“Why have you kept your ability a secret? So many thousands you could have helped.”
“Will you keep my secret from your government if you see that I am no threat to your people?”
“You have our word.”
I first explained about alternate realities. I could sense she did not believe me, but he did - or at least, hoped it was true. “Your majesty, I was not born in this reality. My Earth is more advanced than yours, timewise, but there is another big difference. In my reality a girl was born who had a gift.” Without telling them Cherine’s and Robert’s names I told them all about the Cherinians.
“I am the daughter of Samantha and I was attacked by an enemy, a person who has the power of a Cherinian, but does not believe as we do. He blocked my mind and sent me here. I am in the past with regard to my world, so my family cannot find me. That is why I have used the name ‘Cherinian’ in my charity, I’ve been trying to leave clues for them to find me.”
“Do you believe they will?”
“Yes. You cannot imagine how closely bonded we are as a family. My absence is hurting them just as their absence is killing me. I need to be part of them, life without them has no meaning. I’ve only lasted because I had to create the clues for them to find me. Your majesty, I have done enough for them to find me in whichever country they visit, I have no reason to live anymore. I will soon be dead so that my father finds my soul and brings me back to life, back to a life with them again.”
“Is there no way we could help give you a reason to stay alive?”
“What could fill my heart? I’ve been lucky, I was found and cared for by a good family and I love them. They have helped me last as long as I have, but lately all I can think of is my Cherinian family that I miss. Your majesties, I am not dying to escape life, I am dying so as to return to the life I belong to.” I gave a little smile. “I promise to return with my family of Cherinians so that you do not need to grieve for me.”
I left behind me a healthy royal couple who were also distressed. There is nothing I can do about that. I went straight to the office to phone Pol.
“Pol, my time has come. Hand over the business to someone you trust and return.”
I waited until morning and called my family to me. First I made certain the elderly, mums, da and Jakob, were all healthy and then I sat opposite them. I talked of how and why I had come to their world, of what their love for me has meant and still means, but that I no longer can bear to remain apart from my family.
“Pol is on his way back. I ask that all those who love me stay these last few days with me, I have enough rooms for you. Edti, Jakob and Pol when he arrives, I will give the three of you my diaries. Please have them published as one book and distribute copies of the book to all countries, cities and towns throughout the world. If any government tries to stop you, find another country to publish them.”
I sat between mums and da and held them as they sobbed and clung to me. We’ve all cried and it was most difficult for me when the two girls begged me not to die. Their mothers pulled them into their arms.
Surprisingly, it was Minti who explained. “She has kept her pain and misery secret from us for long enough because of her love for us. We must be brave and allow her to return to her family. I’ve always felt her, there were moments she could not hide her pain and loneliness and I wondered.” She gave a brave little smile. “At least now we know why she refused to love any man. I thought it was because she might be a lesbian.”
Jakob took my hands in his that were trembling. “You will remember us?”
“Always. And I’ll keep my promise to you. I will return; as I promised our king, you are not losing me. Should any of you die, do not fear, I’ll bring you back to life.”
While we waited for Pol, we spent the days together, mostly talking about the past. As time went by I realised they had lost their fear of my dying because they no longer believed I meant to go through with it. Secretly, between them, they talked about my going through a moment of depression. Only Jakob truly understood and accepted the truth.
We met Pol and Abigail at the airport and I cursed myself. She was almost nine months and I could cause her complications. All the way home I kept my healer in her, checking that both she and the baby are well.
Abigail made to protest, but Pol stopped her. “I’ve suspected for some time now that you were not planning to stay to grow old and die naturally.”
“With my healer I would live another eighty years Pol, even more. It’s too much.”
“And now is too soon for us. You would not stay to meet our son?”
“A son?”
“Yes, we’ve seen him by ultra sound.”
“If I wait for him, then you’ll claim it is cruel of me to deprive him of my companionship and love and I must wait for him to become an adult. Between the lot of you, you’d keep me here forever.”
He smiled. “It’s a good plan.”
“Not really. Pol, I was stupid! I should have done this long ago. That way your son would have been born a Cherinian.”
