Dommi said to her, “Come here baby.” She put her arms around her. “Give us a few weeks back home and then Cherine will help you. Shh, we know you were not asking. You never do, you only give to us. Let us do this for you.”
2641
After a tear or two escaped, she laughed. “We better not let Robert come with. They’ll fall in love with him. Maybe he’d like to have a Britta.”
I felt him like a soft amused kiss in my mind and saw the others did too. *The little ones are getting hungry again. We better have supper now, as the Inguel are nearly ready to ask to see me again.*
Robbie being who he is, sat facing the Inguel with Goldi and Candy on his lap.
“Our Anadir friends have told us that you have children that are of their species and yours!”
“That is true. Including my species, our family has four species, the Anadir, Sparklers and Gillians.”
“They took on the form of children of your species?”
“Not the Gillian. Gilli is entirely of her species, but yes, she too came to me as a child.”
“You would expect us to send someone to join your species?”
Robbie kept the mixture of anger and amusement hidden within his mind. “At the risk of insulting you, I must admit it is not likely. Not one of my alien lovers came to me for political reasons. Nor did it happen for the purpose of creating a mixture of our races. They came to me, or I to them, because we loved each other. We still do.”
A female asked, “You could not love one of us?”
His lips twitched as he answered her. “At present you are in the body of a little girl of my species. The appearance is very attractive to me, but the honest answer would be that I do not see it as being likely to happen. You are a very old race and even in the body of children you act and talk like elders who are convinced of their own wisdom. I fall in love with the spirit; the bright enquiring mind of a child, the need it feels to be protected by an adult, the cheekiness and all encompassing love they alone can give without questions and cynicism. Do you see me finding such a person amongst you to love?”
She laughed and the others looked at her in surprise. We sensed Robbie suddenly liking her. “What is your name?”
“isi-mi-Arrap. The ‘mi’ part of my name identifies me as a bearer.”
“If we were friends, would I call you ‘isi’ or must I use the complete name?”
“isi only explains which of the Arrap family I am. You are Robert Teller. The Robert identifies which Teller you are?”
“Correct.”
“You have allowed us to call you Robert, so I would not be insulted if you speak to me as isi-mi.”
“isi-mi, I thank you. You were amused by my answer?”
“Each new generation sees us as you described us. By the time they are adults they change.”
“You mean I spoke as a child?”
“You are insulted?”
“No. I am pleased. The others saw that too, why did they not laugh?”
“I am just adult and it was too close to how I was recently.”
“It sounds to me as if your young ones resemble ours. That pleases me.”
“You thought they would be as us?”
Robbie answered, “It would be terrible if they were.”
“That was meant as a compliment to our children or an insult to us adults?” another Inguel asked.
2642
We did not know exactly how to respond to the question, but isi-mi laughed again and Robbie relaxed. I suspect the Anadir have told them that Robbie has a weakness for humour and in their dry way they were trying. I found that encouraging; why would they try if they were feeling negative to us?
“Our problem Robert is that we cannot explain you to our people. It has taken time for the Anadir to help us understand you. The majority of our people would not spend the time to try. This cannot be kept a secret, so we are not clear on how to handle it.”
Jade spoke, cutting off Robbie. “You see me as a child?”
“Yes we do little one.”
“Do you remember from the telling who I am?”
“You are a clone of Robert?”
She grinned. “That is correct in a way. I am a child and have the mind and experience of a child. I am able to look into his mind, all of us are. Do the Inguel have any adults who are incapable of hating? I am not asking if you have any who do not hate; I’m asking if there are any incapable of hating.”
“To be able to love one must also be capable of hating.”
“That is true for us also. There is only one exception we know of. Our Robert. This is because in many ways he has the mind of a child. A wise child perhaps, but his emotions are those of a child - when he has to deal with emotions like love or caring for others, he is a child who sees everything in absolutes. Others can be loved a little, not Robert. To be loved, he has to be loved with your whole heart. Only children can love him like that. Some of us that you see here as children are already adults in true age. They keep themselves as children so that they may love him the way he needs to be loved.”
