Many kinds of fish were dying off until we noticed what was happening and dealt with the problem by teleporting fresh water into our rivers and ponds.
We had to jump from Earth to Earth so as not to affect any of them as Robbie teleported water into the bottom half of Freddie. Within that water are miniature Freddie-like platforms, just as well insulated, for all species to jump into should we be damaged. He is hoping that if our hull is breached we can all jump into those mini worlds and then jump them into space for a second or two and then back into the void if we need to, without having to jump in our vulnerable bodies. He even created mini worlds for all the spaceships that are almost permanently within Freddie. At the first signs of attack they will jump there so that they do not cause damage as they are thrown around, as has happened previously.
In one of the latter realities we jumped to, we discovered Sparklers. Sol communicated with them and Robbie arranged for Solomon and a few Thinkers to come. When the new Sparklers learnt all our Sparklers know, they created their own Solomon and he came into Freddie with our Solomon.
“We have learnt of your history and of what is to come. The role you have determined for our people of your reality causes much pain and we, of all realities, feel great humiliation. It would help all our alternates and ourselves recover some of our pride if you agree to us remaining your allies. It would mean that no Sparkler of any other reality would be allowed into ours, providing you with a refuge.”
The temptation swept through all of us so strongly that it was almost palpable. I felt Robbie wavering.
“Your offer is more generous than you realise. Surely you understand you would have to be ostracised by all your alternates?”
Solomon said, “We would honour them Samantha.”
“The problem is, Solomon, that no other species can tell the differences between you. Once it is known that any Sparklers are our allies, all of you would become suspect and none of you trusted. What role would you then play? We would have to abandon any ideas we had of using you to negotiate and bring us back into the mainstream of Cherinians.”
Everything happened as you wrote and the new Solomon, whom we have renamed (Zeus) is standing here with us. Jade asks, may we rename the Sparklers, she thinks we should call them Spartans.
You’ve really shaken us all up, especially the Muyzith. They are flattered that you consider/accept them as our allies and all the Sparklers are overjoyed.
All the species wanted to thank Arthur and as that took up pages and pages, I’ve deleted after allowing Arthur the opportunity to copy and paste elsewhere.
Haven cringes when she hears us calling this reality after her. She will have to grow used to it, for it is not just a Haven and it deserves to be named after her.
Arthur, you have made one mistake. Did you forget that Cherine gave birth (oh, sorry, with all the work on strengthening Freddie, I did not write to let you know that our son was born). Our son is with us, which means he will be able to cross over into this reality!
Greetings Arthur. This is Michael, son of Cherine, Robert and all the wives.
I was born on the First of January PC26. The date was arbitrarily chosen by me in honour of your father, which means we will return to our Earth on that date for it to be true. When we return to our Earth, I will appear to have been borne by my mother for seven months plus a few days. It did not take much less than that for I sensed my mother did not want the pregnancy to end. Unfortunately I could not accommodate her and had to be born sometime.
In case you are wondering. Yes, I am aware of a part of my future (it may surprise you to learn that I have become a close friend of Samuel). Samantha told me to first write the facts for you and only then add my personal comments. Since not even my father or prime mother dare to casually go against her wishes, I have tried to do as she asked.
I am aware of the promise made by Samantha that she would manipulate me, she explained that to me as soon as she was confident I would understand. She told me she has become convinced it is not necessary and I agree with her - though, if she truly has manipulated me, she is bound to have made me think it is so.
Samantha, and the rest of my mothers, are grinning as she reminds me what is of primary interest to you. Are you truly that shallow Great Father? No, I have not had sex with any of them. I would, with pleasure, for my father has garnered the most beautiful girls in all realities and I love all of them deeply, but, he has not matured enough to feel entirely comfortable with my doing so. I tease him about it and he has reached the point where he is able to laugh without mentally cringing. Do not ask yourself whether I love my father. As all his wives and daughters do, so do I.
