Little Cherine Book 08 - BPost047

I thought about it. She was right. I decided it might be a clue and made up my mind. “We’ll turn left then.”

Previous: Book 08 - Post 046

5361

“When choices are made
the future is laid
behold, the unborn dreams,
for nothing is as it seems.”

The face withdrew and we were left staring at each other.

The rest of that day and almost all of the next we walked. By now we had learnt that the forest was full of fruit trees and we had identified two types of nut trees. I’d decided that nothing poisonous grows here, but I made sure I tried each new variety first. We reached the brow of a hill and found ourselves staring at blue sky. The other side of the hill was almost bare of trees and gently sloped to a river about fifty metres below us.

For as far as we could see the land on the other side was grassland. On our side the hill we stood on followed the contours of the river, carrying its crown of trees. To my way of thinking, the savannah opposite us represented a desert. There was no way I could risk taking Diana there. The river was flowing from left to right, which meant turning left would take us back up into the mountains. It made more sense to follow the path of least resistance, as the river flows, until we arrive at the sea. Surely such a large river would have at least a small city by the river mouth?

Our first priority was to get to the river and bathe. Although both of us were feeling sticky, I thought it odd that neither of us smelled unpleasantly. I wondered whether it was our diet of fruit and nuts or had the aliens done something to our bodies?

“We have to wash our clothes also. Robert, if we don’t find people soon we won’t have clothes to wear.”

“I don’t think that will be our problem. Diana, if I’m right and we have been brought here by aliens, then I think we’ll be sick of these clothes long before they wear out. Haven’t you noticed that they look brand new every morning? You’ve been sleeping in yours and they are not even creased.”

“I didn’t want to make it difficult for you, but now I will have to take them off. Robert, I might sound silly since you think I’m only a little girl, but I meant what I said. I know I must love someone and I will not make love with you.”

“You’d have to grow somewhat older for that to become an issue so don’t worry about it.”

“Promise?”

“Cross my heart. Wait for me to enter the water first to check the current and possible wild life.”

“That is stupid! How would I survive alone?”

“You’d have a better chance than if a crocodile grabs you. If anything happens to me, I think you should try for the coast. If there are other people here, there should be at least a fishing village.”

She undressed in a rush and ran for the water before I could react. By the time I waded in she was hip deep and turned to look at me. God! I’d known she was beautiful, but seeing her like this, her just forming breasts the size of baby apples and looking so tender and sweet, coral nipples swollen, I was so tempted to take one in my mouth to taste it.

She pointed at my rigid penis. “Is that because of me?”

“Ah, no, it is a reaction to the cold water, entirely natural.”

“Oh.” Was she just slightly disappointed? Her face lit up with a smile and her eyes laughed at me. “Cold water makes swellings shrink, it is because of me.”

“You are too beautiful and clever for your own good.”

With a laugh she half turned away and began to splash water onto her breasts and shoulders. It seemed a very inefficient way to wash, surely it would have been easier to lower herself into the water?

“I’m squishing the mud through my toes, it feels nice.”

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I’ve never flirted with young girls, not even as a teenager. With Dommi I had been a friend until I fell in love with her and she never flirted or played games with me, so it took me a long time to realise she was teasing me, trying to force some kind of reaction to the sight of her glorious body.

“I’ve worked out why you lost your memory.”

She froze. “How?”

“Pure deduction. You do know that when a person is overwhelmed by feelings of guilt they can forget their past? I think there are dozens of men in prison because you tempted them with your gorgeous adolescent body and finally your sense of guilt made you forget them. That is why you are so convinced there is a man somewhere waiting for you. There is; dozens of them.”

She crossed an arm over her breasts. “That was nasty!”

“I’m sorry. Forget about me, I’m going deeper to wash. Diana, please stay upriver of me, the current is quite strong.”

“You just want to hide your body from me so that I don’t get tempted. I bet you think it’s gorgeous.”

I looked back with a grin, “You just woke up to that? I…Ow!” I’d slammed my toes into an underwater rock. As I jerked my foot I lost my balance and fell sideways, swallowing water. I panicked a little and became disorientated. The current did not help by grabbing me and I tumbled a couple of times before I could start swimming.