“You are telling us that the one who has power of life over an entire galaxy, has the mind of a child!?”
Jade had terrified them.
“Not in wisdom, not in intentions. In the dreams he has, yes. Which adult would dream a dream of bringing back entire species that were killed off millions of years ago? To turn their planets back into gardens that will sustain them and then bring back the dead! Surely only a child? Who would find a race in a parallel universe whose galaxy is dying and dream of moving them across and making it possible for them to have a future again? Surely only a child refuses to accept death and makes such dreams?”
“And that is why he loves children?”
“No. It perhaps began, through Cherine, that he was only able to open his heart to a child, for he did not need to fear he would be hurt by her. Once he loved though, he found his need to protect the child turned him into the protector. Cherine is an adult now and when she chooses to be an adult his love of her is just as strong. He knows that she is still Cherine and will never betray him, so he is able to love her.”
“What you say sounds as if you are telling us he is a cripple.”
“Exactly! He was hurt as a child and the first adult he loved, giving all of his heart to her, he was rejected. He is crippled and will remain so. We hope he does, for that prevents him from losing his empathy with life and makes him wary of his powers.”
Many of us were reacting badly to what Jade was saying. I kept my mind free of emotion and thought about it. In some ways she is correct! Oh boy! I thought, wait until the rest of the Cherinians hear we have a leader who is a cripple and a child!
“He is as one of the not fully formed souls! A child in an adults body who loves children!”
“I suppose so.” Jade was worrying about the reactions of our family. Robbie had not reacted, not even in his mind, a blanket of amusement hiding his thoughts, so she tried to explain. “When he was a child his mother was forced to abandon him. His father was also crippled - he could not show love. He was left to grow up alone without the love of parents. Even in our world it would be expected a child brought up like that would be crippled.” While she was talking, Aganthi appeared in our minds holding a basket of flowers. We got the message and sent her back our smiles.
2643
Aganthi and Jade were right. The Inguel could understand and accept Robbie easier knowing his story, even if it frightens them that one so powerful is crippled.
Seltwe spoke. “When we met those of Earth, we thought of all of them as children in relation to ourselves so we did not notice this aspect of Robert. In a time of great danger we abandoned them for we were faced with a force, an enemy we had no defence against. With that purity his soul has he positioned himself between us and the enemy and defended us. From what his family say now, it would seem to us that the only reason he is so unique in his need to protect all life is because of the damage he endured as a child. If it is a cripple that rules us, then I can only say we are very lucky he had to suffer as he did and we are proud to know he is a cripple. Please consider this; how many who have been crippled as children grow up to be as he is? Surely he is unique among all species?”
*You girls are not satisfied with having a crazy leader, now I have to be a cripple too? I’m glad you don’t want to also cut off a leg.*
Cherine sent him a picture of her cheeky face, her eyes dancing with mischief. *A leg we could live without - just don’t go cutting off anything in between.* Some of us tittered and the Anadir and Inguel looked at us. Contritely we smiled back.
isi-mi stood up and walked over to Robbie. She lay down at his feet, burying her face in the grass. Robbie looked down at her, not certain what he should do, but uncomfortable.
“isi-mi Arrap is correct. She has reminded us that we have been very cruel in discussing your state of being crippled. She speaks for all of us in apologising.”
Robbie promptly lay by her side, mimicking her gesture. It was left to me to explain.
“Robert is apologising to you also. He did not understand you and did not try first to understand. His instincts, which are those of our species and his own in particular, made him intolerant of you. In his own eyes he is guilty of an injustice to your people.”
They had all risen and came to stand by him, their gestures showing they were perturbed.
“Please, he must rise.”
“Why don’t you ask him? Is he forgiven?”
“There is nothing to forgive, ah, Samantha. For two species to meet without misunderstandings is impossible. Tolerance of our unintended slights without apologies being needed are important. We cannot talk to him directly, he is in a penitent / punishment pose.”
“His crime was not just a slight.” I hesitated, finding his words difficult to repeat. “He is responsible for the deaths of children. He must either be forgiven or punished.”
