The tension in the air was nearly unbearable, but I have to ignore it. Rentappenen's listening! I can’t do anything but make like a healer. I saw Pie and gave him a hug. “Didja find Adelle yet?”
All those hundreds of Thordes Elders and jarfuses vanished! Ry’nao came out and Ket ran to him, Kia ran to him, then I ran over there and added my hands on his gray curls! Then all that vanished and I’m still standing here?
“You shared memories with me, but I thought Pirad might make a clone who resembles one of her husbands she lost.” He sighed and it rumbled on me.
“I saw people do that in Rainbow, and they weren’t happy. It’s not the same, Pie.” Some of ‘em ended up divorced! Pirad can make a clone, but he can’t recreate someone who died. Someone on Earth got him to make a clone of JFK, because they had his brain.
He did a lot of holos about what that was like, and how he wasn’t the same without parents to raise him. Memories Pirad extracted from his brain tissue were vague, though he remembered all the facts he learned in school and how he felt about them.
He went to Earth, and the President hosted him. He didn’t want to run for any office, which surprised a lot of people. Instead, he was a docent at the Smithsonian to talk about JFK’s life. A life that felt like his father’s life, not his. He needed a lot of healing, for medical problems JFK had that still had effects after he was cured. Because JFK died of a devastating brain injury, he had brain damage, too. Pirad could compensate for some of it but not all.
He looked and sounded normal, and gave JFK’s speeches perfectly. Tests showed he could not function outside of performing JFK’s life, not able to make major decisions about important things, like where to live. He wanted to live in Washington, DC, in the White House, because he had vague memories of living there.
But, if he went someplace new, or tried to learn about current affairs, he got upset. A healer had to stay near him to protect him from too much upset, or he might have a stroke!
I showed him all of that. Pie went pale!
“Do you think I should go to meet her, then?”
“Yes, tonight.” I saw someone else. “Randy!”
A Thordes diplomat startled, then came over. “Do I remind you of someone? I am Rish Hai, Diplomat Of Thorde, Wetarush.”
I bowed to him like a Zheien would. “Oh, forgive me! I am too informal for a man of Ka Peoples! Did you find Rosalind who will marry you?”
His dark purple skin went lavender! “You see futures, as does Queen Adia? Are you an Earthan?”
I giggled but got serious. Wasn’t sure how much to show him.
“Do not fear showing me. I am strong.” He had a resolute expression, but he paled. Got a whiff of licorice. If a Thordes gets sick, he smells like a sweating Zheien.
“Will you let Pie—or is Mike still here, or Hal Fon?” Mike ported to Alb. Jarfus sent him with the others. Hal Fon just landed in Alb and he’s sleeping. Two of the Biehshah got into an argument, and Pirad ran out there. They vanished, which startled several diplomats!
“Whom do you seek?”
“A Thordes healer who can sit with you.”
“I have a fine pocket doctor with me. What do you see, in my future, that you wish a healer to sit with us?” He studied me in my T-shirt and jeans. I waved my healer’s robes back on. And a cobalt blue dress. Apparently, he didn’t see all of it when I saw him through the ship. Maybe Jirris saw more.
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Pie waved up a purple bench and made him sit down. “I am happy to sit with you, Molly. I know healing for Ka peoples.”
He startled. Put a hand up to the left side of my face. “Did you have injury and lose it?”
I giggled. “Earthans don’t have any until they get an aandat! But I can heal you. I just want another healer here while I’m sharing. Prepare, my son. Many of these memories are pleasant, but you and Jirris were captured by Heden.” I flinched to mention the a word, but Pie didn’t mind. He and all the diplomats have been busy giving them out. Maybe Rish Hai hadn’t.
Angel, Toni, and Mark stared at me. Like I’m an alien, now.
Jirris gasped and came over and sat with us. His yellow skin went white! One twin-fingered hand gripped Rish’s. He was very pale, too.
“Jis—uh, Jirris, you married Ghen. Her fa’s Ghannen.”
“They are on Elshar Zheiea. Our colony moved to a new world in the Alb System, but I nae saw it. They are busy because many riding animals are to have young ones soon.” He saw them when Rish’s Team helped his people move Monday! Felt how exhausted he is, just from holding his cold, twin-fingered hand.
“When I knew you fellas, you became healers.” I tried to go slow and leave out some things, but I saw when both of ‘em reported to Ry’nao, ‘cause I was helping him take reports from injured diplomats.
Rish stayed on Earth five years and bought a house in Inman Park. He’d been training Rose in Thordes healing. She and her mom adopted their dear friend Kel Hai from a slave rescue agency. Those are provided in the Treaty, but they’ll be manned by Pirad’s clones of healers and healers they train, not by whatever agency.
Mike sat with Randy in Rainbow when he first got there. “So, what prov are you from?”
“It doesn’t matter. My family’s gone.” Sadly, Randy shook his head.
“But, Molly can find—”
Kelly sat with them. “Look, Randy! Here is my brother, Ke Berish, of Wetarush.”
Randy looked up at the tall man. He had platinum blonde curls, a very wide chest, and a sash with decorations. A lot of decorations. His dark eyes studied Randy. Randy turned pale. Sweated.
“Why do you call him Randy? This is Berish’s son, Rish Hai, a fine diplomat. You know why I have his father’s name?” He put his arms around Randy.
“Rish Hai? No, no, no. I am Randy. I am a healer.” Randy shook badly. His seizure meds kicked in and made him limp on Ke Berish’s lap. Ke Berish’s deep purple eyes filled. He looked behind me.
Ry’nao ran to us and took Randy. “Ke, you cannot talk to him about it. I did not know he was here. Randy, I am an old friend, though you do not remember me. Let me take you to privacy.”
“Is he very sick?” Poor Ke Berish looked very upset!
“Yes.” Ry’nao carried Randy off the bed, and he stiffened.
“Rose.”
“She may come with us, if she wishes. Mike, send Hal Fon to the red chamber, please.” Randy’s hand gripped mine.
We walked quickly. “Jis!”
Ry’nao stopped. Jis ran after us. “Where do you take—my emperor!”
“Nae bow to me, my son. Come with Randy. Randy is unwell, and you may comfort him.” He smiled. His gray curls waved with his heartbeats.
Jis took Randy’s arm, and his yellow color paled. “He is frightened! Liege, why does he fear you?”
Randy breathed in whistles. His eyes stared up at Jis. “He—Kel’s brother. I never saw him in my life, and he tells me I was—a diplomat! And my father—”
“Randy, think of your life as a healer. Hal Fon is a healer as well. Do you know him?” Quickly, we walked across the back of the Hospice to the red room. Put Randy on a couch and sat by him. The couch widened so all of us could sit, then wound impossibly close. Where did my legs go? Many of us. We sat with our faces about two feet apart at most, but that didn’t leave enough room—
That older Thordes healer touched Randy’s head. “My son, be calm. I will help you. This injury was not your first.”
He tugged my hand onto his head. “Rose, tell them I’m a healer. Tell them! I trained you!”
All of ‘em cried! Pie brought Pas and five other healers! Pas held Jirris, then Cev came to comfort his ba. Ke Berish and Kel Hai stood there crying.
Jirris looked up. Gasped.