We came out of the portal on the Piedmont Park side and I saw a giraffe eating the tops of several trees. Rainbow had an elephant in the other future. There were all sorts of wild animals around, and people interacting with them! “Ir, is that safe?”
“O, we have progs so those that wish contact with people have it, and those that ne are hidden. They control this. I am Oesha, Leader Of Ye~ Science Council, and I walk to see to them.” This fella had ScSv purple on and VW walked with him.
“Ir, you must come soon to see them! Diplomats rescued many animals from cruel owners that animal rescue agencies wished to help but had no resources. We let them know of our ability to help and they came with us on the ship. Some workers also came.” Several Earthans with purple uniforms already stood with some animals who got visible when they came near. A lion swiped at one of them from her back but the paw stopped and he startled. The lady frowned at him. “Sit and I will give you your treat!”
He sat and she held out a steak. With the same paw he gently clawed it into his mouth.
“Good boy, Marcus!”
I laughed. Several cubs chased each other near the pool. All the lions, tigers, elephants, apes, bears and even the giraffe had aandats. No messes! Many of them watched us. I’ll love having them for neighbors!
Oesha watched them, blue eyes merry. “They are very happy here, and can roam where they please!” A breeze ruffled his brown, straight hair. He’s shorter than Ir.
VW giggled. “I wish to pet one, if he—”
A Capuchin monkey darted out of some bushes and ran to him.. All of us petted his head and he closed his eyes. An elephant came close and sniffed my hair with his trunk. Then more Capuchins and that giraffe came over to check us out. Also a herd of deer. Other people came over to pet them, too, but I was too tired for much of it. Ir noticed and we said goodbye.
Most of the Yeff were in the purple building, so we went there. Be~saech followed Pas to people writing progs for him. He smiled often when he finished a prog. Most of ‘em were sleeping, but several Earthans had worried faces. A Black man in DS blue went from person to person reassuring them.
Ir went to a Zheien with dark curls. “Se~spea! Are you well?”
He smiled and hugged us. “I am well, merely weary. Did you see your home? Many have cracks, and our science council ne knows why!” His gray eyes opened very wide.
My husband sighed. “I am sure this happened when Garat Excluded us. By our traditions, when one is Excluded, those who agree with it damage the person’s house, to show their support. Garat has many friends.”
“This is terrible! By Alliance rules, a trader can ne damage another trader’s items!”
“Bisillipia is exempt from this because of our traditions. TS Inspectors on Bisillipia and Biehshah will not enforce it. Our items can go to the person who Excluded us, but because Goes complained, we have all. Der repaired his home.”
Se~spea hugged Der. “You are cold, my friend! Please, sit with me? I am very sorry you had these trials.”
Der laughed. “We are free! I have my family’s items and my house, and Ir has all of his. Since Ir married, perhaps I have hopes. Kia, I saw Inanarur among the rescued. Before she vanished, I thought to marry her. She is a very skilled trader and loves to travel.” His green eyes had the dreamy look. Hope I can heal her!
An Ishah pulled Se~spea back to his leiwege as all of our Biehshah laid around us. “All of you are weary. Please, rest. Diplomats came to watch so we are safe.”
“To watch? Should we be worried? I looked out of the open doorway and saw people coming in to lie on beds, and bakers with trays, and in the distance, graceful dancers floating around Oshfah, the main city. Oshfah and Rainbow both had nine buildings each with nine sides. Buildings in Rainbow had seven. Oh, because they came from Zhea~‘s main prov of Ye~. It has nine sides on buildings, too.
Se~spea frowned. “An incident happened in Fhiah. Molly had warning and saved many acrobats performing! Goes fused his engines when he took his MarKuans home! Most already left, but they met with Theaspaura. Now all of us have diplomats to watch while we sleep. We ne know who attempted harm there! But ne had injury. Father Of All helped them.”
I nodded. Ir held me tight. The feel of his strong arms calmed me down.
During the festival, I got that uneasy feeling again. Even the beautiful music and getting to try various musical instruments and sing with artisans didn’t make me feel better.
We ate lots of pastries and I sang my heart out. People enjoyed it. Every time I sang, someone came up to thank me. “I had great mind pain, but your singing helped me! I am T~o, Master Scientist Of Ye~.” This big fella kept rubbing his brown eyes.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Oesha ran to him! “T~o! I am happy to see you on your feet, my friend!”
“I came to find Ean. Where—”
Eanne~ startled and ran to him. “Pas! Come to us!” He made T~o sit down and held him in his arms. At least, his upper half. Both of ‘em are big men.
Pas ran to them, white robes flared! “T~o, are you unwell?”
“I think I was! I dreamed I was a servant in our liege’s house! But, Ean has dark hair. So does Se~spea. Did we just come from Beautiful?”
Eanne~ got his attention and stared at him. Oh, they’re sharing memories. “Was I so mindless, when I woke from regen?” He cried!
All the Biehshah wailed. I sang, and Molly’s friend Angel sang, too. Oh, one of her clones. My orchestration built faster with her harmony. Wow!
