“Are you from another planet?”
I gave a grim smile. “All you have to do is learn how to read the statistics and data. I have a team of the best professionals advising me – if you’ve read our business newspaper you should know that.”
“Me read!” I laughed.
The day after I returned to London I burst into tears. Jakob had called to him the ten leading businessmen of his community, convinced them and they had sent for the top leaders from Germany and America. He did not tell me, all he did is ask me to go with him to a Jewish club close to a synagogue. I entered to find forty of some of the wealthiest men on the planet - none of them members of the Cabal.
I forced myself to talk to them with just the right amount of passion but concentrating on facts and figures. I’m so glad I took the course on economy, having numbers and the ability to extrapolate in professional terms forced them to listen. When I described the how and why of the Great Depression, I could sense many thought I was exaggerating, but they were shaken.
One of our original investors stood up and gave my business history. It was the first time the details had been made public and they listened to him with fascination. He ended off with, “All ten of us that invested in her made more money through her than we’ve made on any of our other projects. Allow me to remind you why we decided to trust a female gentile. This is what she said in Hebrew.” He spoke my words as if they’d been engraved in his heart. “I’m following her advice, strengthening my cash position while the market is inflating and buttoning down for the bad times. What she asks of us, is it not what our people have done throughout our history? The only difference is that this time we are being asked to help save millions of lives.”
They all agreed, even those who did not agree with my theories and prognosis, to donate a million pounds each to the Disaster Fund - in which we had already originally invested over twenty million of our money. The boost of forty million pounds is what made me burst into tears.
Over the next weeks and months our problems with local authorities and governments disappeared or were smoothed out by the forty. Imports of foodstuff was permitted duty free with the condition we were not allowed to sell any of it. We attracted some of the most important names to our organisation and that should prevent governments trying to confiscate our stocks and handle the distribution themselves - which we knew would result in the needy starving while a few became wealthy.
Twenty five years. Our first rubies hit the market. With the general euphoria as shares and stocks leapt through the roof again and again, there was a great demand for them. Two months later our emeralds hit the market.
At first we were careful not to make any tanzanite available to the public. Announcements were made, scientists talked about the stones and the world was amazed. Then we had rumours circulated that we had no intention of making them available to the public. We set impossibly high prices and sold all we had. Only gradually did we relax our rules and allow the stones to become more readily available.
Our Disaster Fund has topped the eighty million pounds with thirty million pounds of stock already stored. It is but a drop in the bucket, I’m worried that we may not make it. Not even a hundred times what we have would be enough. We have four years to perform the impossible.
Three and a half years to go and we now have one hundred and sixty seven million pounds in cash and the next crops will boost our stocks in hand. The damn mice and insects everywhere are causing us too much damage, so we’ve had to employ pest control companies at our warehouses.
Twenty six years. Thanks to the forty, our cash reserves have passed the two hundred and fifty million pounds. I’m now aiming for one billion even as we spend the money.
I’ve had to explain over and over why we’ll need so much cash. Farms will still be capable of producing food, it just won’t be worth it for them because of the drop in value of money. We’ll need to subsidise them so that they continue farming.
The market spiralled upwards in a frenzy for five days and we pulled out over one hundred million in profit. Now the other newspapers are starting to take my warnings seriously and trying to calm the market and warning the people not to invest their life savings. The problem is that so much money is being made that nobody wants to listen.
Three silos were burnt by protesting farmers in America. They claimed that Jews are behind a scheme to stockpile grain and release it just as their crops come in, so as to knock down the prices. There is no way we can tell them the truth so we are keeping quiet.
I miscalculated! When I said we had four years, I expected the market to crumble in 1938. We see signs of it starting to happen. Perhaps our manipulations and constant withdrawal of cash brought the end closer. I do not see what else we could have done. We sent out to the forty our views and they instantly stopped contributing, trying to quickly gather all the cash they could to save themselves. I’m not upset, as I believe we are each responsible for the survival of our families and ourselves.
Twenty seven years. It seems none of us have any time for family anymore. The only way we get to see each other is at the office. Sometimes the kids or cousins or mums and da come in to see us. I’ve insisted my family and friends stockpile, but I’ve not bothered. I do always keep a number of chocolate bars in stock just in case Robert appears.
