“.....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.”
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7201
She burst into tears and Dommi took her in her arms and placing her on a bed made her sleep. She woke up feeling stronger and angry as a hornet looking to sting someone very painfully. She returned home to send the others away for a rest. Goldi reminded her that if she has to, she should force her Robert to take a break also.
Friends jumped to the ten other ‘crying’ realities to pass on the solution for surviving while we sat arguing about who should leave for a day or two. I jumped to Dar and returned as I could still hear it from there. At least now we knew, we have to jump to another reality for relief.
Oops, sorry, after that I got to wondering whether the Talent is strong enough to attack us on the other side of the world so I jumped to Taiwan. Blessed silence!
Now started the business of localising the attacker. South Africa was clear, which suggested that beyond the equator it could not reach (I’m guessing the curve of our planet blocks it). All the way up to the furthest north any of us have travelled (when dancing to the Aurora borealis) we stayed in range, though there was a lot of interference. East of Athens we lost it at about eighty degrees longitude and west at about fifty degrees. We were still left with a massive area, but it did hearten us.
We each took a rest where we could sleep and met in the morning to start fine tuning our maps. For instance, when amongst the mountains of Switzerland, deep in valleys, the crying almost disappeared. We tried similar valleys to the east, west, south and north. The sound remained strongest in the north east valleys. That just about halved the possible areas.
Michael began appearing each afternoon with a hat on his head. That hat was my best morale booster.
“Robert, we should ask the Greek government for permission to dig tunnels into Mt Olympus. Eight of them should be enough.”
“What for?”
“Well, we already know that mountains weaken the signal. If the eight tunnels are dug around the base, say about fifty metres deep, facing in the four compass directions and in-between, then eight of us can stand inside the tunnels. Since the tunnels will be open, those facing the direction the broadcast is coming from will get the strongest signal. As we compare from inside the tunnels the direction of fade, we should narrow the areas the Talent could be in to a quarter or less of the area we still have marked as possible.”
East north again but slightly stronger to the east. The red dot on the map represents Mt Olympus. The outer dark blue lines the theoretically maximum area (all lines stretch further than shown on the map). The area within the green lines with topography depicted as being a lighter hue, are our most likely areas for searching. The difference between the blue and green lines was partly determined by the Caucasus range. We did test there from the south west side and found it did weaken the signal so I doubt the Talent is anywhere behind it. Travelling east within the area of highest probability did not strengthen the signal enough for us to prove to our satisfaction that we were moving in the right direction. We tackled the problem from the other extreme of that area and using mountain ranges we determined that the area shown in the map is the most likely target for us. Now I was fresh out of ideas and jumped to get some sleep, Robbie and Cherine and twenty six other girls coming with.
I woke up to a lovely breakfast in bed (good hotels must surely be classified as one of the high points of our civilisation - okay, just being facetious because it was such a relief to be away from the crying and so nice being pampered). Most of the girls had their breakfast out on the verandah, but Robbie and Cherine sat with me.
“Robbie, could you create platforms that are only half a sphere and open - sort of like shields?”
“Not a problem.”
7202
“Then the next step is to experiment with energies to find which one blocks the signal most effectively. That way we have portable mountains for pinpointing where the attacker is.”
Cherine grinned. “Just as well Michael didn’t offer to eat his hat.”
“He’d have just made one out of chocolate.”
“Cherine, Samantha, is it just me or has the crying been growing faint more often?”
I compared my most recent memories with those of three days ago and I was stricken, aghast at my terrible mistake. “It is a baby!”
“How do you decide that Sam, even an adult would grow tired. As a matter of fact, how could a baby cry for so long?”
“An adult Talent would not expose himself by showing he is getting weaker, he’d just stop, recover and attack again. Anyway, what would be the point, it’s not as if the crying can harm us. No Cherine, it is a baby and if I’m not mistaken, there are two of them.”
“How can you know that!”
“You said it, one baby could not last for so long. It also explains the echo! Robert, we must hurry.”
“That’s why I’ll be creating your portable mountains in this reality Sam. We’ll return to just after our departure, so relax.”
North east of Qostanay, in some rather rugged territory, we found a cave system with the opening facing west and slightly south. Inside the cave (it explains why the Sparklers did not sense them) we found a woman close to giving birth. The Talents were the babies and they are Siamese twins. They are joined from hip to shoulder and share a few organs. We’re giving them a few days (mostly for the father’s sake) and then our healers will correct the problem and they’ll each have perfect and identical bodies.
