We got to the red building of Rainbow. Healers jumped off animals with us and ran all of us to a bed. Without jostling us!

“Fa! Mea! O!” Fa fainted.

His father laughed and held him. “O, nae cry! Here is your fa.” He spoke to a crowd.

Eight crying men reached for him. And for Keeas and Neasem. “Nea! Wake, I nae bear it!” All of them were very thin.

He looked up and put his arms around this ba. “Bean! O! How I missed you!” He wheezed, bad.

“Bean?” Keeas hugged them, too. “Nea, who?”

“Bin, surely you remember Bean, do you?”

My husband’s confusion about this came to me.

Fa groaned, and they all watched him. His bright blue eyes blinked. “O, my bae! All of my sons and their dear wives! Forgive us, my youngest sons, for we nae bore to think! Here are our eight lost sons, and my three lost bae!” His sorrow rumbled on us like a freight train!

Sylvania got on his chest and kneaded his shoulder gently. She had little tips on her claws in bright yellow.

“O, you are Molly’s cat! Such a pleasant sound you make, little one.” Fa calmed down. Sylvania went to Keeas next and rubbed against his face. Ben didn’t want to let go of his younger ba. All of them enjoyed petting her long, white fur. Fa worried when her blue eyes didn’t go light, so I explained. They’re used to gelsai, and their eyes go light when they’re happy. This building’s full of pets!

Fa hugged each of his kids, then all three of his brothers and their wives, and their kids. Five of ‘em came from Esteerr, but Ben warned me not to think about that place! Pirad wiped their memories of it. They think they came from other missions.

Keeas and Neasem were attacked at school when they volunteered for Adia’s Team. They’ve been in Lut’s Chambers.

All of ‘em will live here on MarKu with Fa and Mea. I’m glad! We didn’t last through the intros before I fell asleep. So grateful to lie here in all their arms, my first night in MarKu.

I woke up in a cold sweat. Oh, it’s the red building, not my stupid bedroom on Earth!

“Molly, are you unwell? Pas!”

He hummed, and I felt calm again. Until I felt sweat on my husband! But I hummed, and it all dried. I had energy like usual, thank goodness! It scared me how drained I got yesterday.

Still felt that danger feeling. But all our relatives were still sleeping. Ben and I enjoyed some festival pastries for breakfast. Gonna get spoiled! Festivals will go on for weeks, what with people who married Earthans and simply celebrating our new locations!

When we had all we wanted, the baker lady had a surprise! She held out two orange candies. “May I present King Goes’ gift? He wished you to have these tumasnie.”

“Oh, thanks! But I want to give mine to Jog Sa.”

“He also received one, Queen Molly.”

I named several others, and they all already had one of the rare treats. So, Ben and I enjoyed the spicy-sweet taste! We shared happy memories in Rainbow. Tumasnie enhances memory-sharing in Zheien, if they’re happy and content. Useless to slavers, thank goodness.

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Then we walked to my office in the green building. Half of this one was halls with private rooms for couples. The other half had a giant chamber with a big nine-sided table in green. Each side had two chairs.

Goes ported in. “Molly, is this office well for you? We nae knew how many governors you might appoint, but is easy to expand your table, or create an auditorium with theater seating.”

I hugged him. Tried not to think about what danger we had in Fhiah! Ben kept watching. “How many should I appoint? Should each Rainbow have one, or each world?”

He smiled. “Our government divides responsibilities into nine positions. Those who marry share work, if both wish. But Elshars use ten. If you wish one governor for each world, or each Rainbow and Earthan colony, you may create a council for each, or by species. Here is how we rule MarKu.” A map showed each MarKu Council member and who they represented. Several represented Elshars, divided into traders, artisans, scientists, healers and diplomats. Each group had a council. Thordes divided theirs by jeia. Xchou only had one member for everyone and no councils. Ishah had a member, and lots of councils, one for each occupation group. Wow! I felt overwhelmed!

