Journey to the Grassland and Sea

by Robert Matsunaga

  Siytai was still asleep. Tenashar decided to summon up the courage to tell what he saw that night. As he looked elsewhere on the forest floor, he saw Osinthaph and Jarviashar sleeping contentedly. All his friends were somehow in an extremely tranquil slumber. Obviously this was part of Tenashar’s experience, perhaps arranged by these forest beacons of light.

  The desire to sleep came over him, and soon Tenashar was like the others. Hundreds of large and tiny mushrooms danced, crawled, and jumped all over his body. The fireflies continued to fly around for a time and then disappeared. The sky gradually lightened, and the mushrooms went back to their accustomed places.

  Sharing all that he saw that night, Tenashar told his friends of the strange voices that emanated from the lamps. Cleiadomph said he had a similar experience with these lamps and could assure Tenashar that he wasn’t dreaming. The lamps call to people that they want to speak with. But he pointed out that this rarely happened. If a person was so fortunate to hear the lamps speak, then it was very important. Lamps that were able to speak sounded very strange and illogical. Cleiadomph explained that these lamps were extremely ancient and had been on the island long before Sahaynaivium, or even Cashmakil, existed. Many believed that these lamps were once part of a culture older than anything known.

  Thinking out loud, Cleiadomph said, “I will tell you that there is a way to survive the Orbs. These Orbs are a sphere world in reverse. All you need is to find the people who are looking after these Orbs and repairing them.”

  Then he got up and led them to the council hall. Once they were within the city, a group of scholars, led by Lothob, joined them.

  In the hall, everyone was now assembled—to the surprise of Tenashar and Cleiadomph. Seveaha, Leineha, and Athtap had finally arrived. As this was the first time they had been to Sahaynaivium, they were struck with wonderment at this dazzling, sophisticated culture.

  Other strange peoples were there as well, from lands that Tenashar had scarcely heard of. Delegates had come from nations he never imagined in his wildest fantasies. Even the Umharka delegates may have been there, but that was of no concern to Tenashar at the moment. His curiosity would have to wait. He wished Nainashari could be there, though he knew in his heart that Nainashari wouldn’t leave his cave.

  Events were coming together so that the peoples of the world could survive the ordeal of the Orbs. Indeed, very few people were needed to represent most of the tribes of the world. The fall of Cashmakil had reduced a population that was once enormous. Now less than sixty tribes—small and large—were scattered around the planet. Some had such a small number of people that they barely qualified as a tribe.

  The delegations waited patiently for answers. After all the necessary ceremonies were completed, the exchange of words quickly began. Talk went around and around but barely solved any problems.

  Finally Cleiadomph spoke of Tenashar’s dream and all that Osinthaph, Knode, and Lothob had said. Many words of praise were heard from the delegates as Cleiadomph told them what he believed to be true.

  Geithelasa appeared tense, for some of the scholars that were with Lothob had heard rumors of her intentions. As Cleiadomph spoke, all the other scholars became nervous. As he finished, the Salseth held his hands up, a gesture to inquire if there were any questions.

  When no one raised a query, the Salseth spoke. “Your words come to me as the truth, Cleiadomph—none of your words have a hidden meaning. I don’t believe that you have deceived me. This is the first time that I’ve heard what these Orbs really are, and I say now that if anyone is engaged in supporting these Orbs for purposes of their own personal ambitions, I suggest that you cease these activities, or you will be forced to stop.”

  Tenashar watched Cleiadomph as he looked sternly around the room. He believed that the Orbs were being used for military purposes. Tenashar reasoned that if this were true, then those who were making these attempts were failing. The important thing was to stop the Orbs.

  All at once Tenashar heard the voices of those assembled in the chamber rise in a chorus of concern. The foreign delegates held the greatest worries. Amidst all this confusion, Geithelasa gave a sigh of emotions hidden deep within her.

  The Salseth was forced to quiet everyone down with a roaring voice to drown out the council members and make them pay attention. With words of concern, he repeated his words and made it clear that any of those responsible for giving the Orbs care or instruction should cease or be punished.

