stay a few hours until Niriki calmed down. I promised to visit her every day and returned to my room just after dawn.
I sat in the tavern for a couple of hours before Kaproti openly looked at me. “The child?”
“She is with her new family.” He turned away from me without questioning me. Our exchange led to many speculating about how I’d delivered her, but nobody found the courage to ask me. I presume they guessed I have my camp outside of town and one of my men has taken her.
I was glad to sense Samkin arriving and perked up, waiting where I was for him to enter. The men with him burst in and loudly spoke of all the changes they’d seen in Rapperten. They confirmed all we’d said by the time Samkin walked in. He ignored me and only looked at Kaproti. The big man stood up and walked around his table to Samkin. He stood before him a moment and then his fist lashed out, hitting him in the stomach. Samkin doubled over and then his head snapped back as another fist hit him in the face. Kaproti stared down at him, his eyes cold as ice.
“You and that other monster leave here and do not come back or else I’ll kill you. Get out!”
Samkin did not communicate with anyone, deciding on his own as he sat on the floor. He climbed to his feet and faced the fury of Kaproti. “No, this is too important. When I was leader I let you take over without challenging me because I had other important business to attend to. Kaproti, I trusted you to be a good leader and until now you did not betray my trust in you. Tsina also showed you his trust by taking you to see his home and because you are afraid you have betrayed both of us. I challenge you for the leadership.”
“To use your magic on me? I fight men, not monsters.”
“You cannot see it my old friend? You are the monster now, not me, and you know it. That is why you will lose the fight.”
As we formed a circle I noticed that nearly a third of the men sided by me. Not all of them did because of my healing them or their family. That is an important distinction, for it means that for the first time I see a chance of us succeeding here.
Samkin looks like an old man and is almost fragile in appearance compared to Kaproti. He has seen Kaproti fight many times and knows his weaknesses. Whenever they’d fought in the past he had pulled his punches, not wanting to humiliate his friend. This time he did not. I hope the earlier blows had nothing to do with that.
Samkin stood over him, Kaproti lying in the dust with bloodied face. He looked around. “Does anyone challenge the fact that I fought him fairly? Speak up if you do.” A number of them did speak up, to agree that he had fought fairly. He directed his next question to Kaproti, “Do you yield?”
“You won, I’ll leave.”
“I am your leader, I decide whether you stay or leave.” He reached out. “Get up.” Once he was standing by his side, Samkin put up his hand for silence. “I am your leader, but I will not rule you by staying here. I am placing Kaproti as leader to act on my behalf when I’m not here. None of you may challenge him, if you wish to become the next leader you must challenge me.” He put his arm around the shoulder of his friend. “Come, let us drink to a good fight.”
“Good! I did not manage to hit you even once!”
He laughed. “Then it was a good fight for me wouldn’t you say? I don’t like being hurt.”
I’m confused. Suddenly Kaproti is not afraid anymore and is treating both of us, if not in a friendly manner, then at least with respect.
“What about my tavern and shops? Do you claim them?”
“What for? What would I do with them?”
The next day we left Thieves Town with twenty seven men, with more to come soon.
I was sweaty and could feel my skin sticking to Robbie as I lay on him, his arms wound around me. I had not reverted to an eleven year old, I’d missed being me so much that I’d reverted to an eight year old so that he would seem huge to me. I needed to feel like a child again, a child protected and loved by the only man I’ll ever love. Maybe in half an hour, I told myself, happy for now to feel his hearts beating and smell his scent.
“Cherine?”
“Hmm?”
“Do you remember how afraid I was of time passing? I wanted to see you grow up, achieving all the potential I saw in you and I’ve felt the same about each one of you, wanting to see you mature, but desperate not to lose the child in you. If I’d remained a Normal, I would have been considered a very immature man by everyone. Thank god for you and your gifts. I thought of it because our little Sammy still confuses me.”
She looked at me with an impish smile. “She confuses all of us Robert, don’t let her make you feel immature.” He chuckled and his arms tightened around me. I fell asleep totally happy for the first time for a long time.
