...What could be sweeter than listening to her cry.’ I tried to use some humour. “Dommi, what about that Greek καντάδα (love song), ‘τι όμορφη που είσαι όταν κλαίς’ (how beautiful you are when you cry).”
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Cherine hiccuped. Softly she admitted. “Before Robert, lots of times I wanted to cry, but I was afraid to. I’m alright now, Dommi.”
“She knows you are sweetheart. Dommi is just sitting there frozen in terror because she thinks that since I love to see you cry, I’m going to make a habit of it and keep on making you cry.” Dommi laughed and hit me.
Cherine stared into my eyes, wanting me to see her determination. “She is right. I’m going to keep on and on crying if you do not find a way for me to know you are safe. If you don’t and anything happens to you, I promise you I will not follow you - I will go and start my own Kaleidoscope World with Dommi and we’ll leave you on your own.” I/we had seen that as one of the distant, but vaguely potential timelines, amongst the millions of them. I said nothing so as not to remind her.
“I promise I will see what I can do about it. As always you are right. Cherine, I need to correct something just said. I do not ignore what you tell me because you are a child - it is a part of it, but not the total explanation. Basically it is my urgent need to keep you safe which prevents me from always hearing what you say and thinking about it. My love, my ego also got in the way, I am glad the two of you knock me down every now and then, we cannot afford to make mistakes now. Do you forgive me?”
“Oh Robert, it was not your ego, it was your love.” Generous little Cherine clung to my neck as she pulled herself up and kissed me. I held her, looking at her tear-stained face and I wondered at my ability to bear hurting her in any way.
“Love!” I softly muttered, “How long before I lose you?” I hardly realised I’d spoken aloud.
Crazed by my remorse, by feelings that were tearing me apart I kissed her lovely face. Kiss by kiss my adoration of her grew without any help from her gift. Dommi was forgotten as she lay there watching us, until Cherine sent me the feelings of love she is feeling for both of us. I am still amazed at her lack of jealousy at such times. Somehow she has learnt a different way of thinking!
My adoration was a far more painful emotion than passion. I needed to burst out of my body to light up the whole void with it. There wasn’t a tiny spot of her I did not kiss and love. Those tiny fingers, the slight boyish legs, the light fuzz on her skin. There was nothing but my lover and my ache grew into a joyous passion, an elation of her sexuality, and her need and passion for me were petrol on flames. God, my need to feel myself in her, to be part of her. I had no strength as I felt her little hand grab me and place me between her labia, guiding me into her softness. We were both crazed with the need.
Something hit me, knocking me across the bed. As I scrambled I saw Cherine, my crazed Cherine clawing, hitting and kicking at Dommi who had enfolded her in her arms. This sobered me, snapping me back to reality. As Cherine felt my change she let out a scream, a wail of unbelievable yearning and pain, that sent my mind into a loop of craziness again, desperate with need to take her pain. I sent out the healer part of me and did something I never would have thought possible; would not have wanted to do if any part of my mind, of myself were in control. Dommi dropped her on the bed as if she had received a shock.
It was as if Cherine blurred and we could not see her clearly, a force was pulsing around her that distorted space. Dommi fell back in fear. Then she reached out to save her baby girl, pull her away from whatever was attacking her. The part of me that was feeling all of her at all times reached out, savagely smashing through resistance and I stopped her hand. She cried out in anguish.
The shimmering veil dropped away from Cherine. She lay there, still stunned, and I felt my world spinning in agony and despair. Dommi cried out again, sobbing in shock. Cherine was emoting with such force the emotions became our own. Her eyes were still crazed and I looked at my love with a pain that drove me into a tight spin of despair that had no bottom to it. What had I nearly done to her? I was a monster. I did not sense myself leaving my body, so I did not know what was happening.
Soft hands caught me, gently rocking me, washing away the pain, absolving me. It was my mother and I clung to her. Slowly I grew aware my mother was Dominique. She was carrying me back.
*Come back Robert, you must repair this…craziness.*
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I opened my eyes and looked at my Cherine. I was sickened, but strangely I felt my love for her as a hard physical presence reach out to her. I caressed her and looked into her eyes. They were no longer crazed, just frightened.
“I am so sorry my baby. I would never do this to you, I swear. I don’t know what came over me”
Her eyes were still blank, unseeing. “Your gift came to me and it felt my need. I told it to make me bigger for you and asked it to stay with me until afterwards, so that it could make me as I was again. It would not. Now it is gone.” She sobbed, “Robert what am I going to do now?”
