I heard the sound of running feet and then the same voice shouting from a greater distance "He's awake!"
I tried to move and found that I ached all over. I flumped back onto the bed and took stock of my surroundings.
I'd half expected to find myself in a beautiful white marble palace, the room decorated in pleasantly scented bouquets, arranged in pleasing yet profoundly meaningful patterns, my needs tended by dutiful (and handsome) great-high-sons.
I was nowhere of the sort.
I was in Brook's bedroom. Exactly the same room I remembered falling asleep in. There were differences however; when I'd gone to sleep, exhausted after an extensive exploration of Brook's body. There had been posters on the wall, skip loads of athletics kit had been scattered around and heaped randomly; no longer.
The mess was gone and the posters had been replaced by beautifully rendered rune that must have taken the artist days to paint.
Days? What the fuck?!?
Brook led the charge diving into my arms and hugging me tightly, he was so choked he couldn't talk. His tears dampened my shoulder; his emotions of relief and happiness engulfed me like a comforter blanket.
"How long?" I croaked
"Eighteen days" replied Gyvon, leaning against the door-jam, arms crossed. Managing to convey the impression that I was malingering and relief that I was ok at the same time.
"Rooning hell!"
"You locked up solid, like a coma or something,” whispered Brook, pulling back in order to inspect me. "I thought I'd lost you."
I grinned crookedly, a fragment of memory stirred and I remembered.
“Damn precognitions; bad enough to get incapacitated by a vision of the future, but its not even useful. It’s already evaporating from my memory…it had something to do with white marble city and some creature called a Tigron.”
"Hell of a thing" replied Gyvon half seriously “You think someone incepted a tiger? Is that possible?”
I shrugged. What could I say, he was dead right, who knew? Maybe we should try incepting Mrs. Murray’s Cat.
"So...now I'm back in the real world. What the heck have you hara been up to and who is shorty?" I asked eyeing the youngster who was peeping out from behind Gyvon.
There was something distinctly odd about that kid, he looked about fourteen, but he didn't smell human.
"I’m Suriv. They say I used to be a human called David Murray...but I don't remember him at all, do I Petreon?" replied the har slipping his hand into Petreon's and looking up at him for reassurance.
Oh rooning hell. Why is nothing easy? I wondered.
I glanced at Brook "Would you please share breath for a few minutes. I'd rather absorb the missing days in one hit rather than be asking dumb questions one at a time."
"Of course" agreed Brook, who then turned to the others and ordered them to Go
I snuggled back onto the warm sheets, ...anticipating. I sensed quite accurately that Brook wanted more of me than just my mind. With the first sharing of breath we simply reacquainted ourselves with each other.
We felt stronger; we had had to lead the tribe when we had been ill. But we had made a mistake; we had kept ourselves celibate waiting for Sixteen, it had begun to make us ill.
I broke out of the sharing then and stroked Brook's hair out of his tear stained eyes.
"You shouldn't have done that, the celibacy I mean. I wouldn't have minded if you'd taken aruna with one of the others Brook. I know in my heart that they'd never seduce you away"
His answer didn't take the form of words and I found that even though my mind had been on holiday, my body had been building up some unfulfilled needs of its own. For a blissful half-hour we let our bodies have their way, unfettered by any thought other than what was most pleasurable.
As we lay there fizzing with the healing force arunic agmara, Brook leaned close and breathed the missing eighteen days into my mind.
---
I found myself lying next to me. For a moment I'm confused, then I realize that I'm Brook and that I'm looking down at Sixteen.
I love him so much it almost hurts; Sixteen is so beautiful both in body and mind. He could have just taken me but he took his time and denied himself in order to make inception less of an ordeal for me. The inner glow of my first experience of aruna is still fresh within me.
I decide that when he wakes I will give myself to him again..but something is wrong.. He’s not moving...I put the palm of my hand near his mouth, there's no breath. I scream and the others come. My memory becomes a jumble, the whole fantasy future of me and Sixteen living happily ever after has become a shattered wreck.
The memory slides forward to the evening of the same day. The mysterious har called Ash is leaving, my rucksack over his shoulder, wearing my brother's clothes on his back.
"I'm sorry. I know you hara need me right now, but Sixteen's vision was insistent. I've been around enough to know you can't ignore weirdness like that."
"We'll be fine" I(Brook) sniffed not feeling fine at all. I wanted my Sixteen to be well again so desperately.
"I've some advice if you'll accept it"
"Go ahead"
"First, find Jin's attackers, they know too much, incept them or kill them. Second, keep a low profile, meet your human friends; let them see everything is 'normal'. Don't incept them by the busload. Thirdly, find a second hideout, your house here is nice and secluded. But sooner or later someone will notice, you need to be ready."
I nodded, confident that the others would do as I said.
The bit of me that wasn't Brook felt surprise that Petreon or Gyvon were not going to lead the tribe. But I remembered that we had shared breath over it and all the others had seen that my (Brook's) personality was strongest and best suited to lead.
"How will you get past security? The Home-secs at the airports are not like the half-asleep numpties at the downtown checkpoints."
"Something will crop up." He replied sounding recklessly confident.
The shared memory scrolled forward.
Ash was now in the far distance by the front gate raising a hand in a final wave before disappearing into the roadside trees. I wished Ash would have stayed, but the emotion was stronger in the part of me that wasn't really Brook.
---
We came up for air, separating our minds and re-centering ourselves.
"We got a postcard showing The Ruins of Parliament,” said Brook "Ash, He made it. Apparently he hid in the undercarriage of a cargolifter. He got frostbite, but the fingertips grew back ok"
I sighed and held Brook close. It was a relief to know Ash at least was ok.
"What about the rest? Did you find the streetscum? And what’s the deal with Suriv?" I asked
Brook shared breath with me again and I experienced several more answers. I was relieved to find that the humans had not detected us, and for the most part, we’d been accepted Brook's 'new friends' without suspicion.
The only cloud on the horizon was the company that David and his wife had worked for. They would need answers soon. I guess I'd hoped David would be able to bluff them, at least by telephone. Unfortunately Suriv didn't look a thing like David and apparently couldn't even remember his former life.
My stomach rumbled then, causing us both to burst into a fit of giggles.
"A har does not exist by roon alone" I misquoted piously
"Ah..but a roon a day keeps the sickness away" he countered turning my giggle into an outright laugh.
The exchange of wraeththu-ized quotations continued as we dressed and headed down to the dining room, where the others had thoughtfully prepared a meal for me.
It was good to be back. The eighteen day long precognition of wondrous towering cities, etheric worlds and flying horses had long since dissipated into a meaningless jumble, completely without context. In a way I was glad, life is so much more entertaining without a mental appointments diary.
---
I allowed them to fuss over me and for an hour or two whilst I considered how best to progress things now that I was back in charge, eventually calling them together in the lounge.
"Ok, hara lets talk about what needs doing. Brook, Jin and I will be spending a lot of time downtown. We need to find those Streetscum and silence them one way or the other."
"Petreon, Gyvon, Amnil. I want you to get on the web and find some survivalist guides and also find a source for low-tech stuff, blacksmithing kit, hand weaving, paper-making...and horses...I want a breeding pair of horses."
They looked at me like I was insane. They understood the survivalist stuff but hadn't taken the thought process to its logical conclusion.
"Make no mistake, Ash was right, sooner or later, we aren't going to be welcome in human cities. I want us to be as self-sufficient as we can get by then. I don't want us turning into a bunch of half-starved nomadic scavengers. I want us to have a proper refuge already setup."
"If we do create an encampment, we could send all the boys we incept there." suggested Suriv eagerly.
"Where though? Where is safe? Humans are everywhere, they own this planet" complained Gyvon
"We'll figure that out later. For now, concentrate on getting us equipped." I replied
"What about Dad’s company?" asked Jurgen (who was now calling himself Amnil). "Any precognitions about how we get them off our back? If we don't come up with something, we'll be on the run pretty quickly."
"Sorry, no. I haven't a clue how we're going to get around them. My only thought for now is that you or Brook will go to any board meetings 'act in his name' somehow." I replied, glancing at Suriv.
