Of course we should help, they said, a prime example are those of the derelict city found recently who’ve turned out to be such reasonable people, willing to do their utmost to contribute in return for the help they receive by farming their fertile land and producing enough to supply all their own needs and supply our people with their excess.
If you wish to read from an earlier book, from Book 01 to Book 10, use this link button to open the LC Book Index:
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How many sleepless nights and years of worry by Robbie and then one factor nobody gave consideration to, discretely alters everything beyond belief. We’ve lived with this change and only become aware of it gradually and some of what was written in the diary implied the changes, but I never specifically wrote about them.
Imagine a world filled with only people enjoying perfect health. Perfect health does not just mean lack of diseases, aches and pains, although those are also important. Perfect health takes us to a different level where our body is a joy to be in. We are filled with energy; the scents of flowers, the ozone of a storm, the crisp air during a snow blizzard, these are but a tiny part of what we experience with a clarity we’ve never known before. As we are deeply aware of the world around us, so do we become more sensitive to the ills that we’ve spread throughout our world. Chemicals we barely noticed become offensive and we are no longer willing to tolerate them for the sake of some dubious comforts. With perfect sight and vibrantly focussed awareness, sometimes the sight of a butterfly is enough to entrance us.
Imagine a world population experiencing life this way and in many more ways of pure pleasure and beauty and you may begin to understand how it can alter the way people live and want to live.
The changes in the people, as sometimes indicated in the diary, must have seemed unreal and confusing to someone like Arthur who has never experienced anything like this. When you feel so good about life, anger is rare and finds it difficult to spread its roots throughout your being. How does anyone wish for war when feeling like this?
Perfect health has done more to change the people and our world than we would ever have imagined. I think most people, in the past, have experienced some odd moment or morning when they’ve awoken feeling invigorated and half in love with their world. Living like that permanently does not seem to pall. A side effect is that alcoholism and drug abuse have dropped dramatically.
Arthur must have decided to prove to us that he, just as his character Allan, in Boxee, is capable of taking a thought to the next level. He is right and since the Sparklers monitor all Terrans to keep them in perfect health, they also now watch for signs of awakening gifts. We are catching a few of them at an early stage which helps us influence them not to use their gifts for selfish reasons.
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All the alien species are aware of what I’ve written about and are studying our people with great interest. It does not take a genius to extrapolate from their studies and excited interest to arrive at the conclusion that they are hoping the same will happen to their own Normals or that it is happening and they are using their studies of us to understand their own species.
If Arthur had not been teasing, to have all the Cherinians throughout all realities blame me was a shattering thought. Just as well he is as weird as he is. Since I brought up the subject about prime health, another couple of interesting statistics. It is estimated that the number of gays (of both main persuasions) has decreased. As for that artificial LGBT nonsense, it has faded away, thank goodness. Since a few of them were gay because of deliberate damage caused by chemicals in our foods, that was only to be expected. I’m glad our food machines bankrupted all of them. What is puzzling is that the number of paedophiles seems to have increased! One argument put forth is that children also have prime health so they are experimenting with sex at an earlier age. I wish we could ask the Sparklers to make certain no child of under sixteen gets pregnant, but it would be a minefield I dread to walk, in case it becomes public knowledge. In some countries sex is allowed from twelve years old so we could be sued by a child if we did take a stand. Anyway, Robbie would not allow me, he’d say I don’t have the right!
Ever since this book started Arthur has kept us spinning with his ideas. We need to return to some day-to-day normal experiences.
Sebura went with to a meeting between Robbie and the Egyptian government. They want us to use our abilities to discover and unearth any further articles or buildings of antiquity. They claimed we owed it to the world. Robbie was not willing and they argued, much to Sebura’s amazement.
When they returned home, Sebura told us of what had transpired and then said to me, “We did not realise it is possible to negotiate with you. Could we have negotiated to keep you off our land?”
“I doubt it, I was not being much of a Cherinian when I arrived. Anyway, aren’t you glad you did not – you would have been on your own through the troubles coming to you.”
“How do you prove to me that our mother is not doing it because she is angry with us for allowing you on our land? I’ve heard you say that what is to happen should have happened many thousands of years ago, does that not prove that we were right, that our mother was protecting us?”
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“An argument of faith cannot be won or lost Sebura. If that is what you believe, then you’ll have to continue believing while I stick to science and what I know is true.”
“My experience has taught me that when someone refuses to argue their beliefs, it is because they doubt them.”
