Home Is...Series Vol.11 Home Is The Reign

11th Volume in Home Is Series.

Dovetails with Rainbow Stories, 2nd volume in Rainbow Series.

Zhea~ Year 7828

Ryonne~ passes the Reign to his son, W~Via, as the kingdom falls into slavery and the Council hides the remnant after their escape. But, even Zhea~ isn’t safe. Can they trust the Council, when Councillors are fighting amongst themselves?

ASIN: B002IYEX4K File Size: 121 KB (Kindle Edition - July 24, 2009)

Home Is The Reign: Home Is v.11 Kindle Edition

Excerpt. © Dannis Cole. All rights reserved.

Geor~geh’s cries startled me . Profa rubbed an eye. “What’s wrong?”

“Insens!” He whimpered.

All the healers with us screamed and tried to move away from him. None of us could.

Profa waved up a vidi. “Don’t panic—“

“Insens! We are all dead—“

“I have progs to clean them! Be calm. Every trader has to deal with this, and my brother is good with progs.”

Geor~geh stared down at his legs, eyes past wide and black! Then I felt most unwell. As a scientist, we knew of them, because traders request help. My first day inside Eicken, I passed a lab where they had one in stasis for experiment. Pragate became most upset to know that even one, a kind of worm as long as a thumb, was in our complex of buildings.

“If it causes trouble, we can port it to—“

“Sademar! It’s eating the cylinder—“

“That’s impossible! Nothing can eat through a stasis chamber!”

I heard the whoosh of a dimportal. “It’s in Sun2 now, by the regs.”

“Who authorized this?”

A pause. “You did, and Governor—“

“I did not give permission for one of those things to be live in here! I gave permission for research.”

“How can we do research without a live one?”

“You are scientists. Search the Hubs for someone who knows more about insens than you do. No more live specimens.”

“Yes, Sir.”

My co-worker, Citstasia, quickly pushed me into another lab until he passed by. “You didn’t hear that, and neither did I! Every time someone starts in that lab, a certain person supplies them with a live insens and a request from Pragate to satisfy traders. Someday all of us will die horribly.”

“But, what are insens?”

“Larval form of some parasite. When they move through a field, they eat everything, plants, small animals, large animals, everything to the sterile soil that passes through them! Stasis doesn’t slow them down much. They absorb energy that breaks down containments or stasis. Aandat are their favorite food. Imagine if one got into your aandat! They eat from the inside out, and what’s inside a person is even more attractive to them than the aandat.”

Sight left me. But, I heard the noise of a small dissolutor. “Nie! Nie!”

“Hold him still! It’s to save your life, my friend. I’m porting it out of you, but I can’t do it all at once—“

Geor~geh’s voice wheezed. “They leave parts that grow—“

“My prog marks them, but I’m having to port them manually. I won’t leave any of it in you, not any! Hold very still. I’m sorry that it hurts—“

His screams tore at my heart! Deci cried. My body was against Geor~geh’s, and I had fear I would feel the dissolutors as well.

As quickly as terror began, it ended. “Nie stop! Run it again—“

“My friend, look at my display. It is all gone. Here is where it was. Here is what’s left, and where it is in Ishah’s sun. Insens cannot escape from the interior of a sun. It takes that to kill them, but they cannot hurt you now. Healers, help him!” Profa wept.

Ser Og sobbed. “Run it on me!” Others demanded it be run on them, also.

“I ran it on all of us, and my ship, including my cargo! There was only one, and it was in him. My prog found 23 parts that probably weren’t viable except for maybe, 5, but I ported all of them. Each time I ported, I took healthy tissue with it. Can’t you heal him?” The poor man looked white, no purple showed in his skin at all!

I reached with all my strength for Ahstam. Warned him. He felt much unwell, with all of his experience! Tell me of this prog, for we must have it. Many die each year of insens, and Elshars port victims into suns.

As he talked with Profa, who sent a copy of it to Zhea~, he also touched the minds of the terrified healers, and assured them this was more than enough to take our peril. They sang. Ahstam’s peace helped my sleep.

I woke often with horrible nightmares! My Areonian body suffered greatly, but my Yeff body could not stand the thought of insens. On each waking, Profa or Ser Og held me. They gave me nesfa. Ser Og’s worry came to me. This fear, it will kill her, without injury! What did he do to these women that they are nearly dead?

Deci assured her that they didn’t hurt us.

“Why is your body so shriveled?”

She explained her accident, on Earth. A head injury. I had not spoken much with her since she and her husband came to us, and his knowledge of herbs helped us greatly in the Change. Change that I thought would take our people to the next technology level. Change that I thought forever ended the threat of slavers. If we are safe, why did Be~saech seek security from Elshars? Elshar Mashai is the seat of Traders Service, the Alliance’s trade network governed from Bisillipia. If Elshar is fallen, perhaps Bisillipia is also. The Alliance and the Unified are threatened, and there are no other major powers in our level except slavers. I must distract myself, or die!

