The discussion was abruptly ended when Sage Elvan returned to its office. The three transported to the restaurant they had been at for lunch. After they had placed their orders, Victor restarted the conversation they’d been having. “Jal, you said that everyone raced around in the mornings to get ready for the day. How many people is everyone?”
“There were ten of us in all. Two parents, my seven brothers and I.”
Sage Elvan’s mind began to race. “Seven brothers? Some were older and went off to university,” it guessed. Jal shook its head no. “You all lived together?” Jal nodded. “Tell me their names and how old they are.”
Jal had to think about birthdays. “Melle turned ten two months ago. Obbe is eight-and-a-half. Kleis will be eight soon. Kryn, Thys, Teed, Nel, and I are all six.”
“You had two parents.” Victor watched the expressions change on Sage Elvan’s face as it talked with Jal about the living arrangements. “Your parents had three children and chose to have five more.”
“You and your brothers were born as full-term babies?” the sage asked curiously.
“I don’t think so.”
“You were in the special nursery for some time after birth?”
“No. We were born at home.”
Jan was confused. “She was pregnant with five babies. Doesn’t an Aphyxian woman’s body swell with the growing fetus?”
“It does. I was about one-and-half kilograms, according to my birth records. My understanding is that I was the smallest.”
“She must have known,” the sage muttered. “Why didn’t she go to a medical facility to give birth?”
“It was the worst winter in the history of the people who have lived on Iragos Peninsula. Weren’t you given information about me, Sage Elvan?”
“Just the basics. A five-year-old, raised by this couple. Solrio Nansen said she had taken you to the Great Bahansir and had the visual problem addressed. She stated that you were an above-average student who was interested in botany and possibly business.”
“Does this change things?” Jal asked hesitantly.
“No, no. I’m sorry if I’m upsetting you, Jal. I’m a bit excited over this. This situation is very unusual. Brainstorm with me for a few minutes. Did your mother always live here on Iragos? Or did she go to another part of the planet? Maybe she went off-world?” Sage Elvan asked.
“According to my Uncle Eiske and a woman from Pencadick Rill, Geldou never went off-world. She went to Shipman University for a semester ten years ago. She couldn’t afford to stay another semester, even though she was working. Then she married Haerm and they moved onto a farm near Pencadick Rill a few months before Melle was born.”
“Do you know anything else?” Jal told them that she’d worked as a technician at “Conceive,” and that she had believed she had a sure-fire way to win at the gambling tables of the casino.
“I wonder who she met?” Sage Elvan was deep in thought.
“Maybe there was a doctor at this ‘Conceive’ place,” Nacri offered. “One that specializes in pregnancies.”
Sage Elvan looked at Jal. “The woman, Wenta Enuma, was asking about Giel Moti. She said she met it in Kop. Maybe Geldou met Giel Moti.”
“That’s a pretty big ‘maybe,’” Jal pointed out. “This is a lot of guessing.” Sage Elvan and Nacri agreed. “I guess it wouldn’t hurt to mention this incident with Wenta Enuma to Solrio.” The discussion moved on to other things.
The next morning, Sage Elvan was up early. It returned from an exercise room and found Jal sitting on its bed looking at its electronic pad. “You’re up early. Are you playing games on that thing?”
“No. I don’t play games. I’m doing schoolwork.”
“Schoolwork? Already?”
“Yes. I was bored. This is more interesting than sitting around doing nothing. I wanted to go for a walk but didn’t want to disturb you.”
“Thank you. Please join me here on the floor.”
Jal sat down next to it. “Why?”
“It’s time for your first lesson in meditation.” Sage Elvan demonstrated a desired beginning position. “Breathe in and relax, breathe out and relax.” the sage said this several times. Suddenly Jal gasped for air. Sage Elvan opened its eyes and scowled. “What are you doing? You’re supposed to focus on your breathing.”
“I was. And then we stopped. I couldn’t hold my breath any longer.”
“Did I say to stop breathing?”
“You said to breathe out and relax. Then you stopped talking.”
The sage’s laughter was a series of chirps. “You are supposed to keep breathing and relaxing, even when I’m not saying it,” he laughed. “You think quite literally, don’t you?”
“Um? Yes? I should say yes?”
“You don’t know what it means to think literally.” Sage Elvan laughed some more, then explained what it meant.
