Two were killed when an exuberant member of their tribe pulled the trigger of a machine gun and the weapon swung in an arc.
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This has got to be the irony or joke of the year! Campbell sent a request for a meeting with Robbie and I. We met him in the restaurant at the Savoy Hotel in London. He came to his feet as we arrived and stood behind my chair to push it in for me. As he sat down again he spread the napkin over his lap and cutting a roll he buttered it. Robbie and I waited without speaking.
“You have caused quite a furore with your announcement that accompanied the latest instalment from your author.”
“I only passed on what he told me. This was the penultimate instalment and with the next one the Boxee reality will begin to exist.”
“So I heard. After our last discussion I re-read all the instalments and though it is not to my taste, I was struck by a couple of things that made an impression on me. First of all, to be taken as fact, he sends the last instalment and suddenly another reality comes into existence. Included within that are the myriad of suns, planets and other such phenomenon plus trillions of life forms plus the boxees. They are all born with an evolutionary history that spans all of time. It almost sounds presumptuous and obnoxiously gasconade of your beloved Arthur - if it wasn’t for the fact that he will actually do as he claims.” Robbie snorted with startled laughter and placed his hand over his mouth, apologising.
I grinned as I asked, “The second matter that impressed you?”
“Not so much impressed as made me re-think my position. This other Arthur Campbell, I presume you will bow to public pressure and bring them for a visit? What will the reaction of the people be when they meet him? They’ll compare me to him. What is even worse, is that he will also examine my life and judge me.”
Robbie smiled. “Are you asking that we don’t bring him?”
He chuckled. “That would be a nice way for the problem to be handled. Unfortunately I am also looking forward to meeting him. A man who is born blocked to all extra sensory talents in a world of Talents and he works his way to the top, becoming their leader! He definitely is someone I want to meet.” He turned his eyes to me. “Samantha, I want to meet him and the admiration to be mutual.” He paused to sip at his whiskey. “I’ve come with an offer, I hope you will accept it in good faith.”
I deliberately answered as sweetly as I could, “I’m always willing to listen to anything you have to say.”
He frowned at Robbie. “Couldn’t you have suggested she comes as an adult? As she is, I don’t know when she is being childish and when she is insulting me. To be safe, I’ll presume it is the second. Here is what I offer. The truce Samantha asked for will be extended to all areas. I will not try to grow my group and I will not try to become more powerful in a political way. I will however oppose you and Michael whenever I consider your actions or declarations are damaging or potentially damaging to our freedom - in any way.”
“I ask that of everyone Mr Campbell.”
He did not answer, so I told him, “I find it difficult to believe that you would change all you’ve stood for, for such a simplistic reason. If you wanted me to believe you, perhaps you should have come to this meeting as a child?”
“Samantha!”
Campbell did not smile, but he gestured for Robbie to wait. “She has a sharp tongue, but her question is a valid one. Let us examine where it is I stand now and where I could hope to go from here.” I nodded. The waiter arrived to take his order so we paused until he left.
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“When I broke off from the Ipohin - that name still rankles - my group grew swiftly and I hoped to become a third force at least as powerful as them. What has happened in the last decade? Many who joined me broke away because I could see it would be foolhardy of us to take extreme actions and bided my time. Opportunities arose for me to destroy you, your father or Michael. I failed each time because I could not commit myself wholeheartedly to the action I took, for various reasons. Samantha, you believe me a sort of joke, a man who has an inflated opinion of his abilities. I assure you, you do not know a third of the powers I have, I could give any of you a good fight. Whenever any of you have been attacked, I kept out of it deliberately, as I did not wish to disclose my powers, hoping a more fortuitous opportunity would arise where I could be certain of the outcome. I had to keep in mind that to attack you I must be ready to fight Michael and the Ipohin at the same time. I suspect that Michael has also been hiding most of his powers, so the surprises would not be quite as one-sided as I’d wish them to be.
The recent announcement and all the examples of Arthur’s love for you and the power he has over us has also made it clear to me that I would be foolish to take any extreme action against anyone of your family.
Allow me to revert to the moment of my breaking away from Michael. I admit that at that time I was ambitious and wished to become a leading member of the elite that would rule. Perhaps I flatter myself, but I know I am not stupid and I am capable of learning. While waiting for my opportunity, I did talk with some very learned people and read books. Because of my interests, I read many studies of political processes and even some of a philosophical nature. Some of my beliefs were reshaped, especially once I learnt about the true plans of the Globalists! To become anything like them is totally anathema to me. Samantha, I honestly believe this moment would have arrived far earlier if you had not angered me so many times.
At our previous meeting you mentioned the young man from another reality who asked to meet me, Paul. His questions were naïve in many ways, so I answered him as I thought he would like me to. It also offered me an opportunity to express some of what I believe about your family. I do not really consider you as intentionally wishing to rule the entire cosmos, but you do have the attitude that if anyone does not agree with your theories of how humans should behave, you will stop them. What difference is there between such well-intentioned actions and those of a benevolent dictator? I did and still do believe I have to fight you whenever you are taking such actions.”