“We do not have long to wait my love.”
“You felt it too Robert. I had to have you in me. Now! Not next year. Maybe tomorrow is too late.” She wiped her face with the back of her hand. “I did not want you to be sorry afterwards, to feel you hurt me. I asked it to make me bigger there, but I wanted the rest of me to stay like this for you.”
“You are one really crazy little girl. I think you are making me just as crazy, if the idea I have is anything to judge by, not that I really believe my sort of science fictionish idea is possible.” I considered my thoughts for a moment. “Dommi, how would you like to be a ten year old girl again? I want to try it, with myself also as a young boy. Cherine could be our older sister to look after us. She will enjoy bossing us around. If we all try, we might be able to use it if we need to get away. I want to try it tonight.” I saw what was worrying her even as I spoke. “Dommi, one little thing. Not to do with what I just told you, about what you did. Well two things. Thank you my love, if you had not knocked me off her I would have had to live with the knowledge that I hurt her. You did not save her maybe, as she will tell you, but you did save me. My opinion of myself, as it is, at this moment, is very low, knowing what I would have done. I can’t understand what drove me…drove us into such a…a madness. We have all been crazed by passion before, and all at the same time, building on each other. I have ached to be in my little lover, to feel I am part of her, but I never went anywhere so crazy before. I never would have….”
Dommi said, “It was not you Roberto. It was Cherine.”
“Me?”
“Yes Cher, you. You told us a moment ago why. You are afraid, you think something bad will happen, you are afraid you will lose him. That drove you into a craziness, remember I was feeling it too, and you fed it into him.” I felt her emotions, her embarrassment.
I admitted, quite willing to expose all sides of me to my loves. “I have never felt like that before. There was no Robert, just an aching throbbing penis with an animal in lust attached to it. I have heard some men talk about feeling that way, but I never have. I’m glad I felt it at least once - thank you my love.” My hand caressed her mound. I slipped a finger into her and gently caressed in her as I spoke. “Look Dommi, look at her sweet fire-flower, isn’t it lovely?” As she stared, I put my finger to Dommi’s lips. “Smell her my love, taste her if you want. She is still our sweet darling baby, and it will not matter how many years pass, she will always be so.”
Dommi took hold of my finger and sucked it into her mouth. She rolled her tongue around and I felt my penis swelling and throbbing. I looked down at my baby, my passionate little lover. Her eyes were staring at me, her face full of expectation and hope. Dommi brought her face down to Cherine and looked at her. She gave her a kiss and smiled. “You think because you have powers, you are some kind of superman? How can you say no to these eyes? Love her Robert.”
“Oh stop it! If you don’t want to, just leave me alone. You are driving me crazy.” She turned onto her side, her legs curling up in front of her stomach. As she did so I saw where her legs were forced apart by her sex. I lay my face to the sheet and nuzzled my way into her moist flesh. I searched the entrance I will someday enter. My tongue tasted and felt it. I pulled away long enough to feast my eyes on it. As I felt her respond I turned her over, opening her legs.
I lay alongside her and buried my face between her legs. As I finally came up for air I looked to her and saw her eyes staring with hunger at my penis. Although she was holding it, she was not doing anything, just staring.
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Half teasing I said, “What’s wrong, too big for you now? Don’t you want me to come inside you? With all we have been through baby, I’m so full I could burst.”
“I want you to come inside me, in my vagina.”
I could feel the tremors in her and I did not need much to come. I turned and placed the head in her, carefully pushing the head against her opening. She jerked her hips and I saw the head enter. I began to spurt while her vagina held me in her. I had to keep myself still so as not to enter any deeper. As I filled her I pulled out and let myself go, my penis rubbing in her slit facing her clitoris. Our orgasm finally settled and I lay upon her, kissing my love.
Cherine exclaimed, amazed and happy. “You still want to come again!”
“The sight of me in you is still burning me. I felt it baby, there was no pain, the feeling was good for you!”
“You only went in a little.”
“Not just a little my love. The whole head was inside you.”
“Really? Can you do it again, I want to see.” Her face was rapturous and I was hard again, aching for that hot rubber band of hers to grip me again.
“Only if you promise not to trick me. No jerking to force me in deeper. Promise?”