Suriv looked even smaller than he really was, as if discussing his previous self made him deeply uneasy. I resolved to share breath with him as soon as we were finished and see if I could get some understanding of the har.
"Anyone got any suggestions? Anything else we should be doing?"
Nobody had anything to say. As the meeting broke up, I sent to Suriv that I'd like to speak with him.
"We've not really met yet, Suriv." I said cautiously.
"...And you want to share breath, so that you understand who I am" he concluded, as if doing so was as commonplace and natural as talking (which I supposed it one day would be).
"Umm...yeah, basically" I replied
"Ok" he replied and stepped into my arms, standing on tip-toe to reach my lips.
---
We remembered waking up ten days ago. They told me that I used to be someone called David Murray. I didn't believe them. They'd shown me photos but it was obvious that I wasn't the ugly creature in the picture.
I don't care about not being David. Everything is great! There are new things everywhere; I have been making up names for them. So far I've guessed the true name of everything I've seen. Its fantastic fun!
My tribe hasn’t let me see a real human yet. They sound a bit scary; perhaps Tiahaar Sixteen will let me go with him to this Downtown place. I'm sure its full of things. It would a great adventure.
---
I broke contact. Suriv wasn't at all what I'd expected; there wasn't even the trace of David left in him. He was literally an innocent, sort of adult, but without any of the guile or cynicism that corrodes us all. At the same time there was nothing at all wrong with his intellect, one day he'd be able to think circles around me.
I could understand why Brook had decided to keep him sheltered, but it wouldn't do. Suriv needed to understand about humans or he'd get himself into deep shit real fast.
"You can come,” I said
He hugged me and kissed my cheek in reply. I just hoped he'd be feeling the same way after he’d met humanity.
---
To say that I was jumpy' was an understatement. Last time I'd been in town we'd only gone to Jin's shop. This time we were in the mall proper, surrounded by bustling humanity. It felt like that first visit to a foreign country, where you don't know the language or the customs.
Fortunately the crowd paid no real attention to us, although it was noticeable that the humans tended to look away from us and step out of our way rather than jostle.
Even when we took our seats in the food hall the tables around us emptied noticeably. In part, I was relieved by this; it meant we could talk without too much chance of being overheard.
I wasn't certain that the others shared my unease, Jin's face was impassive but Brook's was relaxed and open. Suriv was busy looking at everything and broadcasting his emotion of wide-eyed glee.
The food tasted foul, the chemical taint was in everything, particularly the ice cream. In the end I found myself wiping off the vanilla from my banana split and just eating the fruit.
"Stop acting so jumpy Sixteen. They'll think we are here to shoplift, or something.” admonished Brook
"Sorry. I've not been in a crowd like this since, well, before. I feel like I’m in a herd of slightly spooked cattle. It doesn’t feel safe here"
Suriv remained silent, eyes flicking from one human to the next. Possibly he was trying to read their thoughts, as he was used to doing to us back home. Back home. That was a new thought. At some point the Murray place had become home. It was comforting, the illusion of normality.
We are being watched sent Jin calmly
Where?
One by Joe's Breakfasts, one at the tables in front of Haagen Das and a third at the table next to the fountain replied Jin
Five! You missed to one by the lift and the one by the big window thought Suriv excitedly
My eyes flicked from one location to the next, in each case a teenage boy or young man was ignoring his friends and family and looking at us. It was exactly the same look Brooklyn had had the first time he'd seen me.
"I guess I looked that smitten once,” said Brook nostalgically
"Can we take them home with us?" asked Suriv
I glanced at Jin it was clear that we were thinking the same thing. Ash had said that a very small number of humans were like ripe fruit, ready to fall from the tree with the slightest nudge. It seemed therefore, that all the extra hara we could need were right here. We could just come down to the mall and harvest them at will.
"Not this time Suriv. We need to figure out how we can take them without having their families going berserk and calling the Home-Secs"
"But they are all ready to be unhar and Juan doesn't have a family, so no one will miss him"
Suriv. You mustn't 'send' to or 'read' humans, they can't do it and the sensation might scare them I warned
But Juan... sent Suriv, along with a mental finger point in the direction of the fountain.
The boy looked about seventeen, and had definitely had a rough life recently, his t-shirt was dirty and unwashed, and he looked almost skeletally thin. If he'd looked a fraction more untidy Mall Security would probably have expelled him.
His gaze was unwavering.
Poor guy, he looks half dead. We certainly wouldn't need to worry about a period of Forale sent Brook Besides, we need to know how deep this rapture effect is. Is it a case of just walking up to one of them and saying 'follow me', or are we going to talk him into it? Personally I was pretty much ready to obey your every word from minute one. But 'just me' is not a big enough experimental sample to be certain of the ability
I thought about it. My instinct, like that of the others, was to take all five right now. Juan's lack of familial complications made him an especially tempting target. But Ash's advice still haunted me. Growing the tribe too fast would be a fatal error. On the other hand, Brook was right, we needed to understand ourselves, and all of our differences.
"No.... We do nothing yet." I decided "I want to see what happens if we just sit here; that’s the first experiment. We'll make a habit of being here at this hour for the next week and see what happens and how many of the humans are like that. Besides we still have to find the Streetscum, so we'll be hereabouts anyway"
I glanced back at the gaunt looking human and felt a pang of guilt.
"Brook. Go buy a burger. As soon as you get back with it, I will pretend to get a phone call and we will leave. If he's not smart enough to scavenge an untouched burger he might be worth saving,” I instructed.
A few minutes later we were walking swiftly toward the other end of the Mall.
I noticed that Suriv had his head turned looking back toward the food tables, a frown on his face.
? I sent
He thinks we are stupid greedy rich kids. He feels contempt that we have left food uneaten. We aren't stupid and greedy are we? he asked plaintively
He just doesn't know us yet I soothed
---
Our next destination was Jin's shop. To my surprise, it had been broken into, presumably the night before. It looked to me as if at least two separate sets of intruders had gone through. The first intent on theft, probably our Streetscum friends, the second, a bunch of Christianists, had 'sprayed for god' covering everything in their fossilized religion's foolishness.
The semi-precious crystals and knives were gone. The feathers and other low value ingredients had been merely scattered, their ceremonial value unappreciated by the mystically blind humans. I wandered behind the sales counter and stopped dead. There was evidence of a third set of intruders marked on the floor in dripped candle wax.
"Jin.. I assume that 'this' is new,” I asked pointing at the symbol Neoma that somehara had planted there.
"This mark was not here yesterday” confirmed the harish shopowner.
Carefully I reached down and touched the symbol hoping to sense any charm that had been placed in it. I could feel nothing. Either it was a charm that had expended its agmara or it was just a marker left for someone like us to find.
Taking a few deep breaths I concentrated all my will into a sending, the mental equivalent of a shout.
WE. ARE. HERE.
A few seconds later, I received a faint reply from the telepathically powerful Gyvon back at the house, expressing puzzlement about what was going on. There was no answer from the unknown hara. Either they chose not to send, or were now beyond my relatively feeble range. I glanced at Jin trying to gauge his reaction to the ruin of his shop and found him completely unconcerned.
"You don't seem too upset Jin"
"Such setbacks are common, the Christianists and Moslemists are regular visitors" he shrugged stoically "Uncle will send replacement stock. I can be back in business within, say, a week."
I smiled broadly and hugged Jin, delighted by the news.
---
When we got back to the house, exhausted from our efforts to clean up the shop, we were met by the sight of Petreon, Amnil and Gyvon, playing basketball with three humans, a fourth one sat on the wall drinking a coke.
I immediately tensed up. Despite spending the day mixing it at the mall I found I was still extremely jumpy around humans, especially when they were on our territory. Brook sensed my attack of nerves through the weird mental link we shared and squeezed my shoulder gently.
"It's ok. They were friends. Reynaldo, Bret, Morgan and on the wall Pony."
"Pony?"
"Don't ask"
"If there was a way to get them incepted without making the families suspicious, you'd have woken up with much bigger tribe following you"
"They're willing?" I asked, thinking of the Naqi's smooth sharkskin hilt.
