“An infinite number of them.”“...What do you mean by saying I am the first? There are others?”
Cherine jumped and walked into the kafeneion, laughing. “Theie Dimitri, do not let Robert play with your mind, he loves confusing people.” She leant over and kissed his cheek and whispered to him, “How would you like to meet some little girls who go poof and they are here?”
“They are not potty trained?” We screamed with laughter, for Cherine had walked into that one, she had forgotten what the word poof (or poofy in baby talk) also means.
We could not do a poof in the kafeneion, so they convinced him to take a walk with them. As soon as there were no witnesses, we jumped. He sagged a bit at the knees, so we quickly jumped again. Without realising it he leant on Robbie until he had recovered.
“It is not a good thing to give old people shocks of this kind.”
Robbie grinned. “Yeah? In other words you don’t want them to go poof and appear again for giving you the kiss on your cheek that they want to give you?”
He shook his head. “They cannot be real, no group of so many girls can all be so beautiful. They have the power to make themselves look beautiful?”
Robbie nodded. “I guess that explains it - they made themselves look like my ideal…of each of them. Do you want to see them as they really look?”
“I was not complaining, I was only wondering. Why is it you have come to me and why have you risked their lives? Do you no longer fear the governments?”
“The governments? No, we don’t fear them, but we do fear the people. Dimitri, no small group of people can survive if they are ostracised and feared by everyone.”
He nodded. “That is wise of you, I had not thought of it. Why me then?”
“Because you are our friend, a very special friend. Dimitri, we are not from this world, we come from a different reality - where we have our own Dimitri. The different realities are called alternate realities and those of us who exist in them and here are alternates of each other. We have been spending time with our alternates and now that we have introduced ourselves to you, they will be arriving to take you home with them. May I first ask you a question? Our Dimitri refused to give in and fought the government in the courts when they nationalised his sisal estate. He called himself a fool for doing so and considered those years a waste. Why didn’t you? Was it just because you were wiser?”
“May I claim that as my reason?” He got the laughs he was hoping for and we could sense that it sounded like music to him. “The truth? I had been having some bad years, with too much rain for the leaves to form the fibres needed and just before nationalisation was announced, a friend of a friend, a man many of us Greeks respected, warned us that the high prices of that time do not reflect the real market value of sisal and that we should expect a collapse soon. I was very angry with him for stealing the hope I needed for fighting to survive, but then they announced the nationalisation and my farm was on the list, with even my bank account and car being confiscated, so I immediately packed up, got in my Landrover and drove to Nairobi. There, I sold the car and flew to Greece. Luckily I had, years previously, bought a small house and olive tree farm in this village, so I can earn enough to feed myself.”
Robbie shook his head. “I know you too well to accept such a simple answer. Dimitri, your one big failing is that once someone gets your back up, you turn stubborn and you don’t care what your stubbornness is going to cost you. I’m sorry, but I am going to have to stick with my earlier judgement; you are wiser than our Dimitri, as I’d thought.”
As Robbie had foretold, the local Cherinians arrived and took him back with them. Association of ideas being as they are, we were not surprised when Robbie suggested we go introduce ourselves to Socrati.
Agapi surprised us by speaking up, “Can we leave it for later? I think we should finish what we started…”
“You are thinking of Eddie?”
“Why didn’t you ask Dimitri about him?”
“Because he does not know him - Dimitri left the country long before Eddie began to live there. How about we find him by using our brains?”
3332
Jade teased, “Of course! You desperately want to meet your friend Frank! Are you going to visit him at his apartment or in his office at the Pentagon?”
Robbie teased, back, “No, I’ll leave the pleasure of such a visit to you. Would you mind giving him a kiss on the cheek from me?” He chuckled. “Maybe he won’t be able to resist you and give you the whereabouts of the Mansfield couple.”
It was lucky for us, saving us considerable time and effort, that we did take the suggestion by Jade seriously. Robbie spent hours monitoring Frank, but then he overheard a conversation and he quickly returned to us in Freddie.
“Both of them are dead! Frank and the team he heads killed them.”
Softly, his mind blocked to us, our Alki asked, “What will you do, Roberto?”
“I don’t see that we have a choice Alki, they are, or will be, our friends and I don’t like the idea of that bastard getting away with it.”
