Lady Eloise [Book 6 of Ever After, an Egg and the Hameggattic Sisterhood novel]

by Robert Iannone

  “Great. Do you have a religious leader that the people look up to?”

  “The Arch Patriarch of the Temple of Appreciation is that person. However, not everyone is an admirer of the lady. She can be a bit dour and inflexible.”

  “That probably won’t be helpful. Okay, why don’t you and I go down and get these people and bring them onboard. We obviously have a lot to discuss.”

  *****

  The first person Kon’dor found was Kommander Khan. When both men exited the Glass, his first question was, “How long?”

  “Two hundred years.”

  If the man was shocked, he didn’t show it. “And L’elle?”

  Kon’dor shook his head no.

  “I’m so sorry, Kon’dor. She sacrificed herself for all of us. I will never forget her bravery.”

  “Thank you. Let me introduce this young lady. Egg, this is Kommander Khan of our Space Command. Kommander, this is Egg, the leader of the Hameggattic Sisterhood.”

  “Hi, and welcome home.”

  “Thank you. I’m sorry but I am not familiar with your organization.”

  “We’ll explain everything when we get back to our ship.”

  “Of course. Do we have you to thank for our rescue?”

  “No. It was L’elle.”

  *****

  After finding the other two, all three men were transported to the ship where they were greeted by the Sisters, two husbands and two friends. Naturally the sight of Bl’azzz and Aero caused the biggest stir.

  “Dragons? Creatures from children’s books – how amazing,” said Grand Master Tron, the Chief Archivist. “Do they bite?”

  “Stick out your hand and see,” teased Bl’azzz who then gave the poor guy a full smile that displayed her two rows of razor sharp teeth.

  “I’m so very sorry. I . . . I just assumed you were pets.”

  “We couldn’t house train her,” said Sparky. “They make such a mess so watch where you step.”

  All three Sky’lords involuntarily looked down at their feet. “Hey guys, she’s teasing. Bl’azzz is one of two dragons we proudly call Sisters. We also have two sea serpents, and a telepath. I’za over there (and the girl smiled and waved) is from the Ark of Forever, a prison ship exiled from some distant galaxy. Among other things, she can disappear at will,” and Egg gave the girl a nod. A moment later she was gone.

  “Extraordinary.” This time it was the Medicus.

  “Come on back, I’za,” and the girl reappeared. “Just to really fluster your feathers, Tee’ka was a computer program. Her body is an avatar that Serenity grew for her.”

  The three men just gawked.

  Egg laughed. “None of that’s important. My husband – that blue guy over there – is the Prince of Aerianna. His sister, the Queen, has sent their fleet to help you. It will be in orbit tomorrow. You’ll have food and any other supplies you may want. The transports will also serve as temporary housing if you wish to stay and rebuild. Or, we can take you to Zynn-Zaz’zia . . . that’s BreeZee’s home world. You’ve been invited to relocate there if you choose.”

  “Your generosity is overwhelming,” said Khan.

  “Just being neighborly. Before we go any further, there are three topics we need to discuss. First, it was Bree who set out to discover the truth of the Sky’lords. However, it was L’elle – more specifically her diary – that led us to you. It’s not my place to say, but I’m going to anyway. You all need to honor her passing. What she did for her people is legendary and I expect you to acknowledge that.”

  “That was never in question,” said the Kommander. “May I ask why you felt you needed to say what you did?”

  “Sure. We’ve come to know L’elle from her last words and she’s touched us all. We’ve come to know and admire Kon’dor. We take his loss very personally. And finally, we’re putting a lot of effort into helping you and your people. The only thing we ask in return is that you show us you’re worthy of our respect. Honoring L’elle will go a long way in doing that.”

  While she talked, Bree squeezed Kon’dor’s hand . . . and he squeezed hers in return. Egg’s words were just so perfect on so many levels and they both were very appreciative.

  “As I said, L’elle will be honored. We thank you for sharing your feelings on this matter.”

  “Thanks for not taking offense. Anyway, the second and third items to discuss will be walking through that door,” and she nodded at Jax’x who opened it.

  And in walked Ix’nay.

  *****

  After their meeting with Ix, which went much better than Egg had expected, Tron and Talis (the Medicus General) went with the others to tour the ship. Egg stayed behind with Kon’dor and Khan.

  “I should like to see the destruction first hand, if that can be arranged.” Kon’dor had described what he had seen but the Kommander still desired to survey the surface for himself.

