Farley’s clones ran in. All 5 of them. “What happened to my ba?” The first one put both hands on his blond curls and a cloud of green sweat-powder rose.
His wife, Ella’s twin, touched his head and gasped. “Farley, I’ll—divorce you. You can marry--
Ella held Farley and screamed! “I don’t—he’s not dead! I didn’t die, so he’s not dead yet! Oh, Farley, honey, you have to live!”
Pirad shoved his cold arms under him and lifted. “I can try to reclone him again. King Challet asked for a clone. I can use him. He is willing.”
Her twin jerked at his arm. “You can’t do that, if he’s alive!”
“I just tried to run stasis. It will not work. If I do not reclone him now, I will not be able to try again. Would you rather sacrifice your husband?”
And I held Tom. Pirad has to help Farley because he has that necklace!
But we all went into white portals. We dropped through the white sand of Alb Seer to Kirnonos’ Lab! That’s where they did recloning. Tom wasn’t recloned in the old Rainbow.
Wasa Mai brought a recloning lab with him from Ishah. Pirad said all of them had these terminals. Wasa Mai, too? I saw him on another table.
A Zheien picked Ella up. Farley’s clone. “Ella, please, listen. Is my choice, to help my ba live again. He loves you. You love him.
“At times, there must be sacrifices, for the well of the thirteen galaxies Ry’nao holds in his hands. Farley knew things that Ry’nao must, to keep our galaxies safe. Hear you him?”
“Does anyone else hear him besides you, Farley?”
Milly held my hand. “I hear him. He needs to know if Mican got any of that tech and gave it to someone else. If anything got out of that building before it was destroyed, we need to know.”
“Did—what was that diplomat’s name? The one who died on D’gharr.”
“What? Nobody died on D’gharr!” Milly shook her head.
“The one who brought this to Farley!” Ella waved that necklace at her.
A hologram formed and floated along with us. That diplomat from Farley’s memories!
“I am Tanorsen, Leader Of Tanorsen Prov that bears my name. I am the Elder left when they destroyed the original facility, when Mican tried to take him. I lived as Zheien, but I am Laruu. I am recloning myself as Zheien to infiltrate the Fortress Of D’gharr.”
More Pirads came for every one of our husbands. And, their clones. “As Farley’s 1st Ba is willing, I am willing, to help Tom. You understand, do you, Becky?”
“But you were going to marry—”
“She could nae bear my leaving for missions.” He sighed and it rumbled on me.
Another Pirad took me. Put me on a table. “It is time. Let me strike at Mican through you--
“It’s not the 31st—” But, it is?
Farley’s clone ran Ella to another Bisillip. “Did you hear, Kirnonos?”
This one moaned, too. “I did! Poisons of the 6th! What was Mican? Dosillian?”
“I think, Naisain, as Tanorsen made himself. They were supposed to be observers like the Imwa and Laruu, but they hid weapons and came back to conquer. Their reign of terror lasted for millions of eons! All their knowledge was thought destroyed. Put him here. I am ready. If we cannot save him, none of his clones know what he knows.”
Ry’nao ran to us on the arm of his healer. “I came as soon as I could. Where is the necklace?”
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Ella started to take it off and Kirnonos grabbed it! “Do not think to take this off, ever! Why do you have it and not Farleikon?”
“He tried to give it to King Nitomahan, but he said Farley should keep it. So he gave it to me when he married me.”
“Did he see that holo? Did you know?” Kirnonos moaned and another Bisillip poured several large drinks down him.
Mican found rubble, not usable weapons. So his men stole Tanorsen’s parents from Lisbaar because Ranh Wenh Cet promised him a favor.
Remember. Tanorsen left a message in the necklace. Mican must believe that all of you forget things. But, with these terminals we gave you, you will act without memory. Don’t let it scare you. When you are unwell, use our umar seg. We have remedies to help you last, even though Mican’s poisons act. He has to believe his poisons, his umar seg, are working. Galarsmen can advise you, despite Mican’s training. You are the only one who can do this. I altered each layer of protection to your genetics. Even if you are injured, you can act.
Farley taught them about the false fruits, weapons to kill Esteerrians. But all of his Team had weapons he didn’t expect them to have. Weapons they remember trading to get in Elshar markets. But, they were from the weapons facility.
I put them on your ship. Do not concern about it. Injured men make up stories to explain what they remember.
Tom was with him on D’gharr. He captured two ships, too, like Farley. Farley’s 3 Thordes Team members also captured a ship apiece, but he helped them.
Nathanhai captured one. Yelena gasped!
Ella shivered! “What’s that voice?”
Ry’nao startled. “Ella, did you see a memory?”
She showed it to him.
“Bring his Team here.”
Another diplomat nodded and ported out.
Ella sat on a padded bench and Molly held her. “I’m scared.”
“All of this higher level stuff scares me, too! I thought after we defeated all the Cubes Rentappenen and Satauuver created, we were done!”
Ry’nao shook his head. “Ella showed us that we are fighting another war, but other generations will finish it. All we can do is fight for my Thirteen. The Padrisa she mentioned is not the Padrisa we know, but what Earthans know as the Virgo Supercluster.”
“But, Pirad and Kirnonos talked about that!”
Ry’nao’s red-violet eyes opened very wide, and he was already white! He went gray! “I think the necklace works in the way Rentappenen’s Cube Of Many Colors did. He could manipulate timespace itself. Child, take care with your thoughts. You could destroy the Thirteen.”
You could, but we watch to see what you will do with this Gift. You love your husband. Heal him. Then you will know what the necklace can do. Will you give it back to him, or will you take Ry’nao’s place?
“I’m not smart enough to use this thing! Ry’nao, I was supposed to give this necklace to you—” Ella started to lift it.
His four-fingered hand shot out and pressed it against her collarbone! “Ella, if you remove it, you will die, and Farley also!”
“But, you can use it to save the Thirteen! There are poisons from the 6th level on Esta Faho, and everyone from there is dying!”
Everyone?
Pirad gave me a leaf. Be calm. We have to wait.
He gasped! I think it takes a lot to make an emperor gasp! “Child, I could not use it even if I could take it! I think you are able to use it because your husband can. I do not know enough to use it! But, it may teach you how—”
“I just want my husband to live! And, his brother!”
Farley stood in front of her. Looked around. “Where is this? Did we travel to Bisillipia?”
Farley’s clone stood beside him and held him up! “Nae, we are on Alb Seer! I am alive?” He looked at me. “Ella, you used the necklace!” His girl ran to him and hugged him. Sobbed apologies!
Ella grabbed Farley! “You weren’t supposed to give this thing to me! Put it back on! I don’t want you to die!” She sobbed.
He put his arms around her and kept a hand on the back of her neck. “Ella, if you used it, keep her! I nae know how to–I thought it merely a necklace of stones that reflect telepathic attacks.” His eyes turned black.
The necklace spoke. You must act quickly, before the poisons take both of your memories. We go to the site of the weapons facility.
They vanished.
Pirad’s mind moved closer. Follow them. Do not act, only follow.
Suddenly, we just stood on black glass. This place wasn’t Elshar Zheiea! Red sky and five moons, where one small one traced a path across the other four, but it’s night here! Yellow sand—pale yellow—ended on one side. Bare sand led to a mountain range. The other side was all black glass. We sank into it.
Farley held Ella! “What happened? Where is the weapons facility?”
“Pirad ported it into a sun, and it destroyed the star system!”
Foolish one. It destroyed a hundred. But they were not inhabited worlds. They all had substances forbidden on this level. The only world left with these substances is this one. And, it is mine, at last!