Rosie asked, “Even if they could, how could we transport six billion people? We’d need hundreds of Freddies to carry so many from over forty Earths.”
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:
7431
Noelle and Irene glanced at each other and Irene gestured for Noelle to go ahead. “We could transport them easily.” Robbie raised an inquiring eyebrow. “Same as Bobby’s Robert, the Sparklers could take all of us in their World.”
“Actually,” Irene added, “Each alternate Sparklers could bring their own people. The Sparkler Worlds would easily fit inside Freddie.”
Claudia of course loves numbers. “That means we would have over two hundred billion people inside Freddie - sorry, with the alien populations that would want to come with, we’d probably have over eight hundred billion - maybe a trillion!”
Cherine grinned at Robbie’s pale face. ‘Right, that problem has been solved, now we have to solve the problem of the people of our planet. How do we take them all with, without everything falling apart here?”
Since there was no answer to that problem unless Robbie is willing to be in this reality twice at the same time, we did not expect anyone to answer her. Chantel offered, “If they spend a few days teaching my people what needs to be kept running and how, my people could help - they don’t all need to come with since they can share.”
Lucy asked, “Could they also feed pets and look after farm animals?”
“There are enough of them to do everything needed.”
Cherine gave that special smile of hers, “All objections have been overcome except for one - do you want to take them all Robert?”
“You girls haven’t left me any excuses for refusing them. Samantha, does this include the Orati world?”
“We’d have to collect all our people, Samuel and his family, Cherinians there and Efineh, of course we must, they’d feel hurt when they find out they were the only ones left out.”
Robbie sat up suddenly, his eyes showing his pleasure. “Then we’ll do it!” He looked at Candy. “Tell me why.”
“Because we want to make them happy?”
“Look deeper love. I’m not asking why we want to do it, why do I?”
That was unfair of him, none of us could guess. Dommi said so and Robbie sat back with a smile.
“Why would the protector want to take them?” Vincent and Kirsten sat up, their faces thoughtful. “Anybody?” When he saw nobody was about to answer, he said, “We’ve talked of the possibility of needing to take all species into the Sparkler Worlds during an emergency, such as an invasion by Gnolats. Isn’t this the perfect opportunity for us to find out what problems there will be and how long it takes?”
The date of departure was set for the 16th of July, PC40. We expected everyone to feel jubilant, but they were too stunned by the idea of such a vast number of people going with, to rejoice as they should have. When they heard that all alien species are coming with they were truly stunned and even frightened. Robbie had to explain to the leaders of all nations (the Roberts handling it in other realities) why he’d agreed and wants to take everyone. They saw it made sense and most told their people their government has no objections.
If I wanted to make Arthur’s story interesting and seemingly more realistic, I’d write for a dozen pages about the massive amount of organising, the logistics and so on. The truth is, apart from teaching the Kinytians to handle problems of our Earth, there was almost no organising to be done. Each person was taken to their Sparkler World by a Sparkler - all at the same time. Then the alternate Sparkler Worlds jumped into Freddie, who was waiting for them within our void. Simple and fast - it took no more than an hour our time. We plan for the alternate populations to be returned within fifteen minutes of their departure, but they were asked to plan for an absence of an hour.
7432
By the way, when we explained how we came up with the idea that made it possible, there was a sudden resurgence of interest in Arthur’s story about Bobby and billions of copies were downloaded again. Arthur may only have ten or fifty readers in his world, but on this side of the fence no other writer has been read by so many - and that includes people of all species! By the time Arthur gets here, I won’t be surprised to hear that a number of people got their doctorate by writing a thesis on Boxee and the reasons why the story is so popular. I’ve got a big grin plastered over my face - I’ve just had it pointed out that many have done so already, but they are not students of art, they are studying psychology and related fields. I’m certain that is not meant to reflect on Arthur, more on his readers and why they read his story - which, in the final call does reflect on him. Oh dear…
The trip and invitation did cause one slight problem. When we wanted Lusalith to come with us, we’d promised her that she’d be back home within minutes of her departure. We had to invite her people also so we had to return her and then invite her. It seems her people are shocked that she is coming with, but they did not object.
