by Richard Lord
“I don’t know, that’s Destiny’s problem.” Harmony clicks the entire ship without interfacing with either of them.
Destiny looks at Joy. “She may be crazy, but there’s something to her.”
CHAPTER 25
“For every action there is an equal or greater reaction. That’s how Tsunami’s happen.” – from the Book of Brian
“I was wondering when you’d finally come closer.” The man says as he moves in swiftly with his sword.
Renfield clicks away, but suddenly feels the clinch of the hand around his neck as the man looks at him and says, “Not yet, first man.”
Renfield eyes show not just surprise but begin to go dull as the grasp around his neck tightens. He clicks again only to find he is again in the same hold. Then it releases.
“Go. This is not when for you.” The man states, matter of factly.
Renfield wonders at the statement, but his first priority is getting air back into his lungs. As he sits and breathes he thinks out, “Stay very still, Tomorrow. I know what he does. I don’t think he’s even conscious of it.” After a minute he says to the man, “So you are the opposite of me? Everything for you happens in slow motion.”
“Everything you do is annoying. This is why I call you Hummingbird, Adam Renfield.” The man walks to the other side of his personal chamber and lowers his head to think. “You’ve invaded my home. Leave. I will spare your precious Tomorrow.”
Renfield looks at that man with not just shock, but also panic and clicks to him to attack again. Again he feels the hand on his throat as he eyes that the stone is now embedded in the hilt of an odd sword.
“I said, leave.” The man let’s go his grip to allow Renfield to gather his breath again.
Renfield thinks out to Tomorrow, “Please go, now!”
CHAPTER 26
“If there aren’t multiple dimensions, that surely means there are hundreds of years interspersed throughout history we can’t account for. Or there are multiple worlds.” – from the Book of Solstice
Harmony pulls down her pants and pees in the rubble of her own creation. Destiny looks at Joy and they both roll their eyes.
“What? I’m marking my territory. Men do it.” Harmony pushes harder.
“It’s barbaric, Harmony.” Destiny responds.
“Joy has a barbaric man, is that what you want?” Harmony asks as she stands.
Joy looks at Harmony, “He’s not barbaric.” Then as her thoughts go to her husband she thinks, “Well sometimes, but it’s cute when he is, it’s not cute when you are.”
Destiny looks at her mother and makes a point to approach Harmony and kiss her. Harmony reaches towards her, but Destiny backs away before she embarrasses her in front of her mother.
Joy again rolls her eyes at the scene. She averts her eyes to take in the destruction. “So, this pretty much verifies there is no governing body on this planet now. I doubt most will be happy. Remember they can click. Any moment they will be coming here to check on the loved ones you killed, Harmony.”
“Destiny will speak and it will all be okay.” Harmony inches back towards Destiny with a look in her eyes while clenching herself.
“Harmony, do you not get that you committed and act of murder?” Destiny holds her hand up to block Harmony’s advances but notes where Harmony’s hand is.
“They tried to kill us!” Harmony responds.
Destiny begins to respond but Joy cuts in, “She’s right. If there was ever a case for a preemptive attack it would be the situation we were in.”
Destiny looks at Harmony, “You’ve changed.”
“So have you. Let’s change together, right here.” Harmony reaches for Destiny again while one hand is still in the same place, slowly working on her own body.
Destiny watches her but resists. “My mother is right. They will be here soon. I don’t know what you think I’m going to say, but personally I think we shouldn’t be here when they arrive.” Her eyes go back down to Harmony’s hand as she watches the slow rhythmic movement. She thinks to herself, “She may be crazy, but she is tempting.”
Joy hears her daughter’s thought and announces, “You two are in no shape to deal with what’s about to happen. Click back. My mother ran three cities. I’ll deal with one planet.”
Destiny looks at her mother. “We’re fine. I’m not leaving you hear alone. Harmony, find a place up high to hide. I’m going out in front.”
