The Lost Tales

by Laurel A. Rockefeller

An Unexpected Meeting (Princess Anyu Returns)

  After deleting “A Beinarian Princess in King Arthur’s Court,” the new chapter two for “Princess Anyu Returns” took the name of “An Unexpected Meeting.” This chapter too led to road blocks in the story telling process as I could not figure out the “what next” part of the story from the direction this chapter took me. On April 25th, 2014 it was subsequently deleted in favor of a different storytelling direction

  Princess Anyu walked through the wilderness until the sun set. Looking at her time piece she was shocked to discover this sun setting after only 390.56 xiao-shirs. What kind of strange place was this for the planet to spin so quickly on its axis? She barely arrived in this place! Uncertain what to do, she headed for a small grove of trees located on what looked like the other side of some sort of paved ground. A road? Could traffic actually run on the ground instead of through the atmosphere like on civilized worlds?

  As if in answer, a blue four wheeled craft with some sort of internal combustion engine roared noisily on the road in front of her, taking her by surprise, its exhaust spewing an unfamiliar gas. Two, three, four such craft with different exterior configurations thundered past her. Carefully, she crossed the road, guestimating the speed of approaching traffic. With her feet firmly planted on the other side of the road, she headed towards the grove of trees twenty zhang 张 ahead, shifting her pack to make it easier to walk.

  Forty xiao-shirs later, Anyu’s encampment stood modestly against a grey-barked tree. Without time to analyze area flora and fauna, she nestled tightly into her sleeping bag and blankets rather than risking an artificial method of warmth. As twilight melted into a black velvet sky filled with hostile stars, a cold wind blew, chilling Anyu to the bone. Shivering, tears fell from her eyes from misery and self-pity. Just over a yen-ar ago, she was the majestic daughter of Beinan’s sovereign queen, sleeping in comfort in a large curtained bed and with servants all around her. As the cold wind brought drizzle, soaking her further, Anyu found herself trembling in terror, cold, and shame. ‘Why me?’ her soul cried to Abka Biya, goddess of the moon. At length, exhaustion overtook her though barely a shir-or passed since walking away from the Liltaél. She passed into her first sleep on this alien world.

  Dawn broke quickly over the horizon, affording Anyu only one shir-or to nap between local sunset and sunrise. The burning white-yellow of the sun broke through the leaves of the trees around her, a truly alien sight: her first real, undiluted sunrise. How strange that something taken for granted by the natives of this world should be so provocatively alien to her? For just a xiao-shir, Anyu let go of her terror and confusion and allowed herself to be the engineer and scientist she worked so hard to become, admiring this miraculous sight nestled among so many dangers.

  With the rising sun came bird calls. Some sounded deep and booming. Others sounded high and frantic. All sounded alien. It was, she supposed, too much to ask for a fabku or fafiku to perch in a branch near her. No; all the fabku and fafiku breathe nirlar, same as her. This morning none could greet her.

  As Anyu’s heart sank, a blue and white bird 9 cun 寸 long flew to a branch just over her head friendlily, letting a loud joyful call. The bird’s mate quickly joined him, cawing with delight and curiosity at Anyu. Anyu smiled and watched them before breaking camp to continue her journey to nowhere.

  The local sun rose and fell rapidly. Across the rotational period, Anyu maintained a steady pace, walking parallel to the main road towards what appeared to be some sort of settlement. As the sun prepared to set, Anyu found herself weakened by the lack of food and drink. Though she packed some food rations, she found herself shy about consuming even one meal lest the five hundred quentchen of rations among her supplies run out too quickly.

  As if by some divine answer to her weakness, a land craft pulled up behind her. A young woman with short black hair and metallic blue eyes hidden behind large dark sunglasses stepped out of the vehicle, an oversized white linen blazer covering her black corset and knee length poufy black tulle ballerina skirt. Odd music with a techno-beat blared from the car stereo. “You lost?” she asked in Beinarian.

  “What?” asked Anyu, surprised by the unexpected appearance of the strange looking young woman.

  “Are you lost? Do you need transportation?”

  “What?”

  “Come-on! We will give you a ride,” beckoned the young woman, helping Anyu remove her pack and slide into the back seat.

