The Power of Maya


Dream of the Worlds Trilogy, Part 2


By Ivan D. Alexander




The Power of Maya

1. Maya
2. Eaters of the Dead
3. Ka'Ananda

4. Reception
5. Dance
6. First Light

7. House of Death
8. Awakening
9. Patterns

10. The Game
11. Kahla
12. Sadhu

13. Morz
14. The Cave
15. Exhile
16. Family
17. The Barter
18. Trek

19. Karu'an
20. Weapons
21. The Meeting

22. The Sing
23. Gentle
24. Star-command

25. Carnival
26. Angel
27. Landing

28. Arrested
29. Judgment
30. Change


It is now nearly four thousand years since the first visitors from Earth had been to Ka'ananda. The story you will meet in these pages, as I had told it to my young daughter, Maya, will bring news back to Earth from that distant world. But we are distant cousin worlds, so what you will see on Ka'ananda will not be so strange to you, as it was not strange to me. But there were some things that were strange, some that frightened me, and that ultimately meant harm for my home world. As I am a daughter of both worlds, now, I felt it was important for this message to get back to Earth: That there were those who worshipped power more than the love and goodwill of the Dream. But the Dream is now about to become a part of Earth too. So the story had to be told, and not forgotten.
--San'aa


1. Maya.

"Tell me a story, Mother."
Her inquisitive young eyes shone with their unique blue-amber color as she looked at me with that face I so love. Her little chin framed by high cheeks, still cuddled in baby fat, was smiling at me. She was just four, yet already through the special training she had received, she had the mind of a child more than twice her age. She asked again:
"Tell me again of how you came here with Paul."
"You've already heard that story numerous times, love."
"Yes, but I love it so. Tell me more."
"All right. I'll tell you a story. But it will not be the same as you've heard before. I've told you of how I had met your father in East Africa and how we travelled the world, my Earth, before he took me aboard Ship and we came here to Ka'ananda, which is now our home. But you know all that, and now that you are older, I will tell you of what happened when we got here."
I thought about it for a moment, her young mind already reaching into mine to probe. But her training was still rudimentary and she could only feel the sadness and foreboding that wells up whenever I think of these past four years. I had such dreams once, so much faith. And now I know that it was to be much harder than I dreamed then. So I formed my thoughts and began for my daughter, Maya, the tale she wanted to hear.
"We came aboard the Star-ship to your home world. How beautiful it all was. Everything seemed perfect. Your father and I were so in love. After leaving the troubles of Earth behind... Remember how we were pursued by the police? I suddenly felt as if I had entered a magical kingdom where existed only good. Everyone was so friendly, full of Light, never a cross word, and all around us rejoiced in how we loved each other. I could have never imagined anything could ever go wrong..."

"Come, my love, let us change. These new tunics will serve us well while we work."
Paul had an android bring us a change of clothing. Karu'an, the lion I met when I first came to the Star-ship, had already become my companion and followed me about like a faithful friend. His mind was so keen that he even directed me on how to use the various controls I needed to learn, though he could not work them himself. But he was very observant. We changed in the privacy of our quarters.
"San'aa! How beautiful you look in our work clothes!"
"Thanks, Ka'an. Though I am not used to wearing clothes you could see through."
"Oh, that's nothing. But call me Kahla. I like my new Earth name. I'm going to use it on Ka'ananda. You do look good."
Kahla went on to the station where she worked monitoring the space deflection mechanism which steered the Ship through the many stellar and planetary obstacles we would encounter when shifting through the various space levels as we flew home. The bright light aboard ship was dimmed around her as she worked on her consoles, as if she were framed by light around a halo of darkness. She also looked good, her curly blond hair tossed back when she laughed.
'Home' had become relative to me, since I had never been on Ka'andana, at that point, but only knew it from my learning 'tapes'. Even the word tapes was inadequate, as the repositories of knowing were actually more like small eggs or pebbles, nodules, all classified and decoded by the mechanisms that were part of the Dream technology. A small dove sized egg nodule could hold the information of a whole year's worth of experience, and this could be absorbed in the space of about two hours. So I had seen my new home, through the eyes of others, though I had never been there myself.
Paul had engaged himself in the Dream again, working on deciphering the reality grid-matrix maps all the experiences he and Angel and Tenya had on Earth. The process is complicated, but could best be explained as follows: He enters a chamber that is totally isolated from all contact with the Ship, puts on a head piece that connects him to a three dimensional organic grid pattern. When the grid is activated, he then enters a semi-sleep state, a kind of meditation, or Dream, in which he sees the patterns as they unfold and gives them his interprretation of their meaning. These are then further interpreted by the Dreamers for the future process of integrating Earth into the community of Living Worlds. As best I could understand it, it was a very delicate and exact process that brought the Light and the Dream to a newly awakened world, and it required a great deal of care. This is how the Light was first brought to Ka'ananda about twenty thousand years ago, and so it would be brought to Earth. It almost happened about four thousand years ago, but something went wrong. So for now, Earth still sleeps.
Paul and I spent all of our free time together. We were so happy to be aboard Ship. At the viewing walls, we would watch space changing in beautiful spectrums of color as we sped by worlds and stars and far off galaxies. In the company of others, our cheerfulness was contagious. And alone, we loved endlessly. Whenever I became depressed about leaving my home planet, he would have the androids perform some antic for us, to make me laugh. But it was also the minds and hearts of all around us. They loved us.
"How are your language studies coming along, San'aa?"
"Coming along quite well, M'aan." She was the Ship's Commander. I spoke to her in the tongue of Ka'ananda. "Ka phean na ipu'sat'an won de ul'mo'ananda." This roughly translates into: "I can speak almost as well as everyone on your world."
M'aan smiled. "I see you can. Good! Has Ta'an introduced you to the tapes showing the history and topography of our world?"
"I have studied the land, the cities, how I am to live, but am still vague on the history."
"Then let us start you on our pre-history. This is known by way of other worlds, how they communicated it to us, since we like you were without the knowledge of our distant past. The same will happen someday on Earth, where the people there will be able to tune in to any part of their history or pre-history at will. Much is recorded and known, especially before your world was placed in Quarantine four thousand years ago. So let Ta'an set you up, whenever you wish. But I must caution you. Some parts of our pre-history are very violent and bloody, as yours was."
"You mean still is. My planet can do untold damage to itself, with wars and destruction. But I am of Africa and the desert. In my childhood in Ethiopia, and later in Eritrea, I knew much bloodshed and cruelty."
"You will see we had it too. But we were lucky to leave it sooner. And you will see why. But you are of us now, even though your seed had been abandoned when we left long ago, and your ancestors were forced to mate with Earth's beings. Ultimately our visits were totally forgotten, except as myths. Still, the Dreamers know that through your seed you belong as one of us."
M'aan was referring to when Earth was placed in Quarantine so that no other world could come and openly communicate with her, there were those of Ka'ananda who were left behind and taken captive. Some were killed, but others, especially the women, were kept as slaves or concubines. They were so fair that none could kill them. They went to the most powerful rulers and chiefs of the time, even to the Pharaohs. The Dreamers now believed that my very great-great grandmother, 'Ti, was married to a Pharaoh, Amenhetep III. She became a great queen. Their son Aakhunaten, and his beautiful wife Nefertiti were Maya's great-great grandparents. As M'aan left, Paul came in from the Dream chambers.
"I feel as if the last ten hours in the Dream chambers have left me drained. I could use a good while in the Light chamber. Want to join me?"
Though he looked tired, he was beautiful to my eyes. His light, coffee colored skin beneath his tunic called to me. And his deep blue eyes had a steady gaze on me. We had enjoyed the Light chambers many times, which are also used to cleanse and refresh ourselves. The experience leaves one clean and relaxed, almost to the point of being orgasmic. So I wanted to.
As we lay on the soft contoured platform that serves as a bed, having done with the Light shower, we played with each other. My fingers ran down his spine, touching him. We both still tingled and each touch was provocative. When Paul turned over, his body told me that he wanted me. I caressed him around the thighs and kissed him. He reached down to my head and began kissing me about the neck, his hands reaching into the intimate parts of my body. I yielded and we loved for hours.
"Have you been attending to your tapes, my love?"
"I have time for them. I'd rather be here with you. This feels so good."
In fact it did. I felt totally relaxed and spent. Paul felt the same and only reluctantly we rose from our bed. But he had duties aboard the Star-ship and I knew he would be off shortly to attend to some project his assignment called for. Even though a Star-ship can run almost automatically of itself, there were many things that had to be monitored to safely project us through space for the twelve day duration of our journey. Sometimes, obstacles or a distress from another vessel would divert us temporarily, and all of these contingencies required attention by all aboard. Of gravest danger were the black holes. They were invisible to our sensors if we were shifting from one plane to another, since the black holes do the same naturally, spanning two planes at once. But the Dreamers knew where to look for them when we shifted planes.
There were about five thousand people aboard, and all had duties assigned to them. I was the only one whose sole duty was to acclimate myself to the ways of my new, old, world, though I was entrusted with the care of Karu'an, my friendly lion, even if he was attended to by the androids and was quite self sufficient. So I decided to find Ta'an, Paul's or P'aan's, as he is sometimes called here, strategist.
"Master?" I asked of Paul's personal android as he walked into our chamber, "where can I find Ta'an?"
Master changed his attention from whatever his mind was on, and after an imperceptible moment, responded to me.
"You will find him in the main control area of the Dream chambers, Mistress." He was fond of calling me by that name. It started even before he had met me. "I think P'aan will be going there shortly, so you two could go together."
"Thank you, Master." Master again resumed his preoccupation and turned to tidying up the mess Paul and I had left all over the room. His smooth, though mechanical motions, showed how well programmed he was for his work. He resembled a human in every way, even resembling Paul, somewhat, except that his features were stylized, and his skin of a slightly silvery color. He also could not Dream. This he knew, but it did not seem to bother him. He would say: "Dreaming is only for humans."
Paul presently walked in through the passageway and we went off together to the Dream control center, which was at the other end of the Ship.
"M'aan said that I may be troubled by the tapes I'm to see, the ones about your pre-history. Oh they are grizzly, especially at the beginning."
"I think the tape she has in mind is the one that compares how human consciousness was introduced to both our worlds, at about the same time. You see, both worlds were run as one experiment. That's one reason why we've been called upon to bring the Light to Earth. But don't worry. If it troubles you, just turn it off. And if it is really disturbing, call me. We'll do it together."
He flashed me a knowing smile, but I could read in his mind concern. My interest in these tapes was beginning to grow and I could not wait to sit in on them. As we walked down the corridors of the ship, passing living quarters and then the main Dream hall, which is where we hold our 'sings', we were near the center of the Ship. The walkways beyond here were specially designed to glide us forward, so it took less effort. We stepped and in each step we were lifted and redeposited gently again for the next step. There was almost no feeling of motion in this, except the eyes would blur temporarily as we speeded forth. But the mechanism responsible for this motion would always return us to a normal walking position, as if we walked normal steps. Except we covered much more distance. These 'express' walkways are not used everywhere aboard, but primarily through the areas where there is little of interest and not much reason to linger. This is never so near the living quarters. But we were passing the maintenance areas now, and unless one had business there, we 'flew' by and covered the remaining half of the ship in half the time. There were express corridors, or gliding walkways as they are called, at other levels as well. So one could cover the length of the ship in a matter of minutes, if needed. It still amazes me how such a great structure could work in total integration and travel through space at multiple factors of light speed. Paul explained to me early on, but I really don't understand it.
"There's Ta'an. I'm going into the pilot area, love, so I'll see you later on."
He gave me a look that spoke through his eyes, and I could feel him as if he were inside. Then he smiled and turned.
"San'aa!" Ta'an's cherubic face beamed at me. "Are you here for more training? M'aan said you may be by today. Or what day is it anyway? There really are not days and nights in space, only time. How do you feel?" "Wonderful. Paul and I did the Light."
"Ahh! That is a special moment. I think I'm ready for the same. My mind has been so focussed on these maps for so long, I can't think of anything else. Would Paul mind if you joined me?" He gave me a mirthful look.
"I don't think I'm ready," I laughed back cautiously.
"Tssk. So, let me show you where you could make yourself comfortable. Let's pick this one. I think that the knowledge stored here may be exactly what M'aan had in mind. Ah, yes. There it is."
He lifted a small stone from a tray lined with soft material. He held it up and examined it. It shone like a ruby in his hand. Most of these learning tape-stones looked like precious gems, crystalline and of different colors. It made me wonder why my ancestors so loved precious stones. This one shone red. Ta'an seemed pleased with his choice, and dropped it into the small container which would read it. I took my seat and adjusted the flaps that straddled my neck and head. The light was automatically dimmed in the cubicle so that it would not disturb my eyes. Much of what I would learn is visual, though other sensations would also come through in varying degrees. That is how language is learned so quickly. For each word and phrase, there is a sensation that registers subliminally in association, so the mind retains absolutely everything. The best description I could think of is that it's like learning language by doing physical work. It really works.
"There, San'aa. That should do it. The time for this session is about and hour and a half, though it could last much longer if you wish. It will take you from the beginning to where we discover written language. So you'll see hieroglyphs and pictoglyphs. I hope you enjoy the music, as it is played for each era as they played it then. This is to help you remember it. Also, I didn't tell you, but this tape plays backwards. So you will starts with the latest period and work back to the beginning. Ready?"
I nodded, feeling mild apprehension. I've never been so coached before and wondered why this tape is getting so much attention. But I closed my eyes and relaxed. This could be very pleasurable and relaxing, as no school classroom on Earth could ever be.
"Okay, Ta'an. Let it begin."



2. Eaters of the Dead.

"What's a school-class-room, Mama?"
"You don't have classrooms here. But on my world, children learn by all sitting together in a room with a teacher who teaches them the things they need to learn."
"It sounds like I would like it, playing with all the children."
"Oh, no. You must sit still and not play, but pay attention. Well, at least in the schools I went to."
"Oh? But would I have learning tapes like now?"
My lion Karu'an lying against the stone wall shifted position. I looked around our simple room and remembered what it was like to be in school. Then I remembered my first experience on what were once our primitive worlds.
"No. It is very different on Earth. It is much more primitive than what we have here. But let me go on with my story..."

When the lights dimmed, I felt myself become enveloped in a mist-like cloud with faint, distant sounds that drew me into their midst. I was an observer, a part detached from the visual panorama that unfolded before me, but another part felt it as if I were in the middle of it.
The tapes are interactive and I could direct myself to any part of the scene I wished by merely focussing my attention on what interested me. There were fields of grain and people working them, bent over their task, and draft animals pulling loads, attended by their drivers. These were abutted by large walls and gates into which these carts would pass. Inside there were alleyways and houses and market squares overlooking imposing temples where finely dressed men and women came and went. I knew these were scenes of Ka'ananda, but they could have been of Earth in antiquity. There was no technology save simple, primitive tools for working wood and stone and soil, or cloth and leather. Simple machines helped water rise into the aqueduct ditches for distribution to the fields. Boats floated serenely on the rivers. Children and domestic animals played in household yards. They were dressed in what appeared as rags, though it was their regular play dress.
I watched the play of children, tossing about a leather doll, playing catch with it, or parrying blows with small makeshift wooden swords. Then messages began forming themselves in my mind:
"This was Ka'ananda nearly twenty five thousand Earth years ago. Do you recognize it?"
In my mind I formed a thought: "No. But I had read and heard of these things from my own world."
"Both worlds had parallel developments. But ours was faster paced then yours, though both had the same origins."
As these words were communicated to me, without sound, new scenes appeared showing me details of daily life. I saw healing herbs applied by doctors, their clinics full of people, some old, some young, wrapped in thick woven blankets before small fires and kettles of steam. I also saw the priests in their temples chanting their sacred rites, processing about, holding objects above their heads in veneration, and then the sacrifice of animals on altars before their tall gods, hellish fires lighting the dimmed interiors of the temple. I even saw human captives, wild eyed and frightened, being led before these gods. I focussed on one of these scenes.
"Are these too of Ka'ananda?"
"Yes. But they too happened on your world. Both worlds were similar in their ancient history."
Priests chanted, accompanied to reed flutes and small drums and a single, three stringed instrument that made a plaintive single note sound. They sounded not unlike Arabic music I had heard as a child, but much slower and crude. As I focussed my attention of this scene, a young woman was pulled from the half dozen captives and brought forth before one of the tall gods. She stooped in submission, fear written all over her supple young body. She could not have been more than fifteen. Her rough, tattered garments were taken from her by attendants, undressed gently it seemed. Her naked body, so lovely, just in the flower of her youth, was trembling, eyes averted from the severe stone statue before her. There were magical symbols carved on the walls around the god, and paintings of scenes that also depicted the god's heroics of long ago. I could read these when I looked at them, but they meant nothing to me. Yet, somehow, I knew that I knew them. Then the woman was forced to kneel before the altar.
As she knelt, a priest's attendant placed a hand on her shoulder and lowered her head forward so that now kneeling she rested on her hands. Then he lowered her head again until it touched the stone floor. I wanted to avert my attention so that I would not see, it already filling me with dread, but I could not. I had to know what was to happen to her. The other captives were kept in a group farther back in the shadows, all also kneeling, but in full view. She knelt there in submission before the terrible deity. A young priest approached her, bearing tall and confident, carrying a large metal dish of water with a bronze knife resting in it. I could see the knife glisten by the flames of torch light as clearly as I could see the priest's robes, finely embroidered and trimmed in gold. He put the basin down on the altar before her and pulled the knife from the water. It dripped coldly onto the stone. This he took and held it before the god, as if to show off its fine workmanship, then he brought it close to the girl. I could see she had marks on her body which were tattoos bearing her rank in her native tribe. Her black hair was tossed about her shoulders and she lowered her head down, as if knowing what to expect. Her lovely breasts were now almost touching the stone floor, which also bore hieroglyph markings. Her finely shaped legs were kneeling, her buttocks revealed naked and upturned.
"Is this like what we had on Earth?" I asked silently. Dread again filled me.
"No. This is different. But she is also a war captive."
Then the priest took the basin over to her. The knife had been again placed on the altar. And with his hands, he began bathing her naked body all over. He did this in caressing motions, as if to be very tender with her and to wash away her fears. He was giving a gift to the gods. When he had used all the water, he put the basin back on the altar next to the knife, then he returned to his sacrifice. While she knelt in her nearly prostrate position, he began chanting a song that was in an arcane language of the time. He did this for a long time. Then he knelt behind her and, after letting his robes fall to the floor, pressed his erection into her. She gave a gasp, which let me to believe it was her fist time. A flash of pain crossed her face. Then he withdrew himself before he had achieved orgasm. Attendants quickly replaced his robes. He walked away. The basin was removed by a novice priest, and another captive was brought forth.
"Is the sacrifice over?"
"Yes. This one is. But for the others, it is not. One of them will not receive the priest's blessing, and that one will be cursed, or die. Her throat cut."
"Is it the same for the men?"
"Yes. They too will either be blessed or cursed. Do you want to see?"
"No. I want to move on from this time. But what would have happened on Earth?"
The scenes changed, but in many ways were similar. Except the young woman was kneeling before a raised platform of fire. She seemed drugged and barely aware of what was happening to her. First he took her from behind, as before. But then, as if out of anger, the priest took the knife from the basin and he reached down to her soft abdomen and cut a deep gash into it. She fell from her kneeling position. He turned her over. Fear was still on her face as she lay, blood forming a small pool by her side. Then he reached into her open flesh and cut an artery. The blood now spilled out like a fountain and quickly ran down little gullies that led to the feet of the god. There it gathered in a growing red pool. Then the woman screamed. I think I did too.
"Horrible! Why did they kill her?"
"Her body was a sacrifice to the god. But they did not always kill them. Sometimes, they offered it in the way you had seen, the priest communing sex with her, or him."
I quickly changed my focus and we moved on through time through wars and famines, due to drought or other disasters. The wars were not always of conquest and migration. Sometimes they were more like feuds, fought for revenge of wrongs that may have been long forgotten, but never forgiven. Past these I moved to where people lived mostly as nomadic tribes. They did not yet practice agriculture but gathered from the land what they needed, mostly roots and herbs and wild fruit. These were cooked in thick stews in crude metal pots over fires, or in stone pits if the camps were poor, inside their animal hide tents, surrounded by the hungry mouths and eager eyes of the clan. Outside the tents, visible through the smoke, were animals tied to posts. Others had been skinned and left to hang, ready to be quartered. The people were pastoralists and there was a sense of general litter scattered about the camp. Dogs roamed. It would soon be time to move on, to follow the herds of wild pony-like thick-furred animals. They had no written language, but already scratched messages marking time or maps on wood or bone with strokes and dots. Inside the tent, the meal ready, all were noisily eating out of wooden bowls with their hands, their metal weapons neatly stacked beside their other possessions. Greasy stains covered their faces and hands. But they looked happy, laughing and talking amongst themselves. The season had been good and they were fed.
The visions took me further back into time, dim images of hunting bands huddled against the wind, stalking game, gathered around a fire, singing mournful songs, the men in deep base and the women in higher, more shrill voices. To keep rhythm, the men beat their weapons upon the hard soil, or banged them together, while the women clapped their hands. The night seemed unbroken by any light save from the fire and the planets and stars. Both moons of Ka'ananda shone on the edge of each horizon, playing a game of catch, which was never won. Meat was roasting on the flames, and I could smell this, and hear the distant sounds of animals, some that sounded like howling wolves. In the day, the people would be seen wandering, or just lounging in the shade, picking insects off each other. They had not yet learned to make shelter, save for wind breaks, and lived mostly in the wide open stretches of plains, hugging close to the edges of forests and mountains. Often the victims of animal predation, hunters and hunted, they always posted a lookout. But they already had speech. Their drawings were simple symbols of what they had been taught to do by their forefathers. With no written language, they told stories to each other instead. They were already women and men of modern times. They looked like us.
"Would these be Earth ancestors too?"
"Very like. At those times, both worlds evolved in much the same way, almost in the same time. It was only later that Earth started to fall behind."
"Why did my world not keep up?"
"Climate. Your continents separated the oceans differently. Where your land masses go pole to pole, ours were more like bands circling the globe. This allowed for a warmer, more gentle climate, and we were spared the hardships of the ice ages, unlike yours. You lost nearly twenty thousand years. But there was another reason."
Everywhere I looked, the scenes were similar. Humans had simple tools of wood and stone, metal not having yet been discovered. Women tended to hides and meals. Men did the butchering and tended the fires. Children carried water in skins or tightly woven baskets lined with pitch. Pottery had not yet been invented. The bands of humans often stayed small, usually no more than twenty to a clan. Vegetation was lush in the jungles, but these were very dangerous and sparsely populated, as most lived on the edges of the open savannahs. When bands met, they often were suspicious of each other, at first, until one or the other brought gifts. They exchanged words they could little understand, but were instantly friendly if any recognized a kinsman or woman. Then it was cause for a feast or celebration, if the food was available. If not, then it became a communal hunt. When these hunts failed, sometimes, the bands would turn on one another and attack, each blaming the other for their bad luck. These would result in bloody battles where some died. Others were taken captive as slaves.
I watched these scenes from the vantage point of different parts of the planet. Though they seemed to be fairly uniform, already there were signs of differentiation. Some bands were taller, healthier than others. Some were darker skinned. And some bands were more clever, better able to survive. As I focussed on these bands to see each person up close, I even spotted rare mutations of blue eyes beneath thick mats of yellow hair, though most had coarse dark hair and features. A few, light and dark, were already handsome to look at. The planet teemed with life, though human clans were still very sparse. Life was short.
"Are we at the beginning of human times?"
"Not yet. There's fire."
The scenery kept unfolding for me, but I had begun to feel tired. There was so much to absorb in such a short time. The unease from seeing the human sacrifice hung over me like a memory shroud, but I felt I was approaching the end of the tape. The focus was more on animal life, the herds of wild beasts and birds traversing the large plains. Desert mountains loomed in the distance, silence broken only by wind and storms. I could see the sky turn black with night, or watch the sun rise in the eyes of a young human already wakened from sleep, scanning the land for game. Only one band throughout the continent had fire. Ka'ananda has several small continents, but most of the humans centered on one major land mass. This land was surrounded by lush greenery, marsh and jungle, and bands of life flowing rivers, wooded areas. Otherwise it was desert or semi arid plains. It was on the plains, where storms were frequent, that humans first domesticated fire.
It was the old ones who first sought fire. Their failed teeth found it hard to chew raw meat, so they scattered to the edges of brush fires to find animals that had succumbed to the smoke and been charred. Sometimes, they succumbed themselves. When they found these, they tore the carcass open and ate away the meat inside, which had been made tender by the flames. All knew this, but because fresh kill was prized over charred meat, most never bothered with it, except for the old. Cold was of no consequence as their bodies were well acclimated to it, and found the heat from fire rather oppressive, as animals do today. But they enjoyed the temporary relief smoldering brush offered from insects, and this was much prized. It was for this purpose that they first transferred flames from natural fires to piles of brush in their camp and carefully tended them. Then swarming, biting insects were kept down to a minimum, and all could sleep in peace. There was also the added benefit of inhaling smoke before story telling, so the telling could get better, as certain herbs gave off slightly hallucinogenic fumes. When this was realized, smoke was tendered reverently, so that each night could be free of insects and full of stories. Only much later was the old people's habit of preferring cooked meat finally accepted by the clans.
I watched this one clan roam the wilderness in search of smoke, running to it when it was found, spotted from a great distance. The other clans thought their habit strange, but gradually the knowledge of the benefit of smoke eventually passed from clan to clan. Now many clans had the smoke and fumes around which to gather and tell stories. In time, with nightly exposure to heat, they became acclimated to it, even craved it, and fire took a permanent place in each camp.
"How far back are we?"
"This is the beginning of human life as we know it now, about two million Earth years. But there is still one thing that was responsible for it, on both our world, and on Earth."
I looked into the darkest past of mankind, creatures I could scarcely recognize as human, though their hairy faces were human. In their eyes was intelligence, movements of facial muscles that revealed expression. The way they tilted their heads, or raised their arms in expression, was a wordless communication of mind. I shivered in the cold of night, looking in on them, and baked in the noonday sun, feeling beads of perspiration form on my brow. But I could not stop it now, as I was totally hypnotized by the tape and had to see the rest. There were lights in the sky, fast moving lights that crisscrossed from horizon to horizon, and I saw them from the planet's surface, looking up frightened. I could not understand what they were or where they came from. Then, in a thicket, I spotted strange beings who rather looked like me, but were different. They were lighter skinned, tall, some with yellowish and reddish beards, and they stood perfectly still. Not even their eyes moved. They were well proportioned, strong and handsome to look at. I felt drawn to them, partly out of curiosity, but mostly because I could not resist. I approached closer, so that I could almost touch the one nearest me. It was a man, dressed in animal skins and holding a long stick. I thought he had frozen and could not move, though he stood erect, not like a frozen corpse I had once seen. He looked healthy. I stood marvelling at the sight, unable to understand it. Then the one nearest me, he moved, first his eyes, and then a hand. I froze with fright. I wanted to run, but something held me. It was his eyes. They were blue. Suddenly, as a woman, I felt foolish and embarrassed, and very scared. I wanted to cry out, but could not, and he reached for me. The others also all moved now, and all came around me. Because I was totally naked, they had no difficulty in taking me. I let them, unable to comprehend what was happening, though I had a man take me before. But they were gentler, and it felt pleasant, so I ceased my fear and no longer resisted. They took me all in turn, each one of them, of which there were as many as the fingers on my hands. I tried making sounds to have them understand that I was not afraid, and they only smiled at me, never saying a word. But I felt them as if they were in my head. Then they left me, and again disappeared into the thicket.
It was a strange sensation, to have been taken like this. As my observation rose from the scene, I realized this was happening at different times all over the planet. We were being mated with strange, alien beings disguised as humans who flew down in light filled ships, and then departed.
"What was happening? I don't understand. Those were aliens."
"This was the experiment both worlds, yours and ours, had millennia ago. We were both approached by a people of superior race, who now no longer exist, and who wanted to pass on their genes and consciousness to our world. They died out shortly after, as they knew they would. But it was different on your world."
The scene replayed again, the same sense of immersion I had just experienced. But here, the women were not passive, willing to be taken. They fought in almost every case, and used their crude wood and stone weapons to overcome the alien men. As they were approached, they clubbed them. Then their men set upon them and finished them off. I could feel the blows, as if they were on me, blood streaming, pain. Finally, unconsciousness. The aliens did not resist, ever, but let themselves be taken instead, and killed, like human sacrifice. It was a time when flesh was prized above all. Those early pre-humans craved it to the point where they even ate their own dead. A slain enemy was food, not to be wasted, and cannibalism was then universal throughout both worlds. But on Earth, the minds of these primitive beings did not respond as well to the aliens' minds. So when they fell they became food. The genetic code was passed on to Earth same as on Ka'andana, but in a very different way. It went directly into the food chain. So that even when predatory animals ate humans, they too within limits picked up the aggressive, near conscious traits of their victims, and Earth developed differently. Consciousness came to Earth from the stars through the eaters of the dead.

The tape ended. I sat frozen in my seat for a long time afterwards, until I could hear a voice speak to me.
"San'aa. You can rise now."
It was Paul, who had come to look in on me, to see I was alright.
"Oh, my God. If I am truly of both worlds, then that was me."
"It was. We have all experienced it through innumerable life times. You were there. That's part of the reason the tapes work so well. They help you remember..."

When I ceased my tale, Maya was looking at me with strange eyes, as if she too were remembering, her little teeth moist with saliva. Then she changed her face and looked at me seriously.
"That was a terrible story, Mother. I would not liked to have been there. I don't want to see that tape."
"It's still too soon for you to see it. But all learn it in time. But it is now past your bed time, and you must sleep."
"I am tired."
"I know dear. It is my fault." Karu'an had already gone out for the night, and one moon had already fallen below the horizon, the other taking its place in the sky.
"What am I doing on my tapes tomorrow?"
"Music. You will learn singing."
"Oh, that's one I love. I can't wait to wake." Then she looked at me with those mischievous eyes: "Will I dream?"
"Dream only beautiful dreams. Don't think of the story I told you."
"Will you tell me another story tomorrow?"
"Uh, huh, love."
Maya prepared for bed. But before lying down, she went to the door and stood for a moment outside, looking up at the sky. I did not know of what she was thinking, but I suspected she wanted to see the shuttle crafts streaking across the heavens, as they had once done long ago. She may have been thinking of those aliens who, over two million years ago, came to our respective worlds, and gave us the mind. Karu'an walked up to her, and brushed gently against her.
"Good night, Maya."

3. Ka'Ananda.

"San'aa, you know I am your friend."
Kahla placed her hand on my shoulder as she said this. We were walking from the maintenance area where she had to oversee the repair performed by young technicians of some malfunction. We were walking back to the pilot areas. Kahla was in appearance no more than in her late twenties, about my age. In fact, she was over fifty years old on her world. Several days had passed since my exposure to our worlds' terrible pre-history. She spoke again:
"As Angel's strategist, I am privy to much information that others do not know. This was revealed to me when he Earth-walked along with Paul and Tenya and was wounded. When he came aboard Ship, we suspected nothing. But now we think there was foul play. And we still don't know the depth of this, though our Dreamers are working on it. But I think that the reason he chose to remain behind had more to do than merely allowing you to return in his place. There may be complicity."
"But with whom? Do you mean that I am a pawn in some game that most of us aren't even aware of?"
"We just don't know. But M'aan suspects."
She was referring to the Ship's commander.
"But how about Paul and Tenya. Since they both are just returning from Earth, shouldn't they know?"
"There's still nothing to know. But it may affect you directly."
"May I tell Paul?"
"Only that you don't know anything."
She again reached my arm and pressed it, giving me a knowing look. We were still a day from arrival on my new world, and much preparation was being made. Most of these were in the way of readying material exchanges upon landing, as the Ship would need to be re-outfitted and supplied for its next voyage. Also, samples were being readied for dis-embarkation. It amused me to think that, in a manner of speaking, I too was a sample, being the first Earth person to step on Ka'ananda in four thousand years. All the shuttle craft which typically ride attached to the Ship's exterior were moved inside the hull as the large vessel prepared for descent onto the planet's surface. The Ship was large enough to hold several of our largest sea tankers. It seemed to me to be truly a marvel of human ingenuity. But most aboard treated it as commonplace. It made me wonder what the planet's surface was like.
"What do you think Kahla meant when she said: 'There may be complicity?'"
Paul and I were relaxing in our private chamber. We lay naked after a Light shower and had opened the viewing port and watched the lights of space move as we approached his world.
"She's right to say that we don't know. The Dreamers have begun picking up some faint traces of aberrations in the reality fabric surrounding Angel's release of his communications device. But it was ignored, thinking that it was merely a consequence of being on a quarantined planet."
"So now they will focus on it?"
"Well, they will look for it again, as will I. But without more detail, and with the possible complicity of secrecy, then we will be handicapped. It isn't like our world to keep secrets, so we are not well prepared."
"On my world, secrets are the norm," I said only half jokingly. "So we know how to maneuver around them, or try to."
"Then your presence may be more useful than you thought, except for being with me that is." And as he said this, he tickled me teasingly as we rolled about the bed.
Paul rolled over on his stomach and looked up at the cosmic dome. Large nebulae receded and a vast asteroid belt began to fill the sky. It looked like an endless field of boulders of varying sizes reflecting reddish and golden in the distant sunlight. The Ship's engines hummed steadily as the field passed beneath and above us. We were now only a day away. The Ship's energy was being reversed back into the universal plane that both Earth and Ka'ananda shared, though we were already thousands of light years away. Paul and I dressed into our work tunics and skipped down towards the pilot areas for final approach.
"May I watch you work?" This was directed at Kahla.
"Of course, dear. You're very welcome."
The other crew members were also positioned at their stations, in front of large monitors showing three dimensional holograms of the inter-relationships the Ship needed for it operations. The Ship's powerful internal light was dimmed around these areas. Everyone, including Paul and M'aan and others was totally focussed on their screens. Ta'an presently returned and also took his place.
The next two hours were spent reversing the spectrums of the space around us which would at times glow bright blue and then a dull red as we decelerated. We were now travelling at sub-light speeds. Shortly, we would start cruising in the cosmic reality of Ka'ananda, but still a fair distance from our world. The star that powered it was still but a bright speck. It grew perceptibly larger as the hours passed by. When we were but two hours away, I had begun feeling the nervousness of anticipation. I would soon step onto a new world. Or maybe my old world. So much time had passed.
We had been awake now for nearly twelve Earth hours, in effect our evening, and it was decided by M'aan to go for the landing now, as this coincided with our landing location's time frame. Food was brought to us by androids. It was distributed in small trays, portions that would have left me hungry on Earth, but this food was different. Some of the food tasted and had the texture of meat, though I learned it was actually a root. It refreshed and filled in minutes. I had seen it processed aboard Ship and knew that it had been treated specially with the Light, the energy that powers all of Ka'ananda's technology, including the Dream chambers. The large crystals that stored the Light were constantly activated for all these activities, except in the main 'sing' chamber, where it rested dark green, almost space black, until it was called upon. Having eaten, we again directed our attention to the screens.
My job, if it may be called that, was to sit in at whatever seats were vacated. So I took turn sitting in Paul's seat when he was called away to look at some Dream maps of our final approach. His monitor showed a grid of matrix lines, all different colors, all three dimensionally playing and overlaying on each other in a basket weaver's design. Paul had explained that when all these lined up into a single point of white light, then the reality grids had been properly aligned and we could land. It did not seem so easy, as no matter what I did to the controls, the lines remained scattered in their weird patterns. So I just watched them. It would have been much easier flying a shuttle craft to the planet's surface then to try to align the landing of a Star-ship. The shuttle had a single hand held control that maneuvered everything and this, from my learning tapes, I mastered quite easily. Since I still had not attended tapes on these functions, I was merely a useless observer.
There was little noise in the pilot areas, only the soft rustle of human activity, or voices. The screens made no audible sound, though there was a constant hum, like a million bees mixed with harmonics, that accompanied the Ship's engines. It sounded almost alive. I also knew that this sound was heard more by the brain and inner ear than auditory senses. Androids came and went, attending to our needs, but mostly stayed out of the way, as this was a critical time and they did not interfere with our attention. At one point Master, Paul's personal android, entered and inquired about him, but then left to resume his other duties. Even Karu'an was scarce, as were the other animals aboard Ship. Everyone knew this was a time dedicated entirely to landing the large Mother Ship.
When Paul returned, I could sense from his mind, that something was not right. He gave me a weak smile, and then returned to his controls. The lines were still not aligning as they should.
"Is something wrong, Paul?"
"Nothing in a real sense, except that we haven't totally closed off our last shift. The last phase is usually the hardest. So what you see on the screen isn't actually there, for us. So we have to shift again. This happens, sometimes, on the final shift. It is very critical. If we don't align within a specific time, we have to go back into space and try it all over again. We'll lose a day."
"Has it ever happened where the alignment never too place?"
"Theoretically, if after a great deal of time elapses, then the time reality will have so distorted our position in space that we could become lost in it. But it never happened to my knowledge."
"And if it did happen..."
"We'd arrive on Ka'ananda. But it would be a totally uninhabitable world for us. You see, life exists only in specific bands of reality. The rest is lifeless."
Though I already knew this, it merely reenforced how difficult space travel really is, if one is to go beyond the immediate moons and planets. But the technology and know how exists, and that made me feel more secure.
A mellow bong just sounded, and all in the room seemed to breath a sigh of relief.
M'aan flashed a great smile our way. All the lines on Paul's monitor suddenly collapsed into a small ball, and then a point of white light. "The Light be with us. We did it."
"Final approach. Please take seats."
It was an automatic voice that directed us to secure whatever we were doing and occupy the soft contoured seats around the cabin. There were no seat belts or restraints of any kind as the seats had built in field activators that would hold one in place if there was any kind of disturbance. The viewing walls were all activated now, lights dimmed, and we watched the planet Ka'ananda appear on the main wall. It was blue, like Earth, and clouds ran in bands around its perimeter. The two moons, Paar and Maat, were visible around the planet, each smaller than Earth's moon. The sun shone to our left, a bright star, larger than Earth's, or so it seemed from where we were. Presently, the planet's surface was entirely beneath us. I could see the large continents, one larger, more red, than the others, which appeared to circle the globe. Broad bands of small islands formed vast archipelagoes. The polar region had small ice caps, which stretched down about a tenth of the way. The equator was mostly water, except for the islands. There was also a patch of islands far to the north, almost at the poles, which showed dark against the darkening waters. Thin clouds appeared over where we were preparing to descend, on one of the smaller continents. I could see the planet's dark shadow creep over its eastern horizon. Small ships accompanied us down, as we slowly made our way into the atmosphere. I knew that to approach too quickly would cause severe atmospheric disturbances and violent storms. Clouds gathered about the Ship, and then receded, as its energy pulsed lower.
"We're touching down."
Again the automatic voice called. Kahla glanced at me, briefly, as did Paul. Both smiled. Ta'an was also in his seat, as were many others in the room. A look of relief and delight, more felt in the room than seen, was on everyone's face, including my own. Upon touchdown, the monitor lights dimmed and the Ship's interior became light filled again.
"Is this home?"
"We're home San'aa!"
Paul came over and gave me a great hug. I could see he was pleased. It had been over a year for him, away from Ka'ananda on his Earth scouting assignment. The same for Tenya, who was busy in the propulsion area of the Ship. She arrived shortly and all congratulated one another. We had descended down to the large viewing area where I had been received when I first came aboard Ship. All came in turn and hugged me. "Welcome to your new world!" They had such deep feelings for their world. Then M'aan turned to me.
"San'aa, you are our first visitor from your world in four thousand years. Welcome, welcome, welcome!"
I raised my hands in supplication: "Na'am'sat." Paul came to my side, as did Kahla, all touching me gently with their minds.
M'aan led me by the hand from the viewing area down the long causeway that led from the large Ship into the planet's receiving areas. There must have been a million people there. The sky above was clear and beautiful and turning red. I whispered to Paul:
"What's that strange music I hear?"
There was a soft hum in the air, like rising and falling chords in harmony.
"They have activated the crystal for you and are using the Light to greet you. All know that the small person flanked by us three is a very important visitor from Earth. So they are greeting you with their minds."
I knew what Paul meant. The large crystals, which I could now see before the crowds, were picking up their mind patterns and replaying them audibly. We were hearing the natural harmony that flew from all their well wishing. And it was beautiful. Tenya and Ta'an were behind us, so that we formed the first six people of the landing party. Other crew members followed behind, all descending from the Ship. Later, these would be followed by the androids and animals. The descent from the great Star-craft was done with all the elegance of a formal procession, the most important followed by their retinue. The Ship great size now loomed large over us. I glanced up at it, only to feel this strong power radiating down on me, as if it too welcomed me into this new world. A brief word of thanks radiated back. Soon we cleared its perimeter and entered the receiving area within the crowd.
"Welcome to Ka'ananda, San'aa. I am Mori'an."
This reached me in my mind first, and then audibly as I approached the person I knew was the planet's Prime Citizen. He outstretched his arms in a generous greeting and smiled at me. The others stood back and let me pass first. I stood, momentarily speechless and overwhelmed, as if I were about to cry, when he put his arms around me.
"Welcome, my child. Welcome home. It has been a very long time."
"I am welcome, Mori'an. And I feel your love. Thank you."
Then tears did fill my eyes and ran slowly down my cheeks. The crowd again raised its chant, and the crystals glowed bright green. It left me speechless and weak. I felt their genuine love for me.
"You must be tired from such a journey. Space takes its toll, and a new world must be so much to take in. Retire for the night. Paul will take you to his home. And then tomorrow, when you are refreshed, we will all meet again."
Mori'an said this with his hands held together, in the manner of how some people on Earth say 'Namaste', bowing to me. Then he looked into my eyes, and turned to let me pass. A distance away from him, I asked Paul:
"How old is your world's leader?"
"He is now the equivalent of nearly two hundred of your Earth years."
"But he has hardly a wrinkle. I would have guessed he was a very good looking fifty year old man."
"He has aged better than most. The Light is within him. But you will not see many truly old people, unless their age has rendered them infirm. Then the Light fades and they prepare to die. By then, they may be almost three hundred years old."
"Will I age the same way?"
"As long as you are on our world, then your metabolism will be subject to the same as all of us. Of course. But you already start, in our years, much older than you are on Earth. So you would be about the same age as Kahla here. But don't worry. Let us take ourselves to my place."
Master brought us Paul's personal craft and we climbed inside. It was comfortable to look at, and the seats had the same softness to them that I had seen everywhere else so far. Master keyed into a monitor flashing a rainbow of lights the necessary coordinates for home. From my studies, I knew that the coordinates placed us on a travel grid, on which we would be propelled to our destination. These grids were all over the planet, at different elevations, and all surface and shuttle crafts used them. Within minutes we were off the barren continent we just left, which is used almost exclusively for launching and receiving Star-ships, as well as for maintenance related industries, and we were over the oceans speeding in the dusky light towards Skara'ala, the main continent. Ka'ananda's most populated regions were there, though people lived all over the planet, especially on the myriad islands of the oceans. We slowed down when we arrived on the coast of the main continent. "Much traffic," chimed in Master. Beneath us, as we were probably at about five kilometers altitude, we passed cities, which glowed brightly in the now deepening dusk. Then we descended to a lower level. Building tops, often pyramid shaped, seemed to zoom by us at almost equal height. Long boulevards radiating light up the sides of the large structures crisscrossed below. The cities seemed to form large walls, or like small man made mountains, dividing the coastal regions from the interior. Somehow, it was all bigger than my mind could understand. There, in the interior it was already dark, broken only by patterns of dispersed lights which seemed so small after the cities. Then we rose again and gained speed. We were climbing to a new channel route for the interior.
"So this is where you live?" I whispered, looking at all beneath in near silent awe. Somehow, the reality of it had not yet sunk into me.
"How do you like my world? Not like Sudan, is it?"
Paul smiled at me as he said this.
"It's dark, I really can't tell. It think it looks more like Australia." I smiled back. The craft was dark inside, save for the lights showing the control monitor, which seemed to be unattended. The ship flew of its own, even Master relaxed in a contoured seat. Paul and I sat in ours and just viewed the outside where the land was bathed in its dusky, dark light, and the stars had already appeared. One moon, small, hung overhead. There were clouds illumined by the cities over the far coastal horizon, but it was clear above the dark desert floor as it passed rapidly beneath us.
"I had seen all this on my tapes, but now I am here. Somehow, it feels different." Paul looked back at me with smiling eyes. I smiled back. "It feels good."
"It is good. I really can't wait to see my house again. It's been over a year. But now that I'm here, I'm missing the Indian buses and trains."
We both laughed. But he was right. There is something anti-climatic about arrival. The joy is in the anticipation, but then something happens. And the event of the moment is lost in the memories of what had been anticipated. My thoughts suddenly veered from the landscape to my body and the body within me. Until then, I had no sensation of my pregnancy, though I was in my third month. It had been hardly noticeable, but now I felt suddenly tender and vulnerable, tired and ready to cry. Then Master became alert and joined in:
"I miss the bridge over the Loire, and Wooley-Booley in Jamaica... Even Captain Pierce. But it will be good to have Mistress in the house." He turned to us and gave us what very much looked like a mischievous smile. Funny that we were all reminiscing in our minds our recent travels. "Welcome to your new home, San'aa."
As he said this, the craft came to a halt, hovering momentarily. The whole trip had taken less than twenty minutes, slower than normal because of the coastal traffic. We descended to a platform near the edge of a large cliff. I could see lights in the great distance, but only darkness around us. Then the house lit up of itself, totally, as if people had been there all along. It glowed enchantingly, casting a soft greyish light into the desert around it. Paul reached over to me, and, to my surprise, lifted me off my feet and carried me out of the craft.
"So you're going to marry me, or what?"
"Or what?" I smiled teasingly.
"This is home!"
He gently placed my feet on the ground and held me in his arms. I finally felt the reality. It was not a dream. This was real.
I had landed.

"Why didn't you marry him, Mother?" Maya's inquisitive eyes looked straight into mine, wondering. She held her little chin in her hands, resting on the rough table. Her tape machine had been turned off some time ago and, as soon as she finished with her music, she had immediately accosted me to tell her more.
"Well. That's part of the story, my little dove. And yet, then, I thought of no one else. I would have married him on the spot."
"You're stories are better than my tapes, Mama."
"My stories are what really happened, to me. And to you."
"Tell me more."
"Tomorrow. I will, tomorrow. Now go to bed."
Maya came over to me and kissed me gently on the cheek.
"I love you mama."