It was easier to slide in and we both looked at my tip disappearing into her. Gently I rocked with tiny in and out movements, coming out and entering again. Dommi lay watching us, no excitement in her eyes, just a wariness and concern. As she saw how I controlled myself she gradually relaxed.
My baby was still able to surprise me, proving again that sex is in the head, not the genitals. Without warning, the pictures in her head of me within her blew her into that wild ecstasy that comes from the imagination. It carried me over with her until the two of us lay panting and exhausted. It was so good to feel her satiated, no trace of unfulfilled yearnings writhing under the surface.
“Pappou Alki! When did you arrive? Let me…oh god!!”
I laughed, exultant. “It worked eh? Could you have known it was me without the gift?”
I had left the bedroom while they chatted. I had felt a tendril of curiosity follow me out and asked Cherine to give me some privacy. Once alone I had delved deep, trying to communicate with the gift within myself. I showed it what I wanted and to emphasise the reason for my urgency, pictured the girls being hurt by a number of faceless men in uniforms. That worry had already worked its way into my subconscious, so it was accepted as a real danger. The protector part of me found a way to do what I wanted. Not by changing my appearance as I had planned. It projected an illusion, sending the appearance I had chosen.
Now that they had seen through me, I decided to experiment on them. I was first successful with Dommi, who became Nicko, much to her dismay. Cherine became her friend Maria-Elena. Giddy with my success, I asked her, laughing inside me, would she like to make love to me while she looked like her pretty friend. Dommi threatened to do exactly that to me unless I chose someone else for her. I had to point out to them I was doing the projecting, but the images were being chosen from their minds. I developed my ideas as I spoke, explaining that if our strategy is to be effective, we must be able to project a variety of people, with all details and clothing correct. What I said made me wonder, if while projecting, we removed the clothes, would the bodies be anatomically correct? I doubt Dommi has seen Nicko in the nude and I have not seen Alki.
I suggested we memorise strangers at random, as that would be the safest. We must each have a repertoire of different ages, sizes and sexes. If we tend to choose a particular type or sex, it would narrow our choice of camouflage and it would not take them long to work it out and trap us.
“For what distance do we project?”
“No idea Dommi. It’s a good question - we’ll have to test it.”
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“Can we do this tomorrow and visit Alki. Pretend we are other people?”
I nodded. “If we plan it correctly, yes. I just hope they are not bugging his office though. Hold on, he said he is coming here. You know what that means.”
Dommi smiled. “You are going to leave us alone to do your drawing. Don’t worry, Cherine and I will find something to keep us busy.”
“Hope it is not what your naughty looks imply.”
It sounded funny to me when Dommi said, “What is that daddy?”
“Something I need to do.” I pulled my Dommi into my arms and began to give her the harsh loving her body was crying out for. When I joined with her, at home deep within her, she began to spasm in waves until both of us were exhausted.
“At times like these, it is absolute heaven to also have your vagina, your hunger and orgasm, as part of my body. Do you ever wonder what it would be like for you to have my penis, the tightness of my balls, the painful ecstasy of my ejaculation as part of your body?”
“Oh god yes Roberto. Do you think we will be able to?” I saw the hunger in both their faces. All I could do was hope someday they will. The intense feelings, mine or theirs, seem to open my mind to new ideas, so perhaps it can come true. Since I am a prude (σεμνότυφος), it must explain why I am forced to enter into our diary our sexual moments. As I foresee us speaking among us in Greek more often, I’m adding words wherever I wonder whether our children or grandchildren will understand what they are reading.
Alki looked tired and older. We made his coffee while we planned. I did not want him to know what we were doing until we’d succeeded, so Cherine sat on his lap and leaning against him, pretended to be dozing. As she picked up his exhaustion, combined with his pleasure at her small warm weight, she was able to build into it a relaxed light sleepy feeling. He was soon lightly snoring.
I sent myself with the healing power into him. As it repaired and rejuvenated him I found a number of small problems that were causing him discomfort. His arteries were blocked and he was heading for a serious heart attack. Dommi was in there with me, soothing him so that he does not awaken until we have completed the healing. We were all awed at how quickly he was healed.
When we finished Cherine moved, as if awakening, and this brought him back. We talked a while about generalities. Dommi asked him in a proud voice to take a walk around the house, as if we wanted to show off. When we arrived at the bedroom we shut the door behind us.