Geor~geh touched my head. “Ejae! Queen Adia—“

“Are you well, Geor~geh?” I shivered.

“You are unwell because of me?” He cried.

I held his trifingered hand.

“We’re meeting Cevit Ion’s ship. He gave manual calcs, to meet us a day from Sghan Mas ! Cevit Ion will take all of you safely to Zhea~.”

The four healers gasped. “Zhea~? We are safe! Zhea~ and Ishah are the same gravity, and such a pleasant world! Filled with healers, as we.”

I heard a portal, then felt a warm hand on my head. “Ejis! Queen Adia!”

“Minister—“ Another shiver, and I curled up.

He sang beautiful Healingsong, and I did not throw water. My body relaxed in his arms. We passed into a warmer ship, a yellow ship. It was the same size as the green one.

“Minister! I betrayed our Emperor!”

“Ejis nae! Put him in my arms.” And so, Cevit Ion held two of us. “Do you need to report, my son?”

“Hai, my shameful report!”

“Show me. Show me all of it.”

I heard also, though I tried to close my mind, because Cevit Ion wanted to know what was done to me. He drew all of our minds into one report. All of us sat together.

The others saw Mehai with many diplomats, and he knew them all. Many were trained to write false treaties giving advantages to slavers.

He then heard Geor~geh with Mehai, and our friend did not remember any of the words we heard him give to Mehai, descriptions of the Change, my husband’s unwells, herbs he and Ynfos used, many herbs and many descriptions of healing he learned in Leiea to help in difficult unwells.

Cevit Ion’s sadness shook me. “My son, you gave much, but what man can tell false healing when feeling slaver herbs to confuse him? You gave much less than my fine diplomat, Indoe. You are a healer, and nae had as much training.”

Geor~geh sobbed. “I am operative, and trained by my father, Ordehgh—“

“My son, your fa did his best, and you did yours, but your occupation is healer. Much of your fa’s training is nae with you, after unwells. Your fa lost much in poisoning. I know of fendaie and what he does! Rest in my arms. Feel nae such guilt. Ry’nao forgives you the secrets you gave, and so do I. Forget this harmful report. If you can take strength through the Diplomatic Link, you are yet worthy to bear him. Can you touch minds? Reach through me. I am strong. Touch—ah, here is Feril Mas, refreshed in his respite. Take a tiny bit of energy, he will nae miss it. Eae, you follow me. Find another who is rested, and well. Take tiny amounts, and friends enjoy the contact. I oft touch my diplomats to see their well, and you may take strength as I do. Adia, can you do this?”

I tried, but pain kept me from much of it. Long ago, when I went to Ryee in the Fortress of D’gharr, Ry’nao gave me the Diplomatic Link. I did not know how to use it. Even with this training, I could not see through links. His mind looked for memories of Mehai and did not find them.

“Minister, I did ne see Mehai—“

“What happened to you? What caused your unwell?”

Ser Og touched his hand. “Do na ask her, or she will die! Geor~geh had grave unwell that affected her.” The woman let him see. Cevit Ion’s yellow skin turned white. Then he held both of us more closely. Geor~geh wept. Deci also.

I heard as he asked of Deci. She shared her unwells, reluctantly, and her work writing progs for healers, which pleased her. He embraced her also. “Daughter, your work is very important, and supports Ryonne~’s kingdom. I am happy Mehai nae harmed you! Let us turn our mind from sorrows. King Ofa of Ishah Zheien Colony, a delightful man, brought me festival pastries from a dear friend’s wedding . I would like to share memories to distract you. He gave me more than I can eat before they turn unwell, and I am happy to share them.”

A wave, and a huge platter held pastries arranged in various geometric shapes. Each one tasted more delightful than the last. King Ofa shared memories of dancing in the festival and of friends who walked among many interesting displays. Cevit Ion let each of us explore a different scene, and I felt as if I had strength to walk, to go where I wished, in this delightful place! Thoughts of my husband, and the evil ones who gave him an herb to abduct him in a festival such as this, made me drop my pastry!

“Queen Adia, what upsets?” His broad hand stroked the back of my head.

I let him see how they came to the class he shared with Be~saech, in Advanced Diplomacy, and he thought them proctors to test him. Felt the Minister’s shock that this happened in Sghan Mas Consortium, that serves tech levels above and below ours! His mind touched that of Ad Beni, an Ean who taught my husband there in his youth, and nearly every diplomat in Zheiea born to reign! He also taught Cevit Ion, and Ry’nao. His shock came to me, though we gave this report at the time, and I realized it was not he who had it from us! Many of the proctors who supervised our challenges, taught our classes, this was new to them. Others were not of Sghan Mas. Beni knows of those who attend from the Council, and they were not warned of us . I felt most unwell!