I’ve traced Hitler. He is still a painter but is starting to show interest in politics. I asked Jakob to call in the ten for a secret meeting. I gave them the history of the second world war and gave graphic descriptions of what would happen to Jews. Jakob had tears rolling down his cheeks as he listened to me, but the others do not know the truth about me and felt that what I was portraying for them was in bad taste. They only stayed because I’ve been right so often.
“When the war ends it is likely the Allies will give the Jews a part of Palestine for the State of Israel to come into existence. I’ve told Jakob we should do all we can to reduce the likelihood of the war happening and that is why we’ve looked for ways to bolster their economy so that the depression does not fuel their aggressiveness. I have promised that if I am helped, I will devote my time and money to helping you form a country of your own. We now know how to reduce the chances of the war happening, or if it happens anyway, to reduce the likely viciousness of the Gestapo against the Jews. There is one man who will be responsible for all I’ve talked about. His name is Hitler, Adolf Hitler, he was born in 1889, is a house painter at present, but will become a dictator, in charge of Germany. I’ve found him and he is starting to take an interest in politics. This is the last chance we’ll have to stop him. It has to be your decision gentlemen.” I left them alone to argue and went home early for the first time in months. I could not relax and returned to the office.
Jakob found me at the office at eleven o’clock at night. He told me that seven of the ten feel my obsession with the Great Depression has unhinged me and they refused to take part. They left. The other three and Jakob decided Hitler must be stopped. Do I want them to take care of it?
“Why can’t they see Jakob, it is exactly because the future is too horrifying to contemplate that we must take action.”
“We are struggling to come to terms with the present horrors Jina, it is too much for them. You also probably find it impossible to understand how deep the need and dream of re-establishing Israel is for us and you are asking us to turn away from the possibility. Even at the cost of millions of Jewish lives, many will say it is worth it.”
“But I promised…” I stopped, hearing how stupid my cry of protest was. I wrapped my arms around his stooped shoulders. “I swear Jakob, we will take you and the three to visit Israel. I cannot answer your question simply. I have been thinking and the problem deepens.” I gave him the names of seven of the men I believed have to be removed also. “You know that I cannot kill and I do not want any of you to assume that burden for me. I was hoping we could kidnap them and keep them prisoners in luxury for a number of years.”
“Where?”
“Either Central or South America at a remote location. They must not have any suspicions that their kidnappers are Jews.”
The back of his hand lightly touched my cheek. “I’ll take care of it. Jina, why isn’t your healer taking better care of you?”
“I’m just tired, I haven’t been sleeping very well.”
“You cannot help anyone if you don’t sleep enough.”
“Okay pappou,” I teased, “I’ll go to sleep.” I smiled at him and collecting my coat I left with him.
Only two months and they’ve done the impossible. Jakob whispered to me, ‘It is done’. Hitler and the others are now on a ranch somewhere deep within South America. The staff and inner ring of guards are not Jewish but the outer ring is made up of Jewish fanatics.
We were alerted to the fact that Germany and Austria are holding secret talks, but we were just as surprised as the rest of the world when they announced they will be one country from now on. Austria surrendered without even a whimper! Not that they had much choice, the army by their border could have occupied the country within days.
The world watched as German troops moved close to the border with Holland and in preparation for an invasion of Belgium. Much publicised visits by leaders of our country, France and Italy reassured the world that Germany had no intention of invading any country, that they were only defensive manoeuvres meant to discourage those who objected to the unification of a people who were all Germans.
The depression was by now a fact. Stock markets collapsed and companies went insolvent by the thousands over the next two months. I hardly ever get a chance to come home to update my diary. I sleep at the office and I have converted an office adjoining mine to a bedroom and had a bathroom installed. Mums brings us food every day or else we order from restaurants close by.
The seven who did not believe me have rejoined us and they have drawn back some of the others of the forty. I asked for Jetrol to call on us at the office and had the ten wait in a room next door. I did not want to expose them in case the government takes a hostile attitude, but needed them close by for consultation in case decisions had to be made.