The mother, an uneducated and unsophisticated woman still living in the Dark Ages mentally, despite using a smart phone, was advised of the condition of her babies and she’d blamed herself, deciding she was being punished for sinning. She left her village and went into the mountains where she found the caves. She had hoped to die so that her monsters, as she thought of them, would not live. There was no way she could have given birth so they all would have died - very painfully. She’d also been greatly weakened by lack of food so we were lucky we got to them in time.
The moment we found her, girls jumped to the other realities to lead their Teller families to the woman.
Both babies are strong Talents, their scrunched up baby monkey faces topped by tufts of black hair have filled out nicely and with perfect health we think they’ll grow into lovely girls. We’ve asked the parents to stay in Freddie as we want the girls to grow up to become Cherinians. The father asked us to name his daughters (his way of honouring us I suppose) so we gave them the names Misha and Tisha. Since Cassie and Jade have shown strong interest and love and spend time with the babies every day, we could end up with four imps.
This is an opportune moment for me to mention that thanks to Cherinianism all femal genitl mutilations have stopped. We did not force anyone to stop, all we did is heal all the girls and women so that their bodies reverted to normal - well, plus we made those doing the ciutting suffer the pain as they did it. Not many had the fortitude to continue.
The Normals had known about the attacks on us so when they heard we’d found the babies and learnt the reasons, gifts poured in by the tens of thousands and a fund was created to provide for the girls. Once they’d been separated, Misha and Tisha became tv stars, appearing on numerous shows. Their bubbly smiles, their big dark eyes won many hearts. It was amusing (to Robbie) for a number of show hosts asked for the girls to be stripped so as to show everyone how perfectly they are formed without any scars. Robbie cracked jokes about the stations being sued and directors arrested for child pornography. With irony he spoke about paedophiles capturing the images and trading them and those that are caught going to prison. Luckily he restricted his jokes to us and Allan. Our only comment to his jokes was a photo of the two girls in the nude that we framed and put in his study. We don’t mind feeling him when he looks at the pictures, for all we sense in him is love and a seemingly infinite tenderness for both of them.
7203
We dare not discourage the girls from using their talents so it means we still have to put up with some crying. Luckily they are, since birth, mostly happy and content and I’m hoping they learn to broadcast those feelings also.
Sebura learnt all the details and with Pirusi came along to Freddie to meet the babies. Piri’s mothering instincts blossomed and she spent the day holding and rocking the babies. They seem to be bonding and Sebura allows her to go with the imps to visit every day. We were careful not to laugh when she told Sebura that she wants a baby. His response was curt and made her cry. I sent on her feelings of hurt to him and with an angry look at me he took her in his arms until she was happy again. In all apparent earnestness, Lucy warned Sebura that with Pirusi keeping company with the imps she’ll probably also become an imp and play tricks on him.
I decided to take Efineh to check on her house in South Africa and Pirusi asked if she could come with. I explained I wanted to be alone with Efineh and that I’ll take her next time. She did not sulk, but when I returned the other girls attacked me for hurting her. I glanced at Sebura who, on hearing I’d hurt her was giving me mock threatening looks, and I crouched before Piri.
“Sorry you couldn’t come with, but I have an idea you should enjoy. How would you like to fly like a bird? Would it frighten you?”
I had her float around our livingroom and then took her to Freddie where we both flew. When I led her high up to the spaceships, I monitored and was amazed to find she was not afraid. She was delighted when Sparklers danced around her and by the time we returned home she was a happy little girl. For the first time she did not run to Sebura to relate her experiences, she went to the imps.
We let the Cherinian anniversary pass by with only a dinner at a nice restaurant, with all our first friends (I’m going to give the names, you can leave them out if you want Arthur): Alki, Marian, their kids, including Khalid, Tasso and family, Nicko and family, Elia and Claire with Despina, Themi, Rose, Natalie and Rebecca their daughter, Keith, Annabelle and Vanessa, Andreas, Britta and daughter Annette, Socrati, Sonja, Katherina and the twins Zenon and Tessa, Pavlo and his wife Kiki, Savva and family, Estella, Richard and his wife Alice, Angelos, Apostoli and his confusing family (his granddaughter bore him a daughter), Sylvestro and wife, Luigi, Perikli and his two wives, Kirra and Karra, alternates of each other, Jonathan and Percy with daughter Eloise (now their wife also), Sally and Bruce, Eddie, Hettie and family, Dimitri their son and Dimitri of Dar with his wife and…just wait for this one: Petsas! Vincent and Kirsten of course came. Of aliens we invited our sister isi-mi, Solomon, Ordinx and family, Lua, Daniel (Lua’s father and husband) with Wing, Charlie and Lisa (they’re not aliens, but I placed them here because of Daniel). I invited my friend Samuel King, even though he is only still becoming a close friend. Of course Efineh with Irfan and Sebura and Pirusi were part of our group. Our softhearted Tina placed Petsas next to her and gave him enough attention throughout the evening so that he would feel he is part of our celebration.