Geor~geh added details of his Challenge, and Deci of hers, for they also attended.

Cevit Ion wept. “I speak with Pedsa, who nae ever saw her healers tested so savagely ! Ryonne~’s ba had injury, and she tells me nae healer ever had injury in their test! She has memories of Ahstam and Pas, injured in theirs! This can nae be allowed. Sghan Mas gave me higher tech, but can we trust it, if slavers can take one from there? We must go quickly to Zhea~. Slavers must nae have you, any of you! Forgive me. I must give manual calcs.” A wave at his pocket, and two leaves of nesfa floated into his mouth, a whole vial of tesfa je, and a portion of nes, a white powder that pilots use when they must wake to give calcs. I feared for our Seventh Galaxy Minister! But, he did not stand as most do when they give calcs. He leaned against the hull as he held me on one arm and Geor~geh on the other. Ser Og kept Deci against Geor~geh.

Our Minister gave calcs, strings of whispered numbers. I had only done this within Areon’s atmosphere, and did not know how to help him. Healers do not know calcs. Geor~geh waved up a vidi, but Cevit Ion waved it down. Pulled his head to his broad shoulder. As he whispered calcs, Geor~geh put bites of pastries in his mouth. The Minister smiled at each taste.

I slept, then startled awake. Cevit Ion looked weary, but smiled at me as he yet whispered. Geor~geh slept. One of Ser Og’s sons fed him. Every time I woke, one of the healers or Geor~geh fed him and the rest slept, but Cevit Ion recited. When he stopped, his body dripped sweat and he sagged against the hull.

“Minister, ea pas?” I trembled.

He shook, in every part of him! Yet, he laughed. “Ah, calcs are difficult, but Ahstam comes to help me. We land on Zhea~.”

I expected a week’s travel! Clicking stopped beneath us.

Geor~geh feebly lifted a pastry, smelled it, and made a face. Waved up bahef. His hands also shook, as he put bahef under the Minister’s white tunic, at his collar. When had he changed from his uniform?

Other healers startled awake. They tried to put their hands on Cevit Ion’s head, but he gently pushed them off. “Friends, you cannot sing healing for me. Wait for Ahstam. He can help me.”

“How can one live after three days of calcs and na sleep?”

Cevit Ion laughed softly. “I did this, many times. Concern nae. Ah.”

The hull opened to air, and Ahstam put his hands on him. Wept.

“O, nae cry, Ahstam. We are here.”

“I am frightened! Here, in my home, I am frightened!”

Cevit Ion pulled him into his arms with Geor~geh and I! “I am also. But, Father Of All smiles on us. On my ship is the means to find worlds of Sghan Mas unknown to any for time before the Council. You are prepared to move herbs?”

“They are moved.”

“Are people ready?”

“Soon. It is difficult to convince people of this necessity, and we can ne tell them—“

“Did ‘Ao speak to them?”

“Ea, and the Council of Zhea~ dissents. They fear the slavers more than Councilors. King Marel’vanrah is weary of this indecision. He wishes all of us to move, now! ‘Ao has contact from a Councilor that invites all of Ryonne~’s group to negotiations for protections from false Councilors. King Marel’vanrah wishes ‘Ao to refuse, but he says we must go, or they take us, all of us! I fear I ne see you in life again, Cevit Ion! How will you fare with ne healing? Who will heal you?” He wept.

The Minister hugged him against us and kissed his forehead. “Choose one among you whom you feel can care for me in injury. I will take this one with me to Alb Seer, and dwell there instead of Vohl. If anyplace in any galaxy is safe, the Biehshah are blessed.”

“I can ne. All are too frightened to leave, all!”

He sighed. “Then, my dear friend, I will seek healing from Molly Brown. My diplomats shared her healing, and you know of it, she is like Laura. Have you strength for one more healing? I will leave with you tech of Sghan Mas, and try to bring what Biehshah have also, before you are gone.”

“You must ne attempt! The mixing chambers of your ship are nearly exploded now, after days upon days of calcs, ea?”

He laughed. How can one so exhausted laugh? “Tech I have from Sghan Mas allows it. But, know you that if I fall, there are many who can replace me. All of Zheiea depends on me now. Depends on Ry’nao. W~Via, sent by the Council to defend Zheiea! Depends on those who lead us in every honest place! ‘Ao wishes us to gather what we can, to save our tech level even if we somehow rise above it. We must last, Ahstam. Somehow, we must last. Father Of All gives us strength for His purposes. Fear is the tool of Purrip.”

Go to Vol.12 Home Is Not Ye~