"They don't know yet...and none of them have shown any sign of the rapture effect either."
As we got closer Brook switched to a telepathic sending so that we weren't overheard. They think Suriv is my cousin and Jin is a guest of my father's.
What am I then, The Gardner?
No silly, you're The Lover. I went on a trip to Cleveland. We met, it was love at first sight and we stayed together for the whole week...It all happened at about the time you were cutting my wrists. You came down with the virus when you got here, but you're ok now. All terribly romantic and tragic. Oh and your name is James Sextent sent Brook, concluding his briefing as we reached the much-used basketball hoop.
I felt a little deja vu. A month ago, it had been Petreon claiming to be my one true love and Brook playing basketball. The only difference was that this time Brook really did qualify as my lover-in-chief. For a moment I swayed on my feet, caught by another precognition. Typically, everyone crowded around to see if I was ok, my tribe sensing that I'd had another glimpse of the future, the humans concerned for my health...they 'knew' I'd had a virus and was probably still weak.
That was a precog, wasn't it? sent Amnil
Yes...And a pretty useless one at that I grumbled I just had an extremely detailed precog of raiding the fridge for a glass of milk at 2am a week next Thursday
Look on the bright side. It means we are still at home for a few more days pointed out Petreon
Having determined that I was still 'weak' I was forced to sit the game out next to the human called Pony.
We sat in uneasy silence for a good ten minutes as the game unfolded. Finally he glanced at me and then at Brook. I could almost hear his brain thrashing toward some conclusion or other. Whatever it was he was thinking, he wasn't about to share it with me. In the end I decided he just wasn't worth worrying about yet; anything I said or did would probably only make things worse. I turned my attention to Brook's graceful body and sighed wistfully, he looked so fine as he dodged between opponents and shot at the basket.
By the time the game had ended and our guests had departed, the sun was beginning to set. I watched their car heading out of sight and finally relaxed. I had been as tense as a coiled spring; it hadn't been a good experience.
I put my arm around Brook, more to comfort myself than anything else.
"Pony was thinking hard about us. I don't know if that was a good sign or a bad one,” I said
"He's a friend, he'll be cool" replied Brook, clearly dismissing my fears without even considering them.
I turned to Amnil "So, aside from shooting hoops did you guys find anything useful on the net?"
Amnil grinned and pulled out a printed list. "Actually yes. Since Home-Sec cut off internet links that cross state lines, it’s been much easier to find local sources of kit."
I glanced at the list, they'd clearly been brainstorming about things I'd not considered, coming up with a vast amount of stuff that, I had to concede, might be useful.
I turned to the next page and was confronted with a list of professions along with a long list of names.
"What’s this?"
"A list of skilled professions that would be useful to have, along with a list of locals under 25 with the right skills."
"We can't just kidnap..."
"We know. But that doesn't stop us trying to seduce them. Look, we even filtered for unmarried, no family and single" Amnil explained pointing.
I looked at the list again, Doctor, Electrician, Builder, Weaver, Fashion Designer.
"Fashion designer?"
"A male someone who knows how to sew and mend clothes...you know what Google is like when you type in 'Seamstress' "
"Point taken"
"If your experiment works Sixteen, the seductions might be relatively easy,” said Jin thoughtfully
"Experiment?" asked Amnil
I quickly shared breath with Amnil reliving with him our experience at the mall.
"I see,” he said once we'd detached ourselves "Maybe we should do a walk-past on each of these, see if they feel a pull in our direction"
"I'll think about" I replied noncommittally
And I did think about it for most of the evening. I looked at Amnil's plan from every direction I could think of. It was easy to do, it didn't expose us to any risk if the target didn't react positively and it was ethically sound. We wouldn't be forcing ourselves on anyone, and that’s really what it came down to. I felt certain that I'd missed something but I couldn't think what.
In the end Brook got frustrated with my brooding introspection and began tickling my foot with a stray feather. One thing led to another, that led to a wrestling match, and that in turn led to me carrying him to our bed.
The following morning I told the others that we could try targeted recruiting. But only after we'd assessed how well the rapture worked.
For the next week we visited the mall at exactly the same time each day. None of the five that we'd snared the first time happened to be there the next day. This disappointment was offset by the presence of two new admirers.
The second day, Juan was back, as was one of the previous day's pair.
The third day Juan and boy-two were joined by a third. None of them made a move to get closer, they just sat and looked, their minds and faces filled with longing.
That evening the local TV channel ran continuous story on the disappearance of fourteen pre-teen boys in a 'Raythoon' attack.
It couldn't be any worse; the children were the world famous Choir of New York's Roman Catholic Cathedral, Every little brat belonged to an important politico or Corporate elite. They'd been headed to Pittsburgh for a singing contest.
Their coach had been found off the road near Wheeling, the next town East of Zanesville, its engine had been melted to slag and 'strange demonic symbols' had been daubed in the Choirmaster's blood, on its side.
The News Anchor speculated in lurid and inaccurate detail about what the 'Raythoon' would do to the little boys.
We all knew that the human was wrong and that no Wraeththu was even physically equipped to do ‘that’ to a human child. The only catch was the smudged Neoma symbol clearly visible on the side of the coach...exactly the same symbol as the one we'd found in Jin's shop.
I was furious at the idiot hara who'd pulled this stunt. The frenzy being generated was bound to make things more difficult. I wished that my damn precognitions would tell me what was going to happen, but typically no handy visions came to me. Meditating about it, I realize that I’m hardly consistent. I don’t like being a precog except when it would be convenient. It’s another of those character traits I need to find a balance for.
Lying awake that night, with Brook pressed close (as had become our habit); I came to a decision. I couldn't let every News report get in the way of the tribe's needs. We would go ahead anyway.
The whole thing added to the level of tension for the fourth day of our Zanesville experiment.
At breakfast I was snappy and irritable, in the end I realized I needed to find my inner balance and stormed off to spend the first hours of the day meditating upon the Nayati's inner room. My affliction had meant that the unreal portion of the place had become fuzzy and begun to decay. I swept through it straightening lines and adding more detail, refreshing my memory of how I felt it ought to look. I didn't call upon the Aghama...I didn't feel ready...but once I'd finished I felt a lot better and more optimistic.
It occurred to me that we ought to have a tribal dehar so that we didn’t have to bother The Aghama withevery little detail. But I didn’t have a clue how one summoned such a being. Come to that, we needed a name for ourselves as well.
My renewed optimism lasted about five minutes; whilst I'd been meditating a formal recorded delivery letter had arrived from David's company demanding he (or his representative) attend an extraordinary executive meeting in a week's time.
When Petreon, Jurgen, Suriv and Brook saw it, they looked at each other meaningfully. I could 'feel' the private sendings flashing between them.
"What?" I demanded slightly impatiently.
"We're thinking of adding 'Lawyer' to our list of 'must have' professionals" explained Amnil
"If we can get one of the mall-rats to volunteer today or tomorrow, we can concentrate on hunting down a suitable lawyer, then have him incepted and recovered before that board meeting." added Petreon
"That’s insane." I complained
"No..its just a very radical." replied Amnil, doing a pirouette, "And what is being Wraeththu about if not about doing things in new ways."
I noticed Jin and Gyvon nodding in agreement. It seemed I was minority of one.
"Ok, ok...You can try seducing a damn lawyer. But we still go for a mall-rat first" I replied somewhat ungraciously.
---
As expected the checkpoint guards were more alert than usual. Fortunately the guards on our regular route knew our faces and still gave us an easy pass.
To my surprise, when we arrived at the mall, we found that Juan was sat at the table that we normally occupied.
I felt a warm satisfied glow within, and also the beginnings of stage fright.
Wait here I sent to the others
Allowing my mind to slip into a more soume mode, I approached the table reveling in the way his eyes locked onto me.
"Mind if I join you?" I asked
There was a long hesitation, he was in shock that I'd actually acknowledged his existence.
"Go ahead" he said acting tougher than his emotions said he was.
"So, tell me. What is it that you want of me?" I asked
He glanced nervously at my body, but said nothing.
"You've been watching me for several days now." I prompted
"I...."