We could never have found prime Ambros without the Wirms. When they delivered us to the correct area there were many gasps of astonishment. Robbie had to quickly ask the Unation not to take their spaceship out of Freddie. Ambros is by their galaxy and they’d instantly wanted to ensure he is not a threat to their planets. Robbie worried that the ships could cause Ambros serious damage if they pass through him. The possibility developed into a new debate as everyone tried to think of a way spaceships of all species can keep tabs on Ambros (in each reality) so that he is not inadvertently harmed.
Allan listened for a while and then said to Robbie, “You know how so many science fiction stories deal with galactic distances by having their spaceships fly through hyperspace, a continuum shift or interspatial travel. Whatever the name given, they assume a separate layer to space where the speed of light can be broken. I’m amazed that Arthur did not build that into his story. A pity in a way, as we could have ensured all species have the technology and only travel inter-galactically using it - that would not harm Ambros.”
Robbie was slightly amused, but did not show any inclination to take the conversation any further so I intervened. “You’re wrong Allan, Arthur did, he just found a different way to achieve the same ends.” That made Robbie sit up so I deliberately started a conversation with Samuel King. With an ‘excuse me’ to Samuel, Robbie picked me up and brought me to his lap. Even as he tried to look stern I felt his hand slip under my dress as he caressed my thigh.
“I’m certain that what you said was news to even the Unation and they are the most advanced of all of us. I’m all agog and can’t wait to hear what you’ve thought up this time.”
“But it’s obvious!” I saw that nobody was thinking for themselves, they were concentrating on hearing me tell them. A pity, nobody should ever stop thinking for someone else. “He called it the void. How else do you think you can flip us from galaxy to galaxy within seconds? Think of the descriptions of when they travel in that under-or-over-space; don’t they always say there are no stars?”
Robbie put his lips to my ear, “I’ve been hoping someone would invent a way to travel across galaxies instantly, should I stop?” I heard the chuckle in his voice, but I also sensed the yearning inside him so I thought quickly.
“We have said that when you become the void you are accessing a different level and that space might have such a level so don’t give up on your dream.” Robbie chuckled aloud and half squeezed me to death.
Our Solomon and the Silver boy were sitting with us. I’d have expected Silver boy to be talkative, seeing as to how he’s spent millions or billions of years without having anyone to speak to, but he mostly keeps quiet and listens to what others talk about. His soft voice was nearly missed by us as he asked, “Could I go with the team that contacts this Ambros?”
“Of course,” Robbie said. “If you want, we’ll wait for you to be the first to contact him. It might be easier for you and I think the honour belongs to you and Ambros.”
“Not two” he answered with a slight smile, pleased.
7433
Thanks to Arthur’s warning we approached Pambros (prime Ambros) very cautiously. This time there was no one in the balls of energy that flashed the sequences to draw his attention. His first reactions were exactly the same, he slowly extended a part of himself towards the flashing lights. He did not stop close by, but actually touched the balls. Everyone exclaimed with surprise when he drained the energies being used to contact him. His ‘tentacle’ of energy drew the shields towards him. It was such a long drawn out process that we returned into Freddie for a meal and to discuss the possibilities.
We all decided the obvious, that Pambros is curious about the source of the energy he absorbed. We now had to wait and see how it reacts to the shields. Since they are also composed of compressed energy, will it try to absorb them?
Over the next few days it drew the spheres close to a ‘denser’ part of itself. For three days nothing further happened and then suddenly the spheres shot away at immense speed. The cameras showed us that the spheres are being sent to different parts of itself! After watching them zigzag around for another two days Candy called out, “It’s playing with them!”
