Little Cherine Book 06 - BPost009

We would have expected her to go to Robbie if we had known what she was to say, but instead she went to Cherine.

“I will not remember who I am next week, will I?”






Previous: Book 06 - Post 008



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Cherine fought down the pain in her and answered her honestly. “You will not remember as you do now. The memory of this time will be there for you, but they will not be as vibrant and alive as you are. For the full Aven, these days and the way you feel will be memories that are more like shadows of memories. You will recall all of them, but without the emotion touching you, your feelings of now will mean very little to you then. It was the best we could do to try and help you break out of your obsession. I’m sorry love.”

“Then it is as if I am going to die soon.” She looked down at her hands that were twisting in her lap. “My life…my love for Robbie and all of you, it will all die?” She knew the answer, even if it had to be answered, and tears fell onto her hands.

Cherine looked and felt as if she wanted to die herself, but bravely she was about to answer when Wendy spoke. “Aven, the answer is not as simple as you think it is. Do you know who I am?”

“Yes Wendy, I know and love you.”

“Good.” She pulled Candy to her. “And who is this?”

“Candy, my friend and love.”

“Wrong. Think first. Who is she?” Aven looked at her, puzzled. “Take from the memories of the full Aven if you can and recall our storytelling. Can you do that?”

“No.”

Wendy looked nonplussed for a moment and then she spoke solemnly. “Allow that to be our best gift to you then. We will have a storytelling as we have never done it before. You will live and feel as if you have been with us throughout all our years. You will not lose it all Aven, I promise you. Before we do the telling, let us tell you about Candy.”

They gathered in the centre and did a telling of the days when Wendy was dying and of how Robbie and then nearly Dommi lost their lives in trying to save her. They told of how they discovered Candy within her, Candy, made of the memories of Wendy as a five year old. By the time they ended Aven was staring at Candy as if she was a miracle that promised her salvation. Then she broke down and wept.

“Please do the same for me. Please.”

“Her request was to be expected Wendy, what were you planning?”

“To offer to do the same for her after the full Aven is back.”

“She will not agree.” Dommi said.

“It does not matter whether she does or not - we dare not ask. If we take our Aven out of her, then all this will have no effect on the hate she carries. We cannot sacrifice the original Aven because we fell in love with little Aven.”

“Then we can copy her?” Gilli asked.

“How does that help Gilli, this Aven would still be locked within her full self. We will only be making matters worse since we do not have the right to take her. Aven is the mother to this child we love so dearly, she must agree to anything we do.”

Aven sat with eyes moving from face to face as we spoke and slowly her face changed, defeat and despair written there for all of us to see. She said to Robbie, “You don’t want me,” and tried to get up to leave us. He reached for her and held her still.

“I understand why you feel that way love, but you can feel us. Concentrate on me, feel me.” We could all feel his pain and despair and she broke into sobs as she threw herself into his arms.

He made the only concession he could, even though he had not wanted to. “I swear to you that I will do all I can to get you back. Aven, if your love and need for love can soften her heart, she just might agree. Will you try, will you fight for that one chance?”



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She swore she would and over the next few days as she listened and became part of our storytelling we felt the resolve strengthen in her. Wendy had been right, no other telling has been as this one and though no one else was invited, we had every single human who could possibly be there watching with her. We did a circle of love, but instead of it exploding, Cherine kept it flowing and filling her heart for a long time. She could never, not in her loneliest hours, doubt such a love had been and is hers forever.

We had not hidden from anyone the cause of our pain and many arguments developed during those days as to the ethics of our letting her go and as to those of our keeping her. It broke many hearts, but in the end they agreed we cannot act differently. By then Robbie had changed his mind slightly.

“Aven, we only have one more day and night. None of us can bear to think of you leaving, but worse than that is the knowledge we will have to live with, that you are locked away from us, not allowed to see or feel our love. We have a small way we can help if you wish. Aven, will you accept a sliver of my soul to carry with you? I will also give you my memories so that you can have them as company.” He looked up at the sky as he fought his tears. Almost shyly he asked her, “Would you do the same for us?”