I spoke of all I had foreseen and still foresaw. He did not look surprised and nodded as I spoke. “The Americans will delay in entering the war so I’ve taken a precaution.” My face was white. “You know that I cannot bear the killing of a human being. I’ve had to take a decision. Not interfere and the war is protracted with tens of millions dying or else I provide the means for more deaths early on, but the war ends sooner without the horrors the world would have faced. I’ve been purchasing through third parties the latest war planes from America. They are on a ship in pieces and will be reassembled once they are here. With them come three mechanics trained in America with a large stock of spare parts. Jetrol, I’ve only managed to buy and ship one hundred and twenty fighters. Ostensibly they are on their way to South America, but the ship will deviate tomorrow to come to London. If you wish it to arrive at a different port, we must know soon.”
“We’ve known of your efforts to stockpile and your plans to stave off the worst of the depression. We had not realised the extent you’ve gone to. Do the Americans and Germans know?”
“With regard to our food stockpiles, the Germans are being informed by a group of Jews at this very moment. We are hoping that such a gesture will help avoid the hatred I foresaw for Jews. Sympathisers have arranged for the news to be made public in the best possible light so that the government does not try to accuse the Jews of stockpiling for themselves only and seize the stocks. We were afraid they could use our efforts to make their people hate the Jews. The Americans know and have been helping us.”
“God! This is going to cause an uproar!”
“Can you keep a lid on the information about the American planes? The Americans would send warships to intercept our ship to prevent their arrival. You should also use them in such a way that you cause the Germans a shock.”
“I’m aware of the ramifications Jina.”
“Can you try to keep our names out of the newspapers?”
“You’re joking! What are we supposed to say, that an anonymous group planned all this? I’m sorry, but it is likely the government will seize your stocks in the interests of the people.”
I picked up the phone and dialled. I said, “This is Jina Jonston. Go ahead.” and shut the phone.
“What was that about?”
“You’ll know by morning.”
“Jina, you are playing with fire. By morning you’ll all be arrested!”
“Thank you for the warning Jetrol. I think you better leave now, we have much to decide on now.”
As soon as he was gone we quickly warned the ten and sent them out of the offices so that they would not be arrested.
“Edti, it would be better you are arrested here than to have it happen in front of Pol. Call Sandi and warn her.” I turned to Jakob. “I’m worried about you, I may not be able to heal you again for a long time. Sit by me.” I spent the night healing everyone, including a puzzled and worried mums and da who were brought to us in the middle of the night. I dozed off a couple of times while the healer worked. At five in the morning our offices were surrounded by police and our phones were cut off. None tried to enter so we waited. Two hours later most of the police were withdrawn, but our phones took another hour to be reconnected. We’d arranged with the Editors of five of the most respected newspapers to publish the news about our preparations to help the poor and the headlines made us the heroes of the people.
They’ve let us go. Two weeks of hellish interrogations and being kept apart from each other. There are obvious signs of our offices and homes being searched, but luckily I had hidden my diaries and they did not find them. Although the newspapers supported us and crowds demonstrated, demanding the government allow us to distribute the food, we are under martial law and they are doing as they want. The ship has been diverted to a different port, but that is their business, we’ve done what we can, the rest is up to them. What angers me is that they took all our ships. We’ve had to buy a fleet of trucks and since the army has already taken all those that work properly, we are having constant breakdowns and delays in delivering our products. Edti was warned that as agents of German products we are under suspicion and then they decided that our contacts were valuable and tried to rope us into their espionage schemes. I point blank refused to exploit and place at risk our friends without having an opportunity to ask them first.
Damn! We have thousands of tons of food waiting in East Africa to be shipped and we can’t find any ships. Not that the problem in Europe is that bad. With the Germans making their moves earlier than in our reality, the effects of the depression have almost disappeared. In America the effects are spreading too fast for us to do much to help now that our hands are tied.
I visited the American Embassy and told the Ambassador what my problem is. He offered to send ships if I donate the food to their government. Jakob nearly had a fit when I negotiated and managed to get them to agree they get sixty percent and we the forty. They also have to transport for us our gemstones. All the cash from them will be transferred directly to our CHO. I think it is time for me to write here what the full name of our organisation is: The Cherinian Humanitarian Organisation.
My enemy missed too many opportunities to kill me for me to believe he is still around. I no longer think of him and live my life as if he does not exist - apart from taking some extra precautions for Pol. We’ve grown closer and five minutes with him gives me the courage to face life again for a week.
