Sam, what happened to Amelia? I did write about her, but you didn’t change my words so I guess you did not get them. I’ll write again.
7511
As I mentioned, Vincent and Kirsten moved into the house Robbie had rented and they quickly saw to it that their lives became routine, but also filled with laughter and love. When the weather turned warm they went for picnics, on beaches and mountain sides, wherever there were no other people close by. Amelia at first showed a shy fear to believe in her new life, expecting she’d have to pay for it with pain, and then, as she grew to believe, she began to fight them. They understood what was happening inside her and remained patient, loving but firm. She went through a spate of nightmares, but the two of them were always there, in her mind, to help her deal with them. Slowly she grew healthy and strong.
“Amelia, you do realise that we are not your parents?”
“I thought you were going to adopt me?”
“We want to, but relatives of yours have asked to adopt you and it is likely the courts will prefer them to be your parents.”
“But I love you!”
“And we love you. Amelia, we will go to court and fight for you. We did want you to know what is happening, just in case the courts rule against us. If we do lose, remember that once you are sixteen you are free to choose where and with whom you want to live. We’ll be hoping you’ll still want to be with us.”
Amelia went through a phase of claiming they did not love her, for she knew that Vincent has extraordinary powers and she was too immature to understand why he has to obey the court order. At this time, Cherine event-jumped to them.
“Vincent, do you remember the woman who tried to divorce her mother? We’ve talked to a lawyer Hettie recommended to us and I asked him if something similar could apply with Amelia. He’s agreed to try. She will have to divorce her relatives who want to adopt her.” She pulled at Amelia’s chin. “Do you love these two ugly people enough to fight to stay with them?”
“Cherine, that woman had valid reasons, what can Amelia claim?”
“You’ve been going through her memories. As is usual in such cases, you skipped over the neutral and happy memories, only looking to help with the painful ones. If you had examined her memories properly, you would have seen the relatives visiting. Her condition at that time was obviously not healthy and yet they did not even query the reasons for her bad health. I think they suspected, but did not have the courage to intercede on her behalf.”
The relatives not only did not contest the case in court, but even recommended Vincent and Kirsten for the adoption. There was no coercion, all it needed was for them to realise the past is fully known. They did not want the negative publicity the court case would have brought them.
Amelia is still not a Cherinian at the time of writing, as her parents want her to be a child for a while longer. I think they are uncomfortable with the idea of making love to her.
Robbie has decided that a good time to leave would be just before the August heat. We’re off to visit the boxee Cherinians. The media have asked to come with, but Robbie explained that the population of that world is too small for such a large presence by our media so they agreed to use the recordings of the Unation. We are leaving on the 26th of July, PC45.
Bobby has long since become accustomed to being dressed and wearing shoes, but somehow, despite Cherine’s best efforts, he always manages to appear crumbled and untidy within minutes of dressing. Cherine set the food machines for the breakfast she believes a growing boy needs - porridge with thick, creamy milk and dark brown sugar; an egg with three rashers and half a fried tomato; toast with butter and honey. As if that were not enough to drive any healthy boy crazy with too much energy for his own good, she gave him a glass of pawpaw juice freshly blended from the fruit she’d picked that morning.
Robert glanced at the food piled in front of Bobby and surreptitiously gave him a wink. To Bobby this was all fast becoming routine, including the wink, and he was in a good mood, so he dug his spoon into his porridge. He stirred it, took his fork and checked his bacon and tomato and looked up at Cherine with a disappointed look.
7512
“No worms?”
Robert spluttered with laughter, but Cherine sat next to Bobby and took his hand in hers. “Do you really want some?”
“I did love worms?” She nodded. “Is okay, I love you now, don’t need worms.” Robert had to quickly leave the kitchen as his loud laughter was annoying Cherine who did not appreciate Bobby’s teasing. Robert stuck his head back in the door.
“Uh, Cherine…”
“Don’t you Cherine me, you’re a bad influence on him.”
