Ryee grabbed his right arm, which shook. Ne now! Shaking spread to his entire body! I could not hold all of him so I held his head as he fell from the chair. Kept my sleeve at my eyes so my poison tears did not touch him. He stared upwards. Three children cried.
“It’s all right. These seizures don’t last long. Steven, would you get a pillow for Uncle Yonnie? Brett, get a blanket.” They ran. “Adia, don’t cry, Honey. See, he’s getting still. I’ll run to Steve’s and get him—”
“I will! Chocolate ice cream with caramel! That’s my secret ice cream shop!” He laughed.
“Yeah, Nevvy, that’s our little secret—” She took the pillow and lifted Ryee’s head onto it with care. He groaned.
“Ryee, it’s all right. We’ll take care of you.” Laura sat by him, and he looked past her.
“Ay—” I felt his panic, to wake on the floor.
“I am here, Love!” He gripped my hand.
Pas listened as that memory ended. I sobbed. Ryee paled.
What is this food? Ice cream? Caramel?
“Adia, look on me. Ne this sorrow.”
Slowly, I did. Are my tears poison? More came, and I waved hygiene.
Ryee shook his head. Ne poison—
Young son, water is danger, and you must tell her, ea.
I wish ne to frighten her—
Is it more fright, if she accidentally touches with wetness on her hand? Zheien faint! Not all Zheien. Just Yeff? Genetic mods for them to live on the driest of all Zheien worlds. Zheien skin absorbs more than ours.
I heard echoes as he explained what healers do as they heal Elshars. Progs run to vaporize tears and sweat, as I had noticed. I gave the prog permission to run to detect any. Other progs also, if I were to become embarrassingly ill. Zheien do not? Or if my aandat failed. I ran those also. So did my friends.
As for the foods, I never heard of them. But Vonn knew. Oh, at festivals in Stuttgart, sometimes a vendor will make ice cream. Milk from cows, sugar, and flavorings. I do not know what chocolate is, but caramel is made by heating milk and sugar. Here is my oma’s recipe from when I was a child.
Then I remembered that day I danced with Vonn’s brother, Tan. He bought me some, which Papa said was too expensive. I shared it with Maia. What a delicious treat! Pas’ excitement tingled on me. Some Yeff have shakings from injuries. He made ice cream with caramel and put it in menus for those who had them.
A crying father brought a boy in, trembling in his arms. Pas held him and fed him a little of it. His body relaxed. Ah, this is very well! Benat, feed him this new food when he shakes.
Ea yeo! Will this save his mind?
Ea! Now we can stop his shakings before he has harm! He will sleep long. It is well for him. The father took his sleeping son and left happy. Bersaneh, a trader Ryee’s age, rushed to him. Smiled as he shared with him.
I tried to feel good about that flash of memory, which will help people on Ye~. Could not forget Ryee’s panic as he reached for my hand. And, poison tears?
I kept working. Other memories came. Why can I not see that answer to the new fuel? But, why can I not simply be happy that Pas can help people more now?
Because of what I felt. The despair. The worry. Fear of losing the most important love of my life. These futures are fluid. Does that mean if I do not marry Ryee, he will not suffer so? Or, if I do not marry him, will it still happen without my comfort for him?
Pas heard my worry and took my mind to Peri. We spoke for hours.
Do you love Ryee?
I thought of many nightmares where I held him and cried. Ea, I do. The thought of life without him made me shudder.
Then, marry him. I would advise him so, also. Think ne to spare him suffering. Think instead, to help him. He loves you, and you love him. Father of All will bless you.
I looked up. The fourth day.
Ryee helped me up. Frowned as he again brushed yellow sparkles off my arm. Are you unwell, Adia?
The touch of his hand made my heart skip beats.
But, the sight of him on that black floor!
I shared it all, but fast. Ryee’s shock came to me, as fast as Zheien normally share memories.
And more yellow sparkles dripped from my fingers. Sight faded.
You must ne ever—
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If it will save lives, I must!
He pulled my hand to his chest. Adia, feel my heartbeat. I am strong. Healthy.
I trembled as my telepathy reached up. Points One, Two, Three—
Ryee touched his head and gasped. I have damage on every point. How do I live?
I sobbed.
He moved my fingers across his forehead. Look on my points. Ea. There is ne damage—
Pas would not say this. I slid my hand to the left and rubbed his temple. You had regen—
Peri said to preserve your health. If remembering brings this suffering—he wiped yellow clouds off my arm—you must ne. I have what you wished to show me, and I will tell them. Come, you must eat now. Ne think.
Vonn waved up Ryee’s food menu and we ate. Ryee shared memories of Ye~ and I tried to memorize the buildings and the colors.
Is there anything you wish for our work?