Robert, why didn’t you ever speak to us about your grandparents? I want to find them to see whether your father is born, when he is, but although I have a list of Teller families, I can’t guess which one to watch.
The Germans attacked and their soldiers are now in control of Holland and Belgium. I assume our planes are still being assembled and the pilots need to be trained, so Britain cannot help them much. I called Jetrol and warned him we should not try to invade at Dunkirk and within the hour I was marched out of the office and interrogated for hours. I refused to divulge my sources to my furious interrogators, but when King George intervened they had to let me go. I hadn’t even known he was aware of me and walked out feeling quite bemused. I was driven straight to the house the Royal Family are using. I was told they are moved from house to house so that the Germans don’t know where to bomb them.
I was surprised to see the Prime Minister sitting with King George. The king was courteous and charming and had me at my ease within minutes. With that funny accent the aristocracy use, he thanked me for all I have done to help his people and invited me to a small party to be held in a few days. The Prime Minister provided me with the number of a direct line to his office and suggested I advise him from now onwards, instead of Jetrol.
“It seems your sources were spot on. If our forces had invaded at dawn, they would have been slaughtered. Thank God you panicked us into cancelling.”
“Mr Prime Minister, if I may make a suggestion?” He nodded. “I think you should confidentially invite the President of America to Britain. Instruct your Ambassador to protract the process, even though he will not accept. I’ll see to it that the Germans learn that the President is considering a visit to negotiate their support with weapons, ships and planes. As soon as you are ready, announce the gift of planes from our American friends. It will frighten the pants off the Germans.” King George laughed and I was told my suggestion had merit, they would consider it. Maybe they won’t, I think they are afraid of angering the Americans.
Twenty eight years. Pol has grown into a beautiful and serious young boy. With my healer monitoring him as often as possible, he has a bright mind and seems to be more than is usual sensitive to the feelings of others. I’m certain that if my family came now, Cherine would immediately link him. In case that happens I’ve been speaking to him in Greek so that he understands us even when Claudia is not around.
Jakob warned me that his community are scheming to have me marry a Jew and change my faith so that I become one of them. He is just as amused as I am so I told him that the only Jew I could marry, if I were not married, would be him. He walked around with a glow to his emoting for hours.
“I never told you, my mother did not just accept any soul for her daughter. She had the Sparklers search for what she wanted and they found me. In my previous life I was a woman who had been hurt very badly by men. When it was time for my soul to enter my body and I saw I would be a girl, I panicked and got lost in time and space. The void was tearing at me when Robert found me and brought me back. He reassured me I was wanted this time and that he would do all he can to make my life a happy one filled with love.” My eyes filled. “He kept his promise.”
“Could you speak to me of one of your sisters? We need some beauty in our lives.”
“How about Goldi? Would you like to hear about how a girl was born with lavender eyes and hair that resembles spun gold? Freddie was filled with aliens and many had taken the form of little girls. Suddenly a dream of a girl was seen. As I said, she had lavender eyes and golden hair that hung below her buttocks. Her beauty was unbelievable and there was a magic to her personality that seemed to shine like a tiny sun from her. We panicked, afraid that if Robert saw her he would love her and be heartbroken when the alien destroyed her body. She played so sweetly with our hearts that we fell in love with her. Only then did Robert reveal that he was projecting and was the little girl. We pleaded and were upset so he suggested we each give a sliver of our soul and a cell of our bodies for a composite girl to be born that would look exactly like her.” I talked about her gift of overwhelming us with her emoting, able to make us do whatever she wants and of how she fought her gift so that she could lead a normal life. “She is the only person ever gifted a planet by Arthur. It too is lavender and golden in colour and beautiful as a world made for fairies or angels would be.”
It became a routine for the two of us. When we had some time alone I would tell him stories about our family and the experiences we had shared. He was enthralled and even fell a little bit in love with my mother Samantha. He claimed he could see her strong personality in me. I wish. I’m starting to wonder how I will adjust to being Gina Teller again. In this body I am nearly thirty eight, though I’m told I look closer to thirty. After all my experiences, will my family know and love me as they used to? It scares me to think about it, but for now, I have to be the best Jina Jonston I can be.