  Thirty xiao-shirs later, the land craft pulled up at a strange looking building. Smiling, the young woman and her companion, a tall fellow with metallic blue eyes and jet black hair hidden behind similar glasses and wearing a black t-shirt and black jeans beckoned Anyu out of the car, leading her into the strange structure that smelled of food. With the man paying the clerk at the front for all three of them, they followed a waitress to a cozy booth and then led her to a massive dinner buffet filled with alien foods and beverages. Too hungry to ask questions, Anyu watched her benefactors and copied their actions. Sitting down at the table once more with two large plates laden with an assortment of foods and with a large iced soda in front of her she greedily consumed everything in front of her, not caring if anything before her were dangerous to a Beinarian.

  Satisfied at last, Anyu sat back and listened to the conversation between the young man and young woman in a foreign language, her translation device oddly able to translate most of the words they said to one another, yet not able to translate most of the words spoken by others sitting nearby. Too tired and stressed to care, she ignored the discrepancy. Whatever the reason, it would come to her in time.

  With completion of the meal, the young man and young woman beckoned Anyu to return to their land craft. Nestled comfortably once more, they drove to a red brick apartment building near some sort of institution of higher learning. The head of some sort of native animal adorned signs everywhere in dark blue on a white field. What strange heraldry was this?

  Entering their small apartment, the young woman expertly rearranged her living room furniture, pulling a bed out from her cozy sofa, and placing soft pillows at the head of the bed for her. Still wearing her kirtle, Anyu carefully navigated the prepared space and fell into a deep sleep from which she did not rise until the local sun rose and fell four more times.

  Princess Anyu felt oddly content. By Beinarian reckoning, only one beinor passed since she left the Liltaél hidden in the cave. Exhausted by walking over one hundred li 里, Anyu needed the sleep, yet found it odd that these creatures or people, whatever they were, permitted her to simply sleep as long as she wished.

  Navigating the cramped furniture around her, Anyu noticed what appeared to be some sort of strange clothing laid out for her to put on. Careful to avoid displacing her ciphers from her skin, she stripped her kirtle off her body, her now naked body looking peculiar under the yellow-white light of the local sun. For a moment she paused to look at herself in the odd light, noticing the way the subtle curves of her immature body felt distorted to her eyes. A distasteful grimace escaped her lips at the sight as she picked up what appeared to be some sort of black-colored under garments, the logic of which initial escaped her as she tried at first in vain to discern how to wear them. After four unsuccessful attempts, Anyu finally discerned their logic, fastening first the bra, then panties onto her body before pulling on a strangely short and narrow black skirt with a slit running high up the outer edge of the left thigh and black semi-sheer blouse that buttoned in front. Finding a full length mirror in the apartment’s lavatory, she gazed at these local clothes wistfully, seeing only ugliness in their fit and design. How did these primitives live and work in such clothing?

  Still lost in thought, Anyu found odd-looking metal keys along with maps and a note left for her on the kitchen counter – all rendered in Beinarian characters with just a few characters in the local script scattered throughout. Beinarian? How? Who were her benefactors and how did they kno
w her language?

  Uncertain what else to do, she focused on reading the note, “You are at 478 East Beaver Ave, apt 2. Meet me at Old Main. Use these keys if you need them to re-enter the apartment. Ask for Mary Sheldon.” Almost exactly on cue, her hidden computer beeped excitedly. Removing the tablet buried among her supplies, she noticed a strange program operating, one she never saw before. Tapping the screens to navigate, the program flashed information about geography, culture, and other details about the planet around her – information no Beinarian she knew of possessed. Puzzled, she found a black and white floral tote bag prepared for her by her benefactors – Mary Sheldon? Slipping her computer into the bag, she picked up the keys and maps, slipped on the provided black sandals, and locked the door behind her.

  Anyu wandered, trying to follow the strange map filled with Beinarian characters. After what felt like a full yen-ar of walking in her strange and uncomfortable clothing, a white three story building with classical columns and a tall bell tower rose up in front of her, sidewalks radiating from it from many directions. Tired, she sat down on a nearby bench. A dark haired, fair skinned, and grey-eyed young man wearing a white shirt, white trousers, and a trendy white blazer sat down beside her, “Nice day, isn’t it?” Anyu looked at him blankly, her hidden translator unable to figure out the language. The man smiled gently, “You look lost. New here?” Anyu blinked. The young man smiled, and then offered his question in six different native languages, each one still confusing her. Slyly he switched to Beinarian, “Are you lost, milady?”