“Cherine, Freddie is here.”
All the Cherinians know that it is not necessary to wait for an invitation so they all jumped to an area close to the taverna. As they arrived, Robbie waved at them, “Come join us for breakfast. Sit by me Bobby, Maria has made you a special breakfast, fried eggs with bacon and toast with some of my honeycomb. Would you like some fruit juice?” Cherine did not show her chagrin as Bobby eagerly clambered onto the chair and wolfed down his breakfast, keeping a conversation going throughout the meal with Robbie.
After the excited greetings and hugs and exchanges of news, we settled to a bit of gossip and teasing and that was when Cherine shared the above with Dommi and us. We were delighted by Bobby’s sense of humour, because it also proves that all efforts to make him more intelligent are working. What did surprise us was that he recalls that part of his life.
I saw that Arthur had not joined Robert and Robbie, so I took his hand and grabbing a beer for him, jumped us to the side of the river, close to the waterfall. Some of the bubble-Terrans were already swimming there and made to leave. I waved for them to stay and asked Arthur whether he’d like me to share with him some of my memories. I started off with the David chat show and grinned at his reactions. He opened his eyes.
“You see his evil serving you? Do you really expect good to come out of that?”
“One of Robbie’s favourite sayings is that each of us are our own harshest judges. That includes our judgements of our alternates. What is evil, when we apply that term to a human being Arthur? Aren’t we really saying, in most cases, that such and such a person has weaknesses?” I gave him a grin. “Which would you prefer, that an Arthur Campbell is considered weak or evil?”
He seemed to see depths to my question for he paused to think about it for longer than I’d expected. “You are saying that my own vanity prefers to see him as evil rather than weak? As an evil alternate I can say there are differences between us whereas if I see him as weak, I have to wonder whether I share his weaknesses?”
“I’d say the question applies to both. Arthur, have you asked yourself whether you share strengths? I’m more interested in learning about those.”
“I cannot define those for you, but I will try to give you a few pointers as to our personality; as for characters, I can’t help you as we differ too widely and he has refused to meet me.
We are both stolid and not well developed in the imagination department. We are imaginative in problem solving, but not in a creative way. We don’t like having to adjust our way of thinking to suit the facts but, at least with me, I’m too honest to hide from the truth. As a young man I was easy to anger but politics taught me to control my anger. From what you’ve told me, Samantha I’d say he also hates bullies.
I would not describe myself as ambitious and yet, a boxee living in a world of talents becomes their president and claims he is not ambitious?” He grinned at me. “How much of it was due to my ambitions and how much was only because Arthur wanted me to be president for the purposes of his story?”
7513
“He doesn’t work that way Arthur, he would only assume that your abilities, ambitions and circumstances led you to becoming president.”
He chuckled, “You mean I am allowed to take credit for all my achievements and failures?”
“I don’t know who should take credit for your achievements but it would make sense to blame the failures on Arthur.” Robbie pretend smacked my bottom (mentally) as he chuckled. Arthur’s grin showed he’d also understood my teasing.
After lunch we were joined by most of our alien friends and the conversation covered many topics. We wanted to know how the many tribes they’d taken to the Sparkler World adjusted to life on Earth again.
“For the adults there is not much we can do. We see to it that they remain healthy, but allow them to age. The world as it is now terrifies most of them, green has mostly represented poison and sickness, so they see no beauty in it. The young ones we are educating and we hope that many of them will become Cherinians.” Robert frowned. “Some of what we do does go against the grain. We cannot allow the kids to grow up with the belief system of the parents - even if we wanted to, the fact of their being educated soon makes their parents seem primitive and superstitious. I agree with Robert that the parents have supreme rights over their children, but the future lives of the children are at stake. I’ve had to opt for placing the interests of the children first.”