It all seemed to last forever, but I began to regain control. At that moment something touched me and in a panic again I lashed out. I tried to see what it was and saw Diana. My blow had dazed her and now the current took hold of her. I swam as quickly as I could and grabbed her. I held her until we were out of the water and she sat on a rock. I had the shakes from the fear that I had nearly killed her and tried to apologise.

“It hurts!”

“Where?” She showed my her left eye and I saw the flesh under the lower eyelid was swollen. “I’m so sorry Diana, I thought you were a crocodile or shark.”

“That’s insulting! I’ll never try to save you again!” I felt miserable until she suddenly giggled. “Why didn’t you think I was a snake?”

“I don’t think there are any snakes on this world.”

“But there is! I saw a tiny one in the river. It was about this small.” She showed with her finger and thumb that it was about an inch long. I only woke up to her insinuation when I saw she was staring at my crotch and giggling.

“Now that you mention it, I think I did see that snake, only you must have been dazed for it was about this long.” I put my hands about two feet apart. That really got her laughing.

“My eye hurts, I think it is closing.”

“There is a slight swelling under it.”

In a little girl voice she said, “You have to kiss it better, you made it swell.”

Amused, I took her head in my hands and gave her upper cheek the lightest possible kiss. As I did so she moved her head downwards and her wet hair flopped forwards. I moved my face backwards but still held her. “Better now?”

“Thank you.” Only when she looked up did I realise she had been staring at my groin. She was grinning. “It did swell for me.” There was no hint of sexual arousal, just an adolescent amusement at discomfiting an adult. “Does it hurt when it is like that?”

“No.” I grinned back. “Only if it stays like that for too long.”

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“Oh. Well, I’m not going to kiss it better for you.” She found herself very funny and laughed for a long time. I was certain that our long walk back to our clothes would provide her with more entertainment. The penis is a silly looking instrument when it sway and bobs as we men walk in the nude.

Diana did not try to cover herself anymore and took pride in my frequent glances. She giggled at times, often enough to make me lose most of my self confidence. I considered the river episode as being mostly one of embarrassment. The trouble only began afterwards, when she put on her clothes again. I kept on imagining those budding breasts, so firm yet soft and warm, so kissably delicious.

It has been so many months since Dommi left me and yet the pain is as sharp as ever. I could feel the love in me for her still burning, but it had been so long since I’d held her softness in my arms. If I did not have such a high opinion of Diana, if I did not like her so much and if she was at least five years older, I told myself, I would be willing to try and seduce her.

Diana was now more relaxed around me and touched me more often. I on the other hand was more withdrawn and tried to avoid coming too close to her. I also found that her scent would set me trembling with need for her, but I was determined not to abuse her trust in me.

{ Samantha: Robbie is trying to write here in the way he experienced their adventure, uncoloured by his present knowledge. I’ve been designated as the filler in of some background:
Both healers were contacted by Cherine previous to our departure for Meli’s world and they were told what was planned. They agreed to play along with us. The water both drank was only an excuse. Meli, Cherine and Dommi blocked the memories that they wanted them to forget. Their link was muted so that they could not feel it and all their Cherinian abilities were also blocked. Since Robbie did not know he has powers, for instance, those from Eddie, he did not try to use them. In a manner of speaking, Robbie has been taken back in time and we wait to see how differently Diana will affect him. Will she (as a Normal) be able to accept he still loves Dominique? It is not meant to be a test and if she is jealous of her, Dommi says she will be flattered.
It was expected, if everything went according to plan, that they would need two days and nights. We’d thought Robbie would want to go straight ahead to the dragons. By turning left he changed our plans. To ensure they love, Diana remains sensitive to him. As you’ve seen, she interpreted her feelings incorrectly. Much of Robbie’s sensitivity to Diana was also left alone as insurance that he will not try to resist her. We are so used to his making love to us that we miscalculated his abhorrence for the concept of making love to children as a Normal. Cherine has spent most of this time with a silly grin pasted on her face.
I hope I am not spoiling the rest of the telling by reminding you that this is happening on Meli’s world where pain and death upset every living creature. Did you notice that Robbie said, ‘Cross my heart’ and did not add, ‘and hope to die’? This was never meant to turn into an adventure, nor were they ever meant to be in danger, apart from accidents.
Our sharing comes to us through Meli. None of us can stay in her world for such a long time so we take turns returning to our bodies at the correct intervals. Hettie warned the governments of the local Earth that we have important business to take care of and will not be in contact for a while. Freddie continues to monitor them and if Robbie is needed to prevent a war he can contact us in less than a minute.}

