by Arwen Jayne
Ivan almost purred as the liquid slid down his throat. “Good drop. Hey have you seen that girl down at number nine? Daughter of a botanist or geneticist or something. Now she’s a sight for sore eyes isn’t she?”
Helena swallowed the saliva in her throat. He was talking about her mother. “You like her do you?”
“Yeah. She’s a beauty. Too good for me though. What’s some shrub like me ever going to offer a girl like that.”
Helena knew what he should have given her mother. “A loving home?”
“Yeah, I guess we’d need a place of our own. Couldn’t subject her to my dad. I’ll need to find a job. Anton reckons he could make a few introductions, get me in at the factory.” Ivan shimmered and in his place was an older version, in his twenties now. He looked up. “Oh, Dimitri, how’s it going.”
“Good, how’s life with you.”
Ivan shrugged. “Oh not bad. The new wife is a honey. Alisa’s her name. You must come over and meet her sometime. She adores me you know. Seems to see something in me none of my family ever did. Don’t know what I’d do without her.”
“Well that’s good.”
“Yeah, but we’ve got a kid on the way. Didn’t expect that so soon. I’m still on the bottom rung at work. Don’t know how we’re going to afford a little one. Alisa’s family doesn’t want anything to do with me. They’ve as good as disowned her. Her mum, snooty bitch, wouldn’t even come to the wedding. Her dad’s not so bad but that dragon of a wife has him under her thumb. How the hell does he allow that? He’s the man of the house. He should tell her how it is.” He shimmered again, looking a little more ragged this time.
“What’s up Ivan? You look stressed.”
Ivan peered into his glass mournfully. “Every damn thing, that’s what’s wrong, everything. Alisa hangs out with that mother of hers. They go shopping together. Alisa’s always coming back with a new piece of clothing or something for the kids. She just doesn’t seem to get it. We can’t afford it. Alisa grew up with the best of everything. She’s never changed her ways since we married. Doesn’t get there’s only so much in my pay packet. I lost my temper the other day. I only hit her lightly. I’m not the bastard my dad was. She should be grateful. I was just trying to get through to her. But no, she goes off crying. That older girl of mine, she just happened to see it. Real beauty that one’s going to be but now she looks at me with eyes full of hate. Chills me to the bone that look she gives me. At least she keeps that other money sucking other brat out of my way. Baby formula, jumpsuits...have you any ideas what that all costs? I tell you Dimitri, I’m putting a knot in the damn thing. Anything not to get us worse in debt. The Mafia are hovering around me like flies, wanting me to do stuff for them. The boss wants me to join the damn political party. I should. Its holding me back at work that I haven’t joined but god Dimitri they’re a pack of bastards. Wish I’d never stayed in Moscow. Hell I wish I’d never married. Should have gone north to Novgorod. There were good jobs on the go up there. With my brains I would have become a foreman or better.” Ivan shimmered and Simon once more sat in the seat across from the table.
“Ok I get it. The beast was trying to make the best of life as he knew how. “ She shook her head trying to give herself a moment to process all she’d seen. “You know he was right about one thing, my grandma. Snooty piece of works that one. I can imagine her tempting my mum to spend more than they had. But I guess what you’d say is that similar forces made her what she was too.”
“Exactly. It’s also what frustrates the hell out of humans, particularly when it comes to the ones they love. Deep down they know that person they care about is something vastly more than what they seem to be trapped into being. Trapped by their karma, genetics, life and choices. They love what they know them to truly be but judge and react to what they portray even though part of them knows that portrayal is a lie.”
“So there’s a truer version of us. A product version without all the defects in it?”
“Of course. Would you let me show you your real father?”
Helena wasn’t sure she would ever be ready for that but if she was anything she wasn’t a coward. “Okay.”
Simon shimmered and then resolidified into a man who hardly bore any resemblance to her father at all. He looked healthier, stronger, self-assured. A sparkle lit his eyes. “Hello Helena.”
