The problem did not really exist as they can build spaceships (plus repair those still salvageable) and using their Cherinian gifts jump through time as the Unation do.
By the time our past selves were about to arrive for the Anadir to collect documents and art works we had finished bringing Anadir back for them to identify their bodies. They are all being brought back to life a few days after the last time Freddie left.
Robbie agreed the date, jumped us back to Freddie and we returned to our home planet. With an excitement that Hettie and Bruce could not conceal (they have grown very fond of all the Anadir they’ve dealt with, as have all Terrans, including the Normals) they made the announcement to a stunned world just as the Anadir spaceship appeared in our skies.
For the next week parties were held all over Earth, television, the magazines and web sites were filled with photos of the Anadir planet and every host offered the highest fees ever for an Anadir guest. In that quirky way of us Terrans, Solomon also found himself the center of attention and messages of love for the Sparklers poured in from millions of over-excited people. Those were nice, what were funny were the messages from those asking/giving instructions to the Sparklers, outlining their wishes for their return to a new life when they die. One old lady asked to be returned as her poodle! Another wanted to return as his ex wife’s child to be born, so that he could make her life hell, as he claimed she had done to him - he committed suicide to make it happen. Since her foetus was about to acquire a soul, we suggested the Sparklers grant him his wish, convinced it was the only way he can learn to understand and love her.
The Ipohin saw the news as a ploy by us to become popular and prevent too many Cherinians joining them. We know that they already number over a hundred thousand over seventeen realities, but the good news is that they only have five alien members.
Now comes the bit of information that a Normal could have misinterpreted. The date of our return and the appearance of the Anadir spaceship? On the birthday of our Dommi, Cassie, Latreia and the four; Tseri, Spice, Assimé and Alice.
We announced to the Cherinians that we are having a party in Freddie to celebrate and Robbie made it clear that all are invited, including those who consider themselves Ipohin. That nearly gave Cherine a heart attack, she was that angry. She came to see that it was very wise of our silly husband.
Michael obviously does not care what his followers think of him, for he first went to his house and arrived by us as a seven year old boy. He was cuddled and loved by all his mothers all night (mostly Dommi). We did allow Alki some time for holding him also. He loudly called him a pallikari, much to the confusion of everyone. J
Everyone was in a good mood - despite the humongous job of cleaning up afterwards, and Robbie was in an expansive mood, joking with anyone who came by the taverna. The kids had ringed the taverna, sitting on the grass (can you imagine what a job it is to keep the grass growing around the taverna with so many people walking through it?), their pleasure at Robbie’s good mood very evident.
Robbie did what nobody ever does. As Meli sat lost in her thoughts, he reached out with his mind and tossed her into the air, instantly standing below her to catch her in his arms. He laughed at her look of incredulity. “So my little Muse, what do we do with you?”
“Put me back in my chair?” She giggled and sent to him privately, *Unless you had other ideas worth investigating?*
His face remained amused but we sensed his underlying worry. “My little Achilles heel, how do we protect you? Should we make it a condition that only those who have read your books are allowed into your mind? Oh no! That would mean I am excluded!” *Anytime you want my love, I’d love to investigate you.*
“What makes you think my mind is open to every Tom, Dick and Harry? Is yours?” *Does search and seizure come under ‘investigating’? Should it be legally defined as ‘invasion of privacy’?*
Robbie floundered for a moment. “I thought all anyone had to do is imagine themselves coming to your world and they would!”
“If I like them.” *So?*
“Damn! We’ve been worrying for nothing!” *Yes. Definitely…I can’t wait, shall we go?*
“Why didn’t you and Sam ask me?” She giggled in her mind. *Do you have authority from a judge? I might have to ask Michael to protect me with his lawyers.*
“You little devil!” He chuckled out aloud. *I thought we have a permanent contract that allows my invasion of your…privates.*
*Oh goodie! Shall we go? Oh no! I was your ‘special’ before last night. It wouldn’t be fair to our loves. Sorry, you’ll have to pick on someone else. Guess I’ll have to go back to my story.*
Robbie tightened his arms about her, his one hand straying over her little thigh and he jumped home with her. We quickly made our excuses and followed them - the last thing we wanted was to sit there having orgasms in public and we definitely were not prepared to block them off. I’d say his healer is keeping him far too randy - not that I’m criticising! (Jodine: And your healer?)