My friends and family are laughing at me. They find it funny that a girl from the future took this long to get a driving licence. I bought a car, not anything special, just something to get me where I want to go. I’m loving it. I go for long drives into the country when I have petrol and then walk among the cows and sit under a tree with a few sandwiches and a flask of tea or orange juice. Sometimes Pol comes with and he gets to play like the child he is. On one such trip he sat by me.
“How did you find a way to heal people?”
“That is a very long story and it is a secret. Are you man enough to keep my secret?”
“Of course!”
“I’m not really from this world, I’m an alien.”
He was miffed at my teasing him, treating him like a child by telling him a story from his earlier years, until he began to believe. Then he sat with eyes wide and filled with wonder as I spoke. Apart from Jakob, he now knows more about me and the Cherinians than anyone else. Of course it means I’ll have to put up with a thousand questions each time he meets me, but I’ve given him something beautiful to dream about. So few children do during this miserable war.
My writing gave me an idea. Since the Germans are not bombing London yet, I bought a cinema and arranged for it to show cartoons and movies for children. Tickets are given for free to children and it is packed from morning till night. I thought to myself, why not turn it into a business so I contacted factories that make products for children and they are paying to advertise. I make certain the children only have to watch one advertisement between each film or every three cartoons. We will now open a children’s cinema in every city.
My name is Pol. Auntie Jina let me read her diary and she said I could write in here to say hello to her family. She told me that in her world they spell my name as Paul. I think she is teasing me, she does that a lot, for it would be silly of anyone to write my name that way, it does not make sense and is ugly. I hope you come soon, for I can sometimes feel how sad she is without you. When you do, please don’t take her away from me, I’ll then also be very sad.
The Tsar declared war against Germany. That forced the Americans to change their minds and they also declared war and are sending troops and tanks over to France. I think the war is going to end sooner here.
Twenty nine years. I have nothing to write about. This diary is for my family to know what I experienced and the war has already taken up too much of it. I want to write of those I’ve loved and been loved by. I want to write of things that inspired me, not of the dread of watching on the screen as young men just out of childhood get shot or blown to pieces.
My admiration for Normals has blossomed. I have a healer and yet the long hours, the monotony of worry, they tire me out. Without healers they manage to work the hours I do and still find the energy to argue about senseless or abstract matters or laugh at corny jokes. As the months go by I see the toll on them, the cellular breakdown ageing them faster than they should age and yet they just accept it as a fact of life and don’t spend much time worrying about it. To them that is just how life is. Do they know how brave that acceptance is?
Talking about being brave, I was touched by something that I only discovered by accident and because I was feeling suspicious. We recently employed a young man as messenger for the office. Normally I would not have noticed him, for he is exactly the type of young man I do not like. He looks rough and tough, with the cockney accent that warns you of what to expect from him. The reason I noticed him was because I was walking close by when another employee said something to him and I felt him flare up with rage. I thought he was going to attack the other man, but he controlled it and walked away.
A couple of days later I went to the park during lunch for some fresh air. I noticed him watching the children playing so I went closer, worrying that he might be wanting to harm the children. As I felt his emoting I was surprised at the quiet pleasure he was emoting.
“Hello. Stay seated, I’m also here just to relax. What’s your name?”
“Luke.”
“That’s a nice biblical name. I’m Jina. You know, I grew up in the country on a farm. Have you ever been to a farm?”
He opened up to me far faster than I expected, as if he could not hold his story to himself, needing someone to know. He told me that his parents had been drunkards and had kicked him and his brother and sisters out when they were very young. He talked about growing up in an orphanage and opened my eyes to much that I had not known. He spoke of his teens years when the anger at his father spilled out and he became violent, hurting anyone at the least provocation - especially if they resembled his father in any way. He was imprisoned for a month and he told me of how he sat in his cell and thought about what he wanted out of life. He was still too young to understand that what motivated him was a need to make a life for himself and have a family so that he feels he belongs somewhere, but his needs helped him change.
Back at the orphanage, he spent his last couple of years protecting the younger children. He recognised in them the same pain of abandonment he’d experienced so he did what he could to help them. I asked him if he liked children and he said he loved them, he enjoyed hearing them laugh and play. For a man so young, of his background, to say that, it astounded me. It did not tie in with his brash bravado and boasting of how many he had beaten up, yet I sensed he was being honest with me. That speaks to me of bravery and inner fortitude.
