The Staff of Ira

by Carl Sheffield

  Soy answered, “I don’t know. It’s very old, Leah.”

  Candance said, “Please continue, I would know what it says.”

  Soy continued, “A male child from childhood to manhood will be the Keeper of the staff. He will come from the Valley of the ancient. He will fight a war, he will be victorious for all. I knew who they were talking about, it was my son Zin. Ren said long ago he would be great with his people. This must be what Ren was talking about. Soy stood at the wall for what seemed several minutes.

  I asked, “What do you read, Soy?”

  Looking at the writing, she said, “It says the keeper will move us through the sky with the breath of the wind. A female by his side, one that is most powerful. I had no idea unless it was one of our children that had not been born yet.” I thought of Zin, could this be my son?

  Soy said, “The writing was old.”

  I asked, “Soy, who would know?”

  Soy said, “Ira said when Kira was born, she would be Queen.” The one with the white hair. Could he see that far? What about Ren? Never said much, always listening. I feel as Kira. He will return from Earth. Ren went to Earth to find his son. Ren wanted to ascend. He was old and lonely.” Soy told us all she could.

  Kira asked, “Soy, could we talk again?”

  Soy replied to Kira, “That would be good. Maybe I can find out more about the writing and the stones.” We walked back to the shop, told Soy goodbye. We returned to the palace.

  Everyone sat and talked while we eat. Mi and Aries came in.

  Candance asked, “Where have you two been?”

  Aries said, “Mi took me up to see the other ships, then a short patrol.” Candance went to Aries, gave him a kiss. Ellie did the same to Mi. I was alone, just me and my baby. I told them I was going to bed, I was tired. Somewhere in thought, I went to sleep, or at least I thought I did. Waking up, I was rising into the air. I saw my body lying on the bed.

  I said, “Here we go again.” Across the universes and galaxies, I kept going. Where was I? I’ve never been here before. Where is this? I thought, why am I here? Looking ahead of me was a ship, it was my husband’s ship. Inside no one could see me. April was at the scope, she looked around.

  Marie said, “April.”

  “I feel her too, Marie.”

  “April, I’ve never felt her so strong.” Marie closed her eyes. “Leah, can you hear me?” In thoughts, I told Marie I was on the ship.

  “I’m here to see my husband.”

  Marie jumped up, “My God April, she is on the ship.”

  Zar looked pale. “Who is on the ship?”

  “Leah,” Marie said.

  Tressa came to the bridge, “I feel her too.”

  We asked Tressa, “How are you?”

  “I suppose I’m over whatever it was,” Tressa said. “I do feel better; how long have I’ve been out?”.

  April asked Tressa, “You don’t remember?”

  “Remember what?” Tressa said.

  As the girls talk among themselves. Tressa said, “I feel good, yet I still feel I’m not right.”

  Marie asked, “Tressa you don’t remember what happen to you?”

  Tressa answered, “I’m not sure, I had a strange dream, as Kayla was with me and Mya. I know not these people.” Marie told Tressa of what she did with the ship, how she shield the ship from the Palatonians so they could not destroy us.

  Tressa looked at us. “How could I do that? I’m not as the three?”

  April said, “Little girl, you are now. It’s my belief you are stronger than the three.” I left the girls. I was floating like air down the corridor to my husband’s room. Entering his room, Dorn was asleep.

  “Dorn,” I called.

  Jumping up from the bed, Dorn said, “Leah, how are you here?” I told him I did not have much time. I felt his arms embraced me, his lips touched mine.

  “I’m here to check on Tressa. Thanks to Kayla and Ira.”

  I felt his alien arms, the ones that held me so tender yet so strong. While in his embrace, he told me of the thing that has happened to them. I told him of the trouble we have had. I told him about the trip to Zin. He told me he knew. Kayla had come to him in a dream. I told Dorn, “It was no dream, my love.” I told him I had a surprise when he returns home. “Until then, my love.”

  Ellie was shaking me. “Leah, wake up, wake up.”

