Galarsmen’s robes have greenish-yellow. It’s not the color of our clothes, but sort of close. Is he related to us?
We didn’t hit the bed. Risentah stood above us and lowered our leiwege. Quiet, at last. “Children, we are here in Galar’s Chambers.”
“And, I am here.”
“Master, please lie down! You must have rest.”
“Tom is here. I will rest by him. I am near you, Jos, if you need me.” He vanished from Keiley’s side of the leiwege. But he smiled.
“I feel you, Galar. Rest well. He was very unwell, Bedelia. Ejis! Are you unwell? Your head aches so!”
“Fear nae. She has ves mat to help her. Is like nesfa. Too many touched her mind yesterday. Rest.”
“I had terminals! How is it I speak?”
“Pirad recloned both of you, to add healing. To keep it, you must rest. Eat, and rest. Here is betasin. I know you love the sweet ones. I nae saw this one since my youth! Taste.”
Looked away before he bit it so I didn’t embarrass him, but I watched his Adam’s apple bob. Felt his delight. “Dear wife, you must taste this!”
Risentah guided it down to me for a bite. I took a bigger one than I meant to, but it had a spice that made my mouth tingle. Very tasty! Risentah helped me share it with my husband, who giggled.
“Such delight! Is well to be in your chambers again, Galar. I missed you.”
He didn’t answer, and Keiley’s fear rumbled on me.
“O, he must sleep now. Fear nae. Sleep is well for him. You must also sleep.”
“We were in Council, and—did we discuss? Tom must know, Risentah!”
“Tom sleeps. Here is his hand.” Oh, my, it’s gray! Dripped green sweat! But Keiley’s gray, too. His unwell’s affecting me. That’s why my head hurts so bad!
“Ejis, Tom!”
“Fear nae, Jos. I married Becky!” A giggle.
“Eae, she is as well for you as my Bedelia, for me. And Ella for Farley. How lonely he was! And our Nes has his Elsie. Nathan has Yelena. Even Het has a wife, Stacy. Can they come here, Risentah? I wish to see them all.”
“My son, they sleep, as should you! Farley, nae come, lie here and sleep—”
“I should comfort my friends, Healer. Let me carry the others to them so they—”
“You are unwell to carry! Lie here by your wife.” Risentah lifted him and left. My eyes just closed. Too tired.
But Keiley giggled. “Farley, I am happy you will rest. Risentah takes nae as a challenge, do you, Risentah?”
He laughed, too, as he came back to sit in front of us. “Farley sleeps, as should you! All of them sleep. Is late, my friend. Speak in the morning.”
His arms shook as he tried to pull on me. “My arms are unwell!”
“Fear nae. Sleep. I care for you well, all of you have healers, and you will gain strength.”
But I felt awe of people near us. “Joeh, I was so worried!”
“Ted, we passed all the traps without injury! But many here are very unwell!”
Gasps.
“O, they need but rest—”
“Did they all have terminals removed? Or did one attack Kirnonos’ Lab? King Theaspaura sent me, and he must know!”
Another healer came in and I only heard about him. Via, Master Healer Of All Ishah! They said his clone was coming here. I’m not getting warned about this?
A privacy screen came up between all us council members and everyone else. “I can now tell you who I am and why I came. Nae concern, the Battle Of The Cubes ended, and we are victorious! Many died, on many worlds, but we are safe now, as safe as we can be with what happened.
“Mican was Host Of The Black Cube Of War. He is dead, and we ported his body into Alb. This Mican was a clone. His host died on Lisbaar when it exploded. Three star systems perished in that explosion. Gedda Dier woke long enough to set a trap for him, and for Rentappenen, who also died there. Mican could nae port, for his genetics trapped him there. But he made a clone with similar genetics, who could only live a short time while using the Cube. This is why we cautioned all of you nae to think, nae to draw his attention.
“I urge King Theaspaura to meet with Pan Sana, King Of Par Vu, and discuss what harms Mican did to his people! We may speak freely now.” Via stood there shaking, but bowed to the council member.
“And, I wish them to know of the bravery of Lady Bedelia Of Earth, who risked her life to go down to Kirnonos’ Lab to find Pirad, and tell him his clones died! This brave woman ported to Escet Vu first, then to MarKu, and when she knew his clones were dead in these 3 worlds, she ported to Fhiah and begged soldiers to take her with them, when she could nae stand on her feet! We could see that she was very unwell, and probably because of her husband’s peril!”
Keiley sat up, gasped, and tried to jump! Risentah grabbed him, then this elderly Zheien jumped and held him down! “Jos Keil, my son, nae think to bow!”
“I nae ever thought to see you, Tedaeus, Council Of Fhiah To all your shipbuilding facilities! This is great honor on my family, that you wish to see my wife!”