I placed my hand in his and squeezed gently, hoping to reassure slightly.
"I don't know why! Ok!" hissed Juan
"Let me try and guess then." I replied scrunching up my courage and going for it "There's something about me that fascinates you, the way I look and act. Maybe deep down you wish you were like me, or find me desirable."
Outwardly I could see no sign that my words had any effect but I could 'feel' his mind bubbling with emotions all of them reinforcing my increasing optimism.
Juan shifted uncomfortably in his seat and finally he nodded jerkily, radiating shame.
"It isn't impossible Juan, I am not like this by accident. It takes training and sacrifice, but I can promise you, its worth going through the ordeal to attain."
He snatched his hand back suspiciously. "How'd you know my name?"
"I read it in your mind" I replied truthfully
"Bullshit!" he said, half rising
"And right now you are thinking of running, partly because you fear that I work for that pervert uncle of yours and partly because you want time to think without my body here to tempt you" I continued, accurately describing his thoughts.
Slowly he took a step back from the table, looking like a startled gazelle, ready to run.
"Go to the Crystal shop on 24th street when you feel you are ready to join us". I said, lounging back in most alluring soume pose.
Juan quickly turned away and disappeared into the crowd walking at a pace just short of a run.
You want us to go after him? Stop him from telling sent Amnil mentally sharpening a knife blade.
Its ok. I was reading his mind. He's fully unhar; he just needs time to understand that. We can safely prepare a room for him replied Gyvon confidently
I let out a long sigh. I'd always been good at seducing girls, but that had been the human me, who hadn't cared who he hurt as long as he got a quick grope and maybe a couple of bases. Trying to seduce a guy when you know you're going to change his life utterly, seemed a lot more difficult...and of course more rewarding.
As it turned out Juan didn't need that long to decide. Whilst we were taking the lift to the car park level, he was racing down the stairs to meet us at the bottom...not only that, he'd picked up the second guy that had been hanging around.
It looked like re-invigorating the Nayati was turning out to be a good idea. I was going to be busy with more inceptions in a couple of days.
We split up then. Brook, Suriv and I taking the unhara back home whilst the others headed off on various errands.
As we drove past the final checkpoint it occurred to me that my conscience no longer bothered me. The two guys had given consent once. I figured it was like any contract involving souls, backing out wasn't allowed...besides, I 'knew' they'd be better off incepted, it was like charity work, entirely done for their own good. Satisfied that I'd resolved my ethical dilemma I sent my conclusions to the rest of the tribe, knowing that Gyvon would pick up my thoughts with his advanced telepathic talent and re-send to the others.
Sounds good to me came the faint reply We're doing a walk past on the first lawyer now
That surprised me a bit, I hadn't expected them to move that fast. But thinking about it, they were all free hara, no matter how much of an ego-trip I was on, with the whole being tribal leader gig. They had the right to do what the roon they liked, as long as it didn't actually endanger anyhara. I guess the instinct to incept was tugging at them as it was at me. I just hoped I wasn't going to be bled dry when I incepted all the unhara they dragged in.
Meanwhile, our two unhar sat silently in the back of the car. I couldn't help feeling a dollop of contempt for their human frailty. I'd sort of hoped I was 'better' than that, but I guess I wasn't. I wondered whether I should fight down the unhealthy emotion or embrace it as a part of my new nature. I made a note that it was something we should all meditate on as a tribe. (We'd decided a couple of days ago that, actually, we all enjoyed meditation more than TV…it was less depressing and didn’t give us headaches)
Home impressed the fuck out of the two unhara. Juan had obviously had trailer trash origins and his companion seemed only slightly less impoverished. This must seem like a Cinderella fantasy to them. I smiled to myself enjoying my analogy; They were both about to become princesses in a house full of Prince Charmings.
Getting out of the vehicle, I gestured at Home, grandly. "This is Home. You are safe here. You can go anyplace in the house apart from the basement. You don't leave the grounds and you don't eat. Aside from those restrictions, you can do as you please."
"I haven't eaten since fucking Monday,” mumbled Nameless, sounding regretful.
If that were true, maybe they wouldn't need a three-day Forale and we could skip straight to the main event.
"What about you Juan? When did you eat?"
"I had half a pizza slice yesterday, before that was the burger that you guys left"
"We are not guys, we are Hara,” I corrected.
The word meant nothing to them and I sensed their puzzlement. I hadn't really explained what Citadel Corp had turned me into. I debated with myself whether to give them the full explanation now or leave it to just before the ceremony. In the end I held back, figuring it'd be best if I had the full tribe on hand before I used the 'W' word with them.
"Oh.. We never got your name?" I asked finally getting around to asking our mystery human his identity.
"Kit O'Hara" he replied
I tried hard not to grin. Here was one human whose family name would probably survive just fine in generations to come.
"We probably aren't related,” said Brook
Yet added Suriv silently
"So..got any family?" I asked casually as I guided them toward the front door.
"None that I'd want to meet again" muttered Juan confirming what we'd seen in his mind.
"Got me Da', the five brother and then there's me poor dead Ma's, sister's three." replied Kit counting them off on his fingers
Excellent thought Suriv completely missing the point.
Don't borrow trouble, love sent Brook Besides, one new har is still worth more than a hundred human O'Haras
"Will they be concerned if you drop off the map for a week?" I asked in as relaxed a tone as I could manage.
"Frantic I expect." He replied cheerfully "But that'll be nothing new. I've been acting weird since I saw you lot, and they know it. You gu...you Hara... put me off me feed, so y'did. The reason I've not eaten these past days is that I couldn't get the image of you lads outa me brain"
I stopped and turned to face him. "Will they bring the police in, whilst you are out of contact?"
"The pigs? Sure and you're havin' a laugh. It'll be a family matter if this doesn't work out"
I wondered what exactly Juan had told him was going on. It wasn't as If I'd gone into detail with him either.
"Maybe you should ring your family and tell them you are out of town,” suggested Brook
I wasn't entirely convinced but Brook had already handed him his mobile. Any objection I made would look pretty suspicious.
"Hello..Patrick. Kit. I'm with the Tuatha de Daanan; they're real! I'm going with them. They say I will be gone for about a week. No. Seriously Pat. When you've met them you'll understand. All the old stories are real. Look. Just tell Da not to worry, that’s all"
The name Tuatha sent a thrill up my spine. It had a quality to it, a wraeththu-ness.
Gyvon I sent loudly, hoping he was within range.
Yes? came the reply. From the strength of it he was closer than I'd expected
Ask Jin. What is The Tuatha De Daanan
There was a pause and then a reply
He says the mythical enchanted race that inhabited Ireland before humans came...like Tolkien's Elves. Why?
It’s what one of the unhar thinks we are
Jin says it is an auspicious name. And that we should take it for our own. Actually it sounds kinda cool it sent a shiver up my spine when I thought it....Amnil agrees
I glanced at Brook and Suriv How does Tuatha De Daanan sound as a name for our tribe?
I like it! It pulls to me replied Suriv
Whatever the rest want replied Brook with an ambivalent mental shrug, taking the phone back from Kit.
"We aren't the Tuatha of legend." I told Kit "But we are perhaps heirs to their inheritance. Just now, we heard the name for the first time and yet every one of us recognized it. I think that we were Tuaththuan without ever knowing it"
Impulsively I hugged the unhar close, letting all my allure wash over him. He liked that well enough and I felt his mind wander away from mythology and toward a... a fascination with the scent of my body.
It wasn't until later that I realized that I hadn't named us as 'Tuatha'...I'd said 'Tuaththua' ...I decided that my instinctive changing of the name was probably significant, and resolved to use the Nayati to try questing for answers.
We settled Kit and Juan into what had been the master bedroom. It had the most space and Suriv preferred to sleep in the arms of one of the others rather than be surrounded by reminders of his old David persona.
---
The day wore on into evening and I began to wonder where Gyvon, Amnil and Petreon had gotten too. We occupied ourselves by taking Juan and Kit down to the Nayati for their first lesson in meditation. One of the things I'd learned in my second visualization of The Aghama was that the psychic adjustment went easier if the human had already embraced both aspects of his soul.