As you can imagine, we had to book the restaurant just for our party. We go there now and then so we suggested the meals each of us likes and there was enough wine to keep the party going until early morning. Hard to imagine that thirty nine years have passed on Earth! Thank god I’m a Cherinian, I’d hate to grow old - or up. It’s bad enough having to mature mentally.
We celebrated Empathia’s birthday and then, since next year will be a biggie anniversary for Robbie and Cherine, we’re concentrating more on Goldi this year. We’re celebrating all the birthdays and anniversaries of June on the 10th of June so that we don’t have too many parties. I’m enjoying doing this, it makes a nice change after having to deal with problems. On the day after the June party, Gina is returning to be Jina for a few months. She misses her family and friends there. She’s asked Syrina to go with her.
Arthur, would it be dangerous for you to give us the day of your birthday? We’d love to celebrate it.
7204
As he said, he is obvious. I brought up the subject again with my family. “He must feel strongly about us visiting the planet he wants to show us. What harm could there be in indulging him?”
“I’m not getting involved in alien politics so as to stop their wars.”
“I’ll make certain he understands that.”
Four days before the party, Robert woke up screaming from a nightmare. He saw an Earth being swept by curtains of energy that wiped the planet of all life. Then the same happened to another Earth and then another. We’ve called for a meeting in Freddie.
“Your feeling is that this is not just a dream?” Allan asked.
“It is not.” Solomon answered and Ordinx nodded his agreement. “What we need to find out is which realities are the targets and whether this one is.”
Vincent was crushing Kirsten’s hand as he thought. “Not this reality, they all felt different from this one. Solomon, I am under the impression that those curtains of energy were live beings. Did you feel that?”
“I did.” Kirsten answered and Solomon nodded.
“Live beings that stretch from ground level into space! I thought they were just manifestations of energy.”
“I sensed purpose Robert.” He stressed his words, “A desperate purpose. I think they were fighting to save their own lives and did not notice the harm they were causing - if they are capable of sensing material beings.”
Robbie struck his thigh with his fist and winced. “Damn the dream, why couldn’t it show where they come from?”
I dragged Jade to my apartment. “I’ve chosen you because you’re the best at visualising. I’ll replay the memory of his dream and freeze it for you to try and get in close to sense their energy. Try to establish whether there is any kind of sentience as Vincent claims.”
“Hold it, don’t freeze them, try to slow them down. That way the energies will be alive for me to sense.”
We both returned to the others feeling deflated. We could not ‘see’ them more clearly than Robbie had, they were his dream after all. Still, it was a good idea, while it lasted.
Solomon offered, “We’ll send Sparklers to as many Earths as we can. They’ll be on and off planet and some will wait outside the solar system in the hope we find them before they arrive.”
“Lynda, any hope of you sensing which realities?”
“I’ve been thinking about it. I’m not good at sensing events that are in our future - relative to our time. What I can try would be more generalised, I’ll try to sense Earths that will be in danger soon.”
“Thanks love.”
7205
When reports started coming in they all seemed to come at the same time. Robbie looked harried for a moment and then smiled. “We’ll have to jump back in time for the other realities. I’m going alone with Solomon and Samuel King.”
“Not a chance! You might need to learn to speak to them, I’m coming with.”
Since Claudia had rebelled, we all did. He did not reply, but we sensed Freddie jump.
Robbie barely managed to follow Cherine in time to protect her. She opened herself, using all her gifts to sense the alien energy forms that we could not see. She cried, “There’s millions of them and they’re dying. Save them Robert!”
“How? What’s killing them? Cherine, I can’t see them - hold on, I’ll use energy to find them.”
