The Rejiz and his chief advisor, Sariz, stood at the edge of an enormous marble pool that formed part one of the many temples on the Rejzik grounds. Jehz and one of his teachers sat some distance away in a classic Rija meditative pose, their left hands forming a fist with their right hands wrapped around it.
“He’s been a model student Rejiz. Dutiful but questioning when he needs to be. A quiet but powerful spirit. He could be one of us - maybe he should be.”
“If you are saying what I think you are saying Sariz, you need to put that notion out of your mind immediately. Make a Wander out if him when I promised his general father we would only keep him for a year and it has been 18 moons? Oh and by the way, he’s arriving for a meeting with me within the hour as you well know but you just won’t let this go until you make something out of him, will you? You are starting to sound like your partner, Guz, and it’s more than a little disturbing since I thought you were supposed to be the skeptical one? It’s not your fault he’s not a Solon, Sariz. You did your job, he’ll be a loyal ally, I’m sure, or at least a sympathetic one. Either way, he’s more valuable to us as a Musa than he would ever be internally, unless you are thinking he could perhaps do my job?” The Rejiz smiled.
“Of course not sir. I was thinking that would go to me, when the time came that is,” Sariz said, smiling back. “But I just can’t shake the feeling something troubling is going on here. We are no closer to figuring it out than when we started, doesn’t that bother you? Jehz has shown no sign of any kind of special power, even when it is suggested in both direct and indirect ways that he try. However, we still cannot see beyond his force field, even a glimpse has eluded us. What was the point, then? That is what bothers me, should bother all of us. Where will the cannon be aimed when it goes off, Rejiz? Can we possibly let him go before we know?”
“Are you so sure that it will? I’m not. Perhaps you are more deeply disappointed you haven’t been able to load the cannon yourself than you care to admit, my friend. Attachment to that kind of dream is unhealthy for a Rija, Sariz, unhealthy for anyone in fact. We have seen many strange things, things our powerful Illuta brothers, who can reach into every corner of the universe, struggle to even begin explaining. Perhaps whatever the Solon-thing was trying to do failed, at least partially. Perhaps what he thought he was going to accomplish with Jehz was compromised in any number of ways. Perhaps it just hasn’t happened yet. It doesn’t matter Sariz. We have prepared, tried to learn, and now we must let this knot loosen and unravel on its own. Our role is to shape the outcome of our people, Sariz, not clench it in an iron grasp. It is not our way, my friend, you know that.”
“I wish I had your confidence, Rejiz. Do the legends not scare you at all? You have no concern that this student of ours could be the most serious threat the Given has faced since the Syber?”
“Or the greatest gift from the Gods ever received if you were to listen to your more optimistic half Guz.”
“So he says, Rejiz, but we don’t know which way it will be, don’t even have a clue. We can’t let him go under those circumstances.”
“We have no choice, Sariz, you must understand that. We were lucky to have kept him this long and he has to leave today or we are going to have a Musa rebellion to deal with. I, for one, will be happy to see those brutes scatter into the wind. They bring so much tension.”
After completing his meditation, Jehz returned to his quarters to pack his things, such as they were, his journal, his copy of Lessons of Voz, heavily annotated after months of study, a few sets of robes. He wanted to wear his student’s robes for the journey home but Guz wasn’t having it, “Those days are behind you now Jehz. They will always be part of you, but part of your past. The world rushes toward you, my son, you must run into its arms or be crushed under its feet.”
“Very poetic, Guz. Is that saying yours?
“No, it came from my father, he used it often in our conversations when I was a child. He was a very emotional, headstrong man. I used to think it was a shame he had a thoughtful introverted son. Many times we struggled to understand each other but in the end I realized that message was meant for people like me, people like us Jehz. My father never meant it as the self-congratulation of one unafraid to act like himself but as encouragement to those who were. In the end, we are very much alike, you and I, despite the obvious differences. The challenge for us is knowing when to stop thinking and jump in. My father knew that about me, knew me better than I imagined in the end. You’ve learned your lessons well and you’ll always have a place to rest here, but it isn’t home, even though it probably feels like it after all this time.”
Jehz considered his teacher’s words. He had become very comfortable here, maybe too comfortable. The rebellion and outrage of his early days had soon mellowed into a grudging acceptance and then eventual embrace of his new lessons and lifestyle. Neither the Rija nor his father had ever really explained the reason behind this extended apprenticeship. They initially said it was to protect him from the turmoil surrounding the Hayim mission and his unusual role in it, but that didn’t feel at all believable. It then became the need to study the crystals and the force field emanating from them in a neutral place where all kilns could cooperate and determine the risk to both Jehz and the Given, maybe even learn some of the tech behind it. That sounded closer to the truth but the special interest of the Rija priests and odd manner his father treated him with didn’t make sense if that were true.