We all wanted to give her a sliver and our memories, only Cherine holding back. She did not speak to us of her fears, she did so directly to Aven.

“Before you accept, think of what could happen. You are part of the other Aven and she hates us, has declared herself our enemy and is determined to destroy Robert. If you carry our slivers, his sliver and memories, she may use them against us, whether you wish it or not.”

Before she could sink back into despair, Robbie spoke urgently. “No. You did not have the right to do this to her Cherine. I agree, she must not have your slivers, but she will have mine and my memories. You are all within my memories so she will not be deprived of any of you. She will have what I can give for all of us, so that she does not wither away. If Aven wants to use that against me, let her try.”

Cherine is right, Robbie is wrong, but he is also right. We cannot let her go back into that darkness of hate without anything to lighten her heart. We are afraid, but we stand by Robbie.

Robbie did not want to give anyone time to think further on it, so he went into her mind and shared. She in return gave him her memories; few as they were, they are among the most precious memories he carries within him. We went to the void and he gave her a sliver of his soul. In return she gave him a sliver of hers. Perhaps to give her one last special memory he called the protector to him and as they fused he lit up the void so that she trembled with awe. We all filled her with our love motes for the last time and those we took from her we each held some of them apart for us to taste throughout eternity.

That night she came to Robbie as a twelve year old so that he would have no excuse to refuse her. She had seen him impale himself within our bodies and wanted to have the memory of at least once having been a part of him. It broke his heart, but he refused.

By morning she had been loved by him and us beyond what her body and heart could bear and forgiving him she reverted to an age of five so that she could fit in his arms. We stayed at home as none of us had the heart to go to the taverna and the first to arrive was Jessie with her family. She could feel her friend and did not expect her to leave Robbie’s arms, but she clung to her anyway, bitter tears pouring down her face. She wanted to plead, beg Robbie for a few more days, but she did not dare to. Gently he touched her cheek.

“I can’t Jessie, I really can’t.”

Our closest friends all came to see our new love, to feel her one more time so as to keep as much of her as they could within their hearts. Alki was taken outside by Marian and his kids when he burst into tears. They have never felt him feel so helpless before and it tore at them too.

Sharipya and Asimi stood before her, their front leg bent to her. Asimi asked softly. “If you can, come to me in my dreams and ride on my back.”

She managed a small smile through her tears. “Will you carry me away so that she never finds me again?”

“I will carry you to where love awaits you.”



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Jade was staring at Robbie, her eyes and heart anxious, but she did not allow us to share and she did not speak. It was not necessary, we too could feel how this was affecting him; our protector who could not even try to fight to save a child we all adore.

We kept on postponing the moment another five minutes, until Cherine gave a cry and went into her mind. She wrapped our Aven in a soft cocoon of love and then released the older Aven. She returned to her body that was already wracked by her sobs.

“You kept your word!” She pulled away from Robbie who let her go.

Aganthi quickly brought her a glass of fruit juice sweetened with sugar. “Drink it, you don’t realise it, but your body is in shock, you need it.” Obediently she did so, pulling a face at the taste.

She sat silently for a while, her eyes dispassionately searching out our faces before she withdrew into herself. Athia made to approach her and she sharply gestured her away. “Leave me alone. I need to get back to my home to think.”

“I’ll take you.” Jade offered, as we could sense she has not got full control of her body yet, and Aven nodded. Jade returned immediately.

Cherine looked at us with wonder. “The link is still there!”

“I was afraid it would be.” I said, saying the words I knew would upset them. Robbie did not look at me, just agreeing with me.

“Can she feel it Cherine?” Robbie asked.

“Our Aven or this one? I don’t know about ours, but this one can. She is feeling it out, trying to cut the link. She will soon find out how to block it.”