Helena reeled. “I thought you weren’t meant to recognize me.”
“Those were memories Simon showed you from my past but this is me. I’m truly sorry for all we’ve gone through. All of us. You, me, your mum, little Anya, my ancestors. It was never meant to be that way you know. We said we’d remember.”
“Remember what dad?”
“Who we were when we first came into this dimension. We forgot we were expressions of the all-spirit. We took on unique identities and believed in them. So much so we began to even doubt we had ever been anything else. That was the great experiment you see. To see if we could remember on our own. To see if through free will we could find our way back. We said we could. We were sure of it. Some of us might have even made it, a few did. Then the Din came along and messed with us. We sank further into delusion. We believed theirs, that life was about acquiring as much material possession, status, fame and achievement as you could in a short life. To be remembered and to have descendents. That became our only immortality, our only legacy. We failed in the great quest to birth love and compassion into this dimension. To bring about a paradise in the material world. That had been the plan. We couldn’t do it though, not as single individuals. Even now humans are drowning in a sense of helplessness, knowing that individually they have no power to remedy the mess. Only by getting back with the original game plan can we succeed. The all-spirit needs you Helena. You are of the blue ray of light. You can not only work out the mysteries of DNA with your mind but you can heal it with your heart. The retrovirus you helped Jnarn create is but the tip of the iceberg. The task is too much for one individual mind, even yours but if you connect with your heart, connect with your mate and connect with the blue ray that has always existed within you can transform our situation on a scale that will touch not only this planet but the whole of this universe.” Ivan reached out and offered his hand. Helena looked in wonder and accepted it. “I’m proud of you girl. I know you can do this.” And then he vanished. Simon once again in his place.
Helena extracted her hand from Simon’s, tears she never thought to shed trickling quietly down her face. “Oh my...”
“Let me teach you Helena.”
Helena nodded, she’d choke if she tried to speak right away. Then she took a deep breath. “Okay. What do you want me to do?”
“We leave at first light. I need to visit the Shang and check on one of ours. I’ll leave you with Silwa while I’m there. His kind are masters of vibration and its uses. If you’re ready to let go of the rut you identify with he can deconstruct your identifications better than anyone I know. Then he’ll teach you the basics of what you need to know about healing DNA using sound.”
“One morning. Won’t it take more than that to undo years of accumulated habits?”
“For most it would but I believe you are capable of going through the transformation. They have a way. It’s painful if you resist but if you go into it willingly its not too bad. Just highly disconcerting. I’ll be there for you when they’ve finished. I suggest in the meantime you go and see our cop. He can show you our means of transport. You’ll need to know how for tomorrow’s trip. Not everyone appreciates my ways of teaching non-local travel. Michael on the other hand is a natural. He’s taught many of the townsfolk.”
She couldn’t envisage what non-local travel might be but if it involved anything with a bit of speed it could be fun.“I could do with a buzz.”
“You might be in luck then. It could very well be the only form of transport that Michael wouldn’t give you a speeding ticket for. See you later at the pub then?”
“Yeah, why not. But by the sounds of i
t I better get an early night.”
20
A lone condor soared over The Yungus. The jungle seemed tranquil but it was anything but. The jungle had a large weeping sore, the silver mine that had operated there since the 1600s. The miners, as ever, were sweating beneath the late afternoon sun. Men, old and young, swung pick axes, breaking new ground. Most of the silver was long gone. The mine’s main income now was from the tin. Even that was running out. The search was now on for other precious minerals in the leftover tailings; indium and gallium.
Some of the men, in their forties yet old me before their time, coughed and hacked as they fought to work with their failing lungs. Silicosis scarred their lungs and left them with little air to breathe. Old women, some looking in their eighties but probably much younger, worked at breaking the ore into smaller chunks. Grandchildren snoozed on their backs, supported in specially made carry backpacks. Slightly older children dodged the rocks and machinery to make their play. The oldest of the children, looking up with doleful wide eyes that would make the most calloused soul weep, worked beside their mothers. Only the lucky ones would ever see the insides of a school, for a year or two at most.