Just as Taryn walked into the room, Jal said, “Yes. I take your words just as you say them. Why do you tell someone to breathe, when they have no choice?”
“That is definitely what a literal thinker would say,” Sage Elvan chuckled. “Let’s try this. Pay attention to the movement of your chest as you breathe.” They sat quietly for a few minutes. “Now, try to let go of the thoughts in your mind. If you think of something, try to shake it free and let it go.” Only a moment later, Jal was shaking its head wildly. “Jal, what are you doing?”
“I’m trying to shake the thoughts out of my mind. There are so many.”
Again, the sage laughed. “You are funny! Enough of this.” It demonstrated a new position. “Did your mother’s family laugh, Jal?”
“They did. But it didn’t seem funny to me.”
“Can you give me an example?”
“They laughed at noises that come from their bodies. I failed to see why that was funny.”
“Yes, I struggle with that too.” Sage Elvan smiled. “Let’s try once more.” They sat for several minutes in silence. Eventually the sage stood up. “That’s enough for today. I have several things I want to do with you before we go to Shifos. Please put on the burgandy tunic and trousers.” It wasn’t long before they joined Taryn at the small table in the dining area of the suite. She dished each of them a bowl of fruit and a second one of a hot grain cereal. “The first thing that I would like to do is to teach you how to address the adults of the World Peace Foundation. You will address my friend, Victor ben Nacri as ‘Master Nacri.’ Please address Kuria Watene as Director, Wangu Makena and Assel Ibraev as Guardians, and Mikko Myllyla as Minister.” Jal repeated the names. “When you are introducing me, you will introduce me as Sage Elvan. Please address me as ‘Master’ in public. When we are alone, in a private setting, you may use my name. It is Jan.”
“Does this mean that I am your apprentice?”
“Do you want to be?”
“I don’t know. I don’t know what that would mean exactly.”
“It would mean that you are committed to staying here until I decide you are ready to go to the university for further training in negotiation skills.”
“Negotiation skills don’t include botany or healing.”
“I wouldn’t be so quick to jump to a conclusion like that. Let me think about that.”
Taryn brought Jal’s hairs to the table after she took away the dishes. The hairs had permanently become various colors. Sage Elvan studied them. “What would you like to do with these?”
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
“I have no idea,” Jal replied. “When my brothers had their hairs cut, the pieces went into the garbage.”
“Stafriez hairs are often woven together into headbands, necklaces or rings. Yours are long enough to make belts. They will boost the wearer’s abilities. You can choose to weave all the colors together or separate them. Each color boosts a different ability.” Jal was surprised and asked which ability was assigned to each color. “Let’s start with the ones that you have. The green ones are for physical agility.”
“They would improve someone’s jumping and long stride. Would they help someone’s hand and finger dexterity?”
“They would. The blue ones are for precognition. You have a lot of those. Do you ever become aware that things are going to happen?”
“I have.” Sage Elvan waited for Jal to explain. “I don’t tell anyone. My family always laughed at me.”
“If I’m around, I’d appreciate it if you would share those things. These reddish-pink ones are for enhanced hearing. The gold ones improve the learning ability of the wearer. You have a few brown ones. They enhance the wearer’s compassion and insight into other people.”
“Do the colors of these hairs indicate the things that I am weak in? They are intended to help me?”
“No, quite the opposite. These are indicative of who you are. You can wear them yourself, but I encourage you to share them with those around you who would benefit from them.”
“So, I could give you the brown ones to help you with your skills.”
“You could, but I suggest that you keep the brown ones for yourself. They are hard to find.”
“I could make a necklace of green and gold for my uncle.”
“Yes,” Sage Elvan agreed. “He would benefit from those. The lengths of the hairs are so long that they could be cut into two pieces. How you tolerated that, I will never know!” It shook its head. It put a clip.on the end of the hairs Jal selected, and showed it how to weave them together. After a few seconds, Jan passed the weaving to Jal.
“If I make a necklace for my uncle and one for myself, what should I do with the rest? Would you like one?”
“You can make several things, if you like. They are good trade items at the magic shop.”
“Will my hair always be the same colors? And is it possible to learn how to control which color it is?”
