If what he suggests is right, then we’ll have to organise something different for them, I don’t want them changing the Orati.
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:
7321
A couple of weeks went by and I’d hardly seen Efineh at all as she kept herself busy. This evening she joined us for the meal and when I moved to a sofa she sat next to me and rested her head against my shoulder. I giggled and she sat up.
“I wish you could be like you were, it’s too uncomfortable trying to cuddle against a child smaller than me.”
“Scars and all?
“Yes.”
I changed myself and she promptly placed her head on my shoulder again. She needed comforting in silence so I lost myself in my thoughts. Without raising her head she giggled and I tried to see her out of the corner of my eye.
“We didn’t get divorced, I forgot.” She raised her head to look at me with a smile. “That was what you were thinking wasn’t it?”
“You reading my mind?”
“Sometimes, when you are thinking about me, I can feel what it is you are thinking of.”
“It is that way for the family. Probably is true of all families. I’m glad, it means you are still my little girl.”
When she went to bed, my loves clamoured for me to stay as I am and in the morning, barely able to get to my feet after they’d had their way with me all night, I did not change. When the locals saw me they showed that they were uneasy and a rumour soon spread that Samantha is going to do something special. As I felt expectations rise, I turned to Robbie.
“I can’t disappoint them, what should I do?”
“It will have to be something very dramatic. How about a fight between a Gnolat and an Akiard?”
“Not a chance! Never again.”
“Well, I tried to help, I guess you’ll have to think of something yourself.”
I brought Skotos from Freddie - where he is having too easy a life and could end up becoming tame because of the Elipians who’ve finally managed to become friends with him. I put on my moccasins for running and his ears pricked forward, excited. Without warning him I took off, laughing as I felt his sudden temper.
This time I did not let him direct me, I stayed ahead and as the hills came closer I looked for one without too many rocks. I ran up it and Skotos stopped, neighing, calling me to return. I called back and continued. Reluctantly he climbed behind me.
Below me I saw a valley with the ruins of a house. At some time someone must have lived here, but only a few stones were left in his memory. I saw something glinting next to the tumbled rocks and made my way down, Skotos following at a distance. Suddenly I heard a wild neighing and looking back I saw a swarm of bees closing in on him. At the same moment a terrible foreboding took hold of me that I had walked into a trap and a low rumbling sound made me swing to my left and I saw a female lion almost upon me coming out of the rocks. I only had time to save myself or Skotos. I sent him back to the plains just as the first bees were stinging him.
The lion landed on me, knocking me to the ground and all I could think of doing was to let Vincent’s sliver go. The pain as my shoulder and arm were bitten, bones being crunched audibly, made me scream and I fainted. As I came to I moaned from the pain and remembering the lion I tried to silence myself and peek out to find and teleport it elsewhere. I saw it walking back behind the rocks. A butterfly hovered over me and I stared at it for a moment, trying to recall whether any of their species sips blood.
7322
I called to my healer to cut off the pain and start repairing my shoulder, but I could not sense it. For a long moment I was stunned. I screamed for Robbie, for Freddie, for Haven. It felt as if I was locked within my skull. I finally woke up to the fact that I am under attack by one or more Talents. They had subtly influenced me, playing on my curiosity to bring me to this place without them having to use coercion which could have made me suspicious.
I fought the waves of faintness that threatened to send me falling into darkness. I did not dare faint, I had to find a way to defend myself. First question, what kind of block are they using? Second, why did they make the lion walk away when it could have killed me while I was unconscious? Why did they need me unconscious for a time? Last question, where the hell are they?
Locked in my thoughts while I tried to stay conscious, I had no energy to watch the real world around me, so I was startled and frightened when a shadow fell across me and something gently nudged me. It was Skotos! He must have run back to me the instant he arrived at the foot of the hills for his coat was damp with sweat.
I felt too weak to come to my feet, my knees would have given in if I’d managed it. That meant I had no chance of climbing on his back for Skotos to take me home. I was worried about the lion returning and though the presence of Skotos was a great comfort, I knew I cannot last for long, he has to return to bring me help. The person he knows the best as I’ve carried her with me often is Pirusi. I repeatedly asked him to bring Piri and when he saw me try to stand and collapse, he got the message. As he left, looking back a couple of times, I hoped he will not take too long as I was already thirsty - probably not only from the sun, but also from the loss of blood.