This time has been a boost to our morale while buying us unbelievable goodwill from all. We were convinced the Ipohin would lay low for a while so we took the opportunity to stock up again and …Arthur, are you certain you have assumed nobody else is getting our diary?
We discussed it and we’ve decided to carry on writing as usual.
As I was about to say, all of us are watching for changes in trends, in a number of realities (information sent to us by their Roberts) and trying to guess what they will do next. I do not think we are fighting the kind of battle where we can project strategies on their behalf, they’re bound to find opportunities we’ll miss. As long as we can identify their attacks early enough to minimise the damage to others, we’ll be satisfied.
Robbie hates having an unknown quantity to deal with. Our trust in both Jesus and Christós is one hundred percent so we take on faith the presence of Isaac. The trouble is that the man himself is a worry. He has not made friends, is surly, does nothing all day and has not shown any interest in becoming a Cherinian. He is not very bright and we have not seen or felt that he has any powers, while his emoting is as dull as dull can be. It is natural that we keep on asking ourselves, what is he doing here, but we’ll never ask.
The other man who keeps to himself is Wilfred, father of another Robert. He works all day on his coffee farm, joins us at the taverna now and then and Maria sends him meals and beers on the days he doesn’t. He is perhaps the only other person who has never come out and specifically said he stands by us. Robbie told us that by returning to his farm it was as if he has declared himself. We all take turns visiting him and helping out, but even there he rarely speaks to us. Not that he is rude or cold anymore, he just has little to say being such a private man. Of course he is a Cherinian and Freddie watches over him so we are not worried about him in that sense, it is just not nice knowing there is anybody lonely in Freddie. We have not noticed any quickening of his heartbeats when he sees Rose, so that is not likely to be the problem.
We are still on the Empathia honeymoon so we were happy when Robbie asked Lynda to find another Earth. She was not concentrating on any kind of reality when she sensed one that is in danger (unspecified). Freddie instantly jumped there.
“I don’t see anything! Looks like a typical Earth with the usual problems, but no nuclear war threatens. Not even the fire-world!”
All our friends used their technology while we used Freddie and our minds. Population about two and a half billion. Technology at about our 1950’s level with growing ecology problems but nothing urgent yet. They’ve had a second world war but the Americans are not as belligerently policing the world as protectors of democracy. All the colonial powers are still in Africa and various parts of Asia. The one surprise were Australia and New Zealand. They are still part of the British Empire, with British governors and the local white people think of themselves as British.
We next searched for people similar to ourselves, with powers that could be dangerous. Nada. Neither Robert nor Cherine have been born yet. The local Alki is busy establishing himself, just starting to grow his businesses. The local Hettie and Eddie are not planning anything drastic. We were really puzzled by now.
Luckily Merlin is with us and he was not spending his time investigating Earth. He brought some star photos and calculations to the taverna. “I am worried by what I see. It looks as if an asteroid is heading for the planet below.”
Robbie did not bother to examine the photos and calculations. “Point out to me the direction it is coming from.”
We went to the void so as to travel with Robbie. Enfolded by him we shot off in the direction Merlin had pointed. For a long time we did not see anything but then Jade pointed to a light to the side. Is that it?
That was it. We estimate it is roughly about half the size of our moon. Robbie moved to a point behind it, following it and trying to work out if it is headed for Earth. It looked as if it would miss so we had to calculate where the Earth would be when it arrived. As far as we could see, Earth would be slap bang on target.
Robbie suggested hopefully, “Do we move the damn thing and leave?”
“Why?” Alki asked. “There are no potential Cherinians here? Roberto, you tell them what is coming, let them make their calculations and then you save them.”
“Not me patera. The Unation ship can deflect it.”
“Do not be so selfish Roberto! The weight of their gratitude must rest on your shoulders.”
“Angel love, do you feel like handling it?”
“No thanks dad, this is yours.”
He moaned, “I thought you loved me!”