“How do you plan to kill yourself? Do you expect us to sit around watching you slit your veins - or are you planning on using your healer to kill you?”
Edti frowned at him, but I grinned and thought to myself, ‘that’s my boy’. “I’m not certain it’s a good idea for any of you to be here. After breakfast tomorrow, you must all leave.”
He sat back, holding on to Abigail’s hand. “Well, I’m not leaving.” There was a chorus of agreement.
“It will not be a pretty sight, I’d rather you all remember me as I am now.”
“I’m not leaving.”
“Pol love, I’m hoping to use the slivers in me to age me. I’ll turn into an old crone and wither away before your eyes. Please don’t stay.” I saw the horror in his eyes as he imagined it happening. They’ve all refused to leave.
I will not be writing here again. This entire diary is a testimony to my love for both my families, there is nothing else I would say of importance. I have been meditating for days now and I’ve managed to pass on to the slivers within me what I want them to do for me. They cannot reply, or I should say, I cannot hear their replies, but I have sensed their distress, so I know they’ve heard. All I can do is hope they do as I ask.
This is Pol, or as my beloved Jina would have called me in her world, Paul. She wanted me to write of her last moments for the sake of her Cherinian family. My heart is aching and I need a few days before writing as my tears keep blinding me. It seems I must not wait and write immediately, for I do not know when she intends returning.
Before I detail what happened with Jina, allow me to announce - Jina my precious auntie and mother, on the day you left us, on that very same day of grief, our beautiful son Jino was born. You need not have worried, I adore him.
Ever since I can recall, from almost a toddler, you have talked to me about the Cherinians, in the beginning as a kind of fairy story suitable to my age. Later you told me the truth and I believed you. It is not something you seem to have been aware of, but that is a gift you have. You could tell people the most outrageous things and you would be believed. Still, having to sit by and watch you die, the pain stretched my beliefs to the extreme, so do not begrudge me the tears I shed.
On that day Jina appeared dressed simply and in loose clothes. She looked gloriously beautiful and despite being family to all of us, I think all us men were a little bit in love with her - as I have been most of my life. We had breakfast and then moved to the drawing room. She first came to each of us for a kiss and hug and a whispered ‘I love you’. We could sense that the pain she’s been hiding is gone.
She made herself comfortable, closed her eyes and meditated. She went so deep that we could hardly see her breathing. She moaned one time and I surmised she was struggling with the slivers of her loved ones. A look of calm came over her and gradually she returned to us.
“We can talk, it will not interfere with the process. I managed to convince the slivers to go to the void without me. There they are powerful enough to overcome the block in me and communicate with my healer directly. They have ordered it to age me by ten years for every hour.” She gave a small smile. “If you doubted all I told you during our years together, the next couple of hours should convince you I spoke only the truth.”
Who can converse while a loved one visibly dies by the hour? Only the loved one. We sat silently, only the eyes speaking of our pain as she tried to cast a spell of wonders and love over us. Slowly but inexorably lines were drawn over her perfect features, maps of a world that never and will never exist and her bright hair dulled and turned a matt silver.
At first each of us thought it was but a fancy of our own, but then she cried out in protest. The slivers had entered our minds and opened gateways within us and we reached out in transcendent links, becoming the pain of each other and sharing the brightness of spirit that refused the order of time, as if the body had remained that of a child.
Jina had to be fed, small nibbles that hardly required chewing and red wine to fuel the changes. Her cells, even deeper, it felt as if her DNA was damaged and the ageing our eyes saw was compounded by the messages of a body returning to the fractions that created it. Jina within five hours was a hundred year old woman and incredibly she still aged, her skin collapsing within itself to define the shapes and face of death.
Weeping, most of us could not bear to watch such a profane destruction of perfection and our eyes sought the carpets, the walls, anything but the faces of the others that were just as wracked and distorted by grief.
Eleven hours later we sensed a power, a new source as if from a sun, enter her body as her soul wrenched itself free and sped away. Our Jina was dead to our eyes, but something continued to live that could not be recognised. Fear was married to our grief and we fled.