4. Reception.

"The proceedings are pronounced open. In the Light of 'Aan, let us extend in our hearts a warm and generous welcome to our citizens returned from Earth, P'aan and Tenya, and to our long lost daughter, San'aa. The Prime Citizen Mori'an will host."
This was spoken by a minister, who then deferred to Mori'an, who presently stepped to the platform. We were in the great hall of the main city on the coast, Laah, which was now filled with a great multitude of color. All present had arrived to the occasion wearing every imaginable color, from simple body tunics to elegant flowing gowns. They had seated themselves within the great stadium and awaited in silence the welcoming ceremony to begin. I was especially fascinated by the bright bejeweled hair decorations and the small colorful facial tattoos that seemed to be popular here, though not everyone wore them. From those closest to us, I could see they were mostly of tiny green vines and colorful birds on the cheeks and foreheads around the eyes. The sea filled air felt fresh and fragrant, as if flowers had suddenly burst in bloom around us.
Earlier in the day, when the sun rose over the still snow capped eastern mountains, I rose and went out on the patio. A vast valley stretched from far below Paul's house. Behind the building was a hill with a natural fountain near its summit. Its waters flowed over terraced waterfalls, then through a diverted tributary around the house to rejoin itself beyond the garden, finally lost in a subterranean river. It reappeared far below at the foot of the cliff. This water fed gardens and agricultural fields on the desert floor. The building was more a collection of cell like rooms, with a major room at one end, closest to the cliff. This room appeared to be all glass, though it was of another material. The colors were beautiful to behold in the early light, deep blue sky with thin, high clouds, and the desert stretching red and yellow and silver into the distance relieved only by the patchwork of green and red fields and forests. The air had the feel of early autumn in the mountains.
"Good morning, Mistress."
Master greeted me upon rising with a hot beverage unlike I had ever tasted. It was golden in color, sweet, and felt instantly refreshing.
"Do you like my tea, Mistress?"
"It's the best tea I ever had. Why didn't they serve it aboard Ship?"
"It's Paul's special tea, served only in this house." He looked at me with a quizzical smile, anticipating I had more questions, but they would wait. "Can I show you around the house?"
"Yes! Show me everything."
Master began showing me about the house, first in the main room, which was the large room overlooking the desert panorama.
"When you're through with eating utensils, you put them here," he showed. They went into a free moving platform on a narrow counter.
"Where do they go?"
"They are automatically cleaned and replaced into storage, which is here."
He pointed to a wall which appeared seamless, as do all the walls. I learned that this is an illusion created by the Light, which fuses all the components of the abode into an integrated whole, and gives the structure a smooth, rounded look. The material, which is normally opaque, is hard to the touch but feels warm and smooth. It stretches from floor to ceiling, though the floors have irregular designs etched into them. The visual effect is quite pleasing. Lights come on when called for, either by walking into a room or, if so set, with a thought request, though the rooms remain in near darkness when not occupied. The whole structure is connected by a super-computer, dream-matrix type system that answers to any mental command. Last night, when I dropped clothing to the floor and thought of picking it up, a small silent airborne robot appeared and quickly whisked them away. When I needed them in the morning, the same robot anticipated my need and brought them back. They had been cleaned and folded. Master went on with his tour.
"Now these walls are opaque, but can be rendered transparent like so."
He then gave a command which transformed them instantly into large windows. This was why the main room appeared to be all glass. It was done for my early morning viewing benefit.
"Do all the rooms do this, even our bedrooms?"
"Oh yes. But they do more. Watch."
The scenery was instantly changed into an ocean side, a beach with palm trees and birds flying, the sound of waves crashing. I felt like i could walk into it and almost smell the sea. Then Master changed it again to a dark jungle forest complete with the calls of unseen animals. He continued:
"It can also be made to show underground grottoes, city scapes, other rooms, or even outer space, or just the outdoor scenery here, as you please."
He stopped and looked at me, to see if I had any special requests.
"Can you make it look like Earth?"
"Of course."
The scenery instantly changed. First I saw the planet from space, blue and white swirls broken by brownish land masses. Then, as I looked at where France would be, the scene enlarged and I could have been walking a Paris street, bistros and traffic and people.
"I can never be homesick!" I cried, excitedly.
"It's interactive, so you can call on almost any scene imaginable. You want China, Africa, Cairo?"
"How?"
"I really don't know the mechanism, but it is all stored in a central library."
Just then Paul's craft landed on the patio. He stepped from it and came in. He was dressed in a dark green tunic body suit.
"I see you're getting a tour. Ah, Paris! My favorite selection. How do you like it?"
"It's like nothing I ever experienced. But I want to smell the coffee and croissants."
"Better!"
The smells came on instantly, even the noise of city streets, footsteps walking, muffled voices from passersby. The scenery had the gaiety of a Spring day, an eery feeling of reality, except the projections did not interact with us, but were a continuous play of something the Ship had recorded from a distance.
"Or would you rather have real coffee and croissants?"
"Yes! Though the tea is delicious."
"Watch."
Another robot appeared, disappeared, and returned shortly with a tray of hot French coffee, cream and sugar, and warm croissant.
"That's impossible!"
Paul gave me a smug look. Master said nothing. I guessed some things would remain a mystery.
"Would you still rather be in Paris than with me?"
"I still think you're crazy. But I'll follow you to the stars."
"You did." He looked into my eyes, smiling. "You're probably wondering where I went so early, before you rose." He looked out the viewing wall which now again revealed the valley below. "I should have taken you with me. But I went down to the fields to watch and hear the sun rise. It's an old habit I have, and I just needed to do it again. You want to go tomorrow?"
"Of course! I love sunrises."
After breakfast, we began making preparations to leave. Today we were to meet again at the main city, Laah, for our official welcoming reception, so we made ready. When we got to Laah on the coast, Master took away the shuttle craft and we joined the other members from the Ship. This party was led by young attendants who took us to the place where we were to sit. There we were greeted by all our friends who had been with us on the voyage from Earth. Our seating was a specially elevated bark like staging at the center from which we could see the whole hall, and they all could see us.
The large hall of the reception, which was a horse shoe shaped stadium facing out to sea with large ribs reaching up to the sky, had a shimmering dome over it. It was larger than any I've ever seen before. Arranged at many levels, sloping away from the center towards the distant perimeter, it seemed a whole city could fit into it. When I asked about the dome, Paul explained that it was a force field to keep out the elements, as a storm was likely that afternoon. It was also a large projection screen. But you could still see the sky through it. When we took our places on the platform for the honored guests, M'aan came over to see us.
"Hello San'aa, Paul. You look rested. San'aa, you look radiant, but you should have Master paint the images of your Dream around your eyes." M'aan had leaping dolphins on both sides of her eyes, playing with golden spheres. Her long golden hair was pinned back at the sides with brooches decorated with small diamond like stones. I smiled, not knowing what I should have on mine. Then M'aan continued, more serious, addressing both of us. "I don't know if you already know, but during these proceedings there will arrive guests I wish we didn't have. The Troopers will be here also."
Paul nodded knowingly, looking concerned.
"Who are the Troopers?" I asked.
Paul explained.
"They are para-military members of society."
"I didn't know you had any?"
"They're not secret, just shunned. You see, these Troopers, more like heavily armed dragoons or stormtroopers, are actually a very small percentage of our world, less than one percent, but they serve a useful function. They are entrusted with destruction, so they act like bacteria on what has already begun to decay. They're allowed to kill."
"Sounds awful, terrible work. Especially in this world. Who does this?"
"It's a complicated process, but selection centers first around voluntary service, and then there are recruits. The recruits, as well as volunteers, are often, though not always, men and women who cannot adjust to society as it is. They shun the Light. They reject the Dream and shun 'Aan. Not like our sadhus, mind you, who also shun the Light, but are free to come and go as they please, because they are still in the One, in 'Aan." Paul was referring to the hermits he had told me about who worship their God. "The Troopers, however, are outcast. Some are even former criminals. But you'll see."
The seats filled. Again it seemed as if a half million people were present. The bringing of Earth into the sphere of Living Worlds was a very popular theme for the people of Ka'ananda. They came from all over the planet, which here is not difficult, since travel of great distances is easily achieved. There were also visitors from other worlds. Some, particularly sinister looking from from a star system Earth calls Zeit-Reticulum, as Paul had explained to me, were called the Ebh'ans. I was told that they had broken Earth's Quarantine and were reprimanded for it. Others were from far more advanced worlds. To me, those were invisible, though they were here. For those who could not attend, they would most likely see it on their viewing walls. The minister had just finished speaking and Mori'an, the Prime Citizen came to the platform. His image was projected on the sky screen.
"Dear kind people of Ka'ananda and all the Living Worlds. It is with sincere happiness that I welcome our three who have returned from Earth. P'aan, or Paul as he is known there, and Tenya have been on a scouting mission to evaluate how best to merge our worlds in the Light. As most of you know, Earth was quarantined long ago after our failed efforts, much to our distress. We have been called upon by the Unity of Dreamers to bring Earth back from Quarantine. In antiquity, on our last official visit there, some of our people were forced to stay. Those who did not perish were forced to bear children. So Earth has harbored many of our own, for the past four millennia. It was our great fortune, in 'Aan, that one of our children became known to us, and she is here with us today. While Angel chose to remain on the planet Earth, our daughter was returned. She is San'aa."
A great cheer came up from the crowds. It lasted long, cheering with voice and hands clapping in rhythm. All eyes turned to me, and those closest to me smiled. Mori'an raised his hands, signaling for silence, and continued:
"Now that she is here, she is part of the Dream. She is the link we need, and through her seed will be born the future bridges between both our worlds. The work that was done by Angel and Tenya and Paul has changed the universal reality fabric, in the opinion of the Dreamers, so that Contact can be made, when ready. When Earth is also ready. This contact will be between emissaries of our worlds, and their citizens of good will. It has been already decreed by the Dreamers, from all the Living Worlds, that this contact shall be with like minded members of Earth's people. To our regret, this will force us to avoid certain organizations on Earth that currently represent the legitimate powers there. Even though Earth has democracies, many are militaristic or coercive in nature, and not ready. So we will turn our attention to individuals who represent the peaceful, psychic and the higher spiritual developments of their world."
Having said this, Mori'an stopped and looked out over the vast audience, as if thinking. Then he proceeded.
'These contacts will include the leaders of peaceful nations and organizations. We will also approach members of the various nations who exist under the domination of other superpowers, those who are now oppressed. As you already may know from your information studies, the people of Tibet, or the Native American nations in America, or the tribes of Africa, of the Amazonas. These will be enfranchised. And then, we will also contact heads of the greater religious groups, as well as individuals whose works have stood out markedly in humility, spirituality and goodwill. We have studied the Hindu-Sino-Buddhists, the Zoroastrians, the Judeo-Christian-Mohammedan mysticisms, and the newly born faiths such as the Bayan-Bahai's, the followers of the New Light All are searching and reaching in their own way for the teachings that are revealed to each in their own time in 'Aan..."
Mori'an went on in this vain, I guessed, for the benefit of people who had come to Ka'ananda to attend the reception but who were not as familiar with the current events. As he spoke, I noticed that a vast section at the center of the stadium was no longer vacant. Then he turned his attention to us:
"San'aa, Tenya, and Paul, are the first emissaries, unbeknown to Earth. But in the Dream of 'Aan, the One, in the Light, many will follow in their steps when the time arrives. And this is directed to you, kind people of the Living Worlds, that we will begin preparations for that much wanted time..."
"Not so fast!"
A loud, gravelly voice interrupted Mori'an in his speech. It came from the area of the hall which had been vacant, but was now occupied by dark figures. They were the new arrivals. Paul leaned over to me: "The Troopers." The speaker's image was superimposed over Mori'an's on the sky screen.
"Not so fast, Mori'an. It has not yet been determined that Earth is not a fallen world..."
The harsh, gravelly voice came from a man standing, of large girth and build, wearing a blue-black uniform to which were attached what appeared to be weapons. His face appeared distorted, as if severely ill.
"...nor has it been decreed that the time for Contact is at hand. There is still debate. Dreamers or no Dreamers. And we cast a dissenting vote."
There was an audible murmur throughout the audience. Heads turned to look in the direction of the new speaker, minds whispered to one another. The festive mood of the assembly had been visibly shattered. The Prime Citizen had let the man speak, and now it was his turn.
"It is not your place to question what the Dreamers decree, Morz. We know of your disfavor in this matter, but this is not the place for its debate. We are assembled to greet the fortunate return of our own from a Quarantined world. And that we do with gladness and joy. Your interruption is out of place here and, painful that it may be to both of us, I must ask you to desist."
The crowd now felt released from the tension and again projected the goodwill that was felt earlier. Slowly and hesitantly at first, but suddenly louder, a great applause of approval rose, in that same strange cadence I heard before. I could tell Mori'an had regained control. But the joyful innocence had been tarnished and a seed of doubt planted. I continued watching where the dark suited people sat. There were several aisles of empty seats around their perimeter.
Moira'an's speech was followed by other dignitaries, who also spoke of welcome and hope. Then Paul and Tenya and I also spoke short speeches of thanks for the goodwill and welcome. Paul ended his speech by saying:
"Though Earth sleeps, in cosmic terms, she is very much awake in the Spirit. I know, because I met with many of her people. They are good. There is an energy and sincerity and integrity in her world that would match with any of the Living Worlds. I believe we have come to the time when she will wake. And when she does, she will be a valuable addition to the beauty and love that is in the One."
This was greeted with more applause, as was Tenya's speech. She spoke of Earth being a new world, courageous and ready for change. And how this new world should be treated with reverence and awe. Then came mine. After opening words of gratitude, I said:
"I am a daughter of yours. But I am also a daughter of Earth. The error and circumstance of this being so is now past. Same as I am willing to forgive the past, so must the people of your worlds forgive us in the present. Earth is not a fallen world. If she sleeps, then she only needs to be wakened. And with your love and goodwill, she will have been the lost daughter who returned to the family with gratitude and joy. Do not turn her away, same as you did not turn me away. I am also of this world now. And when Earth joins with her greater family, with the human beings of all the Living Worlds, she will be of your world too. All will benefit, for we are One. Do not forsake her because she is different from you. Earth is new. New ideas, new beliefs, new love. And in her sleeping, she is new in innocence. But she is already wide awake with a beautiful energy of her own. We have much to learn of each other."
The good wishes from the crowds felt like they pressed into my heart, which brought tears to my eyes. I looked at Kahla, who also had tears, as did Paul, and Tenya and M'aan. They felt for me, and I knew I was now of this world.
After the official ceremony, those of us who were on the platform gathered in a more intimate reception hall. I was fascinated by the dark man, Morz, who was also part of the reception, though people seemed to give him a wide berth. I walked up to him.
He was wearing a uniform made of what appeared to be of some indestructible material, like some bulky fibrous chain mail. It had pockets and sockets at different locations, some of which seemed to be attached to monitoring instruments. He was also carrying three weapons which were attached to this suit about the hips and chest. He seemed armed for combat.
"Hello. My name is San'aa."
He observed me for a second before speaking. His eyes were a deep blue, his hair grey, and his face had scars, which I realized were actually sores. Then he cracked a grin and spoke in return in his gravelly voice.
"Welcome to Ka'ananda, San'aa. You are brave woman to approach me, as you see most here will not."
"Why would they be afraid of you?"
"Because of what I am, but I admire you for this. I am sorry for the interruption earlier, but I had my instructions. It was not personally directed at you. You see, some of us feel that your world is abandoned, not quarantined."
"But that's not how I understand it. Why would you be afraid of our world?"
"Not afraid. Oh, no! But covetous. You have what we want."
"You mean wealth? We can't possibly match what you have here."
"No, not wealth. People. I'll explain, as it seems none have. You see, we need new recruits. We are a slowly disintegrating order. But we are needed. On your world, you have many who could fill our ranks, gladly. We could recruit personnel from your military, your criminals, even those revolutionaries who are oftentimes too eager as self destructive terrorists. We could use all of them. They are all grist for us, and there are a great many to choose from."
He gave me a malicious smile, that reminded me of a wink. Then he said:
"You are not protected against my weapons."
"Would you harm me, here?"
"Oh, no. Not that. I guess you haven't been told. But all of our weapons are highly radioactive, so you should not stand too close. Still, I admire your effort to speak to me, and am glad to have met you. We may have destiny together yet, San'aa. Remember. Your world lacks our technology, for now."
Upon saying this, Morz turned from me and returned to a small group of his own standing alone and away from the rest. How strange, I thought, that in such a beautiful world his likes were accepted. I went back to Paul and asked him about it.
"They're not only accepted. They are encouraged."
"But what of their radioactive weapons?"
"That's a story that goes back thousands of years. You see, back when we first developed our technology, we also went through a thermo-nuclear phase, which generated enormous amounts of radioactive waste. It was decreed, then, that all future weapons were to be made of materials that incorporated this nuclear waste. It was a form of recycling, since the waste is highly dangerous for over a hundred thousand years. So we could still have battles, or wars, or any kind of military, technical aggression, but at a price. The price is what you see in Morz. He is radioactive, and sick."
"Is that why he has sores?"
"Exactly. He is poisoned by his own weapons, as are all the Troopers. It is the bargain they make when they join. And for that, their lives are shorter. But do not dwell on them. They are only a very small part of our world. It is their choice and they do useful work."
I still could not imagine what that useful work was. But in time, I would discover it. My presence was requested by others at the reception and I was glad to be again in the company of healthy and beautiful human beings. But the meeting did leave me disturbed.
Kahla came over at one point.
"Am I glad you're here, and I wish this reception were over. I'm so tired of formalities. Can we just go away and play?"
"Sounds good to me."
To this she tossed back her golden head and laughed.
"Let's get out of here, San'aa. I'll show you the city. I'll go tell Paul."




5. Dance.

"I do not like that man, Mama. I know him."
"I know you do, dear. But he will not harm you now."
"Is he going to die soon?"
"Probably not, not for a long time, though he is very sick."
"Can he be made well again?"
"Yes. If that is what he chooses. But I fear he will not."
Maya thought about this for awhile, her young mind thinking on some improbable thought, and then asked again:
"Would Paul be like him someday?"
"I hope not."

Kahla activated her shuttle craft and we connected into the grid and slid easily into Laah's fabulous center. It was late in the afternoon. The sun's light shone obliquely on the tall buildings reflecting off their luminous surfaces onto the avenues below. Terraces and gardens climbed the city walls, their lofty tops lost in the clouds. From high up in the shuttle craft, the city looked luminous but flat and sterile. From the ground, the walls were full of great murals and lush plantings lost in the great heights. They must have been over a kilometer high. Large plazas with elegant free form, or geometric sculptures, some suspended in mid air, filled the spaces between the tall structures. When the clouds parted, I could see the buildings' peaks pointed into the sky. Most of the buildings were pyramidical in shape with large openings cut into the sides. "It allows natural light to reach down all the way to here," explained Kahla as we glided a few floors above above the pedestrian ways. There were people everywhere, promenading, not unlike city shoppers on my world. There were no noticeable smells, save those of the abundant plant life. And the city sounds to which I was accustomed on my world gave way to a soft silence broken only by the sweets sounds of birds. It was a very handsome place. The geometric hard edges of the city fused into rounded shapes as is common in the way of the Light, so that all the building appeared to be made of a single mass.
"Let's go to the pavilion over there, Kahla pointed."
We lowered the craft onto a pavilion plaza and left it.
"Shouldn't you lock it?" I asked.
"Oh no! None could fly this craft save me, unless I coded it for them. Don't worry. This isn't a high crime area," she laughed. "But since you're worried, I'll order it to park itself in the storage bays." The craft's on board computer took it away. Throughout the vast lobby of the building, there were lavish displays of goods, mostly garments to wear.
"Can we buy these?" I asked. I must admit I was a bit wide eyed.
"No! You merely take them. If your size isn't right, just press in the command, and a new one will appear. Or you could have them sent to any destination desired, the same day. Here, stand in the circle marked. Now turn around slowly."
Kahla looked at me amused. I must have appeared incredibly uncultured to her. But it was all new to me. A light came on and then, in varying hues it began scanning me all over as I turned around. Numbers accompanied by multicolored bar codes flashed on a small console by the display. Kahla took my hand to help me press in some additional commands.
"But how do you pay for them?"
"You don't."
"I don't understand. Don't you have money?"
"No. We dispensed with it very long ago. It all gets worked out, the debits and credits. It's all done automatically, which I can't explain now, though we have vast markets. Fortunes are made and lost in those markets, even worlds gained and lost. In the end, it all nets out very well. Actually, the way it works here, if you buy something, you earn additional credits to buy even more."
"You get paid for buying?" I shook my head, unable to understand. "Oh... So where are you taking me?"
"It's a place I enjoy. But here, take this gown first." She reached into what appeared to be a metallic door which slid open when she put her hand on it. Out came a copy of the beautiful gown in the window, all folded and wrapped in a soft tansparent cloth. The door slid silently shut.
We made for the far end of the building through a large entrance beneath a hanging garden. The garden seemed so full of tropical plants that I thought it would fall of its own weight. Kahla explained that the use of the Light force keeps them afloat. Even if there were some malfunction, all of Ka'ananda's systems have multiple backups. This I already knew, since it was the same aboard Ship. Inside the building was a tall courtyard that seemed lost at its apex somewhere in the top of the structure. There were more gardens and balcony like terraces all the way up.
"See up there?" Kahla pointed. "Those are apartments. That's where I live." Then she took me into a slanted entryway shaped like a scantily clad woman arched over the entrance, her hands and feet supporting pillars on either side, her stomach and breasts its roof. The walls on both sides were enlivened with brilliant colorful friezes all around the arched statue. The entrance opened into a loud, frenzied atmosphere. I gathered it was some sort of night club.
"In here. This is, as they say on your world, my 'hangout.'"
"Good afternoon, Ka'an. You're early today. Who's your friend?"
"Call me Kahla. Sho'om, this is San'aa."
"From Earth! Welcome to my humble palace of pleasure." He smiled broadly as he said this, holding his hands together as if in prayer and offered a slight bow.
"Nice to meet you, Sho'om. What kind of entertainment?"
"Anything your fantasy wants." He winked his wrinkled nose and led us inside. "We have musicians from all over the galaxy, and our little world as well. Aerial dancers, light dancers, belly dancers, as you wish... And we have private rooms for any kind of fantasy you could imagine. Our viewing walls are the best in the city. And we have chambers for personal training in whatever you wish. You could even train to be a Trooper, if that's what turns you on." He chuckled and grinned. "You could watch games, played by androids, wrestling if you wish. They're very good. Come, let me show you."
Kahla stood by, obviously enjoying showing me something I couldn't imagine in my wildest dreams. There is nothing like it on Earth. I thought of Paul on our first meeting and how, some days later, we spent time together, alone in my aunt's one room mud hut at an oasis in the East Libyan desert. It was a wonderful, intimate stay, where we first got to really know each other. But this was lavish, dazzling. There was simply no comparison. Even the great night clubs of Paris were small and dull next to this establishment. Suddenly I felt even more like a very sheltered desert nomad girl on her first day in a big metropolis.
"Can I show you my favorite part? It's a Dream chamber, where we could travel to all parts of the mind. Come."
Kahla took me by the hand. Sho'om had already left us to greet other guests. She went past an android attendant and grabbed a couple of drinks that sparkled a silvery color. "Take one. It helps you Dream." The place was full of people, either lounging or talking, or on their way to some mysterious room. Loud music throbbed a lively beat. Lights played off the walls, or washed over us like waves, which at times left me with a mild vertigo. Men and women were seen dancing, some with the same sex, some suspended in mid air, strange ballet like motions to the wild music. Every imaginable hairdo or fashion was represented here. And many had strange psychedelic paintings around their eyes. The place was either very exotic and sophisticated, I thought, or very decadent.
We stepped inside a large room, which seemed to instantly cut us off from the music outside. The light in it glowed a soft pink, as if it were the inside of a womb. There was a faint perfume to the air, though I knew this was but a byproduct of the Light. When inside, my mind could feel a steady hum, melodious and harmonic, though without melody. There was a large pool at the center in which the water glowed a soft, silvery green. It was the color of a soft jade. Behind it was a wide suspended table, an exaggerated version of what I would think of as a massage table. Its surface was padded with a soft material.
Kahla turned to me, a mischievous look in her eyes.
"Take off your clothes and come for a swim."
As she said this, she let down her gown. She had nothing underneath and slid easily into the water.
"It's a Dream bath! Come, try it," she said, smiling broadly. As she said this, I watched her lift lightly from where she stood and float up into the air of the chamber, as if she was levitating on invisible wings. She flew this way, reaching almost the roof of the chamber, and then descended slowly, as if floating down from the sky, and softly touch down on the water. She stood there, her feet barely wet, smiling at me, and then with a slight wave of her hand she let herself sink.
I undid my tunic and body suit, standing naked before the pool, still puzzled by how she carried off her marvelous trick. Kahla was already swimming, smiling at me. I did not attempt the floatation I had just witnessed, being ignorant of how it was done, and merely stepped into the water. It didn't feel like water at all, more like a rarified fluid that seemed to cling to my skin, as if there was no space between my skin and the smooth, silky fluid. Light radiated onto me from the pool.
"Don't tell me, Kahla. How did you do it? The Light, right?"
"You got it, sister! You're beginning to get our world!" She continued moving through the water like a sleek fish.
In truth, she was lovely to look at. Her female form was well proportioned, not heavy nor thin. Kahla had well formed legs, a thin waist, round breasts, and a rounded but firm rear. She was hairless, where I thought pubic hair should be, but that is a trait of the people here. Her golden hair floated about her shoulders and occasionally fell into her face, which she brushed aside. I pushed forward and let the water take me. A very soothing feeling totally enveloped me, relaxing me instantly. I felt weightless, light as air, tingling pleasurably all over.
"Your world is too full of wonders. I don't know if I could stand another. Paul never told me about this! Phew! This is heady."
"I told you. This is my favorite place. I come here almost everyday, and really missed it aboard Ship. Isn't it great? Swim with me."
We swam in silence. Then I spoke, almost in whisper.
"What would my world's Romans have given for this?"
"What would have they given for anything of your present, like one of those cars or airplanes? Just like that, just more!" she laughed lightly.
I swam over to Kahla, and she took me by the hand, and swung me around the pool. We moved in slow motion, like in a silent ballet leaving ripples on the surface, which flattened out before they hit the pool's walls. The lights played off the water, like they were in tune with it, changing spectrums, at times forming into rainbows. It felt magical.
Then Kahla rose from the water and in a slow sensual motion ascended the steps to the edge of the pool and sat down, watching me. She looked beautiful, her hair fallen to her shoulders, neck relaxed, eyes smiling at me.
"Come, I will show you how the Dream works."
I also rose from the water and climbed out, feeling a bit self conscious at my nakedness. My skin, much darker than hers, felt instantly dry, as if it had never been wet. Kahla reached over to the gown she had 'bought' me, shook it from the package and draped it over my shoulders, clasping it at the neck. Its near transparency took on the light in the room. She reached over and handed me my glass.
"To the Dream, in 'Aan." She raised it to her lips. I did also. We drank. "Now let us lie down, and close our eyes. You will feel the Dream."
We both lay down on the wide surface, which was as soft as it looked. It was like lying on a cloud. We lay down, head to head, stretching the whole length of the heavenly platform. Eyes closed, quietly, there we both lay.
The music slowed and fell almost silent. I could hear my breathing, as well as hers. The light dimmed slightly, and my head felt as if it were entering a trance. It was so relaxing and peaceful, like drifting hypnotically into a lightfilled emptiness. In my mind's eye, I could see the pink light I first noticed, then it played on itself into changing shapes, like I was in the center of it. Formless shapes moved into images that reformed into formlessness. I could not define them, only that the shapes were pleasing and soothing to me. I felt so relaxed, even more than in the Light showers, without knowing where I was. Suspended, without gravity, caressingly soft fabric holding up all the parts of my body, I was almost without the sensation of being. I felt beautiful and free.
Kahla's hand reached over to me and touched me on my face, stroking the hair on my forehead, then moving it down my eyes and nose. She had rolled over and was looking at me, though I was too far into the Dream to really notice. She had a smile on her face, which I saw more in my mind than with my eyes. I could feel her mind inside me, like she was caressing me beneath my skin. A smile formed on my face too.
"Do you like this?" she asked without words.
"It's beautiful. How did you do it?..." I let the words melt into nothingness.
Then she leaned over my face and kissed me on the lips. The kiss shivered all through my body. Her lips were soft. Momentarily I woke, but then was taken again by the soothing feeling of the Dream, and lay back into it. I raised my head a little, and kissed her again, which she returned. Then she touched me once more, her hand running down the length of my stomach. I touched her arm, to let her know it feels good, and smiled. My hand reached for her breast, round and smooth, and hers into my gown, where she touched me behind the thighs. Her hand ran up my leg and into my soft crevice that filled with desire. Our bodies touched, as if there were no space between them, only skin on soft skin, a closeness I had never known before. It was the touch of a woman. The kisses got firmer. Our hands were now caressing each other all over, as if we could not touch enough. Her legs felt firm, and her insides soft. Her golden skin pressed against mine brown. My lips closed over her nipple, and it was hard. My nipples turned hard too. She smelled so good.
When we left Sho'om's place, I felt dazed. The happy feeling that so dominated me moments ago was still there, but I had large questions in my head. I wasn't sure of what had happened. I had never had a woman before and, in truth, looked down on it. But this felt special. It wasn't shame, exactly, more like puzzlement. Kahla treated me tenderly, and we spoke little, as if she understood. It was all new to me, and I didn't know what to do with it. We went back to Paul's house, where she left me. She went back to her apartment in the city.

"Oh, Mother. You're telling a story. Do all Earth people feel as you do?"
"It was a very happy moment, though I am not like that, really. Still, it left me wondering about the experience."
"Oh, Mother. I know of these things from my learning tapes. But I really can't imagine it. It seems like a strange thing to do."
"It's because you're still very young and do not have the feelings that go with it."
"You mean sex? I have feelings."
Maya's eyes looked bright with mirth, as if she were about to laugh. I'm sure that at that moment, so were mine. Sometimes, she seemed so much older than her years. I knew some things were taboo on my world, like discussing sex with young children, but it was acceptable here. Maya had no trouble with it.
"I want to hear more."
"It's not all a happy story."
"I know."


6. First Light.

The sun rose silently. The night shed its dark, fading into a pale greenish light, then burst forth with yellow and lit up the sky. The new sun cast its long shadows on the land around us. Paul had explained that on Earth, it was thought our star was larger than the sun. But it was only a trick of space, and the sun of Ka'ananda was very like Earth's, except slightly smaller. The cool silence of the night was broken suddenly by a chorus of birds, then followed by the calls of insects and beasts. Our dark green, full body suits warmed us against the morning chill. They would turn pale blue in the heat of day. One of the little moons, Maat, set in the west. Paar rose in the eastern sky. Clouds hung on the horizon. We sat quietly, absorbing the beauty expanding around us as the desert beyond the orchards slowly filled with color and light. A new day dawned on my fabulous new world. A large, golden globe slowly flew by us, silently, pulsating its soft light, reassuring all the plant and animal life that all is well. We sat very still, meditating in the One, in 'Aan.
The night before, when Kahla had left, Paul looked up at me from his work and said: "You look tired. It's best if you sleep." He had the walls radiating in a soft light, as if we were in a sea cave illumined by the light refracted from the water. It shone bluish-green. The way he looked at me, his eyes looking straight into mine, spoke as if they knew, but that somehow, it did not matter. I nodded and gave him a faint smile. He had said nothing else. I chose this moment, as the sun cleared the horizon, to tell him.
"Paul?"
A moment passed. Mere seconds. But they felt like minutes.
"Yes, love."
"There's something I must tell you. It was about last night."
"With Kahla?"
I knew that he already knew from my mind what I was about to say.
"Yes. We made love."
Again, a long moment passed.
"I know."
The whisper with which he said those two words cut me like a dull knife. I waited. But he said nothing else.
"Are you upset with me? I don't know why I did it."
"It's not like you, is it?"
"No. It's not me. But I can't stop thinking of it."
"It is not so awful. I am glad."
This again caught me by surprise.
"How could you be glad? Aren't you jealous?"
He turned to me, a deep knowing look on his face.
"Why would I be jealous?"
"Because. You know. We had sex, she and I."
"I know."
"I don't understand. If my lover on Earth knew I had sex with someone else, man or woman, he would be angry."
He smiled at me.
"This isn't Earth." Then he sat quietly again, as if collecting his thoughts. "You see. Here, it is not so abnormal. Maybe, it's more normal than we sometimes let on. It's natural."
"But it's immoral. A woman and a woman. It isn't right."
"Why? Women love women, same as men can love men."
"Love yes. But to have sex?"
"It's only a deeper expression of the same thing. You were in the Dream chamber, I know the one, and so that was how the Dream came to you. It's accepted here. It's beautiful. You've done nothing wrong."
I pondered his words. Yes, it was beautiful. I even felt them as if he had spoken them silently. Then the question rose again.
"But aren't you jealous? You're my lover."
"I know."
"But it's strange, somehow. And how do you know which chamber?"
"Because she took me there. You see, we are lovers too."
The revelation of this caused me a deep pang, as if I had just received a blow.
"You too! Who else? You mean you're also lovers?"
"It's common for three people to be lovers. It's even considered ideal. I should explain this to you."
I realized that I had begun feeling a mild sense of shock. Somehow I could not accept that the woman I had just been with had also been with him. It began to disturb me, but I let him continue.
"On our world, three is considered sacred. All of our ideology flows from the concept of three. This even applies to our relationships. Unlike your world, where the ideal relationship is the love between two people, we believe that it is most desirable for people to love in threes. So that's why I'm not surprised. Kahla was my lover. And so are you."
"But aboard Ship she never let on. Neither did you."
"There was no need. You were not ready. And we knew you would learn it in due time. And you did. Now, you're the one thinking of her."
In truth, I was. I could not put her out of my mind. To my surprise, I desired her, even as we spoke. Paul continued:
"You see, our sense of family is different from yours. You will notice that our children are raised more communally. On Earth, often times it is two parents, or even one parent. Here it is many. As many cells of relationships of three as make up a family, that's how many parents the children will have."
"You mean more than three could be lovers?"
"In a way. Each group of three, though they may be most intimate, can also have lovers who are part of another group of three. Then, let's say it's four groups, which is usually the maximum, though it could be more, then the twelve are. At least in the spirit of love, they're all one family."
"Do they all have sex together?"
"They can, though not necessarily."
"But aren't they jealous of one another?"
"Sometimes. But usually not. You see, it's accepted here. It's the way we interrelate in love."
"But how about men and men, and women and women?"
"Sometimes, though not all are given to it. Most people still prefer the opposite sex, though we may have what appears a strange combinations of lovers. It could be men and men, women and women, women and men, two women with one man, two men with one woman. And so on."
My head felt strange, as if I could not accept the permutations that such relationships must become, especially if more than just three.
"I cannot imagine not being jealous. And what was she like?"
"Kahla? She's very sensitive and enjoyable. But lovers don't have to be actively involved all the time. So there are times we can go long stretches without seeing each other. We could also be lovers without sex."
"Who else was part of your threesome?" My curiosity was totally overshadowing what he was saying to me. I had already forgotten the shame I had felt earlier.
"M'aan. And at one time, though long ago, Tenya and Angel."
The sun had risen high over the distant mountains and the air had a desert feel to it, something I knew. It felt dry and comfortable, especially as the temperature rose. The early morning riot of sounds had now subsided, as if the fauna had made its ablution before the sun and was now busy with its daily activity. Paul and I sat in the orchard where we had first seen the sun rise. We were quiet for a moment, but thoughts kept leaping about my head.
"Explain it again. I want to understand everything."
"San'aa. Let it go. It's not so bad, and you will learn it in time. It actually works better than what you know. It's just different from what you're used to. The jealousy comes and goes. But in time, it goes."
As the weeks and months went by, Paul was right. My initial pangs of jealousy became less and less, until I began enjoying seeing Kahla and him together. But I was suspicious, and there were times it felt raw, and I wanted to die. No one else was part of our little group, for now, though I knew this could change. As time went on, even that began to fascinate me, multiple lovers all as one family. It felt like it would be an enjoyable clan, though I knew it could never be incestuous. There was still so much to learn about this world. I often thought of Morz and his Troopers. How did they have relationships and sex?
The months went by and I gradually acclimated myself to the ways of Ka'ananda. Kahla and I spent many enjoyable times together, as did Paul and I, or the three of us. He would take me into the desert exploring. We would hike canyons and mountains, or discover secret pools of cool, clear and sparkling water. Or we would board his craft and take off for some part of the planet I had never seen, or some distant city on the other edge of the continent. Kahla was fond of the small tropical islands in the vast ocean, and we would make for these in her craft. There we would spend time lazing on the beaches, swimming nude, or just watch the sun set. At times, Paul would join us and all three would enjoy wherever we were, or whatever we were doing. We would love, or lounge, or just be. In time, I acquired my own craft.
Paul and Kahla flew in one day from Laah, where they had spent the day, and emerged from a new vehicle, beaming.
"We got approval from the Dreamers! This is yours, love."
Master was with them, though I had long ago learned that Kahla had her own android, whom she fondly called 'Captain.'
"Mine?" I walked over to the craft and examined it. It was smaller than the one they had, but had the power to take me to any part of the planet, including outside the atmosphere. "You mean you're giving it to me?"
"Not us. The Unity. They felt it was time."
In fact, I had felt all too often dependent on someone else's shuttle craft, though I used Paul's and Kahla's regularly. Now I would have my own transport. My pregnancy had become more pronounced. I was showing, and mobility had become more labored. So it was good to have my own craft in which I could go as I pleased.
The interior of my little shuttle had the same soft contours of velvetty material I knew. It was a soft grey in color, when at rest, but would change instantly to any other color at my command, or my mood. It was like a living thing around me. Master took great pleasure showing me where everything was, and how the instruments worked. In many ways, they were similar to the ones I had already used, but simpler. I got into the pilot's seat. It seated four comfortably, whereas Paul's could sit ten. From the softly contoured seat, I could reach all the panels I needed to make the craft operational. The single control lever on my arm rest was typical, which looked like a short, thick handled stick with three raised buttons on it to direct the craft. The viewing wall was in front of me, though I could activate it anywhere on the surface, except over the engine drive. This was beneath the ship, tucked away between the three nodules that vectored the force fields, where they hummed softly even now. I was captain, and this was mine.
"Can I try it?"
They both beamed in accord.
"Want to go for a ride?"
All got aboard, Master included. I took the controls and activated the field drive. I could feel the ship's hum as if she were in my head. Paul and Khala and Master all took their seats, a look of anticipation written all over them, Master included. I beamed, sitting in control, and gently lifted her off the pad. She responded easily to my touch, and we were hovering over the patio at about roof level. Then I slowly pressed the lever forward. The ship responded beautifully and moved up and forward. I depressed the raised knobs to give it more power and we flew off over the canyon into the desert, at cruising speed. On the control panel flashed directions to access the travel grids, if I wished to. But I forsook those for free flight. To test the power of the engine, I directed the ship to rise at top speed, and within seconds, without any sensation of motion, we were high above the planet on the edge of the atmosphere. Kahla smiled at me, and motioned to open the viewing ports all around. I did. The views were wonderful.
"You couldn't have brought me a better gift. Thank you."
"She's yours to fly as you wish."
We hovered on the edge of space, the sky now a deep purple, stars stretching into infinity. The little moons were visible beyond the planet.
"I wish I could take her to Earth and show off."
"Too far. She can do only sub-light. And they wouldn't understand. Quarantine, remember?"
"Too bad. My very own ship. But can't have everything!" I was in a festive mood. "Let's drop in on Ta'an." And we took off, powered into the grid at lower altitudes, but soon came to a dead halt. The ship's automatic sensors spotted a flock of beautiful, long legged white birds that flew by in formation. We waited, and then sped to the other side of the continent where he lived. We were there in minutes. Ta'an was most amused.
I took to my ship easily and enjoyed going off and exploring alone. The whole planet was now my backyard. I could lift off and go at will, anywhere. It was on one of these journeys, that I discovered that I could travel anywhere except one. That was the island of Xin'oy.

"You know you can't go there, Mother."
"I didn't know, until then. Even the learning tapes avoided mentioning it. How do you know of it?"
"I asked Seth about it."
"What did he tell you?"
"Only that I can't go there. That's all. What's there?"
Maya's eagerness for the story returned. I could tell her attention wandered when I spoke of Kahla and Paul, and of our relationship. But now she wanted to know more. What I was about to tell her was about where I had lost my innocence of my new world.
"You know I was very pregnant with you."
"I was in your belly and was soon to be born. But now I'm here, and I want to hear the part about Xin'oy. Please, Mama. Tell me."
"I will. Tomorrow."