As these two had already starved themselves, this was really the only thing that needed doing before their harhune ceremony. I had it in mind that I'd do the ceremony at dawn. That would minimize the amount of time for second thoughts and get Kit back in contact with his rooning vast clan in minimum time.
I had just placed them around the edges of the Nayati circle when I received a sending from Gyvon.
We are nearly home. We have a lawyer...things did not go smoothly.
?
I will share the memory when I get there
I returned my attention to the basement. "I have to go speak to Gyvon. Keep practicing. Juan, your thoughts are too far into the feminine, try to achieve balance between the two aspects."
Satisfied that Brook and Suriv could handle things I went upstairs, arriving at the front door just as the car pulled up. A moment later Amnil and Petreon dragged a suited figure from the car and pinned him to the gravel of the drive.
Rushing across, I crouched down next to the prone figure, intending to ask his name.
Suddenly his emotions went from outrage to confusion and stark terror.
Like a fool, I realized that this was because I had changed into my skimpy Heinama robes before leading the meditation. From where the lawyer was positioned on the ground, he had just had an up-the-skirt look at my magnificently potent ouana-lim.
"You shouldn't look up skirts, that’s naughty"
"What are you?!"
"We are the Tuaththua, a Wraeththu tribe, and you are here because you willingly agreed to become one of us" I replied running a finger along his cheek.
He flinched away. "Only for a week, the contract said only a week!"
I span around to face my hara.
"Contract!? Ok..which one of you hara wants to share what happened?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
I was surprised to see that they glanced uneasily at each other. Was I that much of a dictator to them? Finally Petreon stepped forward, wrapped an arm about me and shared breath, his emotions tasting of hope and tinted with the regret of one betrayed.
---
We are lurking around the offices of Benner, Goldstein and Winterborn. I feel nervous, the lawyers have their own security force and they look at least as well armed as the Citadel Guards. BG & W is a much bigger concern than the last two law firms; it's preferred clients are corporate high flyers like my ex-father.
The guards look at me suspiciously. They can sense that something is up but can't see what it is. I'm wearing simple skintight pants and T-shirt. They can see that I am not armed, but miss the thin strip of enchanted silk dangling from my pocket, not realizing that it is a weapon designed to turn humans into compliant slaves.
I make careful note that one of the guards, might be feeling the pull, his body search felt more like a caress than a pat-down.
Finally I was allowed to enter the atrium, where clients were expected to be impressed by the ambiance, whilst meeting with their lawyer. Speaking to the lumpy female at the desk I am pointed toward a young man sat next to the atrium's five-storey tall artificial waterfall. This is advantageous; the water will mask our words.
The shared memory skids forward and I am sat across from the potential Wraeththu. His name is Carter Lomax, but we'll change that for something better if he's what we want. He's 21 and his CV says he graduated 2nd in his year at Yale. He's lean and fit with no physical defects.
As I sit there his face slips into that look of slack jawed admiration that the mall-rats showed. I feel a stab of joy, this is the one, I am certain of it.
Carter shakes his head as if trying to clear it. He begins to sweat, and I assume that it’s because of the battle going on between his desires and his intellect.
"Pleased to meet you Mr.... Murray. What can I do for you?" he says offering his hand, I take it, his grip is loose, almost gentle.
"Pleased to meet you too Mr. Lomax. I hope that you can help us. I am a spokesman for a... a youth group...Our problem is that we seem to be getting a lot of bad press recently. The media are saying things that are blatantly untrue and law enforcement don't much care for us either. We feel we need legal representation at this point"
Lomax leans back slightly, an inscrutable look flickering across his face. I wonder briefly if I'd read him wrong.
"If you accept the case, you will be representing a minority who have never had legal council before, it is entirely likely that you will be something of a celebrity."
"Minority? I thought you said it was a youth group?" replied Lomax, looking puzzled and maybe even about to leave.
I braced myself, ready to bolt for the door and then told the truth.
"I am a Wraeththu, and it is my tribe, The Tuaththua, who are asking for representation" I said.
Our tribe’s new name sounded strange on my lips, but it also sent a squiggle of shiveryness up my spine. Sixteen had done it again and chosen a name that fitted us perfectly.
Emotions flickered across Carter’s face so fast that I found it hard to decipher them. In the end he sipped at his glass of iced orange, preventing me from reading his expression.
"The dreaded Raythoon. I have to admit, you don't look like a pedophilic cannibal. You want me to represent you how? Is one of your gang... "
"Tribe" I corrected.
"Tribe, then. So has one of your tribe been arrested? It hasn't been on the news feed" he said his voice sounding cold.
The thought that one of us could be captured and held long enough for a trial filled me with distain, even the mighty Citadel Corp couldn't hold Wraeththu!
"No. None of us is in trouble, yet. But we aren't stupid, it will happen. In fact I suppose your guards here would be quite happy to arrest me on general principles. Which is pretty much the point"
"So you want me on retainer in case I'm needed? In fairness I should warn you that that isn't cheap and umm..BG&W don't take old dollar cash or unsecured credit"
I flashed my collection of Iridium cards, placing them on the desk like a poker dealer laying the river; my face (thankfully), still recognizable on the card's holographic surfaces. "Don't judge us by what you see in the media. The Tuaththua are not streetscum, our parents...don't agree with our choices… but they haven't cut our allowances. And yes it is, a very, significant allowance."
Carter's eyes flashed with greed and I found myself once more fearing that I was wrong about his suitability...a second later his face had that rapture look again. I wished I was as sensitive to human minds as Sixteen and Gyvon were. But I had no choice I'd already said too much to back out.
It was imperative that Carter say 'yes, he wanted to join us'. As long as he said it at least once, Sixteen couldn't accuse me for forcing anyhar.
"For now, what we are asking is exclusive use of you for one full week, starting today. You'll get paid at treble your usual hourly rate based upon full 24-hour days. Payment in advance, right here, right now. You tell no one who your client is, or where you are going."
"That’s a lot of money...but I still don't get it. You already said you have no case for me to defend, what would I do for a week, sit on my hands?" replied Carter, showing at least some level of professional ethics.
"We need someone who understands what it is to be Wraeththu; someone who honestly believes, in his heart, that we are not a bunch of delinquent child molesting murderers.
"I am sure you could name half a dozen of your colleagues who'd take our money but secretly believe we deserve what we get. "We discussed it as a tribe, basically our solution is that before we sign you up with a five year contract, you have to live with us for a week, as a Wraeththu"
The lawyer looked uncertain, doubtless thinking about big city Wraeththu and disease-ridden hovels. It didn't even need telepathy to figure out Carter's aversion to squalor.
"You are thinking 'streetscum' again, I can tell. Remember the cred-cards? I still live under my father's roof...Our Villa has more than enough guest rooms."
"Your father agrees to this?"
"Definitely...in fact it was partly his idea"
The shared memory was flooded with warm affection and humor... Suriv certainly wouldn't have a problem. Carter looked at me and then back at the cred-cards. Weighing up his choices. Finally he nodded slowly and I felt the icy dread melting away.
"Very well. You have a deal. As you say, no one else is exactly going to queue up to represent you honestly. If you will bear with me for a moment I will draw up a contract, based upon what you have suggested. I have one clause of my own however."
The feeling of dread returned.
"And that is?"
"Our contract will be electronically registered. If I don't enter a password in one week's time, the file emails itself to BG&W's Enforcement Department"
Sixteen wasn't going to like that bit at all...inception was risky, what if he died?
I smiled and nodded. If things went well he'd be deleting the contract himself.
---
The shared memory sped forward past the signing of the contract. Carter was in the back of the car sandwiched between Amnil and me, whilst Gyvon did the driving.
As we accelerated from the checkpoint, Gyvon breaked unexpectedly and then accelerated again. As if he'd been startled.
I just got a solid read on his mind. He's playing along and intends to become a hero by exposing the child molesters, location....he dreams of a reward for recovering the choirboys sent Gyvon
Nice candidate Bro sent Amnil sarcastically
He agreed to live as a Wraeththu for a week; I even got it in writing. Besides rescuing kids from child-molesters isn't a bad motive I replied defensively, knowing that the argument was weak. So what do we do?