Robbie placed his hand on Robert’s to stop him. “What you have done cannot be undone and to stop now would harm the children. However, you have assumed rights you do not have. I want the names of all parents and children where the parents did not agree to you altering the beliefs of their children. You will be reported to the Cherinian council and once they have set the date for a hearing, we will return to collect you.” He paused to stare into Robert’s eyes. “Do you accept the authority of the council?”
“I do.”
Our Cherine looked me in the eyes and sent me a question. I promised and she squeezed Cherine to her - and probably reassured her that I will be defending her Robert.
After what Robbie said, everyone’s enthusiasm was dampened and nobody asked any questions, making small talk only. I kept my grin to myself as I prepared to upset everyone again, especially Robbie. I also felt a trembling in my tummy, for I could be redefining our beliefs in a way I’m not certain I approve of even now - after the event.
“Dommi, has Robbie ever spelt out for you all the meanings of the word family?”
“No, why would he need to?” I blocked my mind as I felt Cherine, Robbie and others fishing for my thoughts.
“Well, we do speak of the brotherhood of Man and even talk about the family of mankind. It does seem there is more than one narrow meaning to the word.” By now Dommi had ‘clicked’ and kept her mouth shut, not willing to be my straight-man without knowing what I was aiming for. “Solomon, would you say that the Sparklers think of all the alternate Sparklers as family also?”
“That is true. I suspect it is the same for all species.”
I nodded in agreement. “Yes, when we found out that the scientists of the space-shark-attacked-Earth had developed new technology that even amazed the Unation, Anadir, Inguel and so on scientists, we also felt proud that scientists of our species - of the family of Mankind, had chartered new territory scientifically.” Robbie frowned at my speaking publicly about how we’d felt.
Our Cherine said, her voice almost sharp, “Have you thought of where you are taking this Samantha or are you just feeding your ego?”
Robbie spoke softly, even though he was troubled. “No Cherine, whatever the reason, if she does not continue others will, she must speak her thoughts.” He turned to me. “Sam, nobody, not even Cherine, will ever stop you from speaking your mind. That places the responsibility solely on you if you cause harm.”
7514
“Dad, sometimes ideas do cause harm, but still, they must be explored. If we don’t, someone else will and the harm could be far greater.” He nodded in agreement and Cherine relaxed, but her eyes were broody and dark as they remained fixed on mine. I still find myself being impressed by how good her instincts are, if what I am about to do or say may cause our Robbie harm.
“It was not wrong of us to feel proud, just as it is not wrong for the other species to feel the same way. When one of them has amazed us with new ideas or technology, have we ever resented them for feeling so, or ever feared it meant they were not being Cherinians? Of course we haven’t. When the son of Ordinx says something clever, we share and rejoice in his joy and pride. When Michael outsmarts Campbell or even us, do we not exult with pride in our son?
We are human beings and being Cherinians must never try to alter that. We cannot love all equally because of what I was talking about when I began this discussion. There are various levels of being family and we all know it - all that was missing was the defining of the various levels of our relationships.
Traditionally family was defined as the immediate biological family; mother, father, brothers, sister, uncles and auntie’s and so on. The next level of family was the community we are born into. Then the nation and then the race and then the species. Thank goodness there have been some changes in tradition and the community, national and racial levels are blurring and losing importance. Perhaps some of those that survive will also blur with time. I hope so - though I think I would like for them to continue to exist in their blurred state.
There can be practical reasons for our keeping certain levels that should not exist. For instance, the sub-level created recently between Cherinians and Normals.” Robbie flared with anger, but only showed it in the way his eyes turned stern and cold as he looked at me. I’d been expecting it, but still faltered.
Aganthi rushed to the kitchen and returned with a coffee for me and sat by my side, her arm around my waist. Robbie blushed and his face softened.
“This sub-level is not bad, it is even beautiful. Haven’t we Cherinians come to think of ourselves as family with every species imaginable? Are the Normals of the other species also family at a slightly different level - for practical reasons? Why do I say practical? Because we must always recall that we must show more tact and love when dealing with the Normals of all the species, including ours.
