The white mountains peaks must be extra lovely at night as the coloured moons fly over them, tinting them.
They did not spoil the floor and edges of the ledge, leaving it naturally bumpy and littered with rocks. The rocks must have fallen from different heights as the colours are varied. At the deepest point they added a stone arch with plants growing all over it. The bride and groom are to wait behind it as the guests find their places. We grinned as we took our seats, for we could all sense that Michael was just as nervous as Ahnì.
Above us we had a cloud of Sparklers, their colours laced with the streaky energy of Kinytians and the glowing eyes of hundreds of thousands of Wirms staring down at us. The only Wirms not with them were those who have a friend they’ve attached themselves to. The surprise guest was Freddie. We ll wasted nearly a minute trying to work out who is looking after our spaceship world, but then decided Isaac must be the only person still there so maybe he is in charge. That brought a smile to everyone’s lips and hearts and we relaxed.
As impressive as always, Alki stood before the altar in a white robe edged with gold. He nodded at the Wendys and music softly played. The couple appeared within the arch and in a slow and stately walk they made their way to Alki.
The ceremony was the same as has been previously described and then Michael made his commitment to Ahnì.
“Arthur reminded me that your name is not just a name, that it is a description of your heart. I vow to keep my love for you a shield to preserve that purity for all time. Remain my Ahnì and I will be your Michael, holding you Prime in my heart forever.”
“Michael, husband with the heart of an angel, I am nothing more than a shadow of my love for you. Take my love to protect your heart during the years of the prophecy so that we have an eternity to grow closer, our hearts joined in the family that will be ours.”
Startled Michael stared into her eyes and saw the future she’d offered as a promise in them. He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it.
We celebrated that night with only joy and love in our hearts and as the hour before dawn arrived, Robbie drew the couple apart, us girls immediately crowding around them. “Choose where the two of you wish to spend your honeymoon. Take as much time as you need so that you return to us in the morning eternally bound within each other.”
Michel hugged Ahnì to him. “We already are father. Where can we go? Not to a Terran world of Cherinians.”
“The two of you must decide.”
Ahnì asked, surprising even Michael. “Could we go to a new reality where there is a Cherine and Robert for us to help? Starting a new world of Cherinians would be our best gift to each other.”
Both Robbie and Michael nearly refused her, the prophesy heavy on their minds. Robbie forced himself to bury his fears. “Michael, you may not refuse the first wish your bride makes, not when it is made with such love. Go and we’ll allow the future to take care of itself.”
Lynda found them a reality and Robbie took them, a sliver of his within both of them to call for him when they are ready to return. He only stayed long enough to sense the new Cherine and with tears weighing his soul he returned, the name of Ahnì a blessing within his heart.
As they arrived, Goldi’s planet was shaken by a thunderclap of joy from Robbie.
When Robbie had arrived there he’d found the new Robert and Cherine with Michael and Ahnì.
“Father, they have been shown our future and they asked to share these years in Freddie with you. They do not wish to link others they love until the prophecy is completed and the five of us return to you.”
Robbie knelt and placed his hands on Cherine’s shoulders, as her Robert silently stared. “The two of you will make us stronger, thank you.”
He looked up at Ahnì and he claims he did not need to be a Cherinian to sense how close she and Michael have grown.
This has already been such a wonderful day and we still have the wedding of Sheena to share!
The Whites and Darks did not wait for the wedding to start their celebrations. They had a party and invited all other species friends, including a few Muyzith. They all treated Sheena like a queen, which made her very uncomfortable. The more she protested the worse it became for her. Robbie sent her a grin and told her to relax and enjoy herself.
Sheena did not arrive dressed in white. With her white hair it would not have been striking. She mimicked one of our previous weddings, her dress almost a copy of an ancient Greek dress, dark blue with white trimmings instead of gold. She wore sandals and even as a girl of twelve she was a tiny thing, her mass of tumbling white hair almost disproportionate, the impression she gave so frail looking that it seemed a strong gust could blow her away. Her large eyes betrayed the soul that was so fiercely jubilant that a force seemed to be emitted by her.
