I had a million questions, but I waited. When I have telepathy, then I'll ask stuff. At least, if I ask Ryee a buncha stuff, Adia might get upset, and I don't want to do that. They share a strong mind link. She's Zheien, but she wasn't born that way, so maybe that's why. She was Areonian when she came to Earth in that other future.
Then, I saw Cevit Ion! “Cev! Can I talk to you?” He looked at me, and his eyes went dark. Uh oh. He's Elshar Zheien and their eyes change like an Elshar's does. Lemon yellow skin.
“Eae, I have time. What troubles you?”
“Can we go someplace with merite?”
He paled! “How know you of this? Are you nae Earthan?”
I bowed low, but he stopped me. “My Emperor, I should use more respectful speech. Eae oa ya oeo—”
He pulled me against him. “Young one, I am nae Emperor, but Seventh Galaxy Minister.”
“So, 'Ao—I mean, Ry'nao—he's okay? He's still Emperor?” I smiled, big. In that other future he got hurt, when all the Yeff went to slavery!
I shield our thoughts, Maiden. Let us go to a chamber.
Thanks! I went with him to a room with his portrait on it. Behind him, a crowd with no details walked on yellow sand under a yellow sky with white, fluffy clouds. Oh, because of his position. If his men don't know which prov he's in, they can't reveal it if they get tortured.
The room had a nine-posted bed in orange-yellow. We sat on it. That's Wen's family color. King Challet's. I felt sad as I put a hand on the soft bed, thinking of the Elshar Zheien and how so few of 'em survived—
How know you of Adia's prophecies? My people are all safe, because we had warning of Prov Nine's attack! My people now have a world in the Alb System, and tech of the Biehshah protects us.
Is King Challet okay? I trembled.
He is well! How know you of my people?
Adia showed me my future. I tried to show him, but I don't have telepathy. He saw it anyway. Paled more.
I touched his forehead and tried to heal him. Dumb!
Nae ever try to heal me, Maiden! I can nae explain—
Oh, because you have the Diplomatic Link, and greater capacity to hold links than most diplomats.
You know of this? He paled even more!
I have it—or I think I will when I have telepathy, won't I? Uh, will I not? I apologize for my rudeness!
Are you a Councillor?
I laughed. No! I am just a 12 year old Earthan who learned a lot in that other future! I do know that Rainbow will have a Councillor and Gifts, and Pirad will come to help us, well, he’s here, and it will do miracles. Pirad will help me heal a lot of your diplomats. I thought of a lot of 'em, and Cevit Ion listened. But, I thought of all the subcolonies of Rainbow and gave him permission to read it all. I cried when I got to MarKu—
Goe is here! Nat and Indoe also!
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I sobbed. Oh, I’m so glad! He showed me how they were working on the Alliance Treaty with Earth. I thought of some things I did in Rainbow that I wished had been in Earth’s first treaty, and he listened!
MarKu is safe, because Adia warned us. You also see futures?
“I just saw what she showed me. Gosh, I was worried about all of you fellas! Cev, didja find Anne?”
He paled. “We hope to save her family!”
But, I thought of Sara Ionic, who saved him in that other future—oh, she married his clone, after he got disabled by Heden. Sara lives here in Atlanta—my terminal found her! Cev watched the memories, fascinated.
“And did Adia get hurt when she fought Eriganh? Why she's sick?” I trembled.
Cev picked me up. “We must nae speak of this, Molly. Eriganh seeks us. Adia has unwells because she sees futures. Are you unwell, because you showed me Sara?” He stroked my arms and his relief tingled on me, that I didn’t sweat yellow sparkles like Adia. I started to get too hot and felt a cool containment around me. “Pas can nae help her in this, but Pirad gave her strengths, and Ryee also. Have you unwell, because you saw these memories?”
“No. I'm just scared because I have to back to my parents' house, and I wanna leave!” I cried. I didn't want to, but if anyone can help me, it's a galactic minister! “Will you give Ben permission to marry me, so Mom can't hurt me any more?” I thought about the milk on my bed, and all of it. So I didn’t think of how bad that sour milk smelled, I enjoyed the spicy-sweet smell Cevit Ion has. Every Zheien smells a bit different. They never smell bad like we Earthans can.
He gasped. “Molly, be calm.” He hummed, and it helped a lot. “By Alliance rules and Unified, in any world, you may marry. We could take you from your parents and you could live with Binneas' family. Eae.
“But, Earth is new to any contact from a trade network. We can nae pretend that Earth shall nae know of this, for surely you become Queen Of Rainbow. Theas created Rainbow Unwell Colony on Alb Seer and 24 other worlds that shall have Earthan colonies, and recruits many healers. Is a well colony but nae miracles, without you.
“Most of Earth thinks of child marriage as abuse, as this would be if he were Earthan or Elshar. Even an Elshar could marry one so young because the Alliance has nae protections such. But, as Ryee told you, we are bound by laws that give a native world preference. You may marry, but Earth, and particularly the United States, is nae bound to recognize it. If Georgia's government knows of it, they can protest and prevent you from leaving Earth, because you are nae 18.”
I cried. “I have to go and be abused, because Earth's government is stupid? This isn't fair!”
Cev held my face up. “While I breathe, I shall nae give you to them for abuse! Believe you me? Tan thinks your parents assume that Binneas dishonored you. If you let them think such, they may sign a legal document that Tan readied. He says he can make an appointment with a Juvenile Court judge to allow your marriage, legally. Adia and Ryee shall accompany you, and they bring you here, after. I merely ask your patience, Molly. Tan will nae leave you in your home. We can offer you asylum here.”
I hugged him. “Thanks, my friend! I knew you could help me. Eae, I shall be patient. Please, Cev, would you teach me how to be a polite Zheien maiden? I nae listened well to Mia.” I looked down. His triple heartbeats thumped against my side. Hope I didn’t upset him too much!
Cev hugged me. “Molly, you are polite, and this is all a Zheien wants.”
“But, Fhiah will hold Rainbow's charter, and that means I'll need—I will—need to meet with rulers to negotiate trade with people who have what Rainbow needs. And, when Ben goes on missions, I want to go with him and nae embarrass him.”
“Molly, I will ask Peat nae to send him. He shall be King of Rainbow Unwell Colonies and that is enough work. Already our colonies have an army of diplomats who can work in the Alb System and nae further. You will have diplomats to negotiate for you, and traders to trade on Rainbow’s behalf.”
Colonies. There’ll be more than one Rainbow! I saw it. He showed me 25 worlds that they moved. Lots of Zheien colonies that ended up Failed and they were subcolonies in Rainbow. MarKu’s entire star system with Ea~ is in Alb, from the Eighth Galaxy!
I cried. “Peatabus got disabled because Duh tortured him, down at Grady Hospital! Can't you do something?” He got married and had a farm in Fhiah, and an Elshar next door grew tainted crops--
He hugged me. “I warn him. We have enough evidence from my operatives to send Duh to Ih Esta. I think she will nae set foot on Earth.”
“I'm glad! She hurt so many of our diplomats!” I named slavers and Cev listened. Many of them were already with Ih Esta. But, more slavers are attacking his men. They know something’s up. He didn’t show me much.