  “What?” asked Anyu in Beinarian.

  “Ah! So I am right! You are of B345A15 Quartus! Do not worry; I am not here to hurt you. I believe you are looking for someone?” offered the young man.

  Anyu eyed him warily, “Mary Sheldon?”

  “She is not here right now, but she told me to find you. I am called Christopher by the locals. Christopher Gurun.”

  “Gurun?”

  “Yes, I belong to house Gurun. You are of the engineers of Xing-li are you not?” asked Christopher.

  “Yes – how did you know?”

  “Your cipher – the Xing-lian star! But I see your other cipher also bears the heraldry of Gurun – and the mark of royalty. Are you related to the king or queen of Beinan, my lady?”

  “I – “

  “Do not worry; I am not your enemy.”

  “What are you called back home?”

  “Many names, not all of them kind,” evaded Christopher.

  “I do not understand.”

  “You will, in time.”

  “Who are you?”

  “A friend; I too know this ‘Mary Sheldon’ as she calls herself around here. As a matter of fact, ‘Mary’ and her husband ‘Richard’ captured my star craft and brought me here. I was no more than fifty beinors from home travelling at a standard 0.8 of maximum speed when their star craft, the Nimamur, intercepted mine and brought it aboard.”

  “Is it my imagination or does she look remarkably like Lady Laela from the Temple of Abka Biya in Bira Hecen?”

  “I beg your pardon, I have never heard that name before – but it would not surprise me. They go by many names and can disguise themselves at will.”

  “Who are they?”

  “Hard to say exactly. What I know or believe may or may not be true. What is clear is that they are neither of our world nor this one; they are ancient – older than any other beings either of us have met before.”

  “Can they be trusted?” asked Anyu nervously.

  “Perhaps. For a long time I trusted them without question,” reminisced Christopher.

  “Do you still?”

  “Honestly I do not know. What I do know is that the natives of this world are not nearly so backward as Beinarian egos prefer to think; they are a danger to us if we are not careful, if only out of their blind ignorance.”

  “Truth be told, I have never spoken to a native before, only to ‘Mary’ and ‘Richard’ who intercepted me while I walked towards this settlement and insisted on carrying me here in their land craft.”

  “Automobile is what the locals call their land craft. And yes, I am aware. While you slept they came to me and alerted me you arrived from home world, along with your name, of course, Anyu. After discussing it a long time, I convinced both of them to put you in my care. I would like to transfer your belongings from their home to mine as soon as possible – after a meal of course. I suspect it’s been a while since you last ate.”

  Anyu looked at her time piece, “Last beinor according to my time piece.”

  “Well then, let us change that. I know a good place not far from here where we can eat, one where the owners and staff know me – or at least the person I wish them to believe I am.”

  Christopher led Anyu through the college campus, pointing out the names and significance of the buildings they passed along the way. At length he guided her to the Nittany Cub diner just off campus, “This is one of my preferred places to take mid-day meals. It is owned by a local family with the young ones working for and with the older ones. But be warned, my lady: not all is as it appears to be. To survive here I have needed to pretend to be what I am not. Take no offense at the words you hear – nor towards what I may do to continue my pretense to be one of them,” warned Christopher, opening the door to the diner and leading her to the front counter where stood tall man in a white t-shirt and blue jeans with mocha skin, curly raven-black hair, and the darkest eyes Anyu ever saw, so dark Anyu felt fear. What sort of creature was this?

  Christopher greeted him warmly with a series of ritualized hand clasps, “Hey Daryl!”

  “Hey Christopher my man! What’s happening homeboy?”

  “Nothing rad, Daryl, nothing rad.”

  “So who’s the bimbette, sorority girl?” leered Daryl playfully.

  Christopher smiled, “Nothing so gnarly, dude! But she is bodacious isn’t she?”

  “Totally. Brought her here for some gang banging? I bet we could get into some serious fun. I still got that secret room down in the basement ready – just in case!” hinted Daryl suggestively.

  “Tempting, my man, but no, not today. Maybe another time,” suggested Christopher, changing the subject, “So Daryl is my usual table available, the private one around the corner?”

  “Make-out central? Sure is! Nice and private for whatever you have in mind. Just remember that if you need more privacy to take the stairs down to my pad.