The day flowed by with my fainting a few times when the pain became overwhelming and I remember dreams that were more like hallucinations and I even woke myself up from crying out aloud. From the loss of blood my heartbeats sounded like drums, the pulse faster than it should have been. The last time I awoke I was shivering from the cold despite the sun still beating on me from close to the horizon. I knew I could not last much longer and worried why Skotos had not brought help. Finally I faded away, too weak to hold on to reality.
I woke up to voices. A hand was behind my head and something was touching my lips. I could almost smell the water so I opened my mouth and water was slowly dribbled in. It was night and I could scarcely see the person in front of me, but he was black and from the little I saw I knew he had to be a Feshidi. Skotos neighed and I realised he had brought me help. I faded away again, not caring that I was whimpering like a child.
The three men were very patient and the foul smelling poultice they placed over my shoulder reduced my fever. It did nothing to tame the wild flames of pain and I’m not the stoic kind, I moaned and cried whenever it became unbearable. They gave me a bitter potion to drink and I fell asleep.
For two days they fought to save my life and that time is a mishmash of pain, nightmares and memories of voices speaking in some unknown tongue while water was dribbled down my throat. They must have been carrying some honey for I seem to recall a sweetness in the water. I became conscious on the third day and they tried to soothe me as I looked around in a panic. I saw Skotos close by, watching me, and settled back. Something warm and not pleasant was pressed to my lips and I allowed them to feed me tiny strips of something brownish-red and sticky with juices. I later realised they had fed me the raw liver of a gazelle they had hunted.
I tried talking to them in Feshidi and Orati but they did not understand me. I listened as they talked and I recognised a word now and then. The next morning they picked me up as gently as they could, but also impatient of my cries as the pain re-awoke, and I was surprised to see Skotos allow them to approach him. They placed me on his back, one of the men climbed on behind me and folding his arms around me he allowed me to lean back against him. The other two walked ahead and Skotos followed them as they walked up the hill. As we came to the top I gave a cry of despair and they stopped. Gnolat City was gone and for as far as I could see, not one Orati house or town was visible. The plains were dry, dusty and empty. The rising my centre is on stood bleakly brown, untouched by humans.
7323
My left arm had been strapped to my body as moving it would have caused further damage to the shoulder bones and since muscles had been torn, it would not have been of any use to me. We travelled slowly, for I continually drifted in and out of consciousness, the latter days mostly sleeping. My fever returned and we stopped for half a day and night while they cleaned my wounds and packed them with herbs. The hours that I was conscious I tried hard to learn their language. Saiama, Mofusi and Iaka were the names of the three who cared for me. Saiama is the patient one, always quick to examine my wounds whenever we stopped and providing me with water whenever I needed some. It was he who helped me when I needed to perform my bodily functions and his matter of fact ways helped reduce my feelings of embarrassment. All three of them were fascinated by my colourings and though my hair was filthy and greasy, they would touch it now and then, as if still not able to believe the colour or the lack of crinkles.It took eleven days for us to arrive at a small settlement just this side of the river, which meant we were still on what should have been Orati land. The entire village turned out to examine me, clucking and exclaiming at my appearance. They took me directly to the hut of their chief. He peered at me myopically and touched my hair and cheek.
They explained about Skotos finding them and leading them on a chase, stopping and returning towards them if they stopped, only to run off again if they followed. They then told of finding me, the lion wounds and torn shoulder and explained that they cannot understand my language, but that I have learnt a few words.
At that moment there were screams outside and the men rushed to see what is going on. A man had thought to examine Skotos and he had painfully nipped the man. Iaka who had ridden on him, while holding me, calmed Skotos and warned everyone to keep their distance. A woman complained that an animal should not stand before the hut of the chief. Nothing was done about it, as the three knew that Skotos will not move unless I leave the hut.
I was taken to their medicine man. He checked what they’d used, unpacked my wounds, impatient of my moaning as he re-opened wounds, made certain there were no signs of infection, dug in a little with a dirty pointed stick of ivory to make certain there are no hidden infections and then made a new poultice. He refused me when I asked for my arm to be unstrapped. I later learnt that his name is Afriamasi and as we came to know each other I exercised the horrible failing of my family and abbreviated his name to Afriam. He never reprimanded me, but nobody else ever dared call him that.
