Weathering Storms

by Taborri Walker

  “So we continue on, and you will trust me no matter what I have to do?” Sesha asked.

  “We will, and I do. Your story is odd, but there is more in Heaven and Earth than we can dream of,” Beulah said. “And after seeing what a twisted mind is like, yours and that of your friend in the… com-pew-ter seem singularly clear.”

  “I hope it is. If I can affect the repairs and we get home, the Board will judge if I was acting correctly or not.” A silence fell while Beulah re-bandaged Sesha’s back.

  “Well, we will stand for you. You are risking your life for us and your crew. There can be no purer motive than that.” She watched as Sesha put the odd, very thin suit on completely now and helped her work it up her legs then zip it up, marveling at the slender closing device. “When the part of your back impacted – was that also a true injury or something other?”

  “No, my Wrist Gem figured out that you were banned from the camp for the bleeding time, and I knew I would be in more danger with you gone because Florence was and is on the Reverend’s bad side. Not only that, but Shni reminded me that it would be easy for you to be killed while in seclusion and your husband could claim me as wife then… in my naivety he could ‘wed’ me and then start real efforts to get me pregnant. I wasn’t about to have you in more danger than you already were, so the computer stimulated my back to spasm and pull the bandage in. Was the same spot where I’d been bit years ago by a poisonous bug, so… the pain was worse for that. But it got you back, despite what they did to the room so you wouldn’t ‘defile’ it. By the way,” she remembered suddenly, “how is Anna doing?”

  “She’s awake and talking. She’s still weak but the red lines have gone and the pus is lessening with every change of the dressing. So tell me,” her eyes widened as she saw the skintight suit change into a duplicate of the underskirts she had to wear under the dresses, then into the dress itself, “since you are so very advanced, what did you put in the poultice, and did you do anything to Dinah?”

  “A broad spectrum antibiotic both in the poultice and an injection of it, a pain reliever and sleep aid. Never mind… you’ll learn about that after we leave, those and far more medicines than you can dream of! What I gave stopped the infection Anna incurred when she was beaten and left untended. Is Dinah the pregnant child?” At Beulah’s nod, she said, “Shni made a medication to stop her labor. She is too early, you know. The baby would die if born now. This medicine will help her body keep the baby a little longer. And the child,” The women were walking out of the bathroom when they heard the door open and heavy footsteps.

  “Quick, to bed!” Giving Sesha a boost by her elbow, they ran softly up the stairs to the bedroom, where Beulah snatched out a nightgown. “Change to this!” It was the work of a second and the dress faded to the nightgown, which was thrown under the bed while Sesha jumped under the covers. She assumed a sleep position on her tummy as usual and regulated her breathing while Beulah opened the hymnbook she kept in her apron pocket and began humming a soft tune to cover up her rapid breath.

  “Wife, where are you?” the Most Holy Lord Reverend’s voice boomed loudly. Beulah glanced at the quiet woman then rose calmly and opened the door.

  “Ssh, my husband,” she startled him by appearing right in front of him. “Sesha sleeps. I have bathed her and changed her bandages. While her back is some better, it is bleeding again in a few places. Tell me, did she fall?”

  “Um, yes,” he lied hastily. “She stumbled upon the loose prayer rug and fell upon her side. I was praying over her when she heard you working the garden outside and opened the door.” He paused and held her gaze, which she returned steadily. “You will tell no one of my secret room?”

  “Of course not, my husband. You need a place where you can commune with our Lord and Savior in private.” Beulah stepped close and laid her hands on his chest, praying he didn’t notice her trembling. It was so easy now to lie! After seeing what she had… “There He can speak to you of Himself and give you the messages to pass on to us so we can spread the Word to the world.” She smoothly spoke the indoctrination the man had harped on so many times in the past. “It must be wonderful for the Lord to speak so openly to you, my Righteous Husband. How blessed you are that He visits you.”