“He gave life to all our people, what he took away was slight, all those children are re-born. No apology or punishment is required.”
“All!? No parent changed their mind about having the child? None were killed in accidents?”
“If that was so, the child would have suffered. It is a blessing then that they cannot be re-born.”
We stood without talking for a minute.
“He will not stand unless he is absolved or punished.” I’d tried fighting him on this, we all did - even Goldi, but he was adamant.
“I do not know how your people forgive each other. Our customs may not be suitable.”
“Tell us.”
A middle finger was raised. “I would use this, which in my body is sharp, to cut his body so as to make his blood flow. I would be able to judge the wound so that it does not cause a punishment larger than is owed.”
I refused to speak his words. Cherine came over him, standing with clenched fists, her eyes dark and foreboding. Jade disappeared and returned with a sharp knife.
2644
“You may use this. I will show you the non-lethal areas.” She stared back at Cherine. “You will not oppose me my love.” She stared at our tiny female Robbie and the fight went out of her, nodding her assent as tears flowed. She would not turn her back though, if our man was to be cut, she would stand and watch. Oh Cherine, how we all loved the two of you at that moment.
Jade spoke and her voice carried as if she were a miniature queen. “isi-mi may rise, she is forgiven, all of you are. Robert asked that you question him and no insult or cruelty was felt by him. Who are you, what is your name; the one who punishes him must be known so that Robert may remember him with gratitude.”
“I am known to you as an-Fisp.”
“Would you speak your name in your language?” He did so and though the sounds were strange we understood him.
I stepped out of the way, my knees threatening to buckle as an-Fisp took the knife and knelt by Robbie.
“If you only intend cutting the surface, this area, his back or any of his limbs will not cause permanent damage while blood will flow as required.”
“There are no streams of blood I must avoid?”
“You may cut. The back has no large arteries.”
His shirt was torn apart so that his back lay exposed. The tip of the knife touched him.
“From here,” he moved it to a point about fourteen centimetres away, “to here.”
“Agreed.” He stared at Jade and then looking back, his hand moving incredibly fast and with precision, he sliced Robbie open. The tip moved over a bone and we were all sickened to see the white before the blood welled up and spilt abundantly. We knew Robbie was using his healer to make it bleed profusely, but that knowledge did not make it easier to watch.
“You may rise Robert, friend of the Inguel.”
As Robbie rose, the wound was already closing. “You have decided I can be called a friend?”
“As soon as we are finished.”
Before he could ask, an-Fisp lay down. Robbie mentally groaned, ‘not again’.
It turned out that they felt that since Robbie had insisted on being punished for being intolerant of their ways, they too have to pay for the same reason. They did accept that it is apt that the punishment be in accordance with our customs. They were shocked (did they think us barbarians?) when told that they have to say ‘sorry’. It became necessary for the Anadir to confirm it is indeed our custom.
As they left to return to their worlds, they promised us that the full tale of ‘The Cripple’ will be told to their people.
The Anadir were angry with Robbie. For this once Cherine and most of the wives were in agreement with them. They felt that for Robbie to submit to the justice of any other race or species is not acceptable. They have accepted him as their leader, sworn allegiance to him, and by submitting he has allowed the Inguel, even if unwittingly on their part, to insult the Anadir.
Instead of looking weary as he usually does when faced with political problems, he was in high spirits. He bowed to them, luckily with almost an invisible curl to his lips.
“I thank you. I am very pleased.”
“You are pleased we are insulted!?”
“Oh no, I am pleased that you kept your protests until after they left. I can accept my loves protesting, after all they are but children, but for you to protest would have given them the wrong message.”
2645
From the way Cherine and Dommi glowered at him, I knew he was going to pay for that remark and I wondered at his propensity for putting his foot in his mouth. The truth is that I was not angry, I was too deeply immersed in trying to understand him, to guess what his reasons are. The Anadir showed their confusion - Ordinx my friend would have just accepted Robbie is being crazy.