There is also another sub-level of family that has come into existence because of us becoming Cherinians. Despite Solomon’s answer, first his Sparklers are his family and then, at a different level, once removed, their alternates. After all, Solomon and any of us do not say, the alternates of my species are family to me, we say the alternatives of our species are family to us - that is, to those of our species of our own reality. If I was wrong, then Solomon and each of us would have to say that they are my family, for we would not be able to differentiate. Consciously or not, we do differentiate at this time. Maybe when we reach the stage where we are close to following Cherine as The Light, we will only call all humans family without being able to find any interceding levels to split our ultimate family.” I gave a grin. “Perhaps we’ll even come to the point where all life is family and then we will have a serious problem; Robbie will have to give up eating meat.” I stared at Robbie with a mischievous look in my eyes, but the truth is, my heart was overcome with love for him when he burst out laughing.
Gently he now asked me, “Where was all this leading Sam?”
“To the question, to what levels of family do the council not have the right to interfere?”
“You are determined to alter the definition?”
“No, I do not think we should, not at this time - I just wanted to clear the matter before someone else tries to do the same for different reasons.”
“You are implying that because the Terrans of this reality are closer as family than we are to them, their Robert cannot be called to face the council?”
“He must be, if we want to grow as an ultimate family.”
Haven threw in the comment, a cheekiness laughing at me in her mind, “With our Robert as the ultimate father - as Campbell claims?”
7515
Reading what I’ve written above may look innocuous, but words and ideas always carry a life of their own and they evolve. I can foresee how some will twist my ideas and definitions or lack of them, but I can also see many serious and wiser minds than mine considering and establishing definitions that could open our minds to new ways of seeing the world and ourselves. That is why I cannot tell you whether I will be blessed or cursed - only that I hope.Birshima is a very lonely girl. There are very few girls from her tribe and they have not had the advantage of living with their Cherine and Robert and are still very tribal in their outlook. The girls from among the normals of Cherine’s people still think of her as a savage. Her only company is Bobby, but now he is changing and his interests are wider than they were earlier in their relationship. The one pleasure and source of new happiness for her is that her mother, Fiera, now shows her love in more conventional ways. I’m thinking of asking the two of them, Fiera and daughter, to come with to the world of the Orati.
It does seem that the civilisation of the ‘Normals’ is going through dramatic changes. First of all, after experiencing so many wonders, many of them have joined their Cherine and are linked as Cherinians. (As an aside, I know Arthur names them normals, but is that the correct term for them? In their reality, they are the normals, but in all the other realities we are in contact with, they would be described as Talents. I’ll continue to name them the Normals, with a capital ‘N’, but keep in mind that they are really Talents or…maybe potential Ipohin. I think it is so because of them not wanting to link with their Cherinians.) The second cause for change is the new and healthy world they find themselves in. Some families are already moving away from their villages so as to farm larger tracts of land. We have not given any of them food machines and even those we’ve given to the smaller tribes, we’ve warned them that we will take them back in five years time. They must have a reason to establish healthy communities and farming is the cornerstone to that occurring.
Bobby is still the biggest puzzle of this world. No others like him have been found. The current theory is that he was a mutation and his parents were forced to leave their tribe so as not to kill him. I find it unlikely; people at that level of culture are not that sentimental about children and babies. I find it more likely that the tribe of his parents was very small and because they were an unsuccessful mutation, the rest died out. Even if I’m right, it does mean that Bobby was a further mutation. The reason why his history is argued is because his mutation, the mind-shield, is very special and many Cherinians, of all species, wish they could develop one also. We’ve never really discussed among us what Arthur disclosed - about Bobby being a Gnolat in his previous life. It could explain why he has the mind-shield.
Although we did not make food machines available, we did and do have to help them with other equipment. This planet has had it’s natural resources, metals, oil and so on, exhausted. For them to grow they need our help. They also need schools, teachers and so on. Luckily they will not need doctors. We brought a few volunteer teachers, trying to match them with the area the tribe live in. We found it easy to find volunteers, as we promised them that for whatever period they stay here we will rejuvenate them by an equal number of years.