Sheena was trembling, as if she was about to collapse as she stared in awe at Arthur. It felt as if her mind had not been able to understand his words and Robbie was about to step to her side when she nodded, her answer not much more than the sound of a sigh. “Yes.”
Msito was also in shock, delaying in responding as Arthur stretched out his hand to her. He stood waiting until she understood and placed her long thin hand in his, shuddering as their fingers made contact.
This was a dilemma that bordered on the ludicrous and I admit, I was the first one to giggle. I’m sorry I did, for it swept out like a wave, causing Msito further embarrassment and spoiling it for Sheena. Msito found her fingers slipping through yours as the energy holding your body-shape dissipated and she looked at you in amazement, quickly backing off. Her look made Sheena join us in the giggling and then Msito realised it was silly of her to be afraid of you and she also burst into laughter. We spent the evening jumping for food and drink while the music was transferred to the ledge as we kept an eye on you while dancing. To tease Sheena, Robbie insisted she owed you a dance and she was game, wiggling her tiny hips at you as you stood there looking lost in thought. The only one embarrassed on your behalf was Zenon, I guess he identifies too closely with you.
I bet Sheena had a wedding she’ll never forget. Earlier than anyone wanted, Robbie placed what was left of your image in stasis, telling us that from now onwards he intends keeping any images you form as reminders once you stop writing, that we must not forget you and strive for as long as it takes to find you. Your image permanently stands on the beach close to our taverna (in Freddie) so that it seems you are lost in thought with the hint of a smile. The Unation computer estimates your image should survive at least ten thousand years.
The next in line was Assimé. She pleaded with us girls when Robbie was not listening, for her wedding to be a joint one with Tseri. Just as Dommi and Cherine are extra close, so are these two. Following the rule that there are no rules and what the heart wants is the rule, we acceded to her pleadings. Throughout the wedding these two held hands, giving each other courage not to falter when they spoke their lines.
Meli felt she had to do something special for Rania. Not only because she was born on her world, within her mind, but also because of Diana whom she adores. She would have liked to bring the moon she created in her honour but she can’t, so she had to find something using her Cherinian gifts.
Some of us are more advanced, having exercised our gifts and grown stronger. What we strengthen does depend on our personality and interests. Meli does not use a great variety of her gifts since her interests do not require her using them often. She was growing desperate, almost resigned to failing, when she had an idea. She would need Robbie’s help, but he has never been able to refuse her anything, so she sort of took it for granted that he would. She confided in privacy to him and he allowed us to feel his delight. He returned to Freddie and came back to dress for the wedding without letting slip what is planned.
The feelings Alki was emoting as he stood before the couple do not belong to an adult of his real age. With a large smile he gestured for silence.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we have guests arriving in honour of Rania. Please remain without moving and do not try to touch them.” Theatrically he raised his arms. “Please welcome the fairies from Freddie.”
The fairies seemed to swoop down on us from the mountain peak, flying over our heads as they gathered above Rania. They sang her a song and for that time Rania was lost to us, immersed in the magic of their music. With eyes shining she raised a hand and fairies settled all along her arm, some sitting on her hand and others like a garland on her hair, the rest settling on her shoulders.
With a nod from Robbie, Alki began the wedding ceremony.
Spice and Alice shared in privacy and we hoped they were planning what we thought. When they told us they felt our delight and approval. Neither had wanted the other to be the last to marry us and they chose to be wed at the same time. It is not often that our Wendy and Lynda feel especially close, family within a family, but at this moment joy brought them together and they held each other’s hand as they watched their younger selves marry us. As the final words were spoken Wendy burst out in song, with all our singers immediately joining her, and a golden cloud forming over us rained petals of a variety of Goldi planet flowers.
We are all one now, no little heart aching to be part of us. Robbie jumped with each one in turn to a virgin Earth and spent a day talking, teasing and filling their hearts with love. That will have to do until it is time for their honeymoons.