It had become obvious to me that I’d been moved into the past, similarly to Gina, the difference being that I had stayed on the same world. The method used was different, so I did not suspect the same person was responsible. I’d been deliberately distracted by the bees and lion so that another mind could enter mine and block me. Why just block me, the lion could have killed me. The answer to that was obvious, I’d go to the void and soon be back in a new body or even in my healed body. It would have also made it very difficult for the aggressor(s) to depart without being caught.
For the first few weeks I felt weak, suffered the repeated cleansing of my wounds and though I did not realise it at the time, I was suffering from shock. I continually expected to see Robbie or Vincent before me and their absence depressed me. As if that were not bad enough, I also had to deal with a curious chief who demanded an explanation for my differences. I should have walked or sat outside for the fresh air and sunlight, but I mostly stayed in the hut I was given, rarely going out to see that Skotos had grazing and water. He was gentle with me, no playful or pretend nips and he allowed me to lean against him when I’d lose my balance or feel faint.
From my studies and my experiences in the future on this planet, I knew that such a small community cannot afford to feed a non-productive person for long, I had to find a way to contribute to their wellbeing, but I am not capable of farming and no longer had healing powers. The village was made up of about three hundred people. I asked and was told they do not know of any other Feshidi. If my estimates are right, I had to be at least five hundred years in the past.
The women were reserved and stayed away from me and most of the men had no interest in me, apart from wanting to touch my hair which was now clean and shiny. Most of their days were spent foraging for food, even babies and children taken with. I was in no condition to help and after a while, I could see the resentment when I was handed something to eat.
I unbound my left arm and discovered it was totally useless and the weight of it hurt my shoulder tearing at muscles and probably, I imagined, damaging bones not knit properly. I would have had to ask for help to bind it, so I made a sling instead. It was better in some ways, but it caused pain and probably further damage whenever it swung away from my body since I had no control over it.
7324
I’d been a guest for nearly a month and I was gradually getting back my strength. My mangled shoulder, torn muscles, bones which had knit incorrectly, scar tissue and so on, meant I leant over to the left a little and I tended to hunch forward also. I had feeling in my fingers, but no strength, and did not dare move my arm from above the elbow. I asked to meet the chief. I flattered him and his people, telling him of how people everywhere will speak of the kindness of the Feshidi and once he seemed to have mellowed, I came to the real reason for my visit.
“Chief, no man or woman should eat without working for it. I am not able to do much with my body hurt like this, but my mind works and I have knowledge that could make life better for your people and then you can have more children so that the Feshidi fill the land further than the eye can see from the top of a mountain.”
“It is not good for women to speak of changes. I ask myself, who is this woman of sickly colour whose own people abandon her to lions. Who is this woman who is followed by a black animal that tries to eat any who come close to it? The women speak of children growing ill since you came, they fear your colour is a sickness you bring to us. It is good that you leave.”
I felt as if I had jumped from the frying pan into the fire. Despite a hollow feeling of fear, I kept my dignity and accepted his decision, thanked him again for allowing me to stay so long and for the help of his medicine man in healing my wounds. I backed out of the cave and returned to my hut to collect my things.
When I walked out, a woman stood waiting for me. She handed me a parcel of food and left without speaking a word. I had no weapons, only a sharp cutting stone to take with me, so I walked to Skotos and caressing his muzzle a moment, I then gestured for him to follow me.
When I found a good rock I could climb without needing hands I did and at my urging Skotos came alongside for me to sit on him. I nudged him in the direction of the river and he slowly walked, pausing now and then to graze if he found a green clump of grass.
Later that afternoon I stopped at the first convenient rock I saw so that I could dismount and mount again in the morning. I was feeling depressed so I did not open the package, I just sat waiting for the night.
It was dusk when I saw a man approaching. It was Saiama. After greeting me, he crouched before me.
“It was not good, you should have spoken to Afriamasi, any changes he liked he would have told the chief. Do you return to your people?”
“I have no people Saiama. The man who hated my husband stole me and carried me too far for me to find them again.”
“What will you do?”
“I will cross the river and find a good piece of land where I can grow some food so that I don’t have to forage like your women do.”
He asked questions, trying to understand. I must have made sense for he rose without speaking, collected dried grass, twigs and branches and concentrated on making a fire. I was touched that he was willing to spend a night seeing to my welfare.
He placed some meat over the fire and as he turned it he spoke without looking at me directly. “I will come with you.”
“Saiama, you have your family and friends, go back to them.”
“My two children died and my woman left me for another man.” He shrugged. “I will come with you.”