The Germans feverishly attacked on all fronts, stretching their resources. The Russians broke though their front line, rushed in and were killed almost to the last man. After that they concentrated on pushing the Germans back in a more orderly fashion. The French were watching the German tanks rolling through the streets of Paris when the Americans arrived.
Thirty years. I’ve been wondering about the inevitability of certain ideas and developments. This reality is skewed timewise with respect to mine, so their history is not exactly the same. Yet, I have not seen any inventions we do not have. Their development of products not only differs in time, but also the order they appear in. I would have thought it is not possible, that one invention leads to another. For instance, television and radar put in an appearance long before they should have, even if they were more primitive than our first efforts, and yet they have not even theorised about micro processors - that I know of.
At last some good news, from both fronts! Edti and Sandi and Minti with Peetr announced they are expecting a child almost on the same day. Someone, having just watched the news, muttered something that even in the midst of so much death, life carries on. Jakob shook his head.
“They are both only part of a cycle, we cannot have the one without the other.” He saw my look and when we were alone he continued, “Even for your Cherinians Jina,” he smiled, “even for us Jews, there can be no eternal life. What we think of as immortal is only relative. We do not live and die and be reborn only so that our souls evolve. We die so as to start again with a clean slate so that we can bear to live. Too many memories would dull and leach all pleasures out of life.”
I glowered at him. “Robert will not thank you for your contribution.” I’m sorry Robert, I had to record his words, for he could be right.
Cadbury have grown their profits larger than ever before. Their single largest customer is the British Army. Small bars of chocolate are included within the field rations issued to the men. The profit margin on sales to the army are tiny, almost at cost, but the increase in production has brought down the costs. What seems weird to me, due the culture I come from, is that the army also provide their men with cigarettes.
There was an article in the newspaper about a shipbuilding yard that is being shut down. It cannot build ships bigger than five thousand tons and all their equipment is outdated. We asked for quotes, worked out it paid to buy them and modernise rather than start from scratch. Desperate at so many jobs being lost, the Unions signed an agreement not to strike for ten years and only use peaceful arbitration to settle any disputes. We’ll dredge and expand the facilities to accommodate vessels of sixteen thousand tons and that should give us another ten to twenty years of life. We formed a shipping company in a country with much lower taxes and it gave orders for four new vessels with financing from America, helping us to secure the financing we needed for modernising the shipyard. At least our government cannot take our ships this time, since they will not be flying the British flag.
They’ve just announced the Germans have retreated back onto their own soil and are struggling to hold their positions. In a move calculated to ease the determination of the Allies, they formally relinquished any claims on the countries they had occupied, including Austria. They are trying to negotiate with the Americans in the hope they will be more amenable to ending the war. The streets are filled with people celebrating, even though the government cautioned them that the war is not over.
My family and I were invited to supper at a Jewish restaurant. Jakob tinkled his knife against a glass. “We are here tonight to honour Jina. The world will never know how many lives were spared and how much suffering was alleviated thanks to her, but we, we will know that thanks to her we were part of one of the greatest deeds of commitment to our fellow man in the history of our race. Ladies and gentlemen, a toast to our Jina Jonston.” I was about to protest, but I saw the face of Pol as he stared at me, glowing with his pride and love for me, so I kept quiet as they stood and toasted me.
“Now will start the time of reconstruction. Jina will you lead us again?”
One of them said, “The Germans must pay compensation.”
Other determined voices approved that idea. I shook my head. “The reparations they had to pay after the first war bankrupted them and fuelled the anger of the people. We do not want to have a third world war, especially since each war uses weapons of greater destruction. The Americans, as ever over-enthusiastic, bombed and destroyed much of Germany’s cities and industries. I suggest we look to helping the Germans back onto their feet.”
That was the end of the good feelings. I’d angered everyone. I refused to discuss the matter and the evening turned into a disaster with everyone leaving as soon as they could do so politely.
Jakob remained with me, looking sort of bewildered so I explained. “We have to use any influence we have to persuade the allies and the Russians to withdraw from German territory. If we do not, Jakob, we will have another war.”
“We are businessmen, what can we do?