When Robbie returned with Sheena, we instantly knew he intends continuing his honeymoon with Athia. That night, after the loving, Athia and Sheena fell asleep in each others arms.
We have returned to the alternate Earth, and collecting all our people we jumped to a virgin Earth. We chose an area that does not have summer all year long so that they do not end up regressing. Towns were built, technology from our friends was donated to help them start without spoiling their environment. We even ploughed land and planted food for them, despite providing each home with food machines. Then we returned and collected the Outsiders.
I have been mulling over some thoughts which have troubled me for years, but especially now. I asked Michael to join me and we jumped to a beautiful beach, somewhere close to where Malindi is in our reality.
“Those who will become your followers, I think they have been our enemies for a long time. It makes sense to me that many of them will come out of that group who name themselves the Elite. None of them should have qualified to be linked, so all I can do is assume that they either paid to be linked, or pretended friendship for Cherinians who came from fairly poor families blackmailing them emotionally by helping them, until they were linked. They will make up the majority of your Ipohin group,” Michael gave me a startled look, but did not speak, “which, unfortunately, means their power over society will be multiplied. However, if we plan well, they could turn into extremely useful tools.
You have shared from me, so you know all I know about the Cabal. The top ones are listed as being from forty to one hundred and thirty people. Even by the Ipohin becoming elevated and more powerful, still, in the early years, they will remain true to their original dream of inheriting the Earth for their bloodlines. This fact is what suggests to me a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us to be rid of the Cabal without causing problems for either of us.
Michael, we Cherinians could have smashed the power of the Cabal members a long time ago, but we are forced to remain sensitive to the general public, for they still fear us and any action taken against other Normals, even though they are their enemies, will confirm to them that we are monsters.
The arrogance of the Elite is well known and if the Normals learn to think of them as being against us Cherinian mutants and aliens, any action taken by the Ipohin against their masters, the Cabal, will be cheered by them and entrench your group as the champions of Mankind - at least for a while. Due to their nature, I am certain your members will soon betray themselves and show the world the contempt they feel for them.
If you skillfully manipulate your followers, I believe you can convince them that the Ipohin are the crème de la crème and acme of the best our civilisation has produced. It should not be difficult to persuade them that they are superior to the old men and women who make up the leadership of the Cabal.
Show that it appeals to your sense of irony that if they strengthen our media outlets and our new banking system, if they use us, without us knowing, they can safely bring down the Cabal, without anybody from the Cabal being able to point a finger at them until it is too late for them to do anything against the Ipohin. Don’t just use us to cause their banking system problems; we must cancel all debts to them by all governments and all Reserve banks must be taken back from them and returned to the people of each nation. The Ipohin will not have to obey the laws to the same extent we do, for they are arrogant and believe themselves to be above all laws created for controlling the Normals. Help them see that if they succeed, it will not matter who the Normals think saved them, for they will then, by default, be the new masters of our planet, with only the Cherinians to destroy.
During all this, we will be concentrating on healing our world and ridding it of every single GMO seed or creature, plus the rubbish, plastics and other toxic chemicals, so they will not find it surprising that we do not notice what the Ipohin are doing.”
All our family had stopped whatever they had been doing and were sharing. Mostly the girls were positive about my plans, but I could sense that both Robbie and Michael were troubled, for very different reasons. Robbie felt I would be making the Ipohin too powerful, possibly causing us problems we might not be able to handle, whereas, Michael was not fully convinced that my strategy can be implemented successfully.
Luckily their very different questions helped them convince each other that my plan should be attempted.
* * * * *
Michael put an end to it.
“None of us need fear that I will stop loving any of you. We have shared not only our souls and hearts, but too many experiences for me to forget how special each of you are to me. I do not only include my family; all my friends, of each and every species, you are all loved by me.
Solomon, I do not agree with my father, you and the Sparklers should not have been cast out, but I will use all my influence to avoid placing you in the position where you have to rule against them. Father, it is time to return.”
