Wilken believed he knew what he would hear, but simply nodded permission for him to continue. “Go on, tell me why I should distrust Rasa.”
“Well, sir, I don’t want to upset you, but she is going around saying she’s your successor. It’s ridiculous and heretical, I know, but there it is.” He looked down at his hands as he waited for a response. Several long seconds went by and still the silence continued. He looked up to see what might be happening.
“What would you propose be done about such heresy?”
“Well, keeping her here as a guest reflects badly upon you. If I were you, I’d send her away and probably shorten her name.” The last idea pleased him greatly and he nodded his head in emphasis of his conviction.
“You do realize shortening a person’s name is only for the most serious offense. We do not issue such an edict lightly.” Wilken wanted to press the matter a little further to see what else Willian had in his mind before he set him straight.
“I’ve often had problems with Rasa behaving above her station because she was one of Jehoban’s students. Lying is one of the worst things a person can do, especially because she has studied with Jehoban. She’s gone too far this time and it cannot be overlooked.”
Wilken gave the young man a long stare before he made his reply. “I had considered having you tell Rasa what a proper punishment should be for such a grievous lie, but that would put you at a disadvantage in the future.”
Willian cocked his head in confusion at the Elder’s statement and wondered what he could be getting at.
“I know you’re young and you still have many anons before you will be installed as an Elder. However, you always need to be cognizant of the fact you were born into a position where you will affect people’s lives, whether for good or ill. You must always remember to hear both sides of a situation before you come to any conclusion or you could be hurting people unnecessarily.
“I’ve agreed to have you mediate for my youth population. I had planned for Rasa to sit in with you during those sessions for consultation and evaluation of your decisions. If I were to send her away, where would that put me? I don’t have time to handle the glut of mediation currently flooding my office.”
“I see. I didn’t know it was like that for you. I assumed you had a large staff.”
“I do have a large staff; however, they are all quite busy as well. Manzanit is a very populace district. There is one other aspect you should have asked.”
“What was it?”
“Instead of assuming Rasa were lying, you should have asked me if it were true.”
“Of course it wasn’t true! Women do not become Elders! Everyone knows that. Why would I waste my time asking you when it was obviously a lie?” Willian could not even imagine lending credence to such an absurd story.
“Consider this your first lesson. Had you asked me about Rasa I would have told you she spoke the truth. She has been confirmed as my successor just a few days ago. I called a convocation to which your father presided over. I’m surprised he didn’t share with you the reason for the meeting.”
“He did say it was to confirm your successor, he just didn’t happen to mention anything about it being Rasa.” Willian had a sick feeling in his stomach and his anger toward his father rose to a new level for allowing him to make such a horrid first impression on Elder Wilken.
“I can see you are angry, Willian. Please learn to channel such anger to bring you higher in your understanding of people and situations. It is okay to be wrong, but in your position it is not okay to stay wrong when you find out differently.”
Willian tried unsuccessfully to stifle his anger and finally burst out, “It’s just not done! How could you have put her forward as your successor?”
“Again, you are making an assumption. I did not put her forward as my candidate.”
“I don’t understand. You just said she was! You’re not making any sense.”
“Remember to ask questions before you decide your own truth. With that in mind, what would you ask me?”
After taking several deep breaths, Willian tried to do as Elder Wilken asked. He reviewed everything he had been told and tried to ignore what he personally thought about the matter. Finally he had a moment of clarity and asked, “How did Rasa come to be your successor?”
“Very well done, Willian! If you can keep this mindset when you are hearing people’s cases, then I believe you will do quite well. To answer your question, Jehoban sent her to be my successor. I had appealed to Him a while back on my dilemma and He told me He would make the situation right.”
Willian could hardly wrap his mind around what Elder Wilken was telling him. First he had insulted his host and now he was being told he had questioned Jehoban’s decision. Could this day get any more humiliating?
“Cheer up, son, we all make mistakes when we’re young. Let yourself change with the changing times. It’s your job to learn and question everything. The challenge is to keep yourself from speaking what you’re thinking until you know all the facts. Will you agree to try?”
“Yes, Elder Wilken, I will do my best. You are very wise to share your insights with me. I will not let you down.” Willian was relieved to hear he was not in trouble for his suggestions regarding Rasa’s punishment. He would certainly think twice before opening his mouth around Elder Wilken.
“I believe I hear Rasa out in the hallway. Think about what you might have said to Rasa earlier. Is there anything you need to set right? Let’s agree to keep this conversation to ourselves, shall we?” Wilken said with a wink at Willian just as the door opened.
“Thank you,” Willian replied hurriedly before Rasa had even made it into the room. He stared at her with a new appreciation for her position. He still did not particularly like her, but she was pretty brave to stand in a man’s traditional position.
“The people for your next meeting have arrived. I had them go to the palm room to wait for you,” Rasa announced.
“Perfect! Thank you, my dear. Please give Willian a tour of the Residence and grounds so he won’t get lost.” He rose from the couch as though he were half his age and patted Rasa’s arm as he walked past her. He slowed his step to see if Willian would apologize. His delay paid off.