Robbie turned serious. “They are children and need to mature. Until then we have to be more tolerant of them and their barbarous customs. The Cripple bled to win their friendship. I think they saw honour in what I did for them, so do not begrudge them my small sacrifice.”
Robbie needs to mend his fences with us and after, hopefully, some loving and sleep we will return home, to Athens.
I’d hate to think what would happen if we returned home without any news. They have all come to expect to be told of adventures, new sights and remarkable tales about Robbie. On arrival we sent out ‘privacy’ signals and asked Alki and family over.
“Why Roberto mou, they are all excited and eager to hear what happened.”
“First family Alki, then other friends and loved ones.”
He flushed with pleasure. “That is not right gie mou (my son), you have a father and mother now.”
“Two mothers actually, on this planet. Alki, in my heart you will always be my father and best friend. I have not asked anyone else to be part of my family. Is that why you have been keeping away?”
“I have been busy Roberto.”
“Pappou, why do you look tired? Is there something wrong with your healer?”
“No. Little Cherine and Roberto had to return to their own world. They said they were going for an hour, but they have been away for nearly a week. I’ve been spoilt by having a healer and continued working too many hours.”
We looked at each other, all of us sharing a feeling of disquiet.
“Aganthi, go ask one of the other Cherines and Roberts to come please. Our wealthy friends preferably, they do not have so many people dependent on them and can bring them all. Cherine, go lie down for an hour, we are leaving as soon as they arrive.”
PART THIRTY ONE
Chapter One Hundred Forty One
Help! How do I tell two stories of what happened when they happened at nearly the same time? I thought of splitting the page into two columns, but that does not work. I think all I can do is tell one day of each in turn. Neither of us were aware of what is happening to the others. I stayed at home with most of the girls while Robbie, Cherine, Meli and Wendy went to the alternate world of baby Cherine and Rob. The protector was left with us, Robert and Jade sharing command over it.
We watched them leave, all of us worried about baby Cherine. What could have happened to them?
Alki suggested it may help us relax if we invite all our Cherinians over. I called for Solomon and Ordinx (who was busy listening to our story from his own people). They both arrived and were disturbed also at the news.
Solomon asked, “Robert, if I may make a suggestion? I have a bad feeling about this, please ask all the Cherinians of this Earth to stay here.”
2646
Most of them had arrived, apart from Eddie and Hettie. They agreed, though Sylvestro was worried about being absent from work. Our own three Greek police officers made arrangements for them to be absent and Themi called in sick. Alki, Elia and Nicko quickly arranged their business affairs so that they will run smoothly without their presence, as they do not want to use a doppelganger without Robbie being here, in case they are killed and the doppelganger falls apart or dies and it betrays the Cherinians by its existence. Lynda told us Eddie and Hettie have gone to visit their counterparts in another reality.
Solomon had queered the evening for us and nobody was in the mood to cook so we ordered. We had just finished our meal when there was a knock on our door. None of us had sensed anyone arriving and we looked at each other. Alki, followed by Manoli and Savva answered the door. As they opened it we saw an elderly man, dressed in rags like a hobo. He looked as if he is nearly dead.
“Can we help you?”
“Some food please.”
We all mentally sighed with relief and relaxed. He must have seen the large delivery and waited for us to finish, knowing there would be a lot left over. We were amused by his cunning and he was told to wait at the door while us girls collected the food for him in plastic bags.
The old man had rheumy eyes so when he tried to look in and see us, we thought he must be losing his sight. Cassie and Noelle each carried him a bag full of food. They held them out to him, but he did not reach for them.
“I’m afraid there has been a misunderstanding. I said I want food, not these leftovers of your meal.” He gave an old man’s vicious cackle of hate and an energy flew out from him paralysing us. We fell down, only Ordinx, Solomon, Gillian, Annavi, Ashia, Elpida, Solace and Orshiir remained standing, untouched by his power.
The old man entered the house and closed the door, his eyes on the ones standing. In his peculiar high voice he spoke. “You are not of this world? If you try to attack me I will kill them. Watch.”