Awed we looked at the millions of scintillating forms that were converging upon the earth and moon. Even as we watched we saw they were being tattered by some force. Quickly I jumped vast distances to get a clearer picture of their trajectory and came to a startling conclusion.
“Robbie, they are trying to get to the sun. I think the solar wind is fighting them. They need the heat and energy of the sun, we must help them get there.”
“If you’re wrong we could kill them!”
“They’re dying anyway Robbie, they’ll try to use our world to obtain the velocity they need if we don’t help.”
Robbie trapped a couple of hundred within a net of energy and drew them towards the sun, Cherine concentrating on sensing them. She called to him that they seemed to be recovering so he opened the net close to the sun. The solar winds this close were powerful and swept them away. However, it was obvious this was their element and riding the currents, finding the momentary downdrafts, they flew into the sun. We did not know whether we should be horrified or elated. Were they, like lemmings, committing mass suicide or are they sun creatures?
We didn’t have a choice; either we helped them achieve what they want or else they’d kill billions of Terrans in their effort to get to the sun. Once the last stragglers had sailed into the sun we returned to Freddie to think and rest. Robbie was torturing himself with the thought that he might have been instrumental in the deaths of millions of beings and was determined to stay until he’s found a way to know for certain before repeating our actions in other realities.
Freddie had remained, during the time Robbie carried the sun-beings, within proximity of Earth. With amusement in his voice he advised us that two rocket propelled missiles are on their way to us. Robbie ignored him, knowing that Freddie can take evasive action.
“I’ll go as the void and try to use energies to highlight the corona.”
“That’s never worked before Robert. Perhaps the Unation have instruments that can see the beings?”
They did not. They did try and computer enhancement was suggestive, but nothing positive enough to satisfy. Robbie went as the void and used all the combinations of energies he could think of, but nothing worked. We’re sitting here waiting to think of a solution. We can’t continue to the other realities and kill all of them if that is what we did here.
7206
That sudden ‘bi’ of his still irritates me and I’m annoyed that he knew and let us worry ourselves sick that we’ve killed them. Robbie says he is glad Arthur did, as he prefers that Arthur allow us to learn by ourselves, when possible. Anyway, to say that everyone is ultra excited is putting it mildly. Life in our suns! The only problem is that this species we’ll never manage to communicate with. They are not even aware we exist. Since they are able to visit a planet and not notice cities, skyscrapers, ships and planes as signs of life because all matter is cold and dead to them, how could we ever hope to draw their attention to us? Robbie says he’s not giving up.
Scientists checked and found that a sun had gone nova a few thousand years ago and they think the sun-beings came from there. They must be able to determine ahead of time what is about to occur and get out, using solar wind to build up speed to cross interstellar distances. It is believed that only a handful of them survived the transition. Whatever we say, it is all conjecture unless we find a way to monitor them and watch them leave a sun - or find a way to communicate. Why would they need to develop sapience, they are probably just animals with the instincts they need to survive the deaths of their homes and their long journeys. (Sometimes I think she hasn’t got a romantic bone in her body - R)
Since this Earth has been visited by Sparklers for healing everyone and (mostly Anadir) have visited them, Robbie is annoyed by their effort to nuke us, so we’re not staying to say hello. We have a number of other Earths to save before we choose to hone our social skills again.
We are back home. I deliberately did not write of the other realities because you are just as likely to come up with other assumptions that change our lives without it being our choice. I think it is time we return to Efineh’s world as it is not a good idea for Pirusi to become too accustomed to ours.
If we’d needed suitcases to carry Piri’s clothes and toys, we’d have had to use at least five large ones. She sticks out from all the other kids with her colourful clothes and from the reactions to the sight of her from Cherinians, I guess she’ll be supplied with our kind of clothes for years to come. She did share with a few close friends (nobody dared smile when she also shared with a boy). What went to her head was due to the way her visit changed her status. I guess to the kids she seems almost alien and sophisticated so they all seek her company, even kids older than her. I would have loved to listen in when she tells them stories about her stay with us, but that would have been spying on her.
During his stay with us, Sebura found many people willing to talk with him and explain the points he had a problem understanding regarding the projected future of his planet. He found the words to explain to his people and it calmed them. Despite our explanations, they’d expected to be hit by storms and earthquakes within days. I guess it is easier to adjust to events that will only happen in the lifetime of your children and onwards.