He had his back to me and as he turned around he started in surprise. “Themi, when did you get here?” To complete the test I answered him in English, using my voice. As he began to reply I switched off the projection. He sat down heavily on the bed.
“Alki, when I spoke to you, what did you hear?”
“Themi.”
“His voice?” He nodded. “Was I speaking in English or Greek?”
“Greek of co…” He looked startled. “You were speaking in English?”
“Yes.”
“How would that work if I did not know English?” I thought that was very astute, since he was still in shock. “You must be more careful about springing surprises like that on me. I am an old man and you could have given me a heart attack.”
I laughed at him. “Alki, you are no more than fifty or so. Anyway your generation is hardier than ours, eh?”
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“Oh yes, but we had to go through a lot of hardships in our childhood. We did not have the good nutrition children now have. Look at the Greeks, the young ones, they are not short and fat anymore. So many beautiful young girls. God must have wanted to punish me by letting me be born forty years too early to be loved by them - I’m nearly sixty Roberto.”
Cherine exclaimed, “But I love you!” He flushed and petted her hair. His mind was already somewhere else and Cherine sent me her vague disquiet. Then she ‘sighed’ with relief. She just had time to send me a grin.
“Roberto, what did you do to me? I have been feeling strange since I woke up. That is another odd thing, I was too worried to sleep. Well?”
“Like you said, you are an old man and we had to make sure you do not have a heart attack. You looked like you needed a short nap, so it all worked out conveniently.”
We could feel his astonished excitement. “You fixed things in me? My heart?”
“No, not your heart directly. Your arteries were badly clogged up; you would have had heart trouble from that. There was very little blood flow. We also fixed a few other problems while I was at it, so you get a clean bill of health.”
He surprised me by telling us off. “It is not how you treat a friend Roberto! And you koritsakia mou, you were part of this, so I am angry with all of you. You do not have the right to go in me without my permission!”
I lowered my head in mute acknowledgement, he was right. The silence lengthened. “Alki, this is the only room they cannot hear us in, if we stay here too long they will get suspicious. Have you come up with a plan yet?”
“No, I have not. This thing you did to make you look like Themi, only you can do it?”
“No, I can, with the help of my ladies, camouflage all three of us. We can choose who we want to look like. You should have seen Dominique as Nicko.” As I laughed, she threw a pillow at me, but I ducked and it hit Alki. She was so embarrassed she wanted the ground to open below her. It gave me another good laugh, the therapy I needed most at the moment. Sweet Cherine spread my mood and we all relaxed.
Alki nodded, “Good, it is easier now. I will give you my plan soon.”
“Do not worry about it, please. I could walk into your office and nobody would know. We are only worried it might be bugged also.” He flushed with anger at the thought.
Dommi said, “Alki, I did not dare tell him my thoughts, he would only get angry with me, because he refuses to believe me, even though I can feel I am right. It is a sick feeling in me Alki, and I must do something about it - even if I am wrong. Will you help me please, I need to go to my parents house. I must tell my father. If it is Nicko he will stop him.”
“Dommi! how could you think that, how could you feel you cannot talk to me!? You want to know what I would have said? I would have taken you to them. I hurt at the thought of the bad blood between you. You think I like to know you are not talking to your parents because of me? Oh my love, I want nothing more than to see you in their arms again. As for Nicko, do you really think if he had anything to do with this he would dare to let your parents know? You must see them, but not to discuss Nicko. He is a separate problem and we will find a different answer to it. If there is one chance in hell we will take it, if it means you can have your brother back. Even Cherine supports me, whatever it takes my love.” She placed her head on my shoulder and hugged me.
“I am having coffee with some friends tomorrow who may be able to find out for us what is happening.”
“Where?”
“Why do you want to know?”
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“Girls, he’s going to get angry with us again, but I have to tell him.” They agreed. “We are monitoring you, we have since Ydra. You got linked to Cherine then. It does not mean we watch you, feeling all your emotions and so on. That would be invading your privacy. The link is set up so that if anything out of the ordinary happens, I suppose you could say, an alarm is triggered. Mostly we have been worried about your health. We apologise if that offends you. It was not a conscious deliberate decision on our part, Alki. It just happened, the link, and we love you too much to just close it off.”