  She saw immediately that her words had soothed his spirit, for he sucked in his large belly and his chest rose with pride. To her surprise he leaned forward and kissed her mouth gently. “Doth she sleep well enough that thou and I might be one in the marriage bed?” he whispered in her ear.

  “Aye, my lord, she does.” With that, she put her arm around her husband and they took themselves off to their bedroom where she bit back revulsion to let her husband relieve his lust for Sesha in her.

  At least now she had an ally in her plan to somehow get away from this insane man. And as she lay in her bed and let herself slip into real sleep, Sesha was comforted too that she had an collaborator in her need to save the lives of her crew.

  18

  The next morning, Beulah brought in a dress for Sesha to change into.

  “I want to see if my computer can fool everyone, at least for a couple hours… if no one comments on anything odd about my clothes, then if I need to, I can utilize the program if absolutely necessary. Is that all right?”

  When Beulah nodded yes, Sesha turned her Wrist-Gem towards the dress, scanned it, touched it too, and the nightgown faded and became the dress. Beulah then folded the garment which would add to the wheeled chair pad until Sesha would need to change again.

  “This device is incredible… the dress even feels real,” Beulah rubbed the material between her thumb and forefinger, then fluffed the skirt and adjusted the collar; it really shifted.

  “Just pray my computer doesn’t give out,” Sesha sighed. “I keep bathing it in seawater and while out for the herbs for Anna I got some in my little ship – it’s called a shuttle – and its working fine for now, I just don’t know how long it will last.”

  “After this test you should dress in our clothing, even though it is very uncomfortable for you. If it does… fail, there will not be a problem.”

  Then they left to get breakfast in the common room, with Beulah pushing the girl in her chair. Sesha stayed slightly twisted, as if in pain. They went out the front door, still talking quietly as they crossed the fairly empty compound.

  In an apple tree that stood in the back of the Reverend’s garden, Ezra and Benjamin, both twelve years old, had been assigned to pick fruit for the midday meal. Since the tree was a huge one, they were just over the height of the second story. The shutters were open and the children saw the transformation, much to their astonishment.

  “No,” Benjamin whispered while Ezra scrubbed his eyes hard with dirty knuckles. “Cannot be!”

  “T’was a nightgown,” Ezra clambered down to a lower branch and took the buckets, one at time. Then Benjamin clambered lower and as the buckets were passed down again, tied a short length of rope to each handle. Ezra jumped down and accepted the buckets. “Then a dress!”

  Taking two buckets each was a strain on the small boys; they usually had a wheelbarrow to put the fruit in but today all were in use. They kept discussing what they saw as they carried the heavy baskets across the compound to the dining hall.

  “It be impossible, Ezra. No clothing doth transform on its own.”

  “Thou art stupid, Ben. We saw it with our own eyes!”

  “But tell me how then! We did not see flesh, but a sudden transformation from the nightdress to daytime dress. How doth that happen?”

  “Perhaps she actually be an angel?” Ezra set down the heavy buckets and rolled his shoulders a moment, and picking them up they continued towards the Dining hall.

  “And what be you two arguing about?” A Monitor walked quietly up behind and caught both boys by an ear each, causing them to drop all the buckets in surprise and pain. That earned them another hard yank, which made both of them yelp and grab for his arms as they fell to their knees in suffering.

/>   “We wasn’t arguing, Monitor Isaac,” protested Ezra, tears streaming down.

  “Cease the womanly tears, behave as a Man of God should!” The Monitor pulled even harder. “And not leasing! It be a grievous sin!”

  “We lie not, Lord Monitor!” Benjamin yelped, both in pain and protest. “We doth not argue!”

  “Lies and more lies! Thy names shall be inscribed in the Sinner’s Book for the Reverend to bring judgment on the First Day of the week! Now pick up this mess, assume thy chores an’ be not breed-bate! Shalt be whist ‘cept as needed till then!” He threw the boys from him and was gratified to see them fall on their faces, then jump up, picking up the now dirty apples rapidly as they squelched their tears, and ran off as fast as they could. Monitor Isaac smiled an ugly smile as he opened his small hand-made notebook and wrote their names and imagined offenses.