Doing my round of the centres does not mean I always sleep there, though I do try to spend as many nights with them as possible, as it brings us closer to each other. Kinestasi is turning out to be quite a shrewd politician. He’s understood that different people have different style governments and he’s come up with his own mixture. He announced to the Feshidi that the people should choose twelve elders to represent them as his advisors. The elders will hold their positions for three years and then they have to be re-elected. His own position is for life - not exactly what I’d told him at the time, but with serious changes and problems threatening their future, I suppose a certain amount of stability is required. Since he is a good leader and the lot of his people is improving, I will not say anything - even if some idealists from other Earths think I should.
The Spartans have been combing the world and reporting to the Unation ship so a census has been taken of human populations. A pity no Neanderthals survive here, even though some prehistoric animals do.
7207
Since we are more or less on the subject - we found a tribe further north who have a custom that will have Arthur panting to get here. As with most tribes, girl children are considered a drain on the family and sons are a blessing. They, somewhere along the line, came up with the concept that the daughter must get married from the age of three and sons before the age of ten, passing on the responsibility of feeding the daughter to the son’s family. Although sex does not necessarily immediately follow such a marriage, nobody frowns if the husband exercises his conjugal rights. If the idea attracts Arthur, when we bring him here we can revert him to an eight year old - as long as he understands that his wife will be black skinned with piercings (lips, nose and ears)
We’ve been here for two months and we are told that the rain patterns are returning to what they were. It will only last until the next big eruptions, but this time we know how to prevent the sky from remaining polluted.
Samuel got bored of doing nothing, so he took his girls, those not helping, and jumped to the lake Orati. There he asked for permission to build a boat for himself and sail it on the lake. He bought the timber from them and has rented land. He brought plans from his home world and is working at least ten hours a day. The girls keep him company or else they go to the local centre and help out.
Sebura is one cunning b…, well, blighter. I should have known that bringing him to our world was not a good idea. He’s convinced everyone, including Ashema, that it would be instructive for them to watch a re-enactment of my first arrival within Orati land once again. It is clever of him as it will show that he was being truthful when he claimed he could not stop me. He realises that his people know the truth, but don’t feel it in the gut and repetition will make it sink in. Once the Cherinian and Normal volunteers also began asking, I was forced to give in. Efineh was not charmed about having to regress herself but Irfan teased her, claiming he wants to find out for himself why Robbie prefers little girls.
Since it was to be a true re-enactment, it took the same amount of time. Sebura has a phenomenal memory and played his part exactly, but his men could not resist trying to make themselves appear braver than they’d been. Efineh enjoyed herself, especially where I had her trailing us like a balloon. We stopped before we were supposed to meet the mass of the Orati riders and elders. A feast had been prepared and everyone had a good time.
His scheme worked for him and I’ve noticed that his reception by many is growing warmer. Pirusi sulked for hours because he would not let her take part - she’d wanted to show that she too is brave enough to fight a demon.
Samuel invited us to the launching of his boat. The Lake Orati prepared a feast and invited both other Orati leaders and the Feshidi leader with his newly appointed elders (their first ‘international’ appearance). I’ve come to realise that all the locals will grab at any excuse for a feast when times are good. That we help with drinks, meat and chocolates is not exactly calculated to discourage them from this practice.
His ladies were prouder of his boat than Samuel was. I think they wanted us to examine and admire every centimetre! He does know how to bring out the best in wood so it is beautiful - as to seaworthiness, I do not think it is important, as it will only sail on the lake. I could be accused of forgetting they are Cherinians and can easily teleport the boat to the coast - which is what they did on the second day after the feast.
They chose to go to where our Dar is. I’m pleased we went, for it was a very different sight from ours. The beaches we love walking and swimming along are not pleasant here, they are smelly and full of life. The Zanzibar channel is less than half a kilometre wide as the island has not drifted out to the same extent ours has. We had to travel across the island to the eastern shore for swimming.
The boat handled the rough sea well, but Robbie did not relax for a second because we kept taking turns riding in it. The wind was stronger than ideal for a pleasure cruise, but it set our blood racing and we did not want the day to end. Samuel’s little princess is a real troublemaker, she knew Robbie was monitoring us, so she asked Samuel whether he thinks the boat can sail all the way to Australia, as she’d love to try it. Samuel was too drunk on a surge of emotional energy to act reasonably and turning the boat agreed they should try. Robbie let them go a couple of kilometres and then they suddenly found themselves floating above sea level and rapidly returning to our beach. Thina teased Robbie for the rest of that day and because it made us laugh, he encouraged her to continue.