Silver boy is in direct contact with Ambros, so he spoke for him. “Matter too solid to feel, is trying to understand how matter is so light/soft/not matter.”
“How would it react to us sending it more energy?”
“Energy absorbed take centuries be absorbed evenly. More damage, not gift.”
Robbie asked, “Why didn’t he understand the sequential flashes as being artificial as you did?”
“Maybe…different experiences?”
By now, some of those from our reality were beginning to worry at their lengthy absence from their homes, business and so on. Solomon arranged for the Sparklers to explain to them that we will hop to another reality and return back to half a day from their departure - in other words, they are already back home. That gave them a weird feeling!
We do not dare try to hurry Pambros. It is generally felt that he could suffer shock, that we have to give him the time he needs to absorb the information he’s already gained and begin to wonder and want new information. The problem is in identifying that time.
A month has passed and Pambros seems to have settled, his enthusiasm waning. The spheres apparently drift lazily within him. The next problem is, how will Pambros react to the spheres fading away until they pop, letting out the air inside them? Will our atmosphere harm him in any way? After all, surely the gasses will react to the energy he is made of? Robbie has asked Ambros and he has reassured us it will not cause harm, just a very mild surprise.
7434
We decided not to wait. Robbie formed another three bubbles and they flashed in sequence, but this time, as Pambros reached for them they withdrew, returning as he pulled back. Robbie moved them to the void when the girls tired of ‘seeing’ him as music. The next day the performance was repeated. On the third day he did not reach for them and seemed to be indifferent to their existence. Now the bubbles moved closer to him.
Our new way of ‘seeing’ showed a slight change in energy. Silver boy explained that Pambros is becoming angry.
“We can’t seem to get across to him that we are communicating. Anybody have any ideas?”
We tried all ideas, even those that do not make much sense. Nothing worked and Pambros is obviously moving from frustrated to agitated and perhaps worried.
Empathia mused aloud, “Pambros is obviously very different to Ambros. How could his experiences have been so drastically different?” She raised her voice slightly. “Ambros, what if he did not develop the same curiosity about beings that live as cold matter? Would that make it impossible for him to see our efforts as a simple communication since he would believe he is alone?”
Silver boy answered for him, “It is possible. I have been wondering why he is so much larger than I am. I did lose a lot of energy when making contact with planets to see what is happening and where the spaceships came from. I have since learnt that the gravity of planets, even of moons, destroyed parts of me.”
Robbie’s face lit up. “Well done Athia. So how do we make him aware?”
She answered, “By making him curious about us?”
“How?”
She looked up so everyone’s gaze followed hers. “What if the Unation spaceship appeared and sent out the three small platforms? No, the Unation spaceship and the Inguel ship should arrive here from elsewhere and then the three platforms should come out of a ship and communicate in the way they did before. The two spaceships are so different to each other Pambros should realise they are alien to each other and are using the flashing spheres to communicate. Surely that will make it curious?”
Freddie jumped to the one side and to normal space, the Unation spaceship left and then, on the other side of Pambros, the Inguel ship left. They travelled towards each other and met at our original position. Pambros began to withdraw, then he reached out again, obviously curious about the energy from both ships - or, from his viewpoint, from the two shapes of cold matter that were not suns.
As the tentacle of energy drew close to the ships, Silver boy called out, “Withdraw, withdraw!” Robbie instantly obeyed.
Silver boy was trembling. “This is Ambros. My apologies. An ancient memory, not memory, but memory, something before I.”
“An instinctive memory?”
“Must explain ‘instinctive’ afterwards. I not one. When our kind meet, two not good, become one. So ancient last need for merging. Forgot.”
“You feared Pambros would try to merge with the ships?”
“No. Not can merge so energy must be taken. All free energy precious.”
“Oh. I’ve understood Ambros and thank you.”
Silver boy spoke as himself. “Disturbed, cannot hold separation, must return.” Solomon quickly took him back to the Sparkler World to merge back into Ambros for the time being.
