Little Cherine Book 12 - BPost005

arthur.grafo13 (53)in #sfandf-fiction • 4 years ago (edited)

David tactfully took an advertising break and then asked, “Sam, to return to the point you were making, albeit in a confusing way. What is not being said that you feel needs to be said?”

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“Some of my wives love snorkelling, especially by the Great Barrier Reef. I can’t be bothered. Wendy lives in a world of music, but I’m tone deaf. In other words, we each choose our lifestyle according to our talents, interests and tastes. In a way, becoming a Cherinian, Ipohin or Campbellite is also a matter of choice. What many forget is that for some, staying what we call a Normal is also a matter of choice.

As everyone is aware, our site where Cherinians register showed that just over half the population of our world is now Cherinian. If the Normals could have observed us when we reacted to the news I wonder whether they would have noticed what I noticed: All the new and younger Cherinians celebrated, glorying in the news. Most of the original and older Cherinians smiled happily, but emoted under their joy a fear. I too felt that fear. So did Dommi and so did Goldi. All my family did.”

“That does not make sense - unless you are saying you feared that you are no longer an exclusive group.” I flushed, insulted. David realised and quickly added, “I was only trying to point out that your statement was too vague and could be interpreted in a number of ways.”

Primly, almost sounding like Robbie at his worst, I replied, “I was about to explain in detail.” I softened my tone. “As you must all be sick of hearing, we all trust Robert to look forward for us and guide all Cherinians towards a future that evolves us so that we each attain our personal potential, while also ensuring all the personal potentials match and complement each other in such a way that the appearance of Cherine as The Light can lead us to the next step in the evolution of all life.

In the early years Robert told us a number of times that the most dangerous and difficult time for Terran Cherinians would arrive when we are no longer the minority. For you to understand what he meant you have to try and understand and accept that what you have been repeatedly told about us Cherinians and our obligations and set of ethics with regard to Normals is true and exactly as we’ve stated…” I paused as a new Talent, once more, appeared before us. I joined my loves in the shield we instantly set up for David, the studio crew and audience. The man, an impressive looking man, raised his hands, palms towards us.

“Relax dear, I do not intend attacking anyone - unless that Nazi traitor to mankind appears. Allow me to introduce myself, I am Godfrey McCloud. I am not the Godfrey your so-called friend described to you, I was especially augmented by our Author to balance the powers that Nazi swine was given by the imprisoned and tortured Jewish scientists.”

“You are from the same reality as him?”

“That is correct. Could you ask Robert to join us - Vincent should remain in Freddie to protect it.”

“He is coming. Your allegations do not make sense, if you are from his reality you must know that it is fading and that he came to us in the hope we can save you. He did not come for us to save the Germans, he asked for the entire reality to be saved.”

“I am aware, I have the ability to hear his every thought so I know what he told you and what his real plans were. By now he knows I am here and if I am lying, why does he not join us to refute my words?”

“He is not here because Robert asked him to wait so that they arrive at the same time. They’ll be here in exactly five seconds.” I turned to David with an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry, it does not give you enough time for a commercial break.” David barely had time to give me a look that showed he thought I had gone crazy, when Robbie and Patrice arrived. We could all see that Patrice was within a time stasis shield; it was set to run about a tenth of a second slower than our time.

Robbie spoke sternly, his voice icy. “He cannot attack you from inside the shield and I would take it as an insult to me personally if you try to attack him.”

Godfrey shrugged. “I consider this a time and place of truce. I trust we will both be returned to our reality and I’ll take care of him once we are there.”

“I thought the war ended?” Goldi asked.

Beautiful girls are definitely not a weakness of his. Without reacting to Goldi in any way he answered, his voice flat, “They deliberately tried to create that impression to give them time to recover from our latest assault. Just as, I believe, he withheld information about my existence from you - even when he tells the truth, he only tells half of it.”

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Robbie turned to Patrice and released him from the shield with a warning not to attack or react violently to anything Godfrey says. Robbie turned back to Godfrey and then glanced at David. “I hope you don’t mind us hijacking your show, but after the brave commitment by millions of our people to save their realities, it seems appropriate to me that all of mankind witness the conversation.” He turned back to Godfrey. “You have the floor, state the facts and please try to avoid flooding us with your beliefs or opinions as they do not apply to our reality and we are not interested. We only want the bare facts.”