I saw his understanding and acceptance, so I continued. “We do not like you exposing yourself by asking questions, especially of anyone of the government. What if you only ask if anything further was heard about that ridiculous story of your foreign employee being an angel. If we know what time and where, Cherine can sense their emotions when they reply. She is good enough at it, our resident expert,” I smiled at her, “to be able to intuit if they are lying or trying to hide something from you. Then you just change the subject and don’t refer to us again. That is the extent of the risk we would want you to take.”
The girls seconded me enthusiastically. As we walked to the door he asked me in a whisper whether he was healthy enough to drink his Chivas on the rocks again. I gave him the go ahead and he was happy.
In the bugged area I suggested, “Well Alki, since you are happy with my work, I suggest we take ourselves out for a celebration. A good steak would work wonders for me and unfortunately nobody knows how to cook in this house.” Cherine kicked me on the shin. I hopped away from her nearly speaking out. Internally I sent her a message that next time she tried that, I will send all the pain to her. “Ti les Alki, you can even have a double whisky to relax you. What is the point of working so hard if you cannot enjoy yourself now and then.”
To be honest, with all our worries I had forgotten about our proposed anniversary. Neither of my loves had. When Dommi told me she had arranged to visit for the day and night an old friend, with the sweetness of gratitude I simultaneously felt a pang, I would miss her terribly. The naughty imp passed it on. Dommi squeezed me hard.
“Thank you. Once the two of you are alone, just pretend and be happy, love each other and I will feel your happiness. Please Roberto, do not think I will be hurt or jealous. The more you love our little girl the happier it makes me.” She turned to Cherine. “And you! The same, the more you love our husband and make him happy, the more I will love you - if that is possible!”
As Marian is coming this weekend, we decided we have to confide in her about the situation with our eavesdropping neighbours. We do not want her saying or asking the wrong things. I also have to confess to her that I have not sent Cherine to school for days now and that I will not let her out of my sight, at least until we feel safe again.
We went to meet her for lunch at a taverna by the sea. We assumed our camouflage while in Athens amongst crowds and arrived as three not very pleasant looking Greek men. Marian got angry when we sat at her table and we quickly explained. She was not hearing our voices and did not believe us. I told her to let the one man take her hand and while putting it below the table top to look at the hand. Reluctantly she let ‘Cherine’ take her hand, feeling a large callused hand. As she looked down she saw it shimmer and the hand of her daughter appeared for a brief moment.
Keeping the matter as light as I could I brought her up-to-date. I did not make obvious to her our fears, but emphasised we have to be cautious. Luckily she was more angry than afraid. Dommi chose that moment to tell us she sensed people in our bedroom. I worried about that. There was no way I would allow the repaired bugs to work, but I would be tipping my hand by disabling them again. The girls sent a feeling of drawing to me, being by my side, whatever I do.
Poor Marian. When we paid, the waiter gave us openly a knowing look that showed he thought us Greeks had scored with the foreign woman. Cherine, being the imp she is, leered and winked at him and as we walked off, Marian was seething. I whispered to her, asking her to let the girls have a little laugh, as we have been under a lot of strain recently. She turned around and gave me a passionate kiss on the mouth. As she held on and on all the Greeks laughed and clapped. She then fiercely whispered to me, “Now you laugh!”
When we recounted the episode to Alki he laughed and said, “I think maybe I could love a woman like her. She has a fire in her I like.” Cherine got a very childish frightened look at his comment.
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The weekend with Marian passed without incidents. It had a calm and family feel to it. The bug had been replaced, so we left it in place during the day, but during the nights it was moved to the kitchen. As the days were warm we spent most of them in the garden and Dommi dared the cold water for her first swim. When she came out I wrapped her shivering body in my dressing gown and made her lie next to me on the sun-chair. Being a sunny day, she was soon warm enough to take off the robe. Seeing her in her bikini, I reminded her of that day at the beach, of how she had stood up for me and told her of how I had suddenly felt myself deeply in love. It was strange to find such an important memory is totally gone from her. Being a woman she knew what is important though.
“That means we also have an anniversary to celebrate?”
“The two of us have many. That first day when you brought me back from London, the night that you first gave me love. The night you gave me your body and became my woman. You will never know how happy it made me to hear you call me your ‘andras’. I have many things to remember and be grateful for.”
“And a lot of bad things too. Roberto mou, your heart is so soft and forgiving.” She kissed me and clung to me. I’d felt Cherine listen at the beginning, then withdraw as she realised it is a private moment.