“Saiama, I belong to my husband and will never allow another man to touch me, even if I can never see him again.” He did not answer, only handing me the twig piercing a piece of meat. I nibbled at it until it cooled enough for me to take a proper bite.
7325
He slept close enough for me to hear his breathing and I wondered at how, despite some bad things that have happened to me in my life, so many people of various species have cared for me when they had no reason to make any sacrifices for me. I knew that with him at my side I had a chance of surviving longer, but I resolved to send him back to his people in the morning.He was awake before I was. He waited for me to squat behind a bush and then picked me up in his arms and carrying me to Skotos he placed me on his back. He started walking towards the river and Skotos followed him.
“Saiama, it is not good for you to leave your people, go back to them.”
“Saiama leave, Sam die. I go to river.” After that he ignored me, not answering my entreaties. The way I was feeling about myself, I could not understand why he cared whether I’d live or die.
I’d have flashes of enthusiasm over the next weeks when I’d plan and with Saiama’s help implement those plans; clearing ground, planting wild equivalents of onions and tubers similar to yams or sweet potatoes. There is also a wild wheat available, but we cannot farm the acreage we would need for providing us with flour, but adding the little we found to our stew gave it more body. Luckily Saiama found, during a hunting trip he said, a few ears of corn which we dried and used as seed. Whatever he recognised as edible he brought small plants or seeds and our tiny farm became quite diverse.
In his culture, the woman works just as hard or even harder than the man so I could not understand his tolerance of my self-absorbed laziness. Where jollying me would not have worked, his shaming me by his pleasant nature, his excitement as he saw our plants growing and his solicitous attitude when he saw I was in pain, forced me out of my self-indulgence.
“From tomorrow I must start learning how to use this arm. Saiama, can you swim?” There is no word in his language for swimming so I had to ask by words and mime. “I’ll stay out of the strong current since you can’t protect me.” Concerned he watched as my eyes filled with tears. I confided in him, “I’m sorry, my husband used to call himself my protector, when I used the word it made me think of him. Saiama, have I told you I have two daughters? The one was born to me and the other grew up as my daughter.” I did not think it wise to explain how the daughters of my loves are my daughters nor that Michael is my son. In a way, so is Dimi. He asked about my daughters and I talked late into the night, even after he’d fallen asleep. I thought of my brave Gina and how she’d fought back when something similar happened to her.
With swimming and exercises I regained the use of my arm to a small extent. I could raise my hand to touch my face, but my elbow always had to stay close to my body. The skin had healed badly and the puckered scars still made it difficult for me to turn my head to the right and I could not straighten for too long as it felt as if it would tear. Fiercely I told myself I was lucky to be alive and drove myself, planting and watering.
I became concerned about my clothing. What I wore would not last much longer. I did not want to wear a skirt or loincloth, I wanted trousers and a shirt, even if they were made of leather and I’d suffer in the heat. The problem was, how could I sew without cotton and a needle? I tried explaining to Saiama why I needed gut from the animals he killed and he was fascinated by the idea. His people do some coarse sewing, but by using thin strips of leather - as in my now dilapidated moccasins. He sharpened my cutting stone for me and I experimented with whatever entrails he brought, after I’d rinsed them out in the river. Cutting the thin strips was a good lesson in patience and many times I felt like crying as my cut swerved slightly and spoilt what had been a good strip.
Thinking about Gina made me waste a lot of time trying to think of a way I can leave a sign for Robbie to find me. Without modern materials, only stone would last that long and even then I would have to scratch deeply. I soon found out how difficult it is to scratch rocks without metal. Planting trees to form letters would have worked if I only had one tenth of the period to worry about. Within two to five hundred years there would be no resemblance to the original letters left.
To pass the time I began to teach Saiama English. He had built a hut - I helped plaster mud on the sticks that made up the walls, and we’d sit inside in the evening with a fire and the air filled with smoke so as to keep the insects out.
7326
I spent nearly a month dressed only in a leather wraparound. I took my khaki shorts apart to use as a pattern for making new trousers. I had no needle of course so I had to make little holes using thorns and then force the gut through the holes. I put on my first effort while he was hunting and broke into laughter that turned into tears. It was ugly and the sewing bunched up, but it did its job.