“Many governments will be negotiating with Jewish financiers to jump start their economies again. We should try to use the opportunity while we have ears willing to listen to us…before the Cabal get to them. As soon as the war is officially over, I’m sending a message to King George requesting an audience in private. I doubt he can help me, but I must try, the Prime Minister will not listen to me.”
I took the initiative and spoke to a friend in America, one of the forty who I knew had the ear of his president. The line kept getting cut off but doggedly I’d call back, explaining as well as I could why I was right. In an effort to bring this reality closer to ours in small ways I even called it the Marshall Plan. At first he was sceptical, but as I outlined the benefits to their economy, he started to think for himself. He promised to call me and I sat back, feeling the sweat itching its way down my back. Jakob had listened and bringing me a fruit juice he sat next to me.
“I think you found the right arguments, I’ll talk to the others again.”
A thought crossed my mind and I shivered. Everyone knows the conspiracy theories about the intelligentsia running the world from behind the scenes, was that what I was creating, a copy of the Cabal? I calmed down when I realised that throughout human history there have been those who have some influence over leaders, even if only a sympathetic ear, and they have changed the course of history, sometimes for the good and sometimes not. What I had to be careful to do was to prevent the forty from thinking of themselves as a cabal that can make things happen for their own gain. I have to see to it that they either break up as a group by not using them in ways that bring them together again, or else guide them into fighting for Mankind in opposition to the Cabal. When I received a call to inform me that the president likes the plan and is pushing for it to be accepted, I quickly packed a bag and drove out of London. I went to a small hotel in a village and spent a few days just thinking or walking in the woods.
On my return from such a walk, I heard from people talking in the dining room that the Tsar of Russia had invited the President of America for a state visit. I walked out without eating and walking to the top of a hill I stared up at the stars and wondered where Freddie is. I stretched up my arms as if I was about to call to him and then sat on the grass with my head bowed so that the moon would not see my tears.
What a time I chose to become aware of my mortality for the first time! I allowed a doubt to occupy my mind and suddenly my death became as death is for all mortals. Just the thought that I might not be found was all that was needed for me to become afraid of dying. Worse than my fear of dying is the thought of never seeing my family again.
I have decided I must not passively wait for them. I’ll organise (secretly) a search for people with paranormal gifts. I decided I should not base such a search in America or Russia as they would try to classify any successes as state secrets to gain an upper hand. It makes sense to choose somewhere like Cambridge University. If I fund a new department, I wonder if I can interest them.
Our family has grown. First little Amelia was born to Sandi and then Jina was born to Minti. I tried to prevent her from naming her daughter after me, but she would not listen. The two babies are the best medicine for my gloomy mood and I broke out of it. I went wild, buying every pretty bit of clothing for baby girls London shops have, until their mothers pleaded with me to stop. I bought myself a bigger home, which means I have to have servants. I only did it so that we can have family dinners as often as possible. It is becoming accepted that everyone comes over late in the afternoon on Fridays and they stay for a sumptuous feast. Of course Jakob is considered part of the family and he also gets to hold the babies and he is over the moon, his emoting feels like he has been rejuvenated.
Thirty one years. As his parents concentrate on little Amelia, Pol has grown closer to me and visits more often. As Robert does, I hold debates with him, trying to help him form an interest in philosophy. I do not want him to become the typical son of wealthy families. I enjoy the way his mind works and sometimes, something he says gives me a fresh perspective to ponder. When he does, I tell him so and he swells up with pride. He loves hearing of debates we’ve held on Freddie and when I quote my mother and her ideas about the Universe and other such strange things, he falls in love with her ideas and he told me he wishes he could think strange things like she does. I told him about how, from a baby, Samantha concentrated on studying what she called Robert’s craziness. He’s falling in love with Samantha, as an idea, not as a girl.
Gosh! I’ve been invited to a private supper at Buckingham Palace. Of course ‘private’ does not mean it will just be us, but still…we’ve never been invited there in our reality. I bet Cherine will be jealous of me when she hears.
As the meal ended, King George asked me, “Well, Miss Jonston, what future problems fill your mind now?”
I gave him a very unladylike grin. “Surely you would not want me setting you at odds with your government your majesty?”