I suppose it would be better to admit it now than keep silent any longer. We had decided after the ‘angel’ incident, once I had some control over my healer, to ‘help’ Marian. She is closely monitored each time she visits us and every time we feel the ‘hardness’ grow in her, I send my healing into her. Every time she begins to blame others for her own short-comings, even if only in her mind, we mentally hold her up to her own culpability for her to see clearly and acknowledge. She sees this change in her as a growing maturity and takes pride in it. We also are sensing a growing need for her daughter. This troubled us. I did not want to face this problem yet and Cherine agreed. Only Dommi felt strongly we have to meet her half-way, somehow, without sacrificing the presence of Cherine. It is so rare that Dommi is forced to feel the disapproval of Cherine, but it did not seem to faze her, she handled it more or less as a mother would.
As the new week began and Cherine still had to stay out of school I began to fret. It was possibly wrong, as a strategy, but I felt the need to confront the situation, bring things to a head. I felt that dragging things out will not alter the final outcome, while living under this strain is bad for my loves. On the other hand, I was also tempted to leave it until Cherine and I have had our anniversary. Who knows what and where we will be if I force things now.
Alki came to pick us up on the Tuesday night for supper. While at the restaurant, we were able to confirm to him the people he met did not know anything about us and they had not been especially interested in his question. We had our meal and as we relaxed with fruit, coffees and a cognac for Alki, he told us he had a visit from Themi.
“He felt he owed it to me to tell me he feels that in some way he has offended the three of you. He sees you are not willingly talking to him anymore and is worried about it. After I tried to calm him, he talked to me about the three of you. They were mostly some of his opinions, not hard facts. We had quite an argument about one of them.” He laughed. “He actually tried to convince me that the strongest of the three, the future leader, is Dominique. I told him he was wrong, the strongest is Cherine, though Roberto is not too far behind. Dominaki mou, please do not get upset with me, but can you believe that man. And he is a professor!” He was chortling at the joke.
“I am sorry to have to spoil the joke for you. He was right in a way.” All three, even their minds, froze, not believing what I said. “Alki, when he concentrated his interest, time, questions and tests he wanted to run, on Dommi, I became very suspicious of him. I wondered why he was concentrating on our weakest link. It is the main reason I suspected him as being behind our present crisis.
Too much has happened since, for either Cherine or I to ignore. There is too long a history of Dommi saving us, strengthening us, building us into a family. She even did something Cherine and I could not. At least I as Robert could not, I cannot speak for the healer/protector in me. Not too long ago, I did something I saw as the ‘animal’ side of me winning over my love for Cherine. I was torn and thrown into a storm of despair I could not and did not want to escape from. I did not flee out of my body into the void. This time I sank into myself. I was helpless, sinking into a stygian darkness within the darkest part of my mind. Dommi was able to come in, pick me up in what felt like a mothers’ arms and bring me back with that all-forgiving love of hers. Cherine, I think I can speak for you too, neither of us could have done that. Outside the body, yes, we can help. But inside the mind itself, I would not even know how to try.
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All these signs are beginning to point out a new way for me to think, hopefully leading to a clearer understanding of our relationships and how we are growing. The more I delve into the gift or gifts we share, the more I see a pattern emerging. The core, the heart of our power of being one, it starts - and ends - with Cherine, and for that Dommi and I will always see her as our creator, our leader. She also seems to have the brightest mind with the quickest grasp as to where our talents are taking us.
But if the body we inhabit is Cherine’s, it is also true we are all parts of that body. Is the arm more powerful than the leg? Were they not each made for different purposes so that the body be a complete entity with a wider and more powerful range of abilities to live and survive? Dommi is the heart but what would the heart be without the liver. The eyes without the brain? It also seems that we are able to exchange positions within the oneness. Sometimes I am the brain, sometimes I am the heart and very often I am just the arsehole.”
That seemed to crack them up to a larger extent than my feeble attempt to humour justified. When they were back to normal I carried on. “Since we are discussing this and acknowledging our mistakes, I would like you to extend our apologies to our friend Themi. I think you should explain we are in serious trouble, or possibly are. Please do not explain, but tell him we are able to handle it and when we have the pleasure of meeting him again we will be able to throw even more surprises at him. Also, it would be safer if he destroys any notes he has made of us. If found, they could be used to find our Achilles heel - not that I can even guess what that would be. For all our sakes and especially his, it would be better he wait for the all-clear signal before he visit us again. Stress to him Alki, we apologise for giving him the impression he offended us.