7. House of Death.

I sought neither pity nor gain, for my temper had grown quick, and I scarcely sought the company of others. A steady rain fell outside. It was winter, though frost occurred only at high elevations. There, I had discovered on my solitary trips, it was bitter cold. Down in the valley it only rained. Most days rose misty and cool, then burnt away by the sun. I fought my jealousy in solitude, except when Paul was with me. Then I suffered it on him.
"Where were you?"
"At Laah."
"Business or pleasure?"
"I had business there."
"What of Kahla?"
"I don't know. I didn't see her."
"You always see her."
Paul looked at me, his eyes expressing wonder and pain. I had become unfair to him, not because I begrudged his time with Kahla It was because I begrudged her time with him. But he was nearer, so he was the target.
"Should I arrange for a separate place for you to live? After you deliver, that is. It wouldn't be difficult. Androids and robots can have one built in a day."
"No. I'm sorry. My temper has turned bad. I think it's this pregnancy."
In fact, I had become very pregnant, and the kicking frightened me. The citizens who act as healers, though they offer psychic support, as all health is managed by the Light, had instructed me on how to deliver. My child was nearly due. It was soon. Paul had offered to be with me when the time came, as did Kahla. I accepted his offer, but refused hers.
That night M'aan was hosting a party at her home. We were invited. But first we called her on the viewing screen. When her home answered, an android projection became visible just this side of the viewing wall, then the rest lit up so we could see the inside of M'aan's house. It was a simple residence, though elegant, much like those I had visited so far. Karu'an, the lion who had early befriended me, walked about. He had been her long time companion and had gone back to her after our landing. Presently, M'aan appeared, also in three dimensional form.
"Of course, you're welcome. San'aa, you're looking ready for birth. May the One give you a beautiful child. You will discover that here, it is a very simple matter, birth. So do not be concerned. Can I expect you tonight?"
We accepted and signed off. I didn't really want to go, but felt that if I didn't, it would leave too many questions. So I decided to make the best of it.
I dressed in an iridescent, floor length gown. I wore a headress that pulled my hair in a tight, high pony tail. Paul was dressed in a similar, darker gown, more indigo. We both had on our feet finely crafted sandals. It was a short flight, without much conversation. I hated myself for being surly, but could not help it. When we arrived, I changed my face. M'aan greeted us.
"It's good to see you again, San'aa. You're looking radiant."
"I feel good. Now that I have my own craft, I've taken to exploring more than ever before. It agrees with me."
M'aan's androids served the guests drinks and food. Music played, a kind of flute and reed instrument, its melody accompanied by an ever changing display of wall scenery. The lights played off people's faces as they animatedly, or serenely, spoke to one another. Some guests were lying down on soft recliner, floating platforms, others stood. Tenya arrived and looked vivacious, as she always did. She came straight to us and greeted us. Shortly after Kahla arrived also, as did Ta'an and other guests. There must have been over fifty people, all happy to see each other. They had been reassigned new duties for another space voyage, and scarcely had time for other activities. I was excluded from this mission, as the stress of the voyage might impact my pregnancy. It was a research journey at the edge of the galaxy. It had something to do with the merging of two great galaxies at a great distance from ours. It would have been interesting to observe, as it had been an area of great concern to the Unity of Dreamers. Living worlds were at risk there, though they were too far for us to reach. But I still did not understand enough of these things and thought of volunteering for the next mission instead, to which I already knew I would be welcome.
"It's good to see you, San'aa."
"And you, Kahla. It's been weeks."
"I didn't think you were happy with me the last time, so I wanted to give you some space. Is all alright with Paul?"
"It's been better. But we have an understanding. After all, he's the one who brought me here. Though I came of my own free will."
She smiled at me, her eyes expressing the feelings she had inside for me. I knew mine did also.
"Have you been to the Dream chambers lately?"
"No. I haven't had the time, though I've been to the club. I was there yesterday and watched a water performance. But..."
The party boasted a high level of guests. Even Mori'an made a quick appearance, but had to excuse himself early. He asked me about how I felt, and if the new craft was satisfactory. We exchanged a few words before he needed to leave. There was always a kind and knowing, almost soothing, presence about him that left me comforted. When he left, I again found Kahla.
"May I spend the night at your apartment?"
"Of course you can. You're always welcome. I'd like you to."
As the evening drew to a close and guests were departing, I left with Kahla. Though Paul was also invited to stay, he decided that he still had too much work to do and declined. I had mixed feelings about this, but in the end I was glad. As we boarded Kahla's craft, I had to confess to her:
"You know, I'm really having a hard time. It's involuntary. I can't help it, but I can't seem to fit into the ways of Ka'ananda. Why didn't they warn me on the learning tapes before?"
"Some things are best learned from real life. And this is one of them. But you have done really well, considering that it caught you so much by surprise. Paul and I have talked of it often. He's very pleased, even if it at times you try his patience. Remember, San'aa. No matter what, he loves you. And I love you."
"I know you do. But that's what's so hard. If you didn't, then I could hate you, or at least be properly jealous. But that doesn't work. In the end, I hate myself for being so small minded. I've become such a miserable person. Maybe I just can't understand it all, that's all." I was silent for a moment, thinking about it. "Maybe if I could talk to a healer about it."
"I think the one you've consulted on the birth may be a good place to start. She is very sensitive and understanding, and wise. She could help."
"But why do you think I'm so troubled?"
"Because in your mind, when a man takes a woman, he possesses her. This has no bearing on how Paul and I feel about each other, but I suspect that is how you feel. Am I right?"
"Something like that. Maybe it would be easier if he were a woman."
We laughed. Somehow it seemed funny.
We spent the night looking out over the ocean from the viewing walls of her apartment. We just held each other, sometimes for a long time without speaking, though we were very much in each other's thoughts. It too is one of the miracles of the Light. We slept on a balcony to the distant sound of waves, protected by a force field that radiated warmth and covered us. That night I slept peacefully in Kahla's arms.
The next day, after Kahla returned me to Paul's, I packed some water and food rations and took off exploring in my own craft. Paul was away, and Master helped me with what I needed. My water bottle was of a light weight metal that somehow kept the liquid cool inside. The rations consisted of what appeared to be a dehydrated version of our daily fare, also light to carry. I had a little pack into which I placed everything. I set off for the western horizon.
I flew over Laah, and then headed over the ocean to an island group furthest north. I remember seeing them upon our first descent down to the planet. Oddly, the island appeared on the ship's map projection, but blanked out, with no information available on it. This I found particularly puzzling and exciting, as it offered the challenge of discovering a new world.
When I set my coordinates for that destination, the ship's controls kept rejecting the instructions. So I set them for the grid past Laah, then for a nearby island instead and decided to see about the rest when I got there. There had to be some way to bypass the ship's directional mechanism.
I managed to reach the island of Murh without difficulty, but was still some hundred kilometers from the mysterious island. It was near the polar region of the planet and there was frost in the air. The winter clouds looked heavy and the water dark green. Again my direction sensors refused any instructions. I guessed they must have been set in advance to reject this destination, so I chanced on an idea. I brought the craft low, just above water level, and disconnected the destination coordinates. I set them to zero, which allowed me to be at all times where I was. Then I overrode that with manual and guided the ship as if she was an Earth vehicle. Slowly, as to not trigger the automatic controls, I cruised the craft towards the forbidden island. When I passed the zone which was blanked out on my map projection, I knew I had succeeded. A dark land mass formed on the horizon.
As I slowly approached the land, my excitement grew. Down below, over the dark water, I waw swells break in the distance. They were defining what was an undersea island, but only a shallow lagoon, since no land was visible. In that lagoon I could see dosphins playing. When I stopped overhead to watch them, their dark blue backs breaking thought the water, they all suddenly stopped and looked up at my craft. Then they formed a large circle and swam around it, all the time looking up at me, as if to give me warning. I had dared to do what few would ever dare, to enter a forbidden zone, and it was as if they were telling me this, to beware. I felt a cold shudder go through me, like I could hear them, though the interior of the craft was comfortably warm. And yet, their presence was somehow reassuring to me.
There are few laws on this planet, unlike Earth with its many laws. The primary law is never to force another human being, to coerce them against their will or agreement, if they themselves are not guilty of the same. It's the primary law of trespass. If restitution is impossible, the punishment can be harsh. The other is to never enter a forbidden area, and that's what I was doing, trespassing. I had been feeling rebellious, and this was the perfect outlet for that. I would sneak in and have a look.
There were no other ships visible in the area and my sensors, being disconnected, were of no use to me. I had to keep them off or the craft would be turned back. I left behind my dolphin companions and approached the shore. I could see a thick forest of trees almost down to the water line. A rocky coast separated them from the sea where swells crashed and swirled. It was a wild looking land. There was no evidence of human habitation or animal activity, no birds. It seemed to be totally deserted. I brought my craft in cautiously, scanning the viewers for any activity in the vicinity. None was evident. To go over the trees would again have triggered my sensors, so I brought the craft low to the shore and found a large rocky outcrop that stretched into the dark forest. That's where I brought in the craft and parked. When I opened the entry, no sound greeted me save the roar of the sea.
It was cold, and my travel suit had turned dark green, but my blood felt hot inside my veins. I snapped on my travel pouch, with water and rations inside, and set off to explore into the woods. My ship was darkened against detection, so no passing vehicle would spot it. This included extinguishing all functions aboard. Past the tree line, the forest was dark and misty and still. Further from the shore, the sea's roar retreated and I was in what appeared to be a moist dark cavern of tall birches and dark green pines. The mist of my breath clung close to me like it too feared venturing off into the darkness. There were remnants of old snow on the forest floor covering patches of moss and old fell, which was mostly rotten, its wood easily crushed underfoot. The land had been undisturbed, save by the weather, as nothing seemed to live here. No wind stirred and the silence felt ominous.
The forest's thick canopy let in little light, so the undergrowth was naturally kept in check. It was easy to lose one's way here, so I activated my small directional device and calibrated it on the ship for my return. In truth, I was having thoughts of turning back as the woods held nothing of interest for me. But something compelled me to go on. I instinctively knew something was there.
I had walked maybe a kilometer into the interior, jumping over small streams, climbing over fallen trees, when I realized I could see light ahead. It was reflective light like it was bouncing off something metallic. As I got closer, much to my surprise, it was another ship, like mine. As stealthily as I could, I approached closer when a fallen branch snapped underfoot. I froze and listened, my heart pumping. But no one appeared, so I stole closer. I wished I had a weapon, but such things are unknown here save for those carried by the Troopers. And they were radioactive. I made for the ship to examine it. It had been freshly flown, as its hull still gave off a low heat. Somehow my mind imagined that it was my ship, but that was impossible. Then I noticed the dark cross underneath, when suddenly the entry opened. At first I thought it might be an automatic sensor that opened it, but then a figure appeared. It was silhouetted dark against the interior, which was also dark, but when it stepped forth, I knew I was caught. I tried to run back to the shore, but the figure lunged after me with speed, grabbed my arm and spun me around. It was a face of horror and I wanted to scream, but could not. I had seen a face like that only once. It was like the face of Morz.
The man was dressed in a dark blue black mesh like uniform. He was unarmed, but his grip was solid. He growled:
"What are you doing here?"
"I'm sorry. I'm exploring this island. I know..."
"It's off limits. You can't be here. Come with me."
Without another word, his grip pulled me towards the ship. I fought, trying to break free, but his hand was like a closed vice, and I tired quickly. I had been caught and now had to face the consequences. When he reached the craft's entry, I tried to struggle once more, but to no avail. He dragged me inside.
The entry closed and he motioned for me to take a seat. My mind raced with what to do, but having no weapon, and none being apparent, I did as he bid. I tried to remember from my learning tapes how I could overpower this craft, but nothing seemed to match. This ship was different. Reluctantly, I took the seat.
We lifted off and shortly were landing far into the interior at a vast clearing. On the perimeter, I could tell the trees had been recently timbered, clear cut. I thought perhaps this was a logging camp, but knew that trees were not used here in the way they are on Earth. At the center of the clearing were several low buildings unlike I had seen before. They reminded me of a refugee camp in my native land. The Trooper led me to these. As we got closer, I realized there were people beyond the buildings, half naked and dirty in appearance. They looked cold and glowered at me as I passed them, their eyes fixed on me. They had a wild, sadistic look in their eyes, almost grinning. Some threw themselves against the bars to get my attention. The vision of an insane asylum flashed in my mind. There was still much I did not know of this world, but this seemed so improbable. I was told to wait at the door.
A man of greater bearing than my captor emerged and eyed me suspiciously. His face was likewise scarred with running sores. His eyes were red, as if he had not slept for a long time, and his breath foul.
"How did you get here?"
"Who are you? What do you want with me?"
"I command here, not you, and you must answer my questions."
"Am I your captive?"
"You have captured yourself by coming here. None escape."
"I want to speak to your superior."
"You will. He is on his way."
The first Trooper who caught me then took me roughly again and led me to what looked like a large metal cage, the kind they use to transport wild animals. I was flung inside, the door locked.
While I waited in the cold, though my suit kept me warm, they had taken my rations, I got to examine where I was. The clearing in the forest was perhaps three hundred meters in diameter, a rough circle. I could tell there were other clearings beyond. The other human beings, if they could be called that, near beasts, I thought, were some distance from me, and I could hear them talking or grunting in low tones. They kept watching my way. I also realized some of them had metal collars on their necks, as if they had been chained. The landscape was bleak, cold and still, and the buildings totally devoid of any semblance of human comfort. They were cold functional buildings devoid of decor, nearly military. As I examined my new surroundings, thoughts of Paul and Kahla kept running through my head, and of what they would think of this. I began to feel afraid, for my unborn child. I had begun to wish that I had never embarked on this excursion, nor even left Earth. Somehow, I knew things there. Here, everything was alien, especially this.
As these thoughts ran through my head, a ship appeared over the trees and landed near the buildings. The entry opened and another person emerged, this one of large girth and build. I recognized Morz. As he strode towards me, the other two guards came running from their quarters to greet him.
"Ram found her in the woods. She approached his ship," the man nearly grunted.
The man who I figured was Ram agreed, then said something I couldn't understand and pointed at me. They all walked over to the cage.
"So we meet again, Earthwoman." His gravely voice confirmed his identity.
"My name is San'aa." I looked straight at him, showing no fear. "And you are Morz. Let me out of your cage."
"Always fighting, those Earthlings. I like that," he said to no one in particular. Then he motioned to the guard to release me.
The guard reached into the cage and again gruffly dragged me out and had me kneel before Morz.
"Not so rough, Ram. She is with child. Let her stand."
It was the first sign that the man had sensitivity in him.
"Where am I?"
"You tell us. You're the one who came here." This elicited a snicker from the two guards. "You know this is a forbidden zone. How did you get through?"
"I used my Earthling's cunning," I answered defiantly.
"No one leaves here. You could be put to death."
"What kind of place is this, that you would kill me here? And what of them?" I pointed at the forlorn creatures in the metal enclosure.
"They're captives."
"From where? Do you have hunts for human beings?"
"They're criminals from other worlds and are brought here."
The information made me shudder, as I too was from another world. It would not register in my brain that humans were caught by these Troopers and brought to some alien planet.
"For what? Why would you bring them here?"
Morz' gravely voice answered again.
"You're asking too many questions. But because I admire your courage, none ever comes here, I will tell you." He looked in their direction and continued: "I told you we're losing our ranks. We don't have enough recruits and volunteers from here. So we have to look for them elsewhere. Those men, and sometimes women, were criminals, murderers. They were then given a choice. They could either die for their crimes, or they could live. But to live, they must join us. Those are the conditions. These have accepted, but they have not yet been trained."
"And when they have been trained, what will be their function?"
"To cull."
"To cull?"
"I see you don't know. So I will tell you. Crime is discouraged here because all know that to break the law lands you in out midst. No one wants to be one of us. So they remain law abiding, unlike you." He gave me a strange grin, like I had already been recruited. "Then, as one of us, they have the right to kill. This means that when a criminal refuses to join, he is hunted down. That's what these woods are for. They are released and then hunted. If they escape the island, and go thirty paces off shore and survive the icy water, they are free. It's a big island. Few make it. These here did not want to chance it, so they accepted. Their fellow prisoners were not so smart. So they died. That's why this island is called Xin'oy, the House of Death."
I knew 'xin' was the word for house, but now I knew that 'oy' was another word for death. It was an abbreviated form of 'um'aroy'. Death. A shudder went through my veins.
"So what do you plan to do with me?"
"I'll give you a choice. But it will not be the choice I gave them." He looked at me strangely, like he wanted me, or even to rape me. But instead he continued: "You're of Earth. We want Earth. No, I want Earth, because your world is so ripe for our activities. I am sure we could find many willing converts in your prisons. So I dare not damage you in any way. My men will take you back to your ship. When you are released, you are to leave here, and never tell another what you saw. If you do, I will press the charge and you will be returned. Am I understood?"
I nodded, feeling sad and forlorn. I hate secrets, but this is one I was forced to keep.
"Another thing." His gravely voice continued. "If you tell anyone, they will be judged as your accomplice, and equally guilty. So mark my words, Earthwoman. If I didn't admire you so much, I would never give you this choice. But it is a devil's bargain. Do you accept it?"
"I have no choice."
"You do, San'aa." His mention of my name made me jump. "You do have a choice. You could be hunted. Or you could join us."
"I'll keep the secret," I answered too quickly.
"Good. Wise choice. Then we have an understanding. You may go."
He motioned to his men that they were to take me back to my craft. I again looked in the direction of the men in their cage like enclosure and felt horrible. What was their fate? I thought. Morz answered my thoughts:
"Some will not survive the training. Those who do, they will become like me." Again he gave me that strange grin. It was a mercy to go.
As we were so far north, the light had faded much sooner than I expected, and I arrived to my ship in near darkness. Before climbing aboard I turned to Ram and asked him a question:
"Those that survive the training. Do they ever turn on you?"
He grinned as he answered: "They never do."
They sped off and left me in my darkened ship. I shook my head as if to dispel a bad dream and began activating the controls. I felt as if a perpetual shudder had set into me. I wanted to quit this place as fast as I could. I set my coordinates, lifted off, and sped away for Laah. When I reentered the temperate zones, its warmth never felt so good.

As I finished my story, I realized Maya was already sound asleep. I don't know how much of it she heard. But I needed to share my secret with someone, even if only with a sleeping child.




8. Awakening.

When I got back to Laah, I immediately called on Kahla. Her apartment was on the upper floors of the massive building. I flew my craft into one of the large openings in the side of the building and parked in at an interior plaza near her floor. Then I took a lift, which is transparent and operates silently without any visible means of support. The beautiful flowering hanging gardens of orchids that clung to the structure's walls offered a calming affect on me as I rose slowly to Kahla's. When I arrived at her level, she already was waiting for me.
"San'aa, my dear San'aa. You look pale. Are you feeling okay?"
"I feel like I've seen the Devil himself. But I'll be alright."
"Who did you see?"
"No one. I just gave myself a fright while exploring around Murh. It's cold up there. I feel like my blood's been drained."
"Come to the balcony, and I'll warm you."
She took my hand and held it against her cheek, then caressed me about the neck and shoulders to release my obvious tension. The Light activator was turned on and warm, soothing rays which heal and restore showered over me. I had begun feeling better in minutes. But the shudder would not leave me for a much longer time. I looked out to the dark sea, towards the north, and tried to forget the island of death. But it stayed etched in my brain. That a beautiful world could have such a dark stain on it. And yet, as Paul had said, they do useful work. But how inhumane, I thought. And what sadistic beings would ever join them voluntarily? The secret weighed on me like an infernal darkness. I had to forget.
My brush with Morz left me pensive and brooding. I tried, but forget I could not. I could not reconcile in my mind how such two totally opposite forces could exists in the same space. In fact, they existed only side by side, since the overwhelming majority was of the Light. Only a small population was of darkness, and they did not mix easily. But they were there, and that forced me to think of them. When I returned to Paul's, I accessed learning tapes on anything remotely connected with the history of the Troopers, their living habits, their effectiveness in policing a world against its citizens, any possibility of their errant ways. Little information was available. It was like Ka'ananda kept them a secret from herself.
In a few days, my spirits lifted. Paul had been especially attentive to me, being very mindful and there whenever I needed him. It was a comfort, and all my other little troubles slowly melted away, even my jealousy. But I had begun to feel the pressure of my baby, and I knew it was time. She was ready to wake. I called upon my healer and made preparations. I was to deliver at Paul's home.
Equipment was brought in for the birth. Master brought the specially equipped crib and the delivery platform which was shaped more like a comfortable, soft and flesh colored couch. Over it hovered an apparatus that I knew would radiate the Light throughout the birth. This would heal and put me in a mental state where I could communicate with my daughter as she entered this world. Pha'an, also a Dreamer, was called to help me. She is one of the healers. I was given instructions on how to lie down. I had never given birth, though I had seen it before on Earth. I knew that, barring any complications, the delivery should be easy. Master was programmed to act as surgeon if any complication arose. I was in good hands.
"How does it feel, San'aa?" It was Master, observing me.
"I already have contractions. I think it will be soon."
The birthing fluid had already drained from me and I knew instinctively that the time had arrived. Master placed me on the platform. The room's lights were turned down to a soft, lavender glow. Paul stood by, watching me expectantly. It was also his child. He smiled at me. I must have looked a bit nervous.
"Don't worry, love. It'll be alright." He took hold of both my hands. The Light had been activated, instructing my mind to begin the process. "You'll be walked through it by Master and the Light.
The effect of the Light left a faint hum in my head, as if someone distant was playing a soft tune. It made me peaceful inside. My body began to respond, feeling like my whole being was entering a new kind world. No, more like a whole new being was entering my world. I began breathing as Master instructed me. A soft push began to form from my lower region. The body and mind knew what to do. I only had to be there to not interfere. Paul was looking deep into my eyes. He knew of the fright I had just experienced and was concerned that it may in some way affect the birth. He did not know what that fright was. He only knew something traumatic happened, and that I could not share it. He accepted that and never pried.
The Light played on the rhythm that had become part of my breathing, which translated into the rhythm of my birthing canal. I began to push in earnest. Word went out that I was giving birth and a group of crafts had landed outside. The arrivals disembarked and waited in another part of the house. I felt surrounded by good wishes and love, in the caring hands of Pha'an. She whispered to me.
"Go with the Light, child She is ready to waken. Watch her in your mind."
I found my attention shift from the room and those around me to my internal being. Closing my eyes, I could see, as if by magic, my whole body's interior, like watching it on a screen. It was three dimensional, and I could travel to any part of it I wished. I left the region of my brain and slowly descended past my beating heart, into the muscles beneath my lungs. They were calm and ready. I was only faintly aware of the room and the lights. Now I was totally inside myself. I moved down a little bit further and could see my daughter. She moved slightly, as if she wanted to speak, her little hands close to her mouth. She looked beautiful, and I could feel her mind. It was a beautiful mind, and my love went out to her instantly. To my surprise, I could feel her love, unworded, rise up to mine. We were bonded at a deeper level already, though she had not yet wakened. She was ready.
I could feel Paul's mind reaching into mine. But I was totally focussed on my daughter. My body now knew what to do of itself, so I let it go and watched my baby instead. As my contractions grew more rapid, I watched her stretch herself into the expanding canal, pushing her little head forth. My body was helping her, both moving together as if in an ancient dance. Life was about to reassert itself once more in the infinite continuum of being. My great-great grandmother flashed into my mind, though I did not know her. She was beautiful, fair skinned, and regal in the court of the pharaohs. I wanted to cry out to her, but cried out into the room instead, as my child pushed her little head out of me. Paul's hands reached out for her and held her as my body helped her push herself out into her new world. Master reached over to surgically cut the umbilical chord, which healed instantly. The Pha'an immediately reached for the baby and Master activated a machine that inflated a large sack of soft membrane that he carefully pulled over my child. Her mind raced over to me as if to ask what was going on. I reassured her with my love, telling her how beautiful it is to be alive, and she settled down again, only her concern still holding onto me. I watched, as did all the others. A light from within the capsule began to radiate brilliant colors, as if bathing my daughter in beautiful rainbows. This lasted only a moment, when Master undid the seals and carefully removed my baby from this strange, soft-egg-like membrane. Pha'an then beamed us a bright smile as if to tell us it was now all right.
Paul then took our daughter and gently held her aloft. I thought, in my half unconscious state, that I could see him holding her above him in his arms beneath palm trees and beautiful orchids on a tropical island with a blue sea and sky as his horizon. He gave off a cry of joy, and I could feel in my mind my little girl answering to him and she let off a loud cry. All around the room began to cry out in joy as well, when Pha'an touched me and said: "You may wake now, child." Master attended to the instrumentation on the Light, and I began to wake.
Paul held our daughter in his arms and presented her to me.
"Maya. Can we call her Maya?"
"Yes. We will call her Maya. It is a better name than Unis," I smiled weakly. Paul knew I meant the name of an ancient Pharaoh of Egypt, a shadow soul. I took my daughter in my arms. Pha'an was smiling at us, our little family. Small robots floated by and began cleaning around my legs, sponging me. I was totally nude and for the first time really felt how full my breasts had become. I was a mother, and it felt good.
The lights had returned to normal and Master asked me if the other guests could enter now. I nodded it was okay. M'aan came in first.
"Congratulations to both of you! She is beautiful! Welcome to the world, Maya."
Then entered Ta'an, also beaming. Behind him, hesitantly, came forward Kahla.
"May I?"
"Yes." Tears came to my eyes. She cried too. Women cry as men never can, and we both cried together. She also held the baby. Even Paul and Pha'an had tears in their eyes. They were tears of joy. Ta'an watched, looking joyful and sad all at the same time. Master busied himself with the crib's equipment, talking to himself. "She's awake now. I had better take her for awhile."
Kahla gave Maya back to me to hold for a moment more. Then Master took her from my arms and gently, and lovingly I thought, placed her into her little crib. The Light shone down on her, helping her little body and mind ready itself for her new world. She was well, and soon fell asleep. My mind reached out to her and I felt her breathing. Paul held my hand. M'aan came over to me.
"Well done, San'aa. You have delivered a beautiful baby girl."
"She's a treasure, my love." It was Kahla, smiling at me. I could feel all their warm and beautiful joy around me. I was loved.
"You should sleep now. All will be fine."
With that, Pha'an ushered everyone out of the room. I felt a tiredness come over me, the Light again turned on to help me heal. My mind had once more retreated to where it is most itself. Gently, I fell asleep.

"That was me, Mama! That's how I was born!"
"Yes, my dear little love. That was you. You came to us."
"Was I really a beautiful baby?"
"The most beautiful. And when you opened your eyes, Paul said to me: 'Look. They are bright blue, like yours. Already there's love in those eyes.'"
"I'm glad I was a beautiful child. Do you think I'll be beautiful when I'm grown? Will my eyes turn brown?"
"You will be beautiful, love, no matter what color they are. You are beautiful now."
Maya came over to me and gave me a strong, loving hug. I hugged her and held her little head against me. She had my nose and Paul's mouth. And there was love in her amber-blue eyes.



9. Patterns.

Our idyllic little world was tarnished only once. It was when Morz came to pay his respects and congratulate us on our little girl. He said how beautiful she was. I did not hate the man, even admired him in some strange way, as he had chosen a difficult life, but felt guarded against him just the same. I did not trust him and felt uneasy in his presence. Paul felt the same.
Most days were spent cooing over Maya. When she got older, we started taking her on outings, packed her into my little craft and went off to some part of the planet I had not seen before. Kahla accompanied us on some of these. Then we usually visited tropical islands, as she was not fond of the desert. My favorite was when we would go and watch the large herds of animals that inhabited remote parts of the continent. It was on one of these where Maya proved herself to be master of beasts.
She was still very young, just a few months old. It was late Spring. We made with our little family for a broad savannah, which I recognized from those pre-history tapes I had seen aboard Ship. Paul was fond of telling me what he knew of any place we visited, and he knew a lot.
"See that outcropping there, those rocky cliffs? That's where they made the tapes you saw. To the best of our knowledge, the race that frequented the planet while we were still only near human, had this place well staked out with equipment and recorded much of what went on, without the knowledge of the people living here. We do that now on other worlds. Its a kind of tradition for us, carrying on this work. That's how we know so much of Earth. We have her well recorded. Actually, those projects are great fun, but I've only been on one of these. And the Earth Planet-walk, of course."
Little Maya always seemed alert and wide eyed, as if she were taking everything in, though her comprehension was still very limited. But things were already registering in her young mind. This we knew from listening in on her. It was going to be a fine mind.
On this day we landed my craft on the savannah, near a cluster of trees, and decided to picnic there. What's so wonderful about travel on Ka'ananda is that you seldom see other people. The planet is about Earth size, with only a tenth of the population. It's the largest planetary village I could imagine, as it seemed as if everyone knew everyone else, or heard of them. Maybe it is a result of people living so long. But birth is always considered a great gift, a miracle that nearly all who know of it celebrate earnestly. Maya was already well loved by many, though her immediate family was only Paul and Kahla and I. But all who knew us came to see us and praise her. Master was kept busy with all the guests. But he seemed to enjoy his duties, if an android can truly enjoy. It was a happy time for us.
"Watch those wild camels. They are curious about us and will make for our trees."
Indeed, a small clan of about a dozen camels were slowly walking towards us, grazing as they went, to look inconspicuous. But Paul was right. They were making right for us. The sun shone brightly over the vast savannah, fluffy high clouds punctuated the sky. The temperature felt comfortable, dry. It was my kind of day, and I lay back on a blanket under the trees lazily watching the camels come closer.
As they approached, I realized that they were very similar to Earth's camels, with one hump, except they seemed to have a thick tuft of hair about the collar, like a fine mane. Paul explained that this is a typical trait of Ka'ananda's animals, and the mane was of fairly recent development, within the last ten thousand years. He also told me that I would recognize all the life forms of Ka'ananda as being similar to those of Earth. He said that this is true for the whole Galaxy, and that none of the life forms would be so strange to me, as they approximate one another, except those that are very advanced. They would be very different from what I know.
The camel herd was now within ear shot. I could hear them chomping on the grasses, emitting soft snorts. Further in the distance I could spot other beasts, either alone or in herds. A panther stalked a distant hill, but I knew these never attacked. The camels were now no more than a dozen meters from the trees and were, in their detached way, making their way to us. It was as if they did not want us to know they were curious about us. Paul said they are very proud and would never let on. It reminded me of my camel Sa'ba, how he was so like that. One gets to know one's animal. They had now reached the trees.
"Watch what they do now."
Paul was lazing under the tree. Maya was babbling to herself in near speech, looking happily around. Then she too noticed the camels. She became more active and began pointing with her little hand towards the large beasts, which were now grazing almost upon us. We did not move.
"Are we in any danger?"
"Oh no. They are gentle animals, as are most animals on this world. They're merely curious. They hadn't seen a human baby before."
Then the largest of the beasts looked straight at us. He came over, as if to introduce himself and looked at Maya. Very gently, he lowered his snout to her and sniffed at her outstretched hand. Maya was besides herself with baby giggles. I looked on with concern. The beast was near my child. Paul remained calm, so this again calmed me. Then the snout came a few centimeters closer, his large lips almost touching Maya's little hand. She stretched and reached out for him, her eyes wide with glee. The beast reached over and, so it looked to me, kissed her fingers with his large lips. Then he retreated. All the other camels came, in turn, and did the same. As each approached, I involuntarily felt the same apprehension, but then felt relieved when the large beast sniffed at Maya and retreated to the rest of the herd. This went on for quite a long time, as each member of the herd took his or her turn. Paul remained relaxed, smiling.
"I told you not to fear."
"Are they always like this?" I asked, still wide eyed.
"Oh no. Only for very special babies." I knew that he was teasing me. He must have known that this probably always happened. But Maya enjoyed the experience to the fullest.
Master squatted under a tree, obviously unconcerned with the whole event and busy preparing the evening meal. We spent the night there, under the stars, watching one moon set and the other rise. It was a perfectly clear night, full of meteors and night sounds. I had begun to really enjoy being a mother. My child breast fed easily and time passed happily. I thought of our ancestors living under this same sky, full of fear, thirst and hunger., chasing fires. The species had progressed far beyond their wildest dreams, and we were their future. I wondered if Earth's would ever be like this.
The months passed and, when Maya reached two, we began introducing her to her learning tapes. They were silly tapes at first, more to get her attention than to teach, but as she got older, they began her training. She learned quickly and by the end of a month could speak to us easily, and even write, some. I remember some of her first words:
"Daddy, what do you see when you close your eyes?"
She looked at him in earnest, waiting for a reply.
"Why, I see the backs of my eyelids. What do you see?"
"I see black. And then I see red, or even lights. What am I supposed to see?"
She was only two, and already her questions took on the form of wonder. By three, she knew most of what she would need to know for a normal, interactive life with others. Her technical training began then, as most children will serve an apprenticeship in the maintenance of the planet's and society's functions before they go on to more sophisticated duties. Some will become Dreamers, which is the highest career anyone could hope for. There are many of these, and they are the interpreters and processors of reality. It was in a Dream session that Paul first noticed what bothered me.
He had just come back from his Dream chamber where he worked, in Laah, which was but one chamber in a battery of many. Having been a Planet-walker, his work was of the highest order. He had to integrate the reality of Ka'ananda and Earth, for the first Contact. Much work was being done, by many, for that great event. I must admit I don't really understand what it is they do, but it is something with aligning the dual realities of both worlds. He tells me there is still much work to be done.
Not all go on to being Dreamers. Most are happy working with the mechanisms that operate society. There are those who grow produce on vast farms all over the continent and islands. Others are responsible for settling the accounts in our very complex economy, so that in the end all nets out, except for what is needed for replenishing what had been spent. There are great markets for this, and the participants need immense amounts of information to make this work. Then others still are the technicians and administrators that oversee the operations of the cities, the travel grids, the communications network, training tapes, the ships, and the Star-ships. All these require exact knowledge, and judgment. They are demanding tasks, and all who train for them must undergo years of work.
Paul had come back from one of his sessions and asked me:
"Is Morz part of your reality?"
The question froze me, as I knew of what he was asking. Yet, I could not tell him. I had to lie.
"No. Why do you ask?"
"The patterns kept turning up with you and him. At first, I thought there was some mistake and that Angel should be the one showing up, but no, it was clearly Morz, though Angels shows up also. We can't understand it."
Angel was the citizen who had stayed behind on Earth in my place. For all we knew, he was still there, but off Light, as he had separated himself from his communications device. At the time, he was not being monitored and left totally on his own. Paul continued:
"The other thing that is confusing, is that Angel's reality is occupied by Morz. How could that be? We simply can't make it out."
"Are they related in some way?" I ventured, trying to get the attention away from myself.
"No. No relation we know of."
The patterns Paul was referring to were like those Earth fortune tellers who would say: 'I see a tall dark stranger in your life.' But where the fortune teller was only guessing, or at best seeing the future dimly, the Dreamers had a specific technology dedicated to this. So when they said they saw a pattern, it was most probably real. I kept evading the issue.
"Maya may have some play in this reality that is affecting the outcome," I ventured.
"I don't think so. Even though her patterns are forming well for the work she is to do, they do not explain what we've seen. Though, strangely, Morz is in her patterns also. Why him? What could he possibly add to Contact?"
I did not want to answer, but at some deep instinctive feeling, I already knew that he would. I knew that he was now part of our reality, and that we could not rid of him easily. He wants Earth, and I strayed into his path. That was the reality. But I could not share it with him. It left me distressed. Even Kahla could not know. It was totally my secret.
"It will have a bad turn, I'm afraid, as best as I could make it out. But I just don't know how." Paul returned to the Dream-matrix grid map projections he was studying, which were part of the assembly of information that would be needed at the time Earth and Ka'ananda came together. "Something is missing, and I just don't know what."
"Maybe in time the linkage will make sense."
"I hope so, my love, but for now, it has us Dreamers stumped."
I did not want to think of what that linkage would mean. It forebode ill, and I knew it. There was nothing good about Morz wanting Earth for a recruiting station. I shuddered at the thought of what those poor souls must go through to become Troopers. It was nothing I would ever wish on anyone. And yet, they were an accepted part of this world's structure. I was told they did useful work. I just wished there was some other way to accomplish this. Then Maya spoke up in her little voice, as if she had been listening in, which she was, and some deep revelation to share.
"They could take me instead. Then Earth would be safe."
It was a horrible thought.
"Who, dear? What ever made you say that?" I asked, alarmed.
"I don't know. Morz. Just something that came into my head."
"She speaks like the daughter of a Dreamer and an Earth woman, but it is nonsense, love. No one will ever take you, not even Morz. I'll make sure of that." Paul had a look of concern on his face, as if he suspected that something was amiss. But then his face dismissed it, knowing how it all could not be.
The event passed and was not brought up again. But I could tell the Dreamers were still troubled. At their meeting on the planet Boh, nearly two years ago, they had also had some reservations about the patterns that emerged for Earth. There were no clear signs of Contact then either. None could decipher why that was so. Paul's and Tenya's work had seemed so clear, even Angel's. The patterns prior to my return were very favorable. Only I knew the real answer, and I could not share it.
It was when Maya was about three that Morz made another appearance. I did not like the look of it. He came to talk to Paul.


10. The Game.

Kahla was playing with Maya on a projection board, a game with their minds that I could not follow. All I could catch was their banter:
"That stone is now behind the tree..."
"The stream ran backwards until the fish drowned..."
"The title was never given, only implied..."
"How many moons does a foot have?.."
"Eight! No, twelve!"
The game made no sense to me, but they were giggling hysterically. That's when Morz called to ask Paul if he could have an audience. The game ended abruptly. Having a Trooper visit was about as welcome as a visit from the gestapo in former Nazi Germany, or the KGB in the old Soviet Union. I knew of these things because I had seen them on the tapes. Though I was no longer on Earth when Communism fell in the Russian lands, we all knew of what had happened because of our remote monitors there. Tenya was both elated and troubled by it. The Dreamers were not entirely clear that she obeyed fully the directive of non-interference with a world's internal affairs, at least not before Quarantine was lifted. After all, she was a highly placed Party speech writer. But none believed that it was her doing. Earth was ready and willing to change of her own.
When Morz arrived, Kahla took Maya back to Laah with her. I stayed behind, because I had to hear. Morz' ship arrived. Glowing red and blue, a dark cross of light radiating from beneath his craft, it landed. Attended by two troopers, he strode into our home as if he owned it. The two guards then went back to wait by the ship. Master came running with refreshments, which Morz accepted greedily. His sores had grown worse in the past two years, so that a portion of his nose was now red and raw with sores. He had begun looking like a leper on my world. Yet, I admired him for his sacrifice, because he could abandon his work if he chose. I knew he had volunteered for this work. But he stayed with it, which I found strange. It did offer him authority and power, within limits. I guessed that it was his choice to not give those up.
"Paul, I thank you for your time, and for allowing me to interrupt your valuable work to speak with me."
"You are always welcome, in the Light. By the grace of 'Aan, we are friends."
"Yes, Paul, we are. And that is why I came to consult with you. You are highly positioned within those who will bring Earth into our Living Worlds. As you know full well, I have a great interest in that, as it will once again swell my diminishing ranks."
"That is not why we wish for Contact, Morz. You know that. It is to bring Earth into the Light so she could take her rightful place in the Dream and Living Worlds. We both know it is well overdue, and we should not wait much longer, or she will damage herself. Eventually, the alignments will be lost and her reality can never merge with ours."
I thought of the time we were bringing the Star-ship to Ka'ananda and how there was a temporary reality rejection of our landing. Though we succeeded, in the end, I thought of what Paul had told me would happen if it did not happen within a certain period of time, how we would be lost.
"She will not be lost. I have faith that the alignments will be found." His gravelly voice continued: "But I have another concern."
I waited to hear what he had to say, trying to look inconspicuous. Morz was taking long draughts of the tall drink Master had served him. His swallowing sounded like gurgling. His damage must be inside too, I thought.
"I know you've seen my presence combined with that of San'aa. This has become common knowledge, so it came to my attention. And I know that you are stumped by this. So I thought I could offer light on it."
A cold fear took hold of me. I felt doomed. He would divulge our secret, which would not only compromise me with Paul, but also open the danger of my arrest. Morz continued:
"For whatever others may think of me, Paul, I know that you know I am a man of integrity. I know others think I have imperial ambitions, but rest assured I do not. I too want what is best for Ka'ananda, and Earth. I would never jeopardize anything with my personal ambitions, even if I am ambitious. I want to make my Troopers of Ka'ananda the best in the Galaxy. Boh's can't compare. They are ineffective. Though, that too is a function of their dwindling numbers. Other worlds suffer the same fate."
Paul interjected:
"That is not so horrible a fate. If your work is so successful that none ever trespass again, that would be a major, universal milestone. Wouldn't you agree?"
"Yes, in principle. But in fact, it can never happen. Once we're gone, disorder will rule. We are the keepers of the law, though we are not loved for this."
I could see how they were not loved. Most feared the Troopers, and few spoke of them openly. But they were gracious to not disturb the daily affairs of citizens unless they were called upon. The Light was a natural deterrent to wrong doing, as none wanted to be without it, but there were those who, for reasons that may be a mystery, still rebelled and strayed. Because they were, the Troopers were, though the sadhus were another outlet.
"So what is your point, Morz?"
"Here's my point." He stopped at this, as if to collect his thoughts, to express them in a way that would not lead to any misunderstanding. "My point is this. I have a monkey on my back, as they say on Earth. And I cannot shake him. The reason you have seen Dream matrix that intersect with me and San'aa is that she has been much on my mind."
Paul drew in his breath, and I stepped away, almost instinctively. I did not like the turn of the conversation, and my fear returned. Morz went on:
"By way of explanation, San'aa." he looked my way, "is of Earth. So in bringing her here, you have brought Earth with you. I know this sounds strange to you, but think of this. Where she comes from, what we do is not so alien. The Troopers would be a welcome and needed police force on her world. So its natural conclusion is to have San'aa spend some time at our camp, on Xin'oy, as an observer. Then when we make contact, she could be the natural choice for educating Earth in what it is we do. They will trust her and believe her, one of their own, whereas they would not believe me. Look at me, Paul. Would you believe someone who looks like me?"
"No!" It was I who cried out. "I could never go to Xin'oy!"
"Why San'aa? You know of Xin'oy?" Paul asked, surprised.
I realized I had fallen into a trap. In some remote way, it reminded me of the time Abdulah wanted me in the desert in the middle of the night. I flashed that image to Paul, and he understood. Then, he was clever in the way he diffused a potentially dangerous situation, and I prayed that he could do it again. But this was no mere desert dweller. This deadly game was being played by Morz, and I did not want this.
"I only know of what I have heard," I lied. "I could not go there as an observer, even for a day. It is a horrible place."
"Now San'aa, you're overreacting," the gravelly voice said. He was almost grinning at me, because he knew I lied. "We are not all so horrible. In appearance, yes, our weapons damage us in the long run. But you would not be there long enough to suffer any damage. And since you are no longer with child, there would be no danger to your unborn. I would make sure that it is safe for you."
"San'aa, my love. This may be the pattern the Dreamers have been waiting for, to close the patterns merging. Morz' suggestion is not pleasant, true, but it may be very useful to us. Could you at least consider it?"
"I would only need you for a few days. Then you would be free to return," added Morz.
"Return how? Damaged? With nightmares?" I spoke out of anger. "To hell with your Dreamers. I won't do it!"
Morz looked hurt, as if he had been personally spurned, which he was. Paul was silent, thinking over what it would all mean. At length, he spoke:
"I think we should ask Mori'an. He could guide us. No doubt he would hold a conference of Dreamers to come to a conclusion."
I wanted to hate Paul, at that moment, but I could not. Knowing that he did not know what it was that Morz held over me, he could not think otherwise. Also, there was the question of my function on Ka'ananda, of my useful work to be done here. I was little prepared to do any, save maybe of taking care of animals in the wild. But even that is largely attended to by the Light spheres. I was useless in their eyes, and this was an out. But I could not.
"I would rather supervise the androids in the continent's sewers."
"San'aa. Why do you reject my offer so strongly? It could benefit both of us. I am asking you as one human being to another."
"Because when you made your choice," and this was where I knew I had him, "you forsook your humanity." I immediately hated myself for saying this, as I could see the hurt in his eyes. It was not what I had wanted to say. My emotions spoke first, out of fear. But I also understood what he wanted. And this made me even more afraid, out of instinct. Morz understood all this and chose his words carefully:
"I know that as a mother, you have the instinct to protect your child. I understand that, as I too had children once. But they all died in a fatal accident in space, long ago. I was the sole survivor. So I speak as well as a grieving father. I will cause you no harm."
"What could you offer us as assurance?" asked Paul.
"I have none. Only my word."
"Then it leaves us with Mori'an."
"I would rather not take that route. He has no love for me, as you well know. We grate on each other."
"Then I regret, Morz, that it is impossible. San'aa would not go of her own free will, and none could force her, not even I. So the matter is closed. The monkey is indeed on your back. It is for you to resolve your concern about how to approach Earth, not San'aa's. That's what we're all working on."
Morz stiffened, realizing that the interview was over. He was not happy to leave empty handed. But he had no choice. Morz was far beneath Paul in the scheme of things on this world. One worked for the other, not the other way around. He tried making pleasant talk, but it did not work. My anger had subsided, but not my fear. Reluctantly he rose to leave.
"Well, you may think the matter closed, but I think even San'aa knows different."
"Do not threaten us, Morz. It could not ever further your cause. Choose your words carefully."
"I am sorry to have taken up your time, and I did not mean to disturb the peacefulness of your house. Good day to you both."
His ship took off with the same flashing of lights with which it descended, as if he were preparing for going to battle, the black cross flashing on the underbelly of his craft, like on some malignant spider. I felt relief to see him leave, along with a sadness, but my apprehension ran deep. I knew he was not done. He would be patient, and then return with some other scheme. Again, I tried to forget the images etched in my head of his camp. But Paul felt it not. When Morz left, he said:
"Well, good riddance. This may dispel those patterns we couldn't reconcile. I sincerely hope so."
I knew it wouldn't. I wished at that moment that Paul and his Dreamers stopped looking at their damned grid maps and saw the world instead. On Earth, this would have eventually led to battle. But here, things were different.

"That was the beginning of our troubles, wasn't it, Mother?"
"Yes, love. That was the beginning. I prayed that it would not be so. But Morz had me in his scopes. He wanted me, and he knew he had me, if he wished. But he had honor too, or fear."
"So he didn't just come and arrest you, as was his right?"
"That's right. He angled for some other way to get me. He wanted me freely, of my own will. And with all my soul, I did not want to go."
"Then he can't take you, Mother. The pattern of reality, in the Light of 'Aan, is greater than anything man devises."
"You're too young to know that. Who told you? I wish I had faith."
"Do, Mother. I may be young, but I already know things in my head. And Seth told me. He said fear is faith's greatest enemy."
"I know. Faith is the greatest wisdom."


11. Kahla.

I needed to talk to someone. I thought of M'aan, as she's older and a Ship's commander and wise. But I did not know her so well as to confide in her my fears. I thought of Tenya and Ta'an who are both close to me, but it did not seem right, somehow, as if they could not understand. I even thought of Master, or Kahla's android Captain. In the end, there was only one clear choice. I needed to talk to Kahla. We were closest, after Paul.
We made arrangements to meet at a favorite place in the center of the continent. There, far away from any habitation, the desert stretched uninterrupted with mesas and distant mountains. The undulating desert dunes were only occasionally broken by large canyons that seemed to be lost in the depths of the world. Even the shifting sands could not fill these. It was a place I loved, though Kahla was not fond of it. But she wanted to spend time with me, alone, and so agreed. We were to meet in the early morning hours the next day.
I calibrated my ship to the coordinates I needed. The path would take me first up past a long escarpment which cut down the middle of the long continent, which lengthwise was longer east to west than north to south, and then over those into the interior. About three hundred kilometers beyond this first row of rock was another, much like it, but smaller. It was at the base of these, on the east side, that I knew of a favorite spot. Paul and I had a picnic there once. It very much reminded me of home in the horn of Africa. It was high desert with red cliffs and sparse greenery.
The next day, Paul took Maya with him to the city. Kahla and I launched our crafts and arrived at almost the same time. Hers touched down first, and mine came within meters of hers, and settled into the soft, reddish soil. We were atop a vast mesa. The desert beyond stretched away into the horizon. A small stream came down off the mountain, breaking itself up on the rocks as it sped by. The sky was a crystal blue. I could see tracks of animals, even the tell tale strokes of a snake, but nothing stirred when we arrived. As most desert animals are nocturnal, I did not expect to see any now, save for an occasional lizard. Kahla's travel suit was already turning pale blue, as it was to be a warm day. She approached me as I disembarked.
"What's so important, love, that you would make me come here?" She laughed, as she said this. She was glad to see me, as was I.
"Why is it always so nice to see you. There's always a smile on your face."
"But not on yours. Why are you so serious of late?"
"I am troubled. Can we walk?"
She took me by the hand. It felt warm and pleasant to touch, as if all our intimacy could be transferred into the moment our fingers touched. She pulled my head over to her and kissed my hair.
"Why so troubled? Tell me everything."
"I don't know where to begin, Kahla. Ever since I first came here, things have been slowly disintegrating for me. Well, not all bad. I now have a beautiful daughter. I have you and Paul. I guess I should be happy. But I don't know what to do with myself. I feel like I'm always someone else's shadow, not my own person. This world is so complicated."
"But it is an easy place. Everything is done for you. You could have whatever you want. You even have your own ship now. You could have a place to live, if you want. Move in next to me. And the Dream chambers are free, and only down the building. And why don't you have your own android? I'll get you one."
"No. That's not what I mean. I know I could have everything. But that's not it. I need purpose."
"Have the Light guide you. If you meditate on yourself in a Dream chamber, images will come to you of where you should be."
"I have. And that's the problem."
"Why?"
"Because it seems that I'm out of place. I feel like I should be here." I pointed to the land around us. "Here, in this desert, rather than where I live."
"But it is so barren here. And there is no Light here."
"There is sun light, and the light of the stars. There is air, and water where you can find it, and there is life. I think the place is very rich. And it reminds me of home."
"Then you're home sick. In time, you'll be able to visit Earth again. The Quarantine should be lifted soon, and you will play an important part in it."
"I already know that. Morz was over to solicit my help. But that made me shudder, that I would have to spend time with him. It's funny, you know. I feel as if deep inside that battered, sick body is a very fine human being. He has a sense of freedom and will that I seldom see here."
"He's not a Dreamer, so his mind works differently."
"But I don't want his world either. There has to be something in between that is not so drastic as the life of the Troopers."
"Well, you're not joining them, so put it out of your mind. Do you know of our hermit world?"
"Some. I have seen some living at the city. But they come out only at night."
"Some even live in my building, down in the maintenance areas below ground. They have little habitat capsules there. That's basically all they have, save the clothes on their backs," she laughed.
We had already walked quite a distance. The desert stretched long and yellow beneath the mesa we were walking. Thin brush covered the mesa top around us, but the desert had almost no vegetation. Its light shimmered in the distance as it reflected off the sand. Birds circled far above us, as if curious about what we were doing there. A light breeze stirred, but the air felt bone dry. Kahla kept taking drinks from her water bottle. I savored my thirst.
"They live out here too, though they are very shy about showing themselves."
"Why don't they show themselves? Do you think one is watching us now?"
"Possibly. They're odd. Well, San'aa, they wouldn't be hermits if they sought our company, now, would they?"
This elicited smiles on both our faces.
"No. I guess you're right. What good is a gregarious hermit."
More laughter followed. We turned back from the edge of the mesa and began walking back to our ships.
"Hey! I met someone last night, at the club. His name is Ja'an. He's tall and handsome with beautiful legs."
"Oh?"
"He's got bushy hair, which he wears tied back in a pony tail. His eyes are sharp brown, with a strong, sensitive face. He's part of the technical crew aboard another Star-ship."
"You sound like you like this man. Must be young."
"Love him! Oh yeah. He's still a kid."
"You had sex?"
"Of course. If you met him, you would too."
"But how could you? You don't even know him!"
"I don't have to. I want you to meet him. He could be part of our relationship. I know Paul would approve."
"You just met him yesterday? And you want him with us? I can't! What of Maya? And who does he have?"
"He's a very sensitive man, and I think he loves children. I don't know of his partners."
"That's crazy, Kahla. You know nothing of him. How do you really know he loves children? How could you?"
"Children aren't everything. I could love him anyway."
"I think you're confusing two issues, Ka'an. Love and sex are not the same."
In the Light, it's all the same, love, sex, the Dream. It's all part of the One."
"Not for me!" I felt my anger beginning to rise.
"Then you're more like those sadhu hermits than you know. Maybe you should be one of them." She sulked.
"I can't accept that. Either you love me, or Paul. Even that isn't right. Where I come from. It's one on one. That's how love works, for me."
"But you've already proven different."
"I know. And maybe that's why I'm so unhappy." We walked in silence for a time. The birds lost interest in us and had flown away. The sun was higher in the sky and I could see Kahla kept looking at it nervously, like it was some malevolent star that would fry her. She feared its light. Words formed in my head:
"Look, Kahla. It's either me, with Paul, or I'm out."
"I can't lose you. I love you."
"And I love you too. But I can't love under these conditions. It's too strange for me. Too much. I have to draw the line somewhere."
She looked at me, pain clearly visible on her face. I knew she was disturbed by the direction this had all taken. I could feel her in my mind.
"Come on, San'aa. It can be beautiful. It's a new experience for you."
"Look! I'm not even sure if it's right with you. Or if I'm really bisexual. I'm not even sure you are. I'm not sure of anything. But if I am, then choose me. Or choose otherwise. But then, I won't be in your life. So choose!"
We stopped, facing each other at a distance. She looked at me with eyes that betrayed fright. She seemed momentarily confused, as if not knowing which way to turn. The look reminded me of a rabbit caught in approaching headlights. Often, it would run straight into the path of a speeding automobile. She seemed she would do that now.
"I have to ask the Dreamers... I can't make that choice now. I..."
"Then don't. Go ask your Dreamers. But damn it, Kahla, if you can't make up your mind, then you've lost me."
I knew she wanted Ja'an, and Paul, and me. It all was swirling in her head, confusion thrown in by my refusal. She looked deeply hurt. This was not how things were supposed to be, and I introduced a new feeling she could not now reconcile. We both had tears in our eyes. It was an ending neither of us wanted. The love between us was real. But it had come to that.
"Then have your Ja'an."
I walked away and went back to my ship. Kahla was still standing there when I lifted off.
I took my ship deeper into the desert, where I knew she would not follow. When it came to a large canyon, I hovered over it momentarily, looking down into its abyss. I wondered what would happen if I simply cut the engine and fell into the hollow darkness below. I could see the wind push sand over its edges, the sun catching eddies of soft yellow drifting down towards the bottom. I wondered where the sand went.
After a time, I lost interest and decided to turn back. I circled back, after I was assured Kahla had left, and returned to where we were standing before. Heavy of heart, I disembarked once more and sat on a rock by the stream, looking out over the far desert. The sun was hot now, its rays burning into my face. I took a small swallow of water and sat still. My eyes spilled the water I had just taken. I was alone.