Vonn sighed. More amiritkaln. I think Citsa is going to use all that Kleideu has!
I laughed. “Take her waste and do this.” I gave him a flood of instructions for his array.
He smiled, big! “This is what I was missing! How do you do that?“
“Father of All knows.”
Derees frowned. “You mean, God?”
“Yes.” I shared the warmth in my heart and smiled. They all did.
Citsa’s voice came from behind me. “I am going to report all of you for talking about religion.”
I faced her. “Go ahead.”
“What?”
“If you want to report me, do it. I will not complain.”
“I will report Links.”
He laughed. “Will anyone listen?”
She rushed to her station. Tried to wave a holo. A symbol on Vonn’s screen blinked. He looked, and it turned gray. “Department heads have to do that.”
Ryee brought up several holos and waved a privacy screen.
Citsa huffed. “He is sending holos from w—”
“He is trading for the department. It is allowed.” Vonn grinned at her.
After we ate, my friends joined Ryee for trading. I mixed many sets. Noticed Ossy and Citsa staring at the privacy screen.
The privacy screen came down. Vonn and Derees walked to our area. Derees stumbled against the counter, and Vonn grabbed his arm!
Ryee helped him sit. “Are you unwell, Derees?”
“I am all right—”
“You are not. Ryee, Derees has bad headaches. Rongahi is not working. I hate to ask—”
“Please, ne apologies. May I touch your head, Derees?”
His hand missed Ryee's. I watched him. How pale his face was! “Vonn worries too much, and I can see that we are interrupting Adia.”
“I wish him to help you!”
“Oh, you can touch my head.” He took Ryee's hand and put it on his forehead roughly. Flinched.
Ryee's orange eyes opened very wide. “Had you a fall?”
He smiled. “Not recently. On our last free days, my family went to the Barrens to gather rocks for my son's geology project. I slipped and fell. Clumsy of me. My head struck a rock and my wife was very frightened. Since then, I have headaches.”
“My friend, Healer Pas wishes to see you.”
He trembled. “My wife asked a friend, and she said eisha worked for her husband. There are a few Elshars in Kleideu who are related to her. But you gave me rongahi and usually, it helps.”
“What did your healer say when you saw him?”
“I woke up and my wife cried and my children cried and we ported home with the rocks we collected. My wife's friend brought her husband. His brother was a healer and taught him a little, so he healed me. Then he gave me some eisha and told me I should keep some in case the ache came back.”
Ryee grimaced. “You had unawareness and ne healer? Such a trial, my friend!”
“Oh, we Areonians have Elshar in us. We are strong. I just went to bed.”
Ryee shuddered. Then moved his fingercorners back in a line. “When was the last time you saw a healer?”
He trembled. “Vonn brought Sia to us, but I do not remember much about it. I think I would be afraid to see one, after seeing how they treated my poor wife! Having children is very hard. I had to take her in the hospital. I hope I never have to go there.”
A very wrinkled face. Bald. Stunning redgold eyes. I am Pas, a healer, my son. Fear ne, I shall ne harm you. Ryee, he must rest.
I am not afraid of Zheien. Pas, pleased to meet. He reached for the old healer’s hand and Pas took it.
Vonn took one of his arms, and I took his other, and we moved to the sleeping room. Citsa and Ossy watched us. “Do you have work?” Vonn frowned at them. They flinched and turned to their displays.
I expected the flimsy cot to give us trouble, but it did not move as Derees fell on it! Ryee pulled the blanket over him.
The old healer spent much time feeling Derees’ head. I noticed clear coverings on Ryee’s hands, as we used handling ore for testing.
Pas sang, and many voices sang with him. The same voices I heard when Ryee healed us. I saw all their faces. Pas’ Ennead. Nine healers, including him. Nine? They felt me touch their minds in greeting and their awe came to me. I watched and tried to learn from them.
Derees looked very sleepy. Pas smoothed his dark hair then waved up a huge platter of the same sweet, spicy rolls he ate for breakfast. Fed him and hummed. He ate six of them.
Healing uses the body’s energy. Go to rest, and ne trade for two Standard weeks. Let me see you again before you do.
But, healer, I must help with our trading—
Vonn shook his head. Ryee trades better than either of us, and after he leaves, Pragate planned to send all section heads to Elshar Mashai to get TS Status. Then we shall be the Department’s traders. You trade too hard, my friend.
Then I remembered my mixing! But, a display appeared, and Ao~ and that lady scientist, Win~sha, did my mixing.
“Adia, will you rest? I can watch.”
"Ryee, I must see the end of this set. I must see if my solution is near, or how near. All this work will be for naught, now that I prepared NTZT with 326 and 522. The sample will not wait for my sleep." The most important set of the last two weeks!