Our king and queen asked to come to the funeral to mourn her passing with us. The government then declared it to be a state funeral and people from afar, from Tsar to government and financial leaders, to rough men like Jan Van Deventer, travelled to pay their last respects. All of them people whose lives and hearts have been brightened for a moment or more by our Jina.
There is an aching need within each of us to write a few last words of our love for Jina and all she has meant to us, but, as she herself said, our love needs few words for it has been and is a part of our very lives. I have added below all details, addresses, dates to the very last minute, as she asked. Robert, if you exist, we’ll all be waiting for you with only one wish in our hearts. Bring back our Jina for us to see as a child once more so that we are comforted by the knowledge and certainty that she exists as she dreamt of existing. Pol.
Samantha here. I cannot even begin to express how I was affected by sharing with Gina. Reading as ??? typed her diary excerpts into here somehow made it more vivid for me - for all of us. Luckily it took a few days and it gave us and Gina time to settle and calm down.
“Sweetheart, I promised to do as you asked, but I first want to ask you, have you considered the effect on all those who love you of your other family. Gina, they truly are your family also. Do you want to consign them to secondhand memories?”
“No, I don’t. Dad, I love them, but I was afraid when I arrived. Nearly fifty years of memories with my memories of us so far back, I was afraid I would not feel I belonged here. I’m better now and not afraid anymore.”
“Afraid! I cannot believe Jina would fear anything. You’ve felt how proud all of us are of you? You truly are Samantha’s daughter!” He grinned as she blushed. “Before we get caught up in our usual problems, shall we return to keep your promises, to Jakob and the others?”
“Gina,” I cut in, “About baby Samantha. Will her parents feel comfortable about having her back?”
“Oh yes! They still mourn her. They’ll love her even more if they get her back.”
Cassie laughed. “She’ll be Pol’s older sister, I wonder how he’ll like that.”
“It won’t matter, all that will matter is that he’ll love her.”
In a droll manner Jade said, “We better go back so that Cherine gets a chance to go to Buckingham Palace.” Everyone laughed as Cherine blushed.
I want Gina to write of our return.
We returned to just after our departure after my funeral. As souls we waited for Jakob to return to his home from the office. As he put his key in his front door I rushed back to my body that was already suitably aged and jumped into his livingroom. As he walked in I called, “I’m here Jakob.” He stood still, frozen by shock, but my healer reassured me he was not having a heart attack. He walked in and his creased face lit up.
“You returned!”
“Surprised? I did promise my old friend and I always keep my promises.” I laughed at the thoughts he was broadcasting. “I’ll get dizzy if I have to keep changing back to a child and back to this age, I’ll show you once I’ve been back to visit everyone.”
He went weak at the knees and sat down abruptly, hope a fear in him. “You’ll bring back Elija?” I was instantly at his side and he stared in shock as I put my arms around him.
“He’ll be back soon my dearest Jakob. Please don’t fear me, all that you thought was a beautiful dream is true, but I’m still your friend Jina.”
“But your body was buried!”
“The casket is empty. Robert kept it alive until he could take it without causing problems. It only looked dead, even though my soul had cut the cord. Why don’t we go to visit the others first then I can explain to all of you at the same time.” I laughed. “Does anyone still have the keys to my home?”
“Yes, Pol has your keys.”
“Can you phone them all and ask them to come there right now. Only tell them you have a surprise for them.”
He gave a weak grin, still not recovered or comfortable with me. “It’s just as well you have a healer or else they’d all have heart attacks.”
Sternly I answered, “Nobody that I love is allowed to die. Baby Samantha is returning tonight.”
Jakob waited until they’d all arrived. He stood before them and they stared at the obvious happiness on his face. “Jina returned. She is alive.”
Pol let out a whoop of joy and jumped to his feet. The others could not believe him.
“She did not want to give you a shock so she asked me to tell you first. I must warn you, she is not exactly as she was, she glows and looks more like an angel. She has all her gifts back and will suddenly appear.” He gestured. “Jina, they are waiting for you.” I teleported into the center of the room.
