‘And you found us,’ Robin concluded happily. ‘Are the MSS always so brutal when trapping escapees?’
‘Vadik, the hurricane, was the most notorious of us … psychics,’ she explained. ‘The MSS would have been looking for an excuse to exterminate him, and today they got it. I did not know him well,’ she continued before her hosts began offering their sympathies.
Rhun was deep in thought at this point, but surfaced from his contemplation to reassure Jazmay. ‘I am granting you asylum here on Kila. Rhiannon and Robin will see you and the boy to some living quarters here in the central city.’
Jazmay was completely overwhelmed; she’d been expecting to be thrown in jail, or interrogated at least! ‘I … I am stunned, sir. You are very gracious.’
‘I may need to consult with you once I make contact with Maladaan. Would you be agreeable to that arrangement?’ Rhun wanted Jazmay to know that board here was not entirely free.
‘I would find that greatly preferable to being tortured for information, Governor, which is how it would be done on Maladaan,’ Jazmay concurred.
‘Do you have wilful control of your power?’ Rhun asked and Jazmay nodded.
‘It is my choice whose identity I steal,’ she confessed. ‘I can make skin contact without incident.’
‘I think it goes without saying that I would prefer you did not steal the DNA blueprints of any of my people, as that would be considered treason,’ Rhun added, ever so politely.
‘The MSS could learn a lot from your style of management,’ Jazmay said, ‘and yes, that does seem to go without saying, thank you.’
‘I’ll get you settled in.’ Rhiannon could tell her brother was ready to wind up this meeting.
‘What will you tell the MSS?’ Jazmay wondered out loud. ‘They will want us back.’
‘Then they shall have to get past Kila’s defences first,’ Rhun assured her. ‘And I will consider any attempt to retrieve you an act of war.’
‘You would start a war over two strangers, branded criminals … are you mad?’
‘Just cocky.’ Avery added his view on his brother’s stance.
‘There will be no war. You have committed no crime against my people, have you?’ the governor queried her, and she shook her head. ‘Then enjoy your freedom, Jazmay, and let us worry about the MSS.’ Rhun stood, and everyone else in the room followed suit.
Jazmay couldn’t wipe the smile off her face; being around people who were so polite was a little nerve-racking, she didn’t know how to react. She feared it was all an act that would come to some horrible end. Still, she was so at ease in their company that she knew in her gut that these amazing people were for real. ‘We shall savour every second, Governor,’ she assured him. ‘Thank you, all of you.’
Rhiannon and Robin led Jazmay back out of the office, and as they passed through Sybil’s reception area Robin excused himself.
‘I’ll see you back at base.’ He waved to Rhiannon. ‘I hope you enjoy your new home, Jazmay.’
Jazmay hazarded a smile in response to his fair tidings, whereupon Robin vanished and before Jazmay turned back to follow her remaining guide, Sybil rose from her desk to advise Jazmay, ‘Don’t be alarmed.’
‘By what?’ Jazmay queried and Sybil pointed down the corridor, where there were a couple of the local men herding a group of MSS agents towards the governor’s office. Despite the warning, Jazmay’s automatic reaction was to panic, until she noted that none of the MSS agents even registered her presence; she looked back to Sybil for an explanation.
‘See?’ said Sybil. ‘We have everything under control.’ She moved to greet the younger and fairer of the local men, who turned out to be the governor’s son, Asher.
The other local fellow locked eyes with Rhiannon. ‘Excuse us,’ he requested of Jazmay, ‘the vice-governor really needs to speak to his head of environmental protection.’
‘I know what’s on your mind and it has nothing to do with conversation.’ Rhiannon took great delight in side-stepping the vice-governor’s delay.
‘But as vice-governor I outrank you now.’ He reached out and touched one of her fingertips and this was enough to turn her around and regain her full attention. The look of adoration that passed between the pair told Jazmay that they were lovers.
The vice-governor was taller than the governor with hair just as dark, but his locks curled like Jahan’s. He certainly appeared a fit fellow and more of a warrior figure than any of the Chosen that Jazmay had met thus far.