He looked up, his face white. “No. You cut it now Cherine.” Everyone wanted to cry out in protest, but we did not dare add to his pain. It made no difference; soon as the link was gone we all cried out with grief. We could feel Jessie and her pain tore at our hearts, making our pain impossible to bear. The protector appeared, but there was nothing he could do to help. Robbie stared at him for a moment and then we felt him change. Suddenly we could not feel any pain in him!

For the first time he split himself in front of us and a Robbie came to each of us. We were picked up in tender arms and cradled. Words were whispered to each of us according to what our hearts needed to hear. We heard rain spattering on the roof and looked at each other. “Freddie is crying!” Cassie said.

Athia cried to her Robbie, “I’m sorry daddy, I’m so sorry. I told her she would win and she has.” Gently he consoled her, taking the blame away from her, reminding her that he knew exactly what she planned and had approved it, the blame was his if there is any blame.

Robbie kept himself split for the rest of the day and the whole of the night so that we could lie in his arms. He lay awake the whole night, tenderly soothing us as we cried in our sleep. Dommi forced him to become one in the morning and telling Goldi to stay with him, made us all leave. He managed to sleep for three hours; he should have slept fifteen, the splitting had cost him a lot.

As we sat on the beach, waiting for him to awaken, Cherine and all the others, even Alki and Marian, turned to me. “Sam, what do we do now?” Cherine asked.

“I don’t know!” I replied, almost in anger. “How should I know?”

Dommi said, “He has not blocked off his pain from us, he has blocked it off from himself. How long can he last?”

Alki said, “He must let it go. Denying it will only cause him damage.”

Cherine said, “He is not denying it pappou, he is doing it for us. Whatever we say will not make a difference, as our protector he cannot allow himself to add to our grief. We have to heal ourselves first.”

Softly he added, “And that is not happening.”

“No, it is not. We need time pappou. What do we do?”



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Allan’s voice cut in, “Take the time you need then. Go to Meli’s world or to another reality, stay as long as you need and return within the hour. Take our Jessie with you, she too needs to weep with those who cry for the same loss.”

We had not felt Allan arrive, but his words cut into us like a knife. To hide from our Robbie and work our way through our pain without him! Cherine stood up.

“Allan is right. We must leave and return strong enough for him to release his pain and we must then be his strength. We cannot return home, time would have to pass there without all the Cherinians and it could cause them problems. We’ll go to an alternate reality and stay on the farm of Dimitri. Do you all agree?”

“What about Goldi?”

“We have to take her with.” She jumped home and carefully moved Goldi out of his arms. Soon as they reappeared, so did the protector.

“I will come with you.”

“No. You will stay here and watch over Robert. If he wakes up he will need your strength.” He made to speak and Cherine cut in, her voice sharp and cold. “Don’t you dare tell me we are your primes, that he is not!” Meekly he gave in.

“Let me take you there and I will return immediately.”

“You better let him Cherine,” I said, “it will make Robbie feel better about our going if the protector took us.” She did not argue the point. We all joined hands and the protector took Cherine’s hand as we jumped.

We arrived to a house that had been empty for some time. It was clean, the servant saw to that, but there was no food. The protector jumped and returned with money from our home.

“Make a list of what I must buy and I’ll get whatever you need.”

Meli looked for paper and a pen. The only ballpoint available was dry and would not write. She sat at the table and cried. The protector picked her up and held her to him. “I have a good memory my little ugly duckling, just tell me what you need.”

She giggled at his endearment and we soon had a list of all we needed. A large amount of it was cold drink, in this heat we were already dying for some.

The protector returned with the foodstuff carried in a sphere of energy. He silently put everything in the cupboards or the fridge. He then split himself into five and went to those who were crying and took them in his arms. His tenderness made the rest of us cry and soon we each had a strong pair of arms around us. Cherine did not mention his leaving again and when we chastely slept in his arms that night, none of us felt that we were betraying our Robbie in any way.

The next morning we awoke to the smell of food. We looked at each other and decided we were a sorry looking bunch. Cherine raised herself onto her elbows.