As I had reasoned, the grassy areas had no food for us. Guess who had to walk up to the forest every day. At least it gives me a chance to relax. Those itsy-bitsy breasts are becoming an obsession! They are affecting the way I see her personality. I was no longer just thinking of her as a child who is brave, bright and fun to be with. In some vague way I was understanding her better while also understanding her less. She must have picked up the change in me, for she was also changing, blossoming, her repartees faster and a little bit sharper, her awareness of me as a male interested in her, making her more aware of all that is female in her.

Although the changes in us were subtle at first, it was as if the two of us had moved (again) into a different world. Before, we had concentrated our thoughts on how to survive and on learning who had brought us here. Those concerns were still primary, but more and more of our thoughts were directed at understanding each other and discovering why we were attracted to the other. I lack self confidence due to a poor opinion of myself as a male and find it difficult to imagine any girl being interested in me, but I’m not blind. My problems mainly lay in three areas. My continuing love for Dommi; Diana’s youth and my need to understand why she is drawn to me so that I do not mess up again.

Even though the nights are not chilly, it would have been nice to have a fire now and then. Sitting in the dark with dancing flames drawing us into their ghostly world while we talk would have been a comfort and relaxed us so that we were not continually self observing. When Diana’s star rose, she asked to stop early. I thought she was tired, but it transpired that she had other reasons.

“Tell me about your sadness Robert.”

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At first I resisted, but she was determined and dragged it out of me. We sat side by side, not looking at each other and once she got me started the dam burst and I poured out the events, my thoughts and reasoning and coloured it all with a goodly measure of honesty that was not entirely honest, for it too was coloured by my low self esteem and pain. I was no longer speaking to a child. I was speaking to a person who cared, who was tender and understood what I was not saying, yet was not condescending or showing pity.

“I’m trying to bend my thoughts around the problem the two of you have. I may be too young to understand, but I think both of you are wrong. The way I see it, being her friend was not the problem. Will I hurt you if I say what I think and make both of you look different from your imaginings?”

I looked towards her and the light was just enough for me to see the darkness of her eyes as she faced me. “I would not object to pain if you have any insights that are true and help me understand her.”

Her hand rested on mine and she let my fingers curl around it. “Perhaps, if you understand her better, you will see yourself more clearly. The part about her only wanting you as a friend, I don’t think it represents all the truth. If a man falls in love with me I would have my doubts. Does he love me because of my looks, the shape of my body, the sex he enjoys? Does he laugh at my jokes or listen to my simplistic views about the world so that I will want to have sex with him?

If the man is first my friend and shows he cares about the person I am and respects and argues with my points of view, how can a growing love between us, or a falling in love, not be a wonderful thing? Your Dominique was very lucky, she had the best of what you could offer. The problem is that she could not see it. When you fell in love, she felt she had lost the comfort of having a friend who loves her for who she is. She must have been very immature for her age, for I’m younger than her, but I can see it.

Why did she choose a man who was not worthy of replacing you? I think it was because he was the confirmation of her fears - that she is not worthy of your love. Robert, your belittling of yourself, your own fears, they did not help. If you had been supremely confident, even arrogant in your opinion of yourself, your interest or love for her would have been an ego booster. Showing a woman that you are worth nothing, how can your love for her be worth anything?”

“God! You really know how to cut to the bone!”

