I got teary. “Aunt Megan, I know how it feels to be criticized all the time! I wish I’d gotten in touch with you sooner! I didn’t realize who you were that day at Aunt Mabel’s!”
She cried, too. “Honey, I know what you must’ve gone through, but I worry about your mother. I was shocked at all the things she says about you and I don’t believe a word! Adia showed us our future and I feel really close to you. Toni told me a lot over the years.”
Then, I remembered. Toni asked me if I wanted to talk to her every once in a while, but I assumed she’d be mean like all of Mom’s family up north.
Meg and Tom adopted seven Zheien and came to Rainbow when it was new and I was 15. And I was always interrupted when someone came to get me to heal whoever! “Oh, you adopted Jog Sa, and Basa. He's here working as a Diplomat-In-Aid, and Hin Tu’s in Fhiah. She was never a slave. Neither was Fidd, who’s still Master Pilot Of MarKu, living with his wife and huge family! Hil’s on MarKu.”
“Oh, thank goodness! I was worried.”
“Ches, Venn and Sees were on Titan. Jog Sa was there with his parents. They are on their way here.” Someone in my Diplomatic Link is on a ship with ‘em!
“Her mom’s mean! She picked her up at school one day ‘cause of COVID and fussed at her all the way out of the building! As if she could help it! All of us were mad.”
“You were?” I felt embarrassed to be crying in front of him. Boys don’t like that. But more tears came. I didn’t think anyone at Marietta Middle cared except for Angel.
“What’s wrong? Why are both of you crying? Can I help?”
Megan hugged him.
“Oh, my gosh! Are you okay, Molly? She doesn’t hit ya, does she?” He thought of his real dad, who used to beat both of them up! But his stepfather, Tom, is easy to live with. So glad! I knew Tom in Rainbow.
I reassured ‘em, and told ‘em what she did do. “But I have it all back. Look!” I showed all the pictures and genealogy notes Mabel had.
Megan gasped. “I don’t have any of those. Neither does the Pruitt Association!”
“Here!” I made copies and gave her the originals. An archaeologist knows how to keep things nice. And the Pruitt Association might enjoy them more than I would.
Toni and Mark loved how that prog works. So did Angel.
But Steven got upset. Meg startled. “What’s wrong, Steven?”
He looked up. “I want to visit Ms. Kirsch, but Mr. Links said because of HIPAA, I can’t, even if I could get Mama to let me! She got hurt, and she’s in this facility, and she hasn’t had a visit from anyone since September! It’s not fair!”
Brett, his brother, also cried. “She’s still sick? But that was last year!”
Jason paled.
Tom took Meg to Pirad’s Lab. He’s going to reclone all of ‘em now!
Tan Links sat by them, on the floor in his fancy suit. He waved a top hat away. And even he cried! “Oh, she is on this ship, with Asha. They married this afternoon. I am happy they did, for I was in a hospital in Eicken and they told Vonn we were dead! Berto, a fine DS man, came for us and carried me to a ship. He took me to Ye~, many of us, and we had healing. Our corrupt government fell, and now we have good leaders.” I saw glimpses of that. Poor Tan!
Vonn sat by him and hugged him. “I am very happy to have you back, Tan, to do this work that is so important.” Lili’s resting in their bed. I wish they’d let me heal them!
“Important! Adia’s discovery, that is important. I merely research useless laws that I am powerless to change! This boy wished to see his teacher for months. I am sure, in that place, his teacher wished a visit! Yet, because she was unable to ask for him, both were disappointed.” He wiped tears from his face.
Steven hugged him. “It’s not your fault, Mr. Links. I asked you.”
He hugged him back. “Perhaps when they have more healing, you may speak with her.”
Vonn helped his brother up. “Go get Lili, and Pirad can reclone us.”
“Lili is frightened! She does not wish this. I explained, but I guess I did not do very well.” He sighed.
“Tan, just go rest with her. Maybe if she sees me after my recloning, she won’t be as scared. I need to stay with Sara. Laura is talking to her now. I’m sorry, Steve.”
“I’m all right, Dad.” He wiped tears off.
