Ark - Box Set #6, Part 1 of Ever After [an Egg and the Hameggattic Sisterhood novel]

by Robert Iannone

Sylvia answered, “That, my sisters, is the Myst Tree at Sighing Whorl.”

  “NO WAY”. Not sure who said it; could have been any of them.

  “Is there audio?” Egg wasn’t hearing anything.

  “Apparently not,” replied Jax’x.

  “Egg of Earth, May I Enter?”

  “A telepathic tree, fun,” snarked Sparky.

  “I think he’s waiting for an answer,” advised Sylvia.

  “What’s the question?”

  “He wants to enter the ship.”

  “Egg,” interjected Jax’x, “it’s a holographic image.”

  “Oh. In that case . . . Hey, Tree. Permission to come aboard.”

  A moment later, a smaller version of the actual tree did just that . . .

  “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. So, what brings you all the way out here?” the girl asked nonchalantly.

  “I was in the neighborhood and thought I should say hello.”

  “Really?” That seemed a bit improbable.

  “I was being humorous. The Queen suggested I needed to improve my skills.”

  “Did she now? Well, she’s very wise.”

  “Oh”. He sounded disappointed.

  Egg felt sorry for him. “It may not have been funny, but it was terribly clever.”

  “Pity?”

  “Perish the thought.” Changing the subject she said, “Tree, I didn’t know you could do this?”

  “I have decided to BRANCH out and emBARK on new experiences.”

  The girls all groaned at his feeble attempts at ‘making funny’.

  “Like I said, everyone’s a comedian.”

  “Thank you Serenity.”

  “It wasn’t a compliment.” However, she was more than a little impressed he knew her name.

  “Hurtful.” Apparently he was also a bit of wisenheimer.

  “Tree, is there something we can do for you?” asked Egg hoping that this bizarre visit wasn’t just about a new comedy routine.

  “May I offer words of counsel?”

  “Always. Without them we’d be lost.”

  “Thank you. First, always give as well as you receive.”

  “Oh-kay. That’s great advice.” Not really.

  “Second, choosing the ultimate sacrifice can be the ultimate path to lasting contentment.”

  “Interesting. Let me think about that one.”

  “Third, looks can be deceiving. You cannot tell a book by its cover.”

  “Words to live by.”

  “Fourth, one cannot change the spots on a leopard.”

  “Another earth saying? What’s up with that?”

  “They amuse me to no end. Finally, I’za, make her decide which came first, the free-range chicken or the Egg?”

  “As you say,” but the girl had no idea what he meant.

  With that, the Myst Tree simply winked out of existence.

  *****

  Everyone turned to look at their fearless leader. “What?”

  “So that’s the mystical and mysterious Myst Tree. Not what I expected,” said Bree.

  “What exactly was that thing?” asked I’za.

  “What? No talking trees on the Ark?” teased Sparky.

  “Just vegetables that sing.”

  “Really?” asked the gullible dragon.

  “Sorry, just kidding.”

  “I really like her,” said Jax’x of I’za who smiled back.

  Egg explained, “The Myst Tree is a representative of the Old Ones, the super advanced race that created Aerianna. He’s there to keep an eye on their creation. However, the only thing that he does, as far as I know, is to give advice couched in riddles.”

  “Hey,” interrupted Sylvia, “maybe he’s always had a sense of humor. You know the ‘riddle me this’ stuff.”

  Egg gave that some thought. “Might be.”

  “And he’s never done something like this before, I take it?”

  “He’s come to me in dreams but no, never like this.”

  “Maybe he wanted to see how pretty I am,” suggested Tee’ka.

  “Tee, that’s as good an explanation as any.”

  “Me thinks he was worried about us,” countered Syl. “Most times you go visit him before a mission. Now we’re headed into battle without his input. I think he thinks that maybe we haven’t thought this through.”

  “Sparky,” called Egg, “how many ‘thinks’ in that statement?”

  “Three. Four if you count the word ‘thought.”

  “Since he always seems to offer good advice, why don’t we try and make sense of his riddles,” suggested Jax’x.