12. Sadhu.

"Why are you crying, Mama?"
"Because I am sad. I had lost a friend."
"You have me as a friend now. I'll never leave you."
"You're my treasure, love. I know. We'll be together for life."
She put her arms around me.

I sat on my rock for a long time. My tears had dried and I just sat, thinking, going over my life, when I felt a presence behind me. It was a still presence, like one feels when deep in one's private thoughts. But it felt friendly, curious, warm and gentle and calm. I turned slowly, not out of fear, but of fear that it would leave. I needed comfort, and I felt it coming from behind me. Awe and surprise took me when I turned.
It was a man standing. He was tall, with a reddish beard and tousled hair with hints of grey. I had never seen people with beards here. His features were straight, his clothing coarse and desert brown, as if he would melt into the rocky background unseen. He had strong eyebrows, a fine aquiline nose, and deep grey eyes. In his right hand was a stout staff, not unlike shepherds carry on my world. He smiled at me.
"You've been crying."
"You've been watching me long?" It was all I could think of saying.
"Yes. Long."
He continued looking at me with those grey eyes. There was a hint of mirth in them, as if finding me alone here, crying, was amusing to him. But he did not laugh. There was also pain in those eyes. He said instead:
"Your friend left a while ago. We're both alone."
"You too? Did you hear our conversation?"
"Some of it. I was here when you first landed. It's a lovely spot, isn't it?"
He came over to where I sat. He moved lightly, like his leg muscles were well honed for this rough, barren land. He squatted down next to me, looking out over the desert, and stayed silent, just looking. His brown robe settled around him, making him into a large brown rock, as if part of the landscape. The hood on his coat was back. He did not seem to mind the heat.
"Are you thirsty?" I asked after a long silence.
"No. There's water. It's good."
After another long silence, I asked him another question:
"Are you a sadhu?"
He looked up at me and smiled an enigmatic smile.
"That's what they call me, from where you're from? I just live here."
More and more questions began pushing themselves to the fore, but I did not want to break the calm silence this man had brought with him. That silence was now music to me, and I wanted to savour it rather than disturb it with my babble.
"What's your name?" he asked me, at long last.
"San'aa. What's yours?"
"Seth."
Again we sat in silence, feeling the sun pressing its heat down on us. I did not want to move. It seemed, neither did he.
There was something organic about Seth, like he was part of the land and sky. He seemed to have no scars on his skin. Though he did have the weathered look of people of the desert, a youthful health radiated from him. His breathing was slow, measured. His movements spoke of economy in a hard world where water was the main currency. All things here greedily husbanded their energy and water, even coveted it. That's why the desert vegetation was so full of spines and barbs. But he did not seem to covet anything, only his peace and freedom. I felt as if I could be one of him. After another long silence, I risked another question:
"Is it true you shun the Light?"
"No. I love the Light as any man. I am no stranger to it. But there is more."
"You believe that too? So do I! No one else seems to, though."
I had become too talkative and stopped myself once more.
He looked up at me, a question in his eyes, then returned his gaze to the desert.
"Where're you from, San'aa?"
"Earth. I came here with the last Star-ship from there, Mira'anda."
"Oh? Then you're the one."
"The one what?"
"The one from Earth." He paused again, then said simply: "I was hoping to meet you someday."
"You know of me?"
"We all know of you. You've been much talked about."
He looked up again and smiled.
"I was a Star-ship commander, once."
"What happened?"
"It met with a tragic end."
He did not seem to wish to say anymore, so I did not ask further. I wanted to know why he did not use the Light like everyone else on this world. And what did he know of the Troopers? And how did he survive in this wilderness, what did he eat, where did he sleep? All these were running through my mind, but asking them somehow did not feel right. So I stayed myself and resigned to being still. After another long spell of quiet, he rose.
"Well, San'aa, I must be going now. It was good to meet you. I hope we meet again."
With that he picked up his staff and straightened. He was perhaps a head taller than me. Without further words, he turned and left me.
"It was good to meet you, Seth," I called after him. Something in his manner made me feel very young, like I was still a little girl, and he was very old. I wanted to call out to find out how I could find him again. But he turned and looked at me.
"You'll always find me." Then he was gone.
I flew back to Paul's. He and Maya had returned. She was full of wonder and excitement over a carnival they had attended. She told me of the androids doing tricks and telling funny jokes. She couldn't stop talking, and laughing in the telling. Paul seemed equally cheerful. They had a good time together, and I was glad.
My sadness passed. I started thinking less of Kahla. Paul still saw her, but I was outside the loop now. The pain subsided, as did the jealousy, though I did not stop loving either one. But I loved them differently now. They were part of my family, parents to my daughter, and I was their kin. It was how things were, and I learned to accept the ways of Ka'ananda without rebellion. That was until some weeks passed, and Morz came to see me.


13. Morz.

There are times when our footing is unsure, and omens bode ill. Last night I saw the moon hide behind a cloud and emerge on the other side with a halo around it. On Earth, in my culture, it meant disaster was about to strike. This happened many times during the Eritrean wars. In some cultures, it is the appearance of apparitions, like that of the Virgin Mary. With me it was only a feeling. As I looked up at the sky, I feared something was going amiss.
Maya was playing on the outdoor patio overlooking the cliff, and the vast desert floor below now lost in a lavender mist. Master was busy in another part of the house. Paul was at Laah, as he has been wont to do daily of late. I was making preparations for an overnight outing in the wilderness upon Paul's return. Kahla had stopped by briefly, but she too had left. It was after she left that I noticed a ship coming in on the viewing screen.
"Maya! Come in quickly. A ship is about to land."
She heeded and came directly inside, watching the flashing red and blue lights as the small craft came down from the darkening sky. My heart sank when I spotted the dark cross underneath. It was Morz' ship.
"Greetings, San'aa. I come in the Light of the Unity. But I fear I do not have good news for you." He said this as he strode into the house, uninvited.
"Shouldn't you wait until Paul returns? He will be here shortly."
"The matter I have at hand concerns you first, him only second."
Master came over with a drink, which Morz accepted. He seemed to be all business, without any efforts at pleasantry, as he was dead serious.
"I have been instructed by the Unity, that they have accepted my recommendation to them, that since you will not join us in an effort to understand the ways of the Troopers, for the Earth's benefit..." He paused to take a drink. I could hear the same gurgling sound. Then his harsh voice continued: "...Then we are forced to take, when she reaches the age of four and has had sufficient learning, your daughter Maya for training with us for the period of one month."
He recited this as if he were reading a rehearsed script, like a messenger. But I knew the deal was his. He had put the Unity up to it, probably with something he held over them. I paled, unable to speak immediately. Then strength came back into my voice, and I spoke only as a mother protecting her child could speak.
"Never. Over by dead body. You will never have Maya!"
He looked back at me calmly.
"I understand that this matter must still be cleared with Paul, as the rightful father. But he will see the necessity of this, as he knows things that you do not understand. His grid maps will guide him to our conclusion."
"If they do," I spat out at him, "then he is one of you. Never!"
Master stood in the background, observing but saying nothing. He knew this was our affair, and that it had to be resolved by us. But I could see he was thinking.
"Well, do consider it carefully. For you it would be only a week. But for her, it is a month. She cannot learn as fast as you can. Why don't you make it easy on yourself, and come with us for training?"
"Because I don't believe in your ways. I don't want to know how you train Troopers. And I suspect you have another motive. And we both know what that is. Never! Never!"
I fixed his terrible eyes with a hard stare. He could not make me back down. He merely shrugged, turned to the door, and started to leave. But he turned back once more, to say:
"I will talk to Paul about it. Maya is under age, and since you refuse to cooperate, the decision will be his. See if you reconsider." Then he left.
When his foul ship was gone, I turned to Master.
"What should I do, Master? The conditions are impossible. I am a captive on my own world." I said this last almost wailing.
Master looked at me serenely, as androids sometimes do, and answered me:
"You have several choices, San'aa. You could wait until Paul arrives, and speak with him. There is the chance he will not accept the conditions for Maya's training."
"But then he would try to convince me to go instead."
"True. He probably would. Then there is the choice to call on the Unity and plead your case."
"They're the ones who sent him. Even if I plead a strong case, they'll bring up the factors on the grid maps, showing me aligned with Morz. To their way of thinking, it is only reasonable that I follow his instructions. The Dream is a wonderful thing, but it lessens their other reasoning faculties. No."
"Then there is a third choice. It will be hard, but I can help you, as I am not accountable to Morz, only to Paul. The third choice is that you escape with Maya and go into hiding."
"Is that possible? Can it be done?"
"It's been done. The Troopers are not omniscient. But if they catch you, there is greater risk, as they then have more rights over you."
"And if they don't?"
"The law states that in three years, you are free."
"Then the third choice is mine. Let us hurry, as we have little time. I cannot wait for Paul, for he'll discourage me. But I'm of Earth, and risk for us is commonplace. It seems alien here. I'll take the risk." Then a thought occurred to me, that even Master may not be totally trustworthy. So I tested him: "If it was your choice, Master, knowing what you know, which one would you choose?"
He looked at me with what I could have sworn were kind eyes. Sometimes I suspected he actually, somehow knew. His intelligence was very keen.
"I'm the one who was there when you delivered Maya. I know what constitutes the training. I would choose as you did."
"Thank you, Master. You have spoken well. Let's hurry."
Maya had watched all this, not saying a word, then she asked:
"Why does Morz want me to go with him when I get older?"
"He is making a mistake, love. Don't worry. We'll be all right."
Then to Master:
"I know the place we should go. Let's get all this equipment into my ship. We must be quick."
He sprang into action, knowing exactly what it was we needed, and began carrying it into my craft. I packed warm clothing, knowing the desert can be cold at night. Also, I did not know how long we would need to be there. In a few minutes we were ready.
"Master. When you see Paul, tell him what happened. But do not tell him where we went, even if you should know."
"I don't know. But I could hazard an educated guess. But your instructions are a part of me now, so have no fear. I will keep your secret."
He saw us off, and we climbed aboard. Within minutes, we were far over the desert, which was cold once again in the dusky light. The sun had cast its last rays over the western horizon as we sped away from our home. Master had helped us load and remained standing on the port patio, looking in our direction for a long time. I felt at that moment that if he could Dream, he would be human. But I knew that he was only a very intelligent machine, intelligent enough to know it himself. I think he raised an arm as we connected onto the grid. Soon we were without grid and I descended to the desert floor, where I put the craft on manual, same as I did when I found Xin'oy. Now I wish I never had. But a part of me knew that this would have happened anyway, and my knowing what I knew only made my decision clearer. They could not have us.
When I got to the desert floor, I zigzagged on manual until I was far enough along where I felt they could not trace where my ship had gone. If I had stayed on the grid, it would have been an easy matter to trace me. This way, they could not know.
Maya felt my tension, and knew all was not well. But she remained calm, and merely passed the time observing the world around her. For such a young child, she sometimes was incredibly mature. I was grateful I did not have a wailing infant on my hands. It would have been worse. As it was, I had fear in my heart and wished I could somehow disappear from the face of this world. But here I was. This was my new reality, and I was sure this would add a new dimension to the Dreamers' grid maps. I just wished I could have said goodbye to Paul first. But not all things fall into place the way we wish, and reality has its own wisdom. I had to have courage to have faith. Somehow, it would have to all work out.

Karu'an paced the floor of our simple home as I was telling this tale. Maya went over to him to play with her pet's thick mane. When this all took place, she was still too young to fully understand. Both knew the direction my story would take.


14. The Cave.

We landed in a light mist. The desert floor was lost beneath us in the failing light, but I could see the large cliff to our back. The stream cut the rock where I expected. The night was still, but it smelled of rain. As we made ready to disembark, a cool steady rain began falling, as it often does on late autumn nights, turning the soil moist beneath our feet. I knew the place well. A heaviness settled over me. This was where I had said goodbye to Kahla.
The weariness weighed on me as we carried the equipment we needed for the night. Maya quietly attended to bringing out the tent, which would automatically inflate. She was already a veteran of outings and knew what to do. We carried this up the slope to where the stream tumbled from the cliff. A small onboard robot, floating a few centimeters above the ground on its rounded base, brought out the provisions case. Darkness quickly settled around us, the rain having again stopped, now reigned over only by the desert silence. I darkened the ship against detection, though it could still be spotted visually from above, but no ship followed us. By the time we set up, the weather had passed and a few stars were making themselves seen in the black sky. Maya and I settled in the tent for the night.
"We are safe from Morz here, right?"
"Yes, I think so, love. But we don't know that he means us harm. It may be nothing at all."
"But if he takes me away, or takes you away, that would not be good for us. I don't want to leave you."
"Neither one of us going to leave. We're together. Maybe I just overreacted, dear. Let's make believe we're on a picnic."
She cuddled up closer to me, as she likes to do. It felt reassuring to have my little girl next to me. I knew her young mind was probing mine, and she could sense the tension radiating from me. But it was somehow different, being in the wilderness like this. It felt safe. Maya was soon asleep.
Around midnight, I could hear footsteps scuffing quietly outside the tent. I sat up bolt awake, listening. It sounded like a large animal very cautiously choosing its footing, as if to not disturb the rocks. Because the ground was still moist, the steps felt muffled, soft and sinking, but audible in the total silence just the same. I reached for the long metal handle of a tool used to clear the ground for the tent, and held it lightly in my hand. The intruder, human or animal, would have to reckon with this. I could not detect a human mind, but neither were there the usual sounds an animal would make. Android crossed my mind. But they would not be so stealthful. Something urged me to rise and stand by the entryway. Metal rod in hand, I cautiously approached the tent's entrance.
"San'aa?"
I froze, thinking that somehow the Troopers had found my hiding place. But the voice, whispering, felt it was known.
"Who's there?"
The voice's caution seemed to suddenly lift and answered more animatedly.
"Oh, thank 'Aan its you. I thought they got you and carried you away."
"Who are you?" But the voice and mind patterns were now becoming known. "Paul?"
"Didn't think I'd find you, did you?"
By now we were both beaming at each other, me standing in the tent's doorway, he a few steps outside. Maya still slept. I still did not trust my senses entirely. I had seen very realistic projections.
"How did you know where to find me?"
"Master was useless. He kept falling into long lapses of inattention. I checked with Kahla and asked her where you two were last. It was a chance in the dark, so I tried it. And what kind of Dreamer would I be if I couldn't find you?" He gave me a sly smile. He looked at my weapon, which I put down.
"I didn't hear your ship."
"It's a distance from here. May I come in?"
"Of course. Maya is asleep."
He quietly stepped in with that same caution he used outside. I didn't know he had the tracker's talent, even in his mind. Paul entered noiselessly and sat down on the soft bed. We sat quietly for a moment, neither of us wanting to speak. Then he spoke first.
"I know Morz came to see you. But he does not know you are gone. When he finds out, he will feel its his duty to look for you."
"I guessed as much. What can we do? He wants to take Maya now. He seems so determined."
"What does he have on you? He doesn't act like this unless there is something deeper."
"I can't tell you."
Again, we sat in silence.
"So he does have something. I suspected, but could not know. You must have a secret, and it must be dreadful, or you would have told me."
"It is dreadful. Oh, Paul. I don't want to involve you. It could be awful."
"For both of us?"
"For both of us."
"I'll stand by you. Whatever it is, I'll stand by. I love you, San'aa, but sometimes I think it was a mistake to bring you to our world. It has only brought you unhappiness."
"That's not true. I love this world. But I'm in a mess in it. And I too wish sometimes that I never came. But in truth, I'm glad I did."
"You're very important to us. To me."
"I know, love, and you to me."
Just then Maya woke.
"Daddy? Oh, Daddy! We're hiding. Shhh..."
"A secret place?"
"Yes." She seemed suddenly wide awake and happy to see Paul. "We're hiding from Morz."
"Doing a good job. Of course, I found you."
"You would. You're my Daddy." She rose up and joined in between us, holding onto both of us. "Will you run away with us?"
"I wish I could. But I must attend to my work. But your secret is safe with me." He smiled lovingly at her.
"And what of Morz, Paul? Will he know where to look?" I looked into his eyes.
"He'll find out, in time, and he'll come. You'll be judged a fugitive and taken back. It is not good. Maybe we could face it better if you were home with me."
"I'm afraid, Paul. I don't feel it right to return, now."
"I will work on it in the Dream. But will I know where to find you?"
"You'll always find me. You always did."
We held each other tenderly, Maya too. Our little family was huddled together in the vast desert darkness against all the forces of a planet and universe we could not control. The little light in the tent glowed over us, as if an ancient fire reduced to its essence of Light. None of us spoke.
Then Paul rose to leave.
"At least I know you are safe, for now. I was worried that Morz stole you both away. But you're a fighter, San'aa, and you have the instinct of a desert nomad woman. Maya is safe with you. Alas, she may not be safe with me, as I might be forced to turn her over to Morz. So, I agree with you. Your secret is safe with me."
"What if they ask you?"
"I'll do what Master did. Nothing."
"Can they make you talk?"
"You mean torture? No. This is not Earth. They can't use that here. But they can be clever, so I'll have to watch out. Who knows," he said after a long pause, "I might have to run with the beast also."
"Would the Troopers hurt us?"
"They have weapons and are allowed to use them. I wish I could get you weapons somehow. But they're poison, and all are strictly accounted for. And you'd be outnumbered. Still, I'll see what I can do. Now there's a thought! War again on Ka'ananda!" He laughed. "But this is a serious matter. We have to find some way of working it out."
"No one said bringing an Earth woman to your world was going to be easy," I smiled at him.
He held me close. "It isn't. But I wouldn't change it for all stars in heaven."
Maya was looking at us as we talked, herself silent, taking in everything with her wonderful eyes. Paul went to the door, and she ran after him.
"Do you have to go now, Daddy?"
"Yes, my little golden love. I do. But I'll return. Don't worry."
"I won't, Daddy. Mother and I will be fine."
"I know."
He left as quietly as he came, and was soon lost in the darkness. One of the little moons shone brightly overhead, the other hidden on the other side of the world. The sky was now bright with stars once again and, when Paul's soft footsteps receded into the darkness, a giant solitude descended on us once again. And with it the fear.
The next morning, upon rising, we made preparations to pack up and leave. I decided to go deeper into the interior. I remembered the vast canyons and thought it might be wiser to try our luck inside one of those, though I had never been down them before. Paul always discouraged it, saying it was too dangerous. My little craft responded well to my commands, and I felt confident that it should offer us no trouble. We flew off, again on manual, to the canyon I had hovered over months ago. It was a very sad time, then, as it was now. We left before first light.
The sun was already over the horizon when we arrived, as we headed east. I had to proceed slowly, cautiously scanning the skies to see if we were being followed. But all seemed clear, so I made it over the dark crevasse that seemed to cut the planet in two, and hovered there.
Looking down into its blackness, made deeper by the sun being so low, I tried to imagine what it is that I would see as I descended into that black hole. I commanded soft music to play, so as to dispel the fear. Maya looked at me with understanding when I did this, then out the viewing ports at what was below.
"Are we going in there?" she asked eagerly.
"Yes. Does it frighten you?"
"No! I want to. There are people there."
"How do you know?"
"I know."
She gave me strange look when she said this, as if she were returning to something she knew.
"How can you know there are people there, love? I can't see anything."
"I can hear them."
Since I could hear nothing, we cautiously descended toward the rim of where the sand silently and slowly shifted down into the abyss. I could see it falling in thin streams as if raining on the darkness below. The on board instruments registered that it was no colder below than it was on the desert's surface, though it was still cool in the early dawn.
As we cleared the rim and fell deeper into the dark, it was like the world's light around us had suddenly wedged itself into a narrow sky above. Then we descended lower, staying about equidistant from either cliff, though those were hundreds of meters apart. Oddly, the cliff did not narrow below but actually expanded, as if the top of the canyon was substantially narrower than the base. We descended lower, to a depth nearly a half kilometer down, so I began a steady run down the length of the great canyon, slowly. There were no identifiable features I could focus on, except smooth tall cliff faces on either side of us, made more sinister by the sinking light. No vegetation hung there. It had become dark enough to turn on the floodlights aboard the craft, but I delayed and drifted silently in the still darkness. About a kilometer from where we entered, the bottom was still not visible, except for a yellow-greyish light reflected from far below. Now I could see dark silhouettes above us, so we slowly, and on low power to be silent, ascended there. My eyes had also adjusted to the darkness and, through the viewing walls, I could make out shapes that differed from the smooth walls above us. A steady rain of sand was deflected of the ship's hull. At a level that paralleled the first of these dark shapes, I stopped the ship and hovered.
"What do you think it is, Maya? Look, there are lights far inside."
"They're fires, Mother. That's were the people are."
"What people, Maya? This is deep below the desert's surface. There're no people living here."
"Go into that cave over there," she pointed. "You'll see. They are the silent ones." My eyes kept their vigil on the darkness. "Look Mama! There are hundreds of them standing on that cliff. But their minds are silent and we cannot see them."
Indeed, it was a cave, a very long and deep cave that extended along the edge of the cliff. Her eyes must have been clearer than mine, since I did not make it out as such until she said it. There was a whole line of dark shapes standing on a cliff's edge. They were dressed in simple gown like garb, hooded, and standing perfectly still, as if part of the stone themselves. We drifted closer to them to get a better look. They did not move in the darkness and, thought looked human, had no expression. I carefully maneuvered the ship into the blackness of the large opening in the side of the cliff. It was large enough to easily accommodate my small craft. As we came closer, I also could see lights in the distance within the cave. It was a flickering yellow light, like that of a campfire. As we approached closer I could see activity of some sort deep inside. This made me stop and lower the craft to the cave floor. There, at some distance from the silent figures, we stopped. They were statues.
"Who do you think it is, Maya? You know I don't like caves."
"They're good people. Don't be afraid."
"Are they Morz's?"
"I don't think so. I don't know. But they're good."
"All right. You seem to have some instinct about this, which I don't. So let's get out of the ship, and let's see if we can make contact. Okay?"
"Okay, Mama."
Sometimes, I didn't know what to make of my child, an adult one moment, and then a little child the next. But she seemed to be in tune with whatever this was in a way that I wasn't, so I listened to her.
We stepped outside the craft. Surprisingly, it was warm, like there was some invisible external heat source. The rock surface, in the dim light, appeared grey-brown, like the rocky cliffs of the surface. The row of silent statues near the entrance was now behind us. There were faint sounds of activity from deep inside the cave. Maya and I stood by our ship, expecting the people to come towards us, but none did. To get a better view, we both stepped forward cautiously so as to reveal ourselves better. Maya looked at me. In the dim light I could see her bright eyes and little white teeth shining with glee, as if this was the highest adventure to her. But it was something more, which I could not place. It was as if she knew this, as if remembering.
I could remember nothing of this from my learning tapes. There was never any mention of life below the desert surface. I knew the planet was not volcanic in the way of Earth, and that actually the volcanic activity was in some places in reverse, that the planet ate itself rather than spewing forth its interior. This made no sense to me here, except that there was a distant heat source I could not identify. The row of silent sentinel were standing together like distant stones. We stepped closer still. By now we were far up into the interior of the cave, guided more by the light ahead of us than the last faint grayish glow from the canyon below. Maya was ahead of me, when suddenly she stopped.
"Mama! Behind us!"
"Are we in danger?"
"I don't know. But I don't think so."
"Who in the world would live here?" I asked to myself beneath my breath.
"They."
We scurried over small stones past the silent sentinel. They had no cause for suspicion, as it seemed unlikely anyone passes this way, so no real guards were posted. Except I was wrong. There was a sentry sleeping amongst the rocks. Behind us was a small party that had come out of nowhere and was advancing on us.
"Quickly, in here Maya."
We scampered up a low shelf and into a small side cave. There we waited, trying to measure our breath. The party, two women and one man, passed beneath us. As they passed the sentry, they called to him, and he answered. They spoke in normal tones, which I could not hear well enough to understand. But it was the common language of Ka'ananda. I began to imagine that this was some sort of secret cult or society that met here for some strange ritual. But their manners were like those of people living everyday lives, not at all conspiratorial. They seemed totally comfortable here, as if they belonged.
When they passed, Maya and I silently followed the narrow shelf, which was easier to travel on than the cave floor, and we crested over a shallow lip that hung over the edge of the interior of a large cave. We crouched behind it and listened, trying not to be seen.
We could hear voices, and sounds of hammering, as if someone were making iron tools over an anvil. After a time, I ventured to look over the edge, Maya doing the same. We looked, barely clearing the stone, into what seemed like a vast cavern filled with little fires. There were men and women and children, all dressed in the same, brown homespun I had seen Seth wear. It crossed my mind that maybe this was where he was from, but something in me could not accept that, so I rejected it. He was of the surface. We silently watched, unseen, until some commotion possessed everyone below us. An alarm went off, a voice alarm, and all began running around the cave as if searching for something, or someone.
"They know we're here, Mother."
"Oh my God! We must get back to the ship." I was about to take Maya on my back and flee back when Maya called out:
"No. Wait."

"I know what happened , Mother."
"Of course you know what happened, love. You were there."
"Yeah. What a surprised look you had on your face."
"I was frightened, that's all. I thought they would harm us."
"They thought the same."


15. Exile.

About two dozen people with children began climbing towards us. They were accompanied by small dog-like animals with thick fur. Afraid, I took Maya in my arms and quickly retreated the way we came. On the ledge that hugged the cave wall, I spotted a small cave. There was a faint draft from it, so we ducked into this. It did not seem we could outrun the pursuers the whole length of the cave to the ship. This entry appeared to be a passageway with rude stairs climbing higher. It was dark, with a faint greenish light reflected from below and above. We quickly climbed these but were caught short by another party descending from above. There was no way to run. We froze in place.
Voices from below us shouted: "They went in here!" I could hear footsteps behind us. The descending party saw us, and also froze, staring at us, not knowing what to do. They could hear the commotion at the other end. The taller one of the three above us raised his hand, as if to signal peace, and began climbing down the stairs slowly towards us. His hood was raised, so I could not make out his features in the dark, but his bearing was that of a tall man of command. Behind him were others carrying bundles and small net bags containing stones which glowed green. By the time he was within a few meters of us, the clan behind us was about the same distance from us. I made a fist and was ready to defend Maya in any way I could. There was nothing about this place that reminded me of Ka'ananda, but more of Earth. I braced myself for battle. My rope was in the other hand. Maya watched, standing behind me, her arms around my thigh. She seemed surprisingly calm. Then the man spoke:
"No harm will come to you, stranger. They are of peace."
I could instantly recognize the voice. He was right. He would always find me. He lowered his hood. My fear and fight suddenly left me.
"Seth! Are we glad to see you. I thought we were caught by a hostile mob."
"These? Hostile? Oh no. They're only curious. Few visitors come to our world here." Then he called down to the others: "Let it be. She is one I know." To that, they stopped and began talking amongst themselves, still curious and pointing at me.
I could make them out in the dim light, their rough, homespun clothing much like Seth's, with the same wild tousled hair. Some of the men had beards. They seemed to be talking about the little girl. For some reason, they seemed very curious about Maya. She stared at them wide eyed, unspeaking. Small furry dogs scurried about their feet. One was jumping up to Maya, trying to lick her face.
"It's the second time we met, San'aa, in a short time. We must have destiny together."
"But you are so far from where I last saw you."
"We travel far. But come, join us at the fires, where there is light."
With that, he motioned to all that we were coming through. They made space for us to pass, still talking volubly in animated tones, watching us. They gathered behind us and followed. Maya kept looking back.
"These are friends, Mama. I knew it." She was already making friends with the younger ones, though neither spoke a word to the other. The children, all dressed in what looked like rags, stayed close behind her, eager to find out who she was. I walked behind the tall bearing of Seth. The others followed.
When we got down to the large cave's floor, more people came over to us. There must have been over fifty people there, with pleasant smiles on their faces, and I began to relax in earnest. Seth moved with the same economy of motion I had seen in the desert. He approached one of the many small fires and motioned us to sit ourselves there. Others came over with coarse, cloth pillows and placed them down for us. They were happy to merely squat. Maya sat down for a moment and then was up to play with the younger children. I watched her, so as to not lose sight. She stayed nearby.
"Welcome to our little world, San'aa." This is Letta, and 'Tu, Demu, Rond, Wh'an. He went on introducing the group around the fire. They each nodded and smiled in return. "And she is San'aa."
"You're of Earth. We know of you." It was Wh'an.
"Your name is different from the others," I replied.
"It's because I'm a Dreamer."
"And the others?"
Seth replied: "The others are citizens who have chosen to be here with us, rather than part of the other world. We have all chosen voluntarily to be here."
Then he went on with the introductions as more arrived. There was a great gathering now, all standing or squatting, dressed much the same in what appeared to be desert rags or long frocks with hoods. The cave had a faint smell of what reminded me of dry must. The area where we were gathered appeared to be a work place made up of little forges. It looked like they were making metal tools.
"You must be thirsty, after your near ordeal. Let's have some drink."
Several of the party left and returned shortly with long trays balanced on their heads. These held earthen goblets, which they began passing around. The first one went to me, with another for Maya. When all had received their's, I took a swallow. It was warm and slightly sweet, almost alcoholic, but very pleasant, like a warm tea. I called over to Maya and gave her her goblet, which she drank greedily and again ran off to play. I could hear her talking to the children, all getting to know each other. There were so many questions on my mind. But Seth asked first:
"Why did you find us?"
"I didn't know anyone was here, in truth. I was only looking for a safe place to hide awhile. The canyon seemed a good place to start."
"Hide? Authorities? The Dreamers? The Troopers?"
"The Troopers. Morz."
"Ah." Seth became silent and somber. Then he spoke again: "It must be serious."
"He wants to take Maya and me to Xin'oy."
At those words an audible hush fell over the clan, as if I had spoken a taboo word. Then they began talking amongst themselves again, more agitatedly.
"Why did that create such a response?"
"Because they all know of Xin'oy and what it represents."
"Are they wanted too?"
"No. But that is one reason they are here. They do not believe in the system as it has evolved for the outside world, and would rather not have the Troopers oversee the planet's welfare. But there are more reasons."
"So these are the hermits, or sadhus, I have so much heard of?"
"The same. These here are only a small portion of our world. We exist all over the planet. But you are safe here, in our little desert world, and none will molest us. We are allowed to be."
"But you have no technology."
"By choice."
"Then how do you fly from one part of the Ka'ananda to another?"
"We don't. We trek, or ride the wild beasts, when they let us. Otherwise, we are without the benefits of the technology of the outside world. By choice."
"Why?"
"Because this is who we are. We are in exile on our own world."
The faces around me did not seem sad at this prospect. Rather, they appeared joyful and healthy in a clean way, though soiled and unkempt. There was a pure simplicity about them, almost an innocence that I admired instantly. A warm glow radiated from them, a natural glow, not unlike the Light from that beautiful world I had left. But it was a glow of the purest simplicity. They seemed humanly pure.
"Then you also without the Light?"
"Without it. We have our own."
"And your children? Are they without the learning tapes?"
"Yes. They learn from us. But not all. There are those who come here for a time, and then return to the world of the Light, and then return again. We are free to come and go, as we please. So our exile is only by choice."
"On my world, in a society that is called Aboriginal, there is the same. In Australia, I have learned, they call it Walkabout."
"A good word. Maybe we'll use it too. But we call our world, as opposed to the world outside, Sanctuary." Then he turned to the others and explained what I had just said. They all beamed in accordance, like it was a good idea, Walkabout, to commemorate their treks. They liked it. "But getting back to the business at hand, San'aa. What is your situation with Morz?"
"I'm not free to say. Only that he would capture me, and Maya, if given the chance."
"Then let's not give him the chance." He looked around to see if all agreed to this. They signaled, in some secret way, that they did. "Then you could stay with us, if you wish."
"I'd like to stay. Thank you. But only if we would be no burden to you."
"Done. You are no trouble for us."
Then Seth stood up from where he sat by the fire and raised his hands high into the air. He looked at me with his grey-blue eyes and smiled, then addressed the crowd in a loud voice:
"I would like to announce that we have a new member to our family. Her name is San'aa, and she comes to us with her daughter, Maya. San'aa is from Earth, as some of you already know. In time, I am sure, you will all come to meet her and Maya. Make them welcome, as they are now one of us. Welcome San'aa and Maya to our humble Sanctuary. May the moons always rise over your horizon."
A joyful murmur rose from all around us. By now there must have been a hundred people. I did not know from where they all came, but come they did, steadily trickling in over time. On seeing their faces smiling at me, I knew we were gladly accepted.
Maya then came back to my side and put her arms around me.
"Look, Mama. I have new friends. And they like me already. I knew this cave was going to be good to us." A small, soil grey dog was jumping happily by her side. "He likes me. He's always licking me."
"Yes, love. I think it will be good here." Then to Seth: "But how do we get food? We have survival gear..."
He looked into my eyes, which made me want to stop and listen instead.
"We're well provided for here. You may leave your ship where it is for now, but we'll move it to a better place later. We have all we need. You will share with us. The Sanctuary is a vast and interconnected world, both below and above ground. You will see it in time. And if you wish, you can help us in our work."
I understood that there already was a system in place, and that I only needed to learn to become a part of it. The message I felt was that it was all right, and not to worry. We were taken into a family. But there was still so much I did not understand and was eager to learn. I looked around me at the multitude of tousled heads, all brown or blond, long and short, straight or curly, or even black and red. I looked into their eyes, as varied as those of Earth, as was their skin. They were all the same in their feelings of well wishing for us. No matter what color, they were the eyes of a friend. Singly and in small groups they came over to introduce themselves and welcome us to their austere and simple world. Maya was right. These were friends. How did she know?




16. Family.

Food was brought. It came in plain earthen ware and intricately designed baskets. The food was coarse, textured like a wholesome bread, but of surprising variety. There were roots and breads and a kind of lumpy but tasty gruel, which reminded me of lentils. There was also an assortment of fruit and uncooked greens which appear to have been picked in the wild. This was so unlike the food of the outside world, I thought, which was so finely textured and enriched by the Light, yet it was offered with joy and eagerly accepted. We all partook in the common bowls and baskets, eating with our hands. Not surprisingly, there was no meat.
Children ran about, as they would at any gathering, followed by their funny little dogs with the thick manes, as animals seem to sport on this world. Maya played with the children and had taken a strong fondness to her new little playmate, Lix. That's what she called her new friend. Though I have seen much larger animals as companions on the outside, it might prove impractical here. Though the food and drink seemed plentiful for the occasion, I suspected it was gained with much labor. I had to show Maya how to eat the gruel; she had never used bread as a spoon before, as was common in my world of North Africa. What fell to the floor, Lix happily lapped up. The adults' eating was garnished with conversation. This was how I learned more of their world.
"Hello San'aa. Mind if I join you?"
"Please, Wha'an. I would like your company." He sat down with a bowl cradled between his knees and began eating. The he asked:
"Am I missing much on the outside?"
"How long have you been here?"
"Nearly a year. But I had attended the greeting for you and P'aan and Tenya when you first returned, so I saw you years ago."
"Then you saw Morz when he made his comments?"
"Yes. But they were expected. Mori'an and Morz have a long standing disagreement."
"Over the status of the Earth?"
"That and more. So Mori'an was ready for him. And I'm sure Morz was ready for his reply as well. It has become something of a convention between them, to be heard in public."
"Why would Morz want to cause trouble for him? Your world seems so harmonious in all other ways."
"It is mostly. But introducing Earth to our family of worlds brings a complication that puts many in opposing camps, as you've seen."
Wha'an helped himself to another serving of the tasty gruel, which he ate with the ends of a root, much like a dip. I did the same.
"So what will be the outcome? Will Earth be accepted? I heard that you are a Dreamer. Have you also worked on this?"
"Yes, but not to a great extent. Much of my Dream work concerns the animal and plant life of this world. I seek the patterns that will best interrelate them in a harmonious way. You've seen our spheres, I trust?"
I nodded. "Those are part of my work. When we have the patterns we need, we program them and send them off to where they are needed. Then the patterns are transferred to the life there." Wha'an reached into his cloak and pulled a small, sharp knife. With it he pealed a fruit that reminded me of mango. Then he continued: "But getting back to your question, there are still many on Ka'ananda who feel that Earth is not ready. Too violent. Still too dormant in the ways of the universe to receive the Light. Think of what your military could do with the new technology. They could become a menace to both Earth and other worlds. So it is very delicate. But there is more."
"Is my presence here a threat too?" I asked, afraid of the answer.
"No one has ever said so. And I think that the answer is negative. But you have brought patterns, of which I am vaguely aware, that have caused concern. The Dreamers cannot understand your role in things."
"Well. Neither do I. I'm at times elated and other times depressed over my being here. But overall, I'm glad to be here. But I feel there is more than the life of the Light."
"And," he motioned with a sweep of his arm, "so do they. That's why they are here. All have the opportunity to live a pampered life of androids and technology, and the Dream. But something is lost, then. So they come to worlds like this to reclaim it. And what is it?" He looked at me earnestly with his black eyes. "That we do not know. But we know it is something, so we search."
"You mean all these people in Sanctuary have chosen this? But life seems hard here."
"It is. Freedom is hard. It is work, and discomfort, and sometimes loneliness. We are seldom gathered like this, but usually live separately in our private worlds. But about every six days, those of us who choose gather like this to trade and talk."
I knew the week here had six days, so they met once a week, as did the ancient country markets of Earth. But this world reminded me more of Earth than anything else I had seen on this world. I asked another question:
"What of your family, your children, do you have any?"
"On the outside, you know, our families extend in groups of threes. Here, it is different. I do have children, and they are cared for my their families, though they have not seen me for a long time. But they know I am now a hermit of the Sanctuary, so they accept it. Actually, what we do here is admired by most people, even the Troopers."
"Oh, I know about the Troopers. Do any of them really choose that life voluntarily? I just can't imagine."
Wha'an smiled at me a knowing smile, and then I felt his mind bursting to tell me. I looked at him and let him know that it was alright to do so.
"Then you should know that the man you had first met, Seth. He was a Trooper."
The news struck me speechless a moment.
"Him? But they all have sores, and their voices, they're rough."
"Indeed, they are. But all is curable, mostly. So when he left them, which he was allowed to do, same as Morz is free to go, then he healed. But he knows that world."
"That is most strange. He seems such a fine man."
"So is Morz, San'aa. So is Morz. I knew him from before."
This left us both silent. I began thinking that maybe I had judged Morz too harshly. But the thought of going to Xin'oy repulsed me deeply, so I dismissed the idea. If I was wrong, then let it be shown in time, I thought. I must stick by my decision, and for Maya. This led to another thought:
"Do Dreamers have a difficult time making decisions?" I blurted out before I could retract and rephrase my question. Wha'an looked at me strangely, and then smiled.
"Yes, I guess that is one way of putting it. You see, we don't see the real world they way you do. For us, what is obvious, such as two and two equals four, is not obvious. For us, we see it as being a product of a whole, where the whole, which is all of reality, to infinity, redefines for us what happens when two and two are put together. That's 'Aan. So we see things wholistically, in effect, and that takes time. That is why, at times, it seems that we cannot make up our minds, because it is never so simple as what is obvious. What is so obvious is often illusion. Some on your world call it maya. Does that make sense to you?"
"I think so. I know what you mean. In some societies on our world, we have something similar. Whenever an important questions comes up, a group of elders or villagers or priests will debate the issue, for days and weeks at times, until a common consensus is arrived at. Then all decide in favor of a course of action. Is it like that?"
"Yes. But it is more. In your case, it is people discussing and deciding. In our case, it is the Dream that strives to connect with all reality as it is, was, and will be. Then, from there, with the help of our machines, we calculate the correct course of action. That is what is being done now, regarding Earth. So the totality of the decision is much greater than merely the sum of all of our votes. It goes beyond our thoughts and into the realm of the Dream, into infinity. Then, once it has become clear in the Dream, we vote. Do you see?"
"I think so. But it seems so backwards, if you will pardon my ignorance. But if each person is already the Dream, doesn't that make each vote part of the total reality already?"
"That's a very good point. Is that how you see it on your world?"
"Well, no. But from what you said, that makes sense."
"It would make sense, if there were no ego involved. Do you follow?"
"I don't know, maybe. Do you mean our self interests get in the way of a pure decision?"
"That's basically it. Aren't there people on your world who try to strip themselves of their ego? Such as, I believe, your Buddhists, or Catholic monks, or women in convents? Or your Taoists?"
"Yes, but I don't know much about them. But I know my world. And whatever it is we try, we succeed only in part."
"Then that is why we have the Dream. Because, you see, it is impartial, and we could see things fully, in time. But that is the drawback. It can be slow, since the intelligence machines that decipher the Dream cannot dream themselves. That is left to us."
"You mean, like the androids."
"Like that."
Wha'an sat still, as he said this. To me, at that moment, he looked wise. But then the conversation lightened and we talked of life in the Sanctuary.
"So where do these tunnels go, that seem to punctuate the walls?"
"Letta!" Wha'an called to a young woman near us. "You want to show San'aa our sleeping quarters?"
Letta came skipping over like a sprite. She was small and thin, with lovely green eyes. Her skin was very fair, almost freckled, her hair reddish and tousled like everyone else's. She had a happy smile.
We made to leave Wha'an. As we rose, he did likewise and raised his hands in the greeting of Ka'ananda. I said: "Ka'an" Thank you. And he did likewise. I followed the skipping figure of Letta up the side of the large cave. As we approached one of the tunnels to which she was taking me, I asked:
"Letta. Why is it you all have such wild looking hair? Do you do it on purpose?"
She laughed a light response.
"Oh no! It's what happens when you leave the world of Light. Everyone's hair becomes like this. The energy that powers the outside world leaves this effect on us."
"Will it happen to me too?"
"In time, in a few months as the Light wears off, unless you keep it cut short. Otherwise, it is like a static electricity that makes the ends rise. But we like it, so we keep it long."
"So do I. It has a freedom to it." Then I asked her again. We had stopped at an entrance. "Do you ever leave the cave?"
"Oh yes. We don't live here. Tomorrow we have the Barter. Then we all go back to where we live. In my case, it's a day's walk from here."
"In the desert?"
"In the desert, by a large warm pool that bubbles from the ground. I grow many things there, even healing herbs."
"You get taken ill?"
"Sometimes, usually because of fatigue or too much sun. We can cure these easily with teas. We even have salves for bruises and cuts, which are easy to get here, or insect bites."
"Insects bite?" I asked, puzzled, as none seemed to elsewhere.
"Not usually. But if a Light sphere hasn't been by an area over time, they can."
"Oh?" It was something else I didn't know.
Then we went in. The light from the cave was replaced by the light shining from small green stones placed at intervals in the cave walls. The tunnel was only about a dozen meters, where we came to a larger chamber. In it were already all the necessities for a place of rest. There was a thick reed mat on the floor and a blanket. Small niches in the walls served for placing things off the floor. It was clean. There was even a small fire pit, over which was a shaft. This must have been the natural convection that brought in air from outside, as I could see not other means of ventilation. Letta beamed as we came inside.
"How do you like it? You and Maya should be comfortable here. But if you don't like it, there are others."
"Oh no. This is fine. Do I have to worry about any kind of biting insects?"
She gave me a puzzled look, as no insects were evident, then answered:
"You mean like in the desert? No. There's nothing like that here. You won't be disturbed. And the snakes live on the outside. They never come this deep. But even if something bit you, we have salves for it."
With that she turned, and I followed, trying to remember which warren was mine. But I thought I could like it. It had a nice feel to it, like good spirits had lived there. Before we parted, I asked:
"Where are you from, Letta?"
"I'm from an island far south of here. I go there at times. It's called Nan'ao. But most of my life, since I was little, I have lived in the desert. I like it here, though I also work on the outside."
"What do you do there?"
"I'm a dancer."
As darkness fell, which we could see down the long tunnel which led down to the canyon, all began making preparations to turn in. I knew from conversations that they would rise before first light to bring their wares and produce for the Barter. Maya and I also turned in. We had nothing to barter, save our survival gear. I decided to see if we could barter the rope I had for a knife and some provisions and a sack to carry them in. As we lay down, turning over the little green stones to afford us more darkness, I thought of the strange world we suddenly landed in. Tomorrow would be soon enough to worry about the ship. As sleep slowly took hold of me, in my mind rolling over why there were no snakes down here, I thought that Letta was right. The cave was warm and comfortable. Maya shared the bed with me and fell instantly asleep, exhausted by her all day play. Lix slept next to her on the floor, but already I could see him edging closer to the mat. I figured he would be on it by morning. Why would Morz not leave the Troopers? And why did Seth become one of them in the first place? What were Paul and Kahla thinking of all this? How did my life take me to a cave deep beneath the desert of an alien world light years from home? No answers came to me, so I gave up and fell asleep.