“I’d guess that Arthur would just answer that he only had a feeling and doesn’t know, so there’s precious little advantage in asking him how to solve the problem. Still, his warning was of some benefit I suppose.” Most of those present stared at Allan without comprehending, but those of us who know him well understood that it was as close as he can come to praising you.
7435
I giggled in advance at the knowledge of the grimace Robbie will wear as I said, “I guess we’ll have to repeat the stunt with the two ships meeting until Pambros learns not to attack them.”
“He was not attacking them!” a young boy called out, obviously enamoured of Pambros.
I gave him a smile. “I only meant it in a nice way, but he was trying to steal their energy.”
Still aggressive, despite his parents trying to shush him, he replied, “He was not trying to steal! He is hungry and doesn’t know the energy belongs to others.”
“Robbie, could he be right?”
Cherine shook her head, unhappy at having to disagree with the child. “No, he is larger than Ambros so it means he has enough energy, he is just acting instinctively - as Ambros told us.”
“Still,” I added, “it does present us with a solution. Our problem was how to present him with the memories of Silver boy. I think that Ambros should add to them his aeons of curiosity about cold matter beings so that his splitting as Silver boy makes sense.”
With a plan of action for the next day we relaxed and enjoyed ourselves by walking among the crowds visiting in Freddie. We’ve found that even people who were hostile to us soften their stance and became more open to the message we’ve tried to give about Cherinianism once they’ve met us and we’ve talked to them. That is the reason we try to avoid our natural tendency to drift towards those emoting nice feelings towards us. Lucy is the only one who jumps directly to the Elipians and spends her time with them, for she can sense how stressed they are by having so many Terrans around. It is amazing how many think that because there is a vague resemblance to horses in their lower bodies it gives them the right to run their hands over them.
We were all anticipating a nice evening when suddenly we sensed a dark despair, fear and rage slashing through Robbie’s mind. Even as we jumped to where he was, he slammed a ‘privacy’ signal and shut his mind to us as he jumped to his ledge. Luckily Cherine and Dommi ignored his need for privacy and jumped to him.
Dommi tried to cajole, but Cherine outright demanded he open his thoughts to her. Robbie blankly stared at the landscape below for a few minutes without answering as he struggled to control his feelings and then opened to the two of them.
“Solomon visited to tell me that all the alternate Sparklers reported to him that their guests are enjoying their visit and are behaving themselves. Then he told me that they estimate there must be about a million people in various realities who did not come with and they asked him why they stayed behind. I explained to him that there are always those who are contrary and will do the opposite of what everyone else is doing. He was then telling me about Campbell and his group when it suddenly struck me that there is an alternative reason for many not coming with.
My loves, it is well known by now that when Normals visit us with their families, we can sense which children are being abused or tortured. Those must be most of the people who did not come - that explains why so many of them are family groups. God! How could I have been so stupid, it was so obvious, I should have thought of it before we even left! The most extreme cases will be those who stayed away!”
There were a number of obvious comments to soothe him, but we have learnt that when Robbie is immersed in the act of blaming himself, we have to let him have a little time and after that he listens to reason. When Dommi decided it was time she spoke.
“I’m glad we undertook this excursion and I think we should do it more often, at least once every five years. The public will accept it as a nice vacation, while we’ll have the chance to either isolate the worst cases who stay home or else, if they realise we’ll go after them anyway and come with, we’ll sense them here. Roberto, one million? How many do you think are abusers, about two hundred thousand? How can so many people suddenly disappear without governments causing a fuss?”
7436
“No love, the numbers will be much smaller, there will be a large number who did not come with for their own reasons. Maybe, I don’t know, say about twenty thousand in all the realities?”
Cherine frowned. “We can’t fit that many on the islands! You’ll have to expand to other islands. Robert, we’ll end up using all the planet, that’s not fair!”
“We’ll meet the problems, both the planet and the government ones, afterwards. I have to leave, my loves.”