  “Okay, let’s start with I’za’s. He said something like ‘make her decide which came first, the free-range chicken or the Egg.”

  “I don’t understand the references let alone the riddle.”

  “There’s a similar saying on Earth. Well, it’s more of a question. Which came first, the chicken or the egg? It means sometimes you can’t tell the difference between cause and effect.”

  “Good answer,” said Syl.

  “Try not to sound so surprised miss know-it-all.”

  “So how is his riddle different?”

  “He added free-range to chicken.”

  “My guess,” said Serenity, “is that he added a capital E to egg.”

  “What?”

  “You, you dope. As in E - G – G.”

  “Ohhh.”

  “So what is a free-range chicken? For that matter, what is a chicken?” Apparently there were none on the Ark.

  “A chicken is a timid bird that provides meat for humans. In addition, its eggs – small E – are edible.”

  “And free-range?”

  “Most times the poor critters are kept in cages. Some farmers, however, let them roam free before they’re rounded up and made into McNuggets or a McMuffin.”

  Before I’za could ask, Syl said, “Types of human food and not important.”

  “If you say so. Then Egg, choose.”

  “I’za, you’re giving her way too much credit. Egg’s a leader not a thinker.”

  “And again from my best friend. Geez.”

  “Is she right?”

  “I plead the fifth.”

  “I’za, don’t let her suck you into her earth gibberish routine. Just pretend you understand and nod,” pleaded Bl’azzz.

  The girl smiled and nodded enthusiastically.

  “Very good.”

  “People, concentrate will you?” begged BreeZee. “If the Egg reference is to our sister, then what does the free-range chicken refer to?”

  Serenity was about to answer but Jax’x reached from behind and put her hand over the girl’s mouth. “I know. It refers to I’za. OUCH. You bit me.”

  “Did I draw blood? I was really trying to draw blood.”

  “Kiss it and make it better.”

  “Put that thing near my mouth and I’ll bite it clean off.”

  BreeZee’s head dropped to her chest in frustration. Like a mother separating her kids, she said, “Jax’x, come sit over here and tell me why it refers to I’za.”

  As she walked over, she answered, “Because Egg wanted I’za to experience her freedom first before she would accept her into the sisterhood.”

  “I knew that, you mouth-muffling monster,” yelled Sparky from across the room.

  “Maybe, but I said it first. Score - me four, you one.”

  “Come on, Jax’x. So why a chicken?”

  “Because I was about to tell Egg – before I was rudely interrupted three times – that being free without any knowledge as to what that entails is frightening. By being a sister first, I would experience my freedom both with all of you and with all those we will meet. This experience will make me better at being a freed woman on my own.”

  That made sense.

  “Then it’s settled. The Egg came first. Besides, if the Tree has taken an interest in your desire to be a sister, it must be really important for us.”

  I�
�za’s eyes lit up. “So I’m a Hameggattic Sister?”

  “Not so fast. First, you take the oath then we hug you, drink a little bubbly and we give you a nickname.”

  “A what?”

  “Something we can call you when we get tired of I’za.”

  *****

  She took the oath even though Egg hadn’t asked for, or received the approval of all the other non-present sisters. That had pretty much become just a courtesy. Next was a hug from each of the others then a toast with champagne – rapidly becoming a new sisterhood tradition.

  Jax’x clanked her flute for silence. When she got it, she asked, “So how does it feel to be the newest Hameggattic Sister?”

  “I can honestly say that . . .” and she paused as if gathering her thoughts but was interrupted for the fourth time.

  “Sorry, Izzy. Incoming. It’s Lord Z’kkk.”

  Egg patted I’za on the back. “Learn to text or to talk faster.”

  Chapter 6 – Noble Gesture

  “Eloise, I have a request that I would have you honor.” He could have said ‘I command you to do this,’ but he was too polite.

  “Of course, Lord Z’kkk.”

  “Before you engage the Ephemeral, I would have all my people returned . . . not just my son if they do indeed have him.”