Godfrey’s face hardened. “That is not exactly true is it, you also had your war against the Nazis. Still, you say you want only the facts - here they are.

His history. His father was an SS officer. He raped a French woman - resulting in the birth of this monster. Jewish scientists being held to ransom, their families to be executed if they do not exert themselves in the interest of the Nazis, devised a way to strengthen any latent powers the human mind has. Our Author saw to it that I was in the room behind him when they aimed their instrument at his head. As his mind was altered so was mine. The ways our Author has of showing his love for us are astounding, for if he had not arranged for me to be empowered in the same way, that monster would have overcome our armies and weapons.

It is true that our Author has died, God bless his soul. When I felt the loss I succumbed to my grief and forgot my duty, no longer monitoring the enemy. By the time I recovered he was missing. When he returned I heard his thoughts as he re-lived his memories and wondered how he could use you. I must confess at this point that I did not fully believe what I was hearing, considering it a tale meant to trick me somehow, so I failed to learn from him how he travelled to other realities.

When he disappeared again and then reappeared with new memories that I could not convince myself were fake, I watched as he planned and tried to memorise the faces of those he planned to use. When I saw that he intended bringing you to our reality to save it from fading away - as he seemed to be convinced was happening, I also saw that he intended using one of his powers against Robert so as to take control of him and destroy him so that he can never be a threat to his people.

The power he intended using I’ve watched him hone over the years. He can freeze your mind. When he first used the power he would also freeze the autonomous functions, stopping the heart and breathing. After many deaths, many of them excruciating, he refined his techniques so that he can freeze the mind without killing. In case you are wondering why he wanted his victims to remain alive, he was hoping to freeze me and using other powers steal from me my powers and talents so that he has them in addition to those natural to him. I don’t doubt he intended doing the same to Robert.” He turned to Robbie, his square jaw sticking out as he said, “Ask him if I speak the truth.”

“Just a yes or no Patrice. Your turn to explain will come.”

“Yes.”

Robbie did not allow his shock to delay him. “A request then Patrice, will you give permission for Godfrey to hear your thoughts? All you experienced since he last spied on your thoughts and memories must be open to him.” He nodded and then verbally confirmed he agreed. Godfrey concentrated on him for nearly twenty minutes and we all had to stay silent so as not to disturb him - I doubt any television program has kept every single spectator glued to the screen for such a long time without any action or a word being spoken.

Godfrey returned to his mind and his face flushed with anger as he spoke to Robbie. “He has learnt how to camouflage his true thoughts - that is how he has fooled you!”

Robbie softly said, as if muttering to himself, “Damn, another one like the teacher!” (He was referring to the teacher who argued against us when we were present at the first public appearance of Jeskine and Orgg.) He then sent to me, Sam?

I replied, *I know Godfrey is supposed to be the good guy, but I can’t stand him. The trouble is, I like Patrice!* Robbie sent me a grin. I sensed all my loves agree with me.

“You’ve had your say Godfrey, now Patrice should give his point of view. Patrice, you have admitted you intended using me to preserve your reality and then wanted to destroy me. Now you claim you do not wish to attack me while Godfrey claims you do - how do we learn which is the truth?”

“If you are to enter my thoughts and see all my memories, but claim as he did that all you see and hear is false, then I have no way to convince you.”

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Robbie waved his arms in the Greek way, as if gesturing his inability to handle the problem. “Patrice, the two of you may have different ethics, but none of us are allowed to share the thoughts and memories of another unless we are welcomed with love and a need to share. To enter your mind to find proof of what you claim, that is not allowed for us.”

I asked Godfrey, “If the Germans no longer wish to continue the war, will you insist on continuing until you have destroyed them?”

“Some controls by us must be agreed so that they can never again become powerful enough in a military sense to threaten the freedom of the entire planet.”

I laughed. “If we are to take our own reality as an example - I regret your plan will not work - the new way of becoming a supreme power is of an economic nature and the Germans are hard workers and their technology reflects their perfectionist personalities. They will become a super power with influence worldwide, while Britain will slide to a used-to-be power because you do not have the same work ethic.” It was not necessary for anyone to be a Cherinian for them to sense that I had just turned him into an enemy. I decided, in for a penny, in for a pound. “By the way, why didn’t you bring Lady Annabelle with you?”