The large Zheien hugged us both, and his silver curls jiggled. “O, is honor on my family, to meet this fine woman, who nae hesitated when we voiced worries of an attack! I heard her thoughts, even if she were to die in this attempt to reach you, she refused to stay in Theaspaura’s home, in safety though he begged her to do so!”
Keiley sobbed. “You had unwell, and chose danger to come to me? I would nae ever ask such of you, Bedelia, my Bedelia!”
“I couldn’t bear the thought of you dying and wondering where I was!”
“Dear wife!”
This stranger wept, too, and hugged us tightly together. Kissed our heads. “I am happy to know you. This is too much excitement, Healers, but I wished to assure my liege that they reached here without incident. Will they be well?” His bright blue eyes poured yellow tear-powder.
Risentah laughed. “Nae is dying in this chamber! They are recloned, and Jos will need much healing, but they need but rest and my care. We have enough healers to care for them. When Pirad is able again, he can help them more than I, but even if nae, I can heal them. Fear nae.”
“Then, I must return. I apologize that my visit must be brief, but I am happy to tell my liege of your well. Know this, all of you, that we of Fhiah offer any assistance you may need. Merely ask.”
I rubbed the back of his curls. “Eae yeo. If ever I can help your kingdom, ask of me.”
“Lady, children will learn of your example and you inspire greatness of them. Rest well.” He smiled, then got off the bed. “Via, will you return with me? Will your people be well without you?”
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The old healer smiled. “Eae. We are well, at last. I know more than Mican did, and taught Pirad, Kirnonos and Taredias, with their friends. Poisons are gone from all our worlds, now, and we may heal. I am ready.”
They walked out, and no one cried when I heard the whoosh of the portal.
I took his words into my dreams. At least, I think I did. Keiley’s gratitude tingled on me as he fell asleep.
The next few days kind of blurred into a half-existence. I forgot what I was saying mid-sentence. But so did my husband, and his poor friends! Even Becky and Elsie did.
Slowly, I understood that all of them and all of the Council had terminals and Pirad couldn’t fix all of it. But, we were able to sit in the festival.
Micansen got to his feet. “Lieges, we must discuss the treaty with Par Vu!”
King Nitomahan smiled at him. “Lesonarah went to Par Vu lastweek. His treaty is signed, my friend. Sit, and enjoy this music.”
“But, Lieges, the treaty with Elshar Mashai! Elshar Mashai Zheien Colony needs—” But they are all here on this planet!
His healer tried to get him to sit down. He wept. “Habis ha! No one will ever trade with me again!” He slapped a tear off his face and stared at the wetness, eyes black!
An Elshar trader in cobalt blue robes came running. “Micansen, dear friend, I will trade with you!”
“So will I!”
A crowd in cobalt blue—all master traders with white clothes under the robes—gathered to help him sit down.
“You will not chastise me?” A bunch of artisans in red robes stopped what they were doing and ran over here!
That first one hugged him. “Oh, don’t worry about it! The Mashai all left when Oparnen tried to take us! We are all happy here, and when you feel like leading us, we—”
“What do you need? I’ll do it now!”
“My friend, just sit here. I go to all of our people once a week and hear all their concerns. Tular had a dispute, and the trader simply gave his item back! Then that trader got his friend to offer more trade for it, then traded for it with that friend. We haven’t had to call Terisch. All the traders are making trade, and we’re all happy.”
Micansen looked a bit confused.
His healer put a leaf in his hand. “Take this and be happy. Your people are all right.”
“What is it?”
“You’re shaking a bit, is all. If you don’t want it, I’ll take it back.”
“Why am I shaking? I was strong!” He cried.
The healer put the leaf in his mouth and hummed. He gave a sigh and stopped shaking. “Oh, that’s better.”
The man sat by him and put an arm around him. He kept dark eyes, and got the memory-sharing look with the healer.
That lady sat by him. “Mic—” She wiped tears off his face.
His healer nodded, a bit emphatically. She smiled. “I think it is time we ended our courtship. Don’t you agree, Mic?”
He looked stricken! “I—I--”
She held up a necklace that sparkled. “May I wear my fermahie’s necklace? Is tradition in our family to choose the one from a favored ancestor, for good fortune, in marriage!”
“But, if they take her out of stasis—”
“Pirad cannot help me. We did not have stasis, when we first came to Lidara.” She sighed, and got teary. “But, I have you. I brought my house from Lidara. Perhaps one of our bahies will live in it.” She smiled.
Micansen waved up a very flowery document, recited a long love poem, and Becky’s sister and her husband played, “Someday My Prince Will Come”.
The happy couple seemed to enjoy it, then put their namesigns on the document, then their handprints. Ella whispered that usually, Zheien use namesigns. An Elshar explained that when Elshar had Elders, they adopted some Zheien customs. Because a lot of Zheien married Elshars and vice versa, they formed Elshar Zheiea as a pact between Elshar and Zheien. Lidara was the first prov of old Elshar to adopt namesigns on their marriage records.