“Then you are not listening to me properly. You already knew of your poor opinion of yourself, it was no revelation. I think you had not understood that it was her own poor self esteem that forced her to look elsewhere for confirmation of her true worth. The way you saw her was not the way she perceived herself as a woman, so it had to mean your love was either a lie or an illusion you would wake up from. How could she bear to be around when that happened? Was it not better she leaves you while she is still your goddess?”

We talked for another three hours, but what was most important she had already said. Once I thought she was asleep I wept. I knew that I was still trapped and will love my Dominique for the rest of my life, but I saw that she will never return to me, as I’d still secretly hoped. Once she has matured and found her own peace, she will look elsewhere for love. In her eyes, my love for her had been found wanting, so why return?

The rise in the land to our left curved, cutting across the river. We could not stay by the river, for it had cut a gorge with steep sides. We climbed the hill and on the other side we were met by quite an amazing sight. Both sides of the river were flat grassland for about seven kilometres and then it fell away. We could not see the land beyond the edge, but where the river was we could see a permanent cloud of mist.

“We have to make a decision. Do we turn back or do we continue? If we get to the waterfall and the drop is sheer on both sides then we will have a long walk back.”

“I’d like to see the waterfall. I don’t mind the extra walk Robert. Where would we be going if we turn back?” Suspiciously I examined the foliage behind us, but no ugly face appeared to tell us to ‘turn, turn, turn’.

“Okay. It must be quite a waterfall for it to have such a large cloud of mist, let’s gather some fruit and nuts before we leave.”

“I wish we had some bread and cheese, I’m getting tired of eating fruit and nuts.”

5365

I grinned. “I just wish I had some chocolate.”

“Don’t start! How about some lahano-dolmades (dolmades wrapped in cabbage leaves) with a lemony white sauce?”

“That would be perfect, with chocolates afterwards for dessert.” We both laughed and picked our provisions for two days.

We stared up the gully. “I’d estimate, from the angle of the river, this grassland is about fifty metres lower than on the other side. I’ve tried to keep a mental map of our walk up to now and I’d say we have descended over a thousand metres. I hope we don’t have to go back, it will be far more tiring.”

“It is also getting warmer. I hope it is not too hot by the seaside.”

As we drew closer, the thunderous roar of the waterfall almost made it feel as if the ground was shaking. The breeze was blowing towards us and we felt the coolness of mist on our skins. The further we walked the more bush there was. Ferns were growing everywhere, some as tall as I. I caught a glimpse of dark red on the ground and stopped Diana. I crouched, picked a strawberry and tasted it. With a huge smile I picked a handful and gave them to Diana.

“Gosh! They’re so sweet! I don’t remember eating any like these in Athens.”

I looked back down, ostensibly searching, while I tried to recompose myself. As I’d looked up at her I was struck by her beauty anew and the question, what does her future hold here. Mine is not so important, I can survive here, as she can, but she deserves so much more, so that she will know love.

We did not dare stand on the rocks, they were far too slippery. We inched forward on our bellies. As our heads reached the edge all we saw was a sea of mist. The lack of knowledge of how great the drop was made it awesome, our imaginations convincing us it went down and down forever. A sudden gust cleared the mist and we saw trees far below that seemed to be the size of ants. The mist returned and we withdrew.

“Let’s walk away from the waterfall so that we can see.”

Once out of the mist we could see the ocean. Diana walked up to the edge and stood there looking down. I tried, but had to crawl the last few metres. In a panic I imagined her getting dizzy or a sudden gust blowing her off the ledge, but before I could say anything she looked at me. My face was pasty white and covered in sweat. Quickly she knelt by my side, her face filled with concern.

“Are you afraid of heights? Move back, you don’t have to force yourself to stay here.”

“I have to, I have to find a way down. I feel better now that you are not standing.”

To our right, as far as we could see, the cliff continued. To our left, on the other side of the river about ten to fifteen kilometres away the land sloped down. As far as I could see we were trapped here and would have to return. It would be suicide to try and cross the river.

“I’ll do whatever you want Robert, it does not make a difference to me if we go to the sea or back into the mountains. I did not see any villages by the shore - or anywhere else.”