  The Reverend insisted that Sesha sit between him and Beulah for the first meal; Sesha made her move then.

  “See,” she used her fingers often to eat; dainty, childlike. “Wan’ mo’e see, Bee-lah an’ me, go wuh-ound,” she circled with her finger stained with blueberry juice. Beulah caught it and mopped, making Sesha lean her head against her shoulder and smile, a bit embarrassed.

  “Thou, you,” Allway remembered to speak simply just in time, “want to see more of the city?”

  “Um,” Sesha nodded eagerly, “all’a t’ings wuh-ound, all’a do. Bee-lah, um, Bee-you-lah, me wah-ak.”

  “You want Beulah to take you about and teach you more things of the city?”

  Sesha nodded, turning a sweet smile on him as one of the women bringing around more food set a plate already made in front of the girl. Meat was on it too, and Beulah caught the girl before moving on. A quick whisper and the plate was turned; Beulah would eat the meat as today they didn’t need real illness interfering.

  “Shalt, then. Take the chair as needed to. Wife, if’n thou dost require proof in wild areas, certainment send for a Monitor.”

  “Eh?” Sesha interrupted.

  “Never mind, sweet child,” Beulah patted her hand. “Eat what you can and we’ll go.”

  “When thou hearest the bell for Orisons, be sure thou dost stop an’ make thy requests known to God.”

  “I shall, my husband. Perchance I begin teaching Sesha the prayers for a child?”

  “That pleases God, and me,” he nodded, his Reverend’s smile on his face. Then Sesha was pushing back her dishes, eager to leave.

  “Must wait a moment more, child… Peter must release those,”

  “Shalt do it now,” he interrupted and rose. “All Inhabitants of God’s Holy City who be finished be released to the daily path. God Bless and Keep Thee,”

  “And make His face to shine upon Thee,” everyone responded. Several rose, so Beulah helped Sesha up too. A young man brought her chair close and she sat with a sigh, happy to be leaning back.

  “First to the Infirmary, my Lakin… must rub the ointment on your back before we walkabout.” And they were out of the building. “Should change, too… but no one knew any better,” the relief in her voice was obvious.

  “T’was good,” Sesha answered quietly. “And then we find Florence? I think she should be told. Do you?”

  “Absolutely,” Beulah agreed.

  A little while later Beulah helped Sesha, now in real clothes, her Aga Zero on under it, though, out of the chair and they walked to the women’s camp. Instead of stopping at the line, Beulah led Sesha around the side into the trees and from there, called out.

  “Florence? Are you here?”

  “I am, Beulah… Sarah Trenton is alone here; tis her first flowers and the pain and fear is high. I slipped out of the woman’s building after bed time and brought things here. My chore when not in the infirmary is mending; I have my basket so I can do it wherever I choose. Is there a problem?”

  “Well, not exactly,” Beulah looked at Sesha who was trying hard not to burst out laughing. “Is little Sarah awake?”

  “Sleeping. I gave her a tea, packed a hot brick against her belly and she went right to sleep.”

  “Good… we can use the second tent, then. Need a private talk, the three of us.”

  Florence sat silent through the whole explanation, Sesha doing most of the talking. She just blinked as the bracelet expanded to the full-sized Wrist Gem then shut it off so only the black band showed; when Sesha pulled up her skirts and showed what the Aga Zero could do, all the woman did was reach out and touch each change. Even when Sesha made her legs disappear from the knees down only Beulah gasped. Florence reacted differently there, she scooted forward and groped to find her legs then palpated up and down. The program was so good that Florence’s hands could be seen through her legs.

  “Would you like you wear my bracelet for a minute and talk to Shni and the com-pu-ter? I promise there’s no harm,”

  “And I believe you, Sesha dear,” the woman finally spoke. “But no. I only desire to learn something about your medicine; did it detect a problem with Beulah?”