I'm sending to Sixteen, he'll be ready for us.
---
I gave Petreon's lips one final lick with my tongue and detached my mind from his.
"So, you have a contract, Carter Lomax" I said
"I do. And I made sure it’d get to the right people if I vanish. Fuck with me and this building's address goes to all sorts of interesting agencies."
"Oh don't worry we'll honor your contract, to the letter. You will become Wraeththu and after a week you will be free to go."
"So why am I face down on the gravel and what the fuck is wrong with your cock!"
"You are being held because Gyvon here read your mind. You intended to find the missing children and rescue them from us, thus gaining the favor of some very rich parents."
His eyes widen in shock
"Your plan has one tiny flaw. We haven't got the damn kiddies. Amnil and Gyvon will let you get up in a minute. When they do, you are welcome to explore every room and every out building within the grounds. If you find even the slightest hint that we've had those kids here, you are free to go. Once you are satisfied that we are telling the truth you will be brought to the Nayati....our temple...there, we will initiate you into the tribe." I said in a voice like the judge at a trial, deliberately avoiding the question about genitalia.
I turned my attention back to Petreon and shared breath with him again.
This time, sharing my emotions rather than his memories. Soothing his worries, it wasn't his fault and yes I still found him attractive, even if I did love his brother at a far deeper level. Before our mutual arousal could deepen into a full-on arunic encounter I broke away and walked swiftly back to the house.
An hour later I stood within my visualization of the etheric Nayati and tried to calm myself. Back in the real world Carter was being sat on, literally, sat on. It was the only way to keep him within the Nayati's circle. Every instinct I had, said that the emotional auras were just plain wrong for what we were doing.
As was to be expected, he didn't much care for 'pagan ceremonies' or his raw cotton bathrobe and especially not the whole blood transfusion thing. For the sake of efficiency, the majority of the blood would be going in by needle this time, with the blade only used for a single symbolic cut.
His accusation that the Nayati was 'a filthy cellar' was annoying though; we'd spent quite a bit of time keeping the sacred space spotless. I forced myself back to my part of the task balancing myself so that I was neither Ouana nor Soume, hopefully a near perfect merger, neither dominant nor submissive.
I imagined Carter was with me. It was trickier than I expected, all the previous inceptions had involved unhar who were willing and understood their role. Carter was actively resisting both physically and mentally.
At a loss, I did the one thing that I absolutely didn't want to do; I improvised.
I drew a symbol of my own and willed it to represent Carter, imagining that it flowed and morphing into a glowing wireframe of the lawyer held down by my tribeshara.
I then imagined that I felt the odd sensation that had accompanied the visualization of The Aghama.
It worked, texture and color flooded into my image spreading out from its chest. Carter's head became recognizable and then morphed into an expression of utter shock. For a moment it looked like I'd gotten it right.
As I watched something odd happened to the wire-frame illusions that were holding Carter down. Like snakes, with a life of their own the two figures stretched upward, becoming a pair of giant arms that continued to grow until a beautiful 9ft tall Dehar was visible holding each of Carter's wrists, one in each oversized yet delicate fist. With a shock that almost disrupted my concentration, I realized that I was visualizing our tribe as a single entity… and that it ‘felt’ as if it needed a name, and an identity, things unique to itself. Was I creating a Dehar? Could it be so simple?
A Dehar! Dividing my attention, I tried to call more detail to the almost-Dehar, willing it to exist whilst still keeping Carter’s consciousness firmly locked on the higher plane.
"Where am I!?" demanded Carter, forcing me to return more of my attention to him.
"The Inner Nayati" I replied boastfully, unable to keep the pride from my voice. I made it sound like I’d said 'The Oval Office' or something equally impressive. "This is a part of the etheric realm, a place where thought itself has a physical presence. It is where we visualize our creator and contemplate His Purpose."
"Your God" spat Carter with contempt.
"You have actually noticed how you are being held down?" I asked with icy humor
He hadn't. His eyes widened as he saw the glowing outline figure for the first time.
The Dehar's image became more solid, as if being observed allowed Carter's imagination to supply extra details. Tattoos wove themselves up the Dehar's arm, glowing in iridium blue, polished bronze bracelets, necklaces and piercing formed. Somehow the Dehar reminded me of Celtic warriors and roaring berserkers charging naked into battle, but also poetry, the ability fell an enemy by ridicule alone. As I speculated, the dehar's image continued to evolve one of its arm apparently sculpted from living silver.
"Lie still little human and rest. No harm will befall in this test,” whispered the giant dehar in a voice full of music that was wild and yet aching with untold loss.
Was I supposed to have conscious control of how a new Dehar looked and behaved? Or was It already out there needing only my force of will to power its manifestation. Again my desperate lack of knowledge frustrated the part of my mind that wasn’t firmly focused on maintaining the visualization.
The Dehar’s rhyme was evidently able to influence minds, Carter slowly relaxed and ceased his struggles. Without having to emulate Carter’s physical thrashing I found it easier to focus on the Dehar, adding yet more detail, making his savage tattoos into subtle beautiful designs.
"Meaning no disrespect Dehar. But who are you?" I asked
The Dehar looked down at himself as if seeing himself for the first time, releasing one of Carter's limp wrists to run a hand down his torso.
"I am...I was, The Daanu of the Tuatha tribe, the mother goddess,” He frowned then as if confused “But I was also Nuada the protector. But no longer. Like you, I am transformed, no longer two but one. In this time and this place I am become The Daananan of the Tuaththua, progenitor and protector both."
"And I didn't accidentally summon you before your time or anything?" I asked recalling my bizarre encounter with the four elemental dehara.
Daananan laughed with a sound like tinkling bells "Hardly. You have just now visualized me. Whilst I may choose to believe that I was once the goddess Daanu, I cannot yet banish the memory that I am a new manifestation, literally minutes old."
"The other Dehar I’ve met seemed to have aspects of reality that they had power over. Do you have a similar trait?"
"I am what you believe me to be. Whether its Rock, or Dehar or Tree” replied the Dehar. It was the sort of cryptic answer I'd expected, with the possible exception of The Aghama himself, it seemed that all the Dehar were instinctively evasive…or were they only cryptic because I expected it of them?
Cautiously I took a step closer, examining Carter who was slumped with his head resting against Daananan's knee, a look of bemused contentment on his face.
"Is he all right?"
"He believes that nothing can harm him, he shares this certainty with me."
"Can you hear me Carter?"
"Yes Sixteen" he replied calmly
"How do you feel?"
"Safe"
"If I told you that when we inject you with our blood, it will change your body so that you become one of us. Would that bother you?"
"Daananan is protecting me. He won't let you harm me,” replied Carter with an evangelic certainty. Clearly Daananan was as much his creation as mine.
"I am going to summon another Dehar now, he is The Aghama, The Creator. He's going to change you so that you won't need Daananan to make you feel safe...ok?" I said, careful not to let Carter perceive The Aghama as a treat. The last thing I needed was a Dehar turf-war
"Yes Sixteen"
Getting up I refocused my attention and drew the symbol for The Aghama next to the comfy chair that I had created for him.
Unlike Daananan, there was nothing slow or gradual or half formed about my visualization of The Aghama, as soon as the symbol was complete, he was with us.
Behind me Daananan had helped Carter to his feet and was stood with a protective hand resting on his shoulder.
"Hi Aghama. Nice to see you" Despite the awe that flooded me, I was determined not to get all reverential. The Aghama preferred his offspring to treat him like a regular hara, and that was just fine by me.
"Sixteen." he acknowledged without paying me much attention. His burning eyes were entirely on the Dehar Daananan. The first time I'd summoned him, he'd seemed almost unaware of the four other Dehar. This time, Daananan was the focus of his attention.
I glanced at Daananan, sensing the fierce protective instinct that seemed to be the new Dehar's dominant trait.
With a chill I realized that the battle for dominance I’d feared was going on in parts of the ether that I could only just detect. It seemed obvious to me that The Aghama was beginning to appear more Ouana and Daananan more Soume and if I didn't intervene there was a danger that my visualization of Daananan might lose coherence.