“I cheated. Robert will be cross, but I had to. Aven gave me a copy of her memories. Would you like to come in my mind and take a copy?”

His deep voice came from the door. “Robert knows Cherine. He did not forbid you, he only suggested what he thought was safer for you. Do not give them a copy. Instead you can allow them to come into your mind and share them with you.”

“But we can take a copy if we want to?” Jodine asked. He agreed. That made it less urgent for everyone to take a copy and we spent the day darting in and out of Cherine’s mind. That night we did not sleep in his arms, nor any of the following nights, but he sat watching us and soothed anyone who cried in her sleep. He found his way into our minds if we had a nightmare and stood by us to chase away the monsters or change what was grief into happiness. Gradually we found we saw him not as the protector only, but also as a sort of friend/father figure. When he told us to eat, we ate; when he insisted we go for a walk on the beach, we did, with him walking separately but keeping an eye on us, emoting warm fatherly feelings that helped strengthen us. He did not intrude when we shared stories and cried, but brought us tissues to blow our noses and wipe our eyes.



3585


“I’ve watched you for ten days now and I have been waiting for the girls I know to return. Why are you taking so long?”

Confused we stared back at him. “What do you mean?” Tina asked.

“The girls I have known all my life never give up. They are schemers and manipulators, but they never give up. If you love your little Aven so much, why have you given up on her?”

I laughed, Goldi giggled and then everyone joined us. He nodded. “That’s better. You have been feeding off each other’s misery instead of giving each other comfort and strength. I think you will be back to normal soon.”

Cassie asked, “Are you sure you are the protector - you sound more like Robert.”

“Or Allan.” Jade said, not willing to even entertain the idea that Robbie could pull a fast one on us without her sensing it was him. Not to be outdone Em-e said, “Maybe he is pappou Alki.” That got her a number of quick denials and the protector gave me a smile as he left the room. I knew that it was really him, but let the girls argue since it brought a few smiles.

“What did he mean Cherine? How can we scheme to get her back?”

Cherine's eyes, bright as ever, said, “We don’t have to do it right now Ashia. He meant we should return to Freddie determined to find the right moment and idea. He is right, I’m not going to let that hate filled monster keep our love away from us. Athia, do you think we can trick her?”

“No mum. I will not trick her, she is also my friend. When the time is right, she will let us have our Aven-Candy.”

I laughed. “Candy, it sounds like you’ve got a brand name now.”

It was amazing how a change of attitude brought hope back. We were all eager to jump back, but Dommi insisted we all have a shower first. We stripped and went out into the garden and turning on the hose we sprayed each other. Dommi had a laughing fit so we made her explain.

“I had the thought that millions of paedophiles would happily have each paid a fortune to be here watching us.”

Claudia put her hands on her hips, set her shoulders back and said, “They would have to give everything they have if they want to see me!”

Dommi giggled again. “I doubt they would. Perhaps they would to get a look at our mosquito bite?”

Cherine blushed and Aganthi put her arm over her shoulder. “You mean the bigger the bite the more they have to pay?” Cherine shrugged her arm off as we all laughed. We were being silly, but it felt so good to be returning home to our sleeping husband/father/lover.

As we got dressed Claudia said, “Have you noticed how the protector never appears when any of us are in the nude? I think he must be a prude.”

Jade giggled. “You mean that if he appeared in the nude he would be a rude, nude prude?”

Sol said, “If Solomon also did then we’d have two rude, nude prudes.” And she had a laughing fit.

The protector did not appear again, so we jumped back to Freddie on our own. As we arrived home, still giggling, Robbie woke up. For a moment he did not react and then he sat up in shock.

“What has happened?”

Cherine got him to look in her mind at her memories and he came back chuckling. We also felt how he responded to the protector. He smiled.



3586


“I guess I better be more careful. Next thing I know you’ll all be in love with him. He astounds me. I would not have known what to say to make you all change and yet he did. He seems to have put the fire back in all of you. By the way, I don’t want to hear you all getting into a stew about rude, nude prudes again.”