Being aware that I am originally the alternate of your father poses some problems for me. Does that mean I have special duties owed to you? As what, as father or as son or both?
Okay, tit for tat. Samantha is giggling, she tells me that now you will tease me all the time because I’ve shown I have a sense of humour.
About the future. Arthur, am I really meant to take the position of leader against my family? How can I convince anyone? Surely they are not that stupid?
The truth is, the idea of being the enemy of my family hurts, even if it is only a pretend situation created so as to help Cherinianism. I notice that what that entails was glossed over, binding me by the pronouncement my mother Cherine made. I do not believe I can bear to watch people degraded, hurt or killed, not even for the sake of playing a role to further Cherinianism. I have spent all my time, since conception, in Freddie, where there are none of the cruder emotions such as hate, anger etc. The only unpleasant moment I’ve experienced till now was the death of the fourteen pilots in the helicopters. Yes, I did feel their deaths, for I was reaching out, trying to understand. It was traumatic and has made me even more sensitive.
(sigh) - Samantha insists I explain about the sex - despite you claiming you are not interested, she insists she knows you well enough to know that you really want to know. Why are you so preoccupied with our sexual needs and escapades? Is it really only for your book?
Yes, I do go to the void. No, it does not affect me the same way it affects my family. The truth is, it affects them far less than it did early on, they just have not wanted to spoil it for you by admitting it. I have had sex but, with whom and when is my business only.
It is going to take Michael years to forgive you - after our hysterical laughter and teasing of him. Arthur, I had told him you’d catch on. As for your question - it does apply to us Arthur, but we do not mind sharing with you now and then - exactly because you no longer demand we do.
To return to news about Michael. Of all the children born till now, the reactions of Michael are the fastest. He also has gifts none of us do, which would make him a formidable opponent if he truly were one. He taught us and Freddie how to resist being moved or being held stationary by the gifts and minds of others. It has something to do with how he sees/senses space, which makes it more difficult for us to handle this gift.
Cherine: Michael has a charisma, a gift of being likeable. He never has the stern look his father so often has and despite being new-born, he is treated more like an adult than most of us girls are. He is not quick to venture an opinion and considers each question carefully before answering. This was the perfect opportunity for me to achieve a rare success.
We were at the taverna and our spirits were high. I asked Robert a question, accompanied by mental warning that he dare not spoil it for me.
“Robert, once this problem is over, is it likely Michael will be your choice as leader.”
“Why do you ask?” It was the most neutral way he could answer since he did not understand what I was planning.
“I just thought it would take a load off Samantha's shoulders if she knew from now.” Again what I said could be interpreted two ways and he did not know how to reply.
He stared into Michael’s eyes, sensed his amusement, for Michael is very sensitive to me. Robert shrugged. “It’s up to Sam.”
She was biting her lip and had forgotten to ask her healer to control her blood flow and her face had paled. She nodded. “He would be a good choice. All would follow him without a question.”
All my loves (female) could barely restrain themselves. Samantha has so often claimed that she does not ever want to be our leader and yet she felt as if an abyss yawned at her feet. She came out of herself long enough to sense everyone and we burst out laughing. It is rarely that I succeed in teasing Sam and I gloried in my moment of triumph. As if my darling Robert would give up his dream of Sam taking over that easily.
Are you trying to spoil it for me? Robbie knows that Sam has all the qualities that would make her the best leader - if he ever hands over.
Cherine knows that she dotes on her son, finding everything about him perfect, so she forces herself to try and be fair. I think her joke is going to backfire on her, for Michael is very good leadership material, once he has experience. If he is going to have to play the role time has shown us he will, I believe he will return to us mature and very wise. I would have no problem accepting him as our leader, if Robbie needs to retire. The only question, as always, remains: how can anyone take over without his protector instincts? They are not primarily necessary for protecting us from dangerous events as much as they are needed for forcing us as Cherinians to continue to grow in the right direction.