I stared at their faces with a grin splitting my face. Before Pol could grab hold of me for a hug I said, “Oh ye of little faith.” He burst out in a very un-British guffaw and grabbed me.
After everyone had settled down, Aganthi, Dommi and Rosie entered pushing a trolley and carrying trays with tea and coffee for everyone. The room fell silent as they stared and da’s eyes filled. “They’re so beautiful!”
“Thank you sir.” Rosie curtsied. “May we also call you da as our sister Jina does?”
We waited until they’d started to accept what was happening and then Robert walked in. Everyone got to their feet. He went around kissing each of them on their cheeks. Pol he hugged and stared into his eyes. “She was right, you are a Cherinian.”
“You are her father, Robert?”
“Father and husband. Are you shocked?”
“I’d sort of worked that out.”
In twos and threes the rest entered until the room was crowded. Only Cherine and Samantha were absent.
“I can’t say I’ve kept the best for last but, allow me to introduce my mother Samantha and Cherine.” They teleported directly into the room, next to me. All I can say is it took a long time for everyone to sort of relax. I stood up, knowing they were about to become awed all over again. “Minti, you and I have shared a pain for a long time. It is time to fill our hearts with love again, our little Samantha will be brought back now. Pol, she is your older sister so show her the respect that is due to her.” Before anyone could reply Robert and I left our bodies.
I cried just as much as Minti and mums did and none of us could get enough of cuddling her. Pol gave me an amused glance and kissed the top of her head.
Robert took the floor, pacing as he talked. “We have a few matters to deal with first.” He turned to mums and da. “How do I thank you for looking after my little Jina when she arrived on your world? Without you we would not have had this happy ending. I guess I can’t, but I want you to know I am beholden to you. Minti and Edti, you have big hearts, welcoming a stranger as your sister and only showing her love.” He turned to look at all of them one by one. “We are indebted to all of you.” He paused. “We have a problem or two to deal with now.
As far as your world is concerned, Jina is dead. Edti, Jakob and Pol, you must publish the diary as you promised, it is how we found her. I’ll help deliver copies all over the world for you. We also have to make certain that the copy that was found is in the right place at the right time. It will pose a problem for all of you. It means the world will read it and your lives could turn into a nightmare as the media and governments hound you. You will also be vilified and ridiculed for publishing the diary for many will claim it is fiction written by you to make Jina and yourselves seem to be important. It could also cause your king and queen problems. Any ideas how to handle all that?”
Pol did not disappoint me. “Yes, if you know exactly where a copy of the diary must be, why print millions of copies? Just one would surely suffice?”
Robert frowned. “We’d be interfering with the past, but I suppose our presence here is already doing that.”
Samantha laughed. “Pol, print as many as you can. We’ll take them to other realities and sell them for you. That will provide you with cash for when you visit there.” Good old practical mum.
“I’ll treat that as a solution. Jakob, we have a different kind of problem with you. If we bring back Elija, how will you explain him? Was his body found and buried?”
“As one of hundreds, Robert.”
“Okay, that solves that one. He was wounded and suffered amnesia and now, upon suddenly recovering his memory he has returned to claim back his original personae. It does mean we will have to age him. I have a suggestion you may like. Why don’t you come with us, travel in Freddie for as many years as he has been dead. At least that way you will not miss those years of his youth. I believe Jina has already promised to take you to visit Israel.”
“I promised to take the other three also dad.”
He shrugged. “That’s okay with me. Jakob, you will only be absent from here for a day, so you do not need to make any arrangements for your absence. I need you to go to the void with me so that your mind can show me where to find your son.”
“I don’t know exactly where he died.”
“Don’t worry, we’ll find him. Will you come?”
Dommi was ready with a sheet as his body materialised. When Jakob opened his eyes and he saw his son he sobbed so violently I was afraid and had my healer monitor him. Elija still recalled his death and needed time to adjust. Seeing his father so much older also caused him a problem so Robert helped Jakob project back to the age his son last knew him at.
We used our healers to refresh everyone as breakfast was prepared. We had to make a move before it was time for everyone to wake up, dawn would be breaking soon. Robert and I left our bodies and arriving in the rooms I know, I searched them out.