We are helping to change the way an entire species (two branches of it) live and think and we seem to be handling most of the problems fairly well except the political ones. We have wonderful leaders of a number of species to help us and yet Robbie still tends to depend mostly on Eddie and Hettie. It is not that he believes that we have evolved the best political systems but, because he has learnt very little about the way other species govern themselves, he goes for what he knows. Allan, as usual, was the one to point this out and Robbie asked him to organise an evening of lessons for everyone, with each species outlining the theories behind the manner in which they rule or are ruled. All of us are secretly more interested in how the Unation has evolved. They are the most complex society, not only because of the variety of species, but also because of the period they’ve lasted. The little I know about them is that they seem to duplicate each level of authority for the purpose of creating checks and balances, each level able to block its counterpart if they are not convinced they acted in the interest of the people. That is at the Federal level, at the bottom of everything are the local governments of each species, where they each have their own system of government.
Kiris has taken the initiative again, thanks to Nericha. She asked him if Rapperten will ever become as beautiful as Dakost. Since we have given priority to reducing the local unemployment, he decided this is a project that nobody will object to. Rakil first had their planners and builders draw up plans with artistic representations and presented the project to the council while also arranging for the newspapers to print the pictures of how the streets look now and how they will look while stressing how many people such a project would employ. Avery and Kiris also approached the wealthiest families and convinced some of them to contribute to the expense. When Rakil was able to advise the council that private funds would cover a quarter of the costs, he achieved a majority vote. The initial part of the project is going to draw a lot of criticism from the public, as roads will be dug up to place the sewerage pipes underground.
The enthusiasm and excitement in Rapperten is reflected within Freddie, with each species wanting to contribute in some way. Robbie first reminded them that Cherinianism is still not a publicly known fact on Kabeti and then gave them the go-ahead to do as they wish. His determination that all be goats can be nerve-wracking, for it means he has to trust everyone. I don’t know how he manages it - I mean, there are times I don’t even trust myself.
The Muyzith examined the culture, concentrating mostly on their art. They then financed the creation of art schools in all the cities and towns and they are spending their days on planet as teachers. Since they are charging only a minimum fee, they have managed to attract interest, especially among the young and they often spend the entire day in discussions with their pupils, instead of training them in the basics. The discussions often overlap into other fields, with poetry and literature examined and evaluated. The schools will have to be expanded since the pupils are beginning to understand how important all the arts are to their culture. The Muyzith are desperate now for us to go to their planet to bring more of their people. There are many of other species who could help them, but none are offering, we are all excited at how the Muyzith seem to have come alive.
Oh wow, I still can’t believe it. Only two days have passed since the above was written and all of us are impressed by how the Muyzith have changed. For them to go on planet, since they do not want to be linked, we have to project for them. Here is the joke. Within days they started acting like Cherinians, telling us we should link these and those Kabetu, as they are suitable. They are mostly right and they are being linked by Neri. As I’ve mentioned, we do meet with everyone who wants to meet us every morning. That was changed to early evening because most of us are on planet during the day. Suddenly the Muyzith are coming to the meetings and they are becoming very vocal. Arthur, they are almost like children in their enthusiasm! If only we’d thought of it before - all they needed was to become involved. I’m even daring to hope they will become Cherinians one day.
Further down the river from Rapperten is another city, called Ikefa-Karkus. It is smaller, with only about one and a quarter million, but they are going to become a very important city because they are close to the coast and they have a harbour for their fishing fleets. There are about thirty towns and villages surrounding them. Kiris has decided to extend his commercial influence in their direction. Allan schemed with Kiris in private and advised him to purchase a part of their harbour and acquire some of the fishing fleet. Kiris, Neri, Niriki and Avery with three guards are going there now, travelling in the normal manner so that reports of their imminent arrival precede them.
An official welcoming committee of two council members, some prominent businessmen and guards met them at the outskirts of their city. If they were disappointed that Kiris arrived there in such a small group they did not show it but, despite the information they already had, they were shocked by the youth of Kiris and Neri.
Kiris tried to push Avery forward to make a speech, but Avery can be quite a slippery character and he made his way to the back of their group. Kiris quickly smiled and stepped forward.
“We have heard much about your beautiful city and have been eagerly waiting for the opportunity to visit you. It is said that your council are the wisest and fairest on all of Kabeti and your guards’ reputation has spread throughout the land. I have met some of the students you have sent us and I was impressed by them and their description and love for their home city.
We do not officially represent anyone, so I am puzzled by this reception, it was very kind of you to gather to welcome us and we hope this is the start of a friendship that will increase trade between our cities. I look forward to discovering what opportunities exist for expanding our trade but, my family and I hope to purchase a house so that we can consider Ikefa-Karkus our home also.”