We waited for the local astronomers to notice what the Universe was sending them. Once the governments were told we waited for the media to announce it. Nothing. Governments met other governments in secrecy, but the people were not told. Day by day Robbie grew grimmer as we waited.
“Freddie, break into all their television and radio stations and announce the imminent arrival of the asteroid.”
“Anonymously!”
“Yes.”
By now a large number of amateur astronomers had noticed the extra light in their skies so our announcement was not a total surprise. Our broadcast caused more consternation than our message! Robbie sighed and asked Freddie to go into orbit while announcing our peaceful arrival. The Spartans dashed to the void to watch for an influx of souls while our healers rushed to identify the bodies. We healed the bodies and sent the souls back.
We had a strange problem. We could not use Hettie, Bruce or any other Terran in case their alternate exists and we get them into trouble. We decided it might not be such a bad idea allowing them to think aliens had arrived to save mankind so, just wait for it, you’ll love this, Robbie appointed his daughter, our own isi.
“People of Earth, greetings. I am of the Inguel and my name is isi-mi-Arrap. We have calculated the trajectory of the asteroid and we came to your planet to help you by forcing it away from you. Here are our calculations of its size and weight. If it is not interfered with, it is likely to strike your planet at the impact site we depict in our graphics, altering the orbit of your planet.
Do not panic or cause your governments any problems, you are not in danger, we will force it to change direction so that it misses all the planets of your system. We will be broadcasting every half an hour, but we also welcome contact by your authorities. Thank you for listening to me.”
Their astronomers confirmed we had supplied the correct information and added to that the fatal effects of the small moon striking Earth. It did a lot to soften their attitude towards us.
This has been an interesting first contact. I’m surprised that Robbie doesn’t feel bitter. The Inguel were welcomed with joy by a major part of the population. Everyone seemed more interested in asking questions about their civilisation and were thrilled to hear how many millions of years it has existed. They did try to fish from them how they expected to move the moonlet away from Earth but were not too upset when they were told it would be explained on our return visit. Three Inguel, our isi with an-Fisp and Ettoli visited Earth to address the UN. They showed star maps that included the direction the moonlet would be sent so that it gets lost in deep space and never threatens Earth again. They were asked to show their own system and the world was amazed to learn they come from a different galaxy. We all cracked jokes about how they would react if they were told their true place of origin.
We were all worried that our presence might affect the future, causing Cherine not to be born, so Freddie departed the next day. Freddie jumped to the nomadic moonlet and blazed, making a display of power while Robbie went as the void and sent it in the planned direction, missing all objects of the solar system. We then jumped to the year Cherine would be born and returned to orbit around Earth.
We screamed with joy when a Spartan confirmed it has found Marian and she is expecting. We also were given further proof that it is a true Cherine when the Spartan announced that the foetus had sensed it. We went with Robbie when he went to visit as a soul. Dommi sent in her healer and told us we have only a few weeks to wait. After carefully sensing her emoting we left.
While the Inguel talked to Earth governments and introduced other species, we searched out the local Hettie and Eddie. They were together so Robbie grabbed them and brought them to Freddie. Hettie looked around wildly, on guard, ready to attack the first person she saw. Eddie only looked around with curiosity.
“Relax Hettie, we are in the alien spaceship. I would not advise attacking, they obviously have powers greater than ours and recognised us as the supreme powers on Earth.”
“Welcome. This is Freddie, the spaceship world you are within. As you said Eddie, you are recognised, but no one intends you any harm. We have not been entirely honest with your governments but the reasons will soon become clear.
We do not come from this Universe. We come from an alternate reality, where our Earth is slightly ahead of yours. The leaders of the people you have met are called Robert and Cherine Teller. They and their family will teleport close to you. I repeat, no harm is intended, so do not attack.”
As we appeared with joyous welcoming smiles, Eddie grabbed hold of Hettie’s hand. “Don’t.”
“Welcome, I am Robert and this ugly bunch of girls is my family. We have a lot to talk about, but before we inundate you with names, why don’t we walk over to the tavern for a drink while we talk?”
They were stunned. “We were told aliens are in control of the spaceship!”
“The reasons for our disassembling will soon be made evident. Are you ready to meet your alternates?”
