“You’ve restored my hope in this terrible mess,” Diane said as she pulled herself away from Shemalla as she wiped the moisture from her eyes. “I can’t tell you what a relief it is to know there is someone who will be advocating for us in this.” She smiled weakly and took her husband’s arm as he offered it to her. They moved past Shemalla on their way to the front door.
Amanda stepped closer to their host and murmured, “I don’t expect a miracle. Just knowing you’ll try will be good enough for me. Thank you for the offer to help.”
“Of course. I’ll call you tomorrow to make arrangements for dinner.”
“That sounds perfect. Tomorrow we were planning on visiting Carrie at the jail and then trying to find out the legal process for getting the kids out of the system. Should we leave off on the second part until after we hear from you?”
“No, go ahead. I’ll be working a different angle in any event. It won’t hurt to have you going through the normal channels.”
“Very good. We’ll see you tomorrow then,” Amanda said and then surprised Shemalla by giving her a quick hug. She moved away from her and hurried over to where her father was holding the door open for her. Amanda raised her hand in farewell and then turned to go to the truck in the driveway.
Chapter Twenty
AMANDA COULD HARDLY wait to get back to her room to talk to Riccan about what had happened that day. She looked at her clock as they got into the elevator of the hotel. They had stopped to get something to eat before returning so it was already after six-thirty which would make it nine-thirty for Riccan. She knew he would not be asleep so early, so she was able to relax marginally.
When the elevator doors opened, she stepped out ahead of her parents and waited for them to join her in the hallway. “I’ll see you both for breakfast,” she said as she leaned forward to hug her mother first and then her father. “Sleep well.”
“You, too! And don’t stay up too late talking with Riccan,” Diane admonished.
Amanda blushed at being caught by her mother and once again cursed how transparent her thoughts were on her face for everyone to read. She turned and rushed down the hall, slid her card into the door slot, and entered the room when the latch clicked open. She let her purse and coat slip off of her arm into the chair by the bed as she used her other hand to flip open her phone and hit the speed dial button to call Riccan.
Flopping down on the bed, Amanda held the phone to her ear and waited impatiently as the third ring sounded in her ear. Relief rushed through her as soon as she heard Riccan’s voice answer the call. “Hi,” she sighed out.
“Hey, babe. It sounds as if you’ve had a rough day. Do you want to talk about it?”
“Most certainly!” She spent the next half hour going over all of the revelations of the evening without any interruption from Riccan. When she finished, she sighed deeply and waited for his response.
“It sounds as if Shemalla will be coming to the rescue again for your family and I’m really relieved. What was your take on her?”
“I feel like we can trust her, but I want to be certain. Is there any way you can ask your dad if he can do a background search, or whatever it is you call it in Tuala, on her? I don’t want to share any vital information about the prophecy with her if she can’t be trusted. Do you know what I’m saying? Jehoban has put a big assignment on all of us, and I don’t want to be the one to bring it to ruin.”
“As if! Amanda, when are you going to figure it out that you are the reason this is even happening at all. You are the center of it all, and we’re all supposed to defer to your judgment.”
Amanda sat in stunned silence as she absorbed what Riccan was telling her. She had never thought of any of it in the way he proposed it, and it frankly scared her. She did not want to have such a burden of responsibility put upon her. To cover her shock, she asked, “Will you talk with your dad? Please?”
“Of course, but I don’t think it’s necessary. So are you still hoping to come home on Wednesday?”
“Yes,” she sighed in resignation, “unless we can miraculously get everything settled sooner.” She could hear a lot of noise coming over the line, and she asked, “What are you doing?”
“I’m in the office, getting the patil out while trying to hold the phone up to my ear. Just a second.”
Amanda had to pull the phone away from her ear as a loud noise issued from the speaker as Riccan tossed the phone down on the desk so he could complete his task.
“Sorry about that, the phone slipped out of my hand. Okay, I’ve got the messaging system up and running. Tell me specifically what you want to ask Dad.”
Amanda tapped her fingernail on the back of her phone as she tried to compose her thoughts into something coherent. “Okay, write this: Daven, please petition Jehoban for permission to speak openly with Shemalla Paramasivam. Also, please let me know if you already have any information on her which would preclude me from asking for her help. Thank you.”
“What are you really thinking Amanda? And don’t tell me you just said it all because I know you better than that!”
“Well, then you must know me better than I know myself because I don’t have any answers for you. Maybe I’ll figure it out while I sleep tonight, but it just feels important to cover all of my bases as soon as possible.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Vinia had not heard anything back from Elder Daven regarding the discovery of Ozian in their colony. Until she heard otherwise, she could only assume, then, that it was okay for him to stay with them. As it was, Ozian, as he was now being called, was fitting right in and helping out wherever he saw a need. Of course, the women were all intrigued by the handsome stranger in their midst, with the exception of Agetha who continued to spout off negative sentiments to anyone who would listen.