“Rasa, I’m sorry for our conversation in the transport. I should have realized you would not lie about being Elder Wilken’s successor. Maybe sometime you can tell me how it came about. I’m sure it’s quite a story.”
Rasa had planned on making Willian’s life hard while he stayed here, but then she realized if he could be gracious enough to admit fault, then she could forgive him. After all he was still very young and her situation was very novel. “Maybe someday I will. Right now, we need to get on with your tour.”
Chapter Nineteen
“AH, LILLIA, COME and sit with me, dear,” Lucinden said as he gestured for her to sit on his lap up on the dais.
She complied with his wish, all the while wanting to remain standing. She had found a long time ago it was better to go along with whatever he had in mind since it usually went better for her.
“It appears there is some type of power shift occurring throughout the world. You know I don’t like mysteries, Lillia.”
“What do you believe it to be?” she asked innocently.
“I have an idea, but I would like confirmation before I speak my thoughts. I’d like you to pay a visit to your friend on Earth and see what she can tell you about it.” He pulled strands of her fine, brown hair in front of her shoulder and then twirled it around his index finger. After giving it a playful tug, he brought her lips to his own and kissed her until she was breathless. He would never tire of her beauty, nor would he have to know loneliness with her around.
It angered him that he was being forced to send her on this errand, yet she was the only logical choice. He would never trust any of his servants to this sensitive assignment. Lillia, alone, he could trust implicitly.
When she pulled back to catch her breath she asked, �
�When would you like me to go?”
Lucinden sighed deeply before answering. “Today, as soon as you can get ready. I must know what is going on in order to take steps of my own. Something is changing.”
Lillia stood up and squealed in surprise as Lucinden slapped her rear. She promptly scooted off the dais and out of reach before resuming her stately pace across the reception room. She had noted Lucinden had been spending more of his time alone in the vast space.
There was no denying the room was situated on a low-level vortex of ley lines. Lucinden had no idea the real power came from her own possession which she had kept secret from him for the past millennium. One day she would free herself from his clutches and she would take the source of power with her. These trips always gave her a sense of long-anticipated freedom even though she knew she would come back.
She entered her room and pulled out her travel bag. Not knowing how long she would be gone, she packed several outfits which would go unremarked on Earth. The clothing style was slightly different and the fabric was generally made of cotton rather than foxl fiber. She changed her outfit for one which would be acceptable in both location in anticipation of meeting with Elder Vargen’s people.
Most people were unaware of the Elder’s frequent forays into Earth. Generally it was frowned upon for the Elders to make any contact with Earth. Their jobs dictated they protect the Ascension Gates from improper use and to keep people from Earth from accidentally coming to Tuala.
Of course, this did not necessarily mean the Elders would not send people from Tuala to Earth. Elder Vargen did such a thing on a regular basis. His fascination with technology drove him to break many rules. He also kept the myths about people from Earth vivid in his district. The more the Tualans feared the old souls, the easier it was for him to receive those people who were found to be from Earth.
Nobody questioned what became of the people who were given into his care. They probably assumed he sent them back to Earth, Lillia, of course, knew differently. She knew he kept them prisoner, addicted to resh, and forced to work in his factory. The fact that she knew his secret kept him in line and allowed her access to his Gate.
Lillia could feel the power coming from the secret compartment in the wall behind her. She dared not look at it even in the privacy of her own room. She hated leaving it untended, but the risk of it ending up in Lucinden’s hands should she remove it, scared her even more. One day, the time would be right and she could remove it from hiding and put an end to this deadly game.
She slung the full travel bag over her shoulder and strode out of her room. She would need to take a transport before she could begin her journey to Earth. She could have translated herself directly into Elder Vargen’s Residence, but she seldom liked to display her power. Also, she did not want Lucinden to have any reason to investigate the power spike coming from her room.
Once outside the oppressive walls of Lucinden’s compound, she felt lighter already. She flagged down a transport and told him her destination. As they moved through the crowded streets, Lillia pondered Lucinden’s cryptic remark about thinking he knew what was happening. He had seemed ill at ease which was very unlike his normally confident demeanor.
The transport began to slow down as they neared her stop. She dug ten shills out of her bag and handed them to the driver. Just as she closed the door an idea struck her: the time for the samaras might be on hand. She walked slowly as she recalled so long ago the promise she had been given. Never had she spoken what she knew, but she felt with all her heart it would come true. Maybe she would soon be free.
The guard stopped her at the edge of the compound. “State your name and business,” he said in a bored tone.
“Wibawa and I’m here to see Elder Vargen.”
“Sign here while I check with the Elder.” He pushed a log book to the edge of the table and turned to his patil.
Lillia signed the book sloppily and waited with a bored expression for the attendant to get back to her. She turned her head away and tapped her foot impatiently. Since she had the idea of the prophecy coming to pass, she was itching to be on her way. She had several things to check out while on Earth and the time could not come fast enough.
“You’re cleared to go,” the guard called out to her without looking away from his patil.