An icy blue wave of energy flew to us and the protector intercepted it. The protector gave a very human scream in our minds and disappeared.
“Oh my! You are still trying to fight me Robert? Your protector is in stasis now, what other tricks are you going to try?” Robert stared back at him. “You are able to talk. Answer me!” He was hit by a directed energy that had his body spasming. The outer edges touched us and they felt like a fire burning throughout our bodies.
“Who are you, what do you want?”
“You are Solomon, of the Sparklers? This is not your business. Go back to your world of death. This is between humans of this planet.”
“They are our friends and we have sworn allegiance. What do you want?”
“I told you, I am hungry. I want to feed off them. I want their youth.” He laughed again and we did not hear hunger in his laugh; just a searing hate for us. “It is wasted on them.”
Most of us had fallen to the carpet and tried to watch sideways. Tina had been sitting on the couch and was facing him. She stared at him with eyes black and smouldering. “I see…. I see Robert finding you and destroying you …I see…”
“Do you see your own death stupid little girl? Robert cannot touch me. I’ll let you be first.”
There was a flash that blinded us. Even before we could see again, we could feel the emptiness of where Tina had been. There was nothing left of her body and the couch was burnt. Solomon disappeared - we hoped to collect her soul and take it to our World.
The old man straightened and his eyes were clearer now.
“That feels good. I’m feeling greedy, I want another one.” He stood over Noelle and Aganthi cried out. The same blinding flash, but instead of Noelle it hit Aganthi. There was no body and we felt another emptiness.
*Elpida, you are our only hope.* Jade unconsciously punned. *Go into the mind of each of us and open yourself to all our gifts and powers.*
2647
Elpida sat down and closed her eyes. The old man swirled towards her and a flash hit her. She screamed. Her body did not disappear, but she was horribly burnt, her face gone, no nose, lips and her ears, arms and lower legs were burnt stumps. All of us sent our healers in to her to help her healer. The screaming stopped and we became aware of the smell of burnt pork.
“Oh my, you are able to resist? A second blast will get rid of you and feed me. Once I have fed of you, I will be able to destroy those of your kind.” He walked towards her, his eyes filled with hate. Elpida disappeared. We sensed that she had jumped to the flat in Cyprus. Ordinx spoke to the others urgently.
“Let your bodies go. Come to my World.”
Before the old man could react, Ordinx disappeared and the girls slumped as their souls left. He stared at their bodies and then flash after flash lit the room as he consumed their bodies.
He had changed, grown visibly taller and looked more powerful. I was afraid, but I had to ask. “If you are going to kill all of us, at least tell us who you are.”
“I am your final death. I come from a world of true Cherinians, the last true human, come as avenging god of Mankind. None can resist me, neither Robert nor Cherine.” He stood looking at me. “You are all precious, for your spirit is rich with your gifts. I must take my time with you. I am sealing this house, none of you may leave. I will go to feed off normal meagre souls and I will return tomorrow.”
We were all crying and were in shock. I sensed Jade was the worst hit. She felt she should have defended us and she felt personally responsible for the deaths. We lay there, unable to move, but able to talk and cry. The calamity of losing so many loved ones so quickly was not so much grief as shock. We cried, but we were also numb, as if disbelieving what had happened.
“Kores, you must not give up. Our Roberto will bring them all back.”
“He can’t pappou, he took the souls of Tina and Aganthi.” As the Inguel called it; final death! Now it hit me and I moaned as the grief welled up in me, tearing at my heart.
Savva spoke, his voice gentle but determined. “He will find a way. None of us may give up, we must fight back. Think, has anyone a gift that could help free us?”
“Jade, do you know how to become the void?” Maria asked.
“No. I’m useless, Robbie wouldn’t teach me anything.”
We could feel Elpida. Our healers were with her and her body was gradually being repaired. She came into our minds and we saw through her eyes. The room was swirling with Sparklers and Solomon was with her.