  Yet others raised their voices in protest, saying that Cleiadomph’s reports were unsubstantiated. Some councilors pointed out that ancient texts alone didn’t prove anything.

  The councilors believed that people who were not properly trained to read the ancient texts has misinterpreted them and were dreamers with no concept of the truth. So they felt that nothing could be learned from these ancient books.

  The Salseth continued to patiently listen to the objections of the councilors. He was attentive, but none of the councilors made any indication of agreeing or disagreeing.

  Cleiadomph knew more than he let show. In reality, he had studied the ancient texts himself and secretly observed the Orbs. Reports were sent to him from scholars under his jurisdiction. He was even aware of the thinking and background of the other council members. This was a part of himself that Cleiadomph kept hidden, waiting for the right time to reveal all he knew.

  The council debated back and forth—between those who believed Cleiadomph and others who sincerely believed that more proof was needed. There were also still councilors who were secretly siding with Geithelasa.

  The council chamber became a kaleidoscope of conflict, yet nothing was accomplished by either side. It was becoming plain to the Salseth that the gathering was of no use.

  Cleiadomph understood well that the delegates from other lands were in Himoicum to hear what was going on in their world. Problems were the same everywhere. They were here to learn if there was a way to end the chaos. The only way to break the deadlock in the council would be to have Geithelasa and the others admit to their attempts to control the Orbs.

  Cleiadomph had been quite aware of Geithelasa’s tampering. He suspected that the scholars that sided with her had also been experimenting with ways to make the Orbs do their bidding.

  Realizing that nothing could be accomplished here, the Cleiadomph brought an end to the meeting. After all the ceremonies had been concluded, the delegates and council members dispersed, disappointed. There was a feeling of hopelessness in all those who had attended the council.

  Obsiesa, Hedariad, and Feiadysium, along with the aeronauts and Tenashar and Jarviashar, were the only ones to remain in the chamber.

  Then the lone figure of the Salseth approached them. First he took Cleiadomph and Lothob aside for a few moments to talk with them. Then with a friendly smile, he turned to Osinthaph and Tenashar. He asked them about their visions and what they had learned.

  “What you have seen has confirmed my suspicions about the origins of the Orbs,” said the Salseth. But he added, on his own account, that many in Sahaynaivium understood the workings of the Orbs to various degrees. This meant that any of a number of the scholars or others could be the ones keeping the Orbs alive.

  For Tenashar, this brought Geithelasa to mind. Salseth’s words were plain as he outlined the many reasons why he suspected Geithelasa. One of the reasons was already clear to Tenashar and the others.

  “An army could destroy an enemy in seconds by having the Orbs drain the life force from them,” the Salseth continued. “None could oppose such a weapon. If the Orbs were controlled by human will, domination of the planet would be complete. On the other hand, the Orbs could be used to keep the land fertile and cultivated so none would toil or go hungry. The riches they could bring to humanity would be great. Humans could devote themselves to innovative thinking and opening up travel to other worlds.”

  He went on about the great benefits of the Orbs and how they could contribute to the well-being of the world if
controlled by benevolent humans. But whoever was designated, as the controller of the Orbs would never be perfect, because good and evil is in all of us. Could one person take sole responsibility for the Orbs?

  Tenashar said, “Perhaps it would be good for many people together to share the responsibilities of guiding the Orbs.”

  But Knode interrupted, telling him, “Orbs were made to obey only one leader. Many scholars have tried to come up with solutions to change this programming. If the Orbs did all the work, then humans would become useless. It was once said that Cashmakil was such a place, where Asigonth came to dominate and control the human world because humans had lost control. The same errors should not be made again.”

  Jarviashar innocently asked the Salseth, “Is Geithelasa aware of Cashmakil’s downfall?”

  He sighed. “She probably is. But it is easy to ignore such a lesson if you believe you are chosen to change the Orbs.” He understood that Geithelasa had to be stopped or persuaded to understand her error.