We’ve been here four days and it is obvious that Robbie is determined to do it the hard way. Going to the void would have brought about the breakthrough, but Robbie is determined that Bobby first feels comfortable with him and invites him to enter his mind.
One of the reasons we visited the Boxees is to reciprocate. Ntchizi and her people visited our world and invited us to visit theirs. Seeing as to how they were not received with a great degree of enthusiasm, we want to visit their world so that we can grow closer to them.
7516
I have spent a lot of time thinking about what I said earlier about the people of Ntchizi. I realise that what I said was a knee-jerk reaction. I shared my mind with my Wirm friend and still hold her original memories for her. There has been nothing negative about sharing because she is such a wonderful personality - plus she lacks most of the instincts which would have provoked unease in me (by being perceived as being competitive). It strikes me that Ntchizi has also been the same kind of friend, as our Wirm friends, for her Cherine. Perhaps all her species are such friends for their hosts and I was just being narrow-minded?
Robbie has decided that the boxee Sparklers should carry Freddie to the home world of Ntchizi. We’ll be there in a few minutes!
The B-Sparklers must have pre-agreed our point of arrival as we were met by a sight that frightened us. The planet of the Nuar-Fiuremm had sixteen hairs of light reaching out into space. They were not stationary, waving as if underwater and affected by currents. Boxee Cherine and Robert grew pale.
“Do not worry, no souls will be lost, we’ll take them to the void and return them fully healed.” B-Solomon turned to boxee Cherine. “They know that prime Cherine is present and they have done this to show her that you are honoured and loved.”
“I would not want this kind of honour! We felt them last time and there was pain.”
“Cherine!” She turned to our Cherine. “What are you doing? They will have suffered for nothing!”
She flushed and bit her lip as tears filled her eyes. Her Robert gave our Cherine a sour look. “You forget that Ntchizi rides her and would know should she have lied? My love, you have done well and I am proud of you.”
I laughed out loud. “He is a true Robert, despite him being a Cherine.” Robert glanced at me as if about to ask a question. “Our Robert is just as bad. He is allowed to tell off our Cherine, but should anyone else dare…”
He grinned. “Even you?”
“Any of us - not that we would dare.” I turned to B-Solomon. “Please advise them that we are truly impressed by the love they show for their Cherine.”
“Their Cherine?”
“Is she not? Is she not your Cherine also? Solomon, no Cherine represents only her species - not even just her reality. All Cherines represent all of life.” As feelings were soothed and boxee Cherine’s shoulders straightened, my Cherine sent me a kiss.
When the B-Sparklers collected their sixteen souls and transferred them to the void we entered the platform waiting for us and a Wirm wished it into normal space. Swiftly we closed the distance and circled the planet from about five miles high and then landed.
The Nuar-Fiuremm/ Fiuremm ignored us and gathered around Bobby. “Welcome. Your return honours us. We are forgiven for the error of our thinking?” Bobby stared back, obviously puzzled and his Cherine leant over and whispered to him.
Stiffly, repeating her words, he said, “I am honoured that you speak to me after causing such distress.”
Their spokesperson turned to Robbie. “Prime Robert, we have shared of the dreams sent to Robert and those of our people who came to your world speak of your greatness as being truly as shown in the dreams. We are honoured that you and your family have come to our world.”
“We would prefer that we are welcomed as friends.”
He emoted amusement. “We thought that was only necessary with Samantha, friend of aliens.”
Robbie turned to boxee Cherine. “Ntchizi, I see you have infected them with Cherine’s sense of humour.” We deliberately laughed out aloud so that they would know Robbie was teasing.
7517
This is a strange planet, it looks as if someone has terraformed it to suit the Fiuremm, with gently rolling hills and streams everywhere. Though it is a different colour and the vegetation is not the same, Lusalith showed her delight.