I was feeling dejected and hardly heard her. I’d set my hopes on getting to the beach so that, though I could see it was pointless, turning back felt like I was a failure and admitting defeat. I felt I had let Diana down, condemning her to a pointless existence as a nomad without a home or other people to interact and live with. As long as there were only two of us we risked her being left alone if anything happened to me.

“We have to find other people.”

“Maybe you are right and aliens brought us here. Maybe they gave this world to us and there is nobody else. That makes us the Adam and Eve of…” she blushed as she realised what she was saying. Damn, she looked even lovelier,

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“I’ve given up on that idea. It was a stupid theory. I cannot believe the galaxy is so full of fertile worlds that any species can afford to give two people a whole planet. Secondly, this planet is impossible. I’m not a scientist, but I’m certain it is very unlikely nature would create a world without poisonous plants, insects and carnivorous animals. I’ve been looking for bird nests so as to get you some eggs to eat, but I have not seen any. We can’t live forever on just fruit and nuts.”

She also became dejected as I spoke, but then she set back her shoulders and in a determined voice she said, “Then we carry on searching.”

I was overwhelmed and shamed by her reaction. With my heart racing I stood up and put my hands to her cheeks. “Diana, I love you!”

Her face softened as she stared into my eyes. “You love me?”

“I’m in love with you. I know you are far too beautiful for an ordinary man like me and you are too young, but you have a beautiful heart and it made me fall in love with you. I don’t expect you to love me, but I had to tell you how I feel. Are you angry?”

“Angry!? You are such an idiot sometimes!” She leant forward and I thought she was going to kiss me. She stopped. “What about her? You still love her, don’t you?”

I thought about it and was surprised. Even I had not realised. I knew that by being honest I was throwing away any chances I might have had, but I could not lie. “Yes. Diana, my heart is big enough for both of you.”

“Even if it is big enough to fit this whole world, a girl wants her man’s heart to belong to her only.”

‘Typical, you idiot! You love two girls and neither of them want you. When are you going to learn that you must not love anyone!’ Those kind of thoughts raced through my mind as my heart tore at me.

Diana laughed. “I just thought of something. Everybody’s heart is filled with ghosts. We’ve all loved parents, sisters, brothers and friends. What’s one more ghost?” She tilted her head. “You are a very strange man Robert. When are you going to kiss me?”

“You…?” I shut up and touched her lips softly with mine. Even as passion flared up, a passion filled with unbelieving joy, the girls joined us in our minds and we remembered.

“This was not meant to be an adventure, just a sort of fairy story interlude for both of you to share. Trust you to change it!”

“Dad, Vincent asks if he can come.” I nodded to Sam and he came. He stood with arms folded across his chest as the girls brightly chattered, reliving the highlights of our experiences. Sam was grinning to herself, slyly glancing at Vincent.

“Isn’t it ironic that the only time Diana was in danger and got hurt was because of you dad.”

“It was an accident Sam!” I said.

“The fact remains that you hurt one of my primes.” His voice was hard and his arms had dropped to his sides.

“Do you feel the need to punish me?”

“No. As was said, it was an accident.”

I was delighted. I held him by the biceps. “You are maturing and growing deeper. Vincent, I think you are ready for me to split my soul so that you are independent but, I’m sorry, I’m not ready yet. I’m afraid to.”

“That’s a new one! You fear I could forget my primes?”

“No. I dare not add any risks to the years we are hunted.”

“Robert, I am pleased. You are maturing and growing deeper, even beginning to become a little wiser.” His answer caused a lot of merriment and I knew our conversation would be repeated to all our friends - if not to all Cherinians.

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“The girls are a bad example for you, aren’t they? Never mind, it may make you more interesting. My loves, I’m struggling to keep the mood Diana and I were in, would you please leave?”

She snuggled up against me as we stood at the edge, looking at the view. “It’s still scary.” I said and she laughed. I pulled her face up to me and as we kissed, our feet left the ground and we floated out, swinging around so that we could see the waterfall.

“It’s beautiful!”