Lillia hurried as fast as she could without drawing unwanted attention. She knew the way to where she needed to go. She only hoped with the use of the name she had given, Elder Vargen would have taken the hint to meet her at the Ascension Gate.
As it turned out, she met the Elder in the hallway leading to the Gate. “Greetings, Lillia. Do you have any special instructions today?”
“If you mean the timing, then no, I don’t require any shifts in time. I just need a straight passage to Roswell.” Lillia spoke in a clipped tone since the Elder was forever trying to wheedle extra information from her.
Without taking the hint, Vargen continued, “When should I expect your return?”
“I will inform you when I need assistance.” Lillia lengthened her stride since they were very near the Gate and she was not in the mood for twenty questions.
Vargen stopped at the control desk to monitor the elemy being transmitted around the gate. Once he confirmed everything was stable he asked, “Are you ready?”
“Yes!”
He pressed the button to send her on her way.
Lillia never got used to the experience of feeling as though she were in two places at once while also feeling nowhere at all. She closed her eyes and counted the seconds off. Just as she reached her destination, she opened her eyes and remained still to take stock of her body. As soon as she confirmed all was well, she stepped up out of the depression in the dirt.
After checking her surroundings, she ducked behind a rock formation and dug another outfit out of her bag. She rushed to change clothes and shoes, stuffing her original items back into her bag. There could potentially be a long walk ahead of her, and she did not have any time to waste.
When she got down to the main trail, she dug to the bottom of her bag and wrapped her fingers around a cell phone. She opened it and hit speed dial number one. Just as she was about to put it to her ear she noticed the battery was almost run out, this would have to be a quick conversation and she hoped the call would be picked up.
“Hello?” a woman’s voice answered.
“Shemalla, this is Lillia. Can you pick me up? My phone is just about dead.” Lillia waited for an answer which never came. She pulled the phone in front of her and saw the screen had gone blank. With a growl of disgust, and hoping Shemalla had heard her request, she slapped the phone closed and pushed it into her bag.
Lillia kept walking down the slope to get to the paved road. The cliffs behind her provided a small amount of shelter to protect her from the cold breeze in the already freezing temperatures of the New Mexican desert. If Shemalla were not on the way to get her, she had a very rough day ahead of her. The cave containing the portal was several miles away from the town of Roswell.
She knew the drive only took about fifteen to twenty minutes, but the walk would be grueling. From her vantage point she could see for miles around and the main road was a small ribbon of blurry haze as the weak sun glinted off of the pavement. Lillia wished she had thought to bring a jacket or even gloves.
With a shrug of resignation, Lillia stepped cautiously down the loose, gravelly pathway. She kept her eyes trained to the ground to look out for rattlesnakes, scorpions, or any other dangerous animals. They were unlikely to be out since the weather was so cold, yet she looked anyway. Once again she was thankful Tuala’s only dangerous creature was the beetlesnatch which was predictable as well as regional.
Lillia could feel the warmth of the sun touch the back of her head as she stepped out of the shadow of the cliffs. Each subsequent step allowed more of her body to be exposed to the soothing rays of sun until her whole body was covered. She could feel cold starting to seep up her feet from the cold ground an
d her face felt chilled from the constant wind.
The cold soon sapped her energy until she was reduced to concentrating only on placing one foot in front of the other. Once again she wished she would have opted to translate herself directly to Shemalla’s house. It would have been so easy when she had still been in the cave surrounded by the vortex of elemy. It also would have drawn unnecessary attention to herself and possibly to Shemalla, she chided herself silently.
Her thoughts were interrupted with the sound of a horn honking. She looked up from the road at her feet to see Shemalla’s car pulled over no more than thirty feet away from her. Lillia breathed a sigh of relief at her seeming salvation and forced herself to walk faster, if only to get out of the cold wind and into the heated car.
“Shemalla, you have no idea how happy I am to see you!” she gushed as she sat down blissfully inside the car and redirected the vent in the dash to blow hot air across her face. She rubbed her hands together briskly in front of the vent attempting to restore feeling to her numb fingers.
“I was worried when the call ended so abruptly. I got here as fast as I could.” She checked both lanes of traffic before she pulled onto the road and executed a U-turn to head back to Roswell. “So what brings you to Earth?”
“Lucinden sent me to find out what’s going on with certain power shifts he’s become aware of. Do you still have the thing I gave you long time ago?”
Shemalla instantly glanced over at Lillia with widened eyes as she realized what was being said. Before answering she asked, “Do you think they are being gathered together?”
“I don’t know, but I mean to find out. Do you still have yours?”
“Yes, but I haven’t checked on it in a long time. It always felt like the less contact I had with it, the safer it would be.” Shemalla shrugged uncomfortably at the memory of how much power the object had contained.
“That was very wise of you,” Lillia said as she kept her eyes facing the road even though she could care less about the scenery. She had always been surprised at how quick Shemalla’s mind was in figuring out things. Of course Shemalla would use her own innocent comment and come to the conclusion of the samaras being gathered together. Lillia castigated herself for being so slow to get to the same deduction.
Levels of Ascension BoxSet Page 67