‘As chief justice you outranked me before,’ Rhiannon teased, ‘and that didn’t aid you to exert your will over me.’ She let her touch slip and walked on.
The vice-governor glanced ahead and noted his party entering the governor’s office. ‘See you at lunch?’
Rhiannon looked back with a large smile on her face. ‘You certainly will.’
The vice-governor was overjoyed by this news and delayed his entry to the governor’s office to watch Rhiannon walk down the corridor.
As Jazmay moved past him to follow her guide, the vice-governor snapped out of his daze, and smiled briefly as he moved on to his duties. Jazmay was a little stunned by this as most men would at least do a double-take when they saw her, but she may as well not have been in the room.
‘What next?’ Avery looked to Rhun, who motioned towards the door.
Sybil entered to announce, ‘Asher and Cadwallon are here with the hostiles that attacked our KEPA operatives this morning.’
‘Show them in,’ Rhun said, as he came around his desk to make ready to greet his son, Asher, and Vice-Governor Cadwallon, Rhun’s lifelong best friend.
The looks of the Dragon line ran stronger in Cadwallon than in Asher, who had inherited Sybil’s fair colouring and her magnificent blue eyes. Still, like Rhun, Asher was not exceedingly tall for one of his clan, but was just as good-looking, smart and confident as the rest of his kindred.
The governor was rather surprised when he noted his chief justice and his head of defence had restrained their captive pilots with outlawed Nerguz modules, which relinquished the will of the prisoner to whomever had locked the module onto their wrist.
‘Gentlemen.’ He embraced his son and then shook Cadwallon’s hand. ‘These measures seem a little extreme?’ He gestured to their four prisoners, who stood in a nice neat line just as their captors would have it.
‘They forced our hand,’ Asher defended light-heartedly. ‘When they worked out they couldn’t kill us, they tried to take their own lives and we couldn’t have that.’
‘What are those?’ Rhun motioned to another electronic brace around their ankles.
‘They call them psychic wave neutralisers.’ Cadwallon had already queried this. ‘Apparently they scramble your magnetic field and this renders any psychic talent useless.’
Now Rhun was very confused. ‘So you are psychics who are hunting other psychics?’
All four men appeared ashamed and when none spoke up Cadwallon exerted his will over the prisoners. ‘Answer the governor.’
‘If we do not hunt, then we become the hunted ourselves,’ one explained spitefully.
Rhun raised both eyesbrows in response, sympathising with their dilemma, ‘Well, I can offer you asylum, which you might find preferable to suicide or self-repression.’
‘In exchange for what?’ queried the squad commander.
‘Your loyalty and information about your association with the MSS,’ Rhun replied.
‘And if we refuse?’
‘We’ll send you back home,’ Rhun replied.
‘Alive?’ the agent clarified, thinking there must be a catch.
‘Just as you are now,’ Rhun assured — it was a long time since he’d met people so fearful and suspicious. ‘But your weapons systems will be immobilised for your flight home, so you can cause no more damage to Kila.’
‘And if we stay we would have psychic freedom?’ The agent had noted that his hosts were not shy about showing off their own talents.
‘My good man —’ Rhun had to smile, ‘— provided you use your gifts for the greater good of all, we shall help you develop your skills.’
The agent seemed well-disposed towards the offer.
‘We’ll give you a moment to consult.’ Rhun and his officials put a little space between themselves and their captives.
As they waited for the men to decide their fate, Avery noted the thought band recorder sitting upon the governor’s desk. ‘What’s this?’
‘Kestler’s memories of before he landed here,’ Rhun answered.
Avery took the band in hand. ‘May I?’ he requested.
‘Go right ahead,’ Rhun encouraged, nodding. ‘I haven’t had time to view it yet.’
Avery found himself a quiet corner and, taking a seat, he placed the thought recorder on his head to absorb the information.
When the captured operatives returned to their line formation, the squad commander announced, ‘Three of us would like to accept your offer of asylum, but Juna here —’ he motioned to the youngest of the captives, ‘— has family on Maladaan and so he feels he must return for their sake.’