“On any other planet it would be listed as one of the wonders of the world. Why don’t we go for a swim and look at it from down there?”

“It must be the artist in you - at a time like this you want to look at waterfalls!”

“Even the artist in me acknowledges your beauty is greater.” I laughed, filled with joy. “What a setting for our baby to be conceived in!”

“Oh, you remembered.”

“This trip has changed you. You are more self confident.” I tilted her face. “Up until now we thought only Cherine would have been able to win my heart while I was in love with Dommi. You’ve certainly proved us wrong.” I pulled at her shirt and she raised her arms. “Damn, I was right! They are the most beautiful breasts I’ve ever seen.”

“I thought you prefer flat-chested girls.”

“I do. I also love breasts on older girls. The one does not exclude the other, just as I enjoy sweet and sour or bitter foods.”

No sooner had the words left my mouth than I realised what I had let myself in for. I raised my arms dramatically. “You see what you made me say? Now I’m in for it. Dommi is going to ask me are hers sweet or sour or bitter and whatever I answer I’m in trouble.”

Naturally she was not concerned, too amused at my predicament and theatrics to sympathise. I knelt before her and pulled her pants and shoes off. I kissed her tummy and standing up got rid of my clothes. Hand in hand we walked into the sea.

On rare occasions I open myself fully to my girl made out of love and it is just as unbearably wondrous as our first months were. This was the perfect moment to indulge ourselves. As I began to tremble at the sight of her, Diana realised what I had done and did the same to herself. Cherine promised me she will be with us to help if it becomes too much to bear. She also said that from this moment the two of us are on ‘private’, with only family sharing.

There is no way I can write of our loving in a meaningful way. There are too many surges of emotions and passions searing our minds and bodies for it to be compared to even the deepest most loving coupling. To speak of the perfection of her adolescent body is pointless for it does not explain how or why it affects me to beyond my endurance. We were totally oblivious to the setting and the presence of our loved ones in our minds (not totally true, our sweet twins became part of our loving and the girls had to hold them as they convulsed to our orgasms).

Only exhaustion or one other event could have helped tear us out of our obsessive need to love each other again and again. This time it was when the little swimmer stuck her nose into the gigantic egg that was calling to her and they became one, starting their long journey to becoming the most beautiful proof of our love. The girls let everyone know and our baby was conceived to jubilation and love from a whole world.

I asked, “Have you a name for her?”

“Don’t you want to name her?”

“How can I? I’d waste years trying to find a name worthy of a daughter from you.”

“May I call her Rania?”

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“A Greek name. I like it and she will make it special for me.”

Gilli appeared, carrying a basket, her face flushed. “Daniel said a man, even if he is a Prince, needs good ale and something in his belly more substantial than fruit at such a time. Sam said I should bring it since there is no coffee in Meli’s world.”

“What? Not even one cigarette at least?” She looked flustered for a moment and we laughed. “I hope they are not planning any ceremonial stuff.”

Her smile was sly. “My people asked Melina for a favour. Watch the sky tonight.”

I pretended to groan and buried my face in Diana’s hair. God but the scent! I managed to speak, “They have no mercy Diana, they expect us to sit on the beach until night time.”

“You are bored my Prince? Should I leave you here with your little queen?”

“What a great idea! Gilli, would you sit with us?”

“He is being polite Gilli, he would prefer you to lie with him.” Even Gilli was slightly taken back by the change in Diana. Cherine was amused, but beneath it all I could feel she appreciated how important the change is and was very pleased.

I could not resist a little dig. “You wish for me to lie with one of my ghosts in my arms? Won’t that make her real?”

“Hmm, she is a really pretty ghost and I love the way she smells.”

I laughed. “You win that round.” The two girls hugged and kissed each other, enjoying their triumph, and that soon got us going again.

Diana’s star had risen and I toasted it with the last of my ale. “What is the star called Gilli?”

“Meli said it should be called Diana and Cherine said that is a good idea because she is our star, so I guess it is called Diana.”

“Your people did not have a name for it?”

“It is a new star Robert.”

“I wonder, a sun or planet? Has our dreamer created another world with new surprises?” Gilli giggled, but would not answer me.

Dusk turned to velvety night when Meli called out to our minds, “Lo and behold! Rania has been caught.”

A vortex of energies lit up the skies. They swirled faster and faster, growing brighter by the second. Just when our eyes could not bear it anymore, they suddenly imploded and a moon hung brightly in the sky.

“Rania, Moon stolen from our dream of Rania-to-come, dearly beloved of Prince Robert, his family and all Cherinians, shine with love upon your people, the Gillians. Guard them and light their nights as a symbol of your fathers’ devotion to all Cherinians throughout eternity.”

Diana had to be held as she wept. All the girls appeared and we made way for Melina. As they clung to each other, both weeping, their love was a sweetness in our hearts. The twins were also weeping and soon as I was free they threw themselves into my arms as one. The way my heart felt, I am surprised it did not turn into a sun.

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There were no speeches. The Gillians had set out food and drink and music played as everyone seemed to try to get drunk. Laughter and excited voices filled the air with occasionally a cry or giggle from among the trees as couples wandered there in the hope of conceiving a child in the same night our Rania was (not possible in this world for the visitors, only possible for the Gillians and those Anadir staying here). We would not have needed stars that night, for tens of millions of Sparklers danced in the sky. Even the Kinytians danced, their energy filaments of all colours that adorned the air above us.

I left my girls and went to Alki. “Please hold me.” I reverted to a boy of three and his huge arms pulled me to him. I lay in his embrace feeling his hearts beating, comforted and safe from the emotions that had been too strong for me to bear. When I looked up I saw his cheeks were wet with tears, but he looked at me with such love that it made me cry again.

“Won’t the gravity of the moon affect your world?”

“I don’t think so. It is not a solid planet Robert. It is more like a sponge.”

“Still, it will have some attraction. What gave Daniel the idea to ask for a moon?”

“We told him that Rania is short for Ourania.”

I did not bother to ask how the moon shines without a sun, our sweet dreamer makes her own rules.

“I think it is time we wrap up our work on this Earth. Eddie?”

“There has been a lot of publicity in Germany about the kids you brought back and the government has realised they do not have the public on their side anymore. In England, the king has spoken publicly in favour of our efforts and the government is considering abolishing the monarchy. Public opinion is divided. The man you met in Kefalari, Lakis Diamantides, Robert, your luck seems to be holding out -as the major shareholder of the most influential newspaper in Greece he has been influential in them arguing our case for us. Public opinion is shifting there also. By keeping a low profile we are winning the people over, I do not think we should take any action yet.”

“You do not think it is the right time for us to offer to surrender?”

“It is too early for that.”

“In other words, my hands are tied.”

“What makes you think so? It is no longer necessary for you to handle everything Robert, there are many who can help and we are doing our share. The story with the children showed us the best way to handle it for you. As of this morning Cherinians are appearing in hospitals by the hundreds and curing the patients. A flooding is expected in two days in India and we will be there to save lives. There are hundreds of ways to show the locals that our intentions are good and we will use all of them. Sit back and relax, you could even start painting again if you want.”

I aged myself to about seventy. “Come my loves, it seems they have no need of your old man anymore, let’s go home.”

Rosie beat the others by a hair-breadth. “We don’t need an old man either. Maybe we should go search for a younger Robert.”

“Like the one Alki held last night?” I reverted to my normal appearance. “I would like to paint while the scenes are still fresh in my mind. These paintings will be for our Rania.”

We had to wait for things to change to the point where it would be worth having another meeting with the leaders and a few years ago I would have used this opportunity to dash off to move our terraforming teams or finish some other unfinished business. It has taken me a long time, but it has dawned on me that I will have a dozen things to do at any one time for millennia and that if I do not take time off in between, our family life will suffer. I also need to recharge my batteries now and then and what better way than to give my loves the time they deserve?

5370

While I enjoy the presence of my loves, paint, have a few games of tavli with friends or talk with them, I also watch how my fellow Cherinians are exerting themselves to help people and it fills another corner of my heart. Samantha seems to have taken her cue from me and is relaxed and often acting her apparent age, running, playing and filling Freddie with the sweetness of her laughter. She, Goldi and Efineh spend quite a lot of time together and I can sense how Efineh has had to change her way of thinking again. It is almost as if she is discovering what it is like to be a child and carefree. Irfan often sits in the background for a few hours so that Efineh does not become self conscious, deep in thought, but aware of her. At other times he will withdraw to be by himself to study or meditate. Only once did Efineh manage to convince him to alter his age to an eleven year boy and play with her. Even then he was thoughtful and spent time daydreaming.

I made the mistake of convincing Cherine to play tavli with me. By the third day I could no longer win a set. She now mostly plays with those who consider themselves the champions. The only one who is still able to beat her on a regular basis is Tsiesschkir. I love to sit and watch her adorable face fiercely concentrating, sometimes scowling as she fights to win. She always praises the winner if she loses, but the truth is that she hates losing. I won’t admit to being the same as her, but the truth is, I enjoy playing with Allan.

Manoli, Henry and Sylvestro have convinced Vincent to join them in vigilante trips. Their reasoning was sound, so I have not interfered. They felt that if they go as a group, if they see an adult damaging a child they will not lose their tempers as I have occasionally done and they only deliver the perpetrators to our penal colony. It seems to be working for them. I keep an eye on them and I must admit they are more efficient than I ever was. It just saddens me to feel them when they return.

Christós spends most of his free time with the kids, but he makes time every day for our Angel. He never pushes her to learn faster or practice more hours. He told me that it does not matter if she takes ten years instead of five. He would actually prefer she lives a normal life so that she matures before her abilities develop much further.

The kids don’t show us that they have been greatly affected by learning of their origins, but the truth is that they spend hours discussing it. I will not be able to delay it much longer, I will have to talk to them as they have a myriad questions and sometimes their ignorance leads them to incorrect conclusions. I’ve asked those who are saving lives to take a kid with them whenever they can. Imokka was with Elias when a school bus blew a tyre and veered off the mountain road. The drop was only about fifteen metres, but it was enough to kill or injure many kids. The Sparklers have learnt to recognise situations that are dangerous for material bodies, so Elias was instantly called. He let go of Imokka with the instruction, “Save them.”

Without doubting his ability to do so or considering the possibility of the bus crushing him, he flew under the bus and carried it back to the road. He had a small problem in working out how to lower the bus to the ground with him underneath it, but he is a clever boy and solved it.

The bus doors opened and the kids ran out in a panic. They saw Imokka and froze. The bus driver stepped out, his face drained of colour. “You saved us, thank you.”

“I am a Cherinian, it was my duty.”

Once the kids got over their fear of his strangeness they crowded him and asked him many questions. He was careful not to allow any of them too close, warning them that they could get hurt. Elias landed.

“Imokka, how does it feel seeing them so full of life thanks to you?”

“It is a good thing. My parents, Christós and Father Robert will be proud of me?”

“They will be, but I think you will find that the best feelings of all will be your own, knowing these people have a life to live thanks to you.”

He was treated like a hero by the other kids and Ameka, his mate, showed her pride in him. Thereafter all the kids took their turn in helping to save lives, the person taking them only sometimes secretly helping. Cherine decided it is time and fully linked them and helped them open doors to new gifts. The gift of feeling themselves part of the Cherinian family eclipsed their concerns about their origins and their minds blossomed while their fierce joy filled us all with happiness.

A side effect was that the boys became more sensitive to their girls and their bonding sped up.

Sam said, “I’ve had an idea, but I need feedback from all the species.” She was broadcasting her excitement so all conversations died as everyone wanted to hear. “I have been worried about the Akiards. If they show their normal obsessive traits for their family units, it could be counterproductive and kill our dreams for them.” Everyone nodded, we were all concerned about this aspect of their personalities.

Next [Book 08] - Post 048

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)

^{8th February, 2020}

• posted: 8th February, 2020
  
  
  
  
  

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