7208
Ataxia was probably kicking herself for not thinking of teasing Robbie the way Thina does, first, but she came up with an idea that we’re all crazy about. She asked Robbie to create a platform for using as a transparent submarine. As she says, there is sea life here that is extinct on our world and there must be many parts of the world where we will see the ocean teeming with life. The first such trip was a success and it looks like becoming a regular favourite - especially among the Normals. The locals are not interested, the idea of being underwater is not attractive to them.
Efineh manoeuvred me so that we’d be alone on the roof, pretending she wanted to check the garden and preferred my company. I allowed her to, since I understood she wants to talk to me on her own (see, even Cherinians still do that).
“Sam, a private question?”
“Not even for my diary?”
“I didn’t mean that. I don’t want Irfan to know I asked you.”
“Then you shouldn’t.”
“You’re not going to make it easy for me are you? I want to know what you think, how long should I wait before having a baby?”
I had not expected the question, somehow it hadn’t crossed my mind that my little girl would be wanting a child. “I’d suggest you wait a bit.”
“How long is a bit?”
“I don’t know.” I waved my arm. “Somewhere between one to two hundred years?”
Her face fell. “Why? That’s too long!” She flushed. “You’re teasing me!”
“Not really. I’ll need about that long to adjust to the idea.”
“That was cruel! How long really?”
“Surely you should be asking Irfan - he is your husband.” She asked Aganthi and received the same reply so she gave up. Whether she asked Irfan or not and what was decided I have no idea.
Robbie asked us why we shouldn’t take you up on your offer and go the visit the Dream Dancer Empires. We knew that he only asked because they keep roping him in to help out with our latest idea. Everywhere there is a tribe or nation of people, we’ve searched out, with the help of scientists, areas that are unlikely to suffer earthquakes or other calamities at the same time and we are building complete towns for them in exactly the same style their present homes are built. Obviously we look for areas with plenty of water and wild life. If there is suitable land for farming, local farmers are being jumped there to begin farming. Even should they not need the spare homes for decades, the produce from the farms are needed.
I am being presented with sour looks because they complain I was too acidulous in my reply to Dommi. She asked me when am I going to concentrate on convincing the local Asians that they will need help so that they take part in our planning for the future. I replied that it is up to Irfan and that his lack of interest in them because of them not having the same philosophies as our Asians has been a disappointment to me. They know he will soon know exactly what I said and feel I was wrong to say it. If it upsets him I’m sorry for Efineh, but not for him. As far as I’m concerned, he’s acting like a petulant child and I’d expected better of him.
This morning Sebura came to see me. “I have been told by the elders that I may choose thirty riders who are willing to accept me as their leader. They want us to be responsible for patrolling our land between the town and the Feshidi border.”
7209
“Has there been any trouble?”
“Soldiers who deserted come into our land and attack travellers.”
I could sense him. As my elder he has been useful and often given good advice, but he is still young and he feels he is suffocating, he needs to get away from town life, women and children, and return to the harsh life of a rider.
“Whenever you are needed as our elder we can find you. Sebura, what about Pirusi?”
“I have asked a woman with a daughter to care for her while I am gone.”
“May I make a suggestion? For the first trip, take her with you. A few months away from the soft life will do her good also.”
“There could be fighting Samantha.”
“If there is, she will be safe - I promise that Sebura. When there is to be fighting, leave her behind and she will be cared for until you can return to her.”
“My riders will not be pleased.”
“Tell them Samantha asked.” I laughed. “Just for this trip, offer to allow them to bring their children with. They’ll all be safe and it will do them good. Sebura, the old ways are in danger of passing away. Such trips will make this kind of life exciting for the young ones and it may help preserve some of the ideals of your people.”
He gave a tight smile. “First you fight to change our customs and then you fight to keep them alive. At least you continue to puzzle me, it will give me something to think about when I lie under the stars.”
I grinned. “Ask Pirusi to tell you which of the stars is me watching over you.”
The elders gathered in their town to formalise the formation of Sebura’s rider group and they rode off into the bush, little Piri sitting before him and another five men holding their sons before them.