Our pappou smiled. “Then you will not mind that I did as they asked and hid them in our home? They shared our experiences from me and yet, they still found it difficult to believe you will risk a fight with Frank and his thirty followers for their sake.”
He returned to the home of his alternate and brought them to us. They were torn by conflicting emotions; they were delighted by the response by Robbie, yet they still had doubts about us - plus of their own Teller family, since they still think of them as being their rivals, while they were also being flooded by their feelings of anger at the betrayal of Frank and the others under him.
Marian said to them, “There is no urgency, take your time to first become acquainted with your Teller family, open yourself to them so that you see what good friends they will be, and then our Teller family, plus Alki and I, will help you plan and trap the traitors.”
Her suggestion was mostly motivated by emotional needs, for, until they could relax while with us, it was not possible for either Hettie or Eddie to open themselves to their Teller family. As Marian had hoped, the time they spend with us was valuable, in that they felt safe for the first time since they’d gone into hiding and began to relax. It helped them think more clearly and by the next day they were not as blind to commonsense as when we had our first meeting in the taverna.
Eddie spoke for them, “When we felt a new power appear, which we rightly assumed had to be broadcast by a group, we saw the possibilities of drawing them to us if they are not power-hungry and determined to take over the world. We assumed they do not know about us and the power base we had created - which now, incidentally, is also a danger to your alternates. What caused us to hold back for as long as we did was due to the confusion you were causing us. At times we could feel that you are incredibly powerful and at intervals you would be as weak as a puppy. Granted, we told ourselves, you do not realise there are others who are powerful and who will be planning to subjugate your group, even if they have to kill most of you, so the main part of your group is leaving our planet to explore and test their powers, without worrying about those you leave almost defenceless. Even without knowing of our group, this was very unwise - may I say, immature - as the entire world is your enemy.
It never crossed our minds that the main part of your power comes from another reality. We were already aware of Alki Georgiades, as a businessman, but his lack of interest in growing beyond the borders of Greece was seen as a flaw by us; he obviously had some latent powers, but we were only interested in people who are hungry to grow their wealth, influence and power, but are also willing to be part of a team.
At a time that we felt the main part of your group was absent, we probed to sense who they are and were surprised to find that Alki is one of them.”
The local Alki grinned. “By the way, I knew of them, but their supposed death has not been publicised so, for that reason, I was not shocked to see them at my door. I just could not believe anyone as powerful and wealthy as them would even know about me, never mind visit me. Eddie, I apologise for interrupting, but I had to get that off my chest. Please continue.”
Eddie gave that gentle smile of his that makes him feel like a kindly uncle. “Sensing his reaction to the sight of us almost convinced me I had made a mistake in listening to Hettie - she had insisted that it does not matter what your group are like, we need allies and it is best we make our approach while your group is weak enough for us to disappear again should you be a danger to us.”
3333
Robbie chuckled. “That’s our Hettie…you’ll love learning about your alternate and the war she led against us.”
“She obviously lost.”
Robbie grinned again. “I wouldn’t say so, in a way I think she won - well, she did kill me. Hettie, she is a dear friend and represents us…and our group is in the process of entrusting her with our financial power. If I need any large sums of money, I have to go to her.” She was puzzled by his answer and the waves of anger and disapproval by all of us, but she decided to remain quiet, trusting she’ll learn the truth without having to antagonise us with questions - which shows she is more observant than our Hettie was when she fought us.
Maria brought us cappuccinos and the small cups of coffee Eddie and Hettie like (as brewed in Germany). Once she was gone, Robbie gave Eddie a nod and he continued with his narrative.
“Alki was shocked to learn of our psychic powers, which probably explains why he did not try to deny those of your group, though he did avoid answering our questions about the range of your powers. In a way, my questioning of Alki turned into a fiasco because of presumptions each of us made about the other. I wanted to see whether he would admit the truth and tell me the real numbers of your group, while he felt he must impress us by adding your group to his.” He sensed our collective amusement and paused just long enough to give us a smile.
“It is amazing how easy it is to turn the truth into a lie. When I asked why the main part of your group keeps disappearing, he replied, honestly I now see, that the main part of the group is more interested in helping other realities and in assisting your alternate groups grow. His reply did not make sense, since survival of the original group has to come first, and we thought he had lied. He also erred in mentioning that you travel in a spaceship and we were certain it is a lie, since we do monitor space for any threats that may come from outside and nothing was recorded.