Our Hettie and Eddie arrived, carefully sheathed and ready for an attack, but wearing welcoming smiles. Robbie continued, “These two represent all the species but mostly us Terrans in our dealings with our governments. Our beloved friends, Eddie and Hettie Mansfield.”
We were all laughing within our minds. Hettie was on alert, ready to attack for a long time, while Eddie’s mind was alive and excited like a kid, filled with the wonder of all he was being told. They were both dismayed when they learnt they would now be exposed to the scrutiny of their entire planet. The effect of seeing themselves in their original bodies, still very young, brought back memories that hurt both of them.
“Would you like to get your original bodies back as these two have? If you answer yes, there are conditions.”
After a full explanation, with a brief description of how we met and became friends, they were told to relax while thinking about what we offered. They were given a house on the ground so that they would feel comfortable. That evening, supper was more of a celebration with all the usual crowd arriving to meet our guests and eat. We stayed up until we felt the two needed to sleep and jumping them to their temporary home we went back to ours. It was nice having our Robbie back in his own body again.
Within the period the two of them needed for opening themselves to us, it was time for Cherine to be born. All the family, including Alki, Marian and their kids and isi went to welcome our new Cherine. The instant she popped out into her world, our hearts burst with joy at sensing her weak efforts to sense her surroundings while laughing at the antics by Freddie. He flared and then dashed in a mad orbit around the Earth. He cut in to all broadcasts with his exultant yell, “Cherine is born!”
As can be imagined as being a typical response, almost every government went into red alert and missiles prepared for launching. How they expected to use them I have no idea since none of their missiles are capable of attaining the altitude needed for attacking Freddie.
It was a triple shock for the world, learning that Terrans are in control, that we are from a different reality and that they already had two powerful mutants in control of a large slice of their economies. It took days for them to calm down and things to settle into some kind of routine. When they were introduced to Cherine they asked why Freddie announced her birth since she is not a baby. We already had their Cherine surrounded and protected in every imaginable way, so Robbie explained. Terrified leaders all around the world had urgent meetings while the British army was sent to surround the hospital baby Cherine was just about to leave. Marian was upset when advised she would not be allowed to leave yet and told them it is all nonsense, her baby is a normal little baby girl. She fumed when nobody was prepared to listen to her, her guards keeping an eye on Cherine as if she were some kind of monster about to turn them to jelly. Us girls took turns shielding the baby from the emoting of those around her, filling her with our joy and love while our Hettie and Bruce negotiated with the governments. Robbie decided he and I had to personally handle the British government.
“Thank you for meeting us on such short notice.”
“We are honoured to have you here.” He did not look as if he were. He was put out by Robbie’s small youthful stature and the fact that he was accompanied by a girl child - for serious people, always a sign of lack of seriousness, I suppose.
“This is Samantha, our butterfly.” He gave me a naughty grin, but I kept my face serious.
“My father likes to tease me. Mr. Prime Minister, we have not come to negotiate a separate treaty with your government. We have come to discuss the matter of your Cherine. A way has to be found for her and her parents to return home and live a normal life.”
“I don’t see how that can happen my dear Samantha. After all, according to your father, she is extremely important, perhaps the most important asset this country has. We dare not allow her to be at risk, there are many lunatics who will want to harm her while she still is a baby and defenceless. Surely you would not want that?”
Stubbornly I responded, “No Cherine is defenceless Mr. Prime Minister.” That scared the hell out of him and all those listening in. Robbie was peeking and grew angry when he ‘heard’ him briefly wondering whether they could send a mini atom bomb over her suburb once we are gone.
Robbie’s voice was icy cold. “She is not a British asset, she belongs to the whole world. I regret I must advise you we will be taking baby Cherine and her parents to Freddie where she will grow as she is meant to. I might also be taking my alternate and a few alternates of close friends. We will return them once Cherine is old enough to speak for herself.” The prime minister did not get a chance to splutter much, for we jumped to the hospital. Those guarding baby Cherine had already neutralised the guards, so we went directly to Marian and Eric.