Vonn and Tan left.
A yellow-skinned Zheien brought Oleana! “Oh, Steven, I’m sorry! If I knew you were upset, I would’ve come out sooner!”
“Asha! Wow, you’re a diplomat? Be extra careful so the bad guys don’t get you!” Steven hugged him. He jerked his blue sash away so Steven’s face didn’t touch it. “Oh, that was stupe of me! You’ve got a glasfire one, haven’t you? I’m sorry.”
Asha hugged him. “I am nae offended! How know you this?”
“I was Eanne~’s Diplomat-In-Aid.” He smiled at an older Zheien near them.
This man jumped up from sitting and landed sitting by them! All the kids went, ‘Whoa!’
But he put a twin-fingered hand at Steven’s left ear. “Eja fae ne! When your telepathy wakes, you must come to me! I think an Earthan of 12 can ne bear!”
“You thought I was Ryee. I was 12 then, but I won’t be 12 until Memorial Day.”
If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
He gasped. “I was so mindless? But your hair is very light, and your eyes, blue, and I could ne see you from Ryee? Pas, help us!” Ryee has orange eyes and dark brown curls.
Oleana shook all over, so Asha took her back to their room. Brian promised to explain to Steven.
But something else was going on. I shook all over. Iona and Ilios are in a dimportal headed to our galaxy, and Snafanas caught up to them! Ry’nao ran out of his room into the main room not far from us. Most people didn’t see him, but all the diplomats on his staff got upset and ran to him. Ket caught him. I heard Ilios’ plea for help. “Help us! If Rentappenen takes over Ry’nao, thirteen galaxies will be in his control!” Rentappenen kept a lot of diplomats from hearing it. But people with Cubes all over the Thirteen did. Deb’s mobilizing Ty’nirrhans to attack. She’s got Ry Pethe, all Greg’s half-Ty’nirrhans. Kia is attacking all Rentappenen’s leaders on a lot of worlds.
I saw ‘em all. But, my other me warned me not to think about it. She’s standing there with both her hands on Ry’nao, healing him. I’m outside that time bubble Azure created, because it’s still Wednesday, Jan 19, 2022, for us.
My 16-year-old clone tried to port to Antarctica, to Pirad’s Lab there, and it’s gone?! Azure brought her family back to life and that version of her and Pirad’s clone, they’re all gone. Her other her’s are dying, one by one. Yeah, it’s better not to think about this! My clone went to Angel. She’s upset, but she can’t tell her. My 12-year-old clone, the one who’s going to live with them, held her.
Pas ran to us and landed sitting, like Eanne~! “My liege--”
“See my memories! Can this boy withstand the Link?”
Pas gasped and put his wrinkled fingers across Steven’s forehead. “I must speak with your parents--”
“You can’t, Pas, Mama’ll kill me! She wasn’t happy at all when I became Diplomat-In-Aid, and I was needed after the Zbbat War! I killed a Zbbat at the Noh pens because I had a fashuea burner in my hand, repairing one.”
“Eja fe ne! He must stay with us--”
“He came with these.” His hand indicated their huge group, mostly in Pirad’s Lab. Liz’ friends were here.
“Anne gave me—you know—so how long before I get telepathy?”
“Most are two or three days, but Liz had hers immediately, and Molly was only an hour!”
Liz sat by us. “Then I’ll have to stay nearby so I can bring him when it wakes up. I know how to keep his thoughts from broadcasting until I can get him here. How’d he get one without his mother giving permission, anyway?”
Jenny cried, and she startled. “I was scared of gettin’ shots, and Anne gave ‘em to all of us! It’s my fault, an’ Ryee didn’t want her to do it! Mama’ll have a duck fit! I don’ wanna go home!”
Pas picked her up! “Tan, what can we do?” His red-gold eyes opened past wide!
But Be~saech made a holo of her. “What if we send a holo to her home until her mother can be aware of us? I am sure an Earthan can ne tell.” His yellow eyes opened wide.
The holo ran and played!
Mandy hugged hers! “Oh, thanks! I always wanted a twin! I wanna let her stay home all day to cheer Papa Martin up! I can go to school.”