  “Yes,” her niece answered. “Sesha sweetie, show her the young male companion you have, Shni. He told me he can be seen on your bracelet?”

  “That’s a good idea… he can even appear large as life. Shni is from another world than I am, Florence. We shorten it to Venven, as the name is longer. Shni has a bit of an animalistic appearance, you would say.”

  “All right then, but give me a moment. I hear little Sarah moaning.” For her age and bulk of skirts, the mid-60’s woman moved briskly. They heard her talking gently to the girl, doing something.

  Sesha tapped the computer pad and Shni appeared then, a 6 inch tall figure on the pad.

  “Good to see you again, Beulah,” he bowed, then smiled at Sesha. “Do you think Florence will keep the secret?”

  “And why shouldn’t I?” her voice came through the tent, then “Who’s that speaking? I thought only Beulah knew,” the flap came open as Florence ducked in and saw. “Oh… my,” she sat down a bit hard, staring. “Beulah dear, when you said he was exotic beyond wildest dreams, well…”

  Shni smiled and bowed to Florence. “I wish to thank you for saving my Host’s life, more than once, too. I frankly was very worried. When she initially hurt her back the computer told me how bad it was. I knew without proper intervention it would debilitate Sesha and then not only would she perish, but all nineteen of our crew members too.”

  “I… I’m very glad to be of assistance,” still overwhelmed by this truly incredible sight, and hearing it as well, Florence leaned forward to peer at Shni closely.

  “You can touch me, if you wish,” Shni held out his arms and Florence’s fingers tried, going right through, of course. She gasped. “Right now I’m a picture made of bits of light just appearing here, but if I use more… energy from the com-pu-ter, I can take on a solid form.” Shni sat, then stretched out on the Wrist Gem pad. “Try now?” Florence slowly dabbed her little finger at the figure, pressing his belly.

  To which Shni snatched up his legs, tail wrapping his ankles while his arms crossed over and he laughed uproariously. “That tickles!” was the bellow as Florence snatched her finger back. While Shni kept laughing some, Sesha explained.

  “Shni was once a fully living Being with wife and family, job, home and all. They were all killed by enemies of the government; Shni’s mind had been… recorded before that and he chose to become a program where his memories, knowledge and emotion live on. He’s my friend, often my conscience, argues the other side of ideas and more.”

  “So when someone would touch his belly, he would laugh,”

  “My wife and children all knew it too… all they had to do to get their way was tackle poor old daddy and tickle until I gave in.” Shni sat up now, his hand wiping off the vision of tears. “That was refreshing, Florence. Sesh’s never tickled me.”

  “Maybe I’ll start,” she threatened.

  The jangle of metal on metal for the mid-day meal sounded. “Be right back,” Florence scrambl
ed back out, then hurried back. “Shh for a minute; they’ll deliver Sarah’s food and go away.”

  The clatter was heard; a girl called out “Sarah, thy meal be here. I gave thee only foods easy to eat, my friend. Mayhap I will be joining thee in a day or so for my belly doth ache too. Sarah?” there was a silence, then “Asleep, perchance. Feel better soon.” The steps receded.

  “I suppose we have to appear for the meal?” Sesha grimaced.

  “Must,” Beulah sighed.

  “How about I get too tired and fall asleep there, so we have to go to the Infirmary?” Shni blew kisses to everyone and vanished as Sesha crawled carefully out of the tent. She and Beulah waited in the forest while Florence took the food to little Sarah, woke her and told her she’d be back soon.

  “I’ll be there, taking the watch over. Bring her when she does,” the women were tramping quick and quiet back to where Sesha’s chair was hidden.

  “Be there soon,” Beulah smiled at her Aunt as Florence picked up her skirts, tucked the chore bag in the folds and hurried to the Infirmary. “Child, what are you doing?”

  “Our reason for being out of sight all morning,” Sesha was yanking up plants, roots and all, knocking the dirt off. “I’m learning plant names, their parts and if it’s food or not.”