I sent my mind directly into that of Samuel King. He didn’t hesitate and as he started his recruitment campaign among all the species, I jumped to Robbie and our two loves.
“No need for you to go Robbie, volunteers are gathering as I speak.”
“Samantha, you are allowed to share in private conversations only for your diary!” He was angry with me, but Cherine half hid a small smile. “I’m going with them!”
I grinned at him. “I wish I was a Normal girl, then I could faint and cry until you change your mind.” The two girls were the first to respond with a grin at the picture of me fainting and crying and then Robbie chuckled.
Samuel King has over half a million volunteers from many species and was ready to leave within six minutes. The Sparklers will be going in their tens of millions and of course Vincent and Kirsten are going with so as to supervise the arrival of the prisoners at the islands. They know that Robbie is suffering and therefore we are all in a state of anxiety, so they timed their arrival so that they return within twenty minutes. On their return and just before their dispersal we sensed a grimness that is alien to all Cherinians. Robbie paled as Vincent and Kirsten came to him.
“We have taken ten thousand three hundred and forty six prisoners. Robert, we have to return to help those who stayed to look after the children.” Tears welled and filling Kirsten’s eyes they flowed down her cheeks. He pulled her to him. “The one child, a girl of six, I cannot describe to you what she has suffered. The bastard knew that mostly the Sparklers check for molesters, so he has kept her in a cavern about a hundred metres under his home. She has been mutilated beyond belief, her clitoris sawed off and…I’m sorry, describing what we saw will not help. Anyway, it is her mind we have to care for, since the healers are already healing her body. We’ll see you when you return, since the child is now in our reality.” Robbie quickly hugged Kirsten, brushed her cheeks and whispered to her for them to leave. He made certain they both sensed his love for them as they jumped.
Maria brought Robbie coffee and cigarettes and morosely he sat with cigarette in his hands, but without smoking it. He whispered, “In whichever reality, it should not have made a difference, so much pain and I sensed nothing! What kind of protector am I?”
Cherine, her voice hollow, asked, “Vincent shared with you?”
He waved his arm to include all of Freddie and the millions of guests. “Like a fool I allowed myself to glory in what we’ve done and basked like an idiot in their admiration and joy, while a child suffered such torture. I no longer deserve to be leader, they must find someone else.”
Those government leaders who were within earshot paled, terrified of changes that could alter the comfort zone we’ve coddled them in. Whether I like it or not, I am responsible for the political problems that do not fall under Hettie’s duties, so I had to speak.
“Dad, if you want I’ll take over for a week or two until you’ve recovered.” Cherine forced him to move back from the table so as to sit on his lap and glancing at me sent her agreement and a plea that did not need words that I see to it that Robbie is not disturbed. I saw to it that all leaders immediately knew that they must only come to me if they have any problems and the family went home.
The next morning, after we finished our breakfast, all the leaders in Freddie (that is, not at that moment in a Sparkler World) gathered by the taverna for me to speak to them. I saw that Campbell and some of his cronies stood among them, but I pretended not to notice, giving Michael and Ahní a smile.
7437
“Good morning. Rumours have distorted the truth so I wish to bring you up to date.” I explained about the truth that had suddenly dawned on Robbie and the results. “With hindsight it is easy to say we should have thought of this long ago, but our minds were on the search for Pambros and the worries we had about carrying so many friends with us.
As government leaders you will return to face demands from the media that you order us to return the prisoners. As temporary leader of the Cherinians I must advise you that I cannot accept or carry out such orders. If any sane and caring adult among you had experienced what we’ve shared from the victims, you would have gone into a rage and killed some of the prisoners. Just as a professional officer of the law must control his emotions, so have we done. However, we also are constrained and guided by our responsibility to all human life, which in this case includes the prisoners. Until you solve the problem of the savage treatment the prisoners will face in your prisons, we will have to remove them and hold them at an alternate Earth. They live fairly well there and are not held within cells. If you wish to send a committee to examine their living conditions, we’ll be pleased to take them there and leave them alone to talk with the prisoners.”