  “I’m not sure I understand.”

  “There is no telling what will happen to these prisoners once hostilities begin. I will not see them harmed. Tell the Prime Hegemon Gan’gli that they may have me as hostage in exchange for the four crews they now have. Explain who I am and why such a trade is in their best interest.”

  “And if they don’t have Benny?”

  There was only the slightest hesitation from his lordship. “The offer still stands.”

  “Lord Z’kkk, it will be the better part of a day before we reach the Ephemeral. I need you to give me that time to consider.” The other girls more or less gasped at their sister’s audacity.

  “May I ask why you will not do as I request?”

  “I didn’t say I wouldn’t. However . . . if they do agree to such a swap, then I’ll have an ally on the inside. I need to think how best to use that to our advantage. On the other hand, it might be a liability.”

  “Eloise, I am mystified by your abilities. You are not trained in the arts of war and diplomacy . . . yet you always manage to prevail. Just the fact that you turned the Klat from mortal enemies into allies in days is proof enough that you have supernatural powers. Be that as it may, if you think I may be of use in this struggle, you need but command me.”

  “Thanks. On the other hand, I know you think you’re being nice, but you just have to stop talking like that . . . my dearest father-in-law-to-be. In fact, that’s going to be your wedding gift to me.”

  Z’kkk smiled, but said nothing.

  “I’m not kidding. I want to hear you say it.”

  “Eloise?”

  “Say – ‘my wedding gift is a promise never to express admiration for anything that you do. Not in public, not in private.’ Go on, say it.” All the sisters fought back giggles.

  “You ask far too much,” he semi-teased.

  “I’m waiting.”

  “Very well. Eloise, my wedding gift is . . . to limit my praise of you to the barest minimum.”

  “Not exactly what I asked for but I guess it’ll have to do.”

  “Excellent. I will wait for your communications later in the day.”

  “Um, actually no.”

  “Eloise?”

  “Let’s not waste time. If they do agree to the swap and I decide it’s the best thing to do, I would like to have you close by so we can get it done right away. If Benny’s hurt, I want him back on Aerianna as soon as possible. I’ll have Serenity send you the coordinates where to rendezvous with us. You’ll need to bring a big enough ship to carry all the hostages home.”

  “Of course. They would have no reason to return the captured ships. Very well then, I will leave as soon as possible.”

  “Great. We’ll see you when we see you.”

  “Earth saying?”

  “True dat.”

  *****

  “Serenity.”

  “Yes, Captain Queeg?” she responded making a reference to an obscure earth novel.

  “Send a message to Soo and tell her about our newest sister. Ask her to contact the others.”

  “Aye-aye, sir.”

  “And for the record, I’m more like Captain Bligh, you worthless mud-hook. Next time it’ll be the cat-o-nine tails if you misspeak.” She had always preferred Mutiny on the Bounty to the Cain Mutiny. Oh, and a mud-hook was an anchor.

  “Begging the captain’s pardon,” came the very appropriate response.

  “Okay, back to the Tree’s riddles. What was the first one?”

  “Give as good as you get,” answered Syl. To the others she explained, “It usually means to respond with equal force when attacked.”

  “Sylvia, that was not quite the Tree’s wording. He said as good as you receive,” clarified I’za.

  “Yeah, that’s what I heard too,” confirmed Bl’azzz.

  “That’s interesting. I doubt the Tree misspoke. Therefore he was changing the meaning very subtly. What a little sneak.”

  “So what was he trying to say?” asked Egg.

  There was silence as they gave it some thought. Finally BreeZee spoke up. “It sounds to me that the Tree was referring to something other than violence. Maybe a gift?”

  “That’s a pretty good suggestion, Bree. Anyone else care to weigh in?” Silence. “Okay then, we’ll assume we’re going to get a gift and we have to give one of equal value back in return. Let’s continue.”

  “I just checked the database on the leopard reference” said Serenity. “Yet another moronic earth saying. A leopard is a moderately large, definitely deadly carnivore with spots on its fur. The accepted meaning of the phrase is that you may think you’ve changed the nature of someone, but that’s a deception. A leopard will always be a leopard.”