Coldly he answered, “She is dead” and turned away from me, obviously preparing to jump back to his reality.

Quickly I said, “When did she die, we can return in time and save her.”

I was shocked when he turned to face me, his face tight and bloodless. “So that she is forced to live in a world where the Nazis, thanks to their new partners, rule our world - as you’ve just admitted? No thank you, she is better off dead - as she would tell you herself if she could.” Before we could say another word he jumped.

We all stood silently, at a loss for words until someone cleared his throat and David recalled he was the host of a chat show. He thanked us for appearing on his show and asked that we return to tell everyone once we have solved the problems. I don’t think he was inviting Patrice, for he looked rather disconcerted when Patrice assured him he would gladly do so.

Back home again, Robbie told Patrice to relax as we were going out for a meal and they can talk the next day. We all tried to enjoy ourselves, but the truth is we were feeling hurt that Patrice had intended destroying our love after being helped by him.

Once everyone had fallen asleep I thought about Godfrey and Patrice. I do not have that much of a problem dealing with Patrice and those like him and it did not need much imagination and empathy to understand how his author must have affected the way he thought and that his subsequent freedom could not be expected to change him instantly. As a matter of fact, I felt he had shown great flexibility and character in allowing himself to see that his way of thinking was wrong. Now I understood all those nights he walked in Freddie deep in thought and why, at times he should have been happiest, he seemed sad and troubled.

I tried to imagine I was reading a story with Godfrey as the good guy, the hero. I can see how any halfway decent author could make him seem to epitomise the best of British character. The British do love their bulldogs. However, once he is removed from context, it is easy to see how his strengths become his weaknesses. I guess every war has produced men like him to inspire others to fight to the death for country and liberty. Once peace returns, I guess they all become a nuisance and what was called determination now becomes blind stubbornness. I could not help thinking of how much evil good men like him are responsible for throughout history. How many innocents tortured and killed because of their unyielding attitudes and beliefs. I guess I prefer a Patrice in our lives now and then - even if we have to be wary - than even one Godfrey. I think Robbie intends dealing with Godfrey, but I don’t see how.

My family are used to some of my habits (and tolerant of them) while other habits annoy them - same as with everyone living within a loving social unit. Even when I wake up a few minutes later than the others or lie in bed to enjoy the feeling of lying down and being sleep-warm and they are in a hurry to go for breakfast, I still come to the computer to write of the previous day (if I have news and I did not write) or to jot any thoughts from the previous night I don’t want to lose. Most of such writing is in my other diary as I don’t write here every day or even every month. This habit comes under the category of ‘annoying’ as nobody can sit for breakfast unless we are all together, so they are forced to wait for me. I guess it is not very Cherinian of me to stubbornly cling to this habit of mine, though I prefer to think of it as a form of self-discipline.

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We’ve grown used to Patrice being at the taverna before us, drinking his coffee as he waits to eat with us. This morning he did not automatically assume he was welcome to break fast with us, but Dommi curtly told him to get his eggs before they grow cold. He has seen our telling so he felt rather intimidated when Jade and Haven left a seat open between them for him. The girls knew and it amused them.

Robbie waited for the dawdlers to finish eating and lit a cigarette. “Do you consider us strong enough now to help your reality?” Before Patrice could reply, Robbie mused, “I wonder whether stabilising the reality would bring back the galaxy that faded. If not, your reality is going to hold many distinctions to make it unique.”

Claudia asked, “How important do you think it is that we get the faded galaxy back?”

“Apart from the lives that have been lost with it? I doubt that the loss of mass is significant enough to affect the universe, but it could be that it may slightly reduce the lifespan.”

Wonder brightened his eyes as Patrice asked, “You are still willing to save my reality?”

Robbie gave him a pretend scowl that was deliberately and obviously fake, “How else are you to do penitence. You have to pay for the evil you planned by changing Godfrey into a normal human being who can tolerate weaknesses in others. I must admit I’m not too happy about him knowing about our realities, but as long as you are there to watch out for us, I doubt I’ll lose much sleep over it.”

Of course we all wanted to hug Robbie and Patrice got a few hugs also. A thought came to me and I just had to ask, “Is it still necessary for us to go to his reality Robbie? I mean, he’s spent time in our realities and so has Godfrey. Oops, sorry, I forgot we have to get Lady Annabelle back.”