17. The Barter.

I could hear activity in the larger cave. Maya was tossing next to me in that time just before the end of sleep. Lix was curled up at her feet on the mat. I reached for an earthen goblet in a low niche on the wall and drank of its cool, clear water. It was time to wake.
The cave had filled with people occupied with setting up their wares and produce. Mats were laid with goods to be sold, bartered, baskets held more items, and men were already working the fires. Hammering could be heard, as were the voices of men and women. Children were mostly still sleeping, though some were already part of the work being done. Coming closer, I could see piles of garden vegetables, fruit, stacks of tools, knives, and earthen wares. Rude metal pots were flanked by piles of wood and large earth colored pellets used as fire fuel. I spotted Seth tending to a basket full of wearing apparel, all of the same brown color everyone seemed to wear. I approached him. When he saw me, he put down the large basket he carried.
"Good morning, San'aa."
"Is it morning already? Good morning. As these your goods?"
"Yes. I traded for them earlier, but now must trade them again for more food. If you would like something to eat and drink, I have some hot tea ready, and some biscuits."
"Thank you. I will, in a little while. First I want to see what everyone has brought. How was it transported here?"
"Mostly in wagons or portaged. We have sturdy beasts that, when they are not running free, serve as draft animals. They're called bhoks. You'll see them."
Seth had the same steady way about him I had seen before, methodically and mindfully rearranging the pieces of clothing on the mats he laid out. The fires were smokeless, which was curious, but the roof of the cave had a darkened stain where it vented into an air shaft. There was a pleasant smell, like a mild incense, coming from the fuel pellets. It reminded me of cedar wood. Next to him was the man I had been introduced to, 'Tu, who was carefully arranging his goods. They had a curved wooden frame to them that reminded me of a harp, with six strings. He saw me admiring his work and showed me one. He placed it in my hands.
"Hello, San'aa." Few here used the hand gesture of Na'am'sat, the common greeting on Ka'ananda, as if it was always implied. Their eyes did the greeting. He looked at me smilingly, and then picked up one of the instruments and began to play. "This is how its done." He played a soft, almost melancholy piece that carried lightly over the soft din. "You want to try?"
"I haven't played an instrument for many years. But I know the flute."
"We have wind instruments too, though I did not bring any today."
I plucked at the strings as he had shown, and indeed the notes from it resonated about me as if enveloped by its magical sound.
"It is beautiful. But my needs for now are mundane. I only have this rope to trade."
"I need rope. But you do not need an instrument, for now. So let me make a suggestion." He reached into a sack and produced a handful of the green stones used for lighting the darkness. "Take two handfuls of these, for the rope, and then use them to trade for what you need."
"Is that enough?"
"It should be, but ask anyone for help, and they will advise you. Our barter is really more of a sharing than adversarial. We have everything we need where we all come from, so this is only a formality."
"Oh?" I turned to Seth, who was now looking in on us. "Should I take these stones for the rope?"
"Seems generous of 'Tu. Why not? They are always tradable."
"Okay. I'll buy one of your flutes another time." He reached into his cloak and pulled out a linen sack into which he put the stones. They shone lightly, giving off their pleasant light. "Where do you get these?"
"We mine them. They're an ancient stone which was used before the Light technology. But we like them, and they are very useful."
"So they act as money?"
"We barter in principle, but yes, they act more as a medium of exchange."
"So this really more a market?"
"In a way. But we barter whenever possible."
'Tu took my rope, which he admired before putting it away. I took my stones to a forge which had fine, sharp knives.
"Can I change these stones into a knife?"
"Gladly. How many knives?"
"Two."
"Two stones."
"Is that all?"
"It's enough. You need the knives, and I do not need the stones." He smiled at me as he said this. It seemed an odd way of doing business, but in a world where little is lacking, it seemed to make sense.
"You're generous."
"You're family."
He placed the knives, which had finely carved wooden handles, into tightly woven scabbards and handed them over to me. I handed over two stones. This still left me ten more. I thanked 'Tu and went to look at the other wares. I already had survival equipment, but it was sophisticated and technical. I thought I should get what I need for the desert, so I asked Seth.
"What will I need for the desert?"
"The usual, water bottles, cooking pot, fire starter, blanket. You might also like to trade your clothing for desert cloth."
"What's desert cloth?"
"It's what we wear. It keeps out the heat of day, and stays warm at night. It looks coarse, but it is actually of a very fine, intricate weave. There are weavers here today."
"Can I buy from you?"
"Of course. But I know someone who is about to return to the outside, and they could use your travel suit. Do you want to see them?"
"If I buy from you, will the suit find them?"
"I would see to it."
It was agreed, and I exchanged more stones for the clothing Maya and I would wear. Then we were directed to where we could bathe and change. Maya was up now, playing with Lix in our little cave room.
"Mama, can I keep him?"
"Do you know what he eats?"
"Everything! He'll eat whatever I give him."
"All right. Let's go wash and change. I have clothes for you."
Maya and I went to the baths, which were large pools already occupied by men and women and children, all conspicuous by their lack of shyness. They washed nude, talking and laughing. It seemed a totally natural thing to do, so Maya and I stripped off our suits and did the same. We immersed ourselves beneath a warm waterfall, the same water that later worked its way into the cave and then down an underground river which, I was told, emptied far down the canyon.
The water was warm, fed by natural hot springs. Letta was there, playing in the water like a slight dolphin. She waved to us, and her thin naked body dove again. The place struck me as being this world's answer to a pleasure resort. But rather than trying to impress the guests, who on Earth were escaping the humdrumness of their working lives, it went the other way. To get away from Ka'ananda's overly developed comforts, people came here to utter simplicity.
The next day Seth and I carried, along with everyone else, the remaining goods to the surface. There was not much for us to carry, as most things were traded. Maya and I made our way through the tunnels carved in the stone to the surface. It was a long climb over rough, uneven stairs. They wound to the surface, switching back on themselves at intervals. Maya's little legs carried her well, though she tripped once and fell, but was not bruised. I carried our new belongings in a large shoulder sack, and Lix followed. When we reached the surface, Seth set off to round up his bhoks. He used a whistling sound which brought them running. They were short animals, about waist high. I had seen these only from a distance on past outings, but now got to examine them close up. They were like burros, except their thick maned heads were more like those of camels with longer snouts. They reminded me of llamas, and were also soft footed with large pads.
"Are they good in the desert?" I asked.
"Very durable and enduring beasts. They're also warm on cold winter nights." Seth said this with a twinkle in his eyes. Maya was immediately at home with them, stroking their long snoots, from which they emitted soft snorting sounds. "I'll hitch two to my wagon. You could use the other two to help you carry your gear. But before we leave, let's attend to your ship."
We descended again into the labyrinth. Maya stayed behind with the bhoks, and the others of the family who volunteered to watch over her. Seth came up to the ship and, with my permission, entered it. He had not flown one for quite some time and I could tell enjoyed seeing all the controls again.
"Well, she's a fine little ship. Let's take her to where we've parked the others. May I fly her?"
I nodded, authorized his entry, and he activated the controls. We took our seats. He eased her out of the large cave opening and hovered over the canyon abyss.
"What's down there?" I pointed. A fine mist was rising from the canyon floor, making its depths even more mysterious.
"Down there, if go you far enough, at about ten kilometers, you would see where the planet is renewing itself."
"But wouldn't it be hot?"
"It is, but the heat dissipates through the land mass, so little is felt here."
"So the sand that is falling, does it get carried away? By a river?"
"By a river of lava, which flows back into the depths of the planet. You see, planets go through cycles. On Earth, and I have visited there once, though not on Planet-walk, your cycle is where the planet is pushing out. Ours is now in a cycle of pushing in. So the surface is being reabsorbed and regenerated. Someday, millions of years from now, the opposite will happen, and we will again have volcanoes, as you do now."
"You mean if I throw a rock down there, it goes back into the planet?"
"Yes."
"And if I fell down there?"
"It's a very long way. You would probably get stranded on some ledge first." He smiled at my visible concern.
Seth maneuvered the craft as he spoke bringing it a short distance further down the canyon. There was another large opening in the cliff, higher up, and he took the ship into it. It was like a large stone hangar full of shuttle crafts.
"This is where we keep our ships, though there are other places like it all over the planet."
"Why don't you use these?"
"We do not wish to. But we can in an emergency. And when we leave Sanctuary."
"Did someone take our travel suits?"
"Got you ten stones."
"Good price. Mother and child?"
"A man. But the suits have an adjustable fit. And he won't need the stones for a long while. And you know him. It's Wha'an."
"Oh! So he's going back?"
"He feels his work is done, for now. And he is ready to resume again as a Dreamer. He said something about wanting to work on the Earth merge project. Your influence?"
"We had talked."
"And what would you like to do?"
"Can I do what he did? He worked with animals, right?"
"Yes. He carried his work from the outside to here. Animals and plants seemed to respond very favorably to his care. You could try and do the same, if you like, or anything you choose."
"What do you do, when you're not trading?"
"I make baskets, mine stones, make pottery, grow crops. I bake bread."
"Sounds like a lot of work."
"It occupies me, but gives me time to reflect. But I also visit and act as intermediary between the Sanctuary and the outside world. I keep busy. Do you want to see how I live?"
"I was hoping I could. But what if Morz finds me? Will that endanger you?"
"I think not. And he will have a difficult time finding you," he looked at my new rough clothes, "though by now he no doubt knows you're with us. You're safe."
We climbed back to the surface. I had taken some more things from the ship, mostly food rations, though it seemed I did not need them. I also brought along my ancient battle mask. Seth helped me carry water bottles, which I did not wish to leave behind. I had set my onboard robot to man the ship while I was away, though all systems were shut down. He could move the ship if there were any danger, and I could call him to bring the ship to me, if need be, using the planet's communications network. The little machine had limited intelligence, though sufficient for its functions. At the surface, the sun was already high and hot. Seth and I trekked steadily the distance we needed to cover to where Maya waited with the bhoks. I scanned the sky, half expecting the see Morz's ships combing the area, but only a few high flying birds punctuated the sky. All else was desert still. The hot sand beneath our sandaled feet made walking difficult. Seth had an easy and steady step, which I followed, though climbing dunes was harder. When we rounded a small outcrop of rock, we could see the party waiting for us in the distance. There were tracks leading to where we were going. A light breeze had picked up.


18. Trek.

Our little caravan trekked slowly, the wagon's large wooden wheels creaking as we went. The bhoks seemed not to mind the load. The sand was soft in places, but not so soft as to be impassable. Seth's tall figure walked ahead, looking back at us from time to time to see if we were keeping up. Our little bhoks carried their loads easily. These were strapped to a thick cloth harness that went around the animal. The desert stretched away from us in undulating dunes in all directions. The late autumn sun was still high and hot, though the air had begun to feel cooler. It smelled clean with that odorless purity of the desert. Still it was hot, though the thick cloth cloaks we wore were indeed ideal for this kind of travel. They let the air pass easily, and yet kept out the hot rays. It was comfortable walking, if slow, and we trekked steadily towards the western horizon. Great mountains were visible there, looking small in the distance. I watched Maya's little legs carry her without complaint.
"Love? Do you want to ride?"
"No Mama. I'm happy walking."
She looked like she was already used to this. Lix followed, at times running off only to return, panting. I was curious as to Maya's impressions of our new world.
"Maya?"
She looked up, her amber-blue eyes fixed on me.
"Yes, Mama?"
"How did you know there were people there?"
"I heard them."
"But I didn't hear anything. How did you hear them?"
"They were in my head. I knew they were there. That's all I could say."
"Do you mean like telepathy?"
"I guess. I just knew they would mean us no harm. But I was careful just the same, Mama, as you always told me to be."
"Oh? Well that's good. This world is not as dangerous as the one I come from, but it's still a good policy." I smiled to myself, thinking how she was generally an obedient child.
"Is the wind bothering you?"
At that, Seth turned around to scan the sky. Indeed, the wind had picked up and was now strong enough to pick up fine specks of sand. They stung our eyes when carried by especially strong gusts. The dryness hurt our nose. We put up our hoods. But the sky was clear, with only fine white clouds scattered. The sky was that intense blue, with a hint of red, as is usual out here, which sometimes makes it look almost lavender. I thought of Kahla, and how she would be on this trek. I could see her drinking constantly from her water bottle. The thought amused me, but reminded me of thirst, and I took out my water bottle as well. Maya reached for it, so she drank first. Then we caught up to Seth for his company in this vast land.
"Seth? May we keep you company?"
"Of course! You don't have to walk behind me."
He smiled at us, as if the very idea was absurd.
"What are you wearing on your wrist, Seth?" Maya asked. Indeed there was a large device similar to one Paul had while on Earth, but larger.
"I have a communications device. I'm on call, so at any moment I may need to report to Laah for a conference."
"Are you working with the Dreamers."
"Only in a minor way. I'm consulted as a liaison concerning the people in the Sanctuary."
"Will they call you concerning us?" I asked.
"They haven't yet, though they may. But you are with us now. And even if Morz knew exactly where to find you, he cannot touch you. And Maya is still underage, so he has no power over you, no matter what."
"And if they do call you, how do you go there?"
"They'll send a ship to my coordinates."
As dark approached, I could see the streaks of light that meant a ship was on the grid and flew overhead. Maya watched these also, as she was fond of doing. But seeing them filled me we concern. They could be looking for us.
We made camp in the open desert. The wind had died again, so it was less bothersome. Seth pulled a shelter from the wagon and set up a large tent, the kind nomads used on Earth. It was round and made of the same rough cloth as our cloaks. When the poles were set up and the cloth stretched over it, it made a strong and comfortable large round room. At the center, Seth arranged stones for a fire pit, which would vent through an opening in the roof. The night air had become quite cool, so we lit a fire out of the pellets we carried. It burned cheerfully. Water was set to boil. Mats were laid and we settled in for the night. Maya fell fast asleep, her arm around Lix. The bhoks were released to roam for the night. Seth and I stayed up talking.
"Did you know Letta was very fond of you?"
"Yes, I know it. But she is also fond of you." Seth looked at me as he said this. I could sense that he was curious about my response.
"She is very attractive. I was drawn to her. And you?"
"The same. She is very attractive, light of body and full of vigor. But it is not now time for me to seek romance. Though I may be attracted, I will not pursue her. But you can." Again his steady gaze fell on me.
"I am too troubled to seek any involvement, with anyone."
"Understood."
He smiled, to himself, at his last remark. There was a double message in our talk, and we both knew what it meant. Though, admittedly, I did find a strong appeal in Seth. It was his strength and gentleness wrapped in a strong body I knew could wreck havoc if provoked. But he did not seem to provoke easily, if at all. And he made no overt passes at me either, which in a way I regretted. When the stars were brilliant overhead, and one small moon set as the other one rose, we banked the fire down to low embers. As I lay under my blanket, seeing the stars through the open flap, I thought of how easily adjusted I had become to this new life. And yet, only a short flight away, a whole other world existed. And I knew that world lived in a Dream, that it never really slept. Here, one could really sleep to dream a different dream.
Part way into the night, troubled, I rose to relieve myself outside the tent. I stepped out into the cold, starry night and looked about me, as is my habit. A distance from the tent, I squatted. Shortly after I finished, I realized one of the speeding streaks of light had slowed, turned, and began heading out way. At first I was merely curious as to why a ship might suddenly fall out of grid. Then I began to suspect and headed back for the tent. I did not wake Seth, as to not appear alarmist, but stood by the flap door, watching.
We were on a wide open stretch of desert and there was nowhere to hide. The little moon hung overhead, framed by an infinity of stars. It was a very clear and still night. The ship backtracked and began slowing to a slow hover. It approached our site slowly, as if scanning the landscape. Then it must have spotted us, as it made for us and was instantly overhead. I stepped back into the tent, to not be seen, but as it did not leave, leaned forward to steal a glance at it. My blood froze. On its underbelly was the malevolent dark cross. It was a Trooper ship, and it was scouting. I ran over to Seth and shook him lightly.
"Seth, wake! Can the Troopers read your monitor?"
"It's set to receive only," he said groggily. "There's nothing broadcast."
"Are you sure?"
He looked at his wrist device, pressed some buttons, and replied:
"Positive. Why?"
"There's a Trooper ship outside."
He jumped out of his mat and went for the door. His motions were like those of a giant cat. He was there in one step, but stayed back of the opening, like I did. He cautiously looked out. The ship was still there.
"It's a scout," he whispered. "He's just making notation of who's out here. He will not trouble us. Stay very still, as his monitors could detect motion. He knows we're here..."
We froze in place and waited. After long minutes passed, the Trooper began a low swoop by the tent door, his engines humming softly, yet malevolently. We stayed where we were, unmoving. Then it swooped back to where it hovered when I first saw it, and in a few seconds was receding back to the grid. When it had gone, I dared to speak:
"Do you think it saw us inside?"
"Can't say. But if a Trooper is not called for, there is little he can do. He'll report back, and that is all. Still, you did well to wake me."
With that, he returned to his bed. The way he lay down on it left a large space for another person to lie next to him. I hesitated, not wanting to appear either eager or fearful. But I could see by the dark light of the stars that he was looking at me. Maya was sound asleep. My nerves were on edge, but I thought human comfort would not be so bad. So I went over to his mat and quietly lay down next to him. He pulled the blanket over me and took my hand and squeezed it, as if to say, it's all right. Neither of us spoke.
Maya rose first and came over to our mat, where she lay down quietly next to me. Lix had gone outside to chase whatever little dogs chase here in the desert. The sun was already showing over the horizon bathing everything in its bright yellow light. We rose and I restarted the fire by blowing on it and adding more fuel pellets. Seth made preparations for tea and pulled a thick coarse bread from a sack. There was a new comfort in the dawning of a new day. The trauma of the night had passed and the day rose with optimism.
"We'll make it to my home by this afternoon," Seth said cheerfully.
"I'd like to see how you live. Somehow, you make everything out here look easy."
He smiled at my remark. It was sometimes hard to remember that he was once a Star-ship commander. Or even a Trooper. Here, he seemed so at home in these humble surroundings.
"It's not lavish. Maybe not even comfortable. But you seem up to it. Though, it's not bad either. It's home."
We reloaded the wagon and Seth whistled for the bhoks, who came trotting over as before. They seemed as if they waited for his whistle and were glad to hear it. We harnessed the beasts and set off again, the sun to our backs.
By now the trek had fallen into a monotonous crossing of the vast desert. The distant horizon was offset only rarely by a low shrub or lone trees. We passed a natural pool surrounded by small trees, from which we replenished our partly depleted water supply. There were animal and human tracks all around the small pond. It is an unwritten law of the desert that no water source, if drinkable, is ever passed by. The large wheels creaked on, Maya now riding with Lix in the wagon, a tarp pulled over the top to hide them from the sun. The other two bhoks followed close behind on their own. I walked with Seth in silence. The distant mountains now appeared quite close, but that was an illusion of this large landscape. They were still hours away.
"Mama?"
"Yes, love."
"Were you in love with Kahla?"
It was a strange question out of the blue. It had a serious ring to it, so I thought I better answer truthfully.
"Yes, love. I was. Maybe I still am."
"And are you in love with Daddy?"
"Yes, of course I am. I love your father very much."
After a pause, she asked again:
"Are you in love with Seth?"
Seth, upon hearing his name, now too became interested in the line of questioning.
"Well, I don't know, love. Seth is a very fine man."
"And you Seth? Are you in love with my mother?"
"You're asking a lot of questions for a young child sitting quiet for so long," he said, almost laughing. "I guess I could be. Why?"
"I don't know. I just thought I'd ask."
With that, she returned to her secret musings and seemed happy with the answers. But her little mind was obviously hatching some scheme. For a young child not quite four, she had some very serious ideas.
The wheels cut two ruts in the sand, surrounded by footprints, that laid a trail lost on a point far on the eastern horizon. The mountains ahead now loomed large. I recognized them as the land where Seth and I first met. It was also where I parted with Kahla. The memory of it was now brought back by the sight of the plateau where we last walked hand in hand. Seth directed the bhoks up a faint trail that climbed a steady slope to the plateau. When we crested this, I could see the stream flowing down the mountain in the distance. We made for a crevasse just before the stream and cut into a gorge that took us down a narrow valley inside the tall rock. There was water there with trees and grassy knolls bordered by low shrubs. It was dry desert on the slopes higher up. Seth suddenly looked more at ease and began looking about with obvious recognition at his domain, as if he knew every rock and shrub. A group of wild bhoks scampered down from the slopes and brayed in their trumpeting way. Our bhoks answered back. Seth looked back at us with happiness in his eyes, and announced in a quiet voice:
"We're here."


19. Karu'an.

"That was our new home, Mother."
"That's right, love. Seth brought us to a new home."
"I liked the little fat furry animals scampering up trees."
"They're squirrels, though these look more like monkeys, and they could cause trouble."
"I still like them. They're meerkats. Other children have them as pets."

"Welcome to my secret little world. My house is sparse, but comfortable."
Seth led us to the low house set by the edge of a hill. It overlooked his small valley. The house was thick walled, of mud brick, with small windows and a flat roof. The door was thick planks of wood, and on the entrance side of the house was a long veranda or portico supported by sturdy wooden poles. The home had a comfortable crudeness about it. Inside a firepit was set in a corner of the house. An overhanding chimney topped it. Water was diverted from outside to form a small pool in a stone basin, which then emptied outside again. It made a pleasant sound as it quietly wound its way into the house. The sun had warmed the brick so that the house was warmer inside than out, though still cool. There was a thick mat on the floor and pillows to sit on. A low bench against one wall held household goods and blankets. Otherwise, the house was bare.
After we unpacked, Seth showed us where to wash. There was a pleasant pool formed by a low stone dam just below the house. It was only about a meter deep, clear and sparkling. After the bhoks were set free, they ran off to join their friends up the slopes. We lit a fire and set up house. Additional mats were brought in, as were other provisions. Maya and I found the small jar of liquid soap given to me by Letta and we went down to the pool. Seth followed.
In the evening light, we stripped off our dusty clothes and waded into the pool. Its cool, refreshing water felt good, but not cold. Seth also took off his robe and stood naked by the edge of the pool. His fine tall limbs were well formed, with only light body hair on them. His upper body was well muscled and lean, and well proportioned. His chest hairs had that same hint of grey as his beard. As he walked into the water, I noticed he had firm buttocks and a well formed penis. He was a handsome man, either naked or clothed. The water closed around him and he floated over to us. I was washing Maya, careful not to hurt her eyes. Seth took some soap and did the same for himself. When I had done with Maya, I also began to wash off the stale grit from our travels. He reached over and washed my back, with his large hands. They felt good and I allowed him unprotesting. I could sense from his hands that he admired me in my nakedness. As Maya dried herself, I also washed Seth's back, for which he seemed grateful. His back felt strong and generous. My hands ran over it longer than they needed to, but to touch him was a pleasant sensation. We dressed in fresh clothing to the evening sounds of squirrel monkeys chattering in the trees. We then made ready for the evening meal.
After a meal of baked roots and greens, washed down by a home made wine, we each turned to our own needs. Maya went out to play in the last light with her little friend. I made ready the bedding for the night. After Seth cleaned the last of the bowls from our meal, he went out into the garden. I did not see him awhile, but after a time looked out one of the small windows and noticed him sitting very still on a small ledge above his garden. His pose reminded me of a monk in meditation, legs crossed underneath, arms resting on his knees. His hood was down and I could see his eyes were closed. As he sat there in his stillness, I noticed the bhoks come closer, first to drink, and then just to be near him. Then he rose.
That night we slept peacefully. I again shared Seth's bed, more for comfort than with any thoughts of sex. I believe he found it the same. By morning we were comfortable in each other's arms.
The next days were spent exploring Seth's wild mountain world. We trekked out to the other side, and down the length of it, and into the many hidden verdant valleys. Behind those stark peaks, hidden from view, were many an isolated oasis of the desert. I had not seen these from the air before. The leaves had begun to turn golden, as we were approaching winter, and the air felt cool and crisp in the early morning until the sun rose over the peaks and cast its warm yellow light on the valleys below. It was in one of those valleys, where we had spent the night, that Maya spotted something move in the conifer forest next to us.
We were camped by a little stream, reeds growing from the low edges of a small pond, and we knew animals of the mountains came here to drink. We had seen wild mountain goats or sheep scamper down the cliffs at dawn, as they did at dusk. Small badger like creatures also furtively stole a drink and disappeared into the tall reeds.. Birds flew down at will and then disappeared again into the peaks. Contrary to nature's logic, these animals did not have the coloring of the desert, but rather were often of brilliant color, so it was easy to spot them. Then Maya called out:
"I saw something big move in the forest!"
"Where?" Seth also came over to see.
"I think it went behind the trees over there," she pointed.
We watched, but nothing moved. Then a branch cracked, so it was there. We waited and at last a large shape moved in the shadows of the trees. We still couldn't make it out. I instinctively felt for my knife in its scabbard tucked inside my cloak. Maya had her little knife in her hand, as she was using it to cut dried reeds for the fire. But we had never been attacked by anything before and I dismissed the knife idea. We waited.
"There she is." It was Seth. He spotted the large animal.
"What is she?" I asked.
"It's a lion!" Maya suddenly thrilled with excitement.
"Yes. I know this lion," said Seth. "I have seen her here before, but she is very shy."
"Will she eat us?" I asked, fearful for our safety, though I knew most animals here were not carnivorous. It was a byproduct of the Light spheres. But I had never seen one of those spheres in the time we were here, so I was not so sure.
"She's eyeing Maya. She's never seen a human child before." Seth watched her as she moved from the trees into our line of vision on the edge of the clearing. Then she sat down, as if to say she's come close enough.
"What do they eat? Lions need large amounts of protein."
"Yes, they do. She gets that from catching fish in the streams with her paws. I have seen her do this, and she's very good."
"Are we safe?"
Seth thought about it before answering.
"The spheres don't come out this far from the coast, so we can't be certain. But I have not known of a lion kill for a very long time."
This left little comfort in me. A very long time was not long enough. I pulled Maya closer to me and again thought of how to deflect a charging lion. There was little I could do, except maybe throw hot coals of fire in her direction. But I did nothing and watched along with Seth and Maya, who both seemed to be enjoying the standoff.
Then in a flash I had a thought. Could this lion be tamed? I thought. I have never attempted taming a Simba before, but the idea compelled me to try.
"Seth? Can we tame her?"
"I can't, though I have tried. She never accepts my gifts. I'm sure Wha'an could. Do you want to try?"
A nervousness took over my body at the thought, but I quieted it as best I could. Somehow, the snake charmer I saw in Nepal flashed into my mind. I dismissed it immediately, thinking I was not ready to be reborn. But a voice inside my head told me to do it. I thought I would give it a try, if only my fear would let me.
"What can we offer her?"
"You'll have to catch fish, or maybe she'll accept some other food."
"No time for fishing. How about if we just imitate her? Let's use her body language, as it seems peaceful. But Maya, you stay with Seth. I must try this alone."
After more inner composure, I very slowly walked towards where the lion sat on the edge of the clearing. There was a low flat rock, and I climbed it to gain greater height. Some inner instinct told me that I needed to be bigger than her, or she would mistake me for prey. There on the rock, I also sat down crosslegged, looking toward her, but not directly into her eyes. I put my arms forward, much as she did. The lion merely sat, watching me. We sat like this in the warm light. Small flying beetles were buzzing up and down in the grass around me, but it was very quiet, not even Lix moved. All were watching us two. Then, after about five minutes of repose, I slowly rose and advanced a few steps closer moving along the length of the rock, and again sat down.
The lion watched me, unmoved. Then after a few more minutes, which seemed to take forever, she likewise rose and strolled very slowly, almost as in a ballet, towards me, and then sat again. We were now no more than forty paces from each other. I could see her golden eyes clearly, and the slight twitch of her muzzle. She fixed me with her eyes, and I her with mine, but then looked away. I wanted her to know that I was her equal, but not to confront her. We repeated this performance once again to where we were now only about half the distance. Now I could see her nostrils working to get a better smell image of me. I knew that at this distance, if she charged, there was nothing I could do, except lay down and play dead, which was what I had planned to do if events turned bad. That would give Seth time to chase her away. My nerves were now surprisingly calm, as if my mind was reaching out for hers, and she for mine. We sat like this again for a long time, both in our sitting positions. Her golden eyes never strayed from me, but did not look directly into mine. I figured this was part of her subliminal language, so I had to learn it quickly. As I sat there, contemplating trying to approach her one more time, it was she who rose first instead and walked a few paces closer to me. She climbed easily onto the long flat rock, paced it back and forth a couple of times, and then sat down again, as if to confirm that she meant no threat to me. Now we were nearly face to face. I could see all her whiskers, her ears in great detail, and her teeth. Lion teeth are smaller on this world than those of Earth, but sharp and long enough. Her claws were hidden in thick pads, and her muscles rippled as she walked. Now I could sense that it was she who was master between us, though it was I who initiated the approach. So I sat very still and let her make her move.
I studied her as we sat. I could see her mane, not as thick as a male's, was fine, rising and falling slightly as she breathed. We were now close enough where each could easily smell the other. I told my mind to give off no scent of fear. As I thought this, I could feel a thought forming itself vaguely in my mind: "Her eyes are blue." Then the thought faded. It wasn't my mind. I had made contact! To answer, I slowly lowered my eyelids and opened them again, looking straight ahead, but watching her from the corner of my eye. As cats often do, she also pressed her eyes shut, as if to say she understood, and then opened them again. A tension between us had been removed, but we still sat as before. Then the lion rose and walked over to me, not directly to me, but rather around me, and lay down a few paces from me. In time, I imitated this, but not by walking around her, only to shift my sitting position. Then I lay down, much as she. She raised her head, as if to roar, but then lowered it again. Then I sat up again, and almost instantly, so did she. Then I formed a thought: "Simba, come to me and smell me. I am friend." I used the African word because it created a stronger sensation in my head combined with the fear I had and was trying to overcome. It carried well. She understood and, hesitantly at first, rose and came with her large muzzle to my head, and smelled my hair. I closed my eyes, as this was the moment I most feared, but forced my mind to look up at the lioness' face. It was a beautiful face, her breath not foul, but an animal breath, and her nose touched my forehead. It was warm and rough. As she stood there over me, her paws almost touching my hands, I slowly reached up to her and stroked her on her mane. She flinched momentarily, took in her breath, and then relaxed, as my caress felt soothing to her. It was at that moment, when all fear left us, that we became friends.
I stood up slowly and continued my stroking of her mane, and then reached down her back. She stood still, leaning against my leg. She was almost waist high to me, and her back felt all power. The lioness was a beautiful beast, fine coat, beautiful lines. It was the first time I turned to look back at Seth and Maya. Seth was standing tall, Maya standing before him, his hands on Maya's shoulders. I knew he would lift her instantly and carry her into the tent if danger arose. But he stood still, smiling. Maya could scarcely contain her glee. She wanted to come and pet the lion too. So I slowly walked back to them, signaling in my mind that she was to follow, which she did. We walked back to our spectators, all not speaking, the lion walking by my side. We would all meet. When we reached within a few paces of where Seth and Maya stood, the lioness began to purr. She liked Maya, and seemed unafraid of Seth, as she had seen him before. She had seen them with me and knew that our new friendship extended to these as well. Maya's little hand reached over to the great beast, and the lioness approached her to let herself be touched by this little being. The purring grew louder, and I felt a pang of jealousy. She was obviously more interested in Maya all along, but only befriended me so that she could know the other. Seth smiled broadly at this, as he could see it in my mind.
"Welcome, beauty. It has been a long time since I've seen you. You must be separated from your tribe."
I knew that words, carried by the mind of the Light, of which Seth still was, carried into another's sentient mind. The lioness looked at him, but returned her attention to Maya. She obviously enjoyed the little human's touch and continued to purr. I guess she was Maya's, in the end.
"What should we call her, Mama?" Maya asked in an excited voice.
"What would you like to call her?"
"What was the name of the lion you met on the Star-ship?"
"Karu'an. But that name is taken."
"Doesn't matter. I'll call her Karu'an, because he befriended you first, the way she did. So it's a good name."
"It's a good name," added Seth. "It means gentle beast. And this one seems to be that."
At these words, Karu'an walked over to Lix and smelled him. Here, I thought, all my work could come undone. But much to my surprise, Lix stayed still and let the lioness smell him. Then she returned to us and went to the stream for a long drink, and then lay down in our camp. It was her way of saying she is now one of us, or that we were one of her.
As we were pulling down the tent, I asked Seth:
"How will Karu'an respond to the bhoks? Will she chase them?"
"Perhaps, but they are fast. But if she sees me with the bhoks first, then she'll know they are my friends, and will not bother them. I think it'll be all right."

"Oh, Mother, I liked that part of the story."
"So do I." Karu'an, ever her companion purred close to her. Maya stroked the large beast's mane. They were inseparable, as she was with Lix. "It was a very fine day, wasn't it?"
"Yes. We made a new friend."
"But why do all the animals have manes here?"
"Why do humans have hair on their heads?"
"Because they're smart?"
"I guess so. But I really don't know."


20. Weapons.

It was a day like any other day of Winter. Sunny days were comfortable, though the nights fell to nearly freezing. The peaks above us were white with snow. And on cold rainy days, it got cold even inside our clothes. Then we spent more time by the fire to keep out the chill. It was on such a cold, rainy day that we had a visitor.
Seth had gone off into the high slopes above our valley in search of dead wood for our fire, as our supply of pellets had begun to run low. It would soon be time to make another trek to the Sanctuary on Barter day. Maya was playing inside with Lix and Karu'an. I had begun regretting not bringing learning tapes for her, but she was learning in other ways now. Seth and I had gotten very close, and now sex between us had become a natural thing. Maya did not seem to mind. Actually, I think she liked knowing Seth and I liked each other. Somehow, in some unspoken way, we had become a new family. It was into this private and idyllic little world that an intrusion forced itself.
I had forgotten about Morz and the Dreamers. They now seemed a world away, though I knew they were only minutes away by shuttle craft. Yet, somehow, they had ceased to exist in my daily consciousness. I was happy here, and that was what mattered for the moment. But on this dark day, when the sun never broke through the clouds, a ship came circling over out little valley. I was outside when it happened. I looked up, puzzled, as no one announced they were coming to visit. It would have come through on Seth's communicator. Rather, this ship circled in a furtive way, as if unsure of whether or not to land. To my relief, it did not have the dark cross underneath. It could have been anyone, even just a curious visitor who saw smoke rising from the little mud home. It came to a field beyond the garden and landed.
When the entryway opened, I could spot the blue-green travel suit, and then I could see the person's golden hair. It was a woman, and instantly my heart skipped a beat. It was who I felt it was. It was Kahla. I ran over to her.
"What a surprise! How did you know to find me?"
She beamed in answer. "I Dreamt it! I knew I'd find you here. But your valley is not easy to find."
"I know. No one ever comes here." We stood looking at each other, happiness written on both our faces.
"Where's Maya?" Maya peeked out the door. She looked like such a barbarian child, dressed in coarse brown clothing, next to the radiance of Kahla. "Ah! There's my little love. And a little dog too!" Maya ran over to give Kahla a hug, both happy to see each other. I looked on, no doubt as drab in Kahla's eyes, dressed as and living the life of a hermit. "And who's this?" Kahla asked wide eyed.
"Karu'an, meet Kahla." The lioness exited the house and sauntered over to where Maya and Kahla stood. Maya eagerly launched for her thick mane, and buried her face in it. Kahla looked on, amused and unafraid, but slightly distant. She did not know this lion, but then she reached over and petted her too.
"Quite a family you got here. Anyone else?"
"Seth. But he's off gathering."
"Seth. I know that name. Was he a Dreamer?"
"He was a Star-ship commander."
"And he's here? I thought he died in a tragic accident."
"No. He's alive and well. Do you have the right Seth?"
"I only knew of one. But let me tell you why I found you."
To this, I stopped her and offered her tea, which she gladly accepted. We went to the portico that fronted the house, as it looked like it might rain again, and it sheltered us some from the light wind, and we sat on a low bench I had constructed.
"Why did you find me? And I'm glad you did. Seth will love to meet you."
"Well, while you've been away, all sorts of things have come to the fore. First, Morz announced that he would not pursue you, and that you had made it very clear that you wanted no part of his scheme. So he's dropped his efforts to take you or Maya back to Xin'oy."
"I wish it were that easy. But go on."
"Well, then the issue about Angel. Remember long ago I said we felt there was some complicity?" I nodded. "Well, there was. And still is I might add." I could tell she was bursting to tell me. "Angel was working jointly with the powers that wanted to keep Earth in Quarantine."
"Really? Who wanted that? And why?"
"Morz. He does not want to bring the Light, and he would rather Earth remain dormant. He wants to declare Earth a fallen world. And you know what that means."
"Yes! It becomes a giant Xin'oy."
"Exactly. And he had Angel go off Light. That's when he abandoned his communications device. Remember, it was after he was wounded and he had returned to Ship for healing. It was then that they made a pact."
"Was it because he was wounded?" I asked, confused.
"No. It was because he felt after the death of Father Hernandez, a close friend of his, that he did not want Earth in the Unity of Living Worlds."
"But that's absurd. I met Angel. He struck me as a good man."
"He is. Or was. Now he's back here and joined the Troopers. So he's in Morz's camp, in the end."
The news horrified me. From what I knew of Angel, he had hopes of bringing a new music to Earth, to help her remember. Instead, it all took a turn far worse. Maya was watching us and quietly listening to the conversation, taking it all in.
"So Morz abandoned us in favor of using Angel as his new tool. That man will stop at nothing. What do the Dreamers say?"
"They think you should come back to Laah and begin work. They want to train you in the Dream and start on the project immediately. Paul fully supports this and would have come to tell you, except he is on the planet Xi'sang. That's where they build and repair androids. Master needed maintenance. Something to do with failed circuits."
I thought of the secret I made him keep and wondered if it did not overburden him.
"Will he be okay?"
"I'm sure he'll be fine. Now, about your return... No. First, there is one more thing. I have brought something I want you to keep for me. It is contraband and I may not keep it at my place. But I think it would be safe here."
"What is it?" I began to fear I might not like the answer.
"You're an Earth person, so you would understand better than any other. I brought you weapons."
I stared at her wide eyed. It seemed so out of character for Kahla to meddle in such things. I thought of her as being made purely for play and pleasure. What she had just told me, plus this most disturbing piece of news, did not become her personality. But then I thought of having weapons against Morz, should he again change his mind. And there was something that instinctively told me all was not exactly as it seemed with Seth. For that matter, I wasn't even sure Kahla was telling me everything she knew. And then what about Angel? All this flashed in my mind before I gave her an answer. And what would Seth say?
"I don't know, Kahla. It seems too dangerous to keep radioactive weapons. They're poison. Even if they were hidden in these mountains, and there are caves in which they would never be found, it is still too dangerous."
"Think of your world, San'aa. It is the future fate of Earth we're talking about. If it falls in the wrong hands, then it is all over."
"I can't let that happen."
I thought about it some more. I still could not bring myself to give her an affirmative answer, though it looked like I should. But what could a handful of weapons do against the Troopers? It seemed folly from beginning to end. And yet, it was the kind of risk I was bred for. I looked into Maya's eyes, and there seemed to be an affirmation there. Somehow, that little mind already knew what had to be.
"Okay. I'll take them. How many pieces are there?"
"Twenty. I'll have my onboard robots carry them out. Where should they go?"
"You've been riding around with all that hardware? Who else knows?"
"Not even Paul. And the Troopers who parted with these weapons were all duped into believing they were returning them to arsenal. The records had been forged, and they will not be missed for a very long time. It would be a very hard trail to follow."
"Who did this?"
"I did, my love. I did not want them to capture you."
"You crazy, beautiful fool. You endangered yourself beyond belief."
"It'll be worth it. We'll win."
"You're beginning to sound like an Earth woman."
"Learned it from you." She gave me a wry smile.
"Okay. Let's unload and put them deep underground. I know an abandoned mine which will serve. Then, it won't be detected from any fly bys. Okay?"
"Let's go! Maya, stay back from these as they exit the ship."
With the help of two small levitating robots, we offloaded and carried the dark weapons to the cave I mentioned. The weapons were standard Trooper issue, machines that could send bolts of energy at high speed. These would seek out, if necessary, and shatter the molecular structure of their target. The only defense were the weapons themselves, as when they were held sideways, they gave off an energy ray that deflected the charge, which would then spend itself and vanish. Otherwise, the weapons were very deadly, with great range and accuracy. As we offloaded these, my thoughts went out to Seth. What would he think of this deadly game?
As we finished unloading, I held one of the awful weapons and asked Kahla:
"How do these things work?"
She took the weapon.
"First, you activate the power source. It can't fire without it. Then you aim at a target." She pointed to a small boulder in the distance. "Aim in in this scope, see look down into it, or from eye level, and then press this trigger. That locks it. Then you press it further and it fires." As she said this, just to show how accurate the weapon is, she turned it slightly away from the target and fired. The charge flew with a loud crackle and sped from the weapon, then arcked and hit the boulder, which disappeared loudly in a vapor smelling of sulfur. "See? You want to try it?"
"No. I'll let it go for now."
"One more thing. You know the battle masks?"
"Yes. I wore one once."
"You should use them, if possible. They help you identify your opponent's next intent, and also to see slight variations in his motions. If you had one, I'd show you."
I let it pass that I had one.
When we were done, I sealed the entry with more rocks, and then we returned to Kahla's ship.
"Will you stay to meet Seth?"
"I'd love to, but I'm afraid I must return as soon as possible so as to not arouse suspicion. But you are safe, don't worry. And you look great in drab!" She said it mockingly, but with a twinkle in her eye.
"It's a humble life, but I love it."
She blew me a kiss and disappeared into the ship. She was off in an instant.
When Kahla's ship was gone from sight, Seth came over the gorge leading one of the bhoks burdened with wood.
"A ship? Here?"
"Yes. It's very important and I must tell you all about it."
We spent the evening talking it over entirely, the meaning of having the weapons, the latest development with Morz, and even of Angel. Seth listened as I talked, and then he asked questions in return:
"What if Angel is in this with Kahla? After all, Kahla was Angel's strategist on Planet-walk."
"I know. But I don't think she would be part of it, though she's obviously involved somehow. What about the weapons? Are they safe here?"
"Well, if I take them anywhere else, they will become the seed of a small, deadly army. So for now, there is nothing to be done but to leave them here. It would be wisest. But in truth, I am not happy to have them, though I was a Trooper once." It was the first time he mentioned this to me, though I already knew. "Then again, one never knows under what circumstances they may become necessary. These are strange times on Ka'ananda."
I knew then and there that my of late happy, simple life would never be the same. Everything had taken a turn for the worst.


21. The Meeting.

"Mother, why do things happen the way they do?"
"They always happen for a reason, love, for good or ill. It's just that we almost never know what that reason is."
"Is that what the Dreamers try to understand?"
"Yes. That is a large part of their work."
She thought about this a moment and then asked again:
"Do animals dream? Maybe Karu'an and Lix?"
"Maybe. But their dreams only take them to where they can think. It is for humans to dream beyond reason."

