Bald Pas waved up a screen. I remembered a lot about this stuff, but I needed for him to kind of teach me from scratch. While Farley was learning, too, I made fast progress. Hoped poor Bess would be all right now, but she still needed progs for epilepsy, stomach troubles, anxiety, and balance problems! No wonder she’s thin! Older Pas spoke with both her parents, now that they worked out the farm.
But, a lady came in and Farley went over to her. “Are you well?”
“You’re nice. M-my roommates just got married and said they saw their futures and they—two fellas just showed up at our door! Yesterday I never thought that aliens would come, but I saw a speech that says slavers—that two people escaped from ‘em but they haven’t found ‘em yet—I guess I’m glad I’m leaving Earth.” This Black girl had light enough skin to just be a nice tan, but her nose was very broad at the base, and her kinky hair had beads in neat rows. Very classy-looking. Her brown dress had geometric patterns I’d seen downtown at vendors who catered to Black folks. The stuff fascinated me.
“May I help you contact your relatives? I am Farleikon, Diplomat Of Esta Faho, and I am trained to assist—”
She broke down crying. “My p-parents died, but they were-were only children. I never—my social w-worker couldn’t find a relative.”
“We have progs to trace relations.” My husband waved.
I tried to pay attention to Pas but he was choosing herbs for Bess and talking to a healer about it. Can’t do anything until he finishes.
A gasp. “Becky’s my 3rd cousin? And Bedelia’s my 6th cousin? No wonder they put up with me! But now they’re m-married and they w-won’t have time for me.”
“I can send a diplomat to these others—”
“No! I have t-terrible social anxiety, and this sh-ship’s crowded, and I just—emb-barrass myself.”
The Pas who wanted to live with us took her arm. “Please, Maiden, sit here. I am a healer and wish to help. I can offer a mild herb to calm you.”
She looked in his red-gold eyes and kept sobbing. “M-my parents were addicts! I p-probably shouldn’t take anything!”
“O, you suffered! Sit here. I think you may take an herb safely, and I will watch over you.”
My Pas finished, so I put in the herbs he chose and how often he wanted them given, for which symptoms, and he ran it. I didn’t feel comfortable that we didn’t test it! But, he wasn’t going to run it and leave Bess. Her sleep got more restful.
Farley and Fa talked with the new arrival. “O, you are Becky’s friend, who shall reign over us, at Antomias’ side! He is our 1st Prince, and a well ruler!”
“He’s r-royalty?! Becky’ll b-be too busy and I’ll n-never see her!” She got upset.
Fa rubbed her head. “Daughter, nae this upset. Our kingdom is very small. There are only 400 of us. Any of us who wish time with our king and our 1st prince have it, and I am sure Becky will wish you to see her!”
“I-I wish I had somebody to b-bring me candy and fl-flowers!”
“O, when Antomias and Jos Keil went to your home, they knew what to bring because they saw memories of your friends. But they had nae guide for you, to know what you like, Maiden.”
“Fa, Nes is crying in his chamber, because he has nae maiden! Tom and Jos tried to bring him, and he loves Bedelia, and is distraught! Maiden, I think you need one another.”
The girl held a vial of white powder, as if it were a snake ready to strike. “I-I don’t think this stuff works. M-Maybe it’s old. I don’t think I c-can handle meeting a-anyone else! I always—I s-said too much like I always d-do!” She still sobbed.
“Maiden, sniff her again. You only had 3 portions, and you may have up to 20. Let me bring Nespa, and if he ne pleases you, I ask him to leave.”
“He’ll leave, b-because I’m a c-crying mess, and m-men don’t wanna deal with it!” She sobbed.
But both Pases looked out, across the red-violet ship, and a man strode towards us. He had narrow shoulders and very long legs. His hair was more wavy than curls and blond.
She stared at him, brown eyes wide. “Oh, my, he’s handsomer than the other two! And, I’m in r-ripped jeans—” I realized what I thought was a dress wasn’t, and it parted when she sat down.
Pas near her waved and she wore a modest orange-yellow dress the color of her beads in her braids. That dark hair laid on broad shoulders. She’s built like a basketball player. I had a lot of Black and Hispanic friends at school, and bullies persecuted all of us.
She smoothed a sleeve. “Oh, this is nice! I didn’t have a single dress! I—” Her voice trailed off as he came in.
Frowned as if he expected the portal to hurt. The poor girl thought it was her, and she looked down. “O, I can nae please a maiden! Pas, I will go back to my chamber—” One hand pulled at a wave at the right side of his face.
“I thought—well, I’m Black, and you’re—” She looked at him, and at Farley, who was barely yellow, and Fa, who was more yellow. His was turning gray.
“We are yellow, but some among us have brown skin, as you. Wish you for me to introduce—”
“N-no! I-I have social anxiety!” Tears came down again.
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
Nespa startled. “Elsie, have you pains? I am Nespa, Diplomat Of Esta Faho.” He sat by her. His blue eyes turned darker. His skin was now dark gray. Those twin fingers shook as he offered a hand.
She took them. “Are you okay, my man? You’re shakin’. Oh, I shouldn’t talk like that.” Her cheeks got red. Not a very noticeable thing unless you’re around Black folks a lot.
“You must speak as you wish, Elsie! Nae here will chastise you. What is wrong?”
“My f-friends got married, and I’ll die all by my lonesome!”
He gasped and pulled her into his lap! “Ejis nae, I nae wish you to die, Elsie! What can I do, to help?”
“Oh, I’m not dyin’, I just—run my mouth too much! Becky thinks I need a therapist. Who can afford dat?”
“Maiden, I am a healer, and my king supports me. He is King Nitomahan, a well ruler over us in Esta Faho. Your healthcare is included, as is housing, familiar foods, education—”
“I f-failed algebra! I had to drop outa computer science in school, an’ I got all this d-debt I can nevah pay off!”
