Home Is...Series Vol.09 Home Is Memory, Home Is Illusion

9th Volume in Home Is Series

Dovetails with Domino Series

Dovetails with Rainbow’s Start, Vol. 1 in Rainbow Series

Zhea~ Year 7827-28

The Change completes, Ryonne~'s children, Vadia & W'Vie, leave for the Council, and the New Diplomacy begins. But some of the Councillors’ promises are unwell.

ASIN: B002IYECLY File Size: 405 KB (Kindle Edition - July 24, 2009)

Home Is Memory, Home Is Illusion: Home Is v.09 Kindle Edition

Excerpt. © Dannis Cole. All rights reserved.

Pas touched Father’s shoulder then put his hand on J~oie’s forehead. He recoiled, trembling. “Ryee, stay far from your brother’s mind! I think you should loose him, now!”

“Can I hold him, Pas? He needs someone—“

“Ea, take him from Ryee, Laura.”

Ryee did not move when Laura pulled J~oie from him. Father grasped his shoulders. “Eja ne, my younger is affected!” Father pulled Ryee into his lap, made sure his limpening hands touched Jo not, and stroked his face with harsh upward motions. Laura touched J~oie and he laughed softly. His body sank into her arms without care of his lolling head; his eyes remained closed.

“Ryee, dear son, return to me!” Father gently shook Ryee, whose staring eyes blinked, then assumed a deep stare under closing lids. “Forgive me, my bae,” he whispered, then slapped Ryee firmly between the shoulder blades. The blow caused my husband to gasp sharply, once, then he sank against Father, who readied himself to strike a second time.

“Ne!” Pas stopped Father’s hand. “He is aware! His telepathy is well disabled. Brother, can you speak?”

Ryee opened his mouth, his eyes filled with tears, and Father spoke quick apologies. My husband trembled and breathed most rapidly.

“Eanne~, cease! Your speech frightens him.” Pas’ red-gold eyes shone with tears. “I wish to explain; your father ne injured you further, and you speak to us when you calm. J~oie is unwell. Fear ne for him, the substance that stills his pain takes his mind for a time. It threatened permanent changes in your mind. This is why your father struck you. Let me stop the pain.” Pas carefully touched the back of Ryee’s head with trembling fingers, then put more pressure as pain diminished. Father held to Ryee tightly.

“Pas, my mind hears ne!”

The old healer patted the back of his bald head roughly with his free hand. Was this healing difficult?

“Brother, are your ears well? Your father struck you to stop your telepathy! He did this ne to cause harm, but to protect you. Understand these words I speak to you?”

“Eja veh! Fa would never strike me!” Ryee breathed heavily, yet moved not. His eyes stared before him, past his healer.

Father wept. Pas moved his fingers to check Ryee’s points, and Ahstam stood next him ready to offer healing.

“Brother, do you see this healer who touches you?”

“Ne, I see ne! My limbs move ne. I know ne where I am. Have I fallen?”

“Eja ne! I harmed my younger bae—“

“Ne, Eanne~, you used barely enough force to keep him safe. He suffers because injury adds to injury.” Pas spoke calmly. “Ryee, your fa holds you. You are safe. Tell me what I say to you.”

“Fa holds me safe.”

“Ea, he lets you ne to fall. Close your eyes, Ryee, and let us sing healing.” Pas motioned Ahstam only to help. He positioned his fingers in an awkward set of points reaching down my husband’s neck. Ahstam put his on Ryee’s upper spine. Father jerked his head up at Ryee’s loud gasp.

“It hurts but a moment, Brother,” Ahstam said quickly. I yearned to touch him, to say some word of comfort!

Three S’ai came through a portal abruptly. Two of them held Doug and Jen. The third rushed to Pas and Ahstam, staring at Ryee. A fourth one stepped through. Uon.

‘Ao immediately locked minds with them, for they wished to continue negotiations with all of us who were well. Including Ahstam and Pas! They disagreed with our healers’ methods.

Russ followed the two who bore Doug and Jen. “What is done? They are unconscious!”

“They sleep a natural sleep—” The first healer opened his mouth to say more, in spoken Elshar, but Doug woke.

“Ni!” He threw his arms about his brother, and toppled him! “Oh, I’m sorry, Ni! Did I hurt you? Are you okay?” Doug cried softly.

Russ tried to reassure him, but coughed every time he raised voice.

“Help my brother, please, Lop?” Doug sobbed.

The young man lifted purple twinfingered hands to Russ’ head as Doug held him upright.

Suma and Jen whispered in the background; Jen trembled and cried harder than Doug, though more quietly. When she saw Lop offer healing to Russ, she begged him to stop. “You have to understand, he’s not exactly like us! He’s half-Elshar! Please talk to Ket first. Ket!”