  “Hmmm. Obviously a warning? Is a Klat always a Klat?” asked Egg.

  “I don’t think that was his reference,” suggested I’za. “I actually trust Waldo. I believe he was referring to the Ephemeral. I’m guessing you (looking at Egg) will open a dialogue with them in hopes of negotiating a settlement to this dispute. If they agree, it would only be to deceive us. They are the leopards.”

  Everyone nodded their approval. Egg voiced it. “That feels so right. And we will definitely use that to our advantage. Well done, Sister.” The girl beamed at the compliment and the moniker.

  “The next point was,” began Bree, “‘looks can be deceiving. You cannot tell a book by its cover.”

  “That’s pretty straightforward. You can’t tell what a person is like by the way he or she looks.”

  The girls (except Tee’ka) all looked at one another and said almost simultaneously. “Waldo.”

  Tee perked up at his name. “Is he here?”

  “No Tee. He’s probably what the Tree was referring to.”

  “Why?”

  Egg patiently explained. “Tee, Waldo looks exactly like Mobius, doesn’t he?”

  “Yes.”

  “Was Mobius a nice person?”

  “Oh no. He was mean.”

  “Exactly. If I looked at Waldo and all I saw was Mobius, I would think he was mean too.”

  “But he’s not.” She was horrified that Egg thought that.

  “No, no, no. He’s not. He seems like a very nice man. So, in his case, his looks are deceiving. Do you understand?”

  “He’s nice.”

  “Exactly.”

  “Okay then.”

  I’za was so impressed with Egg for taking the time with her less astute sister. And the rest of the girls seemed just as intent in making sure Tee’ka understood. She smiled because she was now one of them.

  “Then we’re agreed . . . Waldo is to be considered a trusted ally. No reservations.”

&
nbsp; “Let’s finish it up. Someone give me the exact wording of the last riddle please.”

  “Choosing the ultimate sacrifice can be the ultimate path to lasting contentment.”

  “Thanks, Jax’x. Anyone?”

  Syl said, “Again, that seems pretty straightforward. Someone who is willing to die on this mission to insure its success will die content knowing they did the right thing.”

  “Not happening. Attention everyone. Don’t even think about sacrificing yourself on this mission. Got it? Don’t care what the circumstances are. If you do, I will absolutely never talk to you again.” She was being serious though obviously illogical.

  The girls nodded.

  “Nope. Not good enough. Each of you – out loud – say, “I swear as a Hameggattic Sister that I will not sacrifice myself.” They hesitated feeling a little foolish. “NOW or I’ll send you home on Lord Z’kkk’s ship.”

  They all did as she asked.

  “Thank you.”

  “Egg.”

  “Yeah Syl?”

  “What about his Lordship?”

  “And what about Benny?” added Serenity.

  Egg understood their questions. It could be either father or son that will choose to die for the cause. “I don’t know. Even if I ask them to swear, I don’t trust them to honor it.”

  “Why?” asked Bree.

  “They’re men and men can be just so stupid at the worst time.”

  “Oh.”

  “So what are you going to do?” asked Syl.

  “Try to keep them out of harm’s way.”

  *****

  “Incoming.”

  “Now who?”

  “Sorry. Not an incoming message. It’s an incoming ship.”

  “Is it armed?”

  “Checking. No. By the looks of all the stuff hanging off of it, I’d say it was some kind of maintenance ship.”

  “That could be from the Ark,” responded I’za. “Each habitat had an emergency repair vehicle attached to it.”

  “For use by the occupants?” That seemed strange to Egg. Why give prisoners the means to escape.

  “No. For the use by me and my fellow Guardians.”

  “That makes more sense. Is it trying to hail us? For that matter, are you sure it’s trying to reach us?”

  “No and yes. Oops. Make that a yes and a yes. It’s Tee’s main squeeze.”

  Egg smiled at Sparky’s use of that outdated earth term. “On screen.”