After a number of speeches they were escorted to a government building and provided with luxurious accommodations. The council had thoughtfully allowed them that evening to themselves to rest and the official dinner invitation was for the next evening.
Since the place was filled with servants, Kiris was careful to acted in a dignified manner, as if he is used to such accommodations, but Neri being a child is more open and shows how impressed she is - which pleased the council when it was reported to them.
After supper they sat alone in the smaller livingroom. Avery spoke softly. “It might be more prudent that Nericha sleep in her own room. After all, you can jump to each other without the local servants knowing.”
“I intend to start as I will continue Avery. Nericha is my love and I will not hide it. We have nothing to be ashamed of.”
Neri did not want him to ejaculate in her mouth, she was secretly hoping for a child, so she brought her flaps to his lips. Kiris moaned, but he penetrated her without biting and tearing at her. Once they were both spent and lying in each others arms Neri clung to him with tears in her heart. Gently he kissed her face.
“Not yet my love. I want years of loving you only.” He kissed her again. “We must be patient my love, Niriki needs all our love and care.”
“Are you going to make her your wife also, like Robert does?”
He laughed. “No. You are my one and only.”
When they fell asleep they lay so closely entwined that in the dark it seemed they were one body. Hours later the door quietly opened and a dark shadow entered their room. It poised over the bed and an arm stabbed down. Nericha screamed as the blade sliced into her.
Even as the blade was slicing down, Robbie shot up. Instantly he jumped, but was too late to save Neri. The blade entered her from the side and sliced through two organs. Robbie violently threw the man across the room and sent his healer into Neri.
As Kiris woke he reacted instinctively and threw himself against Robbie. As he did so he sensed it was Robbie and turned back to Neri.
“She will not die, do not fear for her. Kiris, enter her mind and soothe her.”
Robbie jumped to Niriki and then to Avery, disarming the intruders and making them prisoners. The three guards were woken by the noise and rushed out. Robbie instructed them to hold the prisoners and returned to Kiris and Neri, Niriki in his arms.
“She is terrified of me, take her.” Kiris was torn between wanting to hold his love and obeying Robbie. He took one look at Niriki and quickly took her from Robbie. Robbie stepped back so that Niriki can relax.
Robbie stood at the other end of the room, giving them as much privacy as possible while watching out for any further attacks. As soon as Kiris saw the wound close and knew Neri was safe he got up from the bed and picking up the knife he walked out, still in the nude. Robbie sensed what he planned, but kept himself still, interested in seeing whether Kiris will act out his rage.
Kiris was in a white-hot rage and he had no difficulty in identifying the person who’d hurt his love, the man had blood on his clothes. His guards, all Cherinians, did not try to block Kiris, they only watched with interest.
Kiris intended killing the man, but as he stood before him his rage was such that he now wanted to make him suffer as much pain as possible before killing him. He raised the knife, his hand shaking from his fury, and aimed the tip at an eye. The terror he saw did not soften him, the cowardice of the would be assassin angering him further. The tip touched the soft flesh just below the eye and a drop of blood seeped out. Kiris held the blade without moving for a moment and we sensed him struggling within his mind. He made the supreme effort and regained self control.
“Have you called the Ikefa-Karkus guards?”
“Not yet, we thought to question these men first.”
“He did not stop himself because of his being a Cherinian! He decided he would gain more by handing the man over to the authorities without killing him.”
Cherine laughed. “That’s Kiris!”
“It’s not funny.”
The guards did not seem to recall that they were Cherinians and used crude and painful ways to force the men to talk. One of them broke and gave them the names of their employers. It was lucky that professional assassins had not been employed, the three men were normal thieves. When Kiris was given the information he ordered that the official guards be called and they took the men.
It was not even dawn yet when two council members arrived. Kiris gave them the names of the men responsible for the attack. They are well known businessmen. Kiris knew that the council members were in sympathy with those who’d ordered the killing, but that they were also angry because they’d now been placed in an awkward position in future negotiations with Kiris.
Word spread and when they walked out into the street many people stopped them to apologise to Kiris and assure them that most people are glad he has come to their city. He was gracious in return and his popularity grew.
The agent took them in an open coach, driving them past the best houses. Kiris was feeling disappointed, he’d wanted something special, but the houses were either smaller and uglier than he liked or else not for sale. As they came to a curve close to the end of a road the agent stopped.