“Your majesties, I apologise for arriving at such a ghastly hour in your bedroom, but I did not think it would be advisable that I be seen by others.”
I waited in a room adjoining their bedroom and when they gave me permission, Robert arrived. Spellbound they listened as Robert talked to them, explaining we cannot publicly return until after I’ve been found, but that he will keep an eye on their world to avert any catastrophes should the world be threatened in any way.
My local family made phone calls, arranged for their absence for the day and we returned to Freddie. We immediately jumped back to our Athens home.
We announced the return of Gina and invited all the Cherinians and Ipohins to Freddie for a party in honour of her family. During the preparations Minti made the mistake of allowing Dommi to hold little Samantha and now she cries when Dommi is around and doesn’t hold her. Minti is gracious about it, claiming she can sense the mother love of Dommi. I guess the effect by the slivers in Gina was not temporary for we sense the same sensitivity in all of them. It strikes me we could use the same method as an intermediate step for new Cherinians we are not certain of.
Pol spends a lot of time talking with Robbie and I sense a growing affection between them. Pol is slim, taller than Robbie and has blonde to light brown hair. He has the kind of good looks sensitive men often have, but there is little effeminate about him. When deep in discussion and not just taking part in social chitchat, he is so lost in his thoughts that without realising it his eyes stare into yours as if he is trying to reach into your mind. Not many dare do that with Robbie anymore, so it gives him an additional reason for enjoying his company.
“When you return, I presume it will be after Jina’s diary is found. Will you declare yourselves Robert?”
“If you wish to become Cherinians it would be better I do so. You do realise you’ll all have to convert your financial empire into a charity, just keeping enough for you to live as you’ve become accustomed to?”
“If I may disagree? I’d rather use our strength to buy into the local ADFI that you’ll register on our world. If the family retain a fifteen percent interest in our companies that would give us the financial freedom to concentrate on helping our world. I asked you for a different reason. Once our world knows about the Cherinians, I would like to publish Jina’s diary. We’ll first check with the two royal families and delete those pages if they do not give their consent. I want the whole world to know how special our Jina is.”
Robbie was amused, but touched. “Despite meeting Goldi and my other loves, you are still devoted to Gina. That shows more maturity than I expected of you and proves you have character. I agree, she is special and I would like all the realities to know how remarkable she is.”
Before we took Jakob and his son to Israel we let them know his history. As with his world, many condemned him for not doing all within his power to force the creation of Israel in his reality - especially the more fanatical conservative Jews. The rest of them applauded his ethics. He was received in Jerusalem as a hero and had to give so many speeches he would not have had the opportunity to see much of Israel if some government officials had not arranged for him to have a week free to travel. He returned a changed man. His dream had come true and he’d shared it with his son. He told Gina that he can now die happy
It is just as well that all of them are to stay for years with us, for, apart from Pol, all of them are finding it difficult to adjust to our family; the marriage of children to their father still upsetting them.
It is the 15th of August PC34 and we have other celebrations on the same day as my birthday, so we are having one party for them all. Allan was touched that we wanted to include the celebration of the anniversary of his becoming a Cherinian. I’m thirty two years old (officially) and that gave me cause to wonder. When I returned from the future, Robbie asked how old I was ‘in real terms’ and I answered two hundred and ninety seven. What did she perceive as being ‘real terms’, my official age on Earth or the total years I’ve lived? If the latter we are well on towards the time we’ll meet Le’sase. Somehow it does not feel so for me.
Campbell must feel he’s pushed his luck to the limit for now and has not orchestrated any further attacks for a while. I wonder how it is he is the first to discover so many new talents. Statistically it does not make sense. I may not be allowed to spy on him, but I’ll work it out somehow.
We had breakfast and then I sat in the garden with Gina on my lap. I’d asked her to age herself slightly to help her adapt to being a child again and she was about eleven years old. Her heart had been in such turmoil the previous night that she had not slept much, just dozing off now and then, so, with the sun warming her, she fell asleep. I held her tenderly, my one hand around her and the other softly stroking her legs and thighs.