We set off once again for Sanctuary to attend the Barter. This time, our little group included Karu'an. She seemed happy to cross the vast desert with us, something she would never attempt on her own. But in the short time she was with us, she already had totally acclimated and accepted our ways. So she followed without protest keeping Lix and Maya company. It was amusing seeing all three sitting in the wagon. Amusing to Seth and I, that is. The little bhoks did not appreciate the humor.
Before we left, Seth pulled aside the stones garding the entrance to the mine where the weapons were hid. He inspected it and wondered out loud:
"San'aa, do you think we should take one of these with us?"
"To what purpose?"
"I don't know. Just a feeling I have, that it would be good to have one."
"If it's intuition, then let it be so. I believe in those feelings. But I hope we never need to use it."
"Me too."
So we selected a light weight weapon, one that could be easily concealed in the wagon. I did not like the radioactive decay from it, so we shielded it as best we could. This would also help hide it from aerial detection. There was no damage from them for short periods of time, but I did not want to have exposure for any of us for more than a few days. So we piled newly made earthen ware all around it, which kept the radiation down to a minimum.
That night, when we set up camp in the open desert, Seth tried out the weapon again. It worked well, in spite of the lack of targets to shoot at. We used a small piece of pottery. When that vaporized, we were satisfied that it functioned correctly. I carefully explained to Maya why she should not mention this weapon to anyone at the gathering. She said she understood. I also tried it and was amazed at how easy it was to operate, but I was not happy holding it in my hands. It only reconfirmed that I could never be with the Troopers, even if the damage to the body could be healed. Having known that life, Seth seemed less disturbed by it.
When we arrived at the Barter, many of the same faces I knew were there, including 'Tu and Letta, though there were new people as well. Seth claimed a small warren for us for the night. Late into the night we could hear hammers working the small forges. They mostly made tools for farming, or door hinges, or harness clips. It was a joyful sound, rhythmic and easy to fall asleep to, as was the distant sound of water. Karu'an met new friends. Lix jumped up and down upon seeing other dogs he knew. And Maya also played to exhaustion. It was good for her to be with other children, and she loved it. The next day we set up our wares, some of which were made by my hands, and the Barter began in earnest. As the day wore on, and we had exchanged most of our goods, 'Tu came over with a beautiful metal flute.
"Would you like to try it, San'aa? I made it with you in mind."
"Ahh! It is beautiful. What metal?"
"A composition of three metals. The sound should be perfect. Try it."
"I haven't played for a long time. But, let me see."
I took the flute and examined it first. Its fine craftsmanship spoke even in the designs etched into it. It had the perfect balance of an excellent instrument. I held it to my lips and blew a note into it. The sound was like that of a perfect morning mist. I played it again, a note higher, and it was like dew drops on a leaf at dawn. Another felt like a crystal mountain stream beneath the ice.
"When you play it. What do you see?"
"Water. And it's all kinds of water..."
"It is. It is a water flute. That what it's supposed to sound like. A perfect instrument for a desert dweller. Do you like it?"
"I love it! But it must be so expensive."
"Not so. Seth already paid for it."
"Really? You mean it's mine?"
Just then Seth walked over to see how I liked it.
"Oh. This is a perfect gift."
"You've been a good soldier of the desert. I thought you should have it. Then we will never lack for water." He smiled at his last statement.
"We'll never lack. Thank you."
I carefully rewrapped my new precious gift, as 'Tu had wrapped it before he handed it to me, and then replaced it in its wooden case. That night, as the cheerful anvils rang in the cave over their little fires, pure notes of cool water emanated from our private chamber. At one point, when my playing got really good, the hammers stopped. They were listening.
The next two days were spent on the return trip through the desert. The tracks from previous trips were faintly visible at times, but mostly the wind had carried them away, so we made new ones. Karu'an seemed to enjoy her travels with us, as did Lix. Maya was always thinking of something, sometimes even talking to herself. I could hear her, her lonely little voice carried above the creaking wagon in the stillness as she walked along side. When she needed to ride, we placed her on one of the bhoks, away from the terrible weapon we had. I dare not open my flute for fear that it would somehow magically vanish. But I knew it was safe.
On the second day, Seth got a signal on his communicator.
"I'm being called. Let's see what they want."
He turned on his device for voice.
"This is Seth. What is your message?"
"Seth. Good that we reached you. You must prepare to come to Laah immediately. There is an emergency meeting between the Dreamers and the Troopers. Your attendance is required."
"Why would you need me?"
"An irregularity has been discovered in the weapons inventory. We need all the input we can muster. Collectively, we should find an answer."
"Why do you think I would know?"
"Well, as a representative of Sanctuary, you may add something the others cannot. Can you come?"
We looked at each other. It's a good thing he didn't have it on visual, or the three dimensional holographic image would have given us away. I nodded that I understood. He nodded too.
"Okay. This is not the most convenient time for me. Can it wait until tomorrow?"
"No. The meeting is in an hour. I'll sent a ship to your coordinates."
With that the voice signed off.
"Well. I guess this is the moment of test."
"Is your device off?"
"Yes."
"One of the weapons is only a meter from us, and you have to answer to them of their whereabouts. Can you do it?"
He smiled that ironic smile I've come to know so well.
"Watch me."
He put up his hood as if in private meditation. But I knew he wanted to hide his fear. It was a stress on both of us, but I had confidence in him.
Within minutes a ship fell off the grid and came down for him. Before leaving, he gave me a deep kiss, like I had never experience before. Then he kissed Maya on the head and gave both Lix and Karu'an a good pet. He even spoke to his bhoks in an endearing way. I wished he did not have to go. In a few minutes he was up on the grid speeding towards Laah.
The desert seemed bigger and emptier than ever before. The light breeze of morning had blown up into a good wind by afternoon, and we needed to tie down the tarp over the wagon so as not to have things fly out. Maya pulled her hood over her eyes, as did I. The animals seemed to tolerate this better, as this was their home. For them it was merely an inconvenience. We trudged on, uncomplaining. The mountain was still an hour's walk.
As we approached the foot of the plateau, I thought I saw a ship go off grid and come down behind the mountains. We climbed the ascent slowly, as the wind had increased. We still had an hour of daylight, so we should reach our valley before nightfall. Then the ship I had spotted flew over the mountain and headed straight for us. I was glad Seth's meeting was over so quickly and was ready to rejoice when in the lowering light I spotted the dark cross underneath. A state of panic gripped me. They must have found out, somehow. I quickly reached for Maya and, for reasons that I could not explain, undid the bhoks. They ran ahead, leaving the wagon behind, eager to get home. Karu'an and Lix stayed with us, sensing something was wrong. I waited for the ship to come closer. It hovered in the distance like a sinister mirage. I thought of reaching for the weapon, but decided against it, for now. Then the dark cross descended lower towards us. There was nothing I could do.
As the wind cut our face, we waited. The ship landed some distance from us and the entryway opened, its light casting strong shadows on the rocks around us. A dark figure emerged, a tall man of wide girth. It was Morz. My heart sank. He exited and walk towards us, shielding his eyes from the wind.
"So we meet again, San'aa. It's been a long time," he shouted hoarsely over the gale.
"I like the desert, so I stayed. Why are you here?"
"Because of you. You and Maya are coming back with us."
With the instinct of a desert animal, I lifted Maya into my arms and ran as fast as my heart would allow into the base of the plateau. There were boulders we could hide behind. Maya was now also a daughter of the desert and understood the danger that faced us. She clung to me and remained calm. The animals followed us. Morz went back to the craft and emerged again carrying a weapon. He meant to hunt for us. We climbed higher up and again hid. Karu'an, as if awakened by some ancient hunting instinct, fell behind another boulder, lying low. Lix stayed with us. Morz came closer. His large frame moved easily up the slope, ignoring the wind, though it challenged his progress. He was soon within shouting distance.
"Let yourself go, San'aa! There is no point in fighting me. You can't win!"
"Go to hell!" I wanted to retreat further, but without exposing our position, there was no way of doing so. Karu'an lay still. Morz came closer. Now I could see his scarred face. His dark uniform looked sinister in the dusky light. He had trouble seeing where we were because of the wind, but he advanced cautiously. I picked up a stone, the only weapon of use here, and weighed it in my hand. My little knife would be useless against his gun. Maya crouched like a silent brown stone next to me, offering a very small target. As Morz approached within striking distance, I stood and threw my stone weapon at him with all the aim and might I could muster. It caught him off guard, as he was looking away, and it struck him full in the neck before he could duck. Just at that exact moment, Karu'an leapt from her hiding place and jumped on his diseased body, knocking him full backwards. He fell heavily, being unprepared, and the lioness stood over him, menacingly. He tried to fend her off from his face with his left arm, trying for a rock with his right. She lunged at him, but did not bite, which froze him into inaction. In an instant I leapt from our hiding place and threw myself on his weapon which had been flung from his hands. It was close to me. I grabbed it and held it up, pointed at him.
"Karu'an, leave!"
She instantly obeyed my command and swung back to where Maya crouched. I pointed the weapon on him. The charge had already been set. He had meant to fire it.
"Get up, Morz! Very slowly. Or I'll blast you."
He regained his composure and very slowly rose to his feet. I could see he was trembling. But that stopped. His training reasserted itself and he again gained control over his nerves. He looked me in the eye.
"You can't win, San'aa. Put down the weapon. You don't even know how to fire it."
"Watch!" I pointed it at a rock by his feet and fired. It blew it away into a foul cloud of smoke. He jumped away. "You want to try me?"
"Okay. You win this round. Just give me back the weapon."
"Not on your life. Get back to your ship. And leave, now."
He turned, then reconsidered. I pointed the gun at him. He then more hurriedly turned and walked away. As he got closer to his ship, he broke into a run and fled into it. Within a moment it was hovering overhead. I fired point blank at its dark cross, but the charge was merely deflected by the crafts energy shield. I knew he had the capacity to fire from the ship and blow us all away. We again crouched behind the large boulder, which really offered us no protection. It was only instinct. We were done for. If he wanted to kill us, he could. But he did not, at least not yet, but hovered overhead, the ship's light casting malignant shadows around us. Just then two ships came flying at great speed over the mountain towards us. At this, Morz began to retreat. He had meant to take us alive, but having failed he backed further as the ships came overhead. Just as he was about to leave, he fired a charge at our little wagon still standing where we left it. It went up with a great explosion, mostly likely made worse by the weapon that was hidden aboard, which detonated its energy charge and sent a great plume into the sky. Then Morz left. He was on the grid in seconds.
My eyes burst into tears as the two ships landed near us. They did not have the cross. The entryways opened and from the ship on the right Seth emerged, running for us. On the left, immediately after, emerged Paul and Kahla. They too ran. As they got to us, I burst into tears.
"They blew up my flute!" I bawled. Seth put his arms around me. The wind had suddenly died down with the setting sun.
"I'll get you another." Then he held me as I sobbed uncontrollably.
Maya rose from her hiding place, as did the animals and came over to us, flanked by Karu'an and Lix.
"You did great, Mother! What a blast!"
"But our food provisions were on that wagon," I cried, tears down my cheeks. Seth reached down and kissed them. Paul came over and put his hand on my shoulder, as did Kahla.
"You're okay now. He's gone." Paul touched me tenderly. Then Kahla added:
"Come with us. He can't take you with us around."
But Seth interjected:
"I have another plan. We're leaving for Laah immediately."
"All of us?" I managed.
"Yes. All of us. The bhoks will be all right on their own. Karu'an and Lix can come with us."
As I settled down and stopped crying, we all talked about what happened. Maya gave her graphic description blow by blow, as she was very observant from her hiding place. She seemed especially adrenal and very excited by the battle. She said:
"And Mother was going to blast him. But he got scared. And his neck hurt from where she hit him with a rock. And Karu'an was great. She knew exactly what to do!" She said this in rapid succession.
By then we had all calmed down enough to smile at her. Her enthusiasm was getting contagious, and we all relived the excitement.
"Maya, this is not how it's supposed to be," Paul said in a calm voice. "You could have been killed. And I don't want my little girl to die."
"Don't worry Daddy. I'm not going to die. I have to live to do what I must do."
"Oh? And what is that, love?"
"I have to conquer Morz," she said very seriously.
"Well, being your Mother's daughter, no doubt you will."
Kahla came over and put her arms around me. I was sitting down on a rock and she came to tenderly caress me.
"Thank 'Aan you're safe."
"Do you think I'm safe?"
"Of course you are. We're all here now, and Morz will have to answer to us. This will not be easy on him. We'll see to it." Then she whispered: "Did Morz find out about the cache of weapons?"
"No. It never got to that. He shouldn't know," I whispered back.
"Good. Now let's get your things. I'll sent my android."
Just then both Master and Captain, Kahla's android, came down from their ship and walked over to us.
"You've been crying, Mistress."
"I know, Master. But I'm all right now."
"I saw Morz's ship leave and figured things were not good."
"They weren't."
"Well, we're here now. So do not worry."
Then he turned to Captain: "Let's get the survival gear." Then to us: "Should we get back into the ships?"
Seth answered: "You two go in my ship and fetch what you need. The rest of us will take Paul's ship."
"Understood."
Master and Captain went back to Seth's machine and lifted off. Paul and Kahla took Maya. They too were her parents. They were followed by Karu'an. That lioness today earned her keep. Lix followed them, licking Maya's hand, as if to say that he was sorry it all happened. She reached down to his ears and gave them a scratch. Seth took me by the hand and led me to Paul's craft. He held the gun in his other hand. By then darkness had fallen. We flew to our little valley and touched down.


22. The Sing.

I expected a doomsday scenario. Morz would be waiting for me at Laah. Seth and Paul and I would be arrested. Maya forced to go to Xin'oy. Karu'an and Lix abandoned. The cache of weapons discovered and Kahla arrested. As we sped on the grid towards Laah, these dark thoughts tortured my mind in the few minutes of darkness. While our ships sped to the great city of lights on the horizon, vast patches of dark below were punctuated with the small lights of lone habitation. It was a big and lonely land, I thought. Seth and I and Maya, with our animals, were in one ship, and Paul and Kahla and the androids in the other. My little ship was left in its hiding place. I expected the worst.
But it didn't happen. When we arrived, we were given a hero's welcome. Multitudes turned out on our arrival at the city, cheering and offering their minds and voice as we stepped from the ships. News had reached them that Morz had attempted to capture me, and they were celebrating my strong resistance. We were made welcome by all.
Mori'an was the first to greet us.
"Welcome, welcome. You have been valiant in your struggle over the forces of violence, even if this was fought with violence itself." He reached over to me and put his arms around me in a loving way. When he withdrew, I could see his old but handsome face filled with care and compassion. He understood from my mind what I had been put through. "Tonight, you will be my guests. And tomorrow we will have a Sing in your honor, which you all will attend." He directed his last at Seth and Paul and Kahla.
"Can Maya be there?"
He looked at her with those same kind eyes.
"Of course. She is older than her years." Maya straightened, as if to make herself taller. She was about to ask about Karu'an, but I looked at her, and she knew to stop.
Then M'aan and Ta'an and Tenya all came in turn to greet us and make us welcome. The large crystal at the receiving area glowed brightly, transmitting the well wishes of the crowds into our minds. It was not as I had expected, but it was good.
We made preparations the next day. Seth had mentioned that I should bring the battle mask, as this was a high Sing.
"It is designed to enhance the power of the crystal. You will see what I mean. The masks were first used in battle, long ago, but they serve a ceremonial function now."
"You mean like in a war dance?"
He smiled at my remark.
"Something like that. But for you, yes."
We assembled in the large hall that is used for the Sing. It was very much like the one I had seen aboard the Star-ship. I had been here before, but not for a ceremony of this magnitude. The large crystal ring on its pedestal in the center shone its dark green, almost space black. Around the crystal was the curved floor, it slowly ascending towards the ceiling so that the large room had the illusion of being the inside of a vast elongated sphere. The lights played on the walls and ceiling, as they did on the Ship. On the floor were the same spirals as on the Ship radiating from the center to the outer walls. It was on these spirals that participants were now taking their places, each instinctively spaced evenly from his or her neighbor, as if all knew exactly where. We did the same.
As they entered the large room, it was impossible to know who was there. All wore masks, same as Paul and Seth and I. Even Maya wore a mask. But I could guess by the seating who was of importance. The Dreamers were reserved the seats closest to the Light, though a few spaces were left at the crystal itself for the highest dignitaries. I could feel the presence of those immediately around me and knew Kahla was nearby. But it was like a very secret masquerade party, as none revealed their identity. Maya and I sat next to Paul and Seth in our designated spaces only one turn of the spiral from the center. The spaces immediately ahead of us, of which there were three, had not yet been filled. So we waited.
As we waited, I looked around the large room to admire the masks. Only Maya's was a simple wooden mask that looked like masks I had seen on Earth. It had two faces on it, one above the other, one bright and cheerful, the other grave. It was hard to remember that the person behind the strange mask was my daughter. But my mask made me hear her as if she were in my head, so there was no doubt. Paul's and Seth's, the only other two people whose identity I could confirm, had masks similar to mine. They were battle masks, made of metal and feathers. Both had sadistic smiles fashioned into them, the metal carefully formed to resemble the convolutions of the brain. Paul's was more hawk like, the feathers carefully arranged to imitate a bird, the nose fashioned into a beak. It reminded me of images I had seen of the ancient Egyptian god Horus. Seth's was flatter, more like the face of a cratered moon, though it too had feathers on the side. Mine was mostly feathers, but the face was fashioned more like that of an animal with ears. Around me were others, each wearing an individually crafted mask, though not all had feathers on them. Some were accentuated with color, in rainbows, and others were plain and of a woodlike metal, flat and dark. Most looked sinister, some like serpents. Maya's mask, by comparison, seemed most unique in its plainness. The awaited guests arrived. They made their way towards the center and took their seats. I thought I could recognize them from inside my head, but it did not make sense. Their masks were the most ornate, topped by large feather head dresses. Silence fell on the room. The Sing was about to begin.
I have learned much since I last attended this ceremony aboard the Star-ship. I knew what to expect. First the central crystal of Light has to be activated. This is done by the three sitting immediately before it. They would do it with their minds. Then the rest of the congregation would join in, progressing up the spiral, so that in time all were involved in the exchange of mind energy that powered the large ring.
Silently, and very gradually, the ring began to glow. At first there was only the faintest trace of light, more like a dark blink. It reminded me of the time Seth and I lay back in his valley looking up at the sky. I thought I saw a meteor, but it was so faint that I was not even sure I did. It was like that. A moment passed in still silence, then the light came on again, more visible now. The crystal began to hum quietly and glow a dark green. As it came to life, more light began playing on it in circular motions, making it glow more strongly. The sound emanating from it also picked up, more like a faint chorus of voices chanting out of harmony. Maya took my hand and looked at my mask, then returned her gaze to the ring. I signaled her that it was all right. Light began pulsating from it, now reaching out into our minds, as our minds reached back into it. Then the chorus became more audible and the light started its strange dance, bouncing around the room. The light on the walls matched it, giving the whole room an eerie feeling of flying. In our minds were now voices, forming themselves in bass and falsetto, still out of harmony, but penetrating. I could not resist being drawn into it. No one spoke or made a sound, but the room more and more filled with sound. It was the Light playing with the cells in our brains. As the sound and light grew, so did the intensity of our response to it. We could now feel each other as if everyone present was as one in our head. The chorus changed, now more like harmony, more symphonic. Bodies had begun to sway. The Light was reaching out to the furthest reaches of the room and we began to feel engulfed. It was rich and strong and loud. The sound pried into our ears, and the light played on our eyes. It was all in our brains. We were becoming one with it.
From within my mask, I could feel the individual minds around me, as if I could step into their being. They, no doubt, were experiencing the same. A high note rose above all the other voices, carrying with it a strange and long melody that pulled us forward. The crystal shone brightly, rays darting from it. It had become alive, and I could now understand its power. It came to this world long ago from a very advanced race, even more advanced than they who manufacture the intelligent components of our androids. The crystal goes back far through time, and from a another galaxy so far away that only the most advanced beings could reach it. It was very ancient, an elemental piece of our universe. Motion had become sound, and being merged with mind. We were entering that world of the Dream that reveals for each of us, and to each other, who we are. And in that, as the music rose and fell, its harmony both inviting and repelling, melodious and jarring, we were opening our whole beings to the Sing. Each mind was now bare before the Light, and in that became bare before each other. A sound not unlike that of wind and thunder and drumming descended on the congregation and images began forming within my mask. I could see the calm face of Mori'an, just a row ahead of me, and that of M'aan, next to him. She was a high Dreamer too. In the madness that was now the Light flying around the room, bouncing off the walls and ceiling, I could see my own face, and then Seth's and Paul's, followed by Maya's. Her eager eyes were blazing, as if she could see into infinity, laughing. It was her first Sing. I could see the beautiful golden face of Kahla, eyes closed, and to my surprise, even the faces of Letta, and Wha'an. I did not know they were here. We were one.
Then a darkness fell. The voices and drumming turned to a slow bass, a long note that held us and would not release us. We were being held in immobility, like by the web of a great and powerful spider. It was like the voice of death. I wanted to rise, but realized that I could not, though my body was also swaying, as was everyone else's. I wanted to dance to this terrible music, to throw my body at it, to scream. But not a voice was raised. It was all in our minds, and we could hear it as if it was in our ears. The loud bass got louder, like long shock waves passing through out whole being. And then I saw the face. It was the face of Morz. We all saw it, and the power that rose from that face became felt through every single soul there. And it chilled me to the bone. The image was a handsome and powerful face, without the terrible scars, yet terrible just the same. He was a very good looking man, and I could not stop looking at him.
But it did not stop. Maya's little face rose up to his and looked intensely into his eyes. Mori'an also came and retreated, as did mine and Seth's. No others approached. But in those brief encounters images rose of what had taken place. I could see the replay of Morz's attack in the desert, the destruction of the wagon, the stone hitting him in the throat. I could feel it as if it had struck me. The violent harmony and light played faster. It now had a beat, of malevolent passion. I could feel his finger on the trigger, trying to see us in the stinging wind. We all looked like shadows and rocks, and he was confused. I could see how terrorized he was when Karu'an lunged at him, and how surprised when I fired his weapon. We all could see it, every single mind there. The Light was merciless and it played on. I could feel Morz as if he were reaching into my body. It was lust, and he wanted me, with passion. Images of my stealing into Xin'oy flashed and how I tried to escape. And at that moment, involuntarily, I wanted him, horrible now as he was, and our faces joined again within the mask. It was a dance, his brute force with mine, his passion and mine, though I fought it, and tried to resist. I could not, and in my mind, he took me as I had never been taken before. He was a big man, strong and willful. I could feel his drive and his terrible fury with me. He fought me, and I him, locked in mortal combat. Even Seth and Paul stood back as we needed to resolve this violent energy between us. But Maya did not back down, and she stood by me, unafraid. Shame and guilt gripped Morz, and his passion, against his will, slowly ebbed. He was subdued, though not defeated. He let go for now, and all knew it. The merciless Light from the crystal continued its rich dance, voices rising and falling like a demonic chorus. No Earth temple or service could ever duplicate this. It was from the center of the universe, as if merging the souls of our being, in all of us, with the One.
At that, a loud chant began to rise, this time from our throats:
"'Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn!" And then again: "'Aaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnnnn......." A silence followed and then a new sound: "Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhmmmmmmmmmmmm........" It died far away, then it returned: "Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...." It was like a taking in of the breath. And when the chant to 'Aan returned, it was like breathing out. We were chanting to their god. And as we chanted, as out bodies swayed involuntarily in every direction beneath our nearly stationary masks, the Light began to fade. I knew that each of us brought of ourselves into the ring, and from that radiated our collective being as light and sound and mind. But this Sing was more than one of the usual love and harmony. It was made of passion and fury and a darker love. It had the elements of a powerful lust, which left us all, in the end, drained. In time, silence returned. As we sat, our masks still on, the Light faded and returned to the murmur of a steady hum. The crystal was still glowing green, but no longer flashing. It would cool gradually and become black again, as if the blackness of cosmic space once again dominated its being. The Sing ended.
I felt as if I were in a mild state of shock, unable to move. I could tell others felt the same. I did not know Morz would be attending, but obviously he was, and I wanted to see where. In time, when we could again control our bodies, we began taking off our masks. Some faces were beaming, smiling greedily, others more somber, thoughtful. I could see Mori'an. He had the steady gaze of a sage, deep in thought. M'aan removed her mask. She smiled at me, with a question mark in her eyes, as if to say: Was that you? When Paul took off his mask, he knew and grinned, as if to shake his head, meaning: You're learning! And Seth looked at me with his dark grey eyes, as if he could reach into my head and hold it tenderly. Kahla had a look of sheer disbelief, as if to say: How could you? But she then smiled at me mischievously. And Maya flung off her mask to take air, as she sat there just breathing. I think it may have been too much for her young mind. Only one mask now remained, and it sat right by the large crystal. He did not have to take it off, as I knew who he was. And I knew he would not.
When the Sing was over, Mori'an rose and announced in a loud and clear voice:
"You have all seen and felt what was here. In the name of 'Aan, take it back with you and find within it the wisdom that was given. You all know what that is, and I need not tell you what to do. It is for you to find within yourself the secrets that you brought before the Light. The answers will always be given in the One."
When he had finished, Maya tugged at my arm and asked:
"Is that like Dreaming, Mama?"
"Yes, very much like that. But here it was done by all, not just one."
"Oh? I want to Dream, when I'm older."
"I'm sure you will. You seem made for it."
"You too."
"You think so?"
"I'll show you. You'll see. When I'm older."
As we individually rose, each in his or her time. Only Morz sat still in his place. He would be the last to leave. Seth came over to me.
"You know what this means, don't you?"
"I'm not sure, but I feel so exposed."
"You are. Now some know what secret you harbored. But that was not why we brought you here. We all come with guilt, and leave without, each one of us in our own way."
"You mean not everyone felt what I saw?"
"No. They all had different images. But those close to you and involved saw it."
"Oh? But how about Mori'an?"
"From where he sits, I think he sees all. That is why that place is especially reserved for him."
"Then am I in trouble?"
"No. You are never in trouble because of a Sing. Here it is like a special sanctuary. That could never be taken from any of us, even from Morz."
"But you saw, didn't you, how he feels about me. I had no idea of the depth of his passion," I whispered.
"Maybe neither did he, though he knows it now."
"And Maya was so prominent in it all."
"She's a very special little being, that we could see. I wouldn't be surprised if in a few years, it is she who is at the center. Quite a child, from an Earth woman." He said that teasingly.
"She is. But by what magic can all this come?"
"It's an ancient mystery even we don't fully understand. But we believe in it."
"I must confess, now, so do I. It is very powerful."
"It was powerful. More than most."
A thought occurred, and I thought I should ask:
"What will Morz do now, now that he knows?"
"Leave it to 'Aan."




23. Gentle.

Karu'an greeted us at the door upon our return, as did Lix. They both had the look of concern, as if to say: Where have you been? We've been worried. Though both kept the other company, even if humorously mismatched in size, they were very focussed on us. Maya and Seth and I were all in good spirits, as if some worrisome ordeal had been lifted and we were free. To Maya, who immediately launched herself into Karu'an's fur and rolled about the floor with Lix, she said it was like an initiation, but into what she did not know. Seth was quiet in his serene way, but he too was much relieved, as was I.
Mori'an had given us the run of the house, so we made ourselves at home. His residence was a vast complex of connected rooms perched on a cliff overlooking the ocean. Its spacious grounds were well groomed with beautiful flowering and tropical trees, attended by either androids or spheres. At the edge of the cliff was a pool filled with that magical water I first experienced with Kahla at her club. The interior was much like Paul's but larger, with more ornate details. The entryway had exotic carvings, more like sculptures, depicting scenes from around Ka'ananda or other worlds. The same for each column which supported the complex, including the outdoor walkways. Each had finely detailed imagery and bright colors. Mori'an's personal android, Philo, attended to our needs. It was an easy place to stay, and as Mori'an had been called away, it was ours for a few days.
Before Mori'an left for his engagement, he said to us:
"You will not be bothered, not even by Morz and his men. That is past now. So just enjoy my hospitality. I am sorry that I cannot be a better host, but a concern calls me elsewhere."
"We appreciate your kind offer," I answered. He gave me a curious smile, as if to say that he liked who I was. It was easy to like him. He felt like a friend.
Both Kahla and Paul came to visit. We all swam in the iridescent pool bathed with Light. They lingered as long as time would allow. We all swam nude and enjoyed ourselves in the lavish beauty of the place, watching the reddish sunsets over the ocean until the sky turned a dark lavender, then blue green, that faded black. Even Letta and Wha'an came for a visit. It was so easy living like this after our time in the desert, though Seth said he missed the simplicity of his other life.
"Quite a contrast from Star-ship commander to Sanctuary to here, isn't it?"
"It's all part of life. Variety does not disturb me, but I could learn to like this too much."
"Was being a Trooper part of that life experience?"
That brought silence to Seth. Then he said:
"It was a dark time of my life. I had just lost a great Ship with a great loss of life. I was so despondent that I could do nothing else, so I offered my service. I blamed myself." He looked back into his mind as if remembering. "We had run into a cosmic anomaly where the universal plane we were approaching did not register properly on our monitors."
"Did you hit a stellar object?"
"We had to detour around a large dense planet that showed up in our merge, but its gravity was too great for us. When we crash landed, I had turned on all the antigravity equipment we could do safely, so not to overburden the life support, but it was still not enough to overcome the crushing weight of gravity. Many suffocated. Only the strongest survived. Out of hundreds, of whom many were children and women, only a score survived. Among those was Morz. But his whole family perished." He seemed deeply sad when he said this.
"And you were rescued?"
"Within days, a Star-ship sent down specially equipped shuttles which connected to our crippled ship and into which, with great difficulty, we were able to transfer those still alive. It was the hardest work I even did. It felt as if the weight of worlds was on my shoulders. Morz blamed me for not having turned on the antigravity to a higher level. He was my second in command and that was his choice, but I overruled him. I knew that if I followed his choice, none would have survived, as the Ship would have imploded. But he never believed that. So even now, he can't forgive me."
"I didn't know you knew him that well. But he can't do anything to you, can he?"
"No. He can't. But I do know him. Very, very well."
After another silence, I asked him:
"Do you think you did right?"
"It's hard to know, San'aa. But it was terrible just the same. Maybe I'll never know. There were times I wished that it was I who had died."
We were lying by the pool as he told me this, untouched food by his side, looking far out into the space over the sea. As we lay there, the green darkness of the sky picked up the grey of his eyes, and I could see a heavy sadness in them. I went over to him and put my arms around his neck and kissed him on his wooly head. He reached up and stroked me on the back of my neck. It was a deep and sad caress.
Our peaceful days were spent much as they were in the desert, save for the comforts this life offered. There was a quiet in being alone that we did not find in Laah. The presence of minds in the city never gave one the total peace we had both become accustomed to. This is true of any advanced world, Seth said, where the mind had evolved to the point of telepathy. This was one reason he so loved his desert valley. It offered total peace. And in that peace was total freedom.
Thinking of freedom made me homesick at times for my world. It was the same sadness that I sometimes felt for the loss of my beautiful flute. I had it only a very short time, but like loss of any kind, it left an empty ache inside. It was the same with my home world. Though Earth by contrast to here was full of strife and confusion, nevertheless it was the world I knew most of my life. And at times, it seemed that I preferred its chaos to the all pervasive order of the Light. In that chaos was also a freedom, filled with the busyness and sadness of a newly conscious world. The intrigue, the gossip, the oppressiveness of its petty laws, even its struggles for survival, and terrible wars, all somehow connected into the psyche of who I was. Seth had been to enough worlds to understand, as did Paul who had spent more than a year wandering the Earth. His impressions, he had said, were detached to a degree, because he was not of my world. But he had learned to love planet Earth just the same, even to the point where he experienced homesickness for it. His Planet-walk merged his life with Earth's so to give him a deep understanding and love for the planet and its people. He knew of Earth's regressive, aggressive traits, but he was not challenged by them. In some mysterious way, he had made them a part of him with full acceptance of how things were. It was these thoughts that were running through my head when Paul announced that he was once again returning to Xi'sang, the world where the android's mental technology is assembled. All the other parts were manufactured here, even to the point of being bionically almost human. But the mind and, if such is possible, the soul of a personal android was made there. They were a very advanced race, far ahead of Ka'ananda by hundreds of thousands of years. Paul said to me:
"Kahla and I are leaving in a few days to bring back a shipment of androids."
"Are these all spoken for? Can I acquire one?"
"I'll bring back twenty-one, then, as twenty are already accounted for."
"Why twenty? Who are they going to?"
"They were ordered by the Dreamers who oversee Ka'ananda's animal and plant life."
"The same who manipulate the Light spheres, people like Wha'an?"
"Yes. He's one of the Life strategists. They will be manufactured to be different from androids like Master or Philo. But they can easily be remodified to serve as personal androids as well. We want to cover parts of the interior that had been long neglected"
"Such as? Do you mean where there are no spheres now?"
"You know the valley where you and Seth live. Places like that. But it's still only at the experimental stage."
"Does that mean that Sanctuary will now have androids and Light spheres? It is untouched now. I think it should stay that way."
"There's more to it that just that. But I am not yet free to give you all the details."
"But where I found Karu'an was so natural, so untouched."
"And it will be. But we need them there, if only temporarily."
Paul did not elaborate, and his mind seemed closed as to what the real purpose was for those new androids. But he assured me that life would not change in any way in our valley, that we would hardly know the androids were there. I did not totally trust this. Somehow, something was being planned, and I meant to find out what.
Seth and I made preparations to depart for our valley when the time came to leave Mori'an's. Our work here seemed finished. The Dream Sing had dispelled much of the tension between myself and Morz. I was assured that he would no longer request for either Maya or me to attend training at Xin'oy. The Sing had acted as a vast capacitor where all the psychic and reality tension that had built up as a result of my unauthorized visit to the island of death had been released in a vortex of energy, much as a confession on Earth, on a much smaller scale, does the same thing. The spoken word, once released, works its own magic on reality, though we often cannot know this. Perhaps that is the real healing from psychotherapy, as much as the patient's understanding. In the end, it acts more like a confessional. Even Maya seemed more at ease, now that my secret was revealed. But it was done in a very compassionate way. Only Morz's passion for me remained a mystery. And even more mysterious was my passion for him.
Seth and I talked often of how the relationships between those we love is different on the outside, as he calls life on Ka'ananda, and that of Sanctuary. On Earth, though it often happens, the idea of three, or what we consider infidelity, is not the expected norm, though it is here. In Sanctuary, a one to one relationship is also considered the norm, though it goes against the ideal of the number three. But both worlds exist here, side by side, and all are free to travel back and forth as they need. Seth and I decided that we were happiest when just with each other, though Paul still considered me, somewhat indirectly, a part of his family. And I felt the same, as I did with Kahla. But they were a special love I had, not the same as for Seth. We had grown closer with the weeks and months spent together, though neither one explicitly said so. Yet, we knew it was so. I loved Seth, and he loved me. And Maya totally accepted this, same as she accepted Paul and Kahla and I. Her young mind was mature in wisdom far beyond her natural years. Also, while at Mori'an's, Maya had resumed her study tapes. In a matter of days, she had consumed as much knowledge and experience as an Earth child would learn in a year. She was now fluent in five languages, three of which were Earth's, as well as Xi'Sang's. Of Earths, she could now speak basic English, French, and Arabic. She was about to learn Spanish and Russian, and then take on Mandarin and Hindi. She said she hoped to someday speak over a dozen Earth languages, as she planned to go there when she got older. These were her own ideas, as I had not planted them. But she has her own ideas anyway, sometimes much to our surprise. Soon she would be four.
It had again turned warm in the desert, and Spring made the land blossom with its life giving revival. Not that Winter was harsh in our little valley, as it dropped to freezing only on rare nights. But the buds on the trees were again making their appearance, and the fragrance of early blossoms gave the morning air a new freshness. The snow capped mountains were now releasing their store of crystal clear, cool waters, and by measures our little valley came to life. Birds returned, as did a variety of benign insects, and burrowing animals were now seen more frequently. Even those mischievous tree squirrels were running about, performing antics in search of mates. By then, Seth and I had gone to fetch my little craft. It was decided by us all three that we would compromise, while living the life sadhus or hermits, we would enjoy some of the benefits of this world's civilization and technology. We also decided that Maya should have her learning tapes, as she seemed to crave learning. So those were brought from the city as well, though we still lived without the benefits and comforts of the Light. We still washed at the pond, or if too frigid, in a basin brought inside and warmed within the mud brick house. Maya was getting taller, her features less those of a baby and more those of a little girl. Paul's face was visible in subtle hints in the formation of her brow and chin. But most of the face in those still chubby little cheeks was mine.
Paul had returned with his new androids, and he brought one for us as promised. To introduce us all properly, he also brought Master as well as Kahla's android Captain. Kahla was unable to attend, though she sent her love.
When they disembarked, Karu'an came over to greet them, standing before them with very inquisitive eyes. She had not seen androids for a time and began sniffing them, much as a dog would. Not to be outdone, Lix did the same, much to our amusement. Since the two had become good friends, they imitated each other whenever possible. I could tell that the androids' lack of smell puzzled them, however. Master and Paul and Captain disembarked first. They were followed by the new arrival. It was a she, and I could have sworn that there was something in her that reminded me of me, more like a stylized version of me, though shorter. She seemed shy at first, hesitant in the entryport of the ship, then she came over to our little group who stood together waiting for her. She stopped a dozen paces from us and just stood there. I could see from both Maya's and Seth's eyes that they were enjoying this. Captain spoke to her first. She too had a female personality.
"Would you like to meet your new family, infinity minus (she read off a number too long for me to remember)?"
'Infinity' approached a few shy steps further, then put her hands together in the way of Na'am'sat, the formal greeting of Ka'ananda. We put our hands together in the same way, as in response. She bowed her head.
"I am honored to be a part of your family."
As she was to be my android, I felt I should respond.
"And we are honored with your presence with us."
At that she looked up and gave us what appeared very much like a smile mixed with an inquisitive look.
"How can I be of helpfulness to you?"
Paul answered:
"We are one with the Light. Your presence is very much desired by the humans here."
Then Captain spoke again:
"Would you like to come and have a closer look at San'aa?"
At that, 'Infinity' took a few more steps towards me and began looking at me earnestly. She had that freshness of a new being, though she was a machine. But she was a machine like none on Earth had ever seen. She seemed almost alive. I liked her instantly. As she was watching me with those intelligent eyes, I spoke:
"May I touch you?"
She stood still, but something in her body language said that I could, should. I came up to her and put my hand near her left shoulder, just over where the human heart should be. She stood totally still, her eyes looking at me with curiosity. She was human in appearance, even to the point of having a faint outline of breasts and minimal hips, similar to Kahla's android. Then she tentatively reached up to me and placed her hand near my shoulder as I had to her. We had made contact. A bond of some kind had been formed. Then I asked:
"Do you have a name?"
"No. It is for you to assign one to me. What would you like to call me, San'aa?"
I thought about it a moment. Master called me Mistress. But that seemed a duplication, and out of character for this gentle being. She needed a better name. Seth watched me, as did Maya and Paul. One came to me. It seemed to fit her.
"'Infinity', may I call you Gentle?"
"That would be a lovely name. I will be Gentle."
"You already are." I saw Paul smile. Seth reached over to me and laid a hand on me, as if to tell me with his touch that he liked the name. Maya asked: "Will she be Gentle for me too?"
"I will be Gentle for everyone. It is my new name. Thank you."
The last she said with her hands raised, as before, but she used the word of Ka'ananda: Ka'an. Then all in turn, Master first, came to wish Gentle welcome to her new world. Maya glowed with joy, as did everyone. Lix and Karu'an looked on with their usual puzzled look that spoke of a rude understanding but impatience with why it all took so long. In their minds a simple sniff and brush against the new android would have been sufficient. But they dream a different dream.
Gentle joined us and was shown around the house, to which she asked questions much as a human would. We showed her the grounds and explained what it was we did here. Then Master explained what it was he did. He even showed her how to work the potter's wheel. Captain did the same, explaining the various uses of garden tools, which I could tell registered flawlessly in Gentle's brain. Before long all became totally comfortable with the new member of the family. Gentle would lapse into that infinitesimal moment of inactivity that androids all share, and then would join us in conversation, as if she had always been there. Paul had brought us a wonderful gift.








24. Star-Command.

"Love is a funny thing," Maya. "With Paul, it was passion and adventure and new worlds in ways I could never imagine. With Kahla, it was passion and tenderness and sex. But in neither did I really feel a true commitment. I love them dearly, deeply, but it is the love of fun. Love for the father of my child, for a friend. It is happy or sad, positive or negative, no more, no less. But with Seth, it is different somehow. It is a quiet love, silent and still like the deep flowing river that seems to barely move, and yet vast bodies of water flow ineluctably towards the sea. It is like that, all encompassing, like it is pulled by something it cannot resist. It knows it must go as it is bid, even if at times it seems difficult and dangerous, even if it has to move mountains to get there. When one loves like this, there are no obstacles, and we move worlds if we have to. It is that kind of love I feel for Seth. It is a deep love, not overt or public, or even always passionate and fun. But it is."