Elsie and Nes joined the long line of dancers that stretched along the entire commons in the middle of our city. So did Stacy and Het. Rilley and Os. Keiley and I. Tom and Farley sighed.
Pas hugged them. “Ne this sorrow. Soon, you gain strength.”
Farley got teary. “How long, Galar? It seems with every mission, I am longer in your chambers.”
Galar wept. But Konomai, Farley’s healer, hugged him. “Farley, you are only a week in Galar’s chambers. You will heal. Hold to your Ella, and rest in your festival. Did you know? Today, tomorrow and the next are your days, to celebrate your marriage to Ella. And, to remember that she saved us. You helped her in this. Think nae much, but enjoy music, and eat pastries.”
Tom pulled him against us and kissed his head. “Eae, and when, Pas? We shall enjoy the three days of our Wedding Festival, and celebrate my dear wife, who saved our lives at great sacrifice of her health!”
I knew our three days already passed, but why upset him? Becky’s loud thoughts were like she told me. I tried to look normal.
Nathanhai tried to hug them both and fell against them. Healers bent Tom’s leiwege to hold them all. O, Tom, are we all unwell? Yelena is unwell—”
“I’m nae unwell, Nathan, you are! I feel fine!” She helped her husband get his arms around them. Group hug!
“My wife is well? O, happiness!” He giggled.
Tom’s happiness tingled on us all. “Ah, my well friends! Soon, we also rise. But today, we may enjoy the dancers as they step past us, and eat many pastries! Our colony is well, and Rahn Estar is also well, and Elshar Zheiea is well. Our healers care for us. I had nae fright in my sleep. Did you, Farley, Nathan? Perhaps Galar will let us to our homes soon.”
Of course, Tom woke up often, sweating, like Keiley still did, and our families still held onto the hair of everyone! But, I did notice that every day, it took less time for him to look around and realize, no one else is upset. We are well. Everyone had older parents and other relatives sitting close. My family and all we Earthans had many relatives, too, to enjoy this festival with us. None of them understand all this higher level stuff. I sure don't!
Maybe it’s well, that injured men make up things to explain what they can’t remember. Maybe I’m doing that, too. But, I can hug Tom, and he’s not miserable, and we are all improving together. We made it. I startled. I shouldn’t be listening to Becky!
Keiley swayed as we waited for music to start.
A bunch of people came to thank Becky. She kept Esta Faho safe. Ella defeated Mican and destroyed the weapons facilities’ biomes. I didn’t do anything. Except like that Bisillipian said. I started the foolishness of 10 people risking their lives to go to Kirnonos’ Lab and get through traps. But, because I made it, Pirad was able to heal Keiley and reclone us. What if he hadn’t?
We danced for a few feet, then all of us had to sit in the muds. Healers shadowed us to make sure we made it. Keiley frowned at his shaking arms. Healers had to untwist ‘em and hold them for him, and it hurts. I hummed that song, “Lullaby” that Gentri, an all-male group, sang. His muscles relaxed, and his eyes turned light. My headache went away. How does that work?
Nitomahan got his Ishah healer to bring him and Galar, who wanted to come, too. “Bedelia, you told Pirad his clones were nae. Because of this, he made more and sent us! His clones died fighting in a war of levels, and now we have peace! Mican is truly defeated because of Becky’s bravery. She manipulated time to break his ship from an old repair! And Ella brought down an ancient server that Mican could nae reclone himself! All of you worked to save us, including you, Elsie. You learned from Ella and continued her work, despite your grief!”
“I can’t do what she did!”
“You saved lives when she went to stop Mican! Bedelia went to Pirad and sent his clones, and they saved many of us! Millie knew where she went and sent rescue for them. I am grateful to all of you! My kingdom lives, because of you!” Millie was on the side with King Nitomahan. Blushed.
That healer helped Keiley hug me, and he fell asleep. But I stroked his hair and watched the graceful dancers. Hands reached and grabbed our king’s hair and Keiley giggled. “O, I love our friends, Bedelia, and I love you! Anything is bearable because of you.” His eyes, that colorless blue, closed, and I grabbed some of his hair, too. And, enjoyed his smile. It didn’t fade as the patient healers untwisted his arms again. None of them can hide it, now, but they look a lot better. All the Esta Fahoans will need this therapy for a while.
I didn’t feel as mindless as I did in Rainbow. So grateful, just to hold my husband. He’s warm. His heartbeat is steady triples, two strong and one weak, so I know he’s not dying. He’s just tired, like I am. No sweat on him. We have time to get to know one another, in this future, and I don’t have to worry about death. I’ll save my other worries for tomorrow. Right now, I’m enjoying the festival, and the feel of my husband near me. Nothing else is important to me, in this moment, just this.