‘I see.’ Rhun considered this might be fortunate. ‘Well, Juna, you are still welcome to take up the offer, which I can extend to your family. For if I were to charge you with taking a message to your superiors, perhaps you might come up with the means to bring your family back with you when you return to Kila with Maladaan’s response?’
Juna, who had been frowning, smiled upon being offered a solution to his problem. ‘I feel sure I could, Governor.’
Rhun was pleased. ‘That’s settled then —’
‘Actually, I have a better idea,’ Avery spoke up, having learnt a thing or two from the thought band recorder he now held in his hand. ‘Let me go with our young friend here, as I can speed things up somewhat, talk to his people on your behalf and ensure that he gets his family out safely.’
‘You have a target then?’ Rhun assumed Avery had seen someone worth questioning in regard to the Maladaan situation while viewing Kestler’s thoughts.
Avery named his target. ‘Zelimir Ronan.’
‘That’s the Chief of the MSS,’ the squad commander confirmed, marvelling at their speed and means of obtaining information. ‘You guys are elite.’
‘And they haven’t even tortured anyone,’ Juna noted and then thought to add, ‘yet.’
‘They don’t need to,’ the squad commander summed up, and Rhun nodded to agree this was quite true.
‘I have also granted asylum to Jazmay Cardea and Fari Doon,’ he advised them all, which amazed their captives yet again. ‘Will any of you gentlemen have a problem respecting their peace and freedom?’
‘No, Governor,’ said the squad commander, ‘for their defiance of the MSS, they are secretly admired by all psychics … they may have a problem with us, however.’
‘I shall ensure Miss Cardea is advised about this arrangement and your respectful intentions,’ Rhun concluded with a clap of his hands. ‘That’s settled then?’ The governor looked to Avery to see he had nothing further to add, to his other associates, and lastly to their new recruits, who all waved in decline. ‘Wonderful, let’s eat.’
The squad commander was amused by this. ‘I’d pictured a lot of things that you might be doing to us this afternoon, but taking us to lunch wasn’t one of them.’
‘Reality is only what you dreamt was possible yesterday,’ Rhun replied. ‘Have you all not dreamt of a world where psychic talent is not chastised, but encouraged?’
All four men smiled as they nodded to admit this was true.
‘There you go, and here you are,’ the governor concluded, motioning to the balcony where lunch was to be served, and all were happy to follow his direction. ‘Oh, and Asher —’ Rhun gained his son’s full attention, ‘— I think we can do without all those restraining devices.’
‘Sure thing,’ Asher agreed, causing both the Nerguz modules and the MSS restraining devices to fall from their prisoners’ wrists and ankles. The captives all froze a moment in disbelief, and were amazed as they retrieved the defunct modules from the floor.
‘All hail the Governor,’ said the squad commander, whereupon his men replied with an ‘all hail,’ and, crossing one arm across their chests, they bowed to Rhun.
Rhun had not seen this kind of devotion since he was High King in ancient Britain; his kindred were much more casual, but he graciously accepted their praise. ‘You are all most welcome. Now, go and eat, that’s an order.’
‘Yes, sir! Thank you, sir!’ They all filed out onto the veranda.
Sybil entered the office upon foreseeing Rhun needed to speak with her, although she already knew what his request was. ‘I’ll have Rhiannon escort Miss Cardea and Master Doon to lunch with you, as soon as they have refreshed themselves.’
Rhun smiled, pleased that she was always one step ahead of him. ‘Have I told you today?’
Sybil approached and kissed her husband. ‘You don’t have to, I know you know I’m the best.’ She slipped away from him, but he was reluctant to let her depart.
‘I’m truly amazed that any work gets done in this office,’ commented Cadwallon from the doorway. ‘Which reminds me, I have other plans for lunch.’
‘Of course you do.’ Rhun held up a finger to waylay his vice-governor and released Sybil to get her opinion. ‘We are sending Avery to speak with our new neighbours.’