We took turns watching them and when all girls were in bed, then Vincent or Samuel helped out. Days later they saw signs of an overnight camp and they could tell it was not from Orati riders. One of the men took the children, retreating to a distance while the rest followed the tracks. They found them the next night and waited for morning before attacking. I shouted to Samuel to come with for teleporting the rider to his comrades and we arrived by the children. Samuel left with the rider and I told the children to touch me and each other. We rose into the air and as soon as Sebura and his men stood up, showing themselves to the Feshidi deserters we flew to float overhead. Pirusi called to her father, but he showed self discipline and kept his eyes on the enemy, only a few of his riders looking up to goggle at the sight of the kids flying.
There was no battle, the deserters were only eight and being heavily outnumbered they threw down their weapons, surrendering. The riders did not know what to do, they would have fought to the death, so the surrender caught them by surprise. Sebura ordered two men to collect the weapons and tying the men he changed direction, aiming for the Feshidi border. There he surrendered the men and returned to where the kids were waiting for them.
“Ashema, did Sebura act as an Orati rider?”
He shook his head, the other elders agreeing with him. “Is this the new way Samantha, did you ask him not to kill if they surrender?”
“No, it never crossed my mind and Sebura did not expect to face such a situation. I’m hoping that Sebura acted as he imagined I would have answered him. It would not be right if he did so, for the Orati must make their own decisions, but I am pleased. Perhaps the elders should discuss what the new ways will be since you no longer automatically kill strangers. Sebura did make a small error. The deserters committed their crimes on your land, so he should have brought them to you for a decision. What would you have done with them if Sebura had brought them to you?”
7210
“They would be given weapons and they’d have to fight the riders.”
“You are offering honour to those who have no honour and kill unarmed men, women and children?”
“Anything else would dishonour us Samantha.”
“I need to think on it. May we discuss ideas on this problem in a day or two?”
“Robert, I can’t tell them not to kill them. They don’t have prisons and not killing men like those will only encourage others to break the law. Whatever I suggest must suit their customs and traditions.”
“As a Cherinian you are willing to tell them they are allowed to kill?”
“I’ve been telling them that all along, as have the girls. We’ve only been following your own rules.”
“That a Cherinian is allowed to kill in defence? It is not the same Sam, the men are already prisoners.”
“At least their execution will not be in cold blood. They can fight for their lives and if they win I presume they’d be set free.”
“Don’t make such an assumption Sam, check with the elders. I think they’ll keep sending riders against them until all are dead.”
Robbie was right. I hoped that if my suggestion was accepted I would not be bringing future problems they are not equipped to handle.
“I suggest that any prisoner who has killed or caused serious damage to property that could result in death must pay for his actions with his life. They must be armed and a rider must fight him. The rider must kill the prisoner if he can. If the prisoner disarms or seriously wounds the rider, he must be given time to recover from his first fight and then another rider must fight him. If the prisoner wins the second fight, then he should not be killed. Examine him, find out why he committed his crimes and decide whether it is possible he could become worthy of being a rider - of the Orati or the land he comes from. If not and he still seems to be a threat, then you will have to do what my world does and build a prison. I think that you can use parts of my suggestion to make your own laws if you do not like them as I offered them. My idea seems more honourable than demanding that one prisoner fight ten riders at the same time. I see a problem because I am not certain what your rules are. What do you do with a man or woman who kills or harms others, but they are not fighters? To give them a weapon and demand they fight does not seem honourable to me.”
“No rider would fight such a man and it is certain no rider would ever agree to fight a woman. In the past, if they were from our people, we have dealt a swift blow that kills without pain. If they are from other lands, pain is considered the most frightening lesson we can teach. If they do not fear entering our lands, we believed we would have to kill many. The pain of one is better than the death of many.”
“Life taught you and now I am trying to interfere. I apologise. I should not have extended the discussion to cover all criminals, only those that come from other lands. There I wish to help because your decisions could affect your relationships with other lands. How would you react to an Orati being killed by another people because he killed or stole?”
“That Orati will have brought shame to his people. It is not for us to be angered.”
Ashema cleared his throat. “In the old days an Orati would not have gone beyond our lands. If we are to try to make rules for the way things are now, I suggest we think more deeply. Does our honour demand we ask who suffered because of the dishonourable actions of an Orati and we try to help them? If a man is killed and he has a family, is that family not our responsibility?”
That shook up all the elders. They did not like his suggestion, but they could see the honour in what he suggested. When he brought them around to his way of thinking I excused myself, hiding the joy they’d filled me with.
As I arrived at our centre, Irfan came out to meet me. That was unusual so I waited for him with some curiosity.
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
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