  Again Tenashar asked, perplexed, why the Salseth couldn’t simply order her to stop.

  The Salseth patiently explained, “I am only the head of the council, not a true king—although some would give me such a title. Only a vote by the majority of the council could stop her. It is important to find this child or devise a way to control the Orbs.”

  “No matter what is discussed or said, the point is to find this child. It is important for us to discover if Asigonth is part of this child thing.” Jarviashar spoke these words without hope.

  The Salseth said that finding the child was within their grasp, for he truly understood the Aura-Laei-i way of thinking. Such a person could find the path to this child being. An Aura-Laei-i could search through all levels of thought, literally reaching into the air and finding the child thing’s mind, if only they knew such a person.

  Jarviashar pointed to Tenashar. The Salseth turned to Tenashar and asked him why he didn’t say that he was an Aura-Laei-i.

  Embarrassed, Tenashar said that he was only an Aura-Laei-i in training.

  The Salseth’s reply was, “An Aura-Laei-i is an Aura-Laei-i; there is really no training period. Their abilities are fully developed when they are born. When they are young, an Aura-Laei-i discovers a form of learning that is different from most people. It’s a discovery of what is already there. They are like a navigator finding lands that have always existed.”

  Tenashar said that he had no way of knowing where this child thing was. He was encouraged to search for the whereabouts of this child thing, because the Salseth understood that he could. In turn, Tenashar asked the Salseth how he knew that he was an Aura-Laei-i.

  The Salseth’s reply was a surprise to everyone present—he said he himself was an Aura-Laei-i. Tenashar was shocked. Jarviashar and Marhidium asked why he didn’t try to find this child thing on his own.

  He shook his head grimly. “Some of the scholars and scientists have found a way to block my mind when I tried to search through the vast libraries of Himoicum. Either another Aura-Laei-i or some device was being used to confuse my mind. The Sahaynaiviums made great progress in blocking or searching the human mind with their technical creations. It has become a daily challenge for me to overcome these blocks. Yet with two or more Aura-Laei-i working in unison, perhaps the blocks could be broken—at least temporarily, if not forever.”

  As if a candle had been lit by a bright flame, it become clear to Tenashar that the flames could grow warmer. When Aura-Laei-i together would become as bright and powerful as a huge flame. Cleiadomph responded with a positive nod accompanied by a sunny smile.

  The Salseth, Cleiadomph, Lothob, and Tenashar gazed about at one another. They suddenly realized that there must be an Aura-Laei-i advising Geithelasa on the ways of bringing the Orbs under her control.

  Without a word or hesitation, Cleiadomph, Tenashar, Lothob, and the Salseth went into meditation and thought transfer. They joined their minds together to form one great mind that combined all the abilities of all those who took part.

  As their minds joined, Tenashar, Cleiadomph, Lothob, and the Salseth could see the others’ thoughts and feel their purpose in life. It seemed that three huge black disks or spheres fused together and overlapped as one single unit. The disks or spheres had tiny electrical currents going in erratic directions. Some were shaped like lightning bolts. Others appeared as streaks hitting in every conceivable agitated manner. Once again, the electrical currents came together, and this time they grew into a bright light of sky blue.

  Then the vision cleared and turned into a sky with clouds. Soon the sky faded into a beautiful landscape. Then thousands of interspersing scenes overlapped. Chaos ensued.

  The Aura-Laei-i held tightly to their union without fear or pause. It was the first step into discovery that brought them a desire to see more.

  This was Tenashar’s first merger with another Aura-Laei-i. Obviously, Cleiadomph and Lothob had done this before. This was teaching Tenashar to understand and discover what was already there and accept everything that came his way, bad or good. Tenashar searched and found himself when he merged with Cleiadomph and Lothob. Their experiences and knowledge became part of him. In other words, he was brought to the mature stage and was introduced to the celestial library—a place where all knowledge in all its forms became his for the asking.

  Tenashar was given everything, and in return he joined his teachers to find this fabled child thing that controlled the Orbs.