Efineh grinned. “He’s got you there. I warned you that he would be the best if he knew enough.”
“The best! He’s just stubborn! I feel tempted to ask Robbie to take us, as souls, all the way to the center of the Earth so that he sees for himself what the truth is.”
“How do you expect that to convince him? He is not arguing the scientific facts, he’s only adding to them that which Robert also believes. Does he not believe that planets have souls?” Robbie grinned and cocked his head, as if eager to listen to my counter argument.
“How can you quote to me what a man who allows a baby to take over as leader believes? Anyway, we only have proof that two planets have souls and they are not ordinary planets. Efineh, the belief in Gaea is the same as any religion. It is not based on fact, but on the emotional needs of human beings. For instance, Gaea is originally from Greek mythology and she was believed to be a goddess of the earth and mother of Cronus and the Titans. Are you now going to argue that Zeus existed?”
“You are trying to avoid answering Sebura by taking the argument in a different direction.”
“Okay, I concede, he wins. Soon as we return we’ll remove our centre from the land of the Orati. Happy?”
Sebura grinned happily and bending, loudly whispered to Pirusi, “Go show Samantha how you fight a lion, she has forgotten.” Robbie’s laughter was far too loud in our minds as Pirusi diligently reminded me.
April is a capricious month. Just when you think the worst of winter has passed, it freezes you or else it capriciously roasts you. This day had been surprisingly warm and we’d wandered out into the garden. I decided to take a walk on my own. As I shut the door behind me it opened again and Sebura with Pirusi walked out.
“It is not good for her to sit all day, may we walk with you?”
I took her other hand. “You’re welcome. Every time the agents see any of us girls walk out alone they follow us, so I was not going to get any privacy.” I smiled. “I’m very pleased that Efineh argued on your behalf, it shows she is trying to think for herself instead of just accepting whatever I say.”
“She argued because she is honest.”
“Hmm, in other words, you were right?”
“Did you not say so by admitting defeat?”
“I told you, no argument based on beliefs has winners or losers.”
We walked for a while in silence. “Samantha, if I say something that angers you, would your anger make my people pay for what I said?”
“Let me tell you what happened to me a few days ago.” I told him about my teasing of Arthur and my fright when I thought he’d taken me seriously. “Arthur is a good man, he would never use anything I said or did to punish us. I hope that I am as good as him. Feel free to argue with me and when you win an argument I will learn something from you and I will have gained.”
“Sometimes I wish I could hate you as I used to for you are a very difficult person to like.”
“Not that difficult, Piri likes me - don’t you Piri?”
She looked at him, sensing undercurrents she did not understand, and then answered in a dubious tone of voice, “Yes.”
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He replied, his voice stern, “Of course Piri likes you, but then she is a child and she is not Sebura.”
“I’ll concede that argument to you also. See? I’m learning.” He wasn’t amused by my humour.
A few days earlier the girls had cornered Sebura on his own and had asked him whether he plans taking Pirusi as his mate once she is menstruating. Angrily he’d denied the possibility, so they told Piri that she must call him ‘papa’ from now on since he is her father.
A bicycle with an ice cream box came tinkling down the road and she asked, “Papa, can I have an ice cream?” I bought one for each of us and asked the man to go to our home as the others would also want one. I told him they would pay for ours. He insisted I pay right then for what I’d bought. I hardly ever carry money and I was embarrassed. Luckily Sebura had money and we got rid of the ice cream vendor.
Sebura tried to make me feel better. “I think he did not know who you are.”
“Thank you. Sebura, can we walk without talking for a while, I need to think.”
When we returned home I told the others I have changed my mind and want to allow Arthur to send us to The Dream Dancer Empires.
“You’re joking! Haven’t we had enough adventures to last a lifetime?”
“Are you talking as a Normal, Robert, or as a Cherinian?”
“Either. I could quite happily spend a hundred years without another adventure.”
I made my voice little-girl sweet. “But you don’t have to come with Robbie.”
I lost the vote so we’re not going Arthur. Sorry.
Chapter Two Hundred and Eighty One
Michael and his entire family came to visit. They looked worn out and troubled, so we cut our greetings to a quick kiss and hug. Aganthi refused to serve Michael a whiskey and brought out coffees and ashtrays.
“What’s the problem?”
“We’re being haunted.” He saw the disbelief on our faces. “Haunted by a child that cries all the time. We’ve tried everything we can think of to find it, we even asked the Sparklers to help. We don’t know what else to do.”