That's the kind of love I felt for Seth when I learned that he had been asked to again command a Star-ship. I could see the excitement in his eyes when he told me.
"I'm to command Ka'ankh'an. She is a Star-ship with many star systems to her name. Her missions have been primarily for transport of personnel and intergalactic trade. But now she is to be used for surveys on the edges of the known worlds. Think of it, San'aa. New worlds! And She's mine!"
"When are you called?"
"They're reoutfitting her now with containment holds and new monitors and laboratories. She's also getting updated technology for propulsion. She's a beauty. We travel in about two months."
"Then I still have you for two more months."
"You'll come with me, if you'd like, on the next trip out. You'll see worlds and beings you could never imagine."
"You mean the worlds aren't all like this?" I somehow assumed that Earth and Ka'ananda, being so similar, were universal.
"Oh no. They can be very different from what we have here. I've seen some, and they boggle the mind. You must see them. The first trip will be a trial, and for that we will have only a professional crew. But on the next one, will you go?"
"Anywhere, even beyond the known worlds."
I already knew from my learning tapes of Boh and Xi'sang, our nearest neighbors. Boh was very much like this world. But the people of Xi'sang looked old, evolved to a stage where they were still human in appearance, but already had enough changes in them where their lean long bodies appeared to be more transparent. Otherwise my knowledge was lacking. Now I had the chance to see worlds I could not even imagine.
"How do the people look on those other worlds?"
"They're not people like we know, though intelligence of varying degrees is universal. And so is love. The universe has shown it can manifest itself in a near infinite variety of beings. Some even look like rocks. You'll see."
Life in our little valley retreat resumed its normal pace with periodic visits to Barter. Maya was enjoying her new learning tapes, and Spring turned into Summer. Seth and Maya and I, along with our animal friends, took long treks into the desert, to hideaways where Seth mined the luminous green stones used for lighting and trade. We also explored every twist and cranny of the rock escarpment that transverses the continent, though there was so much to see within a day's walk that we had not gone very far. I had my little shuttle craft, but we used it primarily on official visits to the city, or to go to the islands. Gentle accompanies us on these journeys, or she stayed at home and welcome us upon our arrival with refreshments and plain, by appearance, but sumptuous meals. She had adjusted to our way of life almost instantly, as if she were always a member of our family. Her intelligence was endearing and impressive beyond measure. Nothing ever went by her.
"Why do you keep that cave beyond the gorge off limits to us?" she inquired one day.
"We have something hidden there, of which I am not free to talk about, that could be dangerous to us. So we keep it well covered."
Gentle stood with that momentary lapse as she was processing it, then went on with whatever occupied her at the time. But the question raised a suspicion in me.
"Why?" I asked her. "Has anyone asked you about it?"
"No one. I just knew there was something inside and wondered what it was. I am very curious, you know. It's part of my programing."
"Yes, we noticed. You look and examine everything in detail. Is that how you know some of our bhoks are about to foal?"
"I could see their eating habits changed, and how they interacted. So it took me a few days to figure it out. But I was right, wasn't I?"
"Do you know when?"
"I would guess in about two weeks, give or take a day, for two of them, and a few days later for the other two. But I'll know better in a week."
"Gentle, if you're right, it will be a miracle, as no one here could ever guess when they will drop their foals. It always catches us by surprise. So we'll watch together."
"Agreed."
With that she cheerfully left and picked out some chore that needed doing in the garden. I resumed my work at the potter's wheel, as I had become proficient at this and loved turning out small jars for Letta's herbal remedies.
Seth and Maya had gone into Laah to pick out more tapes. She was going through them at a very rapid pace. She said she wanted to volunteer on the next mission of Ka'ankh'an. I said it was still too early for her to go off into faraway parts of the galaxy. But Seth agreed that she could go into space and see nearby worlds, as part of her education. To that Maya was very pleased and started dreaming of space travel. By then, Morz had become a memory, as were the traumas we had suffered. Paul visited less frequently, as his work demanded more of his time. And even Kahla seemed to drop from our world, except one time when she came to inquire about the weapons we hid. I told her nothing had changed. But I was curious as to the depth of her involvement. She would not say.
To assure Maya that she would travel one day on the Star-ship, Seth took us to see her, now that she was almost ready. We boarded our little ship and sped off to the continent where the Star-ships landed. Because these Ships are so great, they could not land in habitated areas, as they cause too much atmospheric disturbance, so are relegated to one land mass only. This is far south of us, below the equator and far from inhabited islands. The trip took us only a matter of minutes. As we approached the continent, we could see its bright greenery, as this was a rainy belt of the planet. I have been here only twice. Once when I first landed, and later on when receiving important visitors from another world. Paul and Kahla and I joined the welcoming crowds. It was before Maya was born. Now I was seeing it again, after a long absence.
The Star-ships looked small from a distance, but I knew this was only a trick of perspective. They grew visibly larger as we approached. The grid brought us directly to the coordinates we computed and we landed beneath the vast craft by one of the entry ways. She was poised on a large mesa and loomed enormous overhead, blocking out the whole sky. The ground glowed from her Light source, casting pale pink shadows around us. It was like walking into a great cathedral of light. A faint hum emanated from her, as if she were singing to herself.
"Well, there She is! Isn't she beautiful?"
"You're flying that, Seth?" Maya asked, wide eyed.
"It's not like flying a shuttle craft, love. I can't fly her alone. She will have a crew of six hundred, a hundred Dreamers, plus other passengers. I'm only her commander, that is all."
We went inside and took the gliding walkways, which speedily took us to the command center. This was a large chamber near the top of the Ship. It was not at the exact top, as that was an important energy source and was occupied by other equipment. Rather, we were in the circumference about a hundred meters below the center, near the top, forward of the large oblong machine. I knew from the tapes that its propulsion system could take us to a factor hundreds of times light speed. This could take her to any part of the galaxy we wished, even to those parts where it is believed space doubles on itself and merges naturally into its own perpendicular. But this is still only a theoretical place, as no other ship had ever reached it. Ka'ankh'an may be the first to try. But not on this first mission.
At the command center, we were greeted by those aboard who were already operating their stations. All were introduced in turn, and all made us feel welcome, though we were no doubt interrupting important work. All the systems had to be checked and rechecked, as any malfunction in the great distance of space could cause great harm to all aboard if the merges were in some way faulty.
"You know, San'aa. Now that I look at her, nearly complete, I have a strange guilt that Morz isn't with me. He was a fine second commander. He would have become full commander before long, had tragedy and events not overtaken our lives."
"We all make our choices. He made his. Nothing you could do."
"I know. But it is a feeling, nevertheless... So what do you think?"
"I think, with you at the helm, She's alive."
"Will you think of me, when I'm stars away?"
"You'll be right there in my head, sitting next to my ear lobe."
"So will you, and I'll whisper to you."
He took my hand and squeezed gently, more from the excitement of going out, then for reassurance. I squeezed his in return, more for his reassurance. I could tell he was tense about resuming his command. But I had faith.
As we were leaving the Ship, I had a burning question I needed to ask:
"Seth, what shall I do about the hidden weapons?"
"Has anyone asked about them?"
"No. Well, yes."
"Who?" An instant hint of concern showed.
"Gentle."
"She? Why?"
"Curious."
"Well, by the Light. Why would she ask?"
"It was most strange. But I told her something was hidden there, that's all."
"That's all it need be. But if anyone comes searching, which they never have, then play dumb. You know nothing."
"That's pretty close to the truth."
He smiled at me. He liked it when I spoke direct words that were evasive.
When we flew back, night had already fallen on our valley. As we approached it, we could see lights and activity at the other end of the range. We came in closer for inspection.
They were Light spheres slowly maneuvering about the sparse plant life there. We knew they were also beaming their energy to the animal life, which would be oblivious of the subtle effects the Light would have on their psyche, but change they would, slowly, gradually incorporated into the wholeness of the network that was the planet's life system.
"So they're no longer wild, Seth."
"That's right, love, they're not. But they will not know it for a long time."
"And our bhoks?"
"I'll keep them wild," Seth said with a grin.
Maya was already nearly asleep. She woke quickly upon our return.
"Where's Karu'an, Lix, Gentle?" she cried as we disembarked. She went running into the house.
No one was there, not even Gentle. But there were definite traces of entry. Someone had been here without our permission, and this made Seth instantly spring into action. He ran outside to where he had hidden the other weapon, the one I captured from Morz. He was back instantly, weapon in hand.
"Who in 'Aan came here?" he asked, agitated.
"Could it be the personnel who brought the spheres?"
"More than them. Someone came inside, we could see that. Let's get into the craft, all of us, and search the land."
We all climbed aboard. Water and other provisions were already on the ship, as I always kept a supply for emergency. We flew off instantly and began combing the valleys and mountains, looking for signs of motion below. Before long, we spotted the shape of a crouching lion in one of the gorges. We swooped lower and could identify that it was our lioness. When we landed by her, we could see she had a stunned look, as if she had witnessed or experienced some trauma. We gently led her into the ship, where she slowly recovered and once again became herself. I looked long into her eyes, as thoughts are slow to form in animals, and tried with my mind to probe hers, as Paul had taught me long ago.
"What do you see?" Seth inquired.
"She's seen Gentle led away from the house by men in dark uniforms. There were other androids present. That's all I could make out. But Karu'an was very frightened, though she did not attack."
"I'm glad. She could have been hurt if she had."
"Who were the men, Mama?" asked Maya as she stroked Karu'an's fur.
"We don't know, love. But we'll see if we could learn. You're not too tired?"
"No. Let's go and see who it is."
"Okay."
I again closed the entry hatch and we sped off to where we last saw the spheres. As we approached, I directed the craft's scanners to spot android activity, hoping Gentle was still functioning. We could see the Light spheres in the distance, giving off their golden glow as they passed over the landscape. There must have been more than a dozen of them. The sensors began registering android activity ahead, but it did not make sense. There was a score of them. We came closer.
We could now make them out clearly on the monitors. They were climbing up a hill, as if on maneuver, stopping and then running, then stopping again, as if ducking for cover. Over the hill were other figures moving about, some two hundred meters just over the ridge, using the same tactics. Then I changed my monitors to register what these were.
"Radioactivity! Look, Seth!"
Indeed, my scanners were now picking up radiation readings, faint but visible on the screens. I refocussed and found that the human shapes were also radioactive.
"It means only one thing. Troopers." Seth looked grave.
"On my world we have war maneuvers, much like these, where battles are simulated using soldiers from opposing camps. That's what this reminds me of. They're on a training maneuver, I think. Let's get closer, but I'll go dark."
I darkened the visible light from the shuttle craft, so we descended on very low power. Maya watched, as did Karu'an. We still did not know where Lix was. We came in very close to the crest of the hill, to where we could see the shapes darting in the darkness beneath us through the main viewing screen. It was a war between androids and Troopers. And all were armed.
As they crested, first the androids, the Troopers just below the top, they all opened fire. The charges flew from their weapons at their targets, then were deflected as the targets raised their weapons to shield themselves. All the charges were harmlessly deflected in this way, so neither side took casualties. We watched this from our vantage point and both came to realize the same thing.
"They're not enemies."
"They're in training, and it's a standoff," I said. We retreated, having seen what we needed to see, but we still did not know the whereabouts of Gentle. Then Maya cried out:
"She's there! I know she's there. Over there!" She pointed at the screen.
Indeed, there was our android. She too carried a weapon and was being made to run for the hill. I immediately brought the ship in close.
"Let's get her out of here!"
"Careful, San'aa. They're armed. Let me go for her."
"They'll shoot at you!"
"Maybe not. I'm not part of their game, so they'll ignore me."
One moon hung low in the horizon, soon to be replaced by the other. The stars shone bright overhead on this clear summer night. Seth, weapon in hand, stepped off the hovering craft and ran for cover, close to Gentle. She too was crouching behind a boulder and was about to break cover to go forward.
"Stop, Gentle!"
Maya and I could see her hesitate and then crouch again, turning to look at the voice. A moment of recognition came over her, then she again refocussed her attention on the battle ahead.
"Gentle. Stop! Come here!"
Seth was right. They were not programmed to attack any other targets than the Troopers. As Seth was not recognized as such, she was basically ignoring him. He realized it too, so he took a few steps to her and reached her by the arm. She jerked away, forcefully, as I could see Seth look stunned by her strength. Then he grabbed at her again, to no avail. She was running forward now, under her program's commands. Seth ran after her, but I could not imagine what he could do to stop her, save shooting at her. But then he would give himself away and the Troopers would converge on him. His best hope was to take the weapon from her. The lost weapon might disengage her program. It seemed to be what he meant to do.
"Is Seth being very careful, Mama?"
"Yes, love. He is very careful." Maya stayed close to Karu'an, as she watched this. I could tell the lioness was watching it too, though seeing through a two dimensional viewing screen might not have been as comprehensible to her as if she were in the thick of it. She had already demonstrated her skill.
I wanted to come down and join Seth, but Maya was still too young and untrained to handling a craft. There was nothing I could do but watch. Seth now was very close to the Trooper positions, directly in their line of fire, and thus in grave danger of being killed. I focussed with all my mind as to what I saw so he could see it too. But I am an Earth woman and don't have the skills of a Dreamer. Paul could have done it with ease. Now, I wished he were here. Then I saw Seth run out from cover and lunge from the boulder at Gentle's legs, much as a common football tackle would. This worked, and Gentle fell to the ground, dropping her weapon. Seth had left his weapon back at the rock and I could tell he was about to return to it, dragging Gentle by the arm. This time, she followed, which meant the program was disrupted. His strategy worked. They were almost behind cover again when the Troopers came charging over the hill. A great, large man was at their lead. It was Morz.
The charges flew, deflected, bouncing off into space and spent, lighting up the hill. The androids and Troopers were now coming at each other with full force. The lead man detoured. He spotted Gentle with another figure and made for them at a run. He was fast, as if powered by some external force that gave him greater speed. He was upon the two in an instant and held up his gun. I could hear them.
"Halt! Drop your weapons!"
Both Seth and Gentle froze, but neither had a weapon. Then Morz spotted Seth's weapon hidden where he had left it.
"Gentle! Go get that weapon and bring it to me! Now!"
I couldn't believe what I was being forced to see. Gentle ran over to where she had been directed and came running back with the weapon. She did not come directly to Morz. She stopped midway, nearer to Seth. Maybe her program, being disengaged, no longer answered to commands. It was only a tiny hope in the dark, but it was all I had left.
"Come on, Gentle. Come on. Don't answer to your captors. Give the weapon to Seth," I said under my breath.
Even as I was thinking this, I knew I was committing him to death. There were too many Troopers, and if opposed they are instructed to shoot to kill. Still, I could do nothing but hope.
"Now, Gentle. Now!"
As if she had heard my command, she raised the weapon, but not to Seth. Instead, it was raised at Morz. And having had the war game in her memory, she now knew how to use it.
"That a girl! Great God, Gentle!"
"Blast him! Blast him!" Maya was screaming into the screen.
But neither fired at the other. Morz just froze, his weapon now raised in defense. Seth slowly moved his arm to Gentle and took the gun from her, still pointed at Morz. Then she retreated back, and it was Seth and Morz facing each other, only a few paces apart. It had become a standoff, but the mock battle around them raged on, lights flashing, illuminating them in bursts.
Neither moved, but their eyes fixed on each other. A slow grin formed on Morz's face.
"So, commander. We are faced with a decision once again." His harsh voice carried into the ship by the audio monitor. "But this time, we're evenly matched."
"Not so, Morz, my second in command. It is you who is the commander here. And it is a hellish command." I could feel Seth fix him with his voice and eyes. He still commanded over him. Then he added: "What do you intend to do? And why are you even here?"
"We're training new recruits, if you must know. But they are no concern of yours."
"This was wilderness. Why are you training here?" The guns were still pointing at each other.
"Because here there's no one to stop us. The Dreamers are occupied with the Light spheres. We have taken the same terrain, so they do not know we're here."
"But you disrupt with your force the work of the spheres."
"A small price to pay. But look at my androids. They're great!"
"You're making a big mistake, Morz."
"And you're taking off on a Star-ship as its new commander. So we're both in control. Now isn't that the irony. You're getting another Ship." He said the last very slowly, mocking.
"Drop it, Morz. I'm not letting you get away with this. Or I'll fire."
"You're outnumbered, Seth. Or is bad decision making just your way."
He said this, almost laughing at him. I could feel the cold tension coming from Seth. He would fire, but so would Morz, and in that instant when both charges are released, neither could raise his weapon fast enough, at that range, to shield himself. They would both die almost instantly.
"Maya! Stay here. Karu'an, come!"
Without thinking, we ran out of the ship towards them. The battle had since moved on and could be seen lighting up in the distance. I ran with the lioness straight for where they were and yelled at the top of my lungs, a rage yell:
"STOP!" They both froze in their attention. Karu'an froze too, as if trained for this. "You'll both die! And I don't want you to die! Neither one of you!" I screamed in a rage. "How many lives do you think you will save by dying? You can't undo what's done! It was an accident! For mercy's sake, let it be!" My voice carried strong and hoarse over the battle field.
Their set jaws and determined fingers still frozen to the trigger told me they were not listening. Mine were only words. Theirs was passion, a dark passion that I could neither intrude into nor undo. And Morz felt an additional pain. Seth had me.
I thought I had seen a motion from the side, but knew Karu'an was behind me, and Maya was aboard ship. It occurred to me, in a flash, that if I could get Gentle's weapon, dropped when Seth grabbed her, I could also hold it in Morz. Then there was no chance he would survive. But that would provoke him, possibly into suicide, which would mean instant death for Seth. Nothing made sense in this stupid encounter of males where neither ego would back down.
"Please stop. There can be no good end in this. If one dies, the other will live forever with regret. If you both die, then the loss is for everyone. Please put down your weapons. There is no victory in this."
Neither followed my words. There was rage and anger and hurt and blame, all rolled into one. And there was guilt and anger and hurt and blame rolled in the other. Both suffered, but neither could see their way out. They were trapped by their passions, and maybe in the end, that's what combat is all about. When we are trapped by our passion into a checkmate, then people must die. I despaired, as I knew that I was about to watch that happen now. Just as my mind flashed these dark thoughts, the little shape of a dog darted from behind the shrub and began jumping excitedly up and down between them. It was an awful intrusion into this moment of intense life and death struggle. Neither spoke, but held his position. Lix kept jumping, now towards Seth, trying to lick his hands holding the weapon, now towards Morz with the same. It would have been comical, were it not so tragic, as at any moment one or both or more would die. But Lix was happily oblivious of all this. He was just glad to see people again. He must have gotten lost in all the confusion.
For a split instant, I thought I could see Morz's eyes shift ever so slightly towards Lix, as if trying to understand what was happening here. In that moment, I caught Seth's eyes steal a glance at the same. The jumping kept up, uninterrupted by the gravity of two grown men about to end their hurt and blame and hopelessness. They were going to kill each other, and leave the rest to 'Aan. And that's what happened.
It seemed impossible. But first Morz, and then Seth, very slightly, almost not to be humanly perceived, changed the look in their eyes. A slight imperceptible wrinkle around the corners of the eye relaxed, then followed by a slight raising of the lower eyelid, crushing the crows feet of both eyes. Inside themselves, they were smiling, almost mirthful, but still vengeful. Lix kept trying to gain their attention, to curry a favor or a pat, still jumping in front of them, as if to say: Look at me! And that's what happened. They looked at him. And he was being so innocently silly, so obviously foolish, that they both burst into broad smiles, and then, when they looked at each other again, into laughter. Their weapons were still raised, two Troopers trained to kill, neither wanting to part with that training. But as they laughed, their concentration on their weapons waned, and finally died. They both brought down their killing machines, and stood looking at each other. Neither spoke, but Seth reached down to scratch Lix behind the ears. When Lix came to Morz for the same, he reluctantly reached down and touched him on the nose, but that was all. In the end, they both turned their backs on each other, wordlessly, and walked away. Their passion was spent for now, but the battle raged on somewhere far over the hill. Gentle was again in our hands, as were Karu'an and Lix, and no lives were lost. It must have happened in 'Aan.


25. Carnival.

"By what past lives do you think we deserved this?" I asked Seth as we lifted off the mock battle field.
I had begun to think like a Dreamer. Though different from the way they believe on Earth, past lives are a common belief in their culture.
"I don't know, San'aa. Morz and I must go way back. More importantly, what did you do to deserve this?"
"We of Earth are a violent lot. Violence follows us like an ill spirit."
When we arrived home, Gentle had resumed her usual personality, eager to see what she could do for us. Maya was very sleepy now, and Gentle tucked her into bed, along with Lix. Karu'an found her usual place by the wall. Seth and I stayed up a bit longer.
"Do you ever think why you are where you are?" I asked.
"Sometimes I do. But mostly I just accept it. How about you?"
"I miss my world, sometimes, but I have gotten used to being here. This feels like home now. Funny, isn't it? I was born on one world, but now live on another. How can that be? I never dreamed when I met Paul that my life would take me so far from home. But where is home? My life is here now."
We fell into momentary silence, both thinking.
"It's been traumatic, of late. Morz doesn't seem to let up. He wants you still, and I fear for this. I do not want anything to happen to you in my absence."
"I will be vigilant."
"And you know where the weapons are. Now that Gentle knows how to use one, she could assist you, if need be. But I don't want either one of you hurt, nor Maya. I even fear for the animals. Those Troopers may stop at nothing. I'm actually surprised, though relieved, that Morz did not kill Lix."
"Would he have done that?"
"In the state of madness he was in, it was possible. When Troopers go into war games, sometimes it's for real."
"But they weren't killing anyone."
"The battle was still young."
Again, our silence returned. It was late in the night. All sounds ceased. The night had an ominous stillness to it, as if ill was lurking in the dark outside. But that was just my superstitious imagination. There was no one there, though they could return. I assumed that somewhere over those hills the battle ceased, and all returned to where they came from.
"How did they get those androids to act as Troopers?"
"They may be the recent arrivals brought from Xi'sang."
"But they were brought here by Paul, right?"
"True. But we have to accept the possibility that Paul and Kahla are somehow involved in this. It seems as if the Dreamers are hatching some scheme that would swell the ranks of the Troopers using androids."
"That's never been done before."
"Then maybe they're preparing them for Earth."
"I sincerely hope not. I know Earth. They would fight to the last man."
"Maybe they wouldn't. Remember, they'd be up against technology they had never seen before. They could be overwhelmed into surrender."
"And then what? Xin'oy?"
"I don't know. But we must find out."
"Then let's seek out Kahla. And let's seek only her. If we also ask Paul, it may arouse suspicion."
"There was a time when suspicion didn't exist on this world."
"Then times have indeed changed. We may be facing a new destiny."
"Then what past lives would call for this?" he asked, breaking into a smile.
"It must be Morz's life. If he was such a fine man, he's become poison now."
"Or maybe its me."
"Or maybe its me, or maybe Maya. Or maybe its nothing. It's certainly not Lix."
Again he broke into a smile. He reached over to me and pulled me gently towards him. We held each other in our arms, then slowly walked over to our mat. He undressed me slowly, feeling my body beneath my cloak. I did the same. It felt good to feel his body against mine. I asked him one last thing:
"Seth, would you have killed Morz?"
"Yes. Because I was protecting you and Maya."
"And if we weren't there?"
"No."
The night spoke to me with its silence for a long time before I finally fell asleep.
The days passed without further incident. Maya had just retrieved another nodule from her learning tapes. She had been studying space travel and asked me for permission to study the tapes showing how to operate a shuttle craft, which I gave. But before she placed the next stone into the liquid receptacle that would activate the machine, she turned to me.
"Mother, what was the name of the commander of the Unity of Dreamers? You know, the one who was selected by a hundred million Dreamers from all the worlds?"
"Her name is Aan'Xin'aan. It's an honorary name, as all the heads of the Unity take on the same name. It means chosen by 'Aan for the house of 'Aan. Why do you ask?"
I already knew why she asked. We had been talking about how I met Paul and how we travelled down the River of Life together in Sudan and Egypt. I had begun telling our story. She wanted more detail.
"I was curious about how old she was. Do you know how old?"
"I believe she is near three hundred years old, but to look at her, you would never guess. She still seems in the prime of life."
"Where is she from?"
"From the world known as Saam. It is very far away and very advanced, but not as advanced as Xi'sang."
"Will Seth fly there?"
"He might have to. He is now at Xi'sang to reoutfit the intelligence units aboard Ship."
"I know. He's already been there a month."
Maya returned to her studies and became once again fully engrossed in her tapes. She was nearly four and had an eager appetite, as if she could not learn enough, devouring knowledge at a rate not expected for such a young mind. Before turning to the next lesson, she asked:
"Who's the President of the most powerful nation on Earth?"
"I guess it would be the United States. He's a very young man. Why?"
"Is he any good?"
"Well, from what Seth told me, he's embattled. The old order is changing. Change is not easy as the old power structure won't let go. But change comes, and the younger ones take over."
"Do you think I'll meet him someday?"
"If he's still President, perhaps. But aren't you still too young to worry of these things?"
"I guess, but how about drugs and sex? Are they very important on your world?"
She always refers to Earth as my world. Sometimes she called Earth Mananam, which she learned from Paul.
"They can be a vicious cycle, especially for women. But I don't know of that very much. It seems that some women allow themselves to have sex while under cocaine, or other drugs. Then they need these drugs more often, so they have sex to get them. Then it may get worse, where they have to have sex to earn the money for the drugs. It can be a vicious cycle, even for men. But you're asking many strange questions."
"I'm just wondering what Morz has in mind for Earth, if she is not lifted from Quarantine. But I'll stop now."
She turned on her tapes and resumed her studies. It was still morning and Gentle had just returned from the gardens where she tended to the plants' irrigation. Now she was attending to feeding Karu'an and Lix. She came over to me.
"San'aa?"
"Yes, Gentle."
"I think we should have communications with Kahla and Paul."
"Why is that? Is it because we have not seen them awhile?"
"I think we should find out what their plans are for the weapons stored."
"Why do you think Paul should be consulted?"
"Because I think he knows."
Knowing how keenly intelligent she is, I immediately contacted Kahla on Seth's communicator. She responded, her three dimensional image now in the room with us.
"Hi love! I've missed you. I know Seth is off. Can we talk?"
She shimmered slightly in the low light of the house, but her brilliance was a vision of light brightening up the room.
"Yes, lets. I have a question. What do you plan to do with what's stored here?"
"They're only samples, so we need to wait for instructions."
"Is the we, Paul?"
"How could you know that?" She looked at me with concern, then added: "But the answer is yes."
"I have a good intelligence source. Where will the samples be taken?"
We had to speak in code, as the transmission could be intercepted by the Troopers.
"I can't tell you now. But there will be new arrivals you should know about. You'll know in time."
With that, her friendly demeanor changed and she signed off. I was beginning to feel very ill at ease. Seth was not to be here for another three months. This left Maya and I exposed, and I did not want to be mixed up in some scheme that could endanger her. When Maya finished with the lessons on how to maneuver a shuttle craft, which took her about two hours, she came over to me skipping and happy.
"I could fly, Mama! I know I could. Could we try it?"
"You mean right now?"
"Yes, before it starts to fade. I must practice it. Maybe Gentle can help me."
"Well, all right. Have Gentle take you up in my ship and she will monitor your progress."
At that, Maya became very cheerful and couldn't wait to climb aboard. I knew Gentle was a very able flyer and had no concern of that. But I did warn them to stay within our segment of the grid and not to stray beyond it. They agreed.
When they left, I pondered Kahla's remark, that I shouldn't know now. This did not feel right for me, so I called Paul. When he came on, I asked:
"Paul, what do you know of Kahla's plans with the samples she stored with me?" He looked perplexed.
"San'aa, you can't ask me that. I can have you attend a carnival at Sho'om's. Would you like to come?"
"Then you must know. What carnival?"
"Just fun. It's an android performance, something new."
"Can Maya come?"
"She would love the show. But I must warn you. Morz's men will be there too. It's part of the show. You'll see." With that he signed off before I could ask him if Kahla would be there too. But I suspected she would, as she rarely misses main events at her club.
When Maya returned, she was all bright and cheerful over her success.
"Mother! I can fly! Gentle showed me where I made mistakes and corrected me. It's easy!"
"Where did you take her?"
"We flew up and down the grid, as you said." Gentle looked at her. So Maya added: "And we flew over the chasm."
"And then?" added Gentle.
"Oh, yeah. Then we flew out of the atmopshere. Mother, it was wonderful!"
I smiled, remembering my first day in the craft.
"Well, we have a show to attend, love. Would you like to go?"
"A show?"
"Yes. It's a carnival at Sho'om's. You know, Kahla favorite club. Paul will be there. I think you would like it."
"Very well. I'll go. Gentle too?" Maya asked.
We all three flew to the city. A large crowd had gathered and was ready to enter. Sho'om welcomed them.
"My friends! Come to my club and enjoy a show as you have never seen before. It is a first, a milestone!" He called cheerfully. I could tell from the minds around me that there was already much expectation for this, as it must have been much talked about. All seemed eager to go in and see. With a flourish, throwing back the cape he wore, he opened the doors and bowed eloquently as he bid us all enter. He was something of a natural circus master, I thought. We all went in and took our seats at a large arena that had been built especially for the occasion. It was brightly decorated, colorful lights played off the ceiling and walls. In the center was a large raised stage. Behind the stage was a door through which the entertainers would enter and exit. We all sat down and waited for the show to begin. I looked for Paul but did not see him, so we took a seat close to the stage.
Then Sho'om came skipping out onto the stage, almost levitating with delight and proclaimed in a loud, theatrical voice:
"Welcome! Welcome! Men and women, women and men!" He gave us broad smile and then: "And Men and men, women and women!" Then he added with a coy smile, as Maya was not the only child present: "And even little children, and androids!" At this, he bowed deeply to the audience, who were already amused. Then he proceeded: "You are about to be entertained by an experiment. It may offend some, delight others. But none will forget this unforgettable show!" Then he flew off the stage and a loud, carnival music, like a calliope I would have heard on Earth, was played by instruments held by invisible hands high above the stage. The lights dimmed and now only the stage was lit. Maya's eyes were eager. She loved these shows.
By the dim light reflected off the stage, I could see figures enter the other side of the stage, through the stage door. They methodically filled the seats that were left vacant for them. They were the seats left for the Troopers, so they could sit in the comfort of their own space and not be a discomfort to the other citizens. When they had seated, I felt the presence of Paul. The Light was strong here, and the mind quickly adjusted to it. And with him was Kahla. They made their way to where we sat and took their places.
"You're both late," I whispered.
"I know," Paul answered. "Had business to attend to before the performance."
Then Kahla reached over and squeezed my hand, as if to say: Don't worry. Just then a rainbow of light descended over the stage and shadowy figures ran from the stage door into the brilliant light, moving their arms and looking about wildly, as if they were being pursued. They were androids dressed in exotic and colorful costumes. They ran about the stage wildly , choreographed in exotic movements, plainly exhibiting distress. The music got loud and a voice began chanting high over it, a mournful and melancholy chant, like the very voice of woe.
"We are the voices of our sadness. We flee from thee, to escape into tranquility. We are the women of chaos. Save us from our dismal fate, save us to return from the darkness. We yearn for the beauty and love of the Light. Let us fly with thee!"
They danced like this, their gauze like garments, in a wonderful panoply of colors, flying about the stage. The music changed in tempo, got wilder, and more figures ran unto the stage. These were dressed in darker gauze, made to resemble the suits worn by Troopers. They also held mock guns as they danced about the stage. They too sang:
"We search, we need, we hunt for what we cannot have! Release us from our plight, as we are men like you. Lost, lost! We grieve in the work we do, but do it we must. Dance to save us!"
The dance had now reached a darker bass, low and slow, and the dancing figures, still all dancing alone, looked forlorn. Then as it progressed, the light became more agitated, playing more in our heads. I knew this was the effect of the Light used. Maya's eyes closed, then glowed. Gentle sat impassively, taking it all in with her marvelous intelligence. As they danced, they had begun coming closer, dancing almost as couples, though this was illusive and they always broke apart before their coupled dance had a chance to materialize. Then they danced away again, their chanting taking on the same mournful tone. But as they danced, one by one, they began to dance together, the android women and the androids representing Troopers.
The dancing became wilder and more frenetic, the Light pushing its force into our heads, like it was us dancing up on that stage. The lights played off the walls and our faces. The tempo became hot and the dancers were now doing a slow grind, which would have been exceptionally seductive, were they human. It was women and men, or women and women, or Troopers and Troopers. The effect of the Light made it feel real, like we were dancing this slow grind ourselves. It reached into our organs, into our spines and down our backs, and up our legs. There was a powerful sensuousness there, and it got heavier and louder. The music played on mercilessly. The grinding became hotter, more sexual. I could see the audience begin feeling bothered and moved. Before long, some members of the audience left their seats, abandoned, losing control, and began dancing onto the stage with the androids. Some were taking off their suits or cloaks and dancing naked with the androids. Then others joined them, and they too danced nude. As the music and the Light played, more and more people found themselves pulled to the now teeming mass of humans and machines dancing the hot, tempestuous dance. Even the Troopers were now joining in. Some of them too took off their uniforms, revealing fish white skin, covered with sores. Even those of a darker skin looked white from a lack of light. Without their bulky uniforms, I realized some of the Troopers were women. They all danced and writhed, and we all felt drawn in. Kahla got up and ran onto the stage, tearing off her gown, her lovely golden nude body dancing in the crush of dancers. I felt drawn, but Maya was there. Paul also resisted, though I could see it tugged at him as well. Maya watched, wide eyed and gleeful. Gentle merely observed.
This orgy like performance had now reached a truly brilliant pitch, lights flashing and music forcing the bodies to move in their enraptured, sensual dance. Then a couple stole away, and ran through the stage door. I knew they were going to use one of the Light chambers. Then another did the same. This time it was a Trooper and a woman. Then another and another, some with the same sex. As the dance continued its maddened pace, more and more people joined the dance and more pairs left for their private spaces, though some had begun to copulate on the dance floor. They too left, and soon only the androids were left to their strange dance. Then it slowed and the Light slowed with it, releasing us, those few of us who were still sitting, from its powerful tug. The last of the androids left the stage and quiet returned.
Sho'om skipped back up on the stage and lightly bid us all a goodnight and farewell, hoping we had all enjoyed his wonderful show. But he was speaking to a small audience now, so he cut it short and skipped off. I sat next to Paul, Maya and Gentle on my other side. Then Gentle spoke:
"What did they feel, when they were feeling like that?"
Maya answered her, eager to explain:
"It's like you put hot coals inside your body and you have to go and cool it off. But you can't unless you have another body do it. And you have to do it in water, then have sex. Is it like that, Mother?"
"Well, something like that, but not quite." Then Paul, smiling, added:
"It's very close to like that. Except the sex doesn't have to be in water. But you're still too young to appreciate completely."
"It's not in my program, is it?"
"No. That's why the androids are used for the dance. No human could withstand it, without being totally involved. And that wasn't the purpose here."
"What was the purpose, Paul? Though I think I can guess."
"The Troopers are human too. And this is an experiment to see if they could be satisfied in this way, as no other way would ever bring sex partners to them. But this worked, as you saw."
"But why? Why would you subject women to this, or men?"
"It's part of a bigger plan. You see, the Dreamers now know what we're up against . It involves not only Morz, but also Angel..."
The hall emptied. Paul went on to explain, as Maya and Gentle also listened, what it was the Troopers were planning. And this was a way to disarm them, to render them less desirous of their aims. And it involved my world. After he finished, I asked:
"Then if Quarantine were lifted, would men and women be part of this?"
"It would be a very important part. The alternative is that Quarantine remains. It's a trade off to free Earth."
"Free from what? And you and Kahla are part of this scheme?"
"Yes. As are all the Dreamers, on all the worlds. But only they know. No one else can. The Troopers don't know."
"But now I know, and Maya?"
"It's your world at stake. And ours. And the Dreamers approved. But you must not tell another, not even Seth."
"So is that what those mock battles were about?"
"They're a back up plan. And that is top secret. If this fails, we fall on plan two."
"So you're using sex, for now. And if that doesn't work, then..."
"Androids are used so that humans don't get involved? Right?" Maya asked.
"Yes, love. We can't have war here. We can't have a loss of lives, though we might sacrifice machines. But we can counteract a Trooper rebellion, if one should materialize. This tonight was the first step."
"And that was why Gentle was part of the exercise?"
"Yes. She was in training, along with Master and others, but we couldn't tell you that at the time. It was an awkward time to explain, and we couldn't show ourselves. Even the Troopers believed they held their exercise without our knowledge. But we watched carefully."
"How? The spheres?"
Paul nodded.
We thought about this in silence. We were the only ones left in the hall, as all others had left sometime ago. A thought came to me.
"Then Angel has to come to our side."
"We thought of it, but just don't know how to get to him."
"But Kahla was his strategist. Surely..."
"And she tried, without giving us away. But it didn't work. He has taken his new power role seriously. We have not been able to reach him. I wonder what Morz has over him."
"We must reach him, Daddy."
"We know, love."
Then Gentle spoke:
"Then what about the 'samples'?"
"They must stay as they are until the latter plan goes into effect. That's why that is the way it is. I'm sure you understand."
"We do." We three answered almost in unison. Then I added:
"So it must be. Then there's only one thing to do."
"Yes?" Paul had a look of concern in his eyes.
"We must reach Angel."


26. Angel.

I became obsessed with the idea of Angel. I wanted to know what he knew, what was his part in this, why did he join the Troopers, and what had happened on Earth. But I could know nothing without seeing him, so I began plotting a way to meet with him, face to face.
But nothing came to mind as to how to do this. If I involved Kahla, then he would grow suspicious of her, which I could not allow. If I involved Paul, the same would happen. I could try to cause a disturbance that would attract the Troopers, but they would get nosy about our little valley, maybe even find the cache of arms. And, furthermore, Angel might not come at all. So I needed to find a way to reach him only, alone.
I even asked Gentle if she had any ideas. She too had none that would not be obvious about why we wanted to see him. In the end, there seemed to be no way to lure Angel away from his evil world. I began to despair.
The bhoks had foaled. We got four beautiful new colts. Their snouts were still short, their fur downy, and their pads too large for their legs. Their manes would grow in later. They were a joy to watch running clumsily after their mothers to nurse. But in time they gained more dignity and became the durable young beasts they were known to be. Gentle was right on the timing. She called it within a few hours. It was as if her powerful intelligence had a sixth sense, which I knew was impossible. Summer had ended and fall was upon us. The fall rains had become more frequent, but the leaves would not turn until the approach of winter. We decided to attend Barter at the Sanctuary, as we had run low on supplies.
Seth had acquired a new cart in trade, larger than the previous one. We loaded up with new baskets and stones Seth had mined that summer from the mountains, took along new pottery, some vegetables from the garden we would not eat, and set off across the desert. I brought along Seth's communicator, but decided not to bring one of the weapons. They would stay where they were, since they only seemed to invite disaster. Maya had grown strong in the desert and was eager to go, and Gentle stayed behind to tend the valley.
We set off at dawn on the lonely trek, a woman and small child crossing the vast expanse of dunes and sand to the canyon. The sun was not as hot now, but the desert wind had become a daily event, at times in strong gusts. We pulled our brown burlap topped wagon behind two bhoks, with an additional bhok in tow. We must have seemed a small and forlorn caravan from above. But no one trailed us. We were quite alone in the desert's beautiful vastness. We rode thus until the lavender dusk made us stop.
At night, we managed to raise our tent in time before the evening rain, and there we sat by a small fire until it was time for sleep. The bhoks ran free as before. I had learned Seth's whistle, so it was easy to round them up. The dawn always rose greenish and bright, and then a deep blue until the clouds came in from the west. By late morning the desert breeze picked up. But we made the canyon before the rains. We released the bhoks and laboriously carried our goods down to the cave floor.
"Welcome San'aa! And Maya. We have missed seeing you here for a long time."
It was Letta who greeted us as soon as we came in from the long descent down the rough stone stairs from the desert floor. As the cave was really tucked into the side of the large lip that hung over the canyon's edge, it was not as far down as one would suppose, but it was slow work just the same. We needed to make a half dozen trips to bring all we needed to. I had left my shuttle craft behind at the valley, as the custom was to eschew these in favor of the more real transport of the desert. The others who had crafts did the same and made the pilgrimage to Sanctuary on foot or by bhoks, some accompanied by their dogs or lions or camels or other beasts. We had left Karu'an and Lix with Gentle to keep her company. It was good to be among people again.
"I am so happy to see you Letta. The last time we saw each other was at the great Sing. And that was months ago."
"A great Sing it was! So much came up that day. It was truly a powerful Sing. What have you been doing of late?"
As we unloaded, and she helped us carry, her young buoyant step making it all look easy. Maya enjoyed her company, as did I. Though Letta was older than I, she had a perpetual youth about her. I told her of our recent encounters, of Morz blowing up our little cart, which was before the Sing, and of Gentle's abduction and of the androids doing maneuvers in the mountains. I also told her of the carnival we had recently attended. She listened, looking serious, and then she asked:
"So where do you think this will take you? Are you involved?"
"I'm in a quandary. My involvement is only that I was there when these things happened. I really know very little of what the Dreamers are planning. Do you know anything?"
I did not tell Letta of the weapons Kahla had hid.
"I don't know anything about the Troopers, except that they are not welcome here. Now you mentioned there was one other person you suspected as part of this grand plot?"
"I think it might be the Dreamer who had Planet-walked Earth and recently returned. He joined the Troopers shortly upon his return and has been with them since. His name on Earth was Angel."
"Well I know of him. Any news of Earth has been news throughout the planet, you know. If we can match the realities and effect Contact, even if it is only to reestablish a former contact, it is big on all our minds. The Light was not brought to that world before, as things kept failing, so there is concern that it may not be brought this time either. But no one wants this, except maybe Morz. All want Earth to be brought into the Unity of Living Worlds, as the Unity of Dreamers demand. It would be a tragedy if we again fail, as then it may be irreversible. Even all in Sanctuary are behind this."
"Why would Sanctuary be interested in my home world?"
"Why of course they would. Your world is the closest thing they have as an outside world to the world we have here. It is that soft, sleepy existence where the Light has not yet made its hard presence felt. We love the idea of a world where people find the Light not in their technology, as has happened on all the Living Worlds, but in and of themselves, within themselves. We know this has happened on your world many times, giving rise to great human beings. We want to do the same, so Earth gives us a chance to see this in action. You see, we too can learn."
"But once the Light comes, all will change, no?"
"Yes. But that's the critical cross current," she said lightly, her voice almost a song, her body moving as if dancing to what she was saying. "The world would change, of course, but not before we could introduce into it an alternative idea. You see, we know the Light. You know the Spirit, though I understand this is very much on the wane in your world. So, if we catch Earth in time, we could rekindle the Spirit before the Dreamers make universal the Light. Then, and think of this," her voice sang happily, "Earth would succeed in being the first world that had both."
"But don't you have both here?"
"Only in a very small way. Most prefer the Light. But on your world, most might prefer the Spirit. And that would be an evolutionary milestone."
"You speak deep thoughts, Letta. Would this reawakening of the Spirit on Earth be so important to Ka'ananda? Even to the Dreamers?"
"Yes, it would, like a cross pollination of worlds. But only we of Sanctuary are prepared to do this. The others are too lost in the Dream. And San'aa," she looked at me earnestly, "the Spirit is not as decadent as the Light. Remember, it is indigenous to our people, on both worlds."
"Because we both come from the same root stock?"
"Yes. And the Light, beautiful and progressive though it is, is still alien to us. It is like a wonderful drug for us. It is not natural, though because of it we have space travel, long health and life, and the Dream. But our great-great ancestors were beings of the Spirit."
"So this is what Sanctuary is trying to bring back," I said, thoughtfully. I watched Maya, as she sat by us quietly, playing with nothing in particular, as children sometimes do. She was listening to every word. "And Earth, or Mananam as some call her, would be an important step in the direction of rediscovering the Spirit of our ancestors. So we can have both worlds."
Letta smiled her cheerful smile, as if light could go through her and out again though her lovely green eyes. She had the look of a mythical sprite, and it was easy to spend time with her. There was a clean freshness about her that I rarely saw on the outside. And she was at home in the desert, which endeared her to me. She agreed. Then I asked:
"So what do we make of Angel?"
"I'll venture a guess," she immediately responded. "I think that he is more of Sanctuary then you know."
"How can you know?"
"Because we go back and forth, and word travels. But it is not generally known. And again, at this point, it is only a guess. But I bet we're right on."
"Then what you're suggesting, if I understand, is that it would be safe to call on him. Right?"
"I think we should call him from here. But he must come alone, so he would be free to talk, otherwise, you would get nothing from the visit."
"And this would be a safe place for him, away from the Troopers and away from the Dreamers."
"That's right. And then, if I'm right, he will let you know. And if I'm wrong, no harm was done. This is neutral territory for him."
"Then let's give it a try," I said, my spirits lifting. Letta may have offered something that could bring all our worlds together, if Angel is who she thinks he is, and it would serve us all. "Let's call on him at the end of the Barter."
The festive market day went on much as before, with much good feelings and friendly exchange. I wistfully eyed 'Tu's flutes. He had made another water flute, but I dared not buy it, as it would have used all of what we had in exchange. I played it for him, and he looked on approvingly, as if to say: Don't worry. It'll be here. Others listened. At the end of the day, I got together with Letta again. She had sold most of her bottles of salves and herbs and was in the same high spirits as before.
"So what should I say?" I asked, suddenly shy.
"Just call him and tell him you hadn't seem him for a long time. Wasn't it since you saw him on Earth?"
"It was more like in a dream."
"Oh? Well, say you'd like to catch up on news of what's he been up to. Just talk to him."
She stood by as I keyed in the code to access him. The codes appeared on the communications device, scanning his many possible locations until one responded.
"This is Angel."
I had it on voice only. His voice sounded normal, not like that of so many other Troopers. I was glad he had not been exposed enough to radiation to change his voice.
"Angel, this is San'aa. I am calling you from Sanctuary."
"San'aa?" His voice suddenly more uplifted. "Why, how wonderful to get a call from you. What a pleasant surprise. But it is a surprise. I understand you are not fond what it is we do."
"I am not totally against your world," I responded. Letta cheerfully urged me on, nodding. "But you have been on my mind and I wanted to catch up. What have you been up to? Could you come and join us here?"
"I could be free in a short while. Give me your coordinates, and I'll come."
"Alone?"
"It's no one's business where I go." He sounded like an Earth person, all business. "I'll come alone, if you'd like. Give me the coordinates."
I gave him the coordinates that would land him where Maya and I first landed at the mouth of the cave. He signed off and I turned to Letta.
"He's coming alone!" I was suddenly cheerful over the prospect. "So what do I do when he gets here?"
She gave me some words of advice, which said in effect to simply be myself. The rest would follow in 'Aan.
Letta and Maya and I made preparations for the evening meal. We had freshly baked bread and gruel. Letta brought over some wine made of herbs and berries, and Maya prepared a large dish of fruit. We also had roots called 'frit' which provided us with the necessary proteins, as meat is not eaten on this world. The large cave, lit by the little fires and the green stones had that generous friendly feel to it. It was dry and warm and safe. As we finished our preparations, a ship descended into the cave's mouth.
I could tell instantly from those around us that something was not totally right. The ship had a dark cross under it and those who saw it began a nervous murmur. It was as if a malevolent presence had suddenly fallen into their midst. The craft came closer, entering as far as it could into the long tunnel, its lights flashing, illuminating the cross. When it came to large boulders that blocked its way, it stopped and landed to a rest. The entry port opened and out came a lone figure. The entry closed behind him. Upon seeing Angel's dark uniform, a sudden collective agitation set upon those present in the cave. And as he approached, they let out a loud chant made with their tongues. It sounded like the call of a thousand birds, rolling their tongues on a high pitched sound, followed by clicking of their tongues. It was a strange and eerie sound, as if it bade him an unfriendly welcome. Angel entered cautiously, as if expecting an attack. Some already picked up stones. I quickly stood up and announced as loud as my voice would carry:
"He comes in peace! At my bidding! Let him be. He means no harm to us." Then to Letta: "I didn't know this would happen. Why?"
"They are sounding their protest in general against Troopers. It is not aimed at Angel directly. It will pass."
And indeed it did. As soon as I had spoken, the chant stopped and all resumed what they were doing, though they kept an eye on him still. I came over to greet Angel.
"Welcome! I am sorry for the unwelcome reception, but it is not directed at you."
"I know. I expected it. But how good to see you!"
He stood before us, handsome in his dark garb. He did not have the sores I had seen on other Troopers, but had a commanding look about him instead, though signs of tiredness showed in his eyes. I had only seen him in a projection. But his real self was more striking still. He raised his hands in the customary greeting, and we did the same. Then I introduced him to Letta, who rose and bowed. I could see Angel admired her in the way a man looks at a woman. They both smiled at each other, the tension now totally gone. Then he turned to me.
"What news? What have you been doing all these months? Years! My it is good to see a face from Earth. I miss your world terribly."
He smiled at us broadly. He had that easy manner about him, as if all he did was fun. He added:
"I'm glad you called me, San'aa. Ever since my return, I wanted to talk to you, but didn't know how to reach you. I know of your bad experience with Xin'oy and with Morz. I am sorry it all happened that way."
"It is no longer such a burden. The Sing help clear much of the disturbance away, though I cannot go to Xin'oy. You understand?"
He nodded. Then I went on:
"But I miss my world too, Angel, so it's good to get news from home."
"Earth tumbles on its mad path as always. The Soviet Union totally fell apart shortly after you and Paul left. There is a growing militancy in the Moslem world, much to the concern of the powers ruling the so called West. And there are new famines and floods, earthquakes. More of the usual. Though global warming is now becoming a reality, as our Dreamers had predicted. But things are getting better in one very important way. The world knows it's in trouble, first with the hole in the polar regions at the ozone layer, and thinning ozone, and deadly poisons in the troposphere. The high death rate of various species. The planet's rising ocean levels. Not a happy thought. And pervasive chemical pollution creating new diseases. Earth is becoming alarmed at its higher incidences of cancer and other immuno deficiency diseases. The Spirit is not yet dead, but it is in serious danger of dying. So wars and social crimes will once again rise, we expect. But they are stubborn."
"I know. And all that in the last four years?"
"Yes. It has become a steadily more dangerous place to be. As my Light had faded, I needed to return. But what have you been up to here?"
I told him of my life with Paul, of Kahla, and how I had hid from Morz before meeting Seth. We talked of life in Sanctuary, of the Sing, and of the carnival just attended. Maya gave him great detail of the latter, to which he listened with great attention. He smiled at her, and then said:
"So did you want to dance too?"
"Oh no. That was for the androids and adults. I just watched."
"Then I hope you never lose that wonderful part of a child's mind. It may be our future salvation."
When he had spoken this, Letta, who had been serving us our evening meal, then joined in the conversation.
"Why do you say that, Angel?" Then she looked at me.
"May I talk freely here?"
She nodded in assent. He continued:
"After spending nearly four years on Earth, I learned a great deal of that world's collective psyche. You know I was good friends with Father Hernandez, before he died." We knew. "Then I was still of the Light, and so had no thoughts of seeing the universe in any other way. But something happened to me then. I woke up, as if from a long and wonderful slumber, and I saw life around me as it really is."
"Paul did that too, though at a more gradual pace. So did Tenya."
"That's right. Earth leaves you changed, sometimes in inexplicable ways. But I began to understand suffering in a way I had never understood before. I began seeing it as love. All the hardship, the stress, the disease, the physical poverty only reenforced one thing. They had each other. In their struggle, they loved each other. Granted, even they don't know this, as they live in confusion and are attached to a kind of desperate illusion. They think that by gaining material things, by conquest, by wealth, by power, they will become happy. But that is not where their happiness comes from. It is from each other, from their love of each other. That's what Father Hernandez taught me. He loved his humble flock as no other man I had met. He loved them selflessly, without need, without expecting the same love in return, and without seeking power. And they loved him. That's what so deeply affected me when he was killed, by a random bullet. The bullet came from a gun of two opposing drug lords. So it was a bitter irony that he died. But in his death, I realized what was the terrible handicap the world labored under. It was so close to finding itself, and then it got lost, swallowed by ill its fortune, greed for power. That's what holds it back."
"So how can Earth break this pattern?" Letta asked.
"Earth has to see herself, mindfully. She has to see what it is that brings true happiness. Mindfulness is not the same as wealth and greed that need power, as if to cloak oneself in a protective layer from one's true self. That power comes from fear. But there is another way. Isn't that what Paul found in India? And Tenya in Russia? They found that the worse the conditions, where the poorer and harder life is, the greater the Spirit that powers those lives and shines through them. That's what Earth has to see. True power comes not from wealth, but from the Spirit. The wealth that flows from that power is untold and multifold, and it is great because it works in 'Aan." Then, as an afterthought, he said: "There really is good or evil. It is in how we choose that power."
His words left me puzzled, amazed and dumbfounded. I could not connect how Angel could shift from what he believed after his time on Earth to returning to his own world to join Troopers. He was now handling poisoned weapons, even to kill if necessary. I could not reconcile these absurd opposites. Yet I also knew he had an adversarial and aggressive side.
"So what do you suggest?" I asked. "And why did you join the Troopers?"
Angel paused, as if to think of how to answer me. Letta looked at him intently, as did Maya. He said, simply:
"I joined the Troopers to be on the other side. I wanted to experience the dark side of our world. But I cannot easily explain the answer to your first question. I guess, if I must say anything, it is that both our worlds must disarm before Contact."
Angel fell silent. It was as if he had just lifted a giant weight off his shoulders in this confession to us. Now he was no longer a Trooper, for us, but just another human being, concerned and deeply afraid of where reality would take us if both Earth and Ka'ananda did not do as he had suggested. To disarm. But it seemed an impossible task. By now we had finished eating, and were served more wine, which tasted warm and soothing in the earthen goblets. Suddenly, the whole place was earthy, warm and inviting, bidding us to find peacefulness in the simplicity around us. Forgotten here was the Light, the ships, the stars, the androids. It was simplicity, a pure life of living as our ancestors lived it before that great and terrible and beautiful technology was discovered. Before the alien Light penetrated this world and let it see into infinity, into the Dream. We were dreaming with a different mind now. We were dreaming only in the focus of our souls. This was the Spirit, I thought. Then Letta asked:
"Angel, you are a Trooper. Your allegiance is to the organization that handles weapons on this world. What else can be done? How can we possibly change what we have here? And your words are treason."
"That's why I asked if I am free to speak. You see, I cannot ever share this with anyone else."
"But I thought Ka'ananda had no secrets. That everything was in the open, made so by the Light."
"And mostly it is. But this is novel factor in our joint realities, here and Earth's. This is something that the Light itself has brought us, in the Dream. I am not a Dreamer, at this time, but I know enough of the work being done. And the realities aren't merging. And now, after my long stay on Earth, and my time here to reflect upon that stay, I think I know why. I do not need the Dream machines to understand. I can now understand with my reason, as I learned to do on Earth. And as you all learn here in Sanctuary. It is reason that will bring to light what will need to be done."
He directed this last at Maya. She looked pensive, her young mind trying to understand. But she did not speak. So Angel continued:
"It will be the future generations. Or maybe it will be the generation that is now. With the advanced teaching machines we have, our children can learn a great deal in a short time, so they are much older than they appear in the body. But what can be done? I really don't know. I hoped that in this brief meeting, you could enlighten me."
Then Maya chose to speak:
"I can see a way." We all waited, anticipation written on our faces. What could such a young mind possibly see that we, all much older, had failed to grasp? But she answered our doubts: "The Troopers have to be allowed back into the Dream."
"But they can't," Angel answered. "Morz would have to surrender his power for that to happen, and Mori'an would then rule over him. I don't think he would allow that. He covets his role."
"Then we have to conquer him," answered Maya, simply.
"But that could mean war, love. We can't have people on Ka'ananda die for a principle. That's what we do on Earth, and it has only brought us misfortune."
"Then let's use the androids. They are outside the Dream."
It was a realization that fell most heavily on Angel, as Maya and Letta and I already knew of the Dreamers' plan. He took it in, slowly, like he was digesting it. Then he spoke:
"If we use the androids, then humans need not be involved. An army of android Troopers. But then what would we do with those errant beings who broke the law? If they cannot be made to join the Troopers, as is done now, where would they go?"
"Send them to Xin'oy. But not to be hunted. Instead, teach them with the Spirit, and the Light, to become human again."
"But we would need Earth first, to teach us."
"That's right. We would," Maya answered Angel.
"But that's the impossible impasse. Earth cannot join us until both she and the Troopers disarm. And how safe is an army of androids programmed to act like Troopers?" I asked. "So we are back to where we started."
"Not completely back, Mother. There is Seth. And androids could be an army on both worlds. On all the worlds."
We again fell into silence. Android armies. It was a challenging thought, so simple, and yet so unachievable. Our wine was now gone, and the little fires of the cave had been allowed to die out. Many were now turning in for the night. Letta seemed ready to act on something.
"Angel? Can I go back with you?"
"You mean to Xin'oy?" he asked, puzzled.
"No. Take me to Laah. There is business I have there, and it would take me too long on foot."
Angel looked at Letta with that appreciative look again. It was easy to like her, and I could tell he did.
"Of course. I would love to take you there. You mean tonight?" Then he turned to Maya and me. "Do you wish to go too?"
"No. We have our bhoks here. But thank you for the offer. We will travel back to our valley the usual way. Morz won't bother us."
"He won't. I know."
The deed was done. We had spoken with Angel. And he said as Letta said he would. He knew more of the Spirit then we ever suspected. Though he could not be, he was one of us.