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In the end though, he supposed he did need the break this extended stay had provided. Ambitious and driven hard by his father, his life as a young Musa officer had been rewarding but difficult. The scrutiny that came with being a famous generals’ son and the feeling he had to always overachieve to ensure others understood he was truly earning his Musa military honors was a burden he had carried for many years. When the commission for the voyage to Hayim came, he knew he deserved it but heard the whispers of those who did not agree and at times even wondered if there was some truth to them.
Then came the surreal events of the Hayim mission, the General’s difficulties in securing the planet and of course, the “attack” that had left him with the crystals and force field. The Illuta said they had been unable to glean much information about it even after countless hours of study and he initially wondered in the early days if they were holding back but lately tended to believe them. He knew almost nothing of it himself. No amount of meditation, self-reflection, or physical examination yielded any clue. He simply felt the same as he always had. Most of the time, he truly wanted the scientists to be able to find something, to give them what they clearly wanted, provide the impetus for some great discovery and be a benefit to his people. He did his best to make it happen, but could not. So now he was ready, with a clear conscience, to return to his old life as a Musa officer. He knew now, deep down, that was what he really wanted. In the end, it had made him happy, provided him with a purpose and sense of pride.
He had been a willing student in his time at Rejzik, no one could deny that. He had tolerated being poked and prodded like a lab rat and studied the Rija way as he was asked to do, responsibly and openly. He had wondered at times if he would ever be comfortable living the life of a warrior after spending this time as a monk, feared that he had become too soft. The thought of seeing his father and rejoining his kiln today however instinctively filled him with joy and hope for the future. Both his Musa and Rija training taught him to recognize these feelings as the way to the truth. He was ready to go home.
***
The General was led into a paneled and finely upholstered waiting room and offered a seat but was too anxious to accept and walked around the room excitedly. He had been waiting for this day since he had arrived home on that painfully long flight from Hayim so long ago, at times he had wondered if it would ever come. To be reunited with Jehz and walk through the front door with him and greet Daez triumphantly, the first step on the journey he had always dreamed of his son and him taking finally complete. It hadn’t happened exactly the way he had planned it, but it was happening nonetheless and he was going to enjoy it. The door opened, but only the Rejiz came through to greet the General. Noticing his alarm, the Rejiz moved quickly to calm him. “There is no problem, General, Jehz is on his way, but before he arrives I wanted us to have a few minutes to speak. I owe you that.”
“Of course Rejiz, but what about?”
“Just to clear the air. I’m sure many of the reports have filtered back to you one way or another but I wanted you to be able to hear it directly from me. I’m afraid we have learned almost nothing about the shield or the crystals during Jehz’s time with us. The Illuta are astounded, but then they always are when they are reminded of the all too predictable limits of their craft, aren’t they? Regardless, our time is up and this arrangement has truly come to an end. Jehz will continue to be under observation in a general way but he is free to resume his life where it was before he was so unfortunately interrupted.”
“I’d heard that about the Illuta studies, Rejiz, but I do appreciate you telling me in person. I hope your statement confirms that whatever concerns you had about Jehz and the “situation” he may or may not have been involved in have dissipated.” The General had been amazed how little he had been able to learn about the deeper reasons behind Jehz’s detainment regardless of the favors he had called in. The Rejiz must have Musa friends in very high places, indeed.
“As much as something like this can be I suppose. And no, I’m afraid I still can’t share any details with you. I’m sorry for that General, you’ve been a friend to us. That will not be forgotten.”
“Understood, I fully expected you would be unable to provide any real update given the locked down nature of this situation, Rejiz. It has been tightly secured, even by Musa standards.”
“Yes, I suppose it has, but rest assured there are reasons. On a lighter note though, I want to congratulate you and you wife on raising such a fine young man. He has dealt with this situation much better than I would have had I been in his shoes, I can assure you of that. It has been a pleasure and an honor to have him as a student and guest and he, and you are always welcome as our honored guests.”
“Those are kind words, Rejiz and very much appreciated. Now where is our talented but normal young officer?”
The door opened and Jehz strode into the room and wrapped his father in a warm hug. “It’s great to see you General and even better to know you won’t be leaving without me this time,” said Jehz. “Let’s go home.”
As the Rejiz watched the scene unfold, he was struck by two things. The first was that Jehz actually referred to his father as General. Must be a Musa tradition, he thought, or some odd family dynamic. The second was far more curious. As he watched them hug, he noticed that the General arms and hands were resting directly on Jehz, not floating in the air slightly due to the force field. Very strange, he thought. Could it be that this young man had just fooled an army of Illuta specialists and Rija behavioral experts for this long into thinking the force field was uncontrollable or was something else going on? He quickly turned and walked out of the room, calling immediately for a meeting of the council as soon as he was out of earshot of the General.