As for Cherine teasing me. I wish she could do so more often. Her emoting when she does makes all of us fall in love with her all over again.
We found Cherine doubled over with her Robert holding her as her healer deals with the damage to her hand. Robert was very angry with Robbie when he found out it was a test and called him names. He felt that if Robbie wanted to experiment he should have held his hand, not Cherine’s. I explained that he had not foreseen any harm coming to either of them and had not needed to hold anyone’s hand, but had done so because of love. He’d thought that if they were excluded from Haven Reality, the jump would have failed. My explanation did not do much to mollify Robert. He has the attitude all Roberts have: no Robert may do anything to risk harming a Cherine and especially the prime Robert is supposed to have an instinct that prevents him inadvertently doing so. I was surprised when Vincent did not automatically agree with Robert and kept quiet.
I brought them up to date with all that I felt was safe to tell them (that is new for us) and Robert calmed down. When told that Michael has been born and when I shared with them what he is like, they loved him and rejoiced for us.
They were also awed at what you did to provide us with an escape hatch. If you do not want to be revered as some weird kind of god, you’ll have to refrain from doing things like that again - as I’ve warned you before. They sent their best wishes and we returned to Freddie.
* * * * *
Eleni, Jessie and Allan caught all of us by surprise. They came to our house, asking in particular that Michael be present.
“We have been discussing between us what we should do about Michael. He is a Cherinian with a body that is in prime health. Since his birth we have noticed he prefers to maintain an adult age most of the time. We came up with a solution we hope you will all find acceptable.
The three of us are happy to have a child, a daughter. We would like for Michael to be in contact with her on a regular basis before she is born. If they form a bond, they could become a couple after she is born. If not, we will be just as happy for her to remain part of our family. Eleni and Jessie intend sharing genes in her ovum so that our daughter is daughter of all three of us - we suspect that many other couples would welcome the opportunity to have a daughter under the same conditions. Is it acceptable to all of you?”
We were deeply touched and for this once Robbie showed it, not only to the girls, but to Allan also. Michael was overcome by the thought, but he reined in his emotions.
“I am honoured and would love to have my own family. Allan, you know my future, I dare not have a companion until that is over. How can I ask her to share in the things I will be forced to do? If your offer still stands afterwards, I will humbly accept.”
“I can’t do it Allan. Having a love of my own will also make me vulnerable. It would not be wise.”
Allan gave in. He stared at us thoughtfully. “Have you considered how it is he will be accepted by our enemies?”
Robbie answered, “Not in detail, but it is fairly obvious there will have to be a public rift between us.”
“My other question is, when? The later it is, the stronger they will be. Now that they have just lost their top talents is the best time for it to happen.”
“Not yet Allan.” There was too much pain in Robbie’s voice for Allan to persist. We changed the subject, but also made certain the three of them were filled by our love.
As soon as they were gone, Michael softly said, “Once the tour gifted to me by Arthur is over, I’ll have to take the first step.”
I asked him, “Do you know why Arthur asked for this tour?”
“Yes. He wants me to have time alone with you, sharing experiences and love so that I remain true to all of you and don’t swing over to the other side for real.”
He is proving himself to be far more mature than we had any right to hope for. I’m slowly starting to believe things just might work out for us. As for the matter of sex that has been so neatly sidestepped, I’ve come to the conclusion that Michael feels the way he does (since before birth) because of Cherine’s abhorrence at the idea of another male in our bed. She did try to bury it, convince herself she is wrong, as Robbie did, but a foetus is more deeply connected to its mother and he must have sensed her fears, whether he knows it or not.
When Michael is a baby or small child, he does spend most of his time either in the arms of Cherine or Robbie - despite what Allan suggested, he does spend much of each day as a non-adult. At those times he accepts both their caresses with a thirst that springs from the deepest parts of his heart. Robbie does not kiss him on the lips that often, but he does not avoid doing so and all we can feel is the love he emotes.