We expected some kind of outcry, but the Prime Minister must have interpreted our actions as a show of contempt from an unassailable position of strength and decided caution is the better part of valour. We’ll set him and everyone else right when we return with our new Cherine an adult. We worried more about the way we should handle the local Alki and Elia. They have businesses to run and we could cause them immense damage. Not to have her Dominique with we felt was wrong. We were in a quandary.
Our Cherine insisted we get them. I insisted we do not. I think Robbie is the bravest man I know, despite his fears that he is a coward. He wisely chose to stay out of our argument by finding tons of little jobs he had to take care of. I think I was the bravest of us that day, for when Cherine is so determined on having her way everyone gives in. I saw that I could not afford to. When she does not look in my mind to understand why I have taken a stand, I know she has set her heart on the outcome going her way and I find it even more difficult to stick to my guns.
I replied, “She will not love her as a wife! What does Dominique do all these years while Cherine is growing up?”
“I’m certain Robert and her will love each other. She’ll be happy.”
“Nonsense, they are too young! Anyway, if Dominique grows to love her Robert she will not be willing to share him.”
The argument went on and on and I told my loves that I am no super star at analysing possible emotions or love, I needed their help. They took one look at Cherine and stayed silent, hiding how they felt. A few, like Haven, Jade, Robyn, Tina and so on, did not need to hide how they felt. They were only interested in listening to how either of us would counter the last argument. They too had decided they did not know enough to make a decision. I was the only idiot to take a stand when I knew I was in the same boat as them.
It was starting to look like the one who is the most stubborn and outlasts the other will win, which meant I would lose. The girls were starting to worry we might carry our argument into the night, breaking an unwritten law of ours.
Dommi cut in. “I’ve been waiting to see which one of you would decide I might have a clearer picture than both of you, since she is my alternate.”
Meekly I answered, “If you don’t volunteer I have no right to involve any of you in our discussion.”
Dommi laughed. “You call this a discussion? I’ve been waiting for the claws to come out.”
“Never! Not with Cherine. Dommi, what is your opinion?”
She ignored me and took Cherine’s hands in hers. “My love, Samantha makes all the wrong arguments, but her gut feel is pushing her. If you bring Dominique now, they will never become family. With us you were already a sexy little girl so I had to accept you as you are. If Dominique knows her from when she is a baby she’ll never see that in her Cherine, she is too puritanical. I suggest we return to bring her and her family to Freddie when Cherine is about seven or eight, maybe even nine and we return them all within a day, once they have bonded and linked.”
Cherine did what both Cherine and I sometimes do to Robbie. She gave in without an argument. I had a sudden change of heart. “Cherine, why don’t we bring Dominique only for a few months, let her get to know her Cherine as a newborn baby while she learns from us how important they will be to each other. Then we do as Dommi suggested. The years she waits, she’ll embroider them with bright fantasies, opening her to her Cherine.” Dommi shrugged, so we met Robbie on his return with a decision.
I did not write the above on the same day it happened. I wrote just before lunchtime today and then I read for a while, had lunch, joked and teased and then ran off to play (in the interests of exercising my body). As I sat with a cold drink waiting for all our friends to join us for supper, I ran the day past my mind and decided I had nothing further to write about. Do you love it when I write about my having nothing to write about?
On a more serious note, as the thought came to me, the words I’d written in the morning crossed my mind. The last sentence startled me with an idea and I exclaimed.
Robbie grinned. “What now?”
They waited silently while I looked around, expecting someone to exclaim as I had. Robbie nodded, “Carry on.”
“What if you jump to another reality while Candy sits here with a raspberry pie in front of her. She chooses within a time limit of five hours the time she will eat it, plus the speed she eats it at. The challenge is for you to return within three minutes of her finishing by not only visualising us but visualising Candy finishing the pie and sitting back. Would it work?”
His sense of humour won. “Whether it does or not, I promise to make certain you get your raspberry.” We waited for him to stop laughing with grins on our faces. He looked at us, as if surprised. “What? You expect me to jump right now? Before having my coffee?” That killed us and we doubled up with laughter. Aggrieved he turned to Akiar, “When I make a joke they only smile, but when I speak seriously they laugh. Females!”