We were not dismayed by what we perceived the truth was, for we reasoned it would be easier to convince a weaker group to join us - especially once we were able to convince you that our psychic organisation is dangerous to you also. Now it seems we are to consider matters as being of the opposite extreme and I do not see how we are to convince you to join us.”
Cherine answered, “The truth is, you cannot.” As we’d expected, though they tried to hide it, their emoting flared at such a young child daring to speak to them in this way. Robbie only sat back, curious as to how they’ll take it from here. I have grown to respect and almost love our Hettie (of course I love our Eddie), so I decided to intervene, even if I also look too young to be taking part in an adult conversation.
“Eddie, Hettie, pretend for just a while that you are talking to an adult so that you hear what I am about to tell you. First of all, the truth is, we are not as young as we look. Secondly, the person we are all named after, because it is her gift and powers that created us - is still the most powerful of all of us. She is Cherine, this little girl who just annoyed you by answering you, instead of leaving it to an adult to do so.
She told you the truth, but if you wish to understand why, then you must keep your minds open to us and really think about what we are going to tell you.” I spoke to Freddie. “Take us please to another reality,” and then I explained. “While we are in a different reality, time in your reality will not pass for you, which means we can all relax and take our time and hopefully arrive not only at an understanding, but also open ourselves to friendship, which is worth far more than you just succeeding in convincing us to become your allies.”
Dommi asked me, “You wish the girls to do a telling for them?”
“Yes, it is the nicest way I can think of.”
“To do what?” Hettie asked.
“To explain ourselves. This way you will learn all the truth about us and if you are left with questions, we’ll gladly answer them. By the way, you may find the telling embarrassing at times, as the girls insist on telling only the truth - plus all the truth, even if it embarrasses us or our guests.”
3334
Since they seem to like our Alki, we left it to him to explain, while Maria prepared for an early supper, so that the telling can start today. I came home so as to have some time alone for thinking, but all my loves followed me and they are in the sitting room, their happy voices and laughter just loud enough to make me curious, so I guess I’ll be joining them.
Sometimes, parts of the telling which were not funny, become hilarious. When we reached the part where we went to war with the Sparklers, all whispered asides stopped as our guests concentrated on the telling. Then Robbie designated me leader, met with the Sparklers and I blocked him, trying to imprison both him and Cherine. Most people have a bit of empathy or feel a hint of what it was like for me, but mostly are awed that Robbie would show such trust to a baby…maybe instead of trusting one of our adults. Our present Eddie and Hettie did not try to understand what motivated me, for they were convinced I had decided to take over for real. They were extremely disappointed in me when they saw how easily Robbie wrested the authority and protector from me. I am guessing, but maybe they were thinking I might make a good replacement for Frank? I had to jump home so as to laugh in privacy (not true, but I hope you know what I mean.)
Eddie and Hettie had already met our alien friends, so they understood about the war and were impressed that Robbie took the risk of going among the Sparklers for such, to them, a nebulous reason, without first having proof of their intelligence and intentions. I guess, when thinking of it like that, it is rather queer of him.
On the day the telling would include our war with Doris, we first warned them, adding that we are telling it from our point of view, so they are welcome to take whatever they want with a pinch of salt. It could be they suspected everyone will be monitoring their emoting, but I don’t think so. For some reason they could not identify with Doris and they grew more interested when Eddie turned up to save Robbie.
Eddie shook his head. “Until now I had been certain I am more powerful than your Eddie, but I could not have healed you of so many gunshot wounds. I never even suspected such a power is possible.” None of us commented, so he let it go.
Ostensibly the telling was for the Mansfield couple, but we were very pleased by the other results of the telling, though they were not unexpected. Thanks to the repetition being in tiny ways different, both the local and our guest alternate Robert understood more of what they were seeing and sensing and allowed their hearts to open just a little more. I hope we will be able to return to visit both realities, for I love seeing how new Teller families grow in slightly different ways from us.
Nearly a week later, after also giving them a couple of days to absorb what they had learnt and ask their questions, which were surprisingly few, Robbie arranged for a full lamb to be slowly roasted over a fire. Six hours later, when it was at its most tender and tasty, he began to slice pieces for everyone. Of, course, as usual, by this time Cherine was already full, having stolen her loved slivers of skin and tasty bits of meat - actually, I think she mostly loves the sneaking in to steal a piece now and then, even if Robbie is only pretending to try and stop her.
