“We have much work, Bae. Becky, are you well enough for us to leave you?” His eyes also wavered between light and dark!
“I’ll be fine, thanks!” I wanted Tom to hold me, but I can’t act like a spoiled little princess who whines until she gets her way.
Tom put his arms around me. “Can we invite Oparnen here? I wish him to meet Becky, that he ceases his complaints. Dear wife, can you bear? You need nae bow to him. I will nae.”
“Bae, we must show him proper respect, or he speaks with Mican! Already, this morning, he threatened to force our artisans to go with him to Par Vu!”
Tom looked very worried. “Perhaps we delay this meeting until Micansen—”
“Nathan tells me he plans travel. Every artisan with whom he speaks, Nathan sends Peratise to him, and he confides in her. Soon, she takes their testimony to Wasa Mai. He will nae stand for it. So far, five leaders told her they wish nae to leave, and none of their people. That is 250 of our people. Only 50 are traders, and nae one chose to leave with him. Here, people have choices.” Fa rubbed his eyes. “If I know him, he comes before Micansen wakes in a Zheien body. Pirad gave him telepathy of a Zbbat, and his wife, also, and Oparnen fears he takes his traders to lead.”
“Micansen? Who refused to rule beside you because he wishes nae power?” Tom laughed.
Fa smiled and his eyes went light. “Oparnen thinks himself Mashai, but once Micansen wakes, he can nae—”
A holo stood just inside of the doorway of a gruff Elshar. Elshars look like us, but for the blue eyes that turn light or dark with their moods. And, his were black marble eyes. I tensed. “I demand you let me take my people to Par Vu! If Nathanhai was a man, he would not send Keris Pon’s wife to do his work, pach ay!” Two Elshars held a struggling woman in DS blue!
Tom jumped up and landed by him. “Release Peratise now! Where is Nathan?”
“If you want to see him again, stop holding my people—”
Five large Zheien held weapons on him. “You must nae hold citizens of Alb! Release him now!”
The Elshars holding the woman let go and she fainted into a healer’s arms! She’s Zheien! Fright like that can kill somebody!
A very thin Elshar ran up and kneeled in front of the soldier. “He is on Oparnen’s ship, and he lined it with merite—”
“Keris Pon, I warn you—” He flinched.
That soldier, an orange-skinned man, got oranger in the face. “Nae harm him! I will watch.”
That Elshar sobbed.
The soldier put him on his lap. “Speak freely, and let all of these people hear. Do any of you feel that you wish to leave? We nae hold any here!”
“I want to stay here, with my wife and family! He threatened to give my son Exorbar! He is a child! Many of us hide in our homes, for fear of him! Let me open his ship and get Nathan! He tried to stop him and he gave him umar seg! I thought our progs protected us!”
“Req will investigate. Peh Ras comes!” Req helped Molly with progs in Rainbow. The best programmer in Fhiah! Peh Ras is probably his equal.
A yellow Zheien with an Earthan girl ported out there by them. The Zheien waved up a screen. Frowned. “I see tampering. Who has access to our progs? Oparnen, you are the last to see Nathanhai’s progs for healing. I keep your account from any of us and give you a red mark.”
“You can’t do that! I’m a council—”
Fa stood up off the bed and they saw him. “And I say, you are nae longer council! Nae here. Once I called you friend, but your acts warrant Ih Esta, and I bring him from Rahn Estar. I am sorry, that you chose this evil.” His upset rumbled so hard, the ground shook!
That thin Elshar ran to a portal. A few moments later, he whooshed back, holding a Zheien in a diplomat’s uniform. White. “Did they attack? Ejis-” He held his head and curled up. “Put me on my feet! Get dorna!” His gray skin dripped yellow sparkles. He’s dying!
A woman ran to Nathan, crying. A healer beat her to him. Got the Elshar to put him in the sand--
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“Ejis nae! We must nae touch sands, on the ground!” He rolled up his twin-toed feet!
“My son, we lay on Elshar Zheiea. Rest. These sands—”
“Get dorna, I beg! We must ride!”
“Is nae an attack, Nathan. Rest. Is over.” Attack?
She took his hand, and he jerked it away! “Ejis nae! He brought a woman to dishonor me!” Nathan cried.
She cried, too. “I didn’t come to dishonor anybody! We’re married, Nathan! I’m Yelena.”