“I can help you, Maiden! Show me your debt, and I shall pay it--
“I have school loans—it’s paid? Dat can’t be right!”
Nespa finally convinced her that her bills were all paid. There were medical bills, too. Cancer treatments and surgeries. Very high bills that went to bill collectors. Poor Elsie!
“Hey, Elsie! Want to learn to write progs for healers?”
“I flunked outa school.” She looked at her hands, in her lap.
“You won’t need it for this.” I showed her how to set up her menus on her green cube and she got excited. How the interface works, you just think of what you want to do and how you’d do it, then the server figures out things. Sometimes you have to think of different ways to accomplish a task before the server can come up with a plan.
Elsie had a quick mind. She let Nespa hold her while I taught her.
While I showed her, Pas who helped her frowned at Nespa. “Who is your healer, my son? I wish to bring him.”
Nespa shook all over. “My fa Sepa vanished on Elshar Mashai during the panic. I can nae distract Galarsmen or Konomai so!”
“Let me see your records, my son. I can help you—”
“I need too much! I sh-should stay in my chamber!”
“My son, you can ne stay alone! I wish you to stay here!” He waved up a leiwege that didn’t hold him up, and got an expression of sheer dismay. “What happened to this leiwege?”
He sobbed. “Fa tried to make one, and he had injury as diplomat so, he thought it well, so I use him.”
“My son, leiwege-makers must have skills. You should ask of—”
“Bae Nesarnen died on Elshar Mashai. We have nae with skills. I nae bear to use a fabbed one.” He sobbed, and Elsie rubbed his hand. The other Pas taught her to use a lighter touch, and ea fae. She picked it up fast.
“I bring Uisan, who came with us. He makes well—”
“Nae!” He hugged the sagging side.
Pas waved a fabbed leiwege under it and bent it to support him. Frowned. He spent a lot of time looking over his points. Elsie sat beside him, so he looked at her. Behind him, the leiwege maker came and looked at the leiwege. He and Pas shared a lot of thoughts. The man waved and the two leiwege kind of merged, keeping the same design and appearance, but it held him up a lot better.
Nespa fell asleep with Elsie’s hand in his, against his cheek. Pas smiled.
Elsie watched him.
“Ne fear, Maiden. He is released from diplomatic work, so he ne has to travel more. I am happy, for I ne see how he survived for Bedelia to save him, years from now on Earth!”
“Bedelia saved his life? I never saved anyone.”
“Think you ne save Nespa now? I think his grief killed him tonight if ne for hope that he has because of you.”
She startled. “But, I didn’t confess undying love or anything!”
“See how tenderly you hold to his hand, Maiden. Nespa has hope, and hope heals. When I may speak with Galarsmen, I wish to discuss, long! He worries for Antomias.” Pas stroked Nespa’s blond waves, and frowned at the way they didn’t curl up again. The more he touched it, the straighter it got.
“Our liege is unwell?” Sleepy Farley startled awake.
Pas stroked his blond curls, and they got rounder. “I am very happy that he has ne more missions away from healing! Rest, my son. Galarsmen cares for him well. I will help him in his chambers, when ne helping these young ones.” He smiled at my family. His brown curls were a lot rounder than any of the Esta Fahoans’.
Elsie smiled a lot. I introduced her to Jo and told her about her depression. Jo didn’t look very happy that I told her.
Rose sighed. “If you tell her how mental we are, she won’t want to be friends.”
Karl laughed. “She’s a grownup! What makes you think—” A warning popped up and he clammed it.
Elsie sighed. “I’m—well, it’s more than—they think I’m 18, but I’m 16. I’m an emancipated minor. Dey did dat so I didn’t have to go to another foster family. So, I’m legal 2 years early. I wanna hang with y’all, ‘cause ya know where it’s at, y’know?”
Jo smiled. Introduced her to Lasanie, who’s also 16. “O, when you come, I shall bring my friend Osileanan. Her fa Leano is Server Instructor Of Esta Fahoans and learns from Peh Ras, Master Server Instructor Of Elshar Zheiea and they work with Tuna Forsur, Master Server Instructor Of Rahn Estarans. She learns much from all to help with healers’ progs! Perhaps you wish to work with her.” Her brown eyes turned lighter brown.
“I-I don’t know programming. Ella says I can learn it, but I’m just startin’.”
Pas—the bald one who’s going to work in Rainbow—worked with her until she got the basics. Helped her design a house for herself, a little 2 room Victorian with a bay window. She made it brown with yellow trim, and put carvings on the trim. Very creative! I saw designs like that on a quilt exhibit in Atlanta. Quilts from the Civil War with designs that let slaves know how to find the Underground Railroad.
By this time she had the basics of how to use the interface and learned how to access databases of herbs, schedules, and signs that a prog needed to run.
Then, Goes, 1st Prince Of MarKu got up to speak with us. Finally! The ship’s going to take off! I was wondering when they’d get all the people on here who were coming tonight.
As I watched him, an orange Zheien with more pins on his sash than I’d seen on any of these diplomats, I noticed tapestries with Antomias and Becky, Jos Keil and Bedelia, one with Elsie, and another one, that marked rooms. Farley told me that’s his cousin Nathanhai and his new wife Yelena. Nathanhai’s sick, so they haven’t come out of their room yet. A lady with 5 kids sat on the floor kind of apart from all of us. She looked nervous whenever a healer came to her, but she did let him give them a huge leiwege. All of the kids were little, and fell asleep fast. I think the oldest was younger than Allison. She kept watching them. But she wasn’t sleepy at all! They should be up running around, shouldn’t they? Pas, both of ‘em, looked worried.