“Excellent questions! Your hair will change as you do. The next time it is cut, you might see more of one color than another. You might also see some new colors. Perhaps you will see purple, which demonstrates that you are loyal to a person or organization. Or humility, which is grey.”
“We missed one. Here’s an orange one!” Jal separated it from the bundle.
“It demonstrates that you are creative and imaginative. Like your room in the tower.” Jal felt the blood rush to its face. “There’s no need to be embarassed. I like what you did. I might have you come to draw on the wall in mine. Perhaps our trip to Iragos will fuel your imagination.” Jal didn’t know what to say. “The tower loves it when children display their handiwork. It was so pleased, it wanted me to see.”
“You talk about the tower as if it’s alive,” Jal’s voice was interested in this.
“It’s not alive in the sense that we are. If you ask questions, it will try to answer them. You asked whether you could control what color your hair is. Your question tells me that you are aware that the color, texture, and style changes. Tell me what usually changes.”
“The color. Sometimes the curliness or straightness. It depends on who I’m with.”
“Many Stafriez aren’t interested in trying to control it mentally. I am, because it is a way that I relate to the people around me. If you’re interested in this, we can work together on it when we’re meditating.”
“You can’t just snap your fingers and do it?”
“I’ve never see it done like that. Can you change your hair quickly like that?”
“I know it changes sometimes based on my emotions or who I’m thinking about.”
“That makes sense. Can you show me?” Jal shifted uncomfortably. Jal’s hair became pink, then slowly turned orange and red. “What are you thinking about?”
“My uncle’s yard being destroyed and the damage done to his medical offices.”
“You are angry.” Jal nodded. It closed its eyes and its hair became black and hung limply. “Tell me what thoughts you had.”
“My parents and brothers hate me. They want to kill me. If they find out that you’re helping me, they’ll want to hurt or maybe kill you too. I should go on my way.”
Sage Elvan heard the anguish in Jal’s voice. “No, Jal. Your parents don’t know where you are, or that I’m helping you. They’re looking for Syp Bron, who wore bluejeans and clothes suited for outdoor life. You’re dressed for an urban lifestyle. In just a few weeks you’ll begin to slough off the second layer of skin. Standing next to one of them, your skin will be a dusty blue. The next will be a bit darker, like river rocks. Only your uncle will know who you are.”
Jal’s hair slowly returned to a mixture of browns and blues. “They saw that my hair changed colors.”
“If you don’t want them to know who you are, perhaps you’ll choose a way to style your hair that’s different,” the sage suggested.
“That’s a good idea.”
Taryn brought Jal a new belt and helped Jal put it on. “Your currency goes here.” She showed it the pocket. “Tap it twice. Jan, do you have some currency for Jal?” Jal thanked Jan and slipped the bills and coins into the pocket. “Here’s a spot for your wand. Your ID goes here. Your weapon will go here. Water filtering tablets. Your drink.”
Jal had never been so uncomfortable and said so. “I have a wand and I don’t have a clue what to do with it. I’ve never used currency or a water-filtering tablet. Everything is so...”
“New? Different?” Taryn asked. “You look a lot different than you did when you showed up at the farm. You should see yourself. Come here and look in the mirror.” Jal stared at itself speechless. “Say something,” she nudged Jal.
“I don’t know what to say. I look like a different person and feel like I’m on a different planet.”
“This is very different from the farming community of Pencadick Rill. It’s a whole different world,” Sage Elvan stated matter-of-factly. “You need your cape, Jal. You’re coming shortly?” it said to Taryn. She told him she had a few things to do and would join them.
A moment later, they stood at the dock in Pejaru, Zibran. Eleni Petrides, the Zibran Ambassador to the Zaletori, joined them only moments later. Jal looked around. There was a bustle of activity as cases were moved from the dock to various ships. “This ship is being loaded with food going to Zaletori.”
A document was passed between an inspector and a loading supervisor. “The scans we’ve made indicate that there are metal tubes in this crate. You can’t take this one,” Inspector Adamu Ada said.
“That’s part of the food packaging.”
“Those are weapons parts.”
“There are no weapon parts. What you see is part of the packaging. The tubes provide the moisture to keep the food fresh."
“You cannot take the crates that have metal tubes in them.”
The two argued about which containers could be shipped.