We left Haven-R (my abbreviation so that you do not think we abandoned our Haven), going first to Orgg and Jeskine. We introduced our son to their world, allowed them to fete him and taking only the two, we left for the galaxy/system of the Wirms. They wished us there so the trip time was very short.
Michael has not accepted a Wirm friend. He insists it must not happen until he returns to us. He listened as the scientists argued all over again the impossibility of stabilising the Wirm system and then he walked off to visit the Elipians. Or so he told us was his intention. What happened we had to see from Freddie.
Robbie rushed to the void, but Michael was not there. He tried, as the void, to sense him, but he could not. He moved to normal space and cried out. He could sense Michael all around us! For a moment he thought Michael had become a god, a part of the cosmos, here and everywhere. Cherine, as soul only, joined with him and then so did we. Anxiously we waited.
Hours must have passed when we sensed his laugh. He was in Freddie, his body of flesh and blood again. Once we calmed down, sitting in the taverna, he chided Robbie.
“All that was needed is that you become the system and sense what needs to be adjusted. It will last a long time now - until the ripple from the collision of the galaxies reaches here. Perhaps we will have grown in new ways and have a way to protect it?”
Robbie laughed, his delight visible on his face. “That is not a gift I have son.”
“Let me show you, it is easy.” He did and once Robbie mastered it, he showed all of us - except for me. I was too afraid to try, it reminded me too much of my experiences with Allan.
I would be safe in claiming that the Wirms are the most loved of all species, so the gift of Michael has brought great joy to all. Once the Wirms themselves understood what he has done, they nearly burnt out his mind from their joy and love. We had a party that lasted all night, the next day and night - I don’t think the Wirms wanted us to ever stop.
If Michael was not my son and brother, he would scare me. He was grilled by the scientists and he could not help them understand what he’d done, so he offered to help them construct a computer model. Of course their computers are far in advance of what you have and they are able to question him and draw inferences from his answers, show the results and he then corrects them. The scientists are extremely excited and the Muyzith claim it could lead to a new chaos theory. I’m not the only one bemused, Robbie often stares with awe at him, scarcely able to believe this son comes from him. I guess all we need for him to display is a talent for art and we’ll have our own golden god.
I got told off for writing the above, but Michael found it funny. He tried to avoid doing Jade the favour she wanted and when he tried, we all saw why. I think he must be the least artistic of all of us - yet, when he sits idly doodling, the doodles look quite good, though they tend to be a bit too geometrically shaped. My suspicious mind wonders, is he that accomplished an artist that he could produce work that would totally dismay Jade or is he genuinely…lol, I’m going to argue myself in circles if I don’t let it be.
We visited three worlds. The lace planet where then Michael endured the scariest ride the rodeo girls could plot. The world of the Elipians, where we also exchanged a lot of couples for non-Cherinians. Then Robbie thought up the most amazing trip for him, where he would not be swamped by further exhibitions of adulation. He took us to the parallel universe of the original Inguel.
We jumped to the future we’d already visited and then made leaps in the hundreds of millions of years. It was depressing watching an entire universe switching off all the lights, but the scientists are excited and to keep Robbie jumping they took in Michael, explaining in terms he could understand what excites them. He got the bug and spent hours every day with them. As we made a large jump, by now tens of hundreds of billions of years in the future, Freddie lit up and we were thrown around.
Robbie refused to return, despite Michael joining the scientists in their pleas. Robbie was tremendously excited at seeing the birth of a new galaxy, but he is afraid of trying to be present at the original bang and skipped it. We made relatively small jumps, recording the changes and the formations of the first suns. We stayed until the scientists reluctantly warned us that over the next billion years there are signs there will be more big bangs. Far more than any of us, the Inguel have been affected and we sense that many of them are making dreams of returning to colonise planets once they are formed.
We returned to an alternate reality of our own universe, Freddie hovering over the center of a galaxy for Michael to enjoy and the scientists to record. We were unlikely to run across a new species here and were all relaxed.