He laughed and said to his queen, “I knew it. This should be interesting.” He waved an arm at me, “Please do Miss Jonston.”
“Within twenty years all the European countries, including us, will be forced to give independence to the colonies. I think it will happen with India first. I foresee we will do it in a way that will cause untold misery, starvation and tens of millions of deaths. Are you certain you want to hear this your majesty?” There was now a deathly silence at the table and everyone was listening. With a serious look in his eyes he asked me to continue. “America will put pressure on everyone to give up their colonies. They will be a super power, but hopefully not a threat. However, for a time, they will see themselves as policemen of the world and defenders of human rights. They will place diplomatic and financial pressure on countries that hold colonies and we’ll be forced to give in.
When that happens, we’ll not have time to plan and we’ll gather a group of locals and hand over to them. They will not have the self discipline and systems we have as part of their ethos, and within years or decades they will degenerate into dictatorships, with whichever tribe is in power cleansing their countries of all other tribes. All that I started off by describing, the situation and the destruction of their countries, will last fifty years before the United Nations is able to convince the Western Powers to help them return those countries to democracy and sanity. It will end up costing us a thousand times more than a wise plan from now would cost.”
“You have used certain words we do not think we’ve heard before.”
“Britain, America, France and other countries will join to form an organisation called the United Nations and their head office will be donated by the Americans and placed in their country. It will take a century before it becomes powerful enough to have a say in how we run this planet, but it will be effective in saving hundreds of millions of lives…for a short time. As for the term ‘Western Powers’, that is what all of Europe and America will be called by everyone else. Russia, Japan, China and others will be called the ‘Eastern Power’.”
“There is a certain logic to what you say. It is a strange world you carry within your mind Miss Jonston. How do we avoid the calamities you foresee?”
“By acknowledging two things. The inevitable and our responsibilities. We cannot hold the colonies forever, not even if I’m wrong about the Americans. We should form a loose alliance called the ‘British Commonwealth’ so that our colonies become our partners in many ways. Then we should start training the locals in how governments should be run. We must set up educational institutions that not only educate them, but instils in them a sense of tradition - if we do not, the African countries will revert to tribal traditions. There should be a transitional protectorate period where we grant them a certain amount of autonomy, but remain in control to curb any excesses. Only as we see them running their countries wisely and they become economically viable should we hand over. If we do so openly and declare our intentions before they begin to fight us for their freedom, we have a chance of succeeding.”
His eyes showed he was deep in thought as he asked, “Anything else?”
“Yes your majesty, our biggest failure will be South Africa.” He gave me a startled look. “It will be tempting for us to hand over to the white people. We must not. They will be a government based on discrimination. Any government we hand over to must represent all the races.”
“This is utter nonsense your majesty, you should not encourage the lady to propound such ideas, they border on being treasonous.”
“Lord James, we will keep your advice in mind. You speak as wisely as ever.” I stifled my giggle, for I could sense his emoting and knew the king was diplomatically playing with his words, insulting the man who was trying not to preen at what he thought was praise.
I nodded my head, “I apologise Lord James, you are right, this is not the occasion for my gloomy thoughts. I’ll make them available to the Observer so that you may refute all I fear with logical counter arguments. I assure you I will be pleased when you prove me wrong.”
“Would you delay such publication Miss Jonston, until we’ve had an opportunity to discuss this with our government?”
“As you wish your majesty.”
When I related all the above, mimicking Lord James, my family laughed, Pol holding his sides as he rolled about. Only Minti and Jakob giving a small smile, but seriously thinking about all I’d said.
Minti demanded, “Why can’t you sit back and enjoy yourself for a while Jina, you are not responsible for the whole world.”
“My love, whoever sees the truth is responsible.” Jakob looked sad as he nodded in agreement.
Contrary to what the previous entries suggest, I am not interested in becoming involved in politics, not even indirectly. It might sound selfish, but I must first see to it that I’ve ensured I’m found, even should it be fifty years after I’ve died. If I am not, it might take centuries for this planet to be helped by the Cherinians since it will be one of many that await our help and the Cabal just might succeed, using the United Nations I am helping to create as their tool. If I am found, this world will be helped immediately. I also want all my family brought back and linked. Just to clarify it for once and all, when I say family I always include Jakob and our baby Samantha.