A very miserable bunch of people were startled when we arrived at the taverna, our faces smiling and giggles breaking out sporadically. Robbie explained as Jessie ran back to her family. Allan mouthed the words, ‘thank you’ as he hugged his girl to him. She told them without pausing for breath about how we are going to get her friend back, that she is not going to stay dead. Eleni just shook her head, not knowing what to make of it.

The next morning we woke up to the worry in Empathia.

“I have to go to her.”

Freddie confirmed that Aven had stayed outside all night, often beating her fists in frustration against her thighs. Robbie insisted Athia have breakfast first and then he let her go.

The second Athia arrived Aven jumped up screaming. “You liar! You cheated me!” She swung and hit her in the face. She was about to hit her again when Athia blocked her with her arm.

“Don’t you dare hit me again. Not when you are wrong.”

Aven stared at her with pure hatred. “Go away. If you come near me again I’ll kill you.”

She tried staring down Athia, but it did not work. Athia only stared back with a slightly puzzled frown.

“This is interesting. Did you get the idea of fighting me from watching Noname and Robert fight?”

Aven trembled as she fought to control herself. She could not resist spitting out a hateful, “Liar!”

Athia only looked interested. “Strange, I kept my word, but you think I lied. That must mean you are stupid and did not understand anything. Maybe it is better this way. No point in helping someone who is stupid.” Her voice was thoughtful, as if talking to herself. Aven screamed with rage and ran straight at Athia. At the last second Athia jumped just to the left of herself and sticking out a leg tripped Aven. She went flying, landing with her face in the grass.

“Would you like me to teach you how to fight? You never told me you don’t know how to.” she complained. Robbie chuckled.

“The little minx. She knows our Aven is messing up her co-ordination.”

Aven must have realised it herself. She got to her feet warily, as if expecting an attack and then walked away without looking back. We expected Athia to follow her, but she only stood biting her bottom lip, thinking. She jumped back to us. We saw fear in her mind.

“I messed up dad.” She was not embarrassed, just filled with sorrow.

“What makes you think so?”

“We made our Aven love us too much. Instead of learning from her, this Aven thinks we subordinated her and sees that part of herself as a traitor. She will not listen to her and is probably blocking her off.”

“Sounds reasonable. Where did you mess up, I thought that was to be expected and was part of the plan?”

She shook her head. “No. I had not thought of it. I expected her to be curious. I had promised her she would learn how to beat you.”

“I thought that was why you sowed a seed of doubt by calling her stupid.”

“She wasn’t the stupid one, I was!” She was really upset now. “I’ve never talked to her like I did today and she will see that as arrogance on my part because I think I’ve won.”

“Hmm, not a bad self-analysis. Relax my sweet baby and let her stew in her own juices for a while.”



3587


She looked back at him suspiciously, but he deliberately turned away from her and chatted with Themi and Manoli. Even more suspicious now, she stopped berating herself and began to use her mind to try and understand why he felt so confident.

The hours passed and she was no closer to understanding him and to tell the truth, none of us were. Robbie sent her a teaser. *If you need me to explain the facts of life, let me know.*

“Stop teasing her Robbie - none of us understand either. Explain your stupid remark about facts of life.”

“They are not facts of life to you love, nor to the others. Athia and Jade should have understood, both of them having been studying modern warfare. What is the most powerful weapon you can send against an enemy?”

Jade muttered, “You cannot be talking about actual weapons, that would be too obvious. Do you mean propaganda? Convince the citizens and soldiers that they are losing the war, that their leaders are in the wrong and you cripple your enemy.”

“Good. What prevents the strong from destroying the weak - amongst the Normals?”

“Empathy?”

“No.”

I laughed, but his eyes warned me to keep my mouth shut. My answer would have only led them in the wrong direction, so I’m glad he stopped me. I’d been about to say that the strong do not destroy the weak because they need them. Without the weak the strong would have no one to feed their egos.