*He has sent hundreds of millions of them to search for the old man. He says they will take his soul.*
A premonition hit me. *Elpida, he must not! They will all die.*
*He cannot be that strong Sam! If they have to, a million of them will attack at the same time.*
*Tell Solomon, he is that strong. The Sparklers must help us secretly, not openly or else he will destroy them. None of us want that Elpida.*
*While my body is being repaired I will come into your minds. Tell all the Cherinians to open to me, I must check all their gifts. Sam, Solomon is torn with guilt. He says he gave us the wrong advice, we should have stayed apart.*
Elpida came to our minds, one by one, and whatever gifts or powers she could open within her were opened. *Maria!! You have such power!! Why didn’t you fight him?*
*I could not. He does not attack the mind only. I have no defences against attacks on my body.*
*If he told the truth he now has the power to destroy me too. How am I going to fight him Dommi?* Elpida asked.
I answered quickly, *Elpida, you will not attack him, even if he kills most of us. When we find a weakness in him, only then we call and you catch him by surprise. He is not a god! We must search for his weaknesses. You have to wait and be our secret weapon.*
2648
Perikli suggested, *Elpida, do not stay in one place. As soon as you can you must jump elsewhere. Keep jumping every few hours so that he cannot find you.*
*Perikli, what if he can sense her jumping and it takes him to her?*
*If he can do that then there is no safety for her.*
Robbie would not thank me for wasting my energy on grief or despair; I locked away the pain, I told myself, I can cry later if we survive. Right now I have to use my brain, concentrate on finding a way to save our loves. I thought aloud, sending to all so that they can help if they have any ideas. *What happened to the protector? I don’t believe he was able to kill it, he said it is in stasis. We have to find it and strengthen it with our healers. Elpida, I’m taking back my healer; sorry love, but I have to find the protector.*
*What about Eddie and Hettie Sam? Must they also stay away as our secret weapon?* Lynda asked.
*Yes! Elpida, ask Solomon to give them the message. They must not return here, they may only link their minds to us. Perhaps they can get the other Eddie and Hettie to come with them? The four of them acting as one have tremendous power.*
*I think there is one place of safety for all of us Sam.* Manoli offered. *We must find a way to get to the space-ship world. It will not be able to enter there.*
Keith coughed. “Damn! This is uncomfortable being trapped in this position.” He then sent: *I suggest we all try to go to the void. It might not attack our bodies if we are not here, but even if it does, at least our souls will survive. Annabelle, our baby girl!*
*She is alright Keith.* . *I’m okay dad, just scared.* . *We all are my sweet baby, we have to all trust in Sam to lead us until Robert returns. Robert, no slight intended, but you are not powerful enough to fight it.*
*You’re telling me!? I can still feel the pain.*
*You are much more powerful than you realise Robert.* I assured him. *First of all, he does not realise you are not our Robert so you are helping our Robert. Secondly, I don’t care what you say, you are a Robert and Cherine is a Cherine. You have not had reason to search for your own powers before. Concentrate on your link to each other and search! Keith, I agree, we must try to get to the void. Those who do not have a World of their own, come to ours. We’ll be waiting for you on the emerald isle.* I remembered his words. *Elpida! Send all our healers back for a moment. They must age our bodies. We must be really old, at the point of our bodies dying!*
I waited until I felt they had all successfully left. I sent a kiss to Elpida and promised to keep in contact. She told me to use the Sparklers, I must not return. I suggested she take the money Robbie hides under the sink and walk or take taxis and move around without jumping. I lay there for a moment feeling the bodies of the others, thought of my sweet loves and felt a terrible anger and hate grow in me. It did not enable me to break out of his trap, so I also left. I arrived in the void to find myself surrounded by a thick cloud of Sparklers. They escorted me to our World.
Robbie, Cherine, Meli and Wendy arrived at the home of baby Cherine and Robert. They sensed that only Cherine is there. They entered their bedroom and saw her lying on the floor. Next to her was a burn mark in the shape of a man. As they made to run to her she called out.
“Stop, you must not touch me.” As they stood around her, they saw her eyes were swollen from crying.
“My Robert is dead! He killed him.”
