Half the hull vanished. A girl screamed! “Aaaah! The ship fell apart!”

One of the pilots ran to her. “Lady, normally I wouldn’t open the ship like that, but this is Alb Seer. Theaspaura, King Of Fhiah, is coming to welcome everyone to a festival. Asha’s ship is fine, and not damaged.” One of the purple fellas.

She laughed and her face was very red. “Oh, I’m sorry. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to space travel!” Oh, that’s Yelena Edge. Our other Earthan!

Asha’s ship? Oh, Asha, Master Trader Of Elshar Zheiea. Of all Elshar Zheien! His cobalt blue robes had Tessite symbols, and he wore purple under it. I knew of him in Rainbow. His wife—oh, she used a red cube to wake up all of Elshar Zheiea’s Burial Chambers, and King Challet was one of ‘em. More memories came to me.

Theaspaura came. I expected a man who looked like a fairy-tale king, long, silver curls, and old. This man had dark curls to his collar and bright blue eyes like most people in Fhiah, with orange skin. “Friends, I declared a festival, and healers tell me is well for most to enjoy this festival for an hour while we move those who need to go to other worlds of Alb. Your ships will now separate for your journeys home. Once all are on their ships, your travel is only 4 Earthan minutes.

“Those of you who are well, please, enjoy the festival for an hour, then one will guide you to your ship.

“I know those who came from slavery are unwell for this, so I have many bakers and sweeters to go to them.” He motioned to an army of people with trays! They came aboard. A healer had to carry a woman out, but other healers kept the tray upright. Or maybe a prog did.

“Welcome to Alb. I shall nae weary my Earthans who came with you. Enjoy the festival!”

A lot of Earthans went out, including Ella’s huge family. Ella stayed with Farley’s family, and his DS Team stayed, too. Healers moved all of us to the yellow ship.

Ella and Elsie and several other programmers kept working on progs. I helped brown-haired Pas with comforting some of the yellow Zheien in our area. Better than staring at my family. Mama and Daddy went out, too.

We had a much smaller crowd without most of the Earthans. Most of them went with the MarKuan royalty. Cevit Ion and his family were near us. An Earthan named Leyla joined us. “Pon is asleep, but Becky and Cara stayed with him. Is there anyone else from Marenalay?”

“Asha, Diplomat Of Elshar Zheiea, but Leyla, you should nae speak of this. They will be very unwell!” Pas frowned at her!

“How can he not talk about where he grew up?”

Pas, the older one, ran to her. “Lady, he must have healing for weeks, to be stronger. Jirris was there also, and he is very unwell from witnessing so many deaths.”

Her blue eyes filled. “Deaths? Who would hurt a Zheien?”

“Let us ne discuss. You wish to learn to write progs, ea? Peh Ras asked me to see Jirris and make some recommendations. Ashapat will sit with us also.”

My face burned. I heard awful stories about Marenalay. Elshars attacked it first, the farming prov nearest Prov Nine, and wiped it out. Years later, nobody in Rainbow mentioned it because people got sick! I felt awful for ‘em. Cevit Ion sweated. He stroked Jirris’ dark curls and a cloud rose. He’d been sleeping on his lap most of the time he sat down. Ashapat, Master Healer Of Elshar Zheien, held him. He must be really sick. Oh, that’s his brother. I got really good at looking up records telepathically so I knew a bit more about who was talking.

Nobody wanted to leave anyone Elshar Zheien, it seemed. Just a few Earthans left to enjoy the festival. A lady brought me pastries and showed me telepathically what they tasted like. I tried quite a few, bit and passed ‘em. All the Zheien do that, every festival. You can’t catch anything once you have an aandat. Every festival pastry is made of something too scarce to stay in the menus. I knew a few of Keiley’s faves and held one to his nose. His eyes snapped open and went colorless blue! “O, fersimins! Eae yeo, Love!” He ate it slowly. I already had one in my hand so he’d eat all of it.

“There are more. Your husband is thin.” She held the tray closer.

“Maiden, thank you, but I ate earlier. One is well.”