Then it happens, people start clicking in and seeing them there. Destiny looks at the faces and realizes they don’t know that they were involved in this macabre scene. Then she thinks to Harmony, “Shut out their minds.” As she thinks it it’s too late. They’ve already heard Harmony’s thought. Destiny realizes, this is the moment they have to establish dominance or they never will.
She thinks in as wide a broadcast as she can. “Yes, we are responsible for this destruction. It was us or them. Don’t make it you or us. We are Renfields. We will win. We don’t want to hurt anyone else. We are taking control of their job functions. If you want peace with us, you will leave. There is no one left alive, we already checked. We know you are grieving. We understand, we grieve the loss of some of our own.” She intends to say more but feels the arm around her neck, she clicks, and she appears to a kick in the stomach. She looks to see her mother’s position. Her mother is clicking around extremely fast and with no patience for empathy. She takes the hint and begins doing the same, bur with a slightly different strategy. She continually stops to think out, “We don’t want to hurt you! Cease and let’s run this planet the way it should have been run. With free trade so all of us can share what these few kept for themselves.” She knows the speech is going nowhere. The swarm of people only grows larger, but then she notes that some begin fighting on their side. Destiny realizes these are not family members, they are other people who have heard her and always disliked the way things were run. She chuckles as she thinks to her self, “I don’t know what’s so civil about war, but it’s saving our butts right now.” Then her mother is by her side.
“Short speech, but it seems to have sparked something.” Joy says.
“Keep moving, mom. You’re the fastest of us.” Destiny responds.
“Joy clicks again and thinks to her daughter, “So is Harmony just going to sit up there and do nothing? She started this.”
Destiny clicks and then thinks back to her mother, “Do you really want her getting involved. She’s crazy. I may have a thing for her, but I know she’s crazy.”
Joy laughs, “Point taken.” As she looks up and sees Harmony hovering over the ledge where she chose to hide. Joy wonders how much Harmony can hear. Is she somewhat like Destiny who can hear everything, direct thoughts between them, even blocked thoughts. Or is she oblivious as to the conversation they are having?
At that moment Harmony leaps then in midair she clicks and ends up in the center of the mayhem. She yells out with her mind and her vocal chords as loud as anyone has ever heard in their ears or their own minds, “Stop!”
The fighting ceases immediately.
“This is Destiny!” She points. “You will follow her. No one else is to click, plot or plan anything. This is done now or you will face me.”
The tone of the thought and words is intimidating to say the least. Everyone looks at Destiny.
Destiny, caught off guard herself, then announces, “This is a new way. We all win. We all can do things others cannot. We need to use our gifts to make a positive change on the planets we are all from. If you were born here, then use it to make this place better.” Destiny clicks next to Harmony and Joy follows the cue. “We are us for a reason. Let’s make that count!” Destiny grabs Joy and Harmony’s hands and raises them in solidarity. Then Harmony does the unexpected. They are back in the hangar.
Destiny’s face turn red with anger as she yells at Harmony, “Why the hell would you do that at our moment? That was our best chance to survive.”
Harmony looks at Destiny, “It’s time t
o go now. Joy should drive. I’m not that good at it yet.” She turns and straps herself into the back cargo area of the craft.
Joy looks at Destiny and says, “You’re right. She’s crazy. But she can click more than one by herself. That’s not tandem clicking at work. I think we both know that by now.”
Destiny looks at her mother and sighs as she turns to board the craft herself.
Joy pushes past them as she gets into the pilot seat. “Harmony. I’d like some grapes from a special vineyard my father used to take me to. Can we go there?”
Before she can even set the jets, they appear in the vineyard.
Joy turns to look at Harmony. “Umm, thanks.” She unbuckles herself and pushes past them again as she leaves the hatch.
Joy knows she can’t hide her thoughts from her daughter. She just hopes her daughter is wise enough to not tell Harmony what she has in mind.