  “No problem. We’ll go with you,” said Egg.

  “I don’t wish to sound rude, but there’s a lot of territory to cover. It will be difficult to carry you for an extended period of time.”

  Kon’dor and Egg looked at each other then laughed.

  “Did I say something amusing?”

  Kon’dor was about to explain but Egg stopped him. “If I become too much of a burden, just set me down and I’ll transport to the ship.”

  “If you insist.”

  As they made their way to the control room, Egg quietly dropped back and changed into her flying suit. Like all men, the Kommander didn’t even realize she had changed clothes. “Sparky, three to beam down.”

  They materialized on the surface just in front of the now-blocked entrance to the Sanctum of Reverie. “First, let’s go to Space Command and see what’s left.” To Egg Khan said, “Allow me,” and he extended his arms to carry her.

  “Please don’t take this the wrong way, but you winged warriors fly way too slow.” She stuck out her tongue then launched herself skyward. In an instant, she was practically out of sight.

  “What?”

  “Sorry, did I forget to mention,” said Kon’dor with a grin “that she’s also known as Flying Girl? Come on; let’s see if we can catch up.”

  *****

  It took the better part of a week to free all the Sky’lords in an orderly fashion. As each group of a dozen or so exited the Glass, they were taken aside and given the grim news about their beloved homeland. This was partially offset by the news that the Aeriannian Navy was there to help them. They were transported to one of the ships for medical treatment and further orientation, which included a discussion of rebuilding Splendora or relocating to Zynn-Zaz’zia. Kommander Khan was anxious to have a final vote on staying or leaving as soon as possible.

  They voted overwhelmingly to stay.

  The sisters and their male companions volunteered to help in various ways.

  Bl’azzz and Aero would work on the physical reconstruction of the temples of births and deaths.

  Jax’x and Grex went with Tron to help reclaim the Archive of Achievement.

  Tee’ka was totally fascinated with child bearing since she was not capable of that miracle. She asked to help in the Gateway of Perpetual Tomorrows.

  I’za felt strongly about helping with the aged and terminally ill and would work at the Sanctuary of Everlasting Yesterdays.

  Bree chose to assist Kon’dor (not a big surprise) in working with the young children to help them acclimate to their new world . . . and to learn about the wonders of the other worlds they might visit one day. Bree asked for Feather to join them.

  The Prince had little choice in what he would do. The Fleet was his responsibility and he would stay onboard to manage their involvement.

  That left Egg. “I would very much like your counsel as we try to begin rebuilding our world,” said Khan.

  “Anything I can do. However, as I told you, Serenity and her husband Skotti are leaving with Ix. I need to see them off.”

  “Of course. May I ask why they are
going?”

  “The Rak’nex have learned to harness the energy from black holes. My friends are going so they can learn the technology. It will be a boon to the Federation.”

  “I should say so. Such knowledge will make the Sisterhood rich beyond imagination.”

  Egg grinned. “We’re already rich. We have each other’s love and friendship as well as the respect of the peoples on a hundred worlds. There’s nothing else we need.”

  Khan stared at the young woman. “If that’s true – and I certainly have no reason to doubt you – the Hameggattic Sisterhood is setting a standard of behavior that the rest of us mere mortals will find difficult to match.”

  “You give us way too much credit. We’re just a bunch of loveable ladies who have the ability to help others . . . and so we do. That’s it. We’re not trying to be role models for the rest of the galaxy.”

  “Yet you are. There is a nobility in that, don’t you think?”

  Egg just shrugged – wishing to leave the subject. “Anyway, I’ll be back in a few hours. Anything in particular you want me to do?”

  “Indeed. Since Kon’dor refused the vote of the people to lead us during this time, that honor has fallen to me. I think the first task is to meet with our neighbors in the Southern Hemisphere and negotiate a lease agreement. We can use the income to help us rebuild. Accepting your generosity puts us in a moral bind. It isn’t in our nature to rely on others. I hope that doesn’t sound ungrateful.”

  “No. I understand completely. By the way, these people we’re going to meet have the remains of several of your craft. It was among these artifacts that we found L’elle’s diary. We asked them to treat this material with respect and to give it a proper burial.”

  Khan shook his head. “How incredibly thoughtful. However, maybe they will return the material to us so we can inter these remains according to our customs. Some of the artifacts may be from L’elle’s ship.”

  “I was hoping you’d say that.”