Alki, there is something I think is very important to our future that indirectly comes from Themi, which I need to discuss with you. His suggestion has borne fruit I was not expecting. I admit I still do not have a clear picture, but a few pieces are starting to come together in my head. If I am right, the first person in trouble is yours truly. If I do not try to solve the problem, I will be in very serious trouble with Cherine - and with Dommi and you, if I try to solve the problem.
Alki, he told me I had to get the healing talent to heal me as needed, directly, not through the girls. I find I still cannot do much in that area, but I am spending quite a lot of my time and efforts to achieve it. The girls agree with him and have convinced me I cannot be a true protector if I do not. He also suggested I monitor all three of us on a constant or regular basis. By keeping all of us at prime health, he foresaw an extended life for us. He hinted that even ageing is an illness of the body. Alki I have been doing as he suggested and it may be too early to be certain, but I am beginning to believe his idea is bearing fruit. None of us has recently had an ache. Even Dommi was pleasantly surprised to find during her last ‘period’ she did not suffer any pain or depression. Okay. Here is the kick in the jaw. It has me in a spin and though the idea frightens me, the possibility is a source of such a delirious happiness as you cannot imagine.
Do you remember my despair, my fear, when there were only two of us. I foresaw that I would die at a time that Cherine should still have a long time to live. I could see, from myself, that she would not, could not live after I died. When I asked Dommi to join us, I promised her I would tell her why I was so desperate for her to join us, so that she could decide whether she was prepared to take the risk - after all, there was no guarantee that she would save Cherine, and if she failed, the consequences for her would have been catastrophic. She became part of us under such traumatic conditions I never had the chance to give her the option. If we had not become the Kaleidoscope World, if we had not seen what death will bring us, I would still be feeling guilty. My healing power/talent, whatever it is, has now started to hint at something stunning, which could rid us of all our fears.
Not only is it healing and keeping us at prime health. It is rejuvenating us (μας αναζωογονεί). That means it is keeping us young Cherine. There is a side effect to this. As our life expectancy increases into numbers I cannot even guess at, our rate of physically maturing slows down.
Cherine my love, you once offered to keep yourself young, a child for me. I think I abruptly told you that you are not a god. I wanted it so badly I did not even want to think of you being able to do it for me. The truth is, even if you could find a way if you tried hard enough, I also did not see it as fair to you. Now I am going to have to eat crow. You are going to be a child, in body, far past even my age. I do not know for how long. I do not know how long it will take you to physically mature.”
189
The uproar was only to be expected. The fear, joy, even the little stab of envy. The emotion I had feared most and expected was anger. And I got a heavy dose of that from Cherine. She finally burst out, aloud, not caring that Alki would hear.
“I will not wait that long!!”
“I know Cherine. Sweetheart this does change a lot of things, and that is one of them. I want to ask you to allow me to chicken out. I cannot make a decision to hurt you. Whatever I decide, I will hurt you. Will you allow me to pass this on to our mother, the one who will decide what is the best for you and for me?”
“Dommi!”
“It’s not fair. How can you ask me to decide? I can’t!”
Alki asked, “What is going on here? May I be permitted to know?”
“Alki. After-tomorrow, it is one year since I first loved Cherine. A year later she is still a virgin. The difference in our sizes means I could damage her if I try to make her my woman. I could not do that to her. When the healer developed in me she pleaded, arguing the healer could return her to her original condition, but she would at least know she is my woman now. It has been difficult to argue against that, because she needs it so desperately. I have only had my instincts and my upbringing to guide me (ανατροφή μου να με καθοδηγήσει) and they will not allow me to desecrate the body I adore. She needs this so desperately that to make her wait another twenty or more years would only cause more pain and in the end damage our love. Do you see why I ask Dommi as our mother to allow her instincts to guide us?”
“I thought you three could not shock me again!” He ruefully shook his head and swallowed his cognac in one gulp and gave a laugh. “I cannot believe how Greek you have become Roberto mou, the English Robert, he never would have spoken to me of something so private. Dominique, you are right. This cannot be your decision. It must be theirs. Roberto, you are right you cannot hurt your child and lover. Cherine you are right, it would be inhuman to ask you to wait. I have felt the passion that can flow in you. Now you really make me feel like an old man. You are changing the world so much, how can I advise you?”