Everyone is depressed at the thought of what we are going back to face, so Luigi and Dimitri asked for a full telling before returning to our reality. Within the hour everybody was asking, so Michael relented and agreed to wait for it. Meli, Wendy and Jade asked for a day to plan it properly and since we are constantly amazed at how they can perform without rehearsals, they were given the day they asked for.
The next day Freddie filled with little girls. The Sparklers decided they want to share the telling as Terrans - as this may be the last one they experience for a long time. That resulted in the Kinytians doing something similar; not exactly Terran bodies, but close enough that their sensory equipment can approximate ours.
Solomon arranged for repeater platforms and everyone gathered. The girls appeared and there was sudden silence. Cherine walked onto the stage with our new Cherine and Robert.
This is the first time Cherine has ever done this and it is bound to be done repeatedly from now on. She did not start with their love. She began with the way Cher felt before Michael and Ahnì helped her discover her Robert and, in that way, her true self. It felt as if Freddie was filled with tears until Cherine brought alive the magic of love that now fills Cher’s heart. When she brought alive the love of her Robert, Cher sobbed with wonder.
She gave them their moment and it was not lessened in any way by all of us sharing. Then other Cherines and Roberts were brought in, ours included. From there she sweetly pulled at the love that filled the hearts of her family and the air thrummed and vibrated as the golden circle spun; a golden crown of love.
She did not take it to extremes, allowing the glow to slowly sink into every heart. There was a stunned silence for a long moment and then Jade projected the opening scene of the telling.
This is the longest telling ever and we cannot see how one second of it could have been sacrificed to shorten it. Two tellings a day, each of two hours and it lasted three and a half weeks. The girls did not hide anything, not even the hopes of bringing Michael closer to us. They showed Cherine’s reaction to learning that she was expecting a son, but at the same time we shared the fears in her heart. Because there was not one soul not drained, Cherine asked that we all rest one day before she ends it off with one more golden circle of love. Whether we had truly recovered by the next day I cannot say, all I know is that there wasn’t one heart not emoting tears when it ended and every single Cherinian within Freddie had bonded beyond what we normally think of as bonding. I do not exclude Isaac, though, as a Normal, his thoughts still remain closed to us.
As we arrived at our Earth, Freddie scrolled across his outer shell, ‘A son is born to Cherine and Robert’. Hettie announced to the media that we had two births, Michael and Ahnì
Congratulations poured in and then we confused them by showing the couple and announcing they have married. Once Robbie had enjoyed the scandalised reactions, we then announced how old they are and we were flooded by requests for us to share the details of those years.
Freddie had arrived at 00:01 am on the first of January, PC26. Apostolis tripped the switches at two am and announced the fault could not be repaired, allowing his customers to leave without paying. Within the hour we filled his club with our laughter and voices until morning as we celebrated two birthdays and all the anniversaries.
Bruce and Sally shocked the world when they announced they have been linked and are now Cherinians. Their photos were on the front page of every newspaper around the world and a few editorials speculated, worrying whether Bruce had been a Cherinian while still president. He and we made a statement that he only linked during this last trip.
Hettie knows how we feel about Bruce and she says he is one of the few politicians she respects, so it should not have come as a surprise to us when she announced that she is no longer sole Head Representative of the Cherinians, sharing her position now with Bruce. Perhaps Bruce was the most astounded of all of us.
On the same day, Hettie released videos and photos with the history of the alternate future Earth. When many newspapers and stations (well, mostly ours and the alternate media) pointed out that this was the likely future of our Earth if the Cherinians had not intervened, public opinion swayed in our favour again.
For us girls this was a lovely time as we stayed in the background and used our free time to share our experiences with our loved ones who’d not travelled with us. We do it so that there is no growing apart and the sharing is not a one-way street, they too have memories to share with us. Our world has grown used to the fact that Robbie is available and then, without explanation, he is not. He chose to spend more time with Empathia and we had to make excuses when they asked for interviews. That meant I lost my freedom since they then asked for me. Privately a request arrived from China, asking that I visit officially. I called for Hettie and Bruce.