A Silver Rolls Royce pulled up but the workers didn’t look up as the immaculately dressed passengers in their suits and ties dismounted and walked up to the site office. The employees of the mine knew well the price for any slacking would be having their pay docked. The owners barely ever acknowledged their existence, unless they slacked. Since the mine owned their homes and the land they lived on, the land of their ancestors that was rented back to them, they had barely enough to pay for the barest in food and clothing. Even that had to be bought from shops owned by the elite. The acid chloride leaching processes left little growing in the stream or the bare mountain side. There were few fish or animals to supplement their meagre diet. If the workers fell into debt the elite were more than happy to indenture their future generations.
Deeper in the Yungus, in the shade of the cave overhang that was his home, a young shaman called to the condor. It spiraled down from overhead to land at his feet. For the first time, in all the traditions of his tribe, the condor morphed into the shape of a man and the man greeted him. “Hello Yaguar. Be ready. My mate is coming to set me free. She is the eagle spirit who will unite her intelligence with my intuition. She comes to heal our collective DNA. Be ready.”
Yaguar bowed his head to the ground. The great spirit had spoken. He would tell his people.
Zex was having none of the man’s grovelling in the dust. He raised him up. “I’m just a man Yaguar. From another dimension it is true but I am no more or less than you. Do not honor me so. My name is Zex if you would call me such.”
Yaguar straightened himself. “Tell me what you need from me Zex. You say your mate will free you.”
“The stone, deep in the cave you guard. That is me. I am the spirit of the stone. The enemy caught me long ago. Until now I’ve only ever appeared to you and your ancestors in the spirit shape of a condor. It was time to show myself. The time is nearly at hand when we can look to free your people from their enslavement. Strangers will come to the jungle tomorrow. My mate will be among them. I’m not able to help them. Watch over them for me and show them where to find me.”
Yaguar struggled against his natural instinct to bow again but he didn’t want to offend the great spirit. He simply nodded his assent instead. That a being, something more than even a condor, lived in the stone at the heart of the mountain did not entirely surprise him. His tribe had always known intuitively that something of great import resided there. Something that whispered in their dreams and visions that one day, in better times to come, a new world would take form. It was because of those very visions that they had never lost hope. “I am honored that you ask. It will be done.”
21
The aromas wafting out of the pub’s new pizza oven were to die for. As fast as Rachel got them on the tables more were being ordered.
George sniffed his with some hesitancy but was pleasantly surprised. “Looks like pizza, smells like pizza.” He took a mouthful and savoured it. “Tastes like pizza. So how did you do it Simon?”
“Just a simple gluten-free pizza base, a layer of spinach and mizuna with a selection of toppings people can choose from including bell peppers, fresh pineapple, asparagus, freshly steamed artichoke hearts and vietnamese mint for a bit of fire. The cheese-less topping is the tricky bit. Basically a cashew and basil pesto puree with a bit of asafoetida to give it the garlicky smell. For those that don’t like nuts amaranth flour can be substituted for the cashews. It’s a bit stickier but then that’s what cheese is like isn’t it? I’m thinking nasturtium flowers would give a flavor similar to capers but I’ve yet to test it out. Jeff seems happy with this basic recipe for now.”
George looked at how busy the kitchen was. “I guess he would be.” He went to make his departure but saw Mendal, Upal and Ally coming over to talk. He felt slightly uncomfortable but he was determined to make their transition to this relationship a smooth one so he smiled in greeting. “How’s it going? Haven’t seen you guys around all day.”
“Ah...” Ally shifted on her feet. “ We’ve had a lot to talk about. I’m still sorry George.”
“About what?”
“That I didn’t tell you sooner that I wasn’t interested. I never meant to hurt you. I just hoped you see I wasn’t interested without having to face telling you. I’ve been such a coward.”