He was disturbed and sank deep into thought as we all sat silently, that is if you ignored the emotions being swirled between us by Cherine. This was a problem that my logic could not solve and in emotional terms our needs were so opposite they were tearing us apart - or will, if an acceptable answer is not found soon..
What annoyed me even further was that a part of me, in the background, like a bystander, was laughing at me, amused at my honesty which has forced me into this corner. I clearly ‘heard’ Dommi in my head exclaim, exasperated, *You and your sense of humour!* which provoked further anger in Cherine, instead of the wonder it should have, at our Dommi being able to communicate directly.
“Robert. A man, a true pallikari, he fights to the end, to death for what he believes in.” He waited as silence enveloped us. It did not give me any pleasure either. He waited for our dismay, then continued. “It takes a very big man to admit when he is wrong, that he has believed one thing and sacrificed and fought for it and because the truth has changed, to admit his belief is no longer valid. If you can see that, there will be no need for you to throw the responsibility on Dominique; there will be no need for you to tear at yourself in guilt. And this old man will surely be sent to hell for saying this!”
Not if Cherine had any say in it!
*Not tonight.* I sent her, capitulating.
*When?*
*When I feel it is right.*
Almost sarcastically she asked, because of her fear, *And when will that be. When I’ve got boobs?!*
*No, trust me?*
190
She shook her head and spoke aloud. “Not on this. Everything else, yes. On this I will be an old woman of a thousand years if I have to trust you!”
“I always thought that the special thing about making love, about giving of oneself, was the moment of it being right for both. Have you changed your mind now?”
She wailed, “That’s not fair Robert!!”
“Do you know me? Do you trust me? That is what matters now.”
“Take a chance Cherine.” Dommi asked.
“When it is time, Dommi, will you prepare the brides’ bed in the Greek traditional way for us? Can you find a little boy and girl?”
“What a lovely thought Roberto. Of course. Thank you my love.”
Intrigued Cherine wanted to know what I meant, but we all refused to tell her.
I thought to myself, I only have three days to get rid of our problem with the buggers, whether they be government agents or not.
The first obvious step was to start monitoring the people next door. I took a chance and attached a radio-mike to the upper corner of a window. I listened to them, using a headset to prevent them hearing their own voices through their bugs. The first day I did not get much of interest. Just the normal chatter of people bored.
On the second day their telephone rang. They reported in. When they spoke, using the name of the person they were talking to, I felt the blood rush to my head. If not for the girls I would have committed murder without any hesitation.
I went out and called Alki. Under camouflage I travelled to our rendezvous point. I was still trembling with anger when Alki arrived, breathless with anxiety. The girls had been trying to calm me, but my anger was impervious to their emoting.
“Alki, it is not the government. Those bastards next door are working for Nicko.” He wanted to know how I knew and I explained. He was equally angry. “Is it legal for private people to do this in Greece?”
“No, it is not. What do you want to do?”
My rage was making my decisions for me. “I feel like calling the police to raid them. They are sure to implicate him. I want the bastard arrested.”
“And then what Roberto? You bring yourselves to the attention of the government? You want to jump from the frying pan into the fire?”
“Shit. I wanted to avoid handling him directly. I have tried intimidating him. It did not work, I will have to hurt him badly. Alki, how can I do that to Dominique’s brother? How do I face her?”
As we considered the problem, I recalled something else. “The first days of their bugging we spoke openly in the house about how our powers are developing. Nicko is now armed with a lot of information. I have to get those tapes back.”
The girls were listening in. Dommi sent me her offer to get them back and deal with Nicko. I refused. Luckily Cherine and Alki agreed with me. I asked the girls whether they can trace Nicko, pinpoint his whereabouts. While I talked with Alki they tried, but were not successful.
“Dominique suggests that as our first effort she goes to see her parents. Maybe her father can stop him. I do not believe that will work. I do not have a choice though. She may be my wife, but it does not give me the right to make decisions for her. Alki how is your relationship with her parents - could you try to soften them for her, before she visits them?”
Αλέξανδρος Ζήνον Ευσταθίου
(Alexander Zenon Eustace)8th March, 2019
- posted on Steemit: 8th March, 2019
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