  I jumped up. Ellie said, “Leah, you were dreaming.”

  “Ellie, I was about to make love to my husband.”

  Ellie smiled. “Oh, were you close, Leah.”

  “I’ll kick your ass, Ellie. If you don’t believe me, watch.” We laughed, went to the great room. Entering the great room, Candance and Aries joined us.

  Omega said, “It was a beautiful evening.” Aries agreed with his father. I noticed to the west there was a shining star.

  From the open veranda, I said to Omega, “Look, a new star.” I went to the lab walking very fast.

  Candance asked, “Leah, what is wrong?” I told her I saw a ship. Candance and I went to the lab and called for Mea.

  Running to us, Mea asked, “What is wrong?” I told Mea there is a ship on the horizon.

  Mea explained, “It was a Xonian ship, Leah. It will be landing in the staging area soon.” I told them I was scared.

  Mea was correct, a Xonian ship sat down in the west staging area. The ramp went down, the chief justice walked down the ramp.

  “Greetings from Xon,” he said. We gave him our greeting.

  Omega, Kira, Candance, and Aries came to the area. “How may we be of service?”

  The chief asked, “Have your word of the Earth ship?”

  Mekon said, “There would not be any. Our communications do not reach that far. They should be there within the week.”

  The chief said, “We have a small problem.”.

  Omega replied, “Shall we go to council?”

  The chief explained, “We picked up a ship from our long-range sensor. We dispatched a ship. When it arrived, the ship was gone. We picked it up again just inside our orbit. It has disappeared again.”

  “I see,” Omega said, looking at Mekon, “Alert our ships. See if they can pick up anything.”

  Mekon replied, “As you wish.” I walked to the far side of the chambers, turning, I grabbed Kira when the side of the stoop exploded. It was a mistake, they had to come from cloak to fire. It was the last thing they will ever do. The Xonian ship sent a laser to the ship. They were just floating particles in space. It was over with no one hurt. I thought we were lucky again. Someone was watching out for us. Without thinking, I threw myself on Kira.

  When the dust settled, I looked at her. “Are you hurt?”

  Through teary, dim eyes, she asked me, “Are you, Leah? I’m scared.”

  I replied, “Me too. What scares me most is who is out there now.”

  Kira asked, “What would happen if we were asleep?” I agreed.

  The dust settled as we gathered ourselves. Omega ran to Kira.

  Omega said, “Let’s go to the chambers.”

  Aries asked, “Leah, you’re hurt.” I told him just a little shaken. I took his hand, looked at Candance, and smiled.

  Candance said, “Leah, I’ll kick your ass if you mess with my man.” Everyone laughed, kind of broke the trauma. In the chambers, our chief justice was with the Xonian chief.

  I stood. “May I say something?”

  Omega stated, “Yes Leah, speak. No one here will question you.” On the table, I took a parchment and drew a circle. I placed dots where the ships were.

  Kira asked, “Leah, what are you doing?”

  I told her, “I promise you, there is a point. My husband taught me well. The ship that shot down was not a long-range ship. Somewhere out there is a larger ship.”

  I said, “Mi, co
me here. What if we take the five ships in orbit, bring the other closer together? Bring a ship in as if it were landing. Then take off in cloak and find the ship. I know it’s there, I promise you.”

  Mi said to me, “I’ll take the bridge, Leah. With your permission, Omega.”

  Omega was caught up in thought, “I’m sorry Mi, I need you on the ground.”

  Mi said, “As you wish.”

  I said, “The ship came from the northern sky. Somewhere out there is a ship. I promise you, we need to find it. When the ship comes in and take off in cloak, circle around. Search until we find it, then target the vital part of the ship. Take it out.”

  The chief said, “I think it will work.”

  Mi said, “I do believe it will.” Watching the ship land and take off as planned. It was late afternoon the next day when a yellow and orange ball of fire filled the abyss of space. I knew what had happened, so did everyone there.

  Mekon said, “Good job, my daughter.”