I had been using dried twigs to scratch lines for each day and I estimated six months had passed and I was missing my loves something dreadful and the missing link was still an ache in me. I kept hoping that the block would fail or fade so that I could at least get back my healer, but I now suspected it will last a long time or even the rest of my life. The only solution is for me to go to the void before I die, but of course, the harder I tried, the less chance I had of succeeding.
During the rainy season Saiama caught malaria. I nursed him through it and just as he was recovering I also went down with malaria. Although it is not a fatal disease in itself, not the strains they have here, it felt like it was and afterwards I felt weaker for some time. Somehow Saiama found the willpower and energy to go hunting, as he believed we need meat to strengthen ourselves.
Roughly a year has passed and though I might look less healthy, I felt I was tougher and my endurance has improved. There was so much work to do every day that it sounds ridiculous, but my biggest problem was boredom. I must have wished a thousand times that I had not removed my wrist computer for running with Skotos.
Speaking of whom, he has become half wild again. I cannot run with him and if I ride him I cannot gallop as I’m afraid I’ll fall on my bad shoulder and totally cripple myself. He does come to me and I’ll give him whatever vegetables we can’t eat and he’ll nudge me as if asking for a run, but then he’ll go off by himself again.
At this time of the year our little farm does not need watering, and nothing will die if I don’t weed for a month, so I suggested to Saiama that we explore alongside the river. I was hoping that as we walk downstream we’ll find additional species of plants for food as I was getting tired of eating the same all the time. Some fruit would be especially nice. The spot we had chosen does not have any fish and I wondered how far we’ll have to go to find some. If we do find any I was determined to weave grass or reeds so that we can catch to take back enough dried fish to provide us with variety for a couple of months.
Saiama was walking ahead of me and suddenly I noticed his buttocks. I started giggling and broke into rude laughter when he turned to look at me. It hurt my shoulder, but it was worth the pain.
“Oh Saiama, when did you get so fat?”
His face creased with his pleasure. “We eat good Sam.”
When I sobered, I asked, “All you need is a good woman and you’d be happy?”
“Ayee, even good women are too many problems.” He was grinning at my laughter, so we kidded a while longer and for the first time I actually felt that I was not alone.
We had walked for half a day when Saiama pointed out to me that Skotos is following us. He helped me pull some luscious green grass and I offered it to Skotos. As he was nibbling at the grass in my hands he suddenly raised his head, his ears flicking and then he turned and ran away from the river. Almost instantly Saiama was by my side, pushing me to the ground behind a bush.
We waited for an hour and then Saiama crawled out to investigate. He returned with a puzzled look. “Nothing Sam.”
“Perhaps it was an animal and Skotos running off frightened it away. Let’s carry on, this is not a good place to spend the night.”
Late that afternoon we walked away from the river in the hopes of attracting less mosquitoes. He made a fire and cooked for us. Afterwards I felt like looking around since it was not dark yet. I walked for about fifteen minutes away from the river when I saw a group of plants I thought I recognised. As I drew close I forgot myself and yelled for Saiama. He came running and I showed him the tiny yellow bananas, the kind they call lady fingers in Tanzania.
We gorged ourselves and Saiama left some sticks lying on the ground for us to identify where we should strike out to collect a bunch on our return.
7327
Two days later there was a drop in the terrain and the river was too rough for us to stay close to it; if either of us fell in we’d drown. For the first time we could see ahead and the land was more open away from the river with only bushes and trees at a distance from each other. Saiama was pleased, there had been a scarcity of animals for him to hunt and he was missing his meat. I pointed out to him where I will meet him and he ran off to hunt for us. It meant I had to carry our stores. I tried carrying the lightest items in my left hand, but within fifteen minutes the permanent ache had turned into a sharp pain. I could not leave anything behind and I was not willing to give up and sit where I was, so I took a thong and tying the pot with some of the leaf wrapped packages inside it I wrapped the thong around my waist, making certain the pot is on my left. I rested my left hand on it to stop it bouncing as I walked. I estimated I had about three miles to go, but when I thought I’d arrived I did not recognise the signs I’d seen from a height, being down and among the trees confused me. I walked away from the river in the hopes that Saiama will see me if I am out on the grass. Skotos neighed and came to me and I gladly put down my load and wrapped my right arm around his neck and pressed my cheek to him.
Saiama found us, thanks to Skotos I imagine, and I gathered twigs and wood for him to make a fire while he skinned the little gazelle he’d killed. He scraped the skin and set it out over a thorn bush and only then concentrated on cutting the meat into portions. He hid the meat from me and then placed it on the fire. I saw he had covered it in some whitish powder and wondered. With the first bite I let out a yell of excitement.