  Christopher nodded, as if agreeing with the Daryl’s sexual suggestiveness, “Will do, man, will do!”

  Putting his arm suggestively around Anyu’s waist, Christopher guided her across the diner to a secluded booth around the corner from the main dining room. No other tables or booths stood near the comfortable dining space. Two menus, blue-paper placements, some napkins, and cutlery for two rested on the table. Christopher motioned for Anyu to sit across from him, switching his speech to Beinarian, “Can you read their language?”

  “No; it’s changed too much since the explorer droid’s last transmission. What are these strange characters called?”

  “This language is called ‘English;’ it is one of hundreds of languages spoken and written on this planet. That goes with a people incapable of inter-solar flight. They have not yet learned to speak with unity, much less establish a trade language for interacting with other societies across the stars.”

  “You seem comfortable enough with these primitives.”

  “Appearances can be and usually are deceiving. That is why we must learn to use, trust, and control our non-visual senses – our hearing, our touch, and especially our spiritual abilities such as you and I both possess, the same abilities that hallmark house Miyoo.”

  “I do not know what you are talking about.”

  Christopher opened the menu in front of him, “Sure you do. But I think you are new to such talents and not yet learned to embrace them.”

  Anyu opened the menu in front
of her, trying in vain to make out the language, “What makes you think I possess such ‘gifts?’”

  “Our benefactors,” mentioned Christopher, studying the menu. “What do you want to eat?”

  “I have no idea.”

  “What Beinarian food do you like?”

  “Fresh rak from the Amba Mederi Ocean with nara berry mead,” offered Anyu.

  Christopher scanned the menu for seafood, finding a seafood platter consisting of grilled shrimp, scallops, and salmon he knew from experience would be reasonable palatable to the princess along with a steak and shrimp option, “Rak do not exist on this world, but there are several sea creatures I think you will find acceptable. Shall I order you a variety of these to try? They are all compatible with our biology, despite being kol-based life forms.”

  “As you wish. I suppose I must trust you on this,” acknowledged Anyu wistfully.

  Christopher clasped her hands, “Do not be afraid. Nothing will harm you as long as I am here to protect you.”

  Daryl sauntered up to the couple, a pen and notepad in hand, “Ready to order?”

  Christopher switched back to English, “Bring me the surf and turf well-done with grilled shrimp, not fried, and the mushroom rice pilaf please. My date would like the seafood platter with mashed potatoes and mushroom gravy please.”

  “Salads?”

  “Regular garden salads with ranch dressing for both, please.”

  “Drink?”

  “Belhaven fruit beer for me and, hmm, bring a blackberry breezer wine cooler for her.

  “Going all out for your date, eh, homeboy?”

  “Can you think of a better way to get a Joanie out of her clothes?” suggested Christopher shrewdly.

  Daryl’s eyes flashed sensuously, “I hear ya, man! You gotta gnarly plan going. That’s cool! Salads will be ready in ten.” With an acknowledging nod from Christopher, Daryl darted to the kitchen.

  Christopher sighed, switching back to Beinarian, “That was close!”

  “I do not understand.”

  “He questioned why I chose such expensive food for what he assumes is a courtship ritual intended to quickly obtain your sexual favors. I had to play along with his assumption – or risk your integrity. Daryl is a good man when he wants to be – but he lacks Beinarian respect for women. The dominate religion in this village focuses on a mythological figure said to be a wise teacher who was tortured in a prolonged and agonizing execution – then resurrected three of their rotational periods called ‘days’ following his death. This person is said to be one member of this culture’s trinity god and the reason for the execution told from within a very particular religious paradigm. I cannot say I understand any of this – believing as I do in our trinity goddess – but I do know this religion as practiced here in this locality holds a very low opinion of women. We must both be careful.”

  “Why?”

  “There are many dangers on this planet, not the least of which being the complete lack of atmospheric nirlar to breathe. But even more than the lack of nirlar, the natives and their cultural differences threaten our lives. One misstep and they will take our ciphers or worse faster than we can say ‘blessed be.’”

  Anyu sighed, “What do I do?”

  “Play along with me, no matter what I seem to do to you. Remember that what I do among these creatures is for their benefit, an act if you will designed to protect our lives, even if you feel in doing so you compromise your reputation. If the information from ‘Mary’ and ‘Richard’ is correct, no one back home is in a position to worry about protocol or ancient customs. Survival always trumps protocol.”