  Mea embraced me. “Thank you, Leah.”

  “Mea, may I ask you and Mekon a question?”

  They both replied, “Of course Leah, anything.”

  Asking them, “Can you read the old language?”

  They said some of it. “Back as far as Maoke, according to the archives, when humans were brought here, the Busies found the words the humans spoke was so much easier, so it was all changed. I as my father have tried to learn some of it just to preserve our race.”

  “Why do you ask?” Mea said. I told them the story of the wall. The words that were written on the side of the building in the city.

  Mekon said, “Why don’t you write the words down, go to the archives, see if you can find what the words say?” I told them about Soy.

  Mea said, “I would really like to see this.”

  The suns had started to set over the Marder-to- go’s. The night would come again to the world I’ve become part of. Ellie, Candance, and I had come a long way from the land where we were born. We come here with an unknown future. I think we have done well.

  We waited for the captain to land to tell his story, as all captains have one for all. It was almost dark when his ship touched down. The staging area was lite up for him.

  Making his way down the ramp, everyone was waiting, cheering, giving shouts. The captain’s crew come ashore. They knew what they had done, they had saved us. They had saved our world this time. It was a trying time for us, or a feast would have been prepared for them. We could not let our guard down. I thanked them so did Kira and Omega.

  Kira said to the captain, “It was Leah’s plan that took out the ship.”

  The captain said, “It worked.” holding out his hand up for me. “Leah, the wife of Dorn, you did well.” I told them I had a good teacher.

  “I would like to say one thing, I’m still scared. They will come again when they do. I hope we’re ready. We have been very lucky so far.”

  It has always been, even on Earth, for the captain to tell their story. Everyone made talk for a while, then it was time for him to leave back to orbit.

  “Please,” I said to him, “Never for one second can you let down your guard. If not for the Xonian captain, it could have been worst. Tell this to all captains.” I told the chief of Xon thanks, he nodded. I told them I would retire to my room. I fell into a very peaceful sleep. It was a sleep without a dream of Adair or my husband. Somewhere in the night, I heard voices call,

  “Leah, hurry!” Running outside, Candance and Ellie was on the stoop. Ellie was holding her stomach.

  I asked Candance, “Where is Mi?”

  Candance answered, “He is still asleep.” I told Candance to go for him.

  “Tell him to hurry, we need to get her to the lab.”

  “Come on, Ellie,” I said, “It’s time, your water has broken.”

  “My baby,” she cried out, “is coming, Leah,” I told her not yet.

  “I can’t stop it, Leah,” She screamed.

  I yelled for Mea. By the time Mea had arrived, Mi had run to Ellie, picked her up. Running to the lab, laid her on a table. Mi was shaking. I told him to calm down.

  “She is going to have the baby, you need to leave.” I told him to go outside. Kira and Omega were waiting with Candance and Aries.

  Kira called a sentry, “Go to the house of Mi’s father, tell him the child comes this night”

  “As you wish, my queen.” He replied.

  Mi paced outside the lab, waiting for something to happen. Mea told me later he was completely human, or he seemed to be. Ellie screamed out, Mi broke to run. Omega reached out his hand to stop him.

  “It’s fine, Mi. They do that sometimes, trust me.”

  Kira hit him on the arm, “How would you know?”

  “I remember with Aries and Tressa, you screamed out. I wanted to run to you. Ira stopped me, said the same thing. Trust me Mi, she will be fine. The girls are with her. Mea has delivered more babies than you can carry in your ship.”

  Mi replied, “I don’t have a ship.”

  Omega smiled. “I thought you were a captain on Dorn’s ship?”

  Mi answered, “Yes, I am.”

  “Then you have a ship,” Omega said.

  21

  Pulling into the depot, the bus came to a stop. Somewhere across the plains, I fell asleep. Many weeks had passed since I had left England. A young man was shaking me awake. I was tired - tired of running, tired of the smell of the western towns. I was tired of the way the people dressed. My lord, I thought it’s 1940. They thought it was the 1800’s. They still worn guns, rode horses. How uncivilized, I thought. Oklahoma City was no different. Walking up to the window, I showed the picture of the Willards.