Overall, the community was healing from their ordeal with Viceroy Blair and their unexpected trip to Earth. It had always been the men’s dream to return to their homeworld, yet the women had found the new land to their liking and had wanted to remain behind. With the tyrant, Grobin, and his cronies gone, peace had once again descended on the community, and the women were free to talk and laugh with one another again.
No one mentioned what their future would look like with so few men or children to keep the settlement viable. For the time being, it was enough for them to try to maintain a sense of normalcy. Crops had been harvested, what little had remained after being left untended during their absence. The women were no longer fearful for their survival through the winter since Elder Daven had provided them with enough food to keep them through the harsh mesans ahead.
Groups of women moved off into the forest to gather wood for their fires. The birds were singing in the trees making everyone feel at ease since they would not be singing if there were storms brewing or danger around. Vinia sat outside her cabin, watching the industry around her, as she mended the quilt from her bed. She had the ability to fix it with elemy, but she did not openly display her power to the villagers who had shunned the skills since arriving two hundred anons ago, seeing them as abnormal and evil.
Vinia’s thoughts turned to her children, wishing they were playing out front as they used to only an anon ago. She sighed as she realized they would never again be young enough, or free enough, to play as they had before. So much had happened in such a short time, and her life was so different now.
Even as she mourned the loss of the childhoods of her three eldest, Danika began to cry inside her cabin. With a smile at how fortunate she was to still have her youngest, she set her mending to the side and went inside to comfort her baby. “Hi, sweetie. Did you have a good nap?” she asked as she leaned over to tickle the whimpering child’s tummy. She could see her clout needed changing, so she used her powers to take care of it before she picked her up.
No matter what injunction the villagers might have against using elemy, Vinia could not see the purpose of dealing with stinky bodily functions manually. It was a relief to have the nasty task handled wi
thout any fuss. She picked up her now clean and dry baby and held her to her shoulder as she returned to her chair outside.
Danika was fussy and kept squirming until Vinia opened her blouse and put her to her breast to suckle. Vinia knew she should be trying to wean her, yet she could not get over the idea that this would be the last child who would be needing her in such a way. Nealan had been disgusted by the idea of sharing her breasts with the baby.
Vinia realized suddenly that she had not thought of Nealan in quite some time. Not too long before, she had believed she would marry him, and he was the center of her universe. It was funny how much had changed in such a short amount of time. Responsibility for the village had replaced her dreams for the future, and she found she was quite content with the way things had turned out.
She felt a stab of guilt since the last she had heard was that Nealan had been having a hard time with his recovery. It was too much to believe he would want to return to Tuala after all he had endured at the hands of Elder Vargen. Vinia, herself, could not stomach the idea of living on Earth even though her three other children had found happiness there. She belonged to Tuala as much as Nealan belonged to Earth, this much was unmistakable.
Ozian stood at the edge of the clearing, watching how Vinia and her baby were so content together. It made him wish he could be a part of their world. While he had been attracted to Juila, more than ever, he felt himself being drawn to Vinia even though she was several years older than himself. Anons, he corrected himself. He was going to have to remember the proper terms for things if he were going to try to stay and fit in.
With this new idea in his mind, he stepped forward and decided to keep Vinia company. Vinia looked up and smiled at him, which was encouraging. “Hello,” he said when he got close enough. Even though he had spoken quietly, the one word startled Danika enough to cause her to lose her hold on her mother’s teat.
Ozian saw her exposed breast and felt a thrill of excitement shoot through him. He wished he could trade places with Danika, wished he could hold Vinia close and nuzzle her breasts. The depth of his sudden emotion surprised him, and he blushed slightly and turned his face away until Vinia could resettle her daughter to eating.
“Would you mind if I kept you company?” he asked.
“No, I’d love it, but I don’t have another chair out here. Do you want to go inside and get one?”
“Sure.” He went inside and returned swiftly with a short bench from the dining table. He positioned it to the side but facing Vinia for easier conversation. “I have a few questions about life here. Would you mind talking about it?”
“Not at all.” She gazed lovingly at her daughter as she stared up at her while she suckled. There was nothing else she would be doing until after Danika finished her meal. Talking with Ozian was a welcome change.
“What are your customs for dating? Or do you even date here?”
Vinia smiled suddenly and asked, “Why do you ask? Has some girl caught your fancy?”
Blushing furiously, and cursing his fair complexion for making it so obvious, Ozian looked down at his hands clasped in his lap. “As a matter of fact, someone has.”
“I’m sorry for teasing, Ozian, it’s just such a novelty to have someone new. Let’s see, courtships have been encouraged, but they usually only last a few weeks before the couple would get married. For the past several anons marriages have simply been arranged by the men of the village with little regard to what the women might want. I’m sorry, but I think you might find some resistance to your advances for a while.”
“Even from you?” Ozian asked hurriedly before he lost his nerve.
“Me? What are you saying, Ozian? You want to be with me? Nonsense, I’m too old for you.” She felt her own cheeks warming at the thought of being with another man so soon after Nealan.
Emboldened, Ozian pushed, “Are you saying you’re not interested in me?”
“No, it’s not that…” she stammered and finally stopped talking.