"Uh, guys."
Both dehara turned to glare at me.
"Daananan. I am sure Carter will be safe in The Aghama's hands. He means no harm. This is why Carter is here, so that he understands that the wondrous future offered to him isn’t an evil deception"
"As you say,” replied Daananan elegantly removing his silver skinned hand from Carter's shoulder.
Dazed from the sudden removal of Daananan's influence, Carter finally inhaled preparing to scream his human head off.
Moving with a speed that was too fast even for my harish eyes to see, The Aghama turned and placed a finger on Carter's lips silencing him instantly.
"Hmm. This one definitely needs work. You really should spend more time preparing them, Sixteen" Said The Aghama sounding disappointed, as if he were talking to a school-age child who’s just wet himself.
"Yes Dehar, sorry Dehar..If you hang around after you've finished with this one, you'll find the next two have a better understanding of ..err.. things." I replied
The Aghama nodded, and then gently cupped his hand around Carter Lomax's head, pulling him into a Sharing of Breath. I felt shivery, in a good way, as I watched The Aghama at work on Carter Lomax's etheric self-image. After a while Carter ceased his attempts to push free, his hands moved instead to hold our creator close. Slowly, so slowly that it was almost imperceptible, Carter's visualization of his self-image began to change.
His limbs became less obviously muscular and he grew taller. Hair that had been cut close in an almost military style cascaded into a naturally curly mane of glossy dark hair.
In a shameful voyeuristic way, I hoped to see an Ouana grow and blossom, but in that respect at least his self-mage remained resolutely genderless.
Breaking off the Sharing, The Aghama held Carter at arms length inspecting his handiwork, turning the transformed human around to inspect the rear before turning him back and inspecting his face more closely.
There was still a trace of stubble on Carter's chin, which The Aghama clearly disliked. A second Sharing of Breath followed. This time when The Aghama ran a finger along Carter's chin the result was apparently acceptably smooth and to my eyes completely androgenous
His work on Carter complete, The Aghama turned his attention to Daananan, leaving the unhar looking dazed and blissful in his wake.
The two Dehara didn't bother with words, choosing to communicate mind to mind. I felt slightly nervous that The Aghama was going to reshape my Deharling as he had just done with Carter. But I need not have worried; the only visible result was that Daananan's form became more detailed and solid looking. Gradually I found that I was spending more time visualizing the Details of Daananan’s jewely and less on the Ahama’s form.
As this went on, Carter moved closer to me as if for protection.
When they finally broke apart Daananan looked down at himself admiring the improvements to his tattoos and jewelry. It was only when The Aghama turned toward us that I noticed a small glistening broach of silver knotwork had replaced one of his buttons.
It was reassuring to see that the exchange hadn't been all one way.
"Are you still here?" said The Aghama in mock irritation
Taking the hint, I grasped Carter's soft Harish hands and returned our awareness to the outer reality, his hands feeling rougher and increasingly human as normal reality imposed physicality upon us.
I swiftly scanned the surface of Carter's mind and found that it was as calm as a millpond.
"Feeling better?" I asked
"Yes. That was....." His voice trailed off, lost in thought for a moment. After a second or two he shook himself and refocused his attention on me. "You'd better do this quickly, you shouldn't keep 'Them' waiting"
I knew from the way he said the word, that he didn't mean Juan or Kit, the other two unhara. I nodded agreement and got on with the ritual as he requested. I wasn't about to let him change his mind a second time.
---
We gave Juan to the earth two days later. Tears rolled down my face as I tried to give some sort of eulogy. Its odd, none of us had been overly bothered by Mrs. Murray's death. Even her newly incepted husband and sons hadn't been much concerned. But this time, even thought none of us had had time to get to know Juan, his death hit us all hard, we'd all sensed that he would make an excellent har and had the potential to be great. To die before having even had aruna seemed exceptionally poignant.
Ash had warned us that inception was a death sentence for more than a few. But we'd never lost anyone and the warning just hadn't sunk in. We'd treated it as if it were no more dangerous than a heavy cold. Could we have saved him? Would a doctor have been able to prevent the gangrenous rot that his inception had created? I don't know.
I saw death when Ash, Gyvon, Petreon and I escaped from Citadel's labs. But this was different, Juan had believed in me, and it had been my blood that had poisoned him. I knew it was illogical but still I held myself responsible.
Kneeling next to the shallow mound of earth I set an apple tree sapling above Juan's chest and encouraged its roots to grow. I hoped like hell that this wasn't going to be the first tree in an orchard.
Releasing the magari and the tree I turned to the others. I tried to say something but I was too choked. Gathering what dignity I could muster, I turned and walked back to the house at a fast and determined pace. I had to do all I could to sooth the pains of the other two...I owed it to Juan.
---
Neither Kit nor Carter had been in any condition to talk. Kit was raving about maggots and Carter was unconscious, breathing shallowly. All I could really do was call upon Daananan to watch over them and damp their fevers with a wetted cloth.
Lifting the thin dirty sheets that covered them, my inspection revealed that both were well into the stage of rapid change where their new organs are making their presence felt.
I sat with them for two hours, my eyes still wet with grief. In the end Brook sent his brothers to drag me away, insisting that we all needed to meditate on the day's events.
Giving myself a mental shake I agreed with their logic, and felt annoyed with myself. I was supposed to be higher caste roll-model for everyhara and yet here I was wallowing in the tragedy of it.
Holding the meditation in the Nayati had an added benefit, it allowed me to summon Daananan again and gave the others a chance to experience our tribe's new guardian spirit. As we sat there bathing in the feelings of safety that the Dehar, gave off I noticed that we'd been joined by an extra hara, looking dazed and lost.
Without saying anything to the rest of us Daananan gathered to unknown hara close to him and then gestured at one of the walls, creating a portal that led to a place of rolling green hills and wooded meadows. Daananan and his companion walked through sealing the portal behind them.
It wasn't until after we'd ceased meditating that I realized that the hara had been Juan and that Daananan had perhaps taken his essence to a better place.
This time it wasn't just me that needed to cry, it was the entire rooning tribe.
---
I awoke the next morning feeling immeasurably better about everything. After breakfast I checked in on Kit and Carter. I found them both awake and no longer delusional.
Kit's hair now showed an inch of new growth and appeared to be a roony maple-green color. Carter on the other hand now looked exactly like his etheric self-image. I couldn't help wondering if somehow his reshaped mind had somehow controlled the mutation. Fortunately the thin web-like pattern of darker skin that now adorned his upper torso and right shoulder didn't reach up beyond the neck and would easily be hidden by a collared shirt.
"How are you feeling?" I asked
Both Hara blushed nicely and glanced covertly at each other. It didn't take much deduction to figure that their mutual experience had brought them together and that their new instincts and pheromones were doing the rest.
I clapped my hands sharply, making them remember that I was there.
"How are you feeling? Would you like something to eat?" I repeated.
"Food! I'd nearly forgotten what that was,” said Kit
Bring up two breakfasts I sent
Carter gasped, his eyes going wide. I heard that he instinctively sent
"We never did get to go through all the fringe benefits did we?" I replied grinning warmly
"We're fucking telepathic!?" exclaimed Kit
We are I confirmed before switching to normal speech. "You have much to learn; we all do. But first there's one final step in the inception, the enjoyable bit."
"We have to have sex...that’s it isn't it?" asked Carter, looking nervous his legs held tightly together in a delightfully soume pose.
"Forget about the word sex. What we do is far more intimate. After you've eaten you will get to choose a hara to guide you. Choose wisely your first time is special."
They glanced at each other again.
"No...you can't have each other yet. It has to be someone who knows what they're doing,” I laughed. "You can practice on each other afterwards"
Suriv appeared at my side carrying two bowls or porridge, which he handed to the two young hara. Once Kit had his bowl, he got up from his bed and sat next to Carter. Soon both bowls were empty, as the two hara made up for their three days of starvation.