Innocently (I hope), he asked, “Is that what makes them want sex with you?” He was startled when our friends roared with laughter and then he preened, proud of himself. Robbie decided it would be a good time to jump - he could have his coffee when he returns.
Candy has five hours and she goes and eats her pie within half an hour! Within seconds Robbie arrived. My throat went dry, I’d never expected my idea to work. It took me a few seconds to realise that he was carrying a large raspberry pie. With a bow he presented it to me and as he sat down, Maria brought his coffee and cigarettes. I laughed, drunk with amazement. “It worked!” Bringing the pie proved he had not cheated, he’d bought it from Varsos in Kifissia. “Now tell me how Maria knew!”
Gone was our lazy, casual evening. With excited voices everyone tried to find a reason such a development could prove to be important. As they spoke they succeeded beyond my wildest imaginings. While Henry and Luigi argued a point and everyone was concentrating on them I jumped to my apartment. Their lavish praise had embarrassed me.
The next two weeks were gruelling, so tiring that even having healers did not spare us. Robbie pushed himself even harder, determined that we all master all the possibilities so that we can handle any emergency. Robbie called it event-timed jumping (we’ve used the term before, but it now will only be applied for this kind of jumping), but we found more colourful names for it. We did not even have the pleasure of visiting in other realities. Robbie created a large platform in another reality and we made our event-timed jumps from there. In the beginning they were to Freddie in the reality it was. Then he started to jump Freddie to other realities. Then he positioned platforms within and without Freddie and we had to jump to them. Even though we were tired, by the end we had the satisfaction of looking back and seeing by how much our reactions have improved.
There we sat, in the taverna, friends of all species and family with us, every single one of us weary but relaxed at last. Suddenly Robbie turned to me, with head slightly bent to the side and he asked, “What now?”
Startled, but also filled with apprehension and suppressing their groans everyone looked at me. I stared back at Robbie, wondering what he meant, until he screamed with laughter. He’d suckered everyone and he spent the next few days chuckling about it.
We did not rush to bring Dominique for a short visit for two reasons. Little Cherines’ parents were terrified when we first brought them and they needed time to get to understand the reasons we’ve had to act so suddenly. They were fascinated by our Cherines - once they believed us. Cherine was all sweetness with them and she was the first one allowed to hold baby Cherine.
“I thought you had left!” Nicko said. “Where is your spaceship?”
“I returned on my own. Nicko, we do not need the spaceship to travel from reality to reality, it is just useful in too many other ways for us not to use it. We have a problem.” He then explained why we did not allow any alternates of those living in this reality to appear. “We would like to invite you for a short visit without your government knowing about it. You will be returned within the hour so your absence should not be noticed.”
“I don’t want to go to any spaceship!” Dominique said in a determined manner, not realising Robbie could sense her terror.
“You don’t want to meet my Dominique? She is the loveliest and sweetest of all of us and she is dying to meet you.” He leant forward, suddenly serious. “As I told you, your world has a Cherine, but she is a baby. I was with the British Prime Minister discussing her birth. Do you know what his first reaction was? He planned to kill her! He does not know how close I came to losing control of my anger. Your Cherine has the same gift of empathy our Cherine has and since your family in our reality are such special friends and family to us, we want your Cherine to have your love also. I promise, no harm will come to you. Surely you can feel that my coming has already affected you? I sent healers into you and they have already repaired whatever health problems you had. Even if I left now and never returned, you would all live an extra thirty years or more. Please trust me, I love your alternates too much for me to plan to harm you in any way.”
Nicko showed his considerate nature, “What of your alternate? I know him, he is in school with me.”
“We are also bringing him for a short visit.”
For the first time Robbie actually sweet-talked alternates into coming to meet us (strictly speaking, I have to admit he used his gifts to help him). Only their alternates and Cherine were at the taverna to meet them. Dommi assumed the age of sixteen so that she would only be slightly older than her alternate and still be recognisable as their daughter. They were just as fascinated by the parents who were so much younger. Within an hour everyone was relaxed and enjoying learning about us.
Now it was time and Robbie jumped to his alternate. “Hi Robert, do you know who I am?”
“I saw you on television, you have the same name as me.”