“Who did this Cherine? Why mustn’t we touch you, what is the energy that surrounds you?”
“He is coming back Robert. You must promise me, you must not fight him until he has killed me. I must be with Robert.”
“If Robert is dead, why don’t you collect him from the void and…Cherine, you better explain.”
2649
“He is dead Robert. He ate his soul, I can never join him. You must let me die so that I can be with him.”
She told them of how they returned to their home to rid the fridge of old food and check the house was alright. As she was about to throw the old food away there was a knock on the door. Robert opened the door. A very old man, he looked as if he was almost dead, but still standing by willpower alone, asked, in a voice that broke from old age, “Food! I am hungry.”
Robert felt sorry for him and called to Cherine to bring the food. She came to the door and there was a flash. Both of them collapsed. The old man entered and closed the door behind him. He stared down at them.
“I cannot eat standing up, I am too tired, this body is heavy.” They felt their bodies raise off the carpet and follow the old man as he went to their bedroom. With a sigh he collapsed on their bed and their bodies sank to the carpet again. The old man was shaking, unable to control his old body. He leant over from the bed and stretched his hand out towards Cherine. He stopped and looked at her and then at Robert.
“I can feel it, without your link he is nothing.” His hand moved over to Robert and there was a flash that blinded her. Before she could see, she felt her Robert was gone, dead. When she could see again there was only ash where her love had been.
As she was hit by a burst of grief and shock she discovered something else that horrified her. Her link was not broken. It stretched into the old man and he was using it to strengthen himself. He sat up and she could see he looked stronger already. He sat watching her grief.
“I must not take you now. First I must feed on Normals and when I am stronger I will return for you.” He stared again and then gave a mirthless smile. “I do not have to seal the house, even if you could stand up, you would not move away. You want me to take you so that you will be with your lover.” He cackled, but she could see his eyes were cold. “I’ll do that for you my little one. Cherine and Robert within me, lovers to warm my old hate eh?”
“Why?”
“You let my people die! I saw you. Nearly two million years I have searched. I have died and refused to die for you have to pay. I will return and you will watch your world panic and die. Then I will take you within me so that you have all of eternity to pay for abandoning my people.”
“I don’t know what you are talking about!! We never abandoned anyone! Two million years? How could…”
He was angered. “Liar! Filth of the universe! You saw the fire-world attack my world and let all of us die!”
She realised he must have been following Robbie and come to the wrong reality.
“You fool!!” she spat out. “We could not change the past. We had to let your people die, but Robert sent another mechanical race to repair your world and he was going to collect all the souls and bring your people back to life in the present!”
“Liar!!”
“Why should I lie!? You’ve killed my love and I don’t want to live. You have killed your people by killing him. Now your world will stay empty and the ghosts of your people will blame you.” Her eyes were filled with hate and he saw she was not lying and yet something must have made him doubt her. He stood up.
“It is time for me to feed.” He walked out of the room.
“Robert, he would not believe me. I think he has gone crazy from chasing you for so many years.”
Robbie nodded, his head bowed. “Oh my sweet little Cherine, what can I say?” She felt his grief and guilt. He looked up at his Cherine, then at Meli and Wendy, as if expecting to find their eyes accusing him. That their eyes were filled with compassion did not take away his pain. He cried out, “Why! Why is it that every time I try to do good, evil comes out of it!?”
Baby Cherine spoke with urgency, her eyes filled with tears. “Robert, you must leave immediately. He will sense you here and come for you.”
Cherine fell to her knees by the trapped Cherine. “We cannot leave Cherine. We cannot allow this creature to kill a whole world because of us. Trust our Robert, he will fight it. Oh my baby, your heart is empty now and you only see death uniting you with your Robert. I promise, we will try to get him back, but if we cannot, you will not be alone. We are family and you will come to live with us. Our Robert is your Robert also and he will love you.
2650
She looked up at Robbie, wanting him to confirm her words, but she saw his eyes, his face white and filled with anger. He nodded at both Cherines. “I must go to the void. Soon as I release her, take her away. Take my body with you if you can; do not let it slow you though.”