We spent most of the afternoon talking, but I still have a sneaky feeling that he intends destroying us, but, I am forced to give him the opportunity he asks for because of my own beliefs and moral code. If he is trying to dupe us, then he will discover he has thrown away his last chance, for I will not lower my guard, I’ll only guard my tongue for now.
Campbell did not make any announcements. Over a period he did announce his support for various charities and if he made any political comments, they were always against any government that is trying to reduce the freedom and rights of its citizens - in other words, he does what we rarely can do. Because of the importance of Cherinians not being considered an enemy by either the people or their governments, we’ve often had to play it low key, trying to exert our influence behind the scenes. He does not suffer the same disadvantages and says what he wants.
One more (and last thing I should say on this subject). Michael also does not trust him and agrees with me that he will remain as vigilant as ever.
It is close to Christmas and I’m missing Efineh, so everyone agreed that I should take Freddie to collect her. Even though I’ll be bringing some of them straight back, I rushed off to buy clothes for Pirusi, Efineh and all the girls of Samuel. For others I bought toiletries and all the little things I know my local friends enjoy. It will be strange going there without Vincent looking over my shoulder, but I know that if I’m in danger he’ll sense it and be instantly by my side.
It was such a lovely feeling arriving to find no problems or nasty surprises waiting for me. As far as they were concerned I’d been away for seven months, as I timed it deliberately, because it would feel silly to them having to join me for Christmas only a couple of months after our last Christmas. A feast was immediately prepared for the next day and an invitation for our alien friends to join us was sent to Freddie.
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Thina pleaded with me to go to the feast as the scarred Samantha and Ataxia immediately joined her. Laughing at their manipulations I agreed. Since I was older in appearance, Samuel poured me an ale and we sat together in the garden.
“Aren’t you fed up of staying here?”
He chuckled. “We go home often enough. I can’t afford to allow my antique restoring business to die.”
“You’re still doing that!” What memories it brought back as I recalled the time I spent there, even the smells of wood glue and lacquer vivid. “So many years have passed for me, it feels like it was a previous lifetime.”
“Before I give it up, I’ll first have to train for some other profession. You did not pass on to me many talents Sam, so I’ll stick to what I know until the demand dies.”
I grinned. “I don’t have any talents. I can’t sketch to save my life and if I dare to sing it would probably be the cause for my life being abruptly terminated - anyway, my Cherinian empathy wouldn’t allow me to make anyone suffer like that.”
“You have your talents mother, they’re only invisible to you because you think of yourself as just being who you are without realising that to be who you are takes talent.” He grinned at my puzzled look. “Since I inherited your singing talent, how about we join forces and go sing for your friend Campbell.” He was astonished when I told him of the latest developments in that direction. “I hope you haven’t allowed him to hoodwink you, he’ll always be your enemy Samantha.”
“My sentiments exactly. I guess it is up to him to prove me wrong - and he’s never been able to do that.” They laughed.
My excuse is that the ale and pleasant company of Samuel started me off and I just naturally had a bit too much to drink at the feast (I was not in the mood to allow my healer to be a spoilsport and metabolise the alcohol). The next morning my healer sulked, leaving me with a headache, until I gave it a direct order. When I went downstairs all the women greeted me with hugs and laughter as they told me I’d put the men to shame with the amount of liquor I’d imbibed. They found it very amusing when I vehemently told them it will never happen again.
Towards lunchtime I jumped to the last place I’d seen my gorilla family. It took me nearly an hour to find them. They are obviously feeding well enough to survive, but they look bedraggled and tense, so I did not try to join them. I guess we’ll have to find a reality where the forest has no other gorillas, I hate seeing them like this.
I’ve spent over a month visiting all the centres and sitting at their talks. The girls no longer call them lessons and I must admit they have moved on and I like the way everyone joins in. They argue many points and nobody is allowed to feel their opinion is not important. For the women this has made a big difference and they seem to be far more self confident.
Sebura is still walking around the country healing people. He visits Piri at least two or three times a month and sometimes takes her with him for a few days. Still, she misses him. Since I don’t work, Piri has latched on to me outside of her school hours and she becomes upset if I go to visit and run with Skotos while she is in school. Skotos seems tamer than he did before and even allows Piri to ride him when she is with me. I think I better take him to visit the mares waiting for him. A couple of months in the mountains with mares to lord it over might brighten him up again.
I’m missing my family, so I gave everyone notice to be ready to leave in two days.
Okay and thanks, we’re all sitting watching the screen and we’ve even allowed the media to place a camera to watch with us. The whole world is waiting Arthur.
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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: 2nd Jul, 2020
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