“But, if I go to school, you can stay on the ship and play with Puret, Donn, and Wisper all day! And, E~Janne, Jana, and Rynai, and--” Her holo named all the Zheien kids. Their poor mother tried to comfort their dad.
Pirad came out. Like a little green man, but twice the joints we have and he clicks every time he moves! “I wish to help.” Our eyes met, and he warned me not to think about what’s going on beside us.
Eanne~ pulled his hand on his forehead. “Have I Trembling Sickness? Will I be unsound?”
The green man laughed, and his body clicked like castanets! All the kids laughed and gathered around him with smiles. “Eanne~, I cured you when I recloned you and your wife. Let me see Steven.”
He stood in front of him and bowed from the waist. “I am ready.”
Pirad clicked his face into an expression of frozen surprise. All the little kids laughed. “You do not fear me, any of you?”
Mandy gave him a hug. “You made Uncle Ean feel better. I’m not scared. Brrr! You need a blanket!”
“I am cold when I am healthy. But you must not hug me for long or you will be too cold. You need to stay warm.”
“Okay! Blanket, warm me up!” She held both arms over her head. A kid-sized blanket fell from the ceiling on her. She giggled.
Pirad laughed. But he put a hand on Steven’s forehead and clicked his face into a frown. “I think you can keep your Link and take health from it, but if your mother will have conflict with you, I will have to study. To take it may harm your intelligence.”
“Eja fe ne! I did evil--”
“I said I must study. It may not harm him to take his Link, and I can heal him if it damages him to do so, but I think it is cruel. Adult Zheien have great discomfort when a link must be taken. Earthans in our other future had injuries, but I never saw one given or taken from one so young. He cannot prepare for it, even with his memories of being an adult diplomat and having it taken.”
Steven hugged Eanne~. “You won’t get sick, will you? Got a bis tia?”
Eanne~ smiled. Still expected to see long, silver curls, not that short head of dark curls longer than his sons’! “O, I am well enough--”
“You got worried every time Ryee said that! Pas, I am very sorry to be rude, but I am worried!”
Pas laughed. “Steven, I am sorry you are worried, but Eanne~ is well enough to decide if he needs a bis tia.”
“How well is well enough?” He didn’t smile.
Eanne~ hugged him. “What my healer means is, I am able to take a bis tia if I can ne calm. I wish you ne to worry so for me. I am upset, but ne so much that I will allow myself to become unwell. Ea?” He wiped Steven’s tears with his large finger, then his, and mixed them.
Then Steven did it. “May I ask what Trembling Sickness is?”
“Ah, when our ancestors colonized Ye~, we had disagreement with Areon. Instead of forming our colonies in the Barrens, we had to land on Ye~ and he was much hotter. Our scientists had to alter our genetics greatly for our survival. Because of this, there was Trembling Sickness and other maladies. Pirad reverted our genetics to Zhee and our world is ne hot now. This is why water ne bothers us, as he ne bothers other Zheien.”
Tanda touched his arm. “My people would not let you occupy the Barrens? Why?” Her blue eyes watched Eanne~.
“My ancestor Ha~Veh’heien negotiated the treaty in Qvarn, because Areon thought it more accurate than Areonian or Elshar. Elshar lacks descriptive terms. Qvarn is filled with them, moreso than Areonian.”
“This is not true! Qvarn and Areonian have the same number of adjectives and adverbs! I always thought it ridiculous that we had to do trading in Qvarn, when Elshar borrows enough descriptive words from Zheien for trading, and everyone knows these languages. For trading, anyway. Who was the leader of Areon, then?” Kol frowned.
“Osmaich Koch.”
Kol’s eyebrows flew up! “Koch? I never knew we had a Koch leading our colony! How did they get power? I thought the Schwers were bad, but the Kochs were worse!” They put half their own relatives in prison! I spoke with Per Wilnes and learned a lot more history than we had in school.”
Tanda shook all over.
Eanne~ put a hand on his shoulder. “Forgive me, my friend. Perhaps I should not speak of this—”