My healing spread out like a ripple in a pond. A male scream startled me! An Elshar fell and healers kept marching towards me. Another Elshar tried to port and nothing happened. He just waved again and again until he fell.
Our Biehshah thawed and got healing. Ir gasped and ran to his parents! Other Biehshah had happy reunions. Der went to a lady and held her while I kept singing.
But I was just getting started. Ice cream flavors became more intense. All over Alb, certain Elshars fell. Why Elshars? They weren’t. Dosilians. They look Elshar but the telepathy’s stronger than 20 Zbbat. It didn’t reach to Elshar Zheiea. Or Escet Vu. Why?!
All of our Biehshah got healed, and some Bisillips in Kirnonos’ Lab he couldn’t revive. Lots of people in 23 Alb colonies but for those two. I heard male laughter and shuddered. This one wants revenge on me. He didn’t get it.
People laid down on the beds and went to sleep. Healers carried all the Biehshah in here and Ir held up his arms for both parents. Then I had to sleep.
The next day we went in our green Local Trade Building. All our Council was there around a round table. Eanne~ also sat there but Pas and T~o stayed by him.
Ir stood. “Friends, is everyone happy?”
Der laughed. “I never heard that question in any meeting of my entire life!”
With a flick of his left ear, Ir laughed, too! “Never in any meeting with Biehshah or Alliance Councils!”
Other people nodded. VW stood. “I spoke with all of my scientists. We are all happy to study whatever pleases us! We had three marriages in our Siotu Building! Five ladies are expecting, including my Veliatsheeine!” His blue eyes looked at her and she blushed. Another yellow Biehshah.
Many other Council members talked about marriages and pregnant ladies.
Ir smiled when all 9 gave their reports. “Our colony is growing! This morning, I received 25 requests for people to emigrate here, and this will add 59 people to our 217. They are bringing their dead in stasis. We hope Kia can heal them tomorrow.
I giggled. “I can do this every day! We—”
Pirad appeared in a white portal! “You must not speak of this! None of you. I am here because my clone died.”
Their shocked faces echoed mine. I closed my mouth, ‘cause it looked dumb. But Pirad got in my face. “Do not heal anyone until the War is over. I have important work and you must not interrupt it again.” He waved up a portal and left.
His clone died? The dismay on everyone’s face got me. “Listen to me. We got this! All of us are working hard. We can’t talk about it, but we are winning—”
That goblin appeared on our table and he pointed to Der. “Talk to Pernorit. You can convince him, you and Irdaktin.”
Ir spread his arms out wide. “We cannot go to Kajar! There is no contact—”
“Der knows a secret. Make a Kajarian clone of him. He trained for this many centuries ago.”
Der looked at Ir like huh?
Dromie gave every one of our Council members an assignment. “VW, you and Velieasheeine found ashpanfeere in this mine.” He pointed to our new mining operation far beyond our colony.
“No! I will not—”
“Do you think Rentappenen will hesitate to use it? You can make the first remedy for it, if you follow this routine.” He gave him a burst of complicated instructions.
Then, VW smiled. “How I wanted to do this, when we were on the 3rd! My cesarae, let us go now!”
With them went 15 eager scientists. Ir frowned. But all of our people ported away, including Der’s clone, who smiled at us before taking a white portal. Wait a min. Kajar, where Eriganh is from?
Dromie hopped off the table. “Pirad is doing good work, but we can do more to help people he gave Cubes and people Pinda gave Gifts. Don’t worry. Any who die, it is an honorable death. My people already died a cowardly one. This time, we will be honorable.” His neon green skin almost glowed. That mouth full of flat teeth made his smile look menacing. But, his huge blue eyes somehow gave him a cute appearance, as did the three-fingered hands clapsed over his chest as he looked up. His rounded shoulders suggested humility. Maybe he was three feet tall.
Ir frowned at him. “You should go kill Rentappenen like you should have an eon ago.”
He sighed. “Ray has to do it. Councils and their Rules! Garat convinced—but you know about that, when you were on the 2nd. Wally convinced the Padrisa Council when he was scared of Rentappenen. We are all scared, but if we do not fight, we will lose. We will fight, and if we lose, we will have honor in our death. If we win, I think the Padrisa might listen. Not to me. You will speak to Yamotatan. He liked your father.” He vanished.
My husband sat on the floor! “I do not know how to address a being like Yamotatan!”
His father sat by us and his silver hair fluttered. “Ir, you were small when I went to the Padrisa Council. Their representative gave me The White Lens so I could communicate. I nearly died, even with the Lens. You were never as strong as I, and I am not strong now. When I came back, I buried the Lens in Siotu, deep in a Tessite mine. When the War ends, we must try.”
Ir trembled, and I held him. The War isn’t all we have to do? Now I shook all over.
That fella on Esta Faho laughed. Esta Faho’s people may be on Elshar Zheiea, but I saw that weapons facility in a low black cube. Near it was a glass building. That fella’s in a ship vacuuming up 5th level poisons from the ground. There’s the stuff that poisoned K’hasa Zha in the future, and he’s planning to poison the bathing muds of all the Zheien there!
The War won’t end this. I felt cold.