Sybil dwelt on this a moment and then smiled. ‘If he plans to strike the fear of God into these people, it might interest him to know they have no concept of what God is.’
‘None?’ Rhun’s mind boggled. ‘So what do they believe in?’
‘Science,’ Sybil said. ‘Hence their fear of all things psychic and unexplainable. These people wouldn’t know the difference between a Grigorian angel and a conjuring hag … so only the Goddess knows what they will make of Avery. But next to you and our good vice-governor,’ Sybil smiled at Cadwallon, still awaiting Rhun’s leave at the door, ‘Avery is the best of us, and can be very persuasive and charming when he wants to be … I believe the Lord of the Otherworld will make the right impression to keep the peace.’
Sybil’s nod was good enough for the governor and his second in command.
When Jazmay saw her beautifully appointed apartment, she was too overwhelmed to explore it straightaway, yet Fari was quick to run about and investigate. ‘Are you sure you don’t have our accommodation confused with that of some visiting dignitary?’ Jazmay inquired of Rhiannon.
‘No,’ Rhiannon replied with a grin, ‘a visiting dignitary is exactly what you are now … or did you misunderstand our governor’s proposal?’
Jazmay gave a shy smile and shook her head, venturing towards the lounge room that had double doors on the far wall. ‘I am just stunned by your hospitality.’
‘Jaz, Jaz, there’s a small pool in our bathroom!’ Fari cried with excitement from another room, which delayed Jazmay from opening the doors before her. Hearing a large splash, she winced at her flatmate’s lack of decorum.
‘It can get rather hot in Chailida in the summer.’ Rhiannon dismissed Jazmay’s frown with her cheery explanation. ‘And it is much easier on the water supply, from both a consumption and pollution viewpoint.’ Rhiannon passed Jazmay without stopping to open the double doors, which vanished to reveal a balcony with a splendid view of a grand central garden in full bloom.
Jazmay gasped at the technology and then the view as she beheld the majesty of the city.
‘We hope you’ll be happy here,’ Rhiannon concluded, admiring the view herself. The large smile on her face was a firm indication that she was certainly happy here.
‘Well everyone else on Kila seems to be … you especially,’ Jazmay ventured. ‘The vice-governor is very smitten with you, I think.’
Rhiannon gave half a laugh to confirm this. ‘Yes, he is … and so he should be, as he has been my husband for over a century!’
‘No.’ Jazmay was surprised to hear this. ‘In m
y experience only young lovers regard each other with such intense affection; how have you kept your marriage so vibrant for so long?’
‘Cadwallon is more than just my husband, or my lover … he is my soul-mate,’ Rhiannon explained, but Jazmay only frowned. ‘He’s my male split-apart, twin-flame, my Chosen other.’ Rhiannon tried other terminology but Jazmay was still perplexed.
‘What is a soul?’ Jazmay struggled to understand and the question took Rhiannon totally by surprise.
‘Oh dear, that’s a rather expansive question.’ Rhiannon moved to take a seat and invited Jazmay to do the same. Jazmay complied quickly, curious to be more informed as the Chosen obviously had far more knowledge of the cosmos than any civilisation Jazmay had previously come into contact with. ‘We Chosen understand the soul to be the neutral centre within our bodies through which consciousness passes. It is a vehicle for your higher consciousness, or spirit, to work through … much as this physical body is only a vehicle for your soul, which in turn carries all the creativity, talent, knowledge and emotions that your higher self has accumulated over its many lives lived within the multiverse. Your soul is that part of you that is deathless and immortal, that keeps you connected with all there is.’
‘But if you have this wonderful connection with all there is, what do you need a male soul-mate for?’ The way Jazmay asked the question made it very clear she was not well-disposed towards men.
‘Ah, well …’ Rhiannon held up a finger to stress this was important. ‘To understand that, you need to know a little more about the journey of spirit into matter, and in order to explain that, I’ll need to enter your mind, if that is agreeable to you.’
The Universe Parallel Page 6