Allan annoyed Robbie by saying. “Jade, think, what makes most crimes fail?”

“Bad planning? No.” She looked up with triumph. “I know! Their own conscious. Most people feel guilty if they harm another.”

“The decent ones, yes. Doesn’t that say something about the Normals? For civilisation to have survived and reached its present level it would have to mean that most people are decent - well, apart from the Cabal and their minions. I’m digressing. Athia, our baby girl will teach Aven someday how to love, but her present role is to play the part of her good conscious. Aven is under attack from two fronts now and though she can shut us out, she cannot shut out the voice within her head.”

“Then Aven was right! We put a traitor in her mind!” She thought furiously. “You did something to strengthen her voice?”

“She has my sliver love.”

“No!! This is wrong!” Before another word could be said she jumped.

“Aven, you will listen to me and allow me into your mind. You were right, you do have a traitor within your mind, but it was not planned that way. You must allow me in so that I can weaken her voice.”

“Weaken or strengthen her you liar? Come into my mind if you wish so that I can destroy you. Robert can take whatever revenge he wants, I don’t care anymore. Come if you dare.”

“I will on one condition. Be with me and listen to what I tell her, watch me and if you see I am betraying you, then destroy me.”

“Come in then!” Aven replied viciously, taunting her.

Sadly Athia said, “Aven, if you do not do as I ask it will be such a waste. Do you really think that you would destroy me? You can’t, you should know that from our storytelling. Each of my family have a sliver of my soul and have shared or copied my mind within theirs. They would go to the void and put me back together again. You could kill me every day without destroying me, only yourself. You are allowing your anger and hurt to betray you again. I will come in and if you have ever believed in me, even a little, you will do as I ask.”

Robbie was already on his feet, ready to jump, but Cherine put her hand to him. “No Cherine, I must stop her. You know very well that Empathia has not shared with us. I will not risk losing her.” His voice was fierce, but she did not flinch.



3588


“You go there Robert and we lose her. She has the right to make her own choices.”

Dommi, Aganthi, Maria, Rosie, Claudia and I came in on Cherine’s side and he hesitated. By then it was too late. Athia was in her mind.

We were all shaken, Robbie hardly able to find his chair to sit as Aven rushed at her, a storm of fury intent on destroying Athia. Calmly, sadly, her voice reached out. *Thank you for letting me in. Come with me my dearest friend, come see for yourself how much I love you.*

Miraculously Aven faltered and then we saw our Aven had already attacked, trying desperately to stop her. Athia called out, *Aven baby, stop it, do not attack her, listen to me first. Please.*

Aven swerved away contemptuously, *Speak to her then, I will deal with you later. I see I have to destroy her first. I was blind, I should have seen that from the moment I returned.*

*You speak as if you have been betrayed. Why should we betray you when we did not need to? Would it not have been easier to keep you locked away while we kept your new personae with us? If we did not have honour, why did we allow you to return to fight us Aven?*

*You said you wished to speak to her, not me. Speak and let us end this charade.*

*I will do so. Little Aven, love of our lives, we have wept and grieved at losing you. I had to come here to stop you though, you have not understood what was wanted by all of us. You know of our love for you. You know of our dreams for you and your people. Why then have you acted against our Aven? Is not our love for you also part of our love for her? You have done something very bad. You listened to us with your heart, but you have not done the same for the Aven who is the main part of yourself. You think you know the reasons she attacks us, yet you did not give her a chance to explain herself, show you exactly why hate lives so vividly within her. You owe it to her. We did not wish you to return here and fight our battles for us this way. What we hoped was that you would open a dialogue to help both of you understand each other. You represent the one extreme of the spectrum and she the other. If you talk to each other, if you try to understand each other by fully sharing, surely you will find a place between both your extremes where you can become one? For as long as you love us, promise me you will do as I ask, whatever happens between her and me. Promise me.*

*She will kill you Athia, I cannot allow her to.* It was the wail of a child in pain.