She woke up and lazily enjoyed the sensation of being held and listening to my heart beats. She dug her face into my shirt and she smelt me. It was just as much a shock to her as it was to us when she suddenly flared, the need to make love overpowering. I knew we would lose control and I did not want to affect the entire neighbourhood, so I jumped to our home in Freddie. As I settled on the bed, still holding her, she squirmed and start to tear off my shirt. Samantha helped her and I was soon in the nude, my loves divesting themselves of all their clothing also.
I could feel how hot her skin was and since we were sharing bodies and minds, I too would be losing control too soon, so I pulled at her and as my tongue pierced the outer lips and I sucked, she exploded, crying out in protest.
There was no coming down from this orgasm to a state of lassitude, the need in her was far too all consuming. She cried out in protest again, craving the weight of my body over her, crushing her, so I raised myself, my tongue just as eager to play with her tongue, my body aching to feel her hot flesh in contact with it all over. As we kissed, her hand tried to force itself between us so I raised my hips to allow her to guide me into her flower. We were both so drenched in our love-juices that I thought I would quickly slide in, but she was tight as only the body of a little girl who has never made love (or has not for fifty years) can be. It reminded me she was a virgin.
Most times, my loves revel in the gigantic-seeming size of my body and limbs when they come to me so young, but I sensed that my little Gina was more excited by the tiny size of her body and limbs and every movement, every rough caress stimulated her imagination. As I pressed at her barrier, testing it before tearing it in one wild thrust, my arms and legs rubbed hers as she needed, accentuating and inflaming her passions. She’d almost forgotten I was partly in her, concentrating on the fiery feelings all over her little body when I slammed my way through. She screamed as if I were stabbing her with a knife and then she desperately arched and thrust at me.
Wildly I tried to push my way even deeper, as if there were some heavenly part of her I had to reach. I thrust and she twisted and thrust back at me until I felt the spasms inside her reach the boiling point that freed me to let go of my own needs. With a cry I arched and she screamed and screamed until I thought she would faint. Obeying her needs I collapsed on her, the weight of my body anchoring her, pinning her to the bed. She descended from the peaks of her orgasm and burst into tears.
The rest of that day flowed from Gina and I loving each other to the girls loving her and we’d take a break, eat, drink coffee, have a smoke and the pattern repeated itself until Gina was too sore to continue and drained of all needs she slept for ten hours. When she awoke, our loving was gentle and tender, a reaffirmation of love for all of us.
“I’ve been big for so long that it felt strange being so small again. I couldn’t believe how lovely it felt.”
Cherine grinned like a little kitten, “I couldn’t believe how lovely you felt.” They all laughed as I moaned at the tiny spark of desire in my little Cherine. We did not get much sleep that night, but it was not frenetic, more of sating passions while tasting, smelling and exploring each others differences. Sometimes I’m in heaven, a real pasha enjoying his houris and then I wake up to reality again - usually because my Samantha has an idea, or reality found some other way to make its presence felt.
Not my fault this time. Houri indeed! Oh well, I guess any man who has over fifty little girls to make love to needs to fantasise to get it up…(I got hit by a big pillow from Robbie - lol) back to all that stuff that bores our Author and his reader.
The government and the people are very interested in Jina’s reality (as everyone calls it) and everyone we brought from there has been interviewed to death. Gina did not want to, but she felt obliged to go to an interview because they were about to discuss her diary. Most of the chat shows try to emulate David as they know he is popular (just like so many tried to emulate Oprah years ago - if she is anything like her tv personality, I’m surprised she was never linked…oh, Robbie just told me she joined the Cabal!)
The King of England has sent us a message that when we return there he would like to come with to meet his alternate uncle. King George (of that reality) is very popular with the British in this reality right now and we see T-shirts and mugs everywhere with the face of our George (the one who became king when his brother Edward VIII, abdicated). Of course, such an invitation means we would be taking with a few hundred people for all the pomp and ceremony needed for the two kings to meet as equals.