“Salt! Where did you find it?”
The next day he took me and I looked at it in dismay. Obviously animals come to lick at the salt and it was trammelled by their hooves, mixed in with the soil and dung. I scooped up a little for experimenting and forced my mind to stay away from the question of how much dung there is in the salt he put on the meat the previous night - after all, I had enjoyed it so there was little point in becoming squeamish now.
Saiama could not understand why I insisted on returning to the river close to the point we’d camped the night before. When we arrived I put down everything I was carrying and then examined the land. There was a low and almost flat rising with a few trees about sixty metres from the river and it rose about twenty above the river. The land to either side had streams flowing into the river and was flat enough for cultivating. The streams should provide easy irrigation, but at flood time our farm would be under water. I recalled reading that such floods enrichen the soil so, as long as we also maintain a small vegetable patch on the rising, we will not go hungry. The idea of not having to water the plants by diverting the streams excited me. About four hundred metres downstream the land dipped, forming a hollow that was lower than the river. I could imagine that during floods it becomes a swamp for breeding mosquitoes and other nasties, but I also saw it as solving another problem. It would be hard work, but if we dug a ditch from the stream, on my left when facing the river, we could build a little hut with a rock on either side of the ditch for us to use as a toilet. The water will wash it down to the dip which I hoped is far enough for us not to have to smell it. I realised I could have a small container in the hut for dipping water (upstream of the rocks) for washing myself. That solved the problem of not having toilet paper!
I must have had a dreamy look on my face, for I noticed that Saiama was staring at me, a strange look on his face. I called him over and told him of what I planned, using a stick to sketch it on the ground. It was obvious he thought it was a lot of work for nothing, but for some reason he has never refused me and he agreed to us moving here.
“Is there one man and woman you like and trust that you could convince to join us? With four of us doing the work it will be easier for everyone. Also, when you go hunting I’ll have company.”
“Maybe Iaka. He has a son.”
I gave a big grin. “It will be wonderful having a child around. Please try. Let’s return to our first camp to prepare for moving here. I’ll wait there while you go to speak to Iaka.”
Saiama was ahead of me when we arrived. He suddenly took a couple of steps backwards and grabbing me by the arm (luckily my right one) he dragged me behind a tree and some bushes. He pushed at me to go down and whispering for me to wait, he crept off.
7328
When he returned I saw from his face that he had bad news. He did not speak, but led me to our little plantation. Everything had been ruined, even our hut had been demolished. I walked our small fields examining the plants, but all of them had been broken or trampled. I turned to Saiama.
“Same make Skotos afraid, I think.”
The bitter knot inside me dissolved. I’d thought it was the Feshidi, his people. “They were foolish Saiama, there was a lot of food here for them to eat. We’ll have to leave Iaka for later, there won’t be enough food for us.”
He made a disgusted sound. “They animals!”
We needed Skotos to help us and I was not certain he would be willing. I made a thorough examination of all the plants and chose those I thought had the vaguest hope of living. Saiama made little containers to hold the roots with some soil and we watered them. I wove two large containers, placed the potted plants in them and with a thong tied the two of them to each other. We prepared two such sets since we could carry them if Skotos refused. I called Skotos and explained to him our problem while softly rubbing between his eyes. He turned his head to look when I moved to his side, but he did not move away when we raised the baskets. Saiama went to the other side carrying his basket and we hung them over his back. Skotos turned to look at me with what I could swear was a reproachful look, but when I thanked him and with my hand underneath his lower jaw started walking, he followed. Saiama went to collect and carry whatever else he could, promising he will catch up with us soon.
I’d only been walking an hour when Skotos raised his head, his eyes wild, and then he bolted. With sinking heart I watched as the two baskets tilted and then fell off him, the baskets bursting like overripe fruit, scattering their contents. I started to run back towards Saiama when three men stepped into my path. I looked back and another four stood behind me, cruel smiles on their faces. I tried to swerve around the three ahead of me, thinking that if I can get to the river I can jump in and let the water carry me away. That shows what a panic I was in, for the men were white and dressed as from my reality. They must have used a power, for my legs gave way and I fell to my knees. The men closed in and I saw a butterfly fluttering right in front of my face. From that close I was able to see that it was not a butterfly, it was a mobile camera. Relief flooded me, it had to belong to the Unation, Freddie must be here. One of them swatted the butterfly.