*If my death is in her heart, then allow her to fulfil her dreams. You know I cannot die, only this tiny part of myself can. I gave her a sword and prophesied for her that it could only deal final death to those who are truly guilty. The sword was a symbol, a powerful one, but still only a symbol that symbolised Aven herself. She is the sword. She cannot bring me final death because her heart tells her I am not guilty. If she needs so desperately to try to do this, do not fight her, join her, help her, be one with her and give her the strength she needs to be the best Aven she can be. Do this for her and us my love.*

The smaller form of our Aven shrank and trembled as she pulled back. We could all feel her weeping. Athia sent to both of them her love motes and left without being attacked.

Aven opened her eyes to find Athia lying on the grass, staring up at the Sparklers as they danced their eternal dance.

“If you would have me believe, you must explain it all to me Athia. Do not hide your meanings behind words of double meaning, be open and explain what you really mean when you say you will help me win. Let me see the truth so that I can decide whether trust exists between us.”

“I confuse you? Look at them dancing up there, they confuse me also. I cannot see any pattern to what they do. I think I see a pattern and then I see their pattern is different from what I thought. Am I like that for you? Aven, you would have me explain my strategy? What then, what strategy would I be left with? Why don’t you try to outwit me, best me with a strategy of your own?”

“You said we must stay flexible, not fall in love with our strategies. If exposing your strategy betrays you, then create a new strategy. Do whatever you wish, but if you would have me listen to your words again then be honest with me and explain.” She put on a false smile. “You confuse me. Just when I am certain you are a traitor, you find a way to make me believe in you. I cannot carry on this way.”



3589


“My strategy has always been in the open for you to see and understand if you really tried Aven. Still, to spar with you without secrets, it would be interesting. I wonder whether I would still be able to force you to succeed?”

Aven screamed, “Stop that! You are doing it again!”

“Sorry. Actually I was only thinking aloud, speaking to myself.” She sat up. “Do not interrupt me and do not walk away in the middle because I anger you. If I am to risk everything I dream of, then you at least owe it to me to listen to me with an open mind.”

“I promise to do so.”

“I know, but the promise will not mean anything unless it suits your strategy.” She smiled and Aven acknowledged her with a small tight smile.

Breathlessly we listened to her explain in full detail, telling her exactly what she meant when she said she wanted her to win. Explaining why we asked for little Aven and then telling her how things had gone wrong. That we had not expected her to be such a lovely soul and had all fallen in love with her. She left nothing out, did not hide anything behind words Aven would have interpreted otherwise. When she ended there was total silence for over ten minutes.

“What you called winning, I call losing.”

“Only because you have not understood. To have Robert as your protector, willing to make any sacrifice that helps your people reach their ultimate destiny! That is like having a god of your own!”

Aven was silent, as if listening to her own thoughts. She laughed.

“She tells me that we already have Robert as our protector. He is forced to protect all life.”

“She is right. She could also be wrong. If one form of life tries to bring death to another, he cannot allow it. Aven, it is not within his nature to allow it.”

“Then I was right, I have to destroy him.”

Athia shook her head, as if despairing. “We said I had to reveal my strategy, you do not have to. You should not have said that, you should have been deceitful and pretended to be touched and promised to reconsider. Tsk, you are not a good pupil.” (‘Tsk’ is a sound of exasperation Greeks make while also sharply throwing their head up and back down).

Aven winced and muttered, ‘stop that!’ It was obvious she was not talking to Athia; little Aven we guessed must have emoted a burst of love for Athia, disorientating Aven.

“You are a true warrior Athia. I was drawn to that in you or else I would not have allowed you to pull me into your schemes. Asking that I use deceit, you should not have said that. Now that I know the true meanings of what you intend. it would be better you stay away from me.”