  I asked the ticket man, “Sir, what is west of here?”

  “A lot of open country,” the clerk said.

  “Yes, I’m sure sir,” I said. “I mean, what is the next biggest town?”

  Scratching his head, “I suppose Amarillo Texas.” I told the man I would take a ticket there.

  “That will be one dollar and ten cent, sir,” the clerk announced. The bus will leave in three hours.

  Looking around, I thought, “Is there a tea shop close?”

  The clerk asked, “What? what did you say?”

  I said, “A café, a diner.”

  “Oh yes, around the corner. The food is good. Try the steak and gravy. The cook isn’t bad either.”

  Leaving the depot, walking around the corner, the smell was good. If the food was as good as the smells, it would be worth the walk. Walking to the counter, I sat down, saw the woman the ticket man spoke of. She was pleasant to the eyes.

  She asked, “Would you like coffee?” I told her I would rather have tea.

  She replied, “Don’t get many calls for tea. It was, let me see, a week ago. Two couples were here, asked for tea, waiting for the bus going to Amarillo.”

  I said, “Yes, I am waiting for the bus to Amarillo. They talked like me, did they?”

  “The older couple did. The younger ones, not so much. You could tell they were from upper-class folks. Maybe New York, one of those east coast states, only guessing.”

  I took the picture out, “Did they look like this?”

  The woman took the picture, looked it over. “Yeah, could be. It’s been a week now. Are they friends of yours?” She asked.

  I said, “You could say that I need to find them, unfinished business.”

  She asked me, “Would you like breakfast?” I told her the ticket clerk at the depot said to try the steak and gravy.

  She smiled, “Will do.” as she went to the back. Moments later she came back with a plate full. One thing I can say is it was very tasteful. I told her so. I paid the check, I thought sixty-five cents.

  I asked, “Did you talk to them? The couples?”

  She said,
“Not so much. The younger couple, the lady wanted to go home. The man told her he was going to Carlsbad New Mexico.”

  I asked her, “Did you hear the other couple’s plans?”

  Replying, she said, “No, they just said they were on vacation. I think they were going to Denver Colorado. Yes, that’s it.” Walking back to the station, I thought how tired I was. I don’t know what kept me going. The thought of placing my hand on those slimy aliens is all I thought about. They were aliens, I knew they were. They were in the clearing that night. They weren’t coming, bloody hell they were going.

  The boy took from the hospital, several times sighting have been seen. I’ve read the newspaper here in the states. There has been sighting in Roswell to Carlsbad; that’s where I’m going.

  The bus departed for Amarillo, Texas. It would be a six-hours ride, that would mean a night at an inn. It was almost sundown when the bus arrived in Amarillo.

  The driver announced, “Amarillo, everyone will change buses.” It was very hot here, I hated it. I was glad the ride was over, just up the street to the inn. I checked in, went to my room. lying on the bed for several minutes, I got up and opened a window. There were cows everywhere. That’s all you could smell forever. I swear I hate the smell. I have never seen so many cows. There was another smell coming from the outside; it was unmistakable, it was steak cooking.

  Enquiring at the desk, the clerk said to me, “Texas Reds steakhouse.” The meal was the best I’ve ever had in my life. Sixteen-ounce T- bone, seventy-five cents worth every penny.

  I had my fill. Returning to my room, I thought I saw a man loitering around my room. I watched him go to the office. I looked around, there was no one. I walked into the office, to the clerk. He asked, “Sir, may I help you?”

  I showed the picture of the Willards to him. “Did these people ever stay here?” The clerk said, “Same room you’re in.”

  I asked, “Do you know where they went from here?”

  “I’m not sure,” he answered.

  I said, “There was a man that came through, did you see him?” He shook his head no. I went back to the station. I asked the man, “Have you seen these people before?”