As Eddie ate, he asked, “Robert, would you consider working for me as my master of barbecues?”
Robbie grinned as Alki pulled a face (upset he had not thought of the tease over so many years), “With pleasure Eddie, as long as you arrange for all the barbecues - and your guests - to eat what I cook within Freddie. Perhaps you could offer the visits to other realities as an extra inducement?”
Hettie then did something gracious. She patted Cherine on her knee and confided to her in a loud whisper, “You have trained him well, my dear. Do you think that if I tease my Eddie it will help him learn to have an answer for everything?”
Cherine gave her a serious little girl look and answered, “I don’t think it would work, unless you change to a little girl.”
Eddie laughed. “Why don’t you try it my love?”
She thought about it for nearly two minutes and asked Cherine, “You could help change me?”
“I can do something better. How would you like to be the original eleven year old girl…I mean, in your real body, not this one you borrowed. We can do the same for Eddie, though I think you will both want him to remain older than you.”
3335
One day we will arrive at some reality and the local Eddie and Hettie will not love each other, or not as deeply, and we’ll be shocked. (Cassie) And maybe we’ll find a Robert and Cherine who cannot love each other, whatever we do, and we’ll be in even a bigger shock? (Me) And how do you think something like that could happen? (Cassie) Easy - the soul of Robert gets born in the body of a girl. (Wendy) That would not work, as soon as Roberta meets Cherine she’ll realise she is a lesbian and love her. Then it will be easy to convince her to change her body to that of a male and we’ll have another Robert and Cherine!
The teasing came about because we were happy - not that Robbie approved of what we said, even if it was in fun. As for the Mansfields, seeing each other in their original bodies, as they’d seen happen to their alternates, smashed through the hardness they have acquired over the centuries and they are now ready to become Cherinians - well, almost. I’ll know it is time when I see Cherine sit on the lap of Hettie.
“Apart from Frank and Walter, how do you want the rest dealt with?”
“Why do you exclude those two?”
“Because I am still angry with them…”
Our Alki cut in, “Ochi Roberto mou, not again. Anyway, Eddie has first rights on dealing with those who betrayed him.”
Eddie sensed us and quickly agreed with Alki. He tried to add humour to the situation so as to lessen the anger of Robbie. “Count yourself lucky Robert; at least you don’t have to handle Doris this time.”
“Are you going to answer my question?”
Eddie’s voice remained soft, though there was a harder glint to his eyes as he replied, “I’ll deal with them in a similar manner to Frank, but without bothering to block their minds first. Robert, the rest of them don’t even know who they really work for and have only been following the orders of those they think are their superiors, so there is no cause for me to harm them - and of them, those who are suitable to be linked as Cherinians, our Cherine is free to do so. I doubt that more than thirty to fifty are truly allied with Frank and thus are against us, despite not knowing of us, and those I will block.”
“Do so…and then give them to me for transferring to a reality where the Earth people know about us Cherinians and the two of you. I will only keep them there for a week or two and then return them ten years from now.”
Robert stage whispered to me, “Gosh Samantha, you misrepresented him, he is quite clever…he does resemble me!” Cherine glowered at him for a moment and then tittered, amused by him for her own reasons.
Eddie needed to visit a secret place where he had stored information about his businesses and the people who work for him or are obligated to him in some way. His problem is that Frank knows of the general area where the building is situated, so he has to be extra careful.
Robbie asked him, “Have you learnt to see the physical world as a soul?”
“I have not even considered the possibility.”
Robbie walked onto the lawn and lying down, gestured for Eddie to join him. “It is time you learn. Eddie, if you fear me in any way or do not trust yourself, then do not join me in the void.”
I knew that Dad is playing games with his mind, as do all of us, but we also understand why he is doing it. It worked, for Eddie took his time, concentrating on his inner world. When he let go and left his body, we gave Hettie a smile as Cherine asked her, “Would you like to go there with us to see what Eddie looks like and to share in what they are doing?” Of course she did. Robert and the locals did not have to ask, we took them with us. The rest just came on their own.