“Am I wrong in my suspicions?”
“That it irks them that you are an honorary Chinese of an alternate Earth and feel insulted that they were refused? They will want to do the same.”
“Yes, that is what I thought.”
“I would say the chances are very good that you are right. What do you think Bruce?” Hettie was enjoying herself!
He chuckled at her tone. “I would say you are right.”
“How do I avoid it?”
“You don’t want to be Chinese for our world, only an alternate?”
“Hettie! Are you getting your own back at me? It’s not funny.”
“Getting revenge? Whatever for Samantha?” There was too much laughter for that being a worthwhile point of further discussion.
“This is my home Hettie, if I had a choice I’d rather be an honorary Greek, but I’d rather not be an honorary anything.”
“Bruce, is it my imagination or have you also noticed that Samantha loses her sharp, precise way of talking when she is under stress?”
Hettie has never teased us, only Robbie a couple of times, and my family loved it, even Robbie and Empathia putting on hold their own closeness for sharing - just so that they could laugh at me. I shrugged.
“I guess I’ll just have to accept.”
Now Hettie turned serious and Bruce frowned. “It might be better we ask the United Nations to declare that all the Teller family are honorary citizens of Earth.”
Hettie shook her head, “They cannot act fast enough to stop the Chinese. With the strong influence the Chinese have over the UN, it will take them too long to make a decision.”
Glumly I added, “They’d probably go ahead anyway.” They agreed with me.
Hettie laughed, “You can’t even use the excuse that you are too ill to travel, you poor Cherinian girl.”
I had an idea and I deliberately allowed the thought to leak out. Hettie stopped being amused and went as far as forgetting her Cherinian manners. “You can’t do that Samantha!”
Okay, now I have two champions and I can relax. J
I’m so dumb! I had to urgently jump to Hettie and Bruce to stop them. When I pointed out my reasons they paled and immediately started lobbying for the United Nations to rule that all is cancelled, that none of us, or any Cherinian, may be adopted as honorary citizens. They’d have had to include Michael and that could cause big trouble in the future.
It is almost St Valentine’s Day and Michael has not been contacted by any dissident Cherinians yet. I suspect they may never do so unless he gives them a reason to believe he is available. I was going to keep my thoughts to myself, but Samuel made the point at the taverna tonight. Michael only shrugged. Seeing he was in such a hurry to get here, I admit to being puzzled.
One point worth noting. All those who were with us in the Haven-R have not returned to their Terran homes. They visit, but they continue living in Freddie. That includes Alki and his family. They are afraid we may be attacked and leave without them. Samuel took the time to cash in and used the money to buy income generating property and appointed an agent to handle it for him. Now he only visits Earth for short visits. We, on the other hand, are living in our home in Greece. We act as if there is no reason for us to change our habits, sometimes two or three of us going off alone to visit friends or relatives. We decided we cannot afford to do otherwise, but Robbie sees to it that either he or Vincent is watching over us. It feels good to know that Eddie also keeps an eye on us.
As for Jesus and Christós? They’ve taken Iisous with them and are acting like tourists, jumping to tropical islands and cities which are known for the plethora of young ladies searching for company. Angelica told us that whatever they are doing, even if they’ve had some drinks, they keep an eye on us, ready to jump to our defence instantly. It feels nice to know we are watched and cared for by so many but, at times, it does get to us. We found a solution that nobody likes. We jump to visit our alternates.
I decided to take a holiday, slightly different from the usual. I asked Henry and Alice if they could leave their son in Freddie and join me. We went to stay and work with Richard. He was surprised to see us and it turned out he has not heard of the attacks on us. Henry, looking very grim told him our news and Richard was upset that he had not been with and so could not join us now. I tried to give him a pretty smile.