Many are wondering why we have not linked Jina’s family, but all we’ll answer is that it will happen when we return them to their world. Little Samantha is almost a Cherinian because of Gina entering her mind to play with her every day. She has kept a vague link open between them as she still has the fear that something bad will happen to her again. She is now more careful since the night the poor tyke thrashed around as Gina had her orgasms.
The truth is we have not decided how to handle Jina’s world. She did not find Robert’s nor Cherine’s parents and so assumed they will not be born. Robert wants to send the Sparklers to search for their souls. He insists there is the possibility that they both could be born to other families. If it so, it will shake our beliefs in more ways than one.
Since we rejuvenated Jakob to be the age he was when his son left for war, it means they have to live together for years before we can return them. The others do not want to return home and face the problems of altered ages. It is not just a matter of rejuvenating their bodies, years of day to day living change our beliefs, habits and mannerisms in subtle ways that would make them seem strangers to those who know them. We solved the problem by sending father and son to live a year in each reality. Of course they live there with the local Robert and Cherine.
In October we celebrated the birthdays of Coral, the twins - Alexis and Nicole and then prepared for the birthday the entire world wanted to celebrate. We suggested to Laura that she celebrates her birthday with Gina since it is only a day later, but she refused, insisting it must be a special day for Gina alone. We brought back Jakob and his son for the party and Gina spent about an hour as Jina for her family to feel they really are celebrating her birthday. Our love for them is partly because of the way she feels about them, but also because they really are nice people - they are that something which is rare indeed; Normals who adopted and were influenced for a full lifetime by having a Cherinian daughter, sister, aunt and friend. As for Pol, I think Robbie would gladly adopt him if he could. Perhaps that is why it was such a shock for Robbie when Pol asked whether a meeting between him and Campbell could be arranged.
They met in Montreal and we kept our promise and did not monitor them. Pol shared with Robbie afterwards and gave him permission to share with us, first apologetically saying he felt he had not handled it as well as he’d hoped he would. Here is the meeting from his point of view.
I was invited to meet him at his club. In some ways it felt as if I had stepped back into my world, a century behind your world. It looks similar to my club, only far more luxuriously appointed. I was shown to my table and served a whiskey while I waited. When Campbell arrived he did not look as if he belonged in such sophisticated surroundings, his powerful body and craggy features more suited to the Nairobi of my world. I stood to shake hands and we both sat. He ordered a drink and smiled at me as the waiter left.
“I have watched the story of Gina along with the rest of the world. It is an amazing tale and she was lucky to have been found by your family.”
“I beg to differ. I can speak for my family when I say that we were the lucky ones.”
He smiled, “We are both correct. Mr Jonston, I admit to a sense of curiosity, why did you ask to meet me?” He sensed my slight discomfort. “I apologise, we of the new world tend to get to the subject faster than you Brits. No offence intended.”
“Then may I begin by mentioning a concern of mine? If I am to speak freely, there may be times I will offend you. Please accept my reassurances that no offence is intended. There has to be plain speaking if we are to understand each other.”
“No offence will be taken. As Robert assured me, we are meeting under a truce.” He waved his napkin at me with a smile and I returned his smile with a nod.
“On our world, Jina funded a new chair at Cambridge for them to study the possibility of extrasensory powers. As at the time of our departure, not one substantiated or proven case was found. How is it that the coming of Cherine in your reality brought out so many new powers in people not linked to Cherinians?”
“Originally I was linked by a Cherinian.”
“I was not aware of that.”
“However, you have made a valid point. There are many new gifted individuals appearing who have never been linked. It is a puzzle.”
“Could it be psychological? The belief that it is possible making it possible? If so, that would explain the success ratio of zero at Cambridge since none of those investigating believe any gifts such as telepathy, teleportation and so on are possible.”
He looked thoughtful. “I am puzzled as to why you needed to meet me if these are the questions you have. Surely Robert or that Greek professor friend of his could have answered you in greater depth since they have spent considerable time on the same questions. Surely you would also feel more confident that they would answer you more honestly.”
I smiled, liking his candour. “I will be asking them and a comparison of the answers might produce interesting points for me to consider. Especially if you have reasons not to answer honestly.”
“What decided you to question me?”