“If you can,” Patrice said, “then I may have a hope of succeeding with Godfrey.”

I laughed, “I bet you anything you want that you won’t. Robert doesn’t expect miracles of you, so don’t get too depressed if you fail.”

Patrice came with when we went to the outdoor movie house and afterwards we went to sit at a coffee shop. As we walked to the coffee shop he dawdled, a space opening between him and us. We sensed he was enjoying the way the air smells (mostly thanks to the pine trees and the scents of Greek food). Haven was keeping an eye on him as he tends to walk around as vulnerable as a Normal. Because he has changed and sees life as precious, he seems to think everyone feels that way.

Haven sensed the driver of a car that was approaching as Patrice stepped into the road. It was soon apparent that the car would not stop and Patrice would be hurt. The driver was a young woman of about nineteen to twenty two and she was driving with eyes filled with tears and her mind was not on the road ahead of her. Haven did nothing to stop the car, but extended some protection to Patrice and silently warned us not to interfere. As she’d projected, the car hit Patrice, giving him quite a painful blow.

The car screeched to a halt, but the girl stayed seated, her fingers tightly gripping the steering wheel. We sensed she felt this was the last straw, that she could not bear anything more going wrong with her life. She saw Patrice lying on the road and she jerked her way out of the car and ran to him.

As she knelt by his side, afraid to move him, but wanting to know that he is alive, Patrice groaned and opened his eyes. He has a slim face, nicely sensitive features, black hair and brilliant Aegean Sea eyes. When standing he is slightly taller than Robbie but he is thinner, almost bony in places. His smile is beautiful, but what grips the hearts of girls is a dark melancholy that lives in his eyes, even when he laughs.

The girl trembled from relief that she had not killed him and began to ask him questions; would KAT hospital be alright with him or does he want to go to a private clinic; has he any family she should call; does he feel pain and where. Robbie decided to relieve her of some of her anxiety and spoke to her in Greek.

“Our young friend doesn’t speak Greek. Don’t worry about taking him to a hospital, he is only stunned and he’ll be alright once he gets over the shock.”

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She stared at Robbie as she came to her feet. She showed she recognised him by asking, in English, “You protected him?” As Robbie nodded she began to shake and sobbing she pummelled Robbie’s chest as she demanded why he did not prevent the accident instead of just protecting his friend. Robbie’s eyes warned everyone to stay away so that she could get it out of her system.

We decided we should take her to Freddie so that she has time to recover with us keeping an eye on her. Just to amuse us, the imps jumped her car to Freddie, using the excuse that they could not leave it in the middle of the street. It is a battery powered car so Robbie does not mind that much, not that we’ll drive it. We found out the girl’s name is Evangelia but she tells us her friends and family call her Angelia. We told her that Evangelia was the previous name of Cherine. We then had to explain and she forgot her woes for a while as she listened to the story. As we’d expected, it made her feel more relaxed with Cherine, so the two of them went for a walk.

“Angelia, the truth is you were allowed to crash into Patrice so that we could help you - Haven felt your misery as you drove towards us. Would it help if you tell me in confidence what is wrong?”

She smiled because it seemed so incongruous to have a little girl of eight asking her, but she answered as if Cherine were an adult in appearance. “It would not help to discuss the reasons for my pain. My story is not unique and most people have suffered the same loss - it just feels so unique when it happens to you…I guess none of us really believe it will happen to us.”

“Someone you love left you for another woman?”

“See? I told you.”

“Tell me anyway, the heart needs to share, whether the pain is unique or not. Angelia, very few pains are unique and yet, all pains are unique to each of us, just as love is also unique, however many times we love.”

Gradually Cherine coaxed the story out of her and as Angelia told her story and found a sympathetic response untainted by pity, she opened to Cherine and it felt to her as if Cherine is now her friend. Cherine liked her so she did not discourage her. What she did do is ask her whether she’d like to come with us on our next trip and her excited emotive response answered for her before she did so verbally. Cherine suggested that before we take her to her home to prepare and pack a valise, she spend a few minutes with Patrice to apologise for the pain she caused him. Blushing, she did so, but if anyone was hoping for anything more it was quickly obvious there was no animal magnetism between them.