“Why should you come with Richard? Do you think all our friends must come with? How will Robert remain the protector if we do not have friends who remain behind to warn him of the plans our opponents make? Staying behind, but helping us, will be far more dangerous if you are willing to take the risk.”
My need to find the right words for Richard pointed the way for me also. That he was proud to do as I asked was a lucky happenstance, but it showed that I have an arduous and risky journey ahead of me. Now is the time for me to search out friends and lay an underground network that will serve to help Robbie keep the Cherinian dream alive. It would be selfish of me to keep the task for myself, we must share so that all contribute.
We spent a few days with Richard and his sons, who dropped in when they could, despite working hard doing simple things to make life easier for families still suffering. I made a note to ask Hettie to arrange the supply of the basic equipment needed here. It was not all sweat and toil, I saw the sunlight streaming through the leaves as we took our breaks to eat under the trees, I heard the birds and felt the miracle of life continuing despite our problems. Just as important was the sharing of thoughts as Richard solemnly spoke of the way this world is evolving outside of Athens. Somehow our future struggle acquired a meaning with depths I’d not realised.
The time Robbie spent with Athia became doubly precious to us. Feeling the love that deepened daily, the joining of minds where souls were already merged, the little things they discovered about each other, all these made our family stronger and our love for each other grew.
On the 25th of March we had a party in the Sparkler World to celebrate the general Cherinian anniversary and a call went out, inviting all Cherinians. Robbie asked Michael to become the void and carry the bodies of our guests to the Sparkler World, causing many comments and little worries that Robbie has passed on his single power that makes him invincible.
At the party, Michael acted like a braggart and drank too much, as did Simito and Zenon. The three of them made themselves a nuisance in small ways and were far too loud. Robbie radiated his displeasure, but did not interfere.
Robbie and Athia settled in the house of Dimitri in Dar, jumping from there to various beaches, spending the odd day walking in the bush among wild animals or visiting cities around the world for a meal and entertainment. About twice a week they spent the night back home with us.
The government of South Africa asked the Cherinian embassy for our help. Their population has grown and they need more water and want us to build a new dam for them, as they cannot afford to do it themselves. They will build the actual dam walls, but the area is not ideal and needs massive amounts of earthmoving so as to provide a large catchment area. Robbie agreed to do the work subject to the government building and maintaining a new orphan village. These villages have become the new way of dealing with orphans, creating groups of homes of four to six children and foster parents, while maintaining central services and discipline through a central committee. Children are allowed to swop homes if the foster parents agree and where the orphans are brothers/sisters, they are encouraged to remain together.
While removing earth, spread out to a designated area, Robbie uncovered deposits of diamonds, silver and manganese. The sale of these commodities provided the government with the total cost of building the dam. The governments all around the world began to make excited plans for asking him to help them also. Robbie asked Hettie to explain that from now onwards the Cherinian ecological and commercial teams will have to authorise any projects that need our help.
At the very moment that we were riding a short wave of popularity in our prime reality, Michael made his first move. Michael and Ahnì went to visit the reality of the one we used to call the rich Robert - luckily, after our last visit there, they announced their existence and their world learnt about the multi-reality of Cherinians.
Michael took Ahnì to a nightclub and drank too much, becoming slightly boisterous. Throughout the night the playboy son of a Greek industrialist tried to catch the eye of Ahnì and when she went to the ladies restroom, he was outside the door, waiting to speak to her. Michael came up from behind him and spun the man around, threatening to flatten his face if he does not leave his wife alone. The man was drunk and threatened Michael in return. We all know that such defiance is usually just bravado if it comes from a Greek and yet Michael punched him, breaking his nose.
The next day an enterprising reporter sought him out at the Kefalari Square coffee shops. “You are Mr Michael Teller? I’m from the Vradyni newspaper. I believe a charge of assault was laid against you last night.” Michael shrugged, sending the message that he did not care. “Your action, was it not contrary to what Cherinians believe? With your superior reflexes and augmented strength, how do you justify hitting a person who does not have your powers?”