  Daryl returned with a tray of garlic bread, salads, cups of extra salad dressing, and their beverages in un-capped bottles carefully balanced with one hand which he expertly transferred to the table in front of them, “Here are your salads with extra ranch dressing on the side. Let me know if you want more garlic bread. Your entrees will be ready in about ten minutes. Enjoy.”

  “Thanks,” replied Christopher as Daryl returned to the kitchen. Anyu watched him as he mixed the salad dressing into his salad before pouring a bit of dressing from of the extra dressing cups into the middle of the romaine lettuce. Picking up a fork, she picked at the salad in an attempt to copy him before trying it. Without warning, hunger set in. Quietly, efficiently Anyu ate greedily, Christopher noting from an almost meditative posture the sudden change in her demeanor and remembering his first beinors on this world when he acted much the same way. Picking up a slice of melted cheese laden garlic bread, he munched, hoping Anyu would try it as well. Of all the native foods Christopher ate since landing, garlic bread remained the most delicious of all local cuisine; there was nothing on Beinan to compare to it.

  Without a word, Christopher slid over to sit next to Anyu, startling her as he put an arm around her waist. Meeting her eyes and keenly aware of the time, Christopher silently kissed her lips. Anyu glared at him, but said nothing as Christopher continued to kiss her, whispering into her ear, “Pretend you want me to seal you in marriage.”

  “Why?” protested Anyu.

  “He’s coming!” whispered Christopher, unbuttoning Anyu’s blouse and pulling it away from her body, his ears sensing Daryl’s approach. Without a word, Christopher slipped his lips down to the edge of Anyu’s bra, moving it slightly to kiss her cleavage.

  Daryl smirked as he put the main entrées on the table in front of them, Anyu’s eyes noticing a lecherous glare from his eyes. Closing her eyes, she pretended to encourage Christopher’s exaggerated advances, slipping one strap down off her shoulder responsively and pretending not to notice him. Daryl leaned over for a view of her breasts approvingly before smiling and leaving them alone.

  Christopher listened carefully for Daryl to disappear once more, extending his kisses deeper beneath her bra before slowly pulling back away from her, “That was close!”

  Anyu panted, trying to catch her breath as she returned the strap back to her shoulder and re-buttoned her blouse, “What would he have done if I had not cooperated just now?”

  “A lot more than he did,” hinted Christopher. “To him, you are just a body for his advances. He would have taken you – removing everything from your body for his pleasure.”

  “Everything…”

  Christopher nodded “Yes! What is perhaps even more savage – he wouldn’t even have noticed you were dying until your body fell limp, then stiff.”

  “The way he looked at me … you were protecting me….”

  “As I always have, Lady Anyu,” confirmed Christopher, sliding away from her and returning to his seat across from her. Picking up a fork and knife, he cut into his steak, tasting a sliver approvingly.

  Anyu sat up, still in shock, “Necessary or not, I am still – what you did was wrong – even if your reasons were –” Anyu dipped a grilled scallop into the provided garlic butter sauce, her eyes avoiding his, “– understandable.” Anyu tasted the scallop tentatively, trying to decide whether or not to call him out about the use of her name; she had not, after all, told him what it was.

  Christopher reached across the table, caressing her fingers apologetically, “If I thought there had been another way, Anyu – I wish you remembered me well enough to trust me!”

  Anyu picked up a fried jumbo shrimp and dipped it into some cocktail sauce, “But I do not know you – not at all! What makes you think we knew each other before?”

  Christopher met her eyes, “We knew each other. I can feel it.”

  Anyu took a sip of her wine cooler, “That is not an answer.”

  “That is all I have to give you right now,” replied Christopher simply, picking up his fork and continuing to dine. Anyu followed suit, eating her lunch silently.

  Finishing their meals in silence, Christopher beckoned Anyu to follow him as he paid Daryl for the meals at the front counter. The yellow-white sun shined brightly upon them as they stepped back onto the street. Waiting until the diner f
elt safely behind, Anyu quickened her pace to meet Christopher’s, “Now where?”

  Christopher headed for Mary and Richard’s apartment, “We will collect your belongings and transfer them to my apartment. If I know Mary and Richard, they have little interest in you staying with them for long.”