She runs to a vine and begins picking grapes, then as she sees Destiny and Harmony begin a conversation, she kneels down and with her bare hands begins digging in the soft soil below the vine. She pulls out a box. She had seen her father bury it a long time ago. She considers opening it. To use what is inside. The thing Renfield can’t remember putting there because for him that time hasn’t come yet. She holds the box to herself. Then she begins digging the hole deeper, puts the box back in and places a pearl on the spot as a marker. It is a rather large pearl her husband had given her. Something he found during one of his hauls while out on one of his expeditions. She turns and walks back to the craft with her hands full of grapes and hands them to her daughter and to Harmony.
Destiny thinks to her mother, “I knew you wouldn’t do it. Thank you.” Then she turns to Harmony. “So let’s get my mother back to her husband.”
Harmony is licking at the grape, but not biting into it. She looks at Destiny, “Okay.” Then they are on a cliff overlooking the docks.
Joy looks down and recognizes her husbands body as if it were her own. She leaps from the helm and heads to the hatch. She stops, looks back at Destiny and say, “I love your father. He’s a good man. I’m sorry to leave. I think you should drive and I damned well know you can. You’ve been listening to my thoughts while I did it and Illumna’s thoughts while she was it.” Joy looks up at the strange sun shifting colors. “You trust in Harmony. I trust in you.” She leans over and kisses her daughters forehead and then pulls her close for a last hug. Then she whispers into Destiny’s ear, “Find my mother before my father gets her killed.”
Harmony turns and says, “I think I can do that. Destiny, you have the helm.”
Destiny looks at her mother and shakes her head. Then asks aloud, “What is the point in me having the helm when she controls where we go in an instant?”
Joy doesn’t spend much time pondering the question and replies, “Because the tow of you are linked somehow. I don’t get it, but you are. Accept it.” Then she looks at Harmony, “Even if she’s crazy.” Joy grins as she backs away from the skycrawler and it ceases to be in view.
CHAPTER 27
“It would have been nice if there was ever a plan. Some called me controlling but she controlled in her own demure way.” – from the Book of Destiny
“He’s not here. The ground is purple and green. He couldn’t be here.” Destiny comments.
“No, I don’t think he is. I think this is someplace else.” Harmony responds as she opens the hatch.
Destiny yells, “Stop! We haven’t even tested the atmosphere yet!”
Harmony looks back, “It seems okay to me.” Then she climbs out and looks around and notices the lime green sky. “It moves fast.”
Destiny gets up to leave the hatch. “What do you mean?” Then she looks up at the clouds and sees how fast they go by. He says, “That’s impossible. The winds would have torn us apart by now, but I don’t even feel a breeze.” Then she hears Harmony’s thought as Harmony beings stripping down to go do her dance.
“Harmony. That’s cute and all, but did it ever occur to you that you have no idea what you will attract?” Destiny scolds.
“And yet you left that planet to Brutus and Xaltuth.” Harmony begins spinning herself around.
“That planet is a nexus of some sort. Why did you take us from it and leave it to those two?” Destiny begins hearing thought Harmony had not had previously.
“I don’t know.” Harmony answers as a creature that can best be described as a dog, runs up and sniffs at her groin. It looks somewhat like a hound, but more like a freak of nature. Harmony leans down to pet it. “I know who you are. How did you get here?” She hears no response in her mind, and looks at Destiny.
“Yeah, that’s odd. Anyway, he’s thinking he wants to go home. Guess where he considers home?” Destiny looks disdainfully at the creature knowing exactly what it is and thinking about Illumna.
Harmony answers, “Okay, let’s go then.”
“That thing tried to kill Illumna and it used to be a human! We’re not taking it anywhere!” Destiny crosses her arms as if to make her point appear more determined.
“It’s the only thing here in this place. Everything else is plant or something semi-plant.” Harmony replies.
“And how do you know that, have you searched the entire planet?” Destiny looks at Harmony with a look of disapproval at her jumping to conclusions.
“I don’t know how I know. You know how it all ends, Destiny. I don’t even know why I go places until I am there.” Harmony picks up the dog and begins walking back to the skycrawler.