George took her hand and patted it affectionately. He didn’t like her berating the woman he’d thought was his destined mate. “It’s not your fault if I was living in my own daydream. I should have woken up to it sooner. I’m hoping we can still be friends now that...” He nodded meaningfully to her two companions.
“Yes, um, well... Shit it’s that courage thing again isn’t it? Hell, George, I’m hoping to mate these two. That’s why we need to talk to Simon. It’s somewhat embarrassing what we have to ask. Do you mind if we...”
“You need to talk to him alone. It’s not a problem Ally. I mean it.” He turned to Upal and Mendal. “Same goes for you two. We’re still The Team aren’t we?”
Both guys visibly relaxed. Upal spoke up. “Thanks George. This is a little awkward I’ll admit but yes we’re still the team. See you over at the building site in the morning?”
“Sure thing. I’ll let you guys talk. Catch you later.” George went to circulate.
Simon eyed the trio. “You can sit you know. I won’t bite.”
Ally was the first to take a seat. The guys followed suit once she was comfortably settled. Simon’s trained eye recognised it as the sign of chivalry it was. “So you want to mate with Ally but if one of you comes before the other he becomes the only mate and the other will be repulsed by the mark she will wear.”
Upal shook his head amazed. “How do you do that again? That whole seeing everything?”
“It’s what I am.”
“Well you’ve summed up the problem. How do we make this work with Ally so both of us get to be her mates. Is there a way?”
“There is if you are willing.”
Mendal winced, on some level he knew there was going to be a catch. “Cut to the chase Simon.”
“You’re going to have to synchronise your first orgasm. To do that you will need to give Ally the power to say when you come.”
Upal couldn’t see a problem in that. “So it’s like one of those femdom things. We don’t get to come until she let’s us.”
Ally sensed there was more. “I think he mean’s that this isn’t a once only thing is it Simon?”
Simon nodded. “I can do the magic for you but once it’s done it’s done. You’ll have to make your own arrangements with it. The question is are you willing to permanently give Ally that much power?”
Mendal shrugged his shoulders. “Given that the alternative is one of us lucks out and Ally misses out on having us both I don’t see much choice.”
“I agree.” Upal added.
“Very well. Could you each place your right hand on the table, Ally’s on top.”
Each reached out across the table and did as instructed. Simon add his to the pile and said the words. “So let it be.”
“That’s it?” Ally looked up in astonishment.
Simon just laughed. “Oh you wanted me to don a star studded cloak and a conical hat. The whole smoke and mirrors thing.”
Ally laughed too. “Yeah, sorry. Guess I just didn’t think it would be that easy.”
“Everything is as easy as the strength of your intent. Now go and have fun. I’ve got a long day planned tomorrow and I’d like some cuddle time with my own mates before then.”
22
“She’s taking her time”, Mendal commented, Keen to make Ally his.
“Given what she’s about to do I’m willing to give her all the time in the world.”
Ally opened their bathroom door, a large bath towel wrapped around her. “You sure you don’t want me to go and put something nice on for you. I haven’t got much but I’m sure I could find a lacy black bra and matching pants?”
Mendal eyed the towel as if it was an offending item. “We’d only rip them off you.”
Upal siddled up to her and deftly whisked the towel away, leaving Ally feeling naked and vulnerable. “Um guys.” She blushed.
“The thing is Ally, we’re not interest in how you wrap yourself up. We only want the present. You. You’re beautiful.” Upal feathered his hand gently over her bare chest and let it trail down to her navel.
Mendal stalked around the room until he was behind her. His hot breath on his neck. “So where would you like us Ally. You get to choose.”
“Where you are is fine with me.”
Upal wasn’t so sure she understood. He wanted no rude shocks for her.“You know what that means then. Mendal will take you from behind while I take you from the front. I’m trying to not be crass about this but double penetration is pretty full on. Is that the way you want us?”