“I’d like to court you, Vinia. No, that’s not exactly true. I want to marry you and take care of you and Danika.”
“I’m flattered, Ozian, but you can’t possibly mean that. I mean, what about your people back on your own planet? Don’t you think you’ll eventually want to go back home? I can’t risk another relationship with a man who won’t remain content to stay here in Tuala. After all, I have Danika to think about, and she’s getting old enough to start forming memories and bonds, and that wouldn’t be fair to her.”
“I hear what you’re saying, Vinia, and I assure you Tuala is where I want to be. My home planet is dying and far too provincial for me in any event. I’ve seen how you lead the people here and how you care for your daughter, and I admire and respect you for it. I want to help you, but most importantly, I want to be with you…in every way. Please say you will at least consider my offer before you refuse outright.”
“I’ll agree, but only so it’ll give you time to reconsider and possibly choose someone more appropriate for you from the village girls. I don’t want you to discover you settled for me because you didn’t want to wait to find the right person.”
Chapter Twenty-One
THE WEEKEND FLEW by for the girls. Daven had taken Juila flying in his telepod when he found out about her joy in travel. Nena had shown Jena the family’s historical documents which pleased her greatly. All the while they had grown up, they knew they had a family, yet they were kept apart from them until their mother had approached Jehoban.
Now they had both sets of grandparents and a lot of family stories to catch up on. Even though Nena was an only child, Daven had many brothers and sisters whom she already knew from living on Acaim with them. Of course, at the time, she had no idea they were great aunts and uncles to her and her sister.
Their lives still had a feeling of fantasy when she took the time to review it all. She wondered why Jehoban would have kept the truth from them for so long, but instantly dismissed the idea since she knew he always had their best interest in mind. Hopefully, she would discover it all for herself in the future.
“Have you taken any time to work with your samara, Grandma?” Jena asked suddenly, breaking the silence.
“What? Oh, no. I don’t think I’m going to,” she stammered.
“But you have to!”
The vehemence of Jena’s statement surprised Nena into asking, “What makes you so certain?”
“I…” Jena faltered while she tried to come up a reasonable excuse without revealing the truth she knew. “I mean, it was decided at the last meeting that everyone who had a crystal should practice using it. You don’t want to be the only one who doesn’t understand how it’s used, do you?”
“No, but to be honest, the thing scares me more than a little bit. I don’t want to risk being caught within it, or maybe it’ll force me to do something against my will as it did with Ela Nena. You have no idea who might control my crystal, and I don’t want to find out!”
“Oh, Grandma, you don’t know, do you?”
“Know what?”
“I’ve done extensive research on the samaras during my childhood on Acaim. I never knew why I was fascinated by them, but now I’m grateful. The samaras were each created for a specific person. While it is true, they can be used by someone other than their true owner; it is not possible for it to be manipulated by anyone else once the final owner claims it. You are the final owner, Grandma. Once you hold it, claim it as your own, and bond with it, then both you and the samara will be safe from manipulation of a third party. Have you ever held it?”
“No, I can’t say that I have.”
“Then it’s vitally important that we take care of that right away. Your samara is in jeopardy of being stolen as long as it remains unclaimed. Where do you keep it? We need to take care of this immediately!”
Nena was torn with indecision. She could see the wisdom of Jena’s words, but her fear kept her rooted to her seat. With a final, desperate thought she asked, “Don’t y
ou think we should wait until Daven and your sister return? I think it’d be safer to have more people around to help me should something go awry.”
“I know what to do, Grandma, I was there for Juila and you know I wouldn’t do anything which would risk her. Let’s go get yours, and you can claim yours right away.”
Knowing when she was not going to win the argument, she gave in reluctantly. She stood up and led the way to the Ascension Gate room where her samara was being kept hidden. Each step closer brought a fresh wave of nervous energy which she could feel was making her heart race and her breathing come faster. Her sense of dread increased when she held her hand out to the doorknob.
“I can’t do it,” she suddenly declared, turning to face Jena, ready to bolt around her.
“Yes, you can, and you must. This is possibly the most important thing you will ever do, and it must be done.”
“Okay, I’ll agree only if you will agree to wait until Daven and Juila get home.”
“Deal!” Jena agreed and held out her hand to seal the bargain. She had been surprised when her grandmother had acquiesced too easily and not at all shocked when she changed her mind at the last possible moment. While she knew this next step with her samara was important, she also knew her grandmother’s fear would make it harder for her to accept the gift of her crystal.
With a sigh of relief, Nena allowed herself to relax more and more with each step away from the hidden spot where she could feel the samara calling from behind her. The call was easier to ignore when she was nowhere near the room, and she was grateful to get away. Her relief was short-lived when they turned the corner to the main hall and saw Daven and Juila at the other end, clearly back from their day’s adventures.
“Great timing,” Jena called down the hall.
Nena narrowed her eyes with suspicion at her granddaughter and then had to laugh out loud. Through her link with her sister, she would have known Juila was home and that they would be returning immediately to complete what she had promised to do. “I should have suspected you were up to something,” she accused quietly.
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