They went into the purple building and Pas crawled on the bed. Waved up a bendable mattress for the three boys. “This is a leiwege. He is very soft for you. I shall lay Wisper here, and put Donn by him. D’gmiash, lay Puret on Wisper’s other side.”
With great care, D’gmiash put him by his brother. Wisper looked up. Gasped. “Oh, this place is beauty!” He smiled, but rubbed his head.
Pas giggled. “Ea, this is my chamber. You like the purple? He is my family color.” He pulled up the white sleeve of his robe and under it was a long purple sleeve.
Wisper touched it. “Oh, that’s soft! I never felt cloth—I said a short word! Mutti hit me for that!” He cried, loudly.
Pas held him. “I wish to help your mind pain. Ne shall ever hit you.”
He pulled the wrinkled fingers to his head. “Hashi hummed and I felt better. Will you hum to me?”
“I want to do so, but first, I must see your points. May I move my hand?”
He frowned. “But, it helps my headache!” He cried harder.
D’gmiash put his hand up there. “My hand isn’t as warm, but I can put varas on him, can I, Pas?”
“O, I am sorry, but not until I see him. We can use varas, but I think tnshey gives more warmth, for these children were beaten today.”
He gasped. “Who would beat a child? Oh, that’s terrible!” Both his hands moved to hold Puret’s head.
“He used a short word!”
Pas chucked. “Doug oft uses short words, Donn, but he is ne rude. Elshars use shortened speech when they are with friends, so ne of us offend that he does so. Doug, you are ever polite.”
His eyes turned lighter, but wavered between light and dark. “I am? How can I tell?”
“O, my son, you can tell. You are ne rude. You wish ne to harm anyone’s tender feelings. I enjoy your words to us, well words of comfort.”
“Your hands feel good. My head hurts. Mutti doesn’t mean to hurt me, she gets mad. Then she fusses at herself for hours!”
D’gmiash cried. “So did my mahie. She—” Suddenly, he jerked his hand to his temple.
“If there is pain, my son, ne think. Mehrha—”
“Doug, are you unwell again?”
“Was I? I’m all right. Okay. Jen says okay.” He put his hand back on Puret’s cheek. The boy held it.
“Who is Jen?”
“She calls me Doug, and I want all of you to call me Doug. I will marry her. What are your names?”
Puret told him the boys’ names, and Pas saw all of Wisper’s points while he did. Sia waited for Pas’ nod, then went out with Uncle Asha. I smiled. Eleven years! How did she bear it?
“Puret? How did you get your name? Fahie named me after a hero in a poem.”
He smiled. “I am named for the Puret Juncture, that Vatti discovered. They do not use it now, but once it was a great discovery. Now Vatti uses a chemical array to test hundreds of chemicals at once with the same tests! It is a great discovery. Uncle Vonn says it helps him discover many new catalysts for fuels. I want to learn to trade so I can help him with my trade balance.
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“Donn was named for the Donn Array, Vatti’s first chemical array. When he improved it, he called it Wisper for his uncle Wis and grandfather Per Jons. But Per is also for Mutti’s Fahie Pertasa. Oh, Donn is also named for Mutti’s Ferfahie Perdonn.
“Doug, are you related to Dugamas of Elshar Heizgha? He is Mutti’s Ferfahie on her Fermahie’s side. He went to D’sharr and stayed.”
Doug’s eyes turned very light. “Dugamas was my Ferfahie! We thought slavers got him! He went to D’sharr? And we are related! Oh, I am very happy!”
Puret giggled, and so did Donn. Wisper took Doug’s hand again and held it at his cheek.
Then, Pas sang healing on each boy. Mehrna sang with him. Pas held Wisper, Mehrna held Donn, and Doug held Puret. All of them slept. Derees did, too.
By this time I was very sleepy, and Ryee carried me to a cot. But he did not forget to send a diplomat to Dugamas on D’sharr, to invite him to emigrate.
I opened my eyes after dreaming about our latest ANW experiment. I had the answer! Hiding my excitement, I crept out and ran to the lab. I carefully set out what I needed, checking and rechecking my calculations. An hour later, I began just as Ryonne~ walked sleepily in.
He rubbed his eyes as he came through the doorway. Even with little need for sleep, he did not seem rested. He stretched, his arms reaching an impossible height. Oh, the sight of him made my heart flutter!
His fingers actually brushed the high meltedsand ceiling in our Sleeping Quarters. Both boots stood on the tips of his toes! Then he noticed my curious stare and lowered himself gracefully. Not a waver.
"I, ah, thought everyone else yet asleep. I did not startle you, Ay?" His cheeks colored slightly orange as he lowered his arms to his sides. His fingers rolled up. How would that feel, to roll up my fingers?
"No." I tried not to giggle. Not funny, yet I felt ready to laugh at anything. The long hours wore on me.
"What do you? You seem ready for a largeset." As he walked to me, he noticed the two neat rows of cylinders in my area.
"I am ready to try a totally new idea. Would you like to watch?" I ordered the server to begin logs.
"You have not discussed this with your Team?" He lost the smile.
"The others will sleep for several hours. I need just a little time." I wanted to say more, but words did not come. Emotion rose to the surface. I turned it back inside myself.
I remained so frustrated, so angry, so full of negative that I just wanted to be alone so no one would see. Even now, I felt tears at the back of my eyes. Was this a wise condition to be in when working with such a dangerous substance? I had to escape from my racing thoughts, so I began rechecking my calculations.
"I worry for your lack of sleep this past few days." His gentle voice startled me.
How could I think about it? "You may recheck anything you are concerned about." I looked up into wide orange eyes. I am in love with him. Another danger to—
He took my hand as if a fragile object, and my heart pounded as he smiled at me. "I trust your work. You are extremely careful to think every step through. No, my concern is for your discomfort." No one ever spoke to me that way but him, and warmth filled me.
He always noticed everything I did right. Reminded me to eat a pastry or rest, no matter how busy he himself was. Often when I woke with nightmares I heard him stir; embarrassing attention for me. We all slept in the same tiny room, and he slept next to the head of my cot.
The others never noticed, for I never made a sound, yet Ryee sat up when I did. He did not lie down again until I did. In the darkness, I saw nothing but faint shadows, but I always felt a warm feeling that comforted me. And I knew that feeling came from him.
I wanted to have time to talk with him, away from the Lab, far from EDs. But I snapped my mind back to reality. When the breakthrough came, he would return to Ye~. And later today, The Therapy, and I will have regen. Citsa will make sure of it. If I survive it as Peri tells me, I might be like Patasia. My life careened towards its bitter dissolution.
Took every bit of emotional control I had, to tear myself away, to wrench my mind toward the experiment. "You are sweet.” I pulled my face into my usual neutral expression. “Let us see if we have anything.”
He smiled and released my hand. I forced my mind towards the work. His orange eyes opened very wide, but his eyebrows remained relaxed. “I love you, Ay." The voice that was usually so calm rose noticeably. He actually seemed a little awkward, not at all usual for him. His weight shifted from one foot to the other once.
I smiled. "I love you, too." I looked down. He will be with me today. In that dream, I felt him in my mind, helping me to touch more minds. Uncle Asha will be there. I have help.
I felt a strong telepathic current that he feared discomfiting me. Oh, if only my life was my own, and I could please a King!