“Are we returning or will we remain to conclude the meeting with Pambros? We cannot leave the children alone for any length of time.”
“Should we stay here a year we would still return within a couple of minutes of the children being found. We hope to leave within a week or two.”
“Mr Teller, will you maintain control of the meetings with Pambros?”
“My father has never controlled the meetings. He has only facilitated them and remained on guard to prevent any loss of life. Thank you for listening to me and Freddie or your Solomon will soon be advising you of our next attempt to communicate with Pambros.”
We delayed a couple of days to give Robbie time to recover, as he must concentrate on those who go out to contact Pambros. Goldi asked whether we could go on a trip by ship to the fairies. Robbie explained that the ship is fully booked, but Claudia promptly juggled the bookings (she’s been handling them) and we left that night. Goldi was right, it was the best tonic for Robbie. He had us in stitches when he got into an argument with the croupier and almost came to blows - of course it was partly theatre since he is the croupier, but he did get carried away and get angry. That was what we found so funny.
These couple of days that my loves relaxed and used love to heal Robbie and each other, I did not enjoy to the same extent. It seemed as if each leader felt that a private chat with me would convince me to soften my stance. I could not ignore them and had to go into details, again and again, so that they understand why it is a non-negotiable point with us. I also insisted they change their laws, making it legal for us to immediately interfere when we sense a child or even an adult suffering and that our evidence must be admissible in court. Mostly it was that last demand that caused the biggest headaches, since in general crime rates have dropped and they have space in their prisons to dedicate prisons to child molesters. I did not make it a condition, but asked they study the possibility that the attitude of the social workers, analysts and psychologists have slanted the evidence so that it seems that even loving consensual relations between adults and children damages the children. I also asked them to study the effects of society’s attitude on the children. They soon realised that to negotiate with me, they had to offer something in return.
It is highly unlikely that Pambros noticed our absence of a few days since time needed to query distant parts of his mind (when he is not under stress to make quick decisions, such as during a conversation) would make the absence seem to have lasted but moments. It is interesting to conjecture what his (and the Ambros) mind must be like. Since it is spread over such immense distances in all directions, he must be capable of making the part of his mind which is confronted with an anomaly and requiring a decision, the temporary center of his consciousness. Still, our delay must have given him time to use more of his mind and come to some startling conclusions, for he reacted in a different manner when the three spheres reappeared.
He did not reach for the spheres, but we saw the previous spheres being rushed over so we waited. When they arrived the next day, he surprised us. He coated them with energy and made them flash the same sequences we used. We changed our sequence from one to three to flash from three to one and he followed. There was now great excitement at the breakthrough and we prepared the gift of energy with the memories of Ambros/Silver boy - as he is now, so that Pambros does not make the same mistakes.
7438
During this time we received reports of people by the hundreds of billions sitting glued to the screens, despite the slow pace and many hours of nothing happening. There was a shout of joy in every Sparkler World when their screens showed a new Silver boy appear within Freddie.
In Freddie the reception was far more constrained, as everyone worried about causing a misunderstanding. He stood riveted, not noticing anyone as he stared around with wonder. His eyes travelled up to the waterfalls and then he turned around himself as he took in the beauty of cold matter. There was great joy coupled to his amazement when his voice rang out, “Goldi!”
Goldi stepped closer to him. “I am Goldi, welcome.”
As Goldi stepped forward he saw Silver boy and he forgot Goldi. He took a step towards him before realising he’d actually walked. There was just too much new information for his mind to process and he disappeared.
There was an unbelieving hush as everyone stared at Pambros on the screens, his electric body rippling and undulating as he shared the memories of his Silver boy. The ripples and verrucose extrusions that sporadically formed were massive and slow, but they continued into the distance for as far as we could see.