“This world is beautiful!”
“We saw your world in the dreams god Lusalith and we too thought it beautiful.”
Apart from the differences that were natural, we were also impressed by their villages. They do not need houses and their only buildings are for the purpose of housing their scientific establishments and yet, despite the prosaic purpose of the buildings, they are designed to flow and be part of the world around them.
“Do you have schools?”
“Our entire world and the cosmos out there are our schools. The Nuar-Fiuremm are born with the knowledge each of us have, only personal experiences are not passed on so that we remain individuals. It could be said that every laboratory is a place of learning. We look forward to Samantha teaching us of her ideas of our universe.”
I blushed. “I am not knowledgeable, when I speak about such matters it is only to tease the mind of others so that they consider ideas they would not have seriously considered before.”
“Is that not what the best teachers do?” I can tell you Arthur, for a moment I cursed you for sending my crazy talks with the dreams, for I sensed they earnestly hoped I would think up new crazy ideas to stimulate their minds and I had none.
As was said in the story, the Fiuremm, in appearance, are very different from any species we’ve seen up to now and yet no adjustment was required for us to see how beautiful they are. We did think that their body-shapes are not practical and could not work out which are male and which female.
It was explained to us that the Nuar-Fiuremm allow many hours a day for their hosts to live lives natural to them. Apart from grazing, they enjoy running and playing and happily spend hours grooming each other. We were told that in the distant past there used to be many kinds of insects that preyed on the Fiuremm and that is why they still have the instinctive need to groom each other.
“You rid the world of such pests?”
They gave Robbie an odd look. “They were our ancestors Robert.”
Their answer puzzled us. “We thought you did not have physical bodies.”
“We evolved away from them. Our ancestors learnt that it was safer and more rewarding, for feeding purposes, to enter the bodies. Their immune systems killed far too many of us for it to remain a solution, but luckily some of our ancestors found out that the body does not defend itself within the brain. Those that harmed their hosts died while those who produced some benefit for their hosts multiplied and evolved to what we are today.”
I turned to Robbie with a severe expression. “This proves that shadow-Robert knew what he was speaking about. You used your powers of persuasion to convince us you were not a parasite!” Cherine stared at me with huge eyes, Dommi and the others cringing at my words. Robbie gave me a startled look and then did something he has never done before. He materialised a pillow all the way from our home in Freddie and threw it at me. As he burst out laughing the girls all relaxed, but they could not find it in themselves to laugh.
“Really Dad, we just can’t take you anywhere!” That got them laughing.
Before we left, I touched the hand of boxee Cherine and led her away from the others. “Did you mean it, or was it only Arthur writing it is so?” Confused she stared at me. “Do you really want a Samantha?”
Her face lost all its colour and then it felt as if her soul could light up the entire void on its own. Instantly Robert was by her and she shared. Stunned, he only stared at me.
7518
I shrugged and pretended to walk away. “Sorry, I thought you did.” That brought them to their senses very quickly and I struggled to hide my amusement as they protested, cried and laughed. The truth is, I was touched.
“The Samantha you get will not be directly from me - I’ve already split myself too often. From which other Samantha would you like yours to be split from?” I sensed she was listening to someone and turning I realised Jade was speaking to her. Boxee Cherine and Robert burst out laughing hysterically.
“We’d like her split from Samuel.”
“Jade!” She instantly teleported away from me, half bent over with her mirth. I turned back. “The imps have a great sense of humour and I love them very much, but I think her suggestion was not such a good one. Shall we ask Samuel? If he can’t, we’ll find another Samantha.” Relieved they relaxed, they’d been afraid that by playing along with Jade they’d blown their chances. I smiled. “I think the Samantha you get will be the happiest Samantha of all. Yours is a wonderful reality and the two of you are just different enough to make her life interesting.”
My Cherine, predictably, took a stance with her fists on her hips. “Are you saying we are not interesting?”
“Are you?”
Flummoxed for a moment she just stared at me, but her spirit soon found the words for her. “I guess we’re not, that is why you have to try so hard to make life interesting for us.”
That got all the girls on her side and they began to tease me. Robbie picked up Cherine and walked off. The Nuar-Fiuremm stood watching us, completely confused.
When our visit was over and we were back at our taverna, Arthur Campbell (theirs) sighed. “This must be the weirdest visit ever. I don’t understand how the lot of you have survived so long. I feel sorry for the Nuar-Fiuremm, they’ll probably spend the next ten years trying to understand.”
Boxee Cherine confirmed that Ntchizi was amused and her feelings had not been hurt.
Robbie was in an expansive mood and decided that our newest Cherinians deserve a tour - which they had previously missed out on thanks to Arthur. Freddie went directly to the lace planet. From there we went for a ride on the fire-world. Robert refused to come along until he realised that Bobby wanted him to go with. We are still touched by the way the two of them love Bobby so much.
Robbie asked where they would like to go next and they stumbled over each other verbally, saying, Kiris, Orgg, the Orati and so on.
I called out, “Fiera, would you like to meet my friend Sebura?”
Politely she replied, “If he is your friend, I would be honoured.” Privately I asked her Cherine how her relationship with Achilleas the Cypriot had evolved and she told me he is still very interested in Fiera, but since she opened to her daughter she has hardly paid him any attention. It confirmed what I’d sensed and I wondered whether Birshima will spend time with Piri and Bobby so that he gets a chance to win her heart. Cherine shrugged and promised to keep Birshima occupied. I realised she really is not interested in manipulating Fiera and is only doing it because I asked.
Chapter Two Hundred and Ninety
We arrived in Athens just as the heat of July started, but we stayed so that Fiera can learn to relax and enjoy herself. We did not do much, mostly sitting at coffee shops in Kefalari and Cyprus or walking the streets of London, window shopping. Our civilisation still stuns Fiera, but Birshima is adjusting rapidly and even seems to be aware of the fads of the kids her age. She finds them trite and yet alluring in a way she can’t understand. Fiera is not pleased, but we understand that because Birshima is lonely for company of her age she is willing to adjust to what the young teen girls find interesting.
7519
On the 4th of August PC46 we left for the world of the Orati without my family.
Sebura’s term of wandering according to his promise to Haven has long since expired, so I expected to find him either with his riders or serving now as elder. Soon as we arrived Piri shyly came to me for a hug and when I asked her, she confided that papa is still healing people.
“Has he been to visit you recently?”
“He came last week and the time before that he took me with him for three days.”
“Shall we go visit him tomorrow?” When she nodded happily, I called to Birshima to come over. “Piri, this is Birshima, a friend of mine. Why don’t you show her around, she’s never been here before.” As they walked off I was happy to sense they like each other. A sneaky idea came to me and I asked Freddie to prepare it for me (suitably edited of course J ).
I did want to visit Skotos and go to Gnolat City, but too many people would have felt hurt if I left, so I socialised and had an early night on my own.
Piri was waiting for me when I came down for breakfast and I was pleased to see that Birshima was with her. I entered the dining room and saw Fiera was already nearly finished with her breakfast and Achilleas was with her. I asked Fiera whether her daughter can come with Piri and I on my visit to Sebura.
“Is he close?”
“No, we’ll have to jump to him.”
“May I come with? I do not enjoy being here with nothing to do.” I nodded, feeling sorry for Achilleas.
Samuel showed me in my mind where he’d last seen Sebura and with the others touching me I jumped. The small village was excited to see us and pointed the direction Sebura had travelled. As soon as we were out of sight I created a shield for us to stand on and we rose about fifty metres. Able to travel swiftly now we searched for Sebura.
He smiled and looked up when he heard the excited voice of Piri calling. We settled on the ground and she ran to him.
“All is well Samantha?”
“Very well Sebura. You are still healing?”
“I have done as I promised Haven, now I do it for you.”
“For me?”
“Before she asked, you asked for a year.”
I laughed. “Sebura, it was not necessary, what was promised to Haven was supposed to replace what I asked. Are you enjoying the work?”
“It is very different. Many times I see that the only illness is hunger, so I hunt and bring them meat.”
“Come home for a few days, I have prepared a surprise. I’m sorry, Sebura, allow me to introduce Fiera and her daughter Birshima.”
He stared up at her, amazed at her height - she is about half a head taller than him. “She is doing to you what she has done to us?”
“I do not understand.”
I frowned at him. “I don’t either.”
7520
“Fiera is not from a world like yours, she is more like us. You have not taken her to teach her about Cherine?”
I laughed. “No, she has her own Cherine.” I lost myself in my thoughts for a moment. “Sebura, you remember that I told you that on some Earths the people destroyed their world? Fiera comes from such a world. It might be a good idea to show your people what happened.”
Freddie disappeared from our skies and Sebura looked up, startled. Fiera saw him look up and also did. She was surprised. “Robert needed Freddie?”
“No, I asked the Unation ship to travel back in time to record the lives of your Cherine and Robert so that we can show it on the screens. I think the Orati will learn a lot from watching your lives.”
I drew Sebura to the side. “I have planned something special for Piri, but I don’t want her to know from now. I have arranged to show on the screens how you met her and how she bravely faced a lion to save you. Your people admire courage and her story will show that she is a true Orati. Do I have your permission?”
He stared into my eyes. “You were watching?”
“Of course! You did not think I would allow you to go off to face dangers without caring did you?”
He looked down at the ground and spoke without meeting my eyes. “Why Samantha? I was your enemy.”
“You were a friend who did not know that he is a friend. You have not learnt that about us yet?”
“This watching of me, it will show that you sent Piri to me?”
“Does it really matter how she came to you? Sebura, someday you will know everything about me - I wonder whether you will like me then.”
He looked into my eyes with an intense look and turned to Piri. “Come baba, Samantha wants to take us back.”
The word got out that the screens were up and the crowd was huge by the time the sun had set. I appeared on the screens. “My friends, this world has become a second home for me and I miss all of you every time I travel.
Tonight I plan to show you something that has given me much pleasure. It is very rare for the men of this world to admire a female for her courage. I think it will amaze you to see the story of a child female who has the heart of a warrior. This is the story of little Pirusi and though many of you have seen her father, Sebura, ask her to show how she fought a lion, it is not the same as actually seeing her do so. This then is the story of Pirusi.”
The story began from the moment Sebura found her. Some women cried out when they saw her with her dying family. Silently then they watched as Sebura continued on his trip with the little girl. Sometimes they were angry as they saw how Sebura treated her, but as the journey progressed they came to understand that Sebura was treating her like a rider’s son. Many cried out when the rocks collapsed over her sleeping form and shouted in protest when they saw Sebura abandon her, moving to sleep at a distance. When he returned and unearthed her there were shouts of amazement that she still lived.
The screens only showed the lion crouched on the rock so none guessed that it was not a real lion. As it tore Sebura’s back and he collapsed to the ground, many moaned. Then, awed and not believing what they watched, they saw Piri stand between the lion and Sebura, screaming her defiance as she waved her stick at the lion. They saw her fear when it roared with anger, watched as she looked back at Sebura and then found the courage to defy the lion again. The show ended with Sebura back in the village telling them of how Piri saved him. The screen darkened and wood was thrown on the fires to provide light.
I’d expected everyone to make a fuss of Piri, but was really pleased when I saw Birshima stand by her holding her hand. It was obvious that Birshima greatly admires the little girl who stands by her, shyly overcome by the adulation everyone is showing her. It is amusing, in a way, but I also sensed how impressed Piri was by what she had done.
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: 6th Jly, 2020
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