27. Landing.

It was Maya's birthday. It would have been Christmas on Earth. Here, it was also winter. We were already well into it and the nights got very cold, though the days hovered above freezing. The sun shone warm on the desert, casting its yellow shadows on the mountains around us. Gentle had rekindled the fire to ward off the morning chill, and Karu'an returned from her nightly wanderings. Lix stirred by Maya on the mat and I watched the pale sky turn blue as the sun rose over the mountains. It was also the day Seth was to return from his first mission in space aboard Ka'ankh'an. Maya rose.
"Are we going to see Seth arrive at the space port, Mama?"
"Yes, love. We'll be leaving later this morning. He'll be arriving about noon, if all goes well. And Happy Birthday, love!"
"That's right! Today's my birthday. I'm now four."
"Are you ready for your birthday present?"
"Yes!" Her eager eyes shone, their sleepiness completely gone.
"Okay. Close your eyes."
Gentle went over to a hiding place, which was a small niche behind the fire pit, and reached in, past some other things stored there. She came forth with a package in her hands. Though she looked expressionless, it appeared to me she was smiling, in her own way. One gets to know the nuances of one's android, in time. I took the package and held it before Maya.
"All right. Open your eyes."
She did and immediately fixed them on the gift before her.
"What is it, Mama?"
She looked at Gentle, who gave no clue. Then she grabbed the package. It was nicely wrapped in cloth and tied with a ribbon. She carefully untied the ribbon until the cloth fell off, a puzzled but happy look on her face. Gentle retreated discreetly back towards the fire pit.
"Do you like it?"
"Is this a book?"
"How did you know?"
"I've seen something like this on my tapes," she said, wonder in her voice.
"Yes. It's a book. Can you read it?"
"I think so."
She carefully opened the the hard binding, first having looked over the drawings on the cover. It had swans flying over a castle with a little girl carried high in the air between, riding a large cloth. She studied the words, and then very carefully spelled out:
"Once upon a time..."
"They're Earth fairy tales, for young children. Do you like it?"
"It's beautiful, Mama. How did you get it?"
"Master and Paul had it commissioned here. It is of local craftsmanship, though an exact copy of a real book from my world."
"Oh, Mother. I will cherish it, always."
She turned the pages, forwards and backwards, looking at the beautiful prints. Then Gentle silently came forward with a small, sweet roll made of coarse bread flour. She held it before her, as I had instructed, and had four small tallow candles burning on it. Then she broke into song, with my joining in:
"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Maya, happy birthday to you!"
This Gentle sang with a beautiful, perfectly pitched voice. Maya's eyes were bright with happiness.
"That's how it's done on Earth, isn't it?"
Our little celebration was then brought outside. I pointed to a newly foaled bhok.
"See that one, over there?" Maya nodded. "She's yours."
"Mine to ride?"
"And to train and to play with and to keep Karu'an and Lix company. Do you think you could train them all to be friends?"
"Oh yes. They will love each other, like they were all the same family."
She ran over to the young bhok yearling and flung her arms around its neck. There had been a bow tied there, but it was clearly on its way to falling off. But it did not matter.
"Now, Maya. We must make preparations for the rendezvous with the Ship. So wash up and we'll be off."
Soon Maya and I, Karu'an and Lix and Gentle, were speeding on the grid over the desert towards Laah, the little bhok left behind to play with her own. Then we connected with other coordinates towards the landing Space Port on the large island where the Star-ships land. There was a fine mist over the island and it was cool. As we were early, I said:
"Let's surprise the Ship. Let's meet her in space."
"Really? I'd love to do that!" Maya cheered.
I keyed in the coordinates, asked for permission on my monitor. The automatic control response was to go ahead, giving us the path we needed as to not interfere with the landing. In minutes we were hovering far above the planet, the dark blackness of space visible on our viewing wall. Other small crafts were in the area already. I dimmed the interior lights and we waited.
The planet below shone bluish green, broken by large brown land masses showing beneath the swirls of weather. The sun shone brightly overhead and the two small moons looked like motionless rocks suspended at a distance from their mother world. Stars blanketed the viewing walls in all directions, as if beacons to all the living worlds throughout the universe. Somewhere out there was Earth, far beyond sight. I thought of my small home planet, just another atom in the infinity of space, full of beings and trials and concern and life. A pang crossed over me, as if at that moment I wanted to go there more than anything. But my life was here now, on another small speck in the vastness of space. We waited.
Gentle, as my co-pilot, instructed the onboard audial system to play soft music. She selected a classical piece. It was Chopin. Maya studied the control panel, then asked:
"May I fly her to those coordinates, over there?" She was looking at the three dimensional monitor.
"Okay. Take her there, but ask the control first."
She did, got an affirmative response, and we moved closer to one of the moons. We could see clearly the surface features of Paar. Craters marked where heavenly bodies struck it on their collision course with the planet's gravity. Inside it had been carved gargantuan hollow chambers for industrial manufacture that required the weightless environment of a perfect balance between gravity and motion. That's were they produced the perfect spheres we see monitoring life on Ka'ananda. Gentle opened the communications channels so that we could reach the Star-ship as she came in.
Soon we saw a glow appear high above us, above where was the sun. It shimmered, blackened and then shimmered more brightly. Then from nowhere, a large mass appeared in the blackness of space, its brilliant landing lights reflecting off the moon nearest us.
"She's here, Mama!"
"That's right love. That's Ka'ankh'an. And Seth is aboard."
"Let's call him."
I activated the image monitor and contacted the Ship. A light appeared in the cabin and formed itself into the standing image of Seth. He was standing at his post on the bridge. He turned to us, smiled, and said quietly:
'So you're here. I thought you would be."
"Hello, Seth! We're in space to watch you come in!" Maya called excitedly at the holographic image.
"Then let me take my seat, and I will join you awhile. We can't come in quite yet."
He sat down in his commander's chair and looked towards us, signalling that we could now shift his image to the remaining empty seat. Gentle did this, and Seth appeared to be sitting with us in the small craft.
"It is so good to be here with you. And how are you, Karu'an and Lix?" he said, with a twinkle in his eye.
We both smiled at him, amused at the trick of making him sit with us. Both beasts looked attentively at his image. Lix wanted to come over and touch his hand with his tongue, but Karu'an knew it was only an image. They both lay down, heads on their paws, watching.
"How was your first mission?" I asked.
"It went flawlessly. We reached Xi'sang and had our onboard monitors refitted with new intelligence units. They're great. It's like having super androids fly the Ship. And we could beam down the Dream to any part of a planet, even to specific individuals, if we wish. We're ready for a real mission now. And how are you doing?"
"Today's Maya's birthday."
"Well, Happy Birthday, love! I didn't forget. You're now four. And I have a surprise for you, when we land. How does it feel?"
"The same, I guess. But I'm still little, though I've grown almost a centimeter while you were away. What did you bring?"
"I thought you looked taller," he said, smiling. "It's a surprise, you'll see." Then he looked at me. "And you look great, San'aa. I've missed you all, you included, Gentle." She shifted her attention to him and bowed. "I can't wait to get to ground again. This Ship is a beauty. We'll take her to places none had ever been before. And I have permission to take you with me, if you wish."
"On the next mission?" I asked.
"I think the next one could be great fun. We'll stop at Boh, then on to Saam, and then, maybe, we'll swing by Earth."
At the mention of this, my heart skipped a beat.
"Can we sneak down and visit awhile?" I asked, breathlessly.
"Maybe not yet. But soon, I think. But you'll have her on your viewing monitors. It's almost like being there. We could even bring live scenes from below on holograph to the ship. Is that okay?"
"It'll be close enough. What do you think, Maya?"
"I'd love to see your world. But I want to Planet-walk, too."
"All in time."
A bong was heard, which signified a successful space merge had been achieved and Seth had to resume command.
"We're taking her down now. Join us at the space port in a few minutes. Can't wait to really see you!" He signed off.
"Gentle, let's take her down to the nearest landing spot near the receiving area."
She piloted the shuttle craft down into the atmosphere and in seconds quickly landed it on the platform nearest the area best for viewing. We hurriedly disembarked and ran over to the gallery already filled with other citizens. The Ship loomed large above the mist, covering the entire area around the viewing galleries, hovering. Its descent was slowed to not disturb the atmosphere. Landing lights were still flashing, accompanied by the mellow hum of her engines, as if singing to herself. Then, very slowly, she settled into the docking locks that would hold her above the ground. She was a giant moored to the planet's surface. From thousands of portholes we could see faces looking to the world below. Then a very large walkway appeared from her belly, stretching down to the gallery floor. Shortly, Seth stepped off, followed by his crew of men and women. They walked down to the long stretch to the welcoming crowd waiting in the receiving area. We ran up to them.
Among the welcoming staff was M'aan, the first to receive them, now her arms around her fellow Star-ship commander. She was followed by Mori'an, who put his hands up in the customary greeting. Others followed, including Paul and Ta'an, Kahla, Tenya, each in turn coming forth to greet Seth and the crew. Maya and I pushed our way to the front, Gentle behind us. The animals were left aboard the craft. Then we came within shouting distance.
"Seth!" I called, loud. "We're over here!"
By now the Light crystals were fully activated so that all in the crowds who came to see the Ship land were now offering their minds and voice into the vast receiving area. The space port resonated with their love, it shining brightly like a large bubble of joy. Seth turned to me, hurried through the last of the formalities, and came running over. In the powerful echoes of the Light enhanced mass of well-wishers around us, he reached down to me and lifted me up off my feet, his eyes shining into mine. He held me effortlessly aloft in his strong arms, as if I were but a small child. Then he put me down and kissed me on the lips. I kissed him hard in return, and we held each other for a long time. Then a child's voice intruded:
"Where's my present, Seth?"
He looked down on her, eyes smiling but still keeping me in mind.
"I'll have my second bring it now." He called to him, in his mind. The second in command came over promptly, holding a small box in his hand. Seth took it and presented it to Maya. "This is a magical box, Maya. Use it well."
"Like in a fairy tale?"
"Very like that. Open it."
The box had a little lid shaped like a pyramid. It had beautiful inlay of metals and stone like I had never seen. In color it appeared golden, more like the gold color of a Light enhanced tea rather then the metal itself. It was almost fluid looking. Maya carefully opened the lid.
"But there's nothing inside!" she exclaimed, a disappointed note in her voice.
"Watch."
She held it, looking into it, puzzled. It seemed empty. Then, without warning, it began to hum and glow a reddish light. The light changed spectrum and suddenly turned into a bright golden glow which now lifted from the box and covered all three of us like a large umbrella. Maya began to giggle gleefully. I could feel her glee, but could see nothing.
"Why is she laughing?" I asked, myself puzzled.
"It's because of what she sees. She's holding it."
"What do you see, Maya?"
"A rabbit! No, now its my new bhok! And my valley!"
"What is it?" I asked Seth.
"It's a travel box. In her mind, she could be wherever she wishes, or see whatever her unconscious mind wants. It's a toy from another galaxy. I got it in trade on Saam."
"Another galaxy? Have you ever seen this before?"
"No. Never. But the race who made it, I'm told, is very clever and playful. So they amuse themselves this way." Then to Maya: "Do you like it?"
"I love it! Thank you, Seth." She closed the lid and reached up to hug him. He kissed her gently on the head.
The reception had begun to disperse, each going back in groups or singly. Paul and Kahla, I noticed, were also returning, only steps ahead of us. Gentle was with them. Mori'an and others were still behind us. Seth took me by the hand and we too turned to walk back to my ship. But when we got there, the way was blocked. Before us stood Troopers, weapons in hand. Morz was at the head of them.



28. Arrested.

"Seth, I command you to surrender. Your are charged with treason. Kahla, Paul, I charge you with the same. Treason. You have conspired together to hide weapons surrendered by duped and innocent Troopers, who have all been put to death. You will now come with us."
His malevolent voice delivered this in a monotone, like he was reading a script. We stopped. All stood in shock. Maya, holding her little box, was next to us. My name was not mentioned, so I spoke first:
"You have no right to disrupt us like this!"
"You are not included in the charges, yet. But we will see."
By then Mori'an and M'aan came up behind us. They too stopped, looking dismayed, not believing. Then Mori'an spoke.
"By what authority, Morz?"
"I am vested with the authority to carry out my duty as the keeper of the order of the Dreamers. The irregularity of the missing arms has been solved, and the guilty parties stand before you."
Mori'an turned to us.
"Is this charge true?"
No one answered. He looked at us with his calm eyes, then turned to Morz.
"This may not be the best time to bring up this charge. Can it wait?"
"No. I have my orders," he replied in his gravely voice. Then Mori'an asked.
"What do you intend to do with them, Morz?"
"They will come with me to Xin'oy."
"No! They will not!" My temper rose.
"This is not directed at you, San'aa. Take your child and leave."
"If you take them, then take us as well. We are all in it together."
"Is that a confession?" his bloodshot eyes shot my way, inquiring.
The standoff became silent. I could not answer him. Neither would anyone else. The other Troopers stood silently, pointing their weapons at us. I knew they were authorized to use them. No one moved. Mori'an spoke again:
"Morz. I temporarily relieve you of your duty in this matter. You may put down your weapons and leave. It will be taken up at another time."
Morz looked at him, giving him a hard stare.
"I am sorry, Prime Citizen. But I cannot accept your command. If you persist, then you will be implicated as well."
"Now wait!" It was M'aan. "You have no authority over the Prime Citizen! Put down your weapons!"
I had never seen M'aan lose her temper before. Kahla and Paul stood silent. Then Paul spoke:
"I will go with you, Morz. But leave Seth and San'aa alone. They had not seen each other for many months."
"I am well aware of their absence from each other. But it is of no concern here." Morz had a smug look as he said this. Then Kahla spoke also.
"I will surrender. It concerns me foremost." But Mori'an interrupted her.
"None will surrender under these conditions. This is not our way, Morz. And you know this. Your accusations are brought against Dreamers. And there is a procedure for this."
It did no good. The weapons were still pointed at us. I had the urge to lunge myself at Morz, to tear him limb from foul limb. But all I could do was stand, glaring at him. He seemed to gain satisfaction from this. Then it happened suddenly. There was a rapid sound of footsteps, as if a large number of people were running at us. They did not sound like normal footsteps, but heavier, like it was padded metal pounding a hard surface. They moved swiftly from both sides, and I could see the Troopers suddenly look disturbed. We turned to look and, much to everyone's surprise, they were androids. There must have been twenty of them, all charging ahead, weapons raised. They did not make a sound, save for the pounding of their mechanical legs. Master was at their head, followed by Kahla's android, Captain. They surrounded us and then stood in a precise arc before the troopers, each an exact distance from the other. Master was at the head.
"Drop your weapons, Morz. You have been instructed to desist. The Prime Citizen has spoken." It was Master giving the command.
By now a large crowd of spectators had gathered at a safe distance from the weapons. The standoff had become an intense pressure on everyone. Murmurs rose from the crowd. They had never seen anything like it, though some may have had witnessed an isolated hunt or arrest. But even those were extremely rare. This show of arms was unprecedented in Ka'ananda's recent history. And the show of force by the androids had never happened before. I could see confusion creep into Morz's eyes. He had never faced this predicament before, nor expected it. But the pressure of it was being felt by all. And then, without warning, Morz fired at Master, who instantly raised his weapon to shield the charge and, and then returned fire. The other Troopers also sprang into action, charges flying and deflected. I grabbed Maya and brought her close to me. She was clutching her little magical box. Seth grabbed us both and forced us to the ground. Paul hit the ground also, as did Kahla and Gentle. Only Mori'an remained standing, a hard look set on his face. I had never seen a man look so hard before. Behind that kind and wise face was a man of steel. He did not flinch as the charges flew.
The battle lasted only seconds, but in that firefight, more than half the Troopers fell, their charred bodies blasted into smoldering parts, the smell of burning flesh filling the air. Morz's right arm was separated at the shoulder, hanging uselessly at his side, his weapon still in the grip of dying fingers. Two of the androids were also down, upper torsos still moving but their lower regions blown off, oozing clear body fluids, smoking where the charges disintegrated the molecules of their semi-organic limbs. Light spheres came suddenly from nowhere to examine what was going on, hovering anxiously over the battle carnage as if trying to understand. It was in their program to heal. Then the shooting stopped. Morz reeled in place, then fell backwards, his weapon clattering away from his useless arm. I took Maya and held her head close to me, so she would not see. It was a horrible sight, even to battle hardened eyes. It was over. Mori'an had never moved. When the smoke cleared, he walked over slowly to where Morz lay.
"You will live, Morz. I will see to it. And there are many witnesses to what took place here."
Morz could only look at him, pain in his eyes. He looked like a broken man. Deep inside, I felt sorry for him. But the same feeling was also one of relief and revulsion, all rolled as one. I could not hate the man, but neither could I care. He had sacrificed his humanity for lust, for power. A true leader would have never let this happen. My thoughts leaped briefly to Angel, and his part in this, if any. Then Mori'an spoke:
"You will be tried by the Unity. And the same will be for those who stand accused. Let the wounds heal in the Light. And let 'Aan be the judge."
Then he turned to us, with that same look of compassion I had seen so many times. He motioned for us to withdraw. We gathered ourselves up but only stared at the devastation. The golden Light spheres were still hovering in place, casting a pale glow over the broken androids and dying Troopers. Seth's large Ship loomed behind us. Its bluish Light was now still, looking cold and metallic. The androids who were undamaged also began their retreat, weapons now held limp by their sides. Crews of androids and technicians came racing over to attend to the wounded Troopers. Those who were not wounded tended to those who were. Fatal casualties were removed next. The damaged androids were removed last. They could still speak and spoke quietly with the other androids. All had now surrendered their weapons. I thought I heard one say to the other that this should never have happened. The other replied that it did. A look of shock and disbelief was written on all the faces around us, as if an unimaginable darkness had fallen on this fair land. This world that for thousands of years had not seen war just had a taste of the passions of power when weapons are turned on human beings. But this time, it was also done by the creations of a very advanced race who never dreamed of programming their machines to kill. But now all knew. Kill they could.


29. Judgment.

"Mother? Why have they arrested Seth?"
"He was implicated in the plot to use androids against the Troopers."
"But he wasn't part of that, was he?"
"No love, he wasn't, anymore than I was. But he did allow the weapons to be stored here."
"And you did too?"
"Yes, love. I did too."
"Then why didn't they arrest you too?"
"I don't know. But let's make ready to go to Laah. The trial is today."

Months had passed since the terrible incident. Morz's wounds had healed. Seth was already present at Laah, using the Light to give him guidance. I knew Paul and Kahla were doing the same. We dressed and set off in our little craft, Gentle with us.
I had been telling Maya the story told here. She has now learned of all that preceded before this dreaded moment. It started as a story, but now it turned into our reality. We were in the thick of it, it weighing on us like an oppressive weight. Before us stood the scepter of judgment, of the future of Earth, of Seth's command of the Star-ship, of Paul and Kahla's freedom, and of how my life with Maya would progress from here. I did not relish the thought of living a life alone, without Seth, or without Kahla and Paul, for that matter. I wanted them all, around us, as part of our new family, though Seth was my primary mate. We talked about it often and decided that our relationship, one on one, was the way we wanted it for the future. Maya understood and accepted Seth totally. He accepted her love and loved her. And now we were in danger of losing all that because of Morz's accusations. We lifted off for Laah with a heavy heart.
The trial was held in one of the great halls in one of the tall pyramid like buildings. It was about half way up, one side overlooking the sea, the other the vast desert of the interior. It was a bright, early Spring morning and the flowers and flora that adorned the tall building were hanging like waterfalls from the many balconies and landings. Birds nested there and flew out in flocks, and then returned into their canopies of green. The building shimmered in the morning light, catching the light from the sea and the land, its tall structure reaching up to the sky. Small shuttle crafts darted in and out of its structure, as the participants arrived. Some, about half attending, were merely spectators, while the others were the Dreamers chosen for the judgment. There were to be about five hundred people in all, witnesses included. Only three were on trial. Maya and I landed on one of the platforms designed to hold the ships. We disembarked and walked towards the large hall.
As we entered, I reflected on how much I have seen and felt on this world. It was still a strange land for me, always full of surprises. But I knew it now, so the mystery of its strangeness no longer puzzled me as it did before. I was of Earth, but Ka'ananda had become my home. I knew its plant and animal life, its Dream technology, its people and its lands. I even knew how they think and do things, though at times I disagreed with what was being done. I disagreed with the whole idea of the Troopers, but that was being put to the test now. I agreed with the use of the Light, but still preferred the silence and solitude and freedom of the desert. I believed in Sanctuary, and I believed in the wisdom of those advanced races that brought to this world the word of 'Aan. I believed in the love the people of this world had for each other and for their world. It even carried into the stars. But I knew there was also confusion, especially when faced with anything that had not happened before. It was a static world, in some ways, though it was also dynamic in that they wanted to bring Earth into the Light. I agreed with this, but with caution. Not all things on Ka'ananda were good for the future of my world. And it was Seth who had said that Earth must be cautious in how she accepted the Gift when it finally came there. I agreed with him. Ka'ananda had not lost all its sense of discovery and adventure that is so much a part of my world. But they had become too comfortable and fearful. So there were those who wanted to keep Earth as she was. But I knew what my world was capable of, and had the will to handle. Change was Earth and she was ready to launch herself into her new future. And I wanted to be a part of that. So did Maya.
We were directed to take our place near the accused, so I sat next to Paul. Maya sat next to me, and Gentle sat next to her, one seat removed. The empty seat was to be for Seth. Kahla sat next to Paul, with M'aan on her other side. We were very near the crystal, as we were supposed to be. Seth was not yet present. Neither were Master and Captain. The hall filled with Dreamers and spectators, and the podium before us awaited the presence of Mori'an. Morz was to sit next to him. And with them, to always bring about the quorum of three, was to attend Aan'Xin'aan. She had travelled a great distance to come here, and all were eager to again see the commander of the Unity of Dreamers of all the worlds. We waited in silence, though with the help of the Light in the room, we could hear each other as if we were one collective of minds.
When the hall had filled, a tall bearer of the Light crystal came forth onto the podium carrying a stand with a crystal ring on it. She carried it effortlessly, as if the stand had a levitation unit in it, which I suspected it did. The ring shone dark, with only a hint of light coming from it. When she had place this before the podium, she announced to all present:
"The Unity will assemble before this gathering of minds. All rise as we welcome her revered Supreme Commander of the Dreamers."
As she said this, we all stood, and a woman walked in. She looked regal, her long colorful gown trailing behind her. She wore a brilliant headress, shining like a million stars. Her face was calm and wise. I knew she was old, but she did not show her age, as if the Light had permanently fixed on her being. As she approached her designated seat, she passed the crystal, which glowed suddenly as she passed, then cooled to its darker color again, though it now shone a dark green. She took her seat, facing the audience.
Then Mori'an came in, also walking regally. He too was dressed in a fine gown of a brilliant pure white. He took a seat to her right. Then Morz came in. He walked with difficulty, as if still in pain, but his bearing was strong and regal nevertheless. His right arm, which had been destroyed in the fight, had been replaced. In its place was now a mechanical arm, like those of the androids, though it had been made to look more natural. I knew that arm was now capable of great strength. His eyes showed an uncharacteristic sadness to them. And the sores usually visible on his face were gone. He had gone to the Light.
It was Aan'Xin'aan who spoke first.
"Let Seth approach."
Seth came into the hall, his bearing also regal. He took measured paces towards the podium. He stood before the Light and faced the Commander. She motioned for him to kneel at the stand with the ring, which he did, head bowed. Then she spoke:
"Seth, commander of the Star-ship Ka'ankh'an, ambassador to the worlds of Boh and Saam, member of Sanctuary, former head of the Troopers, Dreamer of the Unity, and Planet-walker. You have been accused by the present head of the Troopers, Morz, of treason within the order of the Dream and the Unity. You were present at the time of the android rebellion. You have been instrumental in the hiding of contraband weapons in Sanctuary. You have been accused of interfering with your arrest, as executed by Morz." Then she looked at him, he still kneeling with his head bowed. "You are commanded by me to speak openly with your mind before the Light. How do you answer to these charges?"
"That they are true, revered Commander. But I am not guilty of treason."
"Very well. Please take your seat."
Seth stood and turned to walk back to the seat designated for him. He sat next to Paul.
Then each in turn, Kahla first, and then Paul, had to go through the same procedure, as their charges were read. They were all guilty of the same as Seth. Morz sat in his seat, unmoving. So did Mori'an, but I could see that same infinite wisdom on his face I had seen before. Kahla responded:
"I am guilty of the charges, revered Commander, but I am not guilty of treason."
Paul responded the same way. They had no counsel, as no counsel was needed. The truth of the accusations was to be determined by all present there. They needed to do little in their defense. Their minds would reveal all before the dark ring.
The proceedings followed with Mori'an addressing the audience:
"You have present before you three members of our world. They have been free to be in their lives, as they are now. From this judgment will be determined how they are to be in their future. The punishment for treason, if they are guilty, is banishment to another world. But before we commence with the deliberation of the Light, I wish to let all who wish to speak do so now. This is the time for their truthful words."
Morz rose first to speak:
"With deep regret and much sadness I bring these three to judgment. They have all been friends of mine. Seth had been my commander aboard a Star-ship. Paul and I had been friends from childhood, and Kahla was a fellow Dreamer. I do not bring these accusations against them lightly. Rather, it is with a very heavy heart. I was commanded to carry out my duty as best I knew how, and in this I was thwarted. The stealing of arms to create an army of androids is in direct violation of the directive ruling them. Androids were never meant to be used as a destructive force. But I have seen that force, felt it and suffered a wound, as you can plainly see. So I must bring forth these charges to preserve the integrity and effectiveness of the body of men you know as Troopers. It is for the safety of our world, as it is for each and everyone of you. I am only doing my duty."
Morz then sat down, first leaning on his good arm, and then bringing the other arm to his side. He flexed his mechanical arm's fingers, as if still unused to having them respond to his command. But they moved with his will. Then it was Kahla's turn to speak.
"My name is Kahla. Many of you know me as Ka'an, my Dreamer name. But my duty as strategist during Earth-walk has made me change my name, of my own free will. The experience with Earth, though I did not Planet-walk, nevertheless left me changed, and for the better, I believe. I have seen a way of life different from that of this world, one that is simple and pure, though it is filled with strife. But it is a free life. I have been a very close and fond associate of the Earthwoman, San'aa, and her child Maya. What I did was done with love for them, and for their world. They are innocent before the Light, in the way our ancestors were innocent when they were first introduced to the ways of 'Aan. And it is this freedom in 'Aan that I wanted to preserve. In answer to Morz's charge, yes, I did have the arms acquired under false pretense, and yes, I did have them hidden in the vicinity where Seth lives in the desert. But I did it of my own free will, without duplicity before the Dreamers, in good conscience, because there was the danger that Morz would use his power and position to prevent Earth from being released from Quarantine. And because I did not believe this was being done by him in good faith or with a desire to bring the Light in 'Aan to a dormant world, I conspired to oppose him. I did it to bring a greater freedom to a world I had come to love, as I have come to love San'aa and Maya. I did it for them, as much as I did it to preserve our world from submission to the will of one man, Morz, who would oppress a world. If Earth is not released from Quarantine, he would then conspire to bring her to her knees by making the inhabitants of her world subject to his inhumane hunts. Earth would become his shooting range. And this, my fellow citizens and Dreamers, I can never allow. That is all I have to say in my defense."
When Kahla had finished, a murmur arose from all present, except from Aan'Xin'aan, who remained silent and impassive, as did Morz and Mori'an. Then it was Paul's turn. A soft green radiated from the ring.
"As a Planet-walker, I have walked the Earth, though they did not know me. As a Dreamer, I have looked into the heart of 'Aan, though the true face of 'Aan is always a mystery I could never know. And as a close companion to San'aa, and the biological father of her daughter, Maya, I have come to know Earth as none others have. I have walked her pathways, eaten her food, breathed her air, and even come face to face with a man who could have been any one of our Dreamers here. Man'an'nam. But he does not need machines to Dream. He dreams in the Spirit. Though he is a blind monk in a cave, and he lives in darkness and has nothing, he Dreams clearly with simplicty and love. To me, that is the beauty of Earth. That is the Spirit which we must cherish and preserve.
"I know that world well, and she is a world that must be saved. As a Dreamer, I have worked on saving her, on bringing the realities of both worlds, theirs and ours, into the grid that would define a Contact for us, which would bring her back into the Living Worlds. I feel it is long overdue. But that grid was perpetually obstructed by the will of one man. And that man is my accuser. It may not be appropriate for the accused to cast blame on the accuser, but that is how I have seen it in the Dream. If I am guilty of treason, then it is the treason of not having seen more clearly sooner. The love and Light that Earth, in my mind, is ready to receive should not be denied her because of the ambitions of a man who would see her remain in darkness. Morz, you are that man. And because of your obstructions, I have engineered the removal of unauthorized arms, had them hidden, and was prepared to train, under your command, which you eagerly accepted, an army of androids that could turn your force against yourself. And that is what happened. The androids you trained aimed their weapons at you and fired. You are now no longer the man you were before, for you have doomed yourself. In the Dream, when Earth is made one with all the Living Worlds, your command will cease. You knew this, so you resisted. In this resistance, you have taken the bait. If you call that treason, then what was your act? In accepting the army of androids, Morz, you had incriminated yourself."
When Paul sat down, a loud and agitated murmur rose from the audience, both audibly and in our heads. They were not prepared to hear this, as no one before had ever turned force against force in this way. Now, it was Morz who looked like the party guilty of treason, and not those accused. It was Seth's turn.
"My fellow Dreamers, fellow citizens, fellow Troopers, Revered Commander, Prime citizen, and Morz, I stand before you accused. I knew of the weapons stored, done before I accepted my command of the Star-ship. I knew of the androids being trained to do battle, as I saw it with my own eyes. I knew of Paul's and Kahla's involvement, as they had just expressed. I knew of the danger this posed to the Troopers, and to Morz in particular. I even knew that the android living in my household, Gentle, had been recruited into war games with the Troopers. I knew all this but I did not come forward, not because I desired to conceal the truth, but because I believed in the course of things as they would evolve. And they have evolved, as you are now all aware, into the recent confrontation with Morz. To me, this natural unfolding of events was the truth. It was where things were meant to go. We can never know the reasons, in 'Aan, why things happen the way they do. I learned long ago in my days as a Dreamer, that to stand in the path of reality as it unfolds for us, in and of the Light, is to undo what the reason of the universe is bringing to us. We are the players, and we are the script writers, but we are not gods. To resist the natural events of things is to play god. And this I did not wish to do. Never had I meant to offend, nor to disrupt, nor to oppose the true path of the Dream. It was my intention, instead, to make way for its true destiny. That we are involved in this, only puts us at the center of its unfolding, but it does not incriminate us in treason. We did, I did, what I did out of love for a world, for its people, and for the person present here who is of that world. I love San'aa. And I love Maya, as all who know them love them. To banish Earth from the Living Worlds is to banish her into oblivion, which is not the true path of the Light. We are here to raise a world, not to make it fall."
Seth paused and looked around at the audience, letting them take in what had just been said. He continued:
"The man who accuses us has proven by his deeds that he will stand in the path of the Light. And if this is so, then, I ask you, my fellow human beings in 'Aan, is he to be entrusted with the power to accuse? Or is he, instead, the one who has accused himself of treason, not treason against the Unity, but treason against the way of 'Aan? I do not wish to level this charge against Morz. Reality and his life, be it as it may, will do that for him. Truth is a greater power than that weilded by men. It is only my intention to show that we here are not the judges, nor the accused. We are merely human beings who live their lives as best we can, as best we know how. And if we could do this with a clear conscience, with love for ourselves and our fellow humans, and for all living things, both natural and those made by the mind of man, it is the best we can aspire to. The rest, in 'Aan, will follow. The only justice I can see here, both in the Dream and with my reason, is that we do not obstruct in any way for any sentient being on his or her, or its, path that leads to 'Aan. If justice is to be done here, today, then it is that. Let no being keep another innocent life from being who they are."
When Seth finished, there was a deathly silence. No one spoke to his or her neighbor. There was no sound coming from any part of the hall. All sat, quietly, thinking in their own minds whether they themselves were on the path to 'Aan, or had kept another from it. Even Gentle seemed to reflect on his words. Maya looked at me and smiled. Seth took his seat and also sat silently. Then Aan'Xin'aan spoke:
"Are there any others who wish to speak?"
I felt this was somehow directed at me. The Light ring now radiated brightly, after Seth's speech. So I rose.
"I do not have the mind, as all of you do. I am different from you. I am alien in your world. But I can see plainly, where sometimes it is difficult to understand the complexity with which you see the world. By this I mean that a world has been instructed, and is desirous of, bringing another world into the greater community of the universe. That world is my world, Earth, or Mananam, as some of you have come to call her. But the will of one man has stood in your way. That man is now the same who accuses those who would bring this reality to pass. To judge against them is to judge for him. If you do that, then your judgment is unjust. Freedom demands a clear conscience and a clear will. If you want Earth to be your sister, then do not empower Morz from keeping it so. If you do, then you condemn my world in the same way Morz has condemned who stand accused today. So let it be clear, that freedom and justice demands no less from you than the truth. And the truth is that treason has not occurred. I do not wish to condemn Morz, but neither would I empower him. And if he is not empowered by your judgment, then justice will have been done."
As I sat down, I could see smiles on some of the faces around me, giving me a kind look, nodding approval. Then Maya stood up, her little body barely visible over the heads of those around her. But she had an energy about her that all had to turn and see. She spoke in her clear child's voice:
"Listen to what my mother says. And what Seth says, and Paul and Kahla. They all speak the truth. Don't let Morz take away from me my worlds. Earth is my world, as is Ka'ananda. I love both of them. I'm still little, and I can't say to you all the things I wish I could say, but I want to say this. This is the end of the Troopers as you know them. Let them all heal. Give them the Light, and let them be human beings again. Let them Dream. They are all one of us. And if you must have police for those who stray, then let the androids do it. They have no passion, no ego, and will never force their way. They can only obey. It is for all of you to guide them in what you want them to do. I know. They will always obey you. Then there will always be peace."
The innocence with which Maya delivered these heavy words brought more smiles to the audience, as it did to the face of Mori'an. After a moment, even Aan'Xin'aan smiled. Only Morz held his stern countenance. Then, much to everyone's surprise, Gentle rose. She spoke softly.
"I am an android, and I understand the severity of the accusations brought before you. But I also know Seth, as well as Kahla and Paul. They meant no harm, even when they hid the arms. I cannot Dream in the way you do. My artificial intelligence does not allow for this. That is always a mystery to me. But I can think. If I may offer a mechanical judgment of what I know and what I have heard here, then let it be this. Do not condemn those who wish to bring you only to the good. If you do, then you have condemned yourself and will be far worse for it. No matter how complex, bring it always to the good."
A stunned silence followed. None could believe that an android could have such simple clarity of thought. They were surprised by it. At the same time, they all knew that this was so, as Gentle was not designed to lie. She was devoid of ego and could only speak in truthful observations. Her words suddenly carried great clarity and weight.
After a long silence, Aan'Xin'aan was about to speak when another figure strode in. It was Angel. He had waited purposefully for this moment, I thought, to give his words the greatest weight. He strode up to the crystal and bowed, his uniform of almost the same color as the now darkened Light ring itself. Then he turned to the podium, bowed, and asked permission to speak. I could see that his hands had begun to show the same sores other Troopers have, as did one cheek. A nod told him to proceed.
"I am Angel, and I am a Planet-walker. I walked the Earth. I felt its passion and anger, and I went off the Light. But I returned to my world, and still the Light offended me, as it once offended Morz. And I know this was once true for Seth. But it offends me no more, as my life is no longer illusion. I came here today, on this day of judgment, to confess to you that it was I who had conspired against Morz. It was I who dreamed up the whole scheme, and then passed it on to Paul and Kahla. Seth was innocent of all this. And why did I conspire? It was because when I was still on Earth, Morz asked me to undermine the Planet-walk. He wanted first to surrender our technology to the military powers of their world. Then he wanted to make contact with the most powerful governments, secretly, so that the planet's population would never know. They would only think that their indigenous scientists had discovered a new energy source. This was done without your knowledge, and certainly without the Living Worlds' consent. And now, as further proof, I wish to bring in the androids, Master and Captain."
When he said this, all heads turned towards the entry, a look of shock on most faces. They stared in silence. The two androids were led in by two troopers. Both had metal restraints around their necks, chained together by a strong tether of cable. Master moved slowly, as if his motor mechanism had been affected somehow, and Captain did the same. They slowly dragged themselves to the podium where Angel stood.
"This, my fellow citizens, is what Morz would have brought. You would have never known, as the people of Earth would have never known. You would all have been enslaved."
Upon saying those words, Morz tried to rise from his seat, speechless, but then fell back again, a deep look of defeat on his face. Angel continued his speech to the stunned audience:
"So this was why I joined the Troopers. I was a spy, an infiltrator, a traitor. I wanted to see how I could undo the damage done. And this is the proof." He pointed at Master and Captain.
I turned to Paul. "I didn't know Master was missing?"
"He has been for some days. But I did not know where. Now I know."
Aan'Xin'aan rose. She looked solemn.
"By the power vested in me by the Stellar Unity of the Living Worlds, and by the hundred million Dreamers who elected me as their spokesperson, I move that this judgment be null and void. I also move that, in your private conscience, you judge for yourselves who are the guilty parties, and who are guiltless. I will not pass judgment, as I believe neither will Mori'an. And if Morz passes judgment, then let him do it alone, in 'Aan."
With that all rose, as the revered Commander turned to Mori'an and to Morz and bowed deeply. For her age, her movements were fluid and strong. She walked off the podium in the same regal way she arrived, followed by Mori'an and then Morz. When they had left, a voluble murmur arose from all around us. Some were coming over to wish us well. Angel, still on the podium, ordered the shackles removed from Master and Captain, who almost immediately resumed their usual personalities. Master came over to us first.
"My, San'aa. What a performance! Truly, I had never expected to be part of anything like this. And Gentle, you were brilliant!"
This brought a smile of relief to our faces. Gentle bowed. Seth came over, looking tired, as the stress of the judgment seemed to fall heavily on him. Kahla attended to Captain, inspecting her to make sure she was all right. Then she turned to me. "I think she'll be fine. And you were great, my love." Her eyes looked deep into mine. The bond of love was still there. Then Paul came over to us.
"Maya, my little love, you were wonderful. And who says you're too little. Today, you were a giant."
"Thanks, Daddy. I just had to tell them what I thought. Do you really think it was all right?"
"It was more than all right. It was great." He gave her a strong hug. Then to me: "Well, what do you think of our world now?" he asked, smiling meekly.
"I think your world has a great soul. But where is Angel?"
He had departed. He never spoke to anyone. He had exposed himself, in the judgment, and in the process had exposed Morz.
"Will Morz be brought before judgment now?" I asked Seth.
"I don't believe so. But his power is finished. Today was the end of his reign over the Troopers. But it is hard to know what will happen next, though I have my suspicions."
"Do you think they'll change the way Troopers operate now?"
"That is exactly what I think. Today, you, I , Paul and Kahla, and Maya, and Gentle, and especially Angel, were all instruments of a greater power than we can know."
"So Morz is disarmed?"
"More than that, San'aa. More than that. I think, today, the Troopers are disarmed."
"Then Earth is saved?"
"If Earth disarms."
"But how?"
"Maya. It's the power... let it go."


30. Change.

"Morz resigned."
"I thought he would, dear. But how did you know?"
"Paul just told me." Maya had just run in from outside.
"Is Paul here?"
"Yes. With Kahla. They just came."
I had not heard their ship land, but indeed, when I looked out the window, there they were. They walked in.
"What a delightful little humble house you have here," Paul said upon entering, smiling at us. Then Kahla entered.
"Have you heard the news?"
"Maya just told me. These are changing times."
"Indeed they are, love. The Troopers will never be the same."
"But who's commanding them now?" I asked.
"The new command is being temporarily assumed by Angel. But he will oversee only the transition. Letta is now with him. Did you know?"
"No, I didn't. But that is wonderful news."
"Thanks to you. I understand you're the one who introduced them." Kahla had a coy look in her eyes. "And you should see them together. What a couple!"
"And you, Kahla?"
"I'm with Paul. And he's with me."
"But what about Ja'an?"
"Ancient history. It would have never worked. I think you had an influence on us more than you know, you and Seth. We've watched you, and we like what we see. So Paul and I are trying it our for ourselves."
"One on one?"
Paul responded:
"One on one. I think we could make it work."
"Then I have four parents!" Maya exclaimed. She had been listening.
"That's right my little bird. Four parents, all one on one," he responded.
"Then times really are changing. What will happen to the Troopers now?"
"Aan'Xin'aan liked Maya's idea. So she had suggested it to the Unity of Dreamers. They are working on it now. The Troopers will go into rehabilitation, using the Light. Exactly as Maya said," Kahla answered.
"You see! I'm not so little after all."
"And what will the androids do?" Gentle asked. She too had been listening. Paul answered her:
"They will be trained to gradually take their place. Would you like to volunteer?"
"No. Thank you. I am happy with my family here. But it is a good idea. I think in time the choice will prove very wise."
"We think so too, Gentle. If it works here, then it will spread to all the worlds. But what's best of that idea, given the dramatic decrease of crime in the past millennium, is that the androids can do other useful work that would be more interesting to them. At least, that is our hope. So that is what the Dreamers are working on." Then Paul had an afterthought: "And think of it, San'aa. If it weren't for you and Maya, this would have never come to pass. Earth's Spirit has already had a strong and positive effect on our world."
"And what do the Dreamers see now, in the merge of our worlds?"
"Only that the patterns have once again become clear. Now our Planet-walk, for all of us, blends easily into our new reality. Well, almost. There is still the matter of realigning your reality with that of your world. And the same is true for Maya, as she is of both worlds."
"And how can that be done?" I asked.
"You'll both have to go back."
I pondered on this a moment, as I understood the significance of what was being said. I knew Maya did too. She was suddenly very alert and excited.
"Then I'll Planet-walk on my mother's world! When?"
"You still have much training," he said. "Someday. We'll know when."
Kahla had been busy with Gentle during this time, helping her set up the clay for the pots I was about to make. Karu'an and Lix were outside, playing with the young bhok foal. We named her Moon, as one of the little moons was rising over the horizon when she was born. The light outside had begun to fade, as they had arrived late in the afternoon. It was near dusk. Paul looked at the large lump of clay I was about to work.
"Ah, clay. It reminds me of that time in India, at Karla, where I first heard Mananam..." He wandered off into his own thoughts.
"Where's Seth?" Kahla asked, when she had done helping Gentle.
"He had to attend Barter at Sanctuary. But he took my ship, so he should be back shortly."
"Things have changed, Seth at Sanctuary by ship," she mused. "There was a time he would have never considered going there other than on foot."
"I know. In the past four years, your world changed in ways it had not expected."
"It was you, love. You changed us, in small ways. But they will have big results. Now we need to work on your world, to make ready for ours."
"Won't they be surprised, the day they see your ships in the sky!"
"When she is ready, we'll put on a big event. Until then, however, we can only observe. Remember, Earth is still Quarantined. We cannot lift that, so says the Unity, until such time as she is ready for us. And that is still a mystery in 'Aan. We hope it will be soon."
"So do I. But why can't you just contact her governments?"
"Because that is not how it is in the Dream. It would be a clash of cultures, which would only replay what had happened before. Your governments covet their power, and they would wish to keep it that way. We would only replay what happened thousands of years ago. And that cannot be. This time," Kahla looked serious, "we must succeed."
"I guess I know that. Still, it seems so complicated."
"The universe is complicated. The Light does not change that."
Just then Seth entered, with a look of pleasant surprise upon seeing our company.
"Well! How good to see you all! I hear Morz resigned."
"How did you know?" I asked.
"Because it is the talk of Sanctuary. There was a veritable feast over it. Many talked of now going back into the outside. Wha'an came back with the news."
"And all are happy with the change?"
"Quite. They think what Angel has designed to do to be a great step forward. It is like a darkness has been lifted from our land. They are now ready to go back into the Light, and happily so."
"Then it was change long in coming. I hope it comes as easily to my world."
"All hope it will. All are ready for it." Then Seth remembered something. "And I have a surprise for you!"
He ran out, his large frame filling the door into the near darkness outside, and he returned, almost running.
"This is for you!"
He held forth a long wooden box. I knew instantly what it was. I took it carefully, as if handling a priceless treasure, and opened its case slowly. It was as I thought. He had brought me the flute.
It's three metal stem shone as if it were platinum and gold. I held it in my hand, scarce able to believe what it was I held. Seth could not contain his joy.
"It's a water flute. Like the one you had! Please, play it."
Paul and Kahla now converged on me, looking it over. Maya's bright amber-blue eyes pleaded with me to play it. So I did.
I lifted it to my lips, feeling its cool metal against them and blew a note. It sounded like water in a glass, then blew another, and it felt like rain on a summer afternoon. Then I blew into it with all my soul and heart and played an improvised song. It was as if the flute guided me in what to play, and it sounded like a gentle waterfall. Gentle stood listening, as did all. The precious instrument had a beautiful sound, more beautiful even than the one destroyed by Morz. In holding it, and playing its fluid sound, I felt as if this was the symbol of our victory. It was a victory of good over evil, and of love over that which holds us in fear. And Seth had brought it to me.
"May I take it on the Star-ship?" I asked.
"You may take it to the stars."
"And will you play it for us on the Ship, Mama?"
"For you, my love, I will play it throughout the universe."


END.