Robbie used the dry tone that betrays his love for his son, “Well my boy, what do we do now? Shall we visit a known planet for them to adulate you, or shall we search for something new?”
Michael laughed. “I want to see everything! Something new should be included I think, whether now or later, as I’d like for all of us to share some new memories.” The unspoken qualification ‘for when I leave you’ hung in the air and Robbie nodded his agreement.
“Robert? Can it also be the end of my honeymoon and the start for Empathia?”
“The end? We’ve hardly started!” She got terrified for a moment that he meant it (each of us would, because we’d want it so much) and then she threw herself into his arms. He cuddled and kissed her. “Aven baby, I want a week alone with you and then Empathia has her turn. That okay with you?”
“You’re greedy.” Cassie teased and Aven replied, “So am I.” After the laughter we were faced with the question, where do we go? It would not be fair to take Aven off to another new reality.
“Would you like to visit my world?” Jesus asked. “There are many tropical islands still uninhabited where you can have the privacy you want. I should go to check on how things are there.”
As soon as we arrived, we brought Iisous to Freddie. He was delighted to be with us and his mind seemed to sparkle from his joy while we monitored him to sense if he has changed. We did mark a significant improvement which made Jesus and Christós very happy when we told them.
Andrianos was welcomed when he asked to visit. We know what wine he enjoys (surprisingly, light and fruity Blue Nun, from Germany) and had a few bottles nicely chilled for him. He entertained us with anecdotes of how the governments of his world tried to cope with the rise of Cherinianism alongside the art of magic. They are fast having to adjust and they are making many stupid decisions they soon have to reverse.
“How long has Jesus travelled with you this time?”
“A long time. Why?”
“I hope you will do a telling. In the meantime, what do you think of Isaac?”
Our Angel replied with a hint of acid amusement, “It is very difficult to think anything of him. He keeps his emoting tightly reined. He never speaks to us and we have not been told why he is here.”
Andrianos grinned. “I look forward to the day you learn about him.” He waved his hands, “No, no, I cannot tell you, it is up to Jesus to do so.” We were now really intrigued!
Samuel chuckled. “I’ve tried fishing, the man hardly speaks a word and avoids answering all questions. At least I know one thing more than any of you do - he eats oranges by the ton.”
Cassie giggled. “I know, let’s challenge Samantha to find out about him.” I can’t understand why they all found her so funny, Michael even digging his elbow into my ribs as he laughed.
Before Andrianos left he asked me to walk along the shore with him. “Do you recall the time Robert was given command over us and you spoke to me later?” I nodded. “If I could have seen you then as you are today with your family, I would have been angered. Now, I am pleased that a child helped open my eyes.”
I grinned. “You do know that in my reality you come from the ancient past? I guess you do also in yours, but you know what I mean. I was in awe of all of you because of that.”
“Our paths shall cross each other many times in the future - you do know I can sometimes see hints of the future? Samantha, whenever we do, I’ll be glad to call you a friend.”
Aven and Robbie walked on a beach, content with the silence between them. Both of them were remembering the high points of their honeymoon and we could sense that Aven felt it has been far more beautiful and meaningful than she’d ever hoped for. She glanced at him and was struck by the way he seemed more vibrant and alive.
“It means a lot to you that you finally have a son?”
“If I’d remained a Normal and only had a daughter or two - or three, I would have been deliriously happy and not missed having a son. When we became a Cherinian family, it seemed to make it impossible for me to have one, so I desperately wanted him.”
“Will you want more?”
“I’ll always want more children love. Whether I’ll have more - the answer is no, not for a very long time.” He was lightly monitoring her to sense if he’d hurt her.
“I’m glad in a way. When all our honeymoons are over, we are going to miss them. And you?”
He grinned. “You bet.”