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Patrice2 saw that it made sense that Lady Annabelle return to her own reality and Robbie took him aside and suggested he finds the Lady Annabelle of his reality. He pointed out that she probably loves her Godfrey and Robbie had to explain what the problem with Godfrey is. He promised to do all he could to help his Godfrey.

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Since Patrice2 had already knocked down some of the fences between him and Lady Annabelle and laid the foundations for the possibility of a relationship, our Patrice is courting her with all the charm he has. Godfrey is our problem now. He has decided he should move to our reality so that he can be with Angelia. We’re not too keen on that idea, but it would not be fair to Angelia (and any children she has) for her to have live in his reality. Since Cherine thinks of her as her friend, nobody has the chance of even trying to convince Godfrey and Angelia to stay there. Oh, I forgot. Angelia is very close to her own family and she told Cherine that if the only way she could be with the man she loves is to never see her family again, she would have to leave him. I really feel sorry for the family and friends of Angelia. Everyone is laughing at me - they told me I forgot that since she is Cherine’s friend we’ll also have to put up with having Godfrey around all the time. I really can’t see why Patrice and Angelia did not have the good sense to love each other! Hmm, maybe he and Jonathan could become friends? Nope, I think that wouldn’t be fair to Percy and Eloise their daughter (em-e’s younger sister and stepmother). I know! This is the opportunity for Robbie to start spending time with and to bond with a male.

It looks like this might end up becoming a Cherinian reality - maybe also the Patrice2 reality. Patrice pleaded with us to do a telling for Lady Annabelle so we had to jump to another reality as it now takes up to six weeks if we do it properly. She does not find it in her heart to forgive Robbie for loving kids, but she is in love with the idea of being a Cherinian and pleaded to be allowed to live in our reality. Robbie pointed out to her that if she and Patrice are to become Cherinians, then they should stay in their own reality so as to give their people the hope of a better future as Cherinians some day. They’ve both agreed and Patrice let slip by mistake his thought that he could end up as the Prime Robert of their set of realities. Good luck to him. A beneficial side effect was that having a common purpose with Patrice melted her reserve and they are now well on their way to becoming a couple.

We are back in our Athens. We shared our experiences, but tried not to stress the presence of Godfrey - the two of them will not survive as a couple if the media hounds them from now. I was amused when an administrator of a website answered a question about us with the comment that we deliberately try to confuse everyone so that nobody gets to know us too well. Only a Normal could say something like that.

There are Cherinians who love to visit alternate realities, a handful have even made their homes on Earths that are not as advanced or have smaller population and jump each morning back here to work. Anyone who does not acknowledge Cherine as their prime Cherinian soon switches to one of the other groups but I must be honest and admit that not all Cherinians like us. Whether they like us or not, it seems they claim us as their own and if anyone is a threat or tries to harm us they stand by us. It was really stupid, under these conditions, of that woman to play her stupid trick on Candy. She had taken the precaution of changing her appearance, but our emoting signature is just as unique as our faces are and someone finally recognised her. They did not let her know she’d been identified and we were asked what we wanted to do, should they bring her to us? Robbie said it was Candy’s choice.

This time Candy did not age herself. The foolish woman had gathered women she admired, wealthy, powerful or married to successful men, impressed and frightened them with her powers and now sat amongst them at the golf club like a queen bee, preening and thinking she is really special. She could hardly bother to concentrate on the little six year old child that came to stand at her side. She was annoyed and showed it when the child tugged at her arm to draw her attention.

As she turned to scold the child, Candy spoke, her voice just as hard and cold as hers would have been. “You owe me a lobster. What you did was rude and I think someone should teach you some manners. I’m challenging you to a duel. You choose the weapons, they can be your powers against mine or, if you prefer, a debate that is used to prove how stupid the other one is.”

The women found it difficult to conceal their delight when they saw her face turn as white as chalk and she cowered, despite Candy pressing her, unable to choose.

Candy took a step back. “You have no honour and you need to learn to have some empathy for others. I’m entering your mind to block your powers and they will stay blocked until you learn some humility and empathy.”

We had gone to her reality in Freddie and as Candy returned she arrived in the bedroom. She came out as an adult and spent the day walking by the river on her own. When Wendy felt it was the right time she went to her and brought her to our bed as a little girl again; a child who only wanted to sleep cuddled up to her and in the hope the worlds of her dreams will be kinder and more loving.

Next [Book 12] - Post 006