  As they traveled, they saw visions of Geithelasa searching for the child as well through endless ancient records in the library in Himoicum. Frustrated, unable to gather what she wanted, she grew more and more angry. A hazy hidden figure that was clearly an Aura-Laei-i searched and reported back to Geithelasa with no answers. This forced them to look harder. But again because of a block, the incoming images became jumbled and confused.

  Cleiadomph, being very powerful, punched holes in the block and found two beings living in great fear—Geithelasa and what they thought of as the child thing. Geithelasa was unable to find ways to harness the power of the Orbs, though she had the resources of an Aura-Laei-i and many scholars. Even if she had the knowledge to reenergize or repair these Orbs, they remained out of control. Their programming still ran wild. Fear clutched her by the heart. It seemed failure was at hand, and if the Salseth found out her true intentions, then Geithelasa would face either banishment or death. Her thoughts were submerged in great fear.

  The child thing started to shiver in fear in a hidden hole in the ground where maggots crawled all around it, trying to consume it. It constantly fought off the thousands of minds trying to find its hiding place. Not one moment of peace came its way. This child thing understood that if it were found, it would be destroyed.

  In truth Tenashar, Cleiadomph, Lothob, and the Salseth had no intention of destroying the child thing; they just wanted to understand it and help change it’s programming. But it didn’t want to be changed or reprogrammed, so it made every effort to hide—but it had a difficult time moving, for its body was breaking down after centuries without human maintenance.

  This child was a machine. Yet it scorned human attention, thinking itself superior. It never made any attempt to create more artificial beings but preferred to manipulate the minds of humans in order that it could be serviced. One of these minds that it searched for and found was Geithelasa. Perhaps she was unknowingly trying to maintain the Orbs at the child thing’s command. Geithelasa met the child thing halfway—she searched and found it, even as it looked for her. She may even have commanded the child thing. Her mind was far more powerful than the child thing realized.

  Tenashar, Cleiadomph, Lothob, and the Salseth felt a tremendous shock, and suddenly Nainashari came into view in their minds. He was creating his own sphere and understood everything needed to develop one.

  Unknown and hidden away, the child thing made some attempts to make him do what it wanted. At first Nainashari was unaware of the interference, but he somehow
he realized that the child had sensed him, and he successfully kept its influence away.

  Then, for the first time in a very long time, Tenashar saw Eirshiquanai—the tall and beautiful woman from the distant future. She pointed to Nainashari’s cave and the transparent waterfall and forest. He thought that perhaps she was indicating where the child thing was hidden. After Eirshiquanai disappeared, a bright light threw itself upon the four of them, pulling them apart. Their union was physically broken yet unified in a different form in another world.

  Marhidium and Osinthaph were the first to come to their aid. As Cleiadomph, Lothob, Tenashar, and the Salseth came out of the unified mind meditation, they asked, “Where are we, and how many summer seasons elapsed?”

  Marhidium surprised them. “Only a few minutes have passed.”

  Although Cleiadomph and Lothob had traveled like this before, this was the first time their thoughts had taken them on a journey like this.

  Tenashar said that in the vision he’d seen Marhidium and the others turn to bones as if centuries had passed by. Their bones then crumbled to dust.

  Each of the four related their experience during their meditative link. Knode was fascinated by their experiences. Jarviashar clapped her hands in delight, thinking they must have found the answers. Cleiadomph cautioned her that what they saw was only an indication, and she collapsed into disappointment.

  Optimism touched everyone. But Obsiesa believed that caution should be observed.

  Though the Salseth took part in the union, he kept himself from complete joining so he could protect Tenashar, Cleiadomph, and Lothob during their link. With the opposition they faced, it was necessary that one of them insulate the other three against unwanted influence.

  Once the link was over, Obsiesa wanted to get back to the council to make them decide what to do with Geithelasa. He wanted to influence the rest of the council to make her admit her wrongs, yet at the same time make her understand that she may have been influenced by the child thing.