“Zheien are much better leaders than any Earthan! I want to run my colonies like Theaspaura would, or King Challet, or your family. They are well leaders.”

“Eae, they are! Wish you for me to show me your colony leaders? We asked many to serve until you can approve them, or others.”

Oahsah had an office in Rainbow’s green Trade Building. “Liegess, I am happy to govern our Rainbow Of MarKu! Jog Sa writes many progs for healers here.” He bowed low.

I returned it. “I missed y’all, too! MarKu is very dear to my heart.” My voice broke. In that other future, Oahsah got too scared and died during his recloning.

His warm hands held the back of my head. “O, nae this sorrow. I am healed and played Oae Pae with my ba Sahwell and his boys this morning! And have my courted with me!” He took the hand of a giggling lady, who covered her face. “Here is my Vanalae, Baker Of Fig. She is ready when you declare your next festival.”

I hugged her. “Bakers have nae need of protocols! I am very happy to have your help, Vanalae!”

“O, Queen Molly, many bakers all over MarKu heard of your colony and contributed ingredients! Our unwell enjoy many delights. Pie’s tumasnie crop was very well this year, so we have hopes.” She sighed, and I felt her longing for it. In that other future, we found ways to grow a lot of it and everyone had all the tumasnie they wanted! I showed it to Oesha, of the Yeff Science Council.

“Liz grew many plants this morning. She is working with Pie’s herb growers.”

Half her friends who work downtown at Georgia State University’s library went to Ye~ with her in the other future. But they came here to MarKu now, since that’s where Liz lives! She’s the answer to their tumasnie shortage. Tumasnie candies taste spicy-sweet and make memory-sharing more lifelike. She chose to be a healer. Doe’s with her in the Earthan Colony Of MarKu!

Goe and Penny are visiting people in Rainbow.

Pag and Sapph are, too.

MarKu’s Rainbow was huge! Near it were three empty cities for Earthans, two historical versions and one modern version of Atlanta. Those who wanted to live in one of the historical versions didn’t see the others unless they chose. Piedmont Park already had lots of trees, though not as many yet as the real one. People already enjoyed it and the skate parks. That made me happy.

Some of my other governors were already in their respective places from Titan. Fubret waved a purple hand. “Molly, I’m so glad to see you! I’m here in the Jesset Colony of MarKu, and I visited Maira, Conebara, Ka, and Lierpanan today.” He waved up holos. Glad to see him healthier! We talked for an hour about things these Thordes Rainbows needed, and he had a small army of traders to try to get ‘em. Just about every ship of slaves has Thordes, and some either are healers, or trained to be healers while in slavery, because the purple people have caring hearts.

“Good! Let’s go to Fhiah. Who’s there?”

Fhiah’s buildings in their Barrens, the site of the old Rainbow, stood empty. That was a shock! “Okay, so nobody lives in Rainbow. Do ships come there?”

“Eae, but most are diverted to other colonies of Rainbow. King Theaspaura asked that anyone be allowed to stay who wishes, in these buildings, until they can have passage home. So far, all had friends in other of your colonies. Those with family in Fhiah go to Lut’s Chambers, or those of familiar healers. Their tradition is to ask a healer to live with an unwell’s family.”

I frowned, and his blue eyes turned darker. “That’s fine for folks with intact telepathy, but what about my unwell with damaged? Fhiahans have such strong telepathy, even kids can hurt ‘em just with a friendly touch.”

“Lut maintains a list. There are 3,089 such, and they went to friends’ colonies. Most went to MarKu and live with relatives there, or Thordes friends in colonies there. Fully 179 went to Ea~. He sent 640 to KlipKa. For Vasye, 518. Escet Vu has 43. Par Vu, 295, but is now Parveia Of Escet Vu. Elshar Zheiea took 821 with nae families, to live in homes there near Ashapat’s Chambers.”