After Eddie settled down, mostly from his euphoria of seeing the soul of Hettie and from knowing he has achieved what was impossible to him previously and trying to assimilate the effect of seeing their future unfold before them with a myriad new possibilities, he began to ask Robbie questions about how he plans to open vaults without anyone (or electronic alarms) registering the odd happenings.
*Are you limited to affecting matter only with your body, not with the abilities of your mind? If you were proficient at affecting matter, moving it by willing it - by telekinesis - we could have achieved what you wish to do from Freddie, even while remaining in another reality. I’ll confess that I am not that proficient yet, so don’t feel bad about it. Let’s go to the vault and as we take action, so will you learn to master your own gifts.*
3336
The way Robbie taught Eddie, was by entering the mind of his soul (guess that is why Eddie had to first not fear him) and by showing him directly, sometimes by intimately sharing a few memories. We did the same for Hettie and all the alternate guests.
From within their own reality, but without having to enter the vault, just by creating an image of the documents as vividly as possible in his mind, he learnt how to send the documents to the home of Alki, in Athens. The local Alki and his Cherine went home, collected the papers and brought them to Eddie.
They worked for hours, winnowing the innocent psychic employees from those Eddie and Hettie are certain took part in the coup by Frank. As the list grew, it seems Eddie began to relax and for the first time he spoke of the day of their supposed death.
“Frank is a cold and calculating man who does not care what or who he destroys, as long as he achieves his ambitions. I thought that by employing him I would also be able to control his destructive nature. For instance, he could have resigned from his position at the Pentagon and more openly enjoyed the trappings of wealth and power, but he chose to remain there as he said he could be of more use to us should the governments learn of us and attack. For years he has been allowed to visit Hettie and I at our home, wherever in the world we are, and is the only man or woman who knows where all our homes are.
He always gave notice of his impending visits and for his last visit he did so, but he had little business to discuss with me. He told me he has been considering the teams of psychics we have and he is worried that as we use them they will grow more and more powerful. He worried that if they are not bound by money and loyalty, they could someday turn against us. He then told us, ‘Those who act as division leaders know more than the others and suspect your existence - I mean, they have always known there are others above me, but now they suspect who you are. Mostly they know it is you, Hettie they just think of as your wife. I have two suggestions to make. We bring those division leaders to meet you - perhaps a cocktail or barbecue? Then we split them so that there are two groups. Only they, the leaders, will know of the other group…as insurance, in case one or two of them decide to cause us problems by using their troops against us. Such a precaution should reduce the likelihood of unrestrained ambitions among them. They are also likely to suspect I have a third group of the most vicious psychics as a backup plan.’
It is not in the nature of Frank to explain at such depth, I have always struggled to get out of him more than the bare minimum of his thoughts. It is also unlike him to want to weaken his position by introducing the others to me, so I instantly knew what he planned.”
Aganthi asked, “How did you convince psychics that both of you died?”
He grimaced. “I’ve been talking my way to this moment and I still find myself hesitating, for I know what your reactions will be and I hate to lose your good opinion of me.” Robbie nodded, as if he knows, but is not ready to comment. Eddie asked him, “You have guessed?”
“You used two Normals to take your places, making them look like the two of you, and it is the two of them who died.” He placed his arm around Cherine and pulled her to him. “If someone planned to kill you, there is little I would not dare, whatever my beliefs.” None of us agreed with him, including Cherine, yet we kept quiet; because he wished it of us and because, despite everything and however wrong uncle Eddie was, we love his alternate very much, so some of that love is his also. Later, once he believes in our love, we’ll discuss it again with him and bring back the couple he sacrificed.
We were all deep asleep, in our Freddie home, when Robbie suddenly yelled and jumped out of bed in a fighting rage. Instantly we were ready to fight, but again, almost instantly sensed there is nothing and no one to fight. Cherine asked him whether he is alright and Robbie gave us a look that was sort of puzzled and yet sheepish.
“I had a nightmare.”
Cherine did not accept his explanation. “You know I am linked to you and I would have felt it if you were afraid. I mostly felt anger - like you wanted to kill someone. Will you share your nightmare with us so that we can get back to sleep?”
“I don’t know whether I should - I also don’t want Sam writing about it in the diary.”