It was only four days later that the new Silver boy returned. This time his eyes searched out Goldi and he stepped closer to her. “Will you and Meli speak with me?”
“With pleasure. Ambros sent to you our language?”
“Language…is not a problem. Understanding/adjusting to existence of others, it is difficult.”
“Even though we know so many, it is true for us also. Each entity only truly knows the self, the others are always at first inferred from the knowledge of the self and then adjusted as we grow to know the others.” Some of the girls groaned silently as Meli spoke. She grinned. “Have I explained your confusion?”
“How do you infer myself?”
“Luckily we met the other Silver boy first and at the time I first spoke to him I thought he was of my species…”
“Species? Explain that.”
Arthur, the above should give you an idea of how the conversation went that day. He departed just as suddenly as Silver boy used to, but he was back within seven hours, forcing everyone to jump out of bed as we rushed to him.
At first we ensured we kept the two Silver boys apart, but gradually we relaxed as they relaxed. One night we sensed the arrival of the Pambros Silver boy and rushed to get dressed when Robbie stopped dressing and lay down again. He did not remove his pants so we waited to hear why he’d stopped.
“Freddie says the two silver boys are talking. Share through him and see if you can make sense of what they’re saying.”
It is said that if a Terran child is isolated and does not learn to speak by a certain age they will never be capable of learning. Some of the alien scientists have confirmed that it is the same for their species, so it seems this comes pretty close to being a universal truth. The brain must develop the pathways early on or else it is too late later. Not so with the Ambros species.
Ambros has confirmed that his thoughts were not based on language before he met us. The first time Silver boy met us he did not understand we were trying to communicate, but on his merging/sharing with Ambros, Ambros saw the need for a method of communicating ideas wherever there is more than one entity. He ‘created’ pathways for a myriad ways of communicating and the spoken word was just one of them. Suddenly the broadcasts of thousands of radio and television stations from a variety of species began to make sense and he evolved ways to understand syntax and then words began to acquire meaning for him - the opposite of our way of learning.
7439
The two boys were talking and the language they used seemed to evolve and be evolving from all the languages they’ve heard and for all we know they might be making up words that suit their species. We strained to understand them, but nothing came through, the odd word not helping us. As we relaxed, their voices almost a murmur in the background, their speech seemed to grow clearer and we understood much of what was being said. That perked us up and we strained to understand more and it became incoherent again, so we soon picked up the trick of listening without trying to listen.
When the Pambros Silver boy departed we jumped to the one remaining. He turned to speak to Robbie. “It is the way of meeting.” He pointed at his hand. “Skin, flesh, not easy to merge.”
“Do Ambros and Pambros want to meet directly?”
“Mind is shared Robert. If being is shared, then there is no sharing of mind. We meet this way.” He suddenly clicked, understanding our problem. “Not Silver boy. Him not Silver boy. Ambros and Pambros talk.”
Wendy said, “Still, it must be limited this way.”
“Wendy has no limits?”
She smiled. “You’re saying that minds merging without limits would know each to the point where it is as if they are one and there can be no further sharing?”
“Is not true of Wendy and family? Not avoid merging in the void?”
“You’re right.”
Robbie did not seem surprised when Maria appeared with coffee and cigarettes. She then brought us a Milo each. He turned to Sol. “Love, could you ask Solomon to come?”
“This is the problem Solomon. The two need to communicate on a regular basis so that both grow richer with ideas and knowledge. No other species can help, only the Sparklers. I was thinking we should create a platform here so that our Silver boy can come to Pambros to communicate. The platform must move to stay alongside Pambros. Perhaps a second platform could be created in your World for the Pambros Silver boy to visit. Each alternate entity we find should also have a platform accompanying them.
If it is left to us, we’ll only return at intervals, whereas Sparklers could take turns doing a spell of duty by the platforms for maintaining and moving them. Would that be asking too much?”
Solomon scowled at Cherine. “Would you say he is asking too much?” Her mind went blank and then she tried to understand why Solomon had asked her. She gave up and fell back on what has been said in the past.