Sage Elvan and Ambassador Petrides stepped forward and introduced themselves. Jal listened as the two diplomats tried to understand what the problem was. “What Inspector Ada is saying is that there are metal tubes in each of the crates,” the sage stated.
“Yes! Of course, there are metal tubes! All the crates have them,” the Zibran merchant came down the dock. He was very frustrated. “I keep saying the same thing over and over. It is part of the moisture-wicking system that keeps the vegetables fresh.”
Jal listened to the discussion and watched as a boom lifted a large container.
“This shipment cannot be made like this. It must be repacked so there are no metal tubes in the containers,” the Inspector was adamant.
The businessman’s voice was filled with disbelief. “You are preventing shipment of food to starving people based on a perception. There is no proof.”
“These tubes are the exact size of those used to create the launch mechanism for the explosive projectiles that were found after the last raid.”
“The Zaletori need this food.”
“They may need the food, but the Haybuti will use the tubes to create more weapons. You are aiding the enemy! I am ordering this ship to remain in port,” Inspector Ada waved his arms.
“The food will spoil --”
The sage stepped between the three. “Step back.” They formed a circle that included the government official and Sage Elvan. “Can you provide evidence that these specific tubes are being used this way, Inspector? Is there proof that the pieces from the shipments are collected in Zaletori by the Haybuti people?”
“No, but -”
“Then let us get the job done,” the Zibran captain came into the loading area. “More delays will result in more deaths. They need food.”
The ambassador said, “Continue loading the ship. The captain hurried away. “Ada, please come with us.” The boom holding the container slowly moved sideways.
Jal had been standing behind Sage Elvan, listening, but was watching all the activity around it. Jal pulled on the sage’s sleeve. Sage Elvan looked at it, “Not now, Jal.”
“Master, we need to move!”
“Jal, step back.”
The crate in the air stopped moving. “Master, you need to move!”
"Not now, Jal. Let me handle this.”
“Look out!” Jal leaped around the two diplomats and bulldozed them to the side. The container landed with a resounding crash where they had been standing.
“What is the meaning of this?”
“Why did that happen?” They looked at one another, then at Jal.
“Jal!” Sage Elvan bellowed. “What were you thinking?”
“I tried to tell you, Master! It was moving to unload, but it suddenly changed directions, then stopped right over the two of you!”
“How did you know it was going to fall?”
“Someone told the operator to drop it,” Jal was very upset.
“What? I didn’t hear anything.” The adults looked at one another.
“Listen. There he is again.” They stood and listened. “It’s a very shrill voice. He said, ‘Nafiti tu!’”
“I hear that.”
“It means, ‘Let’s go.’”
Sage Elvan looked at Jal. “How in the world do you know that?”
“It’s Tyrillian.”
“And you know this how?”
Jal looked at Jan, then at Ambassador Patrides. “I don’t know.”
“I don’t know any Tyrillians,” the ambassador remarked. “Where are the Tyrillians from?”
“The Fila system.”
“I don’t even know what a Tyrillian is!” the sage said furiously.
“He’s right there.” Jal pointed. A person was walking away from the machinery that operated the boom. It was a little over one-and-a-half meters tall, roundish, and looked humanoid from the back. It appeared to have a weapon, but Jan couldn’t tell for certain.
“Its appearance is somewhat feline.” Jal said. Jal’s and Jan’s eyes met. “There’s its tail,” Jal pointed to the hem of its garment.
Ambassador Patrides had quietly summoned a security team, which suddenly appeared. “Stop those two people. Bring them in for questioning.” She waved a wand and transported Sage Elvan, Jal, and Inspector Ada to her office. The diplomat asked them to wait and went off to speak with her security team.
“Thank you, Jal,” Sage Elvan said quietly.
“You’re welcome, Master.” Jal looked at Inspector Ada and back at Sage Elvan. After a moment, Jal spoke, “I would like to use the facilities, if I may, Master?”
“Of course.” Sage Elvan led Jal out the door and down a hall outside the office. “You can find your way back.”
“Wait. I have something to tell you.”
“Tell me later.”
“I saw something odd.”
“You what?” Jal explained that it seemed that the Inspector had been moving her hands oddly and wondered if it meant something. “Take care of your business, then return to the office we were in.”
“Yes, Master.”
“I’ll return as soon as I can.”