3337
I could sense that Cherine was not about to give up, so I softly went, “Oh!” and then blocked my mind. As I’d hoped, Cherine transferred her interest to me. Robbie did not understand, for he was certain I could not have guessed what his nightmare had been, but I sent to Cherine that I’ll tell her in the morning - and that it will make her laugh. She cuddled up against Robbie and we were all soon asleep - apart from Robbie, who spent a while re-examining his nightmare.
Cherine was polite this morning, she let me have my time at the diary, watched me as I ate my breakfast and then, as she sensed me get ready to run, she grabbed my arm. “Now!”
“Do you remember the conversation about a Robert being born in the body of a girl? I think Robbie's subconscious interpreted what it heard in a way Robbie did not like - you know how he is about men touching him. He probably found himself making love to a man - which explains why he was so angry, instead of afraid.”
She glared at me. “That was the best you could come up with?”
“In the middle of the night, rudely awakened, what did you expect? Even I have some limits.” I gave her my most charming grin, but she did not reciprocate, “Cherine, you could not sense Robbie because you were concentrating on knowing why he was upset, but we could all feel he needed some time to think and sort out what the dream means. Also, I was sleepy and you would not have let us sleep if I hadn’t misdirected you.”
If anyone thinks she let me off without making me feel sorry for myself, they sure don’t know our little mercurial sprite very well. At least Robbie's heart warmed me up again.
Then, at the taverna, Robbie spoke of having a nightmare and how I had deflected Cherine - and he even told them what my theory was. There were a number of chuckles, but they watched him, waiting to hear the truth.
“I was visited by god last night.”
“You mean Arthur?”
“No, that was my problem, it wasn’t Arthur.”
Here is my version of what he experienced, since he let me share it from him - and gave me permission to write it for you. Arthur, I wonder whether you’ll enjoy it..
Robbie was sitting in our sitting room, in Prime Athens, relaxed and reading something (I’ve been told it is not possible to read in a dream because the side of the brain which does not know how to read is the part that does the dreaming. Robbie insists he was reading, but he does not recall what and my sharing did not show me what the truth is). He saw a young and slim figure enter the sitting room from our hall, though he is certain the man did not enter through the front door.
The man looked angry, but Robbie did not feel threatened. He asked, “Who are you?”
“God.”
Robbie felt a stir of excitement, thinking it is Arthur. Before he could say anything, anger flashed across the face of his visitor.
“Don’t you even dare think of him as our god, he is not. I am God - the only one!”
Robbie did not feel awed or anything like that, so he argued, “But if Arthur created us, then it means he created you also.”
“That idiot! That simpleton! How dare you name him my creator!” The visitor continued to rant against Arthur and Robbie's belief in him and, in turn, Robbie began to grow angry. Before he could get angry enough to throw the man (or god) out of our home, a finger which was trembling from the rage the god was feeling was pointed at him.
“I have tolerated you and allowed your petty powers for long enough. As from this day no man or woman shall ever again be gifted with psychic powers.” As he said the words, Robbie felt himself suddenly cut off from Cherine and all of us.
3338
As Robbie flared with rage and threw himself at the man or god, he felt himself almost falling off the bed and stopped, standing, waiting to recover as he trembled, still slightly confused and not quite ready yet to believe there was no god and his links to us have not been cut. Cherine spoke and it brought him back to us.
“Because the dream was so vivid and his wrath so like the old testament god I knew as a child, I still find my stomach clenching at the thought that maybe he does exist.”
Goldi said, sounding like a real child in her ‘childish’ faith in you, “So what if he does, Arthur will stop him if he tries to take away our gifts.”
Candy added, “He would never let anyone spoil his story.”
Meli turned even more serious as she considered what the girls had said. “Actually, if I were Arthur, I just might let the god win for a while so as to have something new and very different to write about, but in the end I would undo the damage caused by the god - maybe using the opportunity to teach him a bit about empathy and humility by making him a Cherinian. I believe Arthur loves irony?” Robbie laughed and grabbing her, placed her on his lap for a hug. She soon withdrew into her own mind, cuddled against him, and he was stuck with her for over two hours - that is a damn good trick, wish I had thought of it first.
Arthur, can you please confirm you will not do as Meli said?
I guess that makes Meli our heroine - lol…the last thing she would want.
Eddie asked (have you noticed that this Hettie does not speak often? I wonder why), “Since the subject came up, is your Arthur anything like the Christian god? Does he punish sinners and so on?”
