LiTTLE CHERiNE Book 02 - post095

arthur.grafo (69)in #sfandf-fiction • 5 years ago

^{“I only wanted to help you.” Though coy, she glowed as she was inundated (κατακλυσμός) with love and admiration by all.}

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“Sam, you too, that story, it was clever.”

“I told it a long time ago. I had not foreseen there being a use for it.”

“Makes it frightening, doesn’t it. Can you see why I insist you do not try to control the future? Just plant seeds of all kinds so that you can harvest according to the season that comes upon you.”

I saw the imps in her eyes as Cherine secretly glanced at me. “Sam, he just said that so that he sounds wise - he is scared we will think you are more clever than he is.”

“Scared - me!? Cherine baby, Sam and I have known from before her birth that she is much smarter than me. You are trying to tease me, but in this instance I think you have not thought of something. I doubt that many of the adults have.

All our children are going to be more intelligent than us. We come from the old world. From the day of their conception, healers are seeing to it that only the best of genes are used. They are in perfect health. They will be smarter, faster and even more beautiful. Cherine love, we are fast becoming obsolete (ξεπερασμένοι). You know what that means?”

“I know what obsolete means.”

“Silly, I meant what it means for the three of us. Within a few years you, Dommi and I can retire, let them run the world while we lie on white beaches, make love and have fun.”

She gave me a cocky look. “This white beaches thing I don’t like. There are always too many little girls around and in their bikinis; you will be falling in love every day.”

Rosie clapped her hands. “That’s telling him mum, I think we should keep him locked up at home so that only we share him.”

“Marian, why don’t you and I run away, let Alki take over here. He is more the oriental type, harems and that sort of thing. We can get ourselves a little cottage in the English countryside, with flowers all around and a decent pub around the corner.”

“It might be tempting if we could manage to get away alone, but knowing my daughter, she would want to come live with us. No, I think I’m better off with Alki.”

“You see what you do to me Cherine?”

“My mother would not enjoy being with you Robert, she would hate having to be a little girl all the time.”

I went to the glass doors leading to the gardens and put my hand on the shoulder of Henry.

“You must never blame yourself for what you did. I blame those people at the asylum. They drove you mad, filled you with hate. I am astonished at how fast you have been growing, your mind has been blossoming. I am becoming very proud of my new brother. Henry, I have a very big favour to ask of you.”

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“What?”

“What you did earlier, please, never again. I am just an ordinary man who was lucky to be loved by Cherine. I still find it difficult at times to believe she loves me. She is the source of our gifts. Those of us who go dancing in the void and have developed gifts, we call ourselves Cherinians. I want you to become a Cherinian, but there is something you must do first.”

“What?”

“I am going to upset you, maybe even insult you and I do not mean to.” He looked at me, his eyes guarded. “Henry, you were locked away for the most important years of your life. You missed growing up as a teenage boy, going to school, making friends and even dating girls. We have a way you can do all that.”

“How, why?”

“You really are not in a talkative mood are you? I want you to become a boy of about eleven. You could then go to school with the girls. As they age every year, so will you. This way you will not have missed out on those important years. It would be good that you spend all your time at those ages, but whenever you feel you want to be a grown up, you can change yourself.”

“I will do whatever you say.”

“You have not understood me Henry. Going to school, studying, it will be hard work. There will be times you will hate it. The only way for you to make a success of it, is if the decision and need is yours - not because you are doing it to keep Robert happy. Chat it over with the girls and let me know.”

“Why with them?”

“Because they also had the same attitude as you.”

“Robert. I know that grown ups work and earn their own money. You have given me a room and you feed me. You even bought me all my clothes. I must get a job and pay for myself.”

“You are family. While you are a schoolboy you are doing your job. You are learning so that someday you can sit as an adult with us and be our equal. All my family get a weekly allowance and so will you, if you agree.”

I left him to think about it, hoping Wendy will help him see the need for himself.

I wanted to tie all loose ends so I put my head on Dommi’s lap and returned to the void, calling for Solomon.

*I heard your discussion with Aganthi. I did not authorise it, but I respect her decision. Solomon, I accept your conditions, though I would ask for one slight amendment. Should you ever decide to call for her and my daughters, you call for me instead. Let my life be forfeit.*

*That is not accepted Robert. The life of even one of your loved ones means more to you than your own life does.*

*You are getting to know me too well Solomon. I have no alternative; I accept.*

*The one who was attacking you, who hurt your loved ones. What is to become of him?*

*I have asked him to become of my family, a brother to me.*

*Brothers are loved?*

*Yes.*

*We thought you wished to kill him. This I do not understand.*

*I did. I would have in the beginning if I could have. Once I learnt who he is, why he did it, I did not have the right anymore to do so.* I tried to explain about mental illness, of how he was taken as a child, because of his gifts and locked away. I explained the effects of this and in what condition he was when he attacked us.

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*Solomon, I would have been worse than him if I had taken the easy way and killed him. Look at how much wealthier I am now. I have a young man who is gifted and I hope he will learn to love me as a brother. The girls he hurt and threatened, they will be his family and one day he may even be there to protect them for me. Was I not right to make him family?*

*Logically yes. But I understood you to be a race of emotions and passions. It is difficult for us to understand. We will keep this information as another step towards understanding our friend Robert. It is argued amongst us that we waste too much energy on trying to understand you. That it may be better we study the normal people of your race.*

*For any other of my race they would have seen your comment as an insult. In my case I consider it strong praise. Thank you.*

*You take pride in not being normal?*

*Yes. Solomon, I just got an idea. The better I was able to understand the one who attacked me, the less reason there was for me to fear him and want revenge. When you came to the world of Meli you were able to assume the shape and body you wanted. If I were able to find you a body to borrow, would you be able to come to our world?*

*I have thought of it. Why could I not do as I did on the world of Meli?*

*Her world does not exist yet, so the rules there are more flexible and Meli can influence them. Our world is a world of matter with rules that seem to be fixed. I also would prefer you to borrow a body, for then you would know what it is like to be a Terran. If you spent enough time with us, I am hoping it will lead to a better understanding of us.*

*Are there any dangers?*

*Yes. You might decide you like it!*

When I told the girls they became excited. They have all grown to like Solomon and were children again in their excitement of thinking up things they want to show him. Meli must have told her parents, Em-e hers and Laura hers too, for they were all soon sitting with us.

Themi said, “Robert, this will be a very big moment. A visitor from another world!! We must see to it that we make the right impression on him.”

Jonathan threw himself into making excited plans. “We must see to it that he is shown the best of all mankind has to offer. Our arts, music, literature. I can start compiling a list of what is the best. We will be taking him to London to show him our art galleries and museums?”

“Girls, for the first time I actually feel like I am not an adult as I listen to Themi and Jonathan. All I wanted was to show him what it is like to live in a body. One that may know pain and disease, but is also capable of knowing love and seeing beauty in a sunset. I wanted him as an adult to feel what it is like to hold a child in his lap.”

I saw the disappointment on Jonathan’s face as he obviously felt I would see to it that only what I want will be done.

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