“Robert has found another reason for living?”
He laughed. “Cherine, the Sparklers no longer need a reason for living; just observing the Teller family is enough to keep us alive and interested.” He turned to Robbie. “Are we not also Cherinians? Is it not the duty of all Cherinians to help all of life where we can?”
Robbie nodded. “You are right but, the truth is, whenever anything turns up that will require us returning to a place or time on a regular basis, I ask your people to handle it for us. We’re being lazy and I felt guilty, that is why I asked.”
“The Sparklers will handle the platform Robert without you needing to feel guilt. We hope there will soon be thousands of platforms.”
I grinned, knowing what effect my words would have, but also doing it for Robbie. “Speaking of returning on a regular basis to deal with situations we initiated, isn’t it time you paid your little Andreas a visit?”
7440
When everyone learnt where we want to go, there was immense excitement. They’d all expected us to take them directly back home and the idea of going to an Earth so far back in time and sharing the experience as Robbie and Dimi go down, felt as if they are being offered another exciting holiday.
The platform was created so that it lasts a long time with minimum replacement of energies required from the Sparklers and inside it, Robbie tried to create a mini landscape that is interesting for the two Silver boys. We stayed about a week to ensure both sides can visit each other at will and then we departed.
Robbie timed our arrival so that three months will have passed for little Andreas. He allowed the Unation to send thousands of cameras and the Sparklers had to create many more screens in their Worlds so that the crowds can see whichever part of the world they are interested in. Robbie decided he wants Dimi with him again and would not hear of any of us girls going with. They jumped to the teacher’s house in Larnaka.
The little face glowing with ecstatic joy as Andreas ran to him transfixed Robbie as his heart went nova. He bent over just in time and swung him up into his arms.
“Oomph! You’re getting big and heavy!” he said with admiration, pretending.
Dimi grinned as he felt Robbie and going over to the teacher invited himself to a mug of wine under a tree, asking the teacher to keep him company. “Those two will not have eyes for us so we might as well get acquainted with some good wine shared between us.”
“I have just bought a skin of wine from the fabled vineyards of Paphos, but I fear it will be nothing compared to the wines on Mt Olympus.”
“I’d enjoy a good wine from Paphos. Are you from Skala?”
“No, I was born on the feet of Mt Troodos and came here as a young man. I was told about a wise man who lived here and came to meet him and stayed here after he died. They do not appreciate men who think in my village, there they need men who can work in the fields and fight off the wolves.”
“Ah, that is why Roberto called you a wise man.” For a moment the teacher stared at him sourly and then he realised Dimi had made a joke and smiled.
“He was wrong to bring the child to me if he expects great things of him - he should have taken him to Athens.”
“But then he would not be a Cypriot.” Dimi took a sip. “Roberto does not expect great things of the child, he loves him and only wishes for him to be the best he can be.”
“The child tells me he was born a cripple and…Roberto healed him? Are you also a god?”
“Roberto claims we are all gods, every man and woman. I am called Dimitris.”
“Sofoklis, from Asgata.”
“Roberto showed me that he took you to see the sun and this world from the sky. What did you think of what he told you?”
Sofokli shuddered at the memory. “Until then I was called a wise and learned man. Now all call me a fool. They laugh at my story of flying without wings.”
“If I am more gentle than Roberto, would you like to fly high enough to see again that the world is a ball? Sofokli, Roberto showed you for a reason. If you learnt from what you saw then you should be able to discover many other truths that will explain your world to you instead of resting on ignorant superstitions.”
He took a healthy swig of wine before replying. “Many ideas come to my mind and if we are not to fly so high I might find answers to a few problems. You are very young, you have the strength to hold me?” He actually meant that Dimi does not look strong, but Dimi did not take offence (since he chooses his appearance, he cannot pretend to feel insulted) and reassured him.
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: 30th Jun, 2020
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