Jade giggled, so we let her explain. “He can’t, uncle Eddie, because he is a sinner just like us.”
I added, “He tells us that most of the sins committed by sentient beings are through weakness, not because of an inherent evil in us. I like his theory and agree with it. As Cherinians it makes it easier to have empathy when we come across an evil deed that shocks and hurts us.”
Hettie nodded in agreement as he answered, “Fear had motivated me, fear I talked myself into feeling, so I can now see he is right. However, I am not certain about certain people - Frank for instance.”
Robbie asked, “Do you think he was cold and calculating from when he was a baby - or do you think he was taught to be as he is?”
Latreia asked, in turn, “Are you saying that the father of Wendy is not evil? You looked back in time and found he was the same even when he was a kid.”
Robbie responded, “At first glance it seems that he is an exception my latrefti Latreia (my adored Adoration), but isn’t it likely he learnt to fear in previous lives, which forced him to try and block himself off in this life? There is also the possibility that he has a health problem, with part of his brain damaged. We don’t know enough to be categorical in our beliefs and until we do, I prefer to believe that everyone is basically good - if allowed to be.”
There were a number of our alien friends present and a CherInguel said, “You are a leader Robert, how can you discipline and punish those who commit harm to others if you believe they are not in control or to blame?”
“Simply by believing we are all offered choices. The same bad experiences turn some people into saints and others become unfeeling tyrants and destroyers.”
I grinned as Jade added, “And some of those saints are also unfeeling, thinking their religious beliefs give them the right to torture and kill.”
3339
Cherine nodded. “I think that if faced with one of each, I would be harsher in my punishment of the saint.”
After the discussion took a number of directions as others also expressed their beliefs, Robbie said to Eddie. “I’ll help, just in case they are organised, but I’ll leave their punishment to you. First though we have something else to deal with. I’ve allowed you to keep your original bodies, but you have not mentioned your intentions with regards to the children whose bodies you stole.”
“Having shown us what you expect, I thought it is assumed we too agree to adopt the children.”
“When it has to do with the happiness and the love children need, I never make assumptions - you must either offer or else I’ll make alternative arrangements.”
“They will be loved, Robert.”
“We’ll deal with them later, after you’ve got rid of Frank and his fellow conspirators. Eddie and Hettie, this will not influence your being accepted as Cherinians by your Cherine and Robert. For that to happen, they will rely on the instincts and gift of their Cherine.” Since they had not asked, it was ‘generous’ of Robbie to suggest it? At least they will no longer need to worry about the Cherinians agreeing to become part of their group. Tina just accused me of being ‘nationalistic’. Though not an exactly correct accusation, I know what she means, but I must qualify her accusation so that I can accept it as being due. I am not nationalistic about Cherinianism - underlying everything, all my feelings about it is the fact that I equate Cherinianism with ‘family’ and family always come first with me, even if the Globalist governments of Earth are trying to make it sound unreasonable and old fashioned.
Sometimes things happen in such a way that they give the appearance of a conspiracy. That evening the local Cherine and Robert, with their immediate family (the girls), were in a very loving mood and at the height of emotions by all, the links opened and drew in also all their Cherinians. If Eddie and Hettie could not feel how everyone reacted, they might have felt it was done deliberately, without them being asked. The funny thing is, it is not necessary to be asked, if you are not ready, the link will not draw you in.
The next day we celebrated with a party and then Robbie told everyone, “It is now time we return to your home planet to deal with the problems as a family.”
Once back in their Athens, they wanted to host another party, this time to thank us. Robbie surprised us by leaving for long walks on his own. One day he asked Eddie and Hettie to join him. “It is a rather long walk, so if you get tired we can take a taxi. I would like to go to Kefalari for a coffee - and I believe we still have matters to discuss.”
They sat in the coffee shop that almost directly faces the church situated within the square. “Killing leaves a stain on your soul, so that you end up paying for what you do for as long as your soul exists. I also worry that killing Frank will release his soul and it will search for its new life and forcefully keep control of it. He is powerful and could end up returning with all his powers, with a grudge added to it.
Walter will return to a normal life, maybe with some powers, but if the Cherinians have managed to influence your home world, he is likely to take a different path. As for Frank, I would like to suggest that we block his mind - on a lifetime basis, and then you allow me to deliver him to the prison planet.”