“There is nothing much left. Around the corner is only the ruin of a house. Have you seen anything you would like to inspect?”
“Not really. How is it that there is a ruin on such an expensive road?”
“The owner killed his family and himself so nobody wants to live there. They should pull down the house and build again.”
“Can we see it?”
As the agent had said, the garden was destroyed and overgrown with weeds and the house obviously needed a lot of work. Kiris examined it with a critical eye. At least eight bedrooms, if there were none facing the back, all on the second floor. The entrance must have once been imposing and most of the windows needed to have the glass replaced. He mentally estimated what it would cost.
“How much?”
“For this house?” He was given a price and he added to that his estimate.
“Offer the owner fifty thousand less. If he accepts I’ll buy it. The house just around the corner, the one with pink flowers painted on the walls, how much?”
He bought both houses, the smaller one for Avery. He tersely stopped Avery from speaking. “We need you close by us when we stay here. Shall I order painters to get rid of those stupid flowers?”
The city knew that Kiris is there to invest or take over trading houses and hoped he also intended opening schools. Despite the fair words of Kiris, the city is not attractive, nor is it wealthy. Crime is not as well controlled and gang leaders live openly in a luxury that rivals that of the legitimate businessmen. Before travelling, Kiris had studied maps and sent Cherinians to purchase the buildings or land he would need to create schools and orphanages. One walk late at night on his own in the poorest areas and he revised his plans, adding an extra orphanage. He was shocked not only by the squalor, but also by the number of crippled people he saw. Most of them were victims of the gangs that rule the area.
“Why have these children not been helped?”
“There are thousands of people suffering in Ikefa-Karkus, why single out only the children?”
“They…” Something new awoke in him and he glared at Robbie. “Because they are innocent and cannot care for themselves.”
“Kiris, that is my excuse. I expect you to be far better than I am. There are many sufferings that steal all power from adults so that they become as children, helpless and innocent of all evil they do. Those children you saw tonight will grow up without any opportunities to better themselves, what do you expect of them?”
Cherine laughed. “Kiris, my Robert is not being fair to you. Not even I can see adults as blameless as children.”
“Perhaps it is time we all take a fresh look my love.”
“Another time Robert. Kiris, we did not cover your planet in our search for children in need, and where we have, we used different ways for helping them. In that city, many Cherinians walk just to give a coin or some food to those most desperately in need. It is not our planet, you are the Robert of your world, it is up to you to help them.”
“That is not what you taught me! That cannot be true empathy. I thought you claimed all Cherinians are one family.”
“Before you accuse us Kiris, think. How many children do you think there are who are suffering? Not just on your world, in all of them. Millions? Billions? You could not count them in the trillions. We cannot help them all, even if it breaks our hearts.
Robert was right, this is your world and they are your responsibility. If you continue to think as you do, you will not be effective and none will benefit from your gifts. By starting with the children of Rapperten you did the right thing. Now you have seen the suffering of another city, with time you will be able to help them also.”
Aganthi nodded. “You don’t have to go all out to save them all at the same time because you can’t. Accept that you’ll have to deal with your problems in stages and, temporarily, partial answers will have to suffice otherwise you’ll paralyse yourself. As a start, why not open kitchens in the poor areas to provide the basics? Instruct them to first feed the children, then the elderly and crippled and then anyone who needs food. If you do, then also consider the effects on them. Will it cause the opposite of what you want? I prefer what you are doing in Rapperten for the unemployed. Feed them, but also help create jobs so that they can feed themselves.”
As I’ve indicated before, when a thought takes hold of Kiris he is not easily distracted. He listened to all we had to say and saw the truth in all of it and then asked, “But what of those children I felt tonight?”
“Do you see Kiris? We want to help all, but it is in our nature, since we cannot, that we first help those we meet or know. Robert was not being rude, Cherine becomes overwhelmed by her pain at the thought of all those we are unable to help and he had to go to be with her. Only he is able to help her find her balance again.”
“I did not mean to hurt her.”
“You didn’t and anyway, we all need to be reminded at times.”
Despite everything, we were rejoicing at the newly discovered sensitivity to children by Kiris. With his need to be the wealthiest man ever, I found it difficult to believe he could really be or become the Robert of this world. Perhaps he is working his way there after all. He left us, saddened and overwhelmed by reality and we sat waiting for our two loves with their pain echoing throughout our hearts.