Robbie asked, “May I share one such instance?” He let Robbie enter his mind.
Looking pale and worried Robbie told us, “I sense pain and despair, we have to find it.”
The problem for Michael and his family was solved. After Robbie shared he heard the child directly, we rushed into his mind and now we all hear it. It has transferred itself to us and it cries all the time! It is not the normal crying of a child, there is a terror and despair in its voice. Michael and his family were apologetic, but there was nothing they could do, so they left for a much needed night of sleep in silence.
“Sebura, the spirit of a child has found us and it cries in our minds all the time. We do not want to risk it entering Piri’s mind, so you must stay with Alki until we’ve solved the problem.” We banned everyone from visiting us and spent most of the night trying to trace the child. Robbie became the void (he could not hear the child then, so had to share from us) but nothing obvious was found. The crying was so pitiful that when we tried to sleep we found it impossible. Being Cherinians we could end up suffering without sleep for a week or two before we collapse into sleep. No wonder Michael and his family had been so exhausted.
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We tried everything we could think of. We even announced what is happening and appeared on kiddie programs to ask the child to contact an adult, anyone it can, and ask for our help. Some children did and we helped, but they were not the one we were hearing. Nothing brought any results. We tried blocking ourselves. It brought some relief, but in another way was even more of a problem as we could still hear it faintly when it was at its strongest. That meant our minds strained to hear it when it faded.
“Robert, what if it is not a child? What if this is an attack by a Talent?”
“It could be, is even likely that it is so, but I have to act as if it truly is a child in despair and needing our help.” I had to nod my agreement. If it is a Talent, I’ll make the bastard suffer when we find him or her – just as likely a her as a woman would find it easier to mimic the sound of a baby crying.
Things went from bad to worse. Reports came in from visiting Cherinians that the Teller families of another eleven realities are suffering the same haunting. That convinced me it is a Talent. Whatever logic says, I could not help reacting to the cries as if it truly is a little baby in great distress. Sometimes the voice would fade away without ever completely disappearing and at other times it was as if the kid was in our minds, crying from there and sometimes there would be a strange echo to its crying. It is strange how the mind reacts, when it faded away we found ourselves reaching out to it, afraid we may lose it before finding out how to help the child.
On the third day Michael and family trooped in and he demanded we share. “We’ve had a rest, if we can transfer it to and fro by sharing it means we can take turns so that none of us get worn out.” I was convinced it would not work, that Michael had never been the target, we were. I theorised that because we don’t go out much it could not latch on to us so it used Michael. At least the first part of my theory proved itself.
“Michael, do you recall the day it started?”
“Of course.”
“Can you share that day with us? Try and sharpen your memories of the people you saw that day, even if they were at a distance. There’s five of you so about ten of us will share with each of you. Dad, you go for Michael, I’m going for Zwithinia and Haven, you and your team go for Simito.”
As I’d presumed, not all of them had seen exactly the same people, even when sitting together. We went through the faces trying to sense which one was the Talent. Nada, nothing, not a hint of Talent. All we sensed was the exact time the crying began.
Cassie wasn’t feeling up to making jokes, but she tried, “Maybe we’re hearing Bobby.”
“Something doesn’t add up. Why eleven realities plus ours? Why not all?”
“Sam, if you can work this one out, I take off my hat to you. It’s been driving me crazy for days now and I’ve searched for an answer without getting anywhere.”
“I hope you do have a hat Michael.”
His eyes widened. “You’ve worked it out!?” I sensed Cherine trying to peek and I laughed.
“Not yet, but I will.” I sipped my condensed milk coffee and gave Aganthi a wink. “Ahní, did you try splitting up?”
“You mean go to different realities? No.” Michael pulled a face.
“Would you and your family like to keep me company? I’m going to one of the realities that is free of the crying.”
I sagged with relief when the crying instantly shut off. “Let’s jump to a reality where the Tellers are also haunted.” We did, stopped ourselves from sharing with the family and even though we sat in the same room with them none of us heard the crying. “Robert, you all look exhausted. Each take turns and jump to a different reality. That way you’ll get some relief and last longer. Cherine come with us to our home, let’s see if you hear anything there.”
I hope you enjoy reading this story of fantasy, adventure and love - and should some of it be true for our reality, I hope you will love our Cherine.
Αλέξανδρος Ζήνον Ευσταθίου
(Alexander Zenon Eustace)- posted: 11th Jun, 2020
If you wish to read from an earlier book, from Book 01 to Book 10, use this link button to open the LC Book Index: