Stunned, the longhaired officer seemed to shiver at the thought of the insult to his leaders, but he was intelligent enough to realise they face a superior force. He ordered his men to stand still and then refused to communicate with Guhpan and Ardrigio.
Normally, upon arrival, we introduce the protagonists, give tapes of the events and after they’ve been aired we’ll then flood the networks with chats about all that happened. This time we could not do so, we did not dare risk having Ardrigio and Argidsi hurt by the shocked reaction of the public. It was suggested we explain about the dream mountain and then show the tapes without explaining who the two of them are. We then had to cut out the part about the dream mountain as we realised everyone would guess who is who. We gave tapes that start with the rape of Ivgos and the death of his father and we announced we will not make any comments until after the broadcast of the full set of tapes. That intrigued everyone so the networks reported the highest audience figures ever. As expected, everyone seemed to love Ivgos and Seuria, but what did surprise us was the reaction to Haikra. In the beginning they did not like him because of the way he treated Ivgos, but that soon changed and he became one of their favourite characters. Grosts also earned himself a following, but I think Morbo was too alien for them to sense what a lovely person he is. Everyone does seem to feel freaked out by Ardrigio-Argidsi and Guhpan. The rest of the group only seemed to earn a medium reaction, yes, even Ahram, whether the emotions were positive or negative.
We had still not brought the Ivgos group to Earth, but it was about to happen, when Ardrigio warned that his sister mind is about to take over. We had to delay for a number of days so as to give her the time to recover and feel in control of herself. We also wanted Ardrigio to come out of his deep sleep so that he can share - to whatever degree he does. Robbie is still being closed-mouthed about his memories, insisting he does not want to affect us, which of course means Candy is the same. Cherine still doesn’t mind that Candy has taken her place, a thigh of Robbie’s more often warmed by her tiny bum than Cherine’s, but I wonder for how long it will last. Ch: I’m not certain that Sam doesn’t sometimes write, using the diary as a tool to bring about change. She is wrong, it is not that I don’t mind - I’m happy that Robert is so close to Candy. She’s always felt that Wendy comes first and the way things are now is affecting all of us. Her heart seems to be caught up in one long song of joy and warmth and of course it affects all of us.
I’ve returned feeling confused and found myself in the middle of an unpleasant situation. I waited in the platform as it held to a tight orbit around Earth for two weeks. I kept on sending (mentally) my message and asking for some indication of what it wants; even just a positive or negative feeling would suffice. The only answer given to me was a huge shock. One moment I was in the platform and the next I was on our bed at home in Athens, all kinetic energy absorbed so that I did not roll across the room to smash into a wall. Robbie was the first by me and it took him a while to calm down and relax. His instincts seemed to be screaming at him, warning of danger to me. I’m glad it was not his protector instincts, but I am upset; after all that to end up without an answer!
As for the mess I found when I returned, it hurts me to think that people are still so narrow minded. The public learnt about the dream mountain and that Robyn is Seuria, with Robert and Candy the joint being known by two names as Ardrigio and Argidsi. Not only did they react badly to Ardrigio-Argidsi, they also have made some very nasty comments about Robbie and Candy. Guhpan is the weirdest or oddest alien they’ve ever seen and yet they have not reacted badly to him, mostly showing curiosity about him. They are only angry and hurtful with regard to our two loves and their strange joint-incarnation. The extremists are also anti Seuria! They claim that any Terran changed into an alien is an abomination. They are even suggesting that her soul is no longer pure and worthy of being a Terran. In a way that is funny, since Robyn is not a Terran!
Wed the above to the clamour and demand for Ivgos to visit our world and everyone is faced with a crazy picture of us as a species. The dreams Ivgos made of being loved and wanted by thousands of children (I don’t think he is capable of thinking in terms of millions) has been soured by the negative reactions to those who are his family and deeply loved by him. As a child, he still sees life in simpler terms, such as, love me - then love those I love.
Here’s a snippet of information I did not pass on earlier because, unlike Cherine’s snitty remark about my using the diary as a tool, I wanted those involved to solve their problems within a timeframe that suits them. Since we collected our loves from dream mountain, Ivgos has shied away from speaking directly to any of them. Robyn adores him (with more than a century of loving him as Seuria, it should not be a surprise for anyone) but she senses his unease and is waiting for him to make the first move. I can now write about it since we pushed her into dealing with Ivgos and his dislike of our species (those on-planet).
“Will you join me for a walk Ivgos? I think it is time we talk.”
His dark liquid gaze seemed to search for something in hers. He could not see Seuria in her so he asked, “Can Seuria come with?”
“If you need her.” He paused, considered it and then gave her his tiny hand. They walked towards the river and then ambled alongside it as they talked.
“I’ve felt you studying me and I could not help wondering, do you see anything of me in Seuria, or anything of her in me?”
“I’ve tried to.”
“There is one thing that is exactly the same - if you know how to look for it.” He stared up at her with a puzzled look. “We both love you exactly the same. Ivgos, the Seuria inside me has loved you for more than a hundred full cycles of seasons. All the memories and love came with her and are a part of me.”
He stopped walking and stared with eyes unfocussed as he delved into his thoughts, trying to find a non hurtful way to answer her. “I can’t see Robyn in my Seuria - how can I love you if I don’t?”
“Would you like to?”
“Yes. If I don’t it will make the Seuria inside you unhappy, even if I do love her.”
“You are more clever?”
Her peals of laughter surprised him. She then crouched before him, keeping his hands in hers. “You cannot see that in some ways she is smarter than me? Maybe even smarter than the rest of your group family?”
“Even Ahram!?”
“He has the same kind of smartness as her. Is that enough of a clue, can you work it out yourself now?”
I don’t know how other boys would have reacted but I can guess that Robbie, at that age, would have hated admitting he did not. Ivgos did not hesitate. “No.”
“Cleverness is a tool. If it is a tool, then surely it means it is used to attain certain goals? For instance, a steady supply of food? A home to shelter us from storms? The making of tools? The ability to make others love us?”
For a moment he was tempted to play along, but then he asked, “Does that mean Bitsy is the cleverest of everyone in Freddie - since everyone loves him?” Dommi, Robbie and a few others burst out laughing so Robyn had to concede the point.
“No, he’s not, he is probably the dumbest. I was trying to make a point but I used the wrong example. What I was trying to make you see is that it does not matter whether Seuria is smarter than me or not. She has her gifts that make her loveable and, hopefully, I have mine.”
I’m certain that one of us prompted him but it could have been anyone. He asked, “What are they, these gifts.”
Laughing, she answered, “Modesty forbids that I answer you, get one of my family to do so.” She sent to us *Privacy please* and jumped close to the forests, arriving by the top of a hill. I was still looking through her eyes so I turned to Robbie in surprise.
“Mangoes? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because it was a failure, the fruit are sour like lemons. I think something in our daylight is missing.”
Robyn spoke softly. “Just as Seuria and I are different, so is my world different from yours. The most important difference is the fact that you have such a large number of species and that the Road taught you to be tolerant of your differences. On my planet there were only one kind of people. Because we did not have different species to fear, we learnt to look for small differences among ourselves so that the differences in skin tone, the shapes of noses and lips, these were the justification for fearing - and as you know, fear causes hate. Imagine that some of your tribe had stayed to live in the trees and so as to survive, the silvery hair of your body is brown or green on theirs. Now imagine fearing and hating them because of the difference.”
He shook his head. “I don’t understand how to. Why would it matter?”
“You have learnt that the Ribbon Planet is not your home planet, that your species evolved elsewhere. You have also been told that the Ribbon Planet was created so as to help find ways for each of the species of your federation to adjust to each other.”
“We have talked of it, but I don’t think even Ahram really understands. I think he thinks he does, but I don’t feel he does.”
“Damn! After so many years and you are still able to surprise me! Ivgos, I’m trying to find a way to explain to you why our people think the way they do but your instincts are too far distant from ours for me to succeed. I presume you do understand that each species has instincts that drive it and they differ according to the personality of the planet they evolved on? The people of my world find it easier to accept species of other worlds as part of the fabric of life than they do the life from our planet that is mutated to be different. The fear comes for various reasons, but part of it comes from the need for our people to survive as they are. Ardrigio, Argidsi, myself and even Grosts, we represent the possibility of change and that frightens them. I cannot ask you to give them time, for time will be slow in changing them. I’d say accept what you can and forgive what you cannot, even if understanding cannot show you the reasons you should.”
I don’t know whether those who chose the first chat host knew what to expect, but we watched the television screen with a sick feeling. While the host pretended to be friendly, he was asking the kind of questions he knew the answers would trigger anger and hate among his audience. None of the Ivgos group understood what was happening, all they knew was that Ahram and Seuria swiftly lost all colour as they felt the audience. Fearing for her, Ivgos lost control and grabbing Seuria to him he snarled at the host, who leant forward, as if he were about to be attacked, and called out, “Cherine, help us!” Robbie instantly gathered them and brought them back. Cherine made to leave for the studio and she was in a white hot fury so I grabbed hold of her arm and pulled her around to look at me and told her to stay, that I would deal with it. Without even realising she was doing it, she looked in my mind and saw the catastrophe I foresaw if she went, so she nodded her agreement, tears of impotent rage filling her eyes. My loves reached for her as I left.
“Are we still on air?” I asked the host. He confirmed we were so I asked the milling audience to sit down. I waited until they had done so to the last woman. While waiting, Hettie contacted me, warning me that the owners of the station are Cherinians and that Gregory Moore, the host, is not a Cherinian and that, by his being dismissed or fired, he wanted to prove to the world that Cherinians do not allow the Normals freedom of expression.
I spoke directly to Gregory, as if we were alone, without an audience in the studio or outside. “That was an amazing performance, I can’t believe you managed to expose so much hatred and anger where us Cherinians had not seen it simmering in the background. If I did not know better, I’d suspect you are a Talent.” Suddenly the murmurs among the crowd stilled and there was dead silence as they waited to hear more. I was not about to let him talk yet, so I continued, “Unfortunately I cannot ask any Cherinian to link you as you really are not a suitable candidate, but maybe in some future life? What I can tell you is that you have impressed the owners of this station and they will be announcing your promotion within the hour.” I sensed he was at a loss, too confused to think up a quick answer, so I took a moment to cock my head and look at him before continuing. “I do find it such a pity that your ambitions had to be served by hurting a group of such beautiful souls - and I’m not only including the Ivgos family group.” I saw from my loves later on that my eyes turned cold and hard and with an eager (hungry) look I offered, “About ten minutes of your show remain and since your guests are gone, I’m willing to stay to answer your questions.”
We learnt that though I did not win over anyone in the studio audience, most of the public viewing the chat show turned against Gregory and sent messages for the Ivgos group to the Cherinian Embassy, telling them that not all Terrans are like him and they hope the group will visit Earth again. The owners of the station took my hint and promoted Gregory Moore so that he has no cause for complaint, but his face will never be seen on screen again. It did take a lot of love, patience and repeated explanations to help the group understand that they were the victims of one man’s hatred for us Cherinians, not for them. When it was announced they would appear on another chat show, Robbie, Candy and Robyn were included as guests (after some slight pressure from our side). Guhpan was the only one who refused to go to any more interviews and nobody really minded since he rarely speaks, and if he does, his raspy manner and voice never sound friendly to the ears of Normals. In Freddie, he tends to spend a lot of time with our Akiards, as he is fascinated by them and they by him.
My dear Arthur, years have passed without my writing for you. During this time we have visited many of our alternates and been back to our Athens home another two times. All these trips were mainly to provide young Ivgos with respite from whelming emotions after visits to divides. It was not necessary or prudent of me to try and chronicle each visit for your benefit - since you would soon be provoked into cavernous yawns and lose interest in us. In most divides, Ivgos and his extended family were seen as saviours and Ivgos himself was either adored by those who tend to love, or else admired by those who cannot. There are still over six dozen divides for them to visit, but something happened at an alternative reality Earth that has stunned everyone, providing me with a good reason to write for you.
A few days before we departed, Campbell with his first tourist group arrived. The Campbell who is with us remained in Freddie, but he avidly tuned in to all the stations so that he could to listen to the comments. Luckily most of the tourists raved about their trip and Campbell, knowing he was listening from Freddie, made his comments with a few sly but not malicious innuendoes to tease his past self. Robbie was very uncomfortable and kept on pressuring us to leave as soon as possible.
Whenever we return to the Ribbon Planet, it is to a time prior to the departure of Ivgos so that he has time to travel by cart and arrive at the main town or city of the species they are calling on at the same time they are doing so at those divides he has been to and will visit in the future. To do so successfully, we cannot return to our Earth each time, so we visit alternate Earths. It is at an alternate Earth that an experience meant to be catastrophic shook us and all our alien allies and friends. Despite avoiding regular visits to our Earth, last time we departed from there it was May, PC59.
At the 94th alternate Earth, discovered by us some years ago, their Talents are still a problem for the local Cherinians. We do not interfere unless our assistance is requested since dealing with the problem will strengthen the Teller family, their friends and all Cherinians while also bonding them more tightly. The Talents are careful to tone down their presence whenever we visit and none have tried to provoke us in any way. That explains why we were caught off-guard.
From the very first time the Ivgos group visited our Earth, something caused pain that we should have anticipated. With the loss of ability to bear children and having faced the extinction of their people, it was a painful shock to all of them when they learnt about the children who are cared for in orphanages because nobody else wants them. Luckily we no longer have children trying to live off the streets or sent to battle-fronts as sacrifices to save adults, so they were spared that pain - plus I’m certain their condemnation of us would not have left any place for empathy to soften their feelings.
As soon as we arrive at an Earth and they are given permission to visit, the first places Ivgos wants to go to is to the orphanages. He soon learnt to be careful of Seuria and makes certain he plays with the children so that they don’t tell him their stories. He is so agile without being competitive and has such a lovely sense of humour that he leaves friends behind him and then worries about them all. When he is offered the opportunity to appear on television, he speaks so earnestly and with so much emoted pain about the children, that if the cameras make the ‘mistake’ of zooming in on his eyes we then receive reports about large numbers of families applying to adopt a child - such requests are apparently thanks to the pleading of children who listened to Ivgos. Every time this happens, we feel how it affects Robbie and our love for Ivgos grows.
Bryce Tursal is seventeen years old. He has been a Talent since he was eleven and his powers have been growing every year since then. The Earth he belongs to is not particularly heartless, even before Cherinianism they were taking steps to reduce poverty and suffering. Bryce has grown up in a middle class environment and though both his parents are corporate officers and very ambitious, they never neglected him. As a matter of fact, his father saw to it that they had time together throughout his childhood and he tried to influence his son by teaching him how to survive life as if he were in a simulated corporate environment.
When his powers first began to manifest, they were still vague and not easily summoned, but Bryce was disturbed by what was happening and tried confiding in his father, hoping for help. His father would not listen and blaming an overactive imagination and the comic books Bryce loved reading, he took them away. It was not very traumatic for Bryce, but it did result in him feeling he has nobody he can turn to. His powers grew and without intending it, he hurt a small number of people, destroying them. To handle his feelings of guilt, Bryce used the corporate viewpoint he’d been taught and came to accept that his powers are a means to an end and that he is not responsible for those he hurt - as they brought it on themselves by provoking him or standing in the way of something he wanted. If it sounds like I’m being too soft on him, justifying him, keep in mind that I am influenced by how he sees himself, because of empathy. It does not mean I do not know he is to blame.
Before our arrival there, nobody knew about Bryce. There were many specialists and Cherinians puzzled by the way certain minds had been torn beyond recovery, but nobody suspected a new Talent was responsible and they examined the social pressures of a society pressured by vast populations, hoping to find the answer there.
The parents of Bryce, for many years, had adopted a cause. They did so because it could be added to their career résumés, showing they have a social conscience and with time they also did so because they came to enjoy it. They would visit an orphanage once a month to socialise with the kids and give them some sweets and now and then a toy. Bryce was taken with and he enjoyed going as he became very fond of some of the kids, so even though he was older than most of the children, he was allowed to remain present when the Ivgos group came to visit.
Because of his physical size, to Ivgos, Bryce appeared to be an adult, so he was ignored, the attention of Ivgos fully on the children he’d come to play with. Ivgos understood that for the children it was not only the pleasure of playing with him that mattered. Because of his being an alien and a worldwide celebrity, those who played with him found their own prestige rose among children from outside the orphanage – plus it was now known that after such visits and the appearance of Ivgos on television, families would arrive in search of a child to adopt and often those who were shown on tv playing with him were the ones chosen. Since Bryce did not appear to be a child and he was not an orphan, Ivgos ignored him and his obvious yearning to be by him. Bryce could not understand why he felt so strongly attracted to Ivgos. He felt they could become best of friends and something seemed to make him feel very protective, as if the alien child were his younger brother. When Ivgos ignored him, Bryce felt hurt and withdrew. Seuria felt him but did not know what to do as she felt it is important Ivgos plays with the children. Unfortunately Ivgos himself has not been linked as a Cherinian so he could not sense the pain he was unknowingly causing.
The local Robert showed Robbie studies and the actual history of weather problems that were growing in severity year by year because of their destruction of many life forms. He explained that the Cherinians are using their abilities to mitigate the damage and losses of life, but they do not have the experience to handle the problem in a way that would heal the planet. He asked for the aliens to help. The Unation suggested Robbie bring an Inguel team as they are the best qualified to handle long term ecological problems. Their ship left Freddie to help the Cherinians rid their world of some of the accumulated poisons of pollution while Freddie, with us, jumped to bring an Inguel team. The Ivgos group remained on Earth with the local Teller family.
A multinational corporation let Hettie know they are financing a new orphanage village and they want Ivgos to cut the tape at the laying of the foundation stone as the village will be named after Ivgos. It was a brilliant marketing ploy as it would bring them more publicity than any far more expensive advertising campaign. The Cherinians and Ivgos with his group family saw this as a positive act and Ivgos was present for the ceremony. Afterwards they were led to great flowery marquees filled with tables and chairs, food, drinks and music. The group-family saw to it that they handled all the public relations so that Ivgos is free to roam around with Seuria perched on his shoulder.
The father of Bryce works for the corporation so they were present at the ceremony as a family. Bryce saw Ivgos walking around without his group of other aliens tagging along, only one of them on his shoulder, so he decided to try to get to meet him.
“Hi, I’m Bryce. Can you understand me with Claudia gone?”
“Greetings Bryce, I have been provided with a Unation interpreter…you call it a computer?”
Bryce grinned, his previous upset forgotten the moment he looked into the eyes of Ivgos. Seuria felt friendliness and even a soft haze of love for Ivgos growing in Bryce, so she remained relaxed. As they chatted, they walked around. Bryce asked Ivgos whether he has ever met children who are not orphans.
“A few, but not to spend time with.”
“I thought so. The adults think we are dumb, but we guessed they must be making you go to orphanages as a publicity ploy. Man, adults, even the Cherinians, all they worry about is politics, they don’t care what us kids feel. Why don’t you send your friend back to the others and come with me? It’s your only chance to find out how the normal kids who have families live.” Once Ivgos was convinced, even though he did not really understand much of what he was told, he placed Seuria against a lamp post and climbing up it she launched herself and glided back to the group, emoting her worry. Ahram warned the others that Ivgos has left with a Terran youngster, but they waited for her to arrive so as to get the full details.