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I waved two to my alt storage. Sometimes, you can save some for a few hours later. It might not taste as good, but most of ‘em were still good. I set a timer.

I also got a few candies. Those last a couple days or longer. A note popped up with how long our goodies would last, and they all had timers. I smiled.

Keiley looked out of the ship with a long sigh. “How I wish to celebrate our marriage, Love. We miss.”

“When you feel better, we’ll celebrate. It’s too much, your colony had to move, then you went to Earth. You need a little time to catch your breath, husband mine!” I smiled. He’s just too handsome.

Keiley smiled at me. “O, we have much to celebrate, Bedelia. Our love, and Fa came to us—where is Wu?” He’d been sunny yellow, but it all drained to white again.

“He’s asleep in our room. Want me to go see about him?”

“Please. If I move, I dishonor Fa!”

I nodded and got up again.

Walked fast. People watched me with frightened eyes. But now, every person had a healer by him. I slipped into our room.

Wulai still slept on his side, so I put a hand on his shoulder. He startled. “Nae, I nae know anything! I—” He sat up. Looked at me with red-gold eyes black, then they lightened. “Where is Jos?”

“We found Fa! Want to come see him?”

“Keil is found! O, happiness!” He jumped, landed off the bed and stumbled! I grabbed him. “Ejis nae!”

A healer ran in. His body got ice cold! “My son, did you harm your foot?”

“I nae ever harmed him from an easy jump, so!” They got the memory-sharing stare.

“My son, you should nae jump! Come, let me carry. When you see Jos’ well, I see you quickly!” We ran out.

Tom’s brother ran over. “Wu, are you unwell? Why are you carried? Healer, my friend has been unwell!”

He has?

We got to Keiley and the healer dropped. “Here is your friend.”

Keiley paled. “Wu, you are white as moons! What happened?”

“O, I jumped and my foot turned. I am well—”

“Ejis nae, Wu!”

“Fear nae, I see him quickly! I am Napah, Elana’s Fa. Is she weary, to sleep in this excitement? Rest, Wu.” He pushed his head down on Elana’s back, and she smiled. “I think all of these should be in opens, and nae in chambers. We are more well together, in this newness. Wu, what did you today?”

“Jos was unwell. I stayed by him all of today, when he came with his maiden, then had to marry, for their minds linked.”

“O, so you had worries. Eae, you are smart to rest. Jos, I am happy for you, but think nae to rise much for a few days. Happiness is well, but is too much excitement, after moving our colony. You need your respite, my son.”

“Respite? Napah, I am released! Soon I must have—Decision again—” He sobbed.

“Nae this grief. Decision is a happy time. Think nae until 5 weeks passed. Wu, let me see you.” He kept black eyes as he checked him. He’s a yellow Zheien, but has an Ishah kid? Interesting.

He didn’t lose that worried frown. “My son, nae hide from me. Now is nae a mission, is it?”

Wulai laughed. “You speak as if I were a diplomat—”

“You had the link before you became a healer, did you?”

Wulai’s eyes went black again from red-gold. Yellow sparkles glistened on all of him. But his skin went gray.

Napah startled. “Ejis nae! I need help, here!”

Healers ran for us! They all put their hands on Wulai, who stopped breathing. Their song became chillingly sad. I gripped my husband’s hand. Let go of Wulai’s, on my left. We all cried.

Wulai’s body vanished with Napah’s wave. “Bae, Sae, perhaps Pirad can help him. If nae, Father Of All decides, and we nae.” He hugged me. I shuddered. “Daughter, nae this—you saw his death, in your other future?” I couldn’t help but think about Rainbow. He kind of held my mind open and saw all of it, a lot more than I wanted to show him. He sobbed, and I hugged him! He’s old, too! “O, fear nae. I saw all and I am nae harmed. Wu nae would show me what he saw in his future. I show Pirad, and he learns from it.

“Daughter, perhaps Father Of All sent you to us. I speak privately, for your husband sleeps. Cevit Ion wishes to know what I know, and I must tell him also.”