The men closed in and as one of them opened his trousers another explained. “Did you think we brought you here to play at setting up house and civilising the natives? We wanted you to suffer and now, at the moment when you are starting to make dreams, we’ve come to shatter them. Each of us is going to rape you and then we’ll kill you. Your soul will be lost in the void and you’ll be born as one of the blacks of this time. You will be lost to Robert forever, since he won’t know when and where you are. We will return your semen filled body so that he knows his precious Samantha was gang raped before being painfully killed.”
I did not, even at that time, believe I would never return to my family, but I was suddenly filled with the conviction that if I was raped I would never return to Robbie or my loves. Never! I went berserk, screaming ‘you won’t rape me, you won’t rape me’ and threw myself around in a frenzy using nails, teeth, anything to stop them.
Suddenly one of the men before me collapsed and then so did a second one. I just had time to see Saiama’s face and then they killed him. Stunned I froze and then I howled and screamed for Robbie, for Vincent, for Alki. I was knocked to the ground and one of them, his face furious with me, knelt and leant over, tearing my badly made pants to pieces.
A dazzling light flashed and suddenly all the men lay on the ground, the one leaning over me thrown so violently that his body smashed into a tree twenty metres away. Robbie as the g-void took shape above me, his face still reflecting his fury. I began to cry ‘I didn’t let them rape me, I didn’t let them rape me’.
Suddenly all my loves were around me, weeping as they felt me. Dommi shushed me, told me they knew, that I’d been brave and so on. They told me they are taking me home to Freddie and I screamed to stop them and begged Robbie to heal Saiama. He told me they are already busy doing so and then the girls made to touch me for teleporting to Freddie. I began to cry that I can’t leave without Skotos.
Finally my loves realised that for some inexplicable reason I just did not want to leave. Gina jumped and returned with clothes for me. Still shaking uncontrollably I dressed, refusing their healers and not allowing any of them to touch me.
7329
I turned to Dommi and shouted at her, “Block me, the same as I was. Do it now!”
“You want to stay here!?”
I screamed at her, “Do it!” She blocked me and I collapsed to weep at last. I did not protest when I felt Robbie’s arms go around me, careful of my shoulder. As soon as I could stop crying I wiped my face on his shirt.
“How did you find me?”
He held up the butterfly in his hand, the wings crushed. “When you went for a run with Skotos, this camera followed you. Because you’d chosen to stay in your scarred form they wanted a record of you with Skotos. When the bastards moved you and Skotos back in time they also moved the camera. The sliver returned, but you had already been taken when we searched. Sam, the camera will lie here, hidden under mulch and soil until our time. When it arrives at the time it disappeared, the equipment in the Unation spaceship will find it. The sudden change in place will ring alarms and they will check what was last reported and the attack by the lioness will be seen by us. I better bury it safely so that it survives or else we won’t know when to search.”
They picked up from me what I wanted to do. Of course, once my loves got moving, things happened quickly. They disappeared before Saiama opened his eyes and scouring the land they collected enough plants to feed twenty people. They created little runoffs from the streams for irrigation and used their healers in the same way Cherine of ‘Boxee’ does so that the plants will be fully grown within a few days. They put up five huts and a central communal hut in the style of the Feshidi and placed a thorn kraal (stockade) around all of it.
I sat by Saiama and when he opened his eyes I complained, “How can you fall asleep while fighting to save me? Was it that boring?” He looked around and saw the dead men and I saw real terror on his face. I touched his hand. “Have you forgotten we are friends? Never fear me Saiama, please.”
When we started walking towards our new home he made to stoop and pick up some plants. I asked him to pick up only one and then took it from him. “This one I will plant by the door of my hut so that I remember those evil men every day. I’ve never hated before Saiama, but today I hate.”
Lucy convinced Skotos to return to me. He waited with head hanging low. I cried out with joy when I saw him and hugged his head to me. When I let him go he ran in a circle and returned, nudging me playfully.
When Saiama saw the new plantation with plants growing and the houses on the rising, I expected him to be awed. He glanced at me, but did not react, so I became curious.
“What is it you know Saiama?”
“I told the chief you are important, but he would not listen. I saw how the fierce black animal called us and then followed you and did all you asked and I saw the butterfly. It followed you wherever you went and it did not die like butterflies do. The chief would not listen to stories of animals and butterflies, but I think he was afraid of you.”