“Why does everyone keep saying that? I only see the projections of things that will be if things don’t change. Guess what. Things constantly change.” Destiny heads to the skycrawler and says, “So you’re plan is to return him to a planet where we made a grand speech about unity and then disappeared? That doesn’t seem like a great idea. Nor does leaving that thing there.”
“He’s my relative. I know you understand.” Harmony says without any particular look on her face. Then she works to find a good way to strap the dog in.
“Why are you even doing that? We’re just going to click, it’s not like there’s turbulence on the way.” Destiny’s voice begins showing more annoyance.
“I don’t know. I want him to be safe.” Harmony answers.
“I suppose if it weren’t for him and his brother I wouldn’t exist, so whatever, do what you want.” Destiny sits at the helm but wonders why she bothers. She notes that the sun here is also phasing colors as the sky changes to a deep hue of blue. It is then that she realizes she has been complacent in allowing Harmony to have this effect on so many worlds. She thinks about that while Harmony stalls while playing with the creature in behind her. Then she decides she still thinks it must be the right thing, but has no idea why she is driven to continue. As she sighs she notices they are in the hangar.
“I can’t hear him.” Harmony states as if nothing had happened.
“He hears you. Take him to Xaltuth and click directly back here. I don’t want to spend much time here. Make your goodbye’s short.”
“They are here. I have to go open the hangar door.” Harmony clicks and as the hangar door goes up Destiny watches the reveal of Brutus and then Xaltuth on his back. She thinks out, “How have the tow have you been since the change?”
“Well thank you.” Brutus does his best to make a bowing gesture.
Xaltuth comments, “You are the leader now. It’s established.”
“I didn’t really ask to be.” Destiny notes her own tone and decides to reel it in before she speaks next. She looks over at Harmony in apology.
“Yes, you did and you got what you asked for. Everyone is looking to you for guidance.” Xaltuth dismounts Brutus and bows to Destiny. “You fulfilled the prophecy. The talk in the streets is that you have a plan that will change the sun back on all of our worlds.”
Destiny considers her position and responds, “I see. I will hold a conference tonight, better yet a dinner. Can you provide me a list on who should a
ttend and where it should be held. We need a place as big as your list requires and it has to be someplace that can prepare a banquet on such short notice.” Then she wonders if Harmony’s last clicks were about the damned dog or forcing her back here to face this reality.
Xaltuth dismounts Brutus and walks over to bow before Destiny. “My palace is a fine place for such an event.”
“Ahh, so you took over the place once Brandathax was gone?” Destiny notes that it was both a pragmatic and political move.
Xaltuth smiles in return. Then he concentrates. Destiny hears him think back to his staff and give them specific instructions. Then Xaltuth stands and says, “Arrangements are being made.”
Destiny notes that he is a far thinker. Then she realizes that is why he was commander of troops.
Brutus steps forward looking at the dog. He begins pushing at it and it wags its tail as he pushes it down with is face. The dog jumps up again and Brutus pushes it over again. The dog pops back up even more excited. “Playful thing. It has strange thoughts.”
“Yeah, Brutus, it’s a long story.” Then she catches that Brutus can hear it. She turns to look at Harmony who nods in agreement that the dog should stay with Brutus. She thinks to Brutus who also nods and then pushes the dog over again.
Xaltuth comments. “You don’t plan to stay. You’ll need a proxy. May I assume that would be me?”
“You are direct, Xaltuth.” Destiny looks over at Harmony, then back to Xaltuth, “Someone needs to watch over big tits, over there. She doesn’t have a habit of staying in one place for too long.”
Harmony looks down at her own breasts and lifts them to see if they are bigger than she thought. “Destiny, you don’t like them? I thought you…”
“Harmony, it’s a just a comment. It isn’t a statement one way or the other. Relax.” Destiny fixes her eyes on Xaltuth. “You are assuming this dinner goes well. Let’s take one thing at a time.”