"Tiahaar Kit and Tiahaar Carter. Allow me to present The Hara of Tribe Tuaththua,” I said signaling my hara to come in and introduce themselves.
The introductions soon turned into a fashion parade as each of my Tuaththuans tried to outdo the next in seductive poses. Gyvon, who’d introduced himself first, even went as far as re-introducing himself a second time after seeing the antics of the others.
I have to admit to a certain degree of gutted-ness that neither of them chose me to be their first. But Brook was soon at my side making me feel good as I watched Gyvon take Carter by the hand and lead him to his room, whilst Jin shoo-ed the rest of us away so that he had Kit to himself.
Once dismissed, there was an inelegant struggle as the rest of us got rid of our finery and found partners with whom to enjoy the backwash of arunic pleasure. There was no way that the new hara had the self-control needed to keep their joy filled emotions from leaking. The fact that neither new Hara had been warned about exactly how good they were going to feel added a delightful extra flavor to their sendings.
It was especially gratifying; to feel Carter's deeply ingrained determination to become human again spontaneous combust under Gyvon's dominant hand.
---
Later that day, as I stood watching the sun setting between the hills, letting myself get lost in the beauty of the great orb's swirling details....details that would have left me blind a mere six weeks ago.
I sensed Carter Lomax close by, and wondered why he wasn't inside partying
"Hi"
"Hi" I replied, I sensed he wanted to say more, but was finding it difficult. "Go ahead, I don't bite....well actually I do..but only during aruna. Anyhow. I'm listening.
"I just wanted to say...you did the right thing. Tricking me, I mean. As a human I didn't have the first clue what I was denying myself. Had I understood ahead of time, I'd have been seeking you out, not trying to profit from your destruction,” he said in a sultry soume influenced voice.
"Don’t kid yourself, our first instinct is ‘when in doubt incept’. I know that whenever I see human of the right age my first thought is how fine it would be if he were one of us." I paused for a moment, trying to figure out a way to tell the truth without looking like the sort of human that strokes a cat whilst thinking up criminal masterplans. "I wish I could say we saw something of the Wraeththu in you waiting to emerge or that our motive was anything but selfish. The truth is, we picked you because we need a lawyer." I confessed
"..and it’s an honor that you chose me. What I don't get is what we need a lawyer for. It isn't as if we are bound by any human law "
"We got lucky and incepted our way into a family with a fortune." I explained waving my hand in the direction of Home. "As a human, Suriv was majority shareholder in a medium sized corporation. Unfortunately the corporates are beginning to wonder where their boss has gotten too. What we need is to cut ties with them in a way that doesn't arouse suspicion. We also need all those shares converted into cash. We need to have spent it before their civilization collapses."
"Collapse of civilization? You sound so certain of that."
"It takes a human couple nine months to make a child. It took me three days to make you. Assuming each of us went out and incepted someone every third day, there would be 357 million of us in 90 days. I think our big city cousins are moving a little slower than that, but not by much."
Carter's expression went soft for a moment as he wallowed in the fantasy scenario I'd just described.
"Tempting isn't it. But the humans aren't going to let us take every last son, not without a fight. Its going to be fucking scary out there in a few months, between them and us, we'll give 'genocide' a whole new meaning. That’s why we need the money right now, we need to buy stuff whilst they still sell to our kind." I explained
He paused for a few minutes then nodded "I'll represent you of course, that was never in doubt anyway, not after the day I've just had. I hadn't thought it through and I don't think the others have either. I see now why you are our leader."
"Some leader" I snorted, mentally comparing my flaws with Ash's perfection.
"How old are you Sixteen?" he asked with a no nonsense change of tone.
"About a year older than my name and two years older than I look" I joked, not sure where this was going
"You are standing here planning how to win a genocidal war against an enemy that currently out numbers you millions to one...at age seventeen. The only person I know in all of history who could match ambition like that is Alexander The Great. You are definitely a Leader, My Lord Sixteen."
"Yeah right" I replied dismissively.
Rather than argue the point, Carter simply exhaled sharing his breath with me even though we weren't touching. His fierce sincerity was shocking; our lawyer meant every word. I was on as much of a pedestal with him as Ash was for me. It certainly gives the ego a boost to be regarded so uncritically.
"Hey! Jasem" shouted a voice from the patio. It was obviously Kit, any other hara would have just sent mentally.
"My new name" explained Carter "…I'll be right there my Kitfox"
"Jasem and Kitfox...sounds like a good pair of names" I said slightly relieved to be onto a safer more domestic subject.
"The Aghama helped us find our names, I thought you knew."
"Jaaasem!"
"I think he wants something" I said slyly
"Yes....and if its what I think it is, I really, shouldn't keep him waiting" he replied blushing
I slapped his butt "Just go!"
He giggled and just went.
---
The suit felt uncomfortable. It didn't hang quite right on my body, as it had been tailored for a human male rather than a har. I secretly longed for my Heinama robes, but they would have been utterly inappropriate for our meeting with the Corporation.
It was essential that we look the part. Even our beautiful hair had had to be sacrificed to give the illusion of properly respectful corporate brats. Of course that hadn’t stopped me trying for any edge we could get. Under my suit, my arms and neck were loaded down with as many luck charms and wards against evil that I could safely hide.
Brook and Amnil were present 'representing' their father, Jasem was along as the family lawyer and I was supposed to be taking notes.
As soon as I entered the boardroom I knew it was a trap, their minds reeked of insincerity and betrayal. I glanced covertly at the various exits and places where militia might be posted....nothing.
It’s a trap of some sort I sent.
I feel it too replied Brook.
It’s probably a financial scam. These aren't the sort to employ muscle reassured Jasem
Almost immediately after introductions were made, the discussion descended into legalistic jargon leaving Amnil, Brook and me completely lost. I forced myself to look interested, whilst covertly watching the exit with my eyes and their emotional state with my mind.
Don't worry. The trap they've set works in our favor sent Jasem, his thoughts tinged with relief. They have a hostile takeover underway and are trying to force Mr. Murray to resign. They even have it set so that his shares make slightly less than they are really worth. If you hara wanted to keep the share, we'd have a legal fight, but if you hara want to pretend to be gullible sons we can walk away with 90% and leave them thinking they've fleeced us.
Do it sent Brook instantly
Amnil hesitated, his mercantile heart loath to give away any profit.
In a year it will be valueless. Spend it or lose it I added
Ok, ok he sent reluctantly
Lets sign and get clear then
Jasem resumed his negotiation, explaining the deal to Brook and Amnil in legal-speak with an amusing sending accompanying it nod now, look reluctant now, nod, but look worried, then sign
---
Five minutes later we'd cleared the building and were safely out of sight.
"YES!!" I shouted clenching my fist and pulling it downward.
The others agreed with the sentiment and hugged Jasem and each other. Our antics attracted disapproving glares from the human pedestrians, but none of us cared.
One of then sent to the rest of the tribe and the cheer echoed back to us through the ethers.
"I can't believe it. All that hassle and stress and they actually wanted rid of us,” I muttered. "Why couldn't my rooning precog talent tell me that??"
"My Lord Sixteen" said Jasem
I glared. I didn't like the aristocratic title and that was made worse because a couple of the others had started copying Jasem's example.
"It seems to me that you probably have no further immediate use for my talents,” he said
That stopped me for a moment. It was true. I hadn't thought past our corporate showdown.
I had just assumed Jasem would just hang out, take some aruna, shoot some hoops and meditate as the rest were doing. Thinking about it, that wasn't in Jasem's character, he was driven by a need to achieve and be the best at what he was.
"I take it you have an idea?"
"Right now we're like an extended family, all working for the common good. Pretty soon we'll be too large for that social model to work."
"Huh?"
"What will happen when there are a hundred of us and one har accuses another of theft? What happens when Somehar strongly disagrees with your leadership?"
"Law?...you want to write the laws of for our tribe?" I concluded.
"Got it in one Lord Sixteen" he replied excited by his specialty "Not just the laws, but the democratic and judicial processes too."
The decision was a no-brainer or at least it seemed so at the time.
"Go for it" I said. My precognitive ability once again remained deceptively silent. End of Part 2 [1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11]