We ported to a room with nine sides and redviolet walls, the Gathering Hall. Through them I saw sunssets. We stand on Ye~! On the walls were tapestries, some with frayed edges. They had the smell of old cloth. It was pleasant and spicy. I trembled, but Ryee kept his arm around me. Prophet Peri was there with arms wide. I hugged him. “Do you wish a blessing, Child? I can tell you more now.”

Ry’nao nodded. “This is why I brought him.”

He waved a soft couch and asked me to sit. He stood behind me and put trembling hands on my head.

“Adia Rayaline, The One, who wields the White Cube of Light, Father of All wishes you to know that He loves you. He trusts you with this power. Love for your husband will conquer the Adversity. When you need the wisdom, you shall obtain it. Pray for blessings as you need them. Look to the tapestries, Child, and learn from them.” He wept so hard, he had to close his prayer telepathically, as in other blessings he gave me remotely.

“White Cube of Light?” The cube floated from my pocket and threw rainbows. “What does this mean, Peri?” We had spoken much of the Zheien Religion, and I accepted it.

One twinfingered hand pulled at his silver curls. “Father of All knows. I give what I receive. I should leave you now. Ry’nao will teach.” He bowed to him and ported out.

I trembled. Gave the old Emperor my full attention.

“I gave these to your grandfather W~Via many years ago, because I dreamed your family would need them. Look at the 3rd tapestry, Adia, and tell me what you see.”

I walked to it and gasped. A woman my size held a cube high. Across from her was Eriganh! The tapestry I saw.

Pas took me from my feet. “We must leave—”

Ahstam replaced him. “I can heal her.” Warmth flowed into me, and calm.

Ry’nao took my hand. “When ScSv could not analyze the Cube in your pocket, you found Pirad of Bisillipia, an Elder, who traveled to Ye~. Pirad, come to us, please.”

A deep blue portal opened, and a skeletal man stood by us. He looked at the tapestries and clicked his jointed face into a frown. Then bowed from the waist to Ry’nao. I fought the urge to laugh. In my Earthan memories Laura talked about wanting to see little green men. He is not little in height, but in width. I saw Bisillipians in mining research vids. Uncle Asha liked to trade with them, so he translated several of these for me. It is a tedious process! Their language is very difficult. Clicks and whistles and many gestures.

Pirad was Ryee’s height, but half as wide. His body clicked as he moved. For every joint in my body, he had double the number. Even his lips were jointed. Their expressions are much more limited than ours. That frown stayed, as if frozen. His yellow eyes did not have eyelids that close. Green eyes with orange pupils in yellow, not white. He fascinated me.

His deep green skin shone and his green robe to his doubleknees looked metallic. The thin chest heaved. Huge eyes, yellow with green irises and orange pupils. Three sets of them flew apart. “You expect me to tell you what you already know?”

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

Ryee’s shock came to me that this Bisillip spoke. He traded with them at times. Hours with an Elshar-Bisillip dictionary to greet one, though he can speak Bisillipian without it. Most Zheien cannot. Trading took a very long time. Their species is not telepathic. Pirad spoke Areonian to me, Zheien to Ryee, and Xchou to Ry’nao!

“I ask you to verify it. You sat on the Council of the Second Level when Bisillipia sank to the Third. I am surprised the Council we know ignores you.”

He laughed and his body gave loud clicks! “Oh, they are foolish. Half of them follow Rentappenen and think he will sort the mess. He gave the Council Cubes and said this 300 Year War would solve the problems. I think it made our situation worse.

“He refused to take the Second Level Tech from slavers, especially the Ty’nirrhans. Llsam’s foolishness made the Aryllans what they are. I told him it was too risky. But, we have Biehshah because of his first experiments.”

Ahstam smiled. “The Biehshah are well. Were we ne promised healing of Aryllans? In the New Healing? They were once peaceful, as we.”

“They were, in the time they, the Elshars, and my people formed the Alliance. I worked 4000 years of my life to find an answer for them.”

Did I hear correctly?

Ry’nao smiled. “Can they be recloned?”

He sighed, and his lips clicked in a circular motion like a fan! “If I could get materials, yes. I brought Taredias Gupa with me. His friend Siasch traded for Samar Thaae, and I brought it. Some of the materials I need are in Siasch’s Tessite Mine.”

I touched his arm, so cold that my fingers stuck to it! “There is a large Tessite Mine on Alb Seer. The Rainbow Colony will start a mine there so those trained to mine work shall not die. The materials you seek are there. Kirnonos’ Lab is in the Tunnels.” I felt sorrow. Pirad found his body—but no, I touched his mind. He is alive, and shocked that I, an Areonian, can see him!

“You saw the destruction of his lab? Oh, what a loss that would be!” His skin warmed. But he waved and held a green ball. Rubbed a white ointment on my fingers. Feeling returned.

“If I reclone both of you,” he looked at me and Ryee, “I can name Ryonne~ an Elder and make him better. Stronger telepathy, stronger than Eriganh’s, and I can make yours stronger than his. I can make you Zheien. He does not know as much as I do.”

I saw Eriganh’s midnight blue eyes, beads in slits in light gray skin. “He is watching me.” I shuddered.

Kirnonos stepped from a dark blue swirl. Our travel increased in speed. Oh, he is not here, but a holo without flicker. “We must be careful! Now that I know he is watching, I have protections.” The coldness in my mind faded. “I do fear Rentappenen, but maybe the Council sent this one to help us. If Eriganh finds us, I cannot fight him as she can.”

I gasped. “I cannot fight Eriganh! I am only—”

“You are not a common scientist, Madame Rayaline.” Ry’nao took my hand. “Look at the woman in this tapestry. She holds the Cube of White Light. You know what this house looks like on the inside.” He pointed to the white house. “You showed me the location of it, in the First Galaxy where we go. And, the cube in your pocket is the Cube of White Light, the most powerful of the Cubes. You command the telepathy of 2500 clones, bred to use their telepathy as a weapon.”

It spun and threw more rainbows. My body shuddered.

Pirad touched my arm and studied the yellow. “Her body is not strong. If she cannot control the Cube, it shall destroy her, and we lose all hope.”

Ry’nao turned starwhite from red! “But, surely the Council will not allow this! I hold the Gray Cube of Knowledge, and it tells me she is the One. The Red Cube of Fire that Eriganh holds is the second most powerful.”

Kirnonos sighed, and his lips fluttered. “Then you must visit the Council and tell them they must unite against Rentappenen. He replaced half the White Collective with his clones. All minds in the Collective must be in agreement for the Cube to be powerful.”