“Then why don’t we try something different? At that time, only once a year, you get a month with each of us as a child of two or three, or any age you prefer. For that month each of us forget all we’ve lived through and feel like a Normal.”
“It would be a delight for me, but I doubt you would enjoy it that much. Each of you would probably spend the month crying for your mummy.”
“Try it, you might be surprised.”
“When this is all over and done with, love.”
“No, the more difficult life is for us, the more precious such moments will be and you’ll feel stronger.”
“You mean, inspired.” The way his mind felt to her it was like a long tender kiss of love.
She giggled. “Boy! In the beginning it felt as if we’d never get around to making love.”
He looked at her curiously. “Boy! I haven’t heard that for a long time.”
“It was becoming popular again among the kids back on Earth, mostly in England. In Greece, if they are asked how they are, they answer parkarisa (I parked). It means they are okay, that they are happy where they are, if you know what I mean.”
“If we jumped five hundred years into the future, I wonder if we’d understand anything they say.”
The beach curved out and when they reached the promontory they found a picnic hamper placed on a blanket. They ate and drank and then Aven lay with her upper body on Robbie’s chest, her ear listening to his hearts.
They did not make love that afternoon, but we sensed how both felt they were in paradise.
Michael found Jerusalem fascinating. He enjoyed the foods, the smell of their dank little shops closed or shaded to protect them from the heat. He was careful to avoid discussions that dealt with religion, politics and the Cherinians. He spent half a day at an olive farm where they extracted olive oil and he bought a drum of their oil for his father. He seemed to soak up knowledge and despite Claudia he quickly learnt to converse in the three dialects spoken in the market place.
Haven tried to convince him they should go for a long ride into the desert as an exercise of survival, but for this once Michael was able to say no; needless suffering is not something he willing endures.
He met a Greek married to a Jewish woman and when they became friends he was invited to their home for supper. The Greek man had converted so as to marry and he has a daughter of sixteen. They trusted him to appreciate that they’d allowed him to meet their daughter and expected him to respect their customs. He found the dark eyed girl attractive and she was brimming with vitality and humour. During the evening he found a way to speak to her alone. He did nothing crude, but he did show disrespect to his friend and his family by asking her to meet him. The father nearly came to blows with him and showed him the door.
Word got to us and Robbie was furious. He refused to go to the taverna, demanding we have breakfast at home. We had finished and were waiting as he smoked one cigarette after another. Michael came to our house full of good cheer and preparing his breakfast he carried it to our patio. Robbie kept silent as he ate and joked with us.
“I want you to stay in Freddie today Michael.”
“You have something you want me to do for you?” I think he was deliberately playing stupid, which was angering Robbie further.
“No, I have an unpleasant task to carry out in Jerusalem and I do not want you there.”
“Perhaps I could handle it for you?”
Robbie exploded. “As head of the family I have an apology to make to the family you insulted last night! How dare you Michael, he treated you as a friend and you show him disrespect, shaming him.”
“I did nothing wrong, I can’t help it if they have old fashioned ideas.”
“Old fashioned! Are you being deliberately stupid or are you determined to provoke me further? Since when did you become qualified to judge the customs of any people?” He felt us and tried to control his temper, trying now to speak in a softer tone. “There are no customs that are right or wrong universally, not those of the most backward tribe or species, nor those of ours. Each set of customs is right for those who follow them and we respect them all.” His eyes were bleak, “I will have to explain to the father that it was my mistake in allowing you to visit them as you are still a baby and do not appreciate…”
Michael shot to his feet and shouted, “Don’t you dare…”, he cut off what he was about to say and swung around, presenting his back to his father. No exception was taken because we could sense him and he did not mean it to be an insult or challenge, just his fear of being humiliated. He forced himself to calm down and thinking furiously he turned around again. “I apologise. Father, if you do so, you will humiliate me. Only I have the right to do that.” I would not have been surprised to see Robbie’s jaw drop. He sat down and reaching across the table he took his fathers hands in his.