“Robert…” His body sank to the carpet.
He entered the void and without pause became the void. He called to the energies and gathered them until he was but a mote in the thick wide stream. He drew them in and with a sharp thrust speared his way down to Earth. First he went to little Cherine and sucked the shield of energy away from her. As they jumped, he shot up into the sky and not concealing his shaft of energy anymore, found the old man in Athens. He aimed directly for him. There was no special need for searching as the old man, now that he was the void, showed up as a node of powers that are not Terran.
His aspect was no longer human, he had become a roiling boiling mass of fury that enveloped the creature and lifted him far above the clouds. The body of the old man died and Robbie let it go as he saw the energy or soul that the creature was made of. Before he could rip it apart, it condensed into a seething ball.
You are Robert!! But how!?
Robbie did not reply, furiously trying to break through and blast it with his energies. Hours passed and men watched the roiling second sun of energy far above their heads in terror. Night came and it remained day as a quarter of the world below stared in awe and fear. Nothing Robbie did as the void was able to destroy the creature, but he took care to avoid sending any blasts of ferocious energy towards Earth.
Able to reason again, he refused to give up as he believed he has an important advantage; he can draw from an infinite source, whereas the creature has to exhaust it’s own energies sometime.
All the television stations were filled with either scenes of the battle or else commentators taken from the military, professors and scientists. Various politicians made noises without showing too plainly their ignorance. Two countries sent their jets to monitor the situation from close, taking high resolution photos for their computers to analyse. There was amazement when one of them landed without endangering the pilot even though one quarter of the rear fuselage was missing. This provoked a spate of opinions, one professor from Finland coming the closest. He felt this definitely showed that there is a battle going on in space and he believed the act of saving the plane and pilot shows that the one side are here in defence of Earth.
The whole of the next day man looked up and wondered while Robbie fought to save them. He had been manoeuvring to distance them from Earth, but the creature would not allow him to succeed. It probably realised that Robbie is handicapped by his need to avoid endangering innocent lives.
Every now and then Robbie would send a quick message to the girls below and as time passed they were amazed to find him making humorous remarks or teasing them. They could sense that behind the jokes is a worry. He has never met an adversary as powerful as this one and it does not seem to be weakening.
Wendy asked Robbie if he has wrapped it in his power to prevent it getting whatever energy it is drawing from elsewhere. Robbie decided to take a break so he wrapped the creature within his energy and blocked the full spectrum of energies. It must have been totally dark inside, but he did not feel it fighting him.
The girls had been sitting on a beach watching and saw an immense sphere of energy encapsulate the creature and then it darkened and suddenly became a silver sphere that reflected light. It was out of the Earth’s shadow and glowed like a miniature sun.
Man did not know whether to celebrate or fear. Wendy asked him to force his energy shape to take on the outlines of a dove and Meli and then the others backed her. Robbie refused, saying it would not be honest. If the battle began again, mankind will feel betrayed by such a sign.
The girls had almost had to use force to take little Cherine with them. She’d wanted to stay by the ashes of her beloved. The three, Cherine, Wendy and Meli took turns in Robbie’s body so that it will not weaken. After the first day, little Cherine offered and when she was within, she spent her time crying, which was a bit depressing for the girls, as it looked like their Robert is crying.
As the sun climbed above the horizon and moved across the sky there were points of brightness that were almost unbearable as they moved across the surface. Robbie decided it was time to handle the situation differently. He drew his sphere in until there could not have been much free space for the entity to move around in. He then moved the sphere until it was further than the most distant planet of our system. Out there in the cold darkness he allowed the sphere to become partly himself again.
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)3rd November, 2019
- posted on Steemit: 3rd November, 2019
If you wish to read from an earlier book, from Book 01 to Book 04, use this link button to open the LC Book Index:
If you wish to use image, r/click and copy link
If you agree with my protest, why not make it a habit of upvoting all who have set their post to "Payout Declined"
(if you do not see they plagiarised or are running a scam)
The bigger your vote the better, though even a zero value vote shows you support them