“As I.” Robbie grinned. “Sorry, a habit of mine. I am your alternate from another reality. I came to ask you to visit us in Freddie, our spaceship-world.”
“If I come, can I stay?” Robbie must have looked puzzled. “I hate it here. I hate my world.”
“A Robert who hates!” He peeked and relaxed. He was only saying that because he was lonely and unhappy. Robbie grinned. “Would you like to know something? I’m scared of taking you with me. You are going to fall in love with my wives and they’ll all love you.” Even as he protested, Robbie felt his ego soar and touching him, jumped.
We gave them nearly two weeks to relax and allow familiarity to rid them of their fears. Then we started a telling that lasted three weeks. The only serious editing the girls did was the sexual experiment of Robbie and Dommi, just in case these two had done the same and also, so as not to prejudice the family against their Robert. They fluctuated, running through the entire gamut of emotions as nearly everyone does, only Nicko still too young to be really upset about Robbie making love to children. We left it to our Elia and his wife to soothe them by making them understand why it happen(s/ed).
“We don’t expect you to Robert, you’re all too young. Your coming here was a gift from the family. When Cherine grows up and, if you love her as much as our Robert loves his, you will treasure the memories of these days of her as a baby. You will only stay for a couple of months and then you will be returned, as our Robert promised. You’ll have the memories of your time here to carry you through the years you have to wait. Hopefully you and Nicko will become close friends and you’ll learn to recognise the same qualities in your Dominique that made our Robert fall in love with ours.”
“I don’t think Nicko will like me anymore. We were not really best friends like yours are and now he acts as if he is afraid of me.”
“Do you want me to tell you a secret way for you to make him your friend and get rid of his fear?”
Robert did not like the idea of making himself look foolish but he gave it a lot of serious thought and decided to follow the advice he’d been given. A new discovery for him was his talent for drawing. Robbie and Jade spent hours every day with him and they taught him some of what he is capable of learning at his age.
Apart from our healers making certain they are all at prime health, they were not linked or opened to any gifts. That has to come from their Cherine. What we did do is take them on a tour for them to see the Lace world, ride the fire-world and so on. We find it makes the telling more real for them.
We’ve had an unexpected development. This Robert is a very sensitive and serious child. As his love for art has grown, he seems to have also learnt to think deeper. With the permission of her parents he spends hours each day holding baby Cherine in his arms, emoting (the closest he can at this time) the love she needs. If she continues emoting her pleasure at a growing strength, it should not be long before he senses her.
He and Nicko enjoy playing with the second and third generation kids and it is the only time we see him playing like the child he still is. Robbie stays gentle with him but has won his heart by talking to him as an adult, discussing his worries and listening when he answers.
All we need now is for a liking to grow between him and Dominique, but she still does not feel comfortable around him. She is just old enough to understand what we expect and the thought of choosing from now the man she should love for an eternity frightens her, killing any chance of it happening unless something happens to change her. Cassie, in her own inimitable way, took Robert apart for a private chat and explained why Dominique is as she is. She suggested an opening gambit for him and then left him to handle it on his own.
He waited for her to sit alone and casually strolled over and sat by her. He did not speak for a few minutes and as she was about to get up so as to get away from him, he spoke, without looking at her. “I don’t understand how they expect me to love you.”
We had not spied on Cassie but we guessed, so we chuckled. Her response was exactly as Cassie had hoped for. “Who says I want you to love me! You’re not even good looking!”
“I know, that’s exactly what convinced me they must be wrong. Anyway, how can I love you, you’re still a kid.” His eyes met hers, “A beautiful girl but still, a kid.” He got up and walked away before she could indignantly respond.
She called out, “You’re just a baby!” He smiled at Cassie and left to sit at Robbie’s computer to practice using the art program, his fingers still trembling at his daring.
Dominique made certain that everybody learnt what a stupid baby Robert is, so Cassie got to Nicko privately. When she made a comment about Robert to him he played big brother.
“It’s okay sis, I understand. He is a nice chap, but you are too young to love him. Anyway, if he is going to have someone marvellous like Cherine love him, maybe he does not need you.” He was very patronising and made her blood boil.