“I wish you’d told me about the butterfly, it would have saved me so much suffering.” It was a comfort knowing the girls are all sharing with me, even if I cannot sense them. I also knew that I had a permanent escort of either Robbie or Vincent.
I had to laugh when I saw the inside of my hut. They had created East African style wooden stools with inlaid beadwork and I now have a bed and a wardrobe full of clothes - at least they chose practical clothing. I laughed and called out, “Who’ll collect and do my laundry? It hurts my fingers washing them the primitive way.”
The toilet was another surprise. The stream flowed in as I’d planned, but then it sank into a clay pipe. I never looked to find where it goes, but it did not go to the depression I’d thought of using. They had put two flat rocks standing to just below my knee level and just far enough apart on either side of the stream so that we could sit. I giggled as I thought to myself, I won’t have to teach Saiama to pick up the seat before urinating.
7330
During our end of the day meal, actually the only one after breakfast, I asked Saiama to leave the next morning to fetch his friend. He estimated he’d be away about a week, but I told him not to worry, he can take longer as we are now safe and there is plenty of food for me.
I lay down to sleep and got the shakes. Finally I got up and going outside I spoke, “Aganthi, would you mind coming to hold me tonight?” Within a minute she appeared, her eyes concerned, but a happy smile on her face because I’d asked for her.
As experience has shown me, despite my intentions, as soon as I know Freddie and the family are watching, I, for one, relax and secondly, I tense up, knowing they are watching and considering each decision of mine. Perhaps it prevented me from trying some of my wilder ideas.
Aganthi had notice of the arrival of Saiama so she was gone when they arrived. I chuckled silently when I saw them, Iaka’s son is not a child, he must be at least fifteen and according to their culture already a man who has to hunt. I wondered how he will take to farming - with regard to his pride.
After they greeted me, I told Saiama to show them around. Luckily they could not see my smile when the first thing he showed them was the toilet and I believe he very graphically explained how it is used. I certainly heard a number of exclamations of surprise and wonder. When he showed them the food growing at our doorstep they were truly impressed and I think it was the turning point that convinced them to stay. For most primitive pre-agricultural cultures, the biggest worry is the gathering of food and that is why their villages move every so often. With the lack of sanitation planning, it is just as well.
By the third day the corn was maturing and we would have to harvest them over the next two days for drying. That night we heard noise and carrying fire with them Saiama and Iaka rushed into the field of corn and were met by a tribe of baboons who believed the corn belongs to them and took a stand, ready to fight. Two men against fifteen or so angry and belligerent baboons did not stand a chance so I called for them to return. They would not listen, not willing to give up our food. Iaka’s son, Mabitu, rushed down the hill with his spear and a flaming brand in his other hand. I decided I could not allow them to face the baboons on their own and grabbing a thick burning branch ran down the hill, cursing because the rear end had also been in the fire and I was getting burnt.
The men were waving their brands as they advanced on the baboons and as should have been expected, the drying corn stems caught fire. Half an hour later both baboons and humans sat at their respective end of the field contemplating the injustices of life. The woman, Sintega, spread some mashed herbs over my palm and we brewed some tea since no one was in the mood to sleep.
“How do we stop the baboons from stealing the rest of our crop Sam?”
“I was hoping you could tell me.”
“Ayee, they are ugly animals!” Mabitu exclaimed.
I laughed. “Have you thought of the fact that to them you are the ugly one?” He shook his head, not willing to grant them the right.
Iaka suggested to Saiama that they bring Mzuto and his wife Bimisi and two children. With four of them to guard the food we would be safer from the baboons and, he softened his voice, his wife would have another female as company, for I am not company for a female. Saiama told me all that was said, a sly amusement in his eyes. I asked him about a middle-aged man with a damaged leg who could not hunt.
“Miseni? He is a strong man and a good fighter, even with his useless leg. I will ask him. What will we do for food, can you make more corn grow quickly?”
I grinned at him. “That was not me Saiama, it was my husband and daughters.”
He beat the ground with his fists in distress. “They do not want you?”
I took hold of his one hand to stop him. “I refused to leave, I have friends here that have to be taught many things so that the Feshidi grow to be a strong people. My friend, one day others will come and their skins will not be like yours or mine, they will be brown, like the earth. You must be strong enough to meet them as brothers and friends for there will be many of them.”
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: 20th Jun, 2020
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