The old healer nearly stumbled in his haste to reach them. Suma touched his mind and told him of Jen’s fears. He paled. Then he took Russ into his arms. Put his fingers over the fingers of Lop. Lifted dark blue eyes to gaze into Lop’s dark violet eyes. They grew even darker.

Russ moaned loudly; Suma knelt behind Ket so she could touch his face. His eyes closed, but his hand gripped hers tightly!

“Your mind uses too much force!” Ket stared at the man.

Ahstam and Pas stopped singing and stared down at Ryee; suddenly his body trembled!

“What’s wrong with the seizure prog?” Laura muttered. I felt my husband’s panic! Before I could move to touch him, a severe warmth grew in my chest.

“What ELSE’s gonna go wrong?” Laura wailed. I sat, and easily. “Hey, those idiots actually did you some good! Sit still, Adia, and let me check your points.” She sniffed.

“Is Ryee well? What of J~oie? And Russ?” Pain rose with my questions, yet did not become severe. Laura gave me partial relief.

“Ryee’s okay. He needs rest, but you and I’ll probably have to tie him to the bed when he wakes up. Don’t get all worried; he’s just asleep, and sleep’s good for him. He’ll probably sleep longer than you do for the next few days. Let him.”

She sighed deeply. “Jo’s asleep most of the time, but—“ her voice broke, “I really made a mistake giving him more of that fruit Uon had. Oh, Adia, he already had the overdose of the stuff floating around in his system, and I gave him more! We can’t predict when he’ll come out of it, or what effect it had for Lop and Fes to send all that energy through him when Pas and Ahstam were afraid to touch him! Anything I do to remove the overdose’ll make ‘im worse!”

I embraced my sister and waited for her to continue. “Russ is bad, Adia. Ket battled it out with Lop and Fes, but they can put out a lot more energy than any of us. They not only messed with Russ and our fellers, they messed with Greg, too. Why couldn’t they leave poor Greg alone? That Councilor who helped him’s furious! He quit. He’s coming back to Ye~ with us to stay with Greg and try to help him. Greg sits and stares into space. That’s if Deb stays beside him. I mean, touching him. If she starts to leave or falls asleep and her hand comes off him, he cries.” I followed her gaze to Greg. Deb sat next him, combing his light, straight hair. She held to one of his hands also. On their other side, Russ lay as if dead. Suma, whitefaced, trembling, sat beside him stroking his hand. Doug held Russ’ other hand with both of his and watched his face expectantly. Jen lay with her head resting on Doug’s knee, also watching Russ.

We had the same thought: How terrible for them, but we felt great worry for our husbands. Laura reached for J~oie as I took Ryee’s hand. It was cold.

I sensed that Laura did not tell me all. Her comment on my waking tore at my mind. What else will go wrong.

Ryee stirred; I leaned over his chest to embrace him, and also to hide my tear-filled eyes.

“Ay, my love,” he whispered, half in sleep. His cheek moved closer to my hand, then his body stiffened in pain.

“Rest, Love! I will remain here.”

“I must wake! Fa returns—“ He lifted his head, and more pain silenced him.

“Ryee, my love, rest your head in my hands! Motion brings great pain to you, but sleep heals you soon.” I cupped my hands behind his head, and reluctantly, he sank into them.

“Your touch—brings comfort. Will you watch for Fa, Ay? He worries. Eja ne, my mind sleeps yet! I cannot touch his mind, though I feel his consternation. J~oie! J~oie was unwell—“ Again Ryee tried to move, and again pain halted him.

“Rest in my hands, and I turn you, Love. I help you see him.”

“You become unwell—“

“Ne, Love, I feel no pain in this. Are you well? Can you open your eyes, Ryee?” Slowly he took a breath, and his eyes opened. Carefully, I lowered his head a finger’s breadth to the pillow and relaxed my hands.

“Hey, Ryee!” Laura smiled. “Don’t plan to go jogging with Rej today. Try next week, okay?”

“Okay.” He returned her smile. “Tell me of my ba’s well.”

“Wow, you’re feeling frisky this morning! Rhyming replies, even.”

“Laura,” Ryee gave a small sigh, “ne hide from your ba who loves you, your ba who feels your pain as if his.”

She lost her smile, took his hand very gently, and silently cried. “I hope you don’t get sick, Ryee, I really hope you don’t. Jo’s bad. Greg’s bad. Russ is worse. Ket, Ahstam, and Pas’re asleep, ‘cause they’re exhausted tryin’ t’ undo what Lop and Fes did t’ y’all. I wish we could leave this awful place!” She sobbed quietly.

Go to Vol.10 Home Is A Dream of Well