“I have nae maiden! Give me a dorna!”
“You must calm! I can give nae herbs. You had—maiden, nae leave him! Do you know of umar seg?” The healer gently pulled her back down by him.
They spoke quietly. How horrible!
That man who gave him that and took his memories away had another man in a black robe in front of him, an Ishah with three-fingered hands. “I heard all testimony, and find you guilty. Opansen, you will na leave here.” He slashed across his front!
Another man whooshed in, and he wore white, but not the bright white of healers’ robes. More a grayish white like dirty laundry. Didn’t hesitate, but shoved a handful of leaves in the Elshar’s mouth.
He simpered, gave a choked cry, and fell on the yellow sand. Convulsed! Went still.
The man in white waved and white light left only his—clothes. I got sick.
Pas held me and hummed. I wanted to cry, not sleep!
Tom held me. “Nae fear, Becky. Galarpah comes with Nathan, can you bear? I wish you to rest. I comfort Nathan, and quickly!”
“Will nae listen? We must ride before they come! I—” Fa pulled the Elshar to the bed and he climbed up with Tom’s friend.
I nodded and Tom held Nathanhai’s head. “Eae, look on me. See me running to corrals? Nae. Where is it?”
Slowly, he looked around, eyes black. “Your chamber. O! Your chamber. I need nesfa, I am injured, I nae think!”
Gently, he pulled Nathan’s head against his chest. “You need nae herbs. You had umar seg, is all, eae, Gapah?”
“Eae. I saw him thoroughly. I feared much! Hold him. I must see Peratise!”
They brought her in, too, and that Elshar man waved up their leiwege, a soft, bendable mattress like we sat on, and held up shaking arms for her. She groaned.
“Look where we are, Pera. It’s all right. He didn’t touch you, that slopfah! If I thought we had any conflict over this, I would never send you! Father Of All send Mican to Purrip!”
She laughed and hugged him. “O, if anyone could, you could! Fear passes by us now. O! You have tears!” She wiped his, then hers, and mixed ‘em in her flat fingers. Her yellow color got better. I learned that, in Rainbow. But Tom couldn’t be around Zheien much, after torture. Can’t think about that. I shivered.
Tom pulled a blanket over me. Nathan groaned.
Yelena tried to stifle a sob.
With a sad smile, Tom held her hand and put it in Nathan’s.
“I—scare him!” Her brown eyes poured tears. Short auburn hair, almost—well, it was red, a rusty color.
“Who?” Nathan looked up, eyes black in white.
“Dear friend, this is your wife, Yelena. Trust you me? Lady Yelena, let us teach you of umar seg, though I think we will nae use it more, now that Oparnen is nae. Our other council members nae have arguments for us.
“Oparnen disabled Nathan by touching him with a vial of umar seg, an herb that removes recent memories. In a few hours, he remembers we are on Elshar Zheiea, that our colony left our world, Esta Faho, and we automated all of our mines. Now we are a city Esta Faho, in a prov of five cities, Rahn Estar, and we live on a world created for us, Elshar Zheiea. Fa is Nitomahan, King Of Esta Faho. Wasa Mai Of Ishah, King Of Rahn Estar, is my king, and he is a well ruler over our prov. Challet, King Of Elshar Zheiea, rules this world, and all of us are very happy to be here with our bae and sae!” I tried to memorize all the names.
“Nathan, see you my memories? You went to Earth with us to secure trade, but Adia, Queen Of Ye~ sees futures for certain persons, and she saw ours. You saw your Yelena and went to find her, and I saw my Becky, and Jos saw his Bedelia. Nes was distraught that Adia had nae future to show him, but he met Elsie, and they married last night.”
“They did? How’d I miss that? I’m so happy for Elsie!” And I admired the way Tom and Fa handled everything.
Yelena sniffed. “I was happy, until that Elshar told Nathan his father needed him! Is he okay?”
Tom stared out of our door, or the tapestry that marked it, and in he ran! “Ejis nae! What happened to my bae?” The man leapt and I tried not to react. He landed between me and Tom, and gently took Nathan.
“O, Fa, I am injured, I need nesfa!”
His father stared at the healer and he shook all over. “As if we nae had enough trials! I went to all of our council. They are happier without Oparnen, and Keris, the traders wish you.”