“Spoken like a true barbarian warrior Aven. Does your code of chivalry demand that the mind not be used? I used a word stronger than I should have, but what is wrong with you listening to me, learning from me? My wish may be for an outcome that differs from yours, but have I not taught you much that strengthens you? I promised that allowing us to create little Aven would increase your understanding of us. Did I lie? Learn what she has to teach you, ignoring her emotions if you wish and then tell me I did not keep my word. Allow me to continue teaching you and let there be a secret struggle between us.”

Aven stood up and giving her hand pulled Athia to her feet. Her hand felt hard, not like the hand of a girl child.

“You took a big risk today. It was bravely done, for I did intend killing you.”

“Learning about my slivers and sharing with my family, did it make it seem pointless?”

“No. Even if you appeared here tomorrow, killing you would have still given me satisfaction, proven to me that I can do what I set out to do.”



3590


Athia grinned, a naughty look on her face. “I’m glad. Aven, I lied. I have not shared yet. If you had killed me…poof, I’d be gone forever. Aren’t you glad you didn’t? Who else would you have to amuse you? I bet you would have missed me.” She giggled as Aven stared at her, stunned.

Visibly pulling herself together she nodded, why, not exactly clear to us. She then asked with a deliberately cunning smile, “Would it be interesting for you to find out?” Athia’s peals of childish laughter reached out to fill our hearts. Our last view of Aven was a startled face as Athia kissed her, and she gave a genuine smile of amusement as Athia jumped back to us.

As Athia appeared she blurted out her question, “Daddy, would you have saved me if she’d tried to kill me?”

“I was not allowed to.” He said, a dark glower on his face and then he said sharply, “Yes, I would have.”

Allan asked me in a confidential whisper, “Are you really determined never to take over from Robert?” I nodded, agreeing. “Then I think he will concentrate on Athia.”

I laughed, amused. “I don’t think so, she frightens him.”

“So did you my love.”

We collected the Inguel terraformers and delivered them to the planet already moulding itself as we’d designed it. Aven only stared at the ugly rock world that did not have an atmosphere yet. As our platform came close we saw she was impressed by the size.

“This is a remarkable task you set us Robert. Even more remarkable will be what is required of you for us to make a success of this.” He twisted his hand to show he was listening. “It is not enough to return to the time the planet was destroyed. We have to return to the beginning of the original planet. We will need to bring back with us large quantities of the primordial soup of life that led to the variety of life that existed at the time of destruction. We will then need to keep on returning at great intervals to carry further samples of all life as it had originally evolved to ensure we restrict evolution to copying what it created then. Otherwise we could find the bacteria, plants and animals are hostile to the sentient life you wish to return here.”

“How far back for the original soup of life?”

“It is difficult to guess without seeing fossils but as an estimate, about three hundred million years before sentient life developed.”

By now we had lost our fear of large numbers, but they still shocked us. Awed by the idea of travelling so far back in time we listened as he committed us to the new voyage and work. The worlds and spaceships of the Inguel were discharged and Robbie helped set them in orbit according to their instructions. We then left most of the Inguel and returned to Freddie.

“Aven, I apologise for the delay, but I have to postpone the trip for a short time. I’m homesick. We have been gone from our planet for too long. Our break will not delay the birth of your planet by even one day, I promise.”

She shrugged. “It does not matter.”

He ignored her surly reply, enjoying our pleasure at going home again. He smiled at her. “You have been using your healer! I wondered what was different about you.”

“It is a tool, why shouldn’t I use it?”

“A tool!! Aven, it is a part of your soul!”

“I am a tool, my soul is a tool made to serve my people.”

He frowned. “I don’t recall defining your existence in those terms when I created you.”

“You were a tool.”

“Did you say tool or fool?” he asked, teasing.



Next [Book 06] - Post 010



I hope you enjoy reading this story of fantasy, adventure and love - and should some of it be true for our reality, I hope you will love our Cherine.





Αλέξανδρος Ζήνον Ευσταθίου
(Alexander Zenon Eustace)

9th December, 2019


  • posted: 9th December, 2019




    If you wish to read from an earlier book, from Book 01 to Book 05, use this link button to open the LC Book Index:















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