“When he dies?”
“It is less likely that he will find the body of a sapient being waiting for him and he’ll have to evolve over a number of lifetimes and I’m hoping that after living a life or more as an innocent animal, prey only to the hungers and instincts of such animals, his return to sentience will find him a gentler and more normal being.” He glanced at Hettie. “There are no guarantees, but it is the best plan I can think of.”
She placed her hand over that of Eddie and said, “Thank you Robert, it is a good plan. May I now speak of what else troubles me?”
“Please do.”
3340
“Returning me to my original body has not helped me as much as you think it should. Even at a young age I was arrogant with no empathy for those who suffer. I have watched all of you carefully, as I expected you to be using some kind of gift or subliminal program for affecting Eddie and me. I could not sense anything underhand, all you did was in the open, which means our critical faculties should have made them less effective. How is it you have managed to alter us so drastically and within such a short time?”
Robbie smiled. “I keep giving the same answer, and yet somehow nobody seems to believe me. Hettie dear, how can I make you do anything which is against your own system of beliefs or instincts? Would I not be more successful if I offer you that which you yourself crave? As we said in Freddie, I really do believe that people are born with the instincts and wish to be good, and it endures, even when our hearts have been hardened. Do not even some of the worst of us yearn for a kind of idyllic utopia or heaven?”
She nodded. “Maybe, I will wait to see for myself. If you are here to teach us, Robert, would you be unwilling to be taught in return?”
“With pleasure.”
“You have shown us in your telling that you fear your governments will attack should they learn of you. The people yes, if they grow afraid, they will attack, stampeding as a herd of buffalo would, but not the governments. The more afraid they grow, the less likely it is that they will attack. They will patiently bide their time and play what they think of as the game of diplomacy and wait for the opportunity for them to learn of your weaknesses and how they can safely exterminate all of you.
Do you think I exaggerate or over-generalise their personalities? What makes a man or woman become a politician Robert? The wish for power or fame or anything else similar to those? I trust you realise that their wish to do good for their citizens only exists until they are given the power to do the good they yearned to do? After that, their security and the unassailability of their position become the driving power. Think of the worst nightmares, the despots who culled their own people, killing millions, were they not on a never-ending search for total power and security for themselves? It just happens that sometimes they see they can do good while also strengthening their own position and so they do it.”
“When in truth they could make their position totally unassailable by doing good all the time?”
She smiled. “It is not possible Robert, for politicians do not live in a vacuum of outside influences. Those who backed them have their demands and even though people know it, they do not demand that such influence be removed by limiting how much financial help may be provided. Perhaps the people, as a generalisation, do not want a government they will feel responsible for, preferring that they have the excuse that matters are out of their hands? Do you think Eddie and I have influence? We do, but paradoxically, our corporations and their CEO’s, which are thought to be faceless in many ways, have far more power and influence than we do directly. If they changed the law and stopped giving corporations more rights than humans, even reduced their rights further, all our worlds would be far better and run for the good of their citizens more often.”
Robbie gave her a curious look. “Was this provoked by our sharing with you our information about the cabal trying to take over our and a number of other Earths?”
“They are not as organised or as strong on our world, though they may be within twenty years - if nothing is done to cripple their ambitions. In the meantime, we will use our teams to influence people so that our governments do not hand over to the corporations and banks all their controls. Still, I hope you will return with your solution before we are forced to design and implement our own, for our Robert is not as experienced as you, and Eddie and I are not as soft; we will go to extremes to destroy them if we have to.”
We have learnt a lot from this reality and we are glad we came here. A lot of what seems nicer than our own Earth is because of it being a slightly earlier time here, but maybe we can help them so that they never suffer the mental, psychological and DNA destruction of their children and all further descendants, as is happening in so many realities. Thanks to our tellings and sharings with them, they already have most of the detailed knowledge they’ll need for protecting mankind. We left them with promises that we will return to visit them often.
We have returned to the earlier reality of the Robert we took away from his Cherine. As he requested, we did not return when she is much older, just a month.
Before we returned to his Cherine, Robbie and our Cherine visited Coral. Pleased with what they learnt, the two of them returned to us, while Coral went to bring little Cherine up to date and give her a little time to adjust to our returning so soon.
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)30th November, 2019
- posted: 30th November, 2019
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