  *****

  Skotti and Ix had finished stowing the Glass onboard the Astral and were ready to begin their journey. All the Sisters and male companions were there to say goodbye. All except Egg and Serenity.

  Egg had asked for a moment alone with her sister. “I just wanted to say goodbye privately.”

  “Why? So you can make me cry?”

  Egg smiled at her sister’s teasing. “Promise me you’ll never change. If ever there was a person born to be a cantankerous curmudgeon, it’s you.”

  “You have your modesty, Syl has that ridiculous grin, Jax’x has her smugness . . . so the only thing left for me was grumpiness.”

  “Really? That was the only one left?”

  “Yeah. I checked,” and they both laughed.

  Egg turned serious. “I know taking marital advice from someone married for a month might seem inherently wrong, but . . . “She left the sentence unfinished.

  “Please. You know as well as I do that I can make a mess of this before we leave orbit.”

  “Well, the good news and the bad news is that you put yourself in an impossible situation – locked up in a little ship for two half-year trips.”

  “I get the bad part, what’s the good part?”

  “If you two survive with your love intact, nothing will ever separate you.”

  “So how do I tilt the odds in my favor?”

  “First, the romance part is beyond wonderful. But the white-hot spark will eventually cool to a warm glowing ember. You’ll need to find other things to do to stay interested in each other.”

  “I think we’re pretty compatible in that respect.”

  “You are. But when he wants to build an electronic doohickey instead of snuggle, don’t take offense.”

  “He builds the best doohickeys,” and she smiled.

  “Of course he does. Here’s the last piece of advice. If he does something that offends you, don’t hold it in. Talk about it . . . quietly and with an open mind. If you let emotions fester, they can get pretty hurtful in the light of day.”

  “Love, laugh and learn from each other – does that sound about right?”

  “SPARKY! That’s perfectly poetic and girlishly romantic.”

  Serenity walked over and gave her sister a big hug. “I’m going to miss you so much.”

  Egg returned the embrace just as fiercely. “Make this a great adventure – something the two of you can tell your kids all about.”

  “No adventure can ever top what the Hameggattic Sisters have experienced.”

  “Maybe not. Anyway, stay safe and don’t forget to drop me a postcard once in a while.”

  *****

  A few months later

  “Greetings, Brother.”

  “And to you, dear Sister. Shall I fetch Egg?”

  “Is she nearby?”

  “No, but I’m sure I can round her up in short order.”

  “In fact, I was hoping to talk to you alone.”

  “As my dear wife would say, I’m all ears.”

  “I see she’s working her magic on you. Contractions and earth idioms; I wonder what will be next?”

  “She has been insistent that I take her to a place called Dizzy-world and ride something called the Tea Cups. She assures me that the experience will make me a better man.”

  Meggy laughed. “It is Disneyworld and if you cherish your pride, refuse to go on that particular head-spinning, stomach-turning horror. Unless you are under the age of seven, it is not safe.”

  “Unfortunately for me, I find it exceedingly difficult to refuse my wife anything. So, how may I help you?”

  “I read your last report. Egg apparently helped negotiate a very favorable agreement with the Sky’lords’ southern neighbors.”

  “Very clever, that girl. She calls it revenue sharing where in the Sky’lords split all profits with the resort owners. In return, they will participate in the management of the resort – lending their stature as the long-lost mythical winged beings of ancient lore. Both sides are excited by the partnership.”

  “And how have the Sky’lords taken to Egg?”

  “They truly love her. Wherever she goes, she draws a crowd of well-wishers. It’s not only the fact that she can fly – though that certainly doesn’t hurt – it is also the fact that they can relate to her on some basic level. It is extraordinary to witness.”

  “Did you know that she believes she lacks the skills to be a diplomat?”

  Benny barked a laugh. “I would say it was just her modesty. However, I don’t think it is that. Her skills come so naturally – she simply is being herself – that she doesn’t give credence to the thought that it is a skill at all.”

  “Interesting observation.”

  “So tell me – Meggy (a name he never called her) – what is going on in your devious mind?” She obviously had concocted some scheme concerning Egg.

  Tired of keeping her ambitions a secret from her brother, she decided to confess. “I am going to abdicate my Throne and I intend to make your wife the next Queen of Aerianna.”

  Benny arched an eyebrow but remained silent as he considered what he had heard. He decided he was not in the least bit surprised. “I take it our parents are in full agreement?”

  Meggy smiled at his reaction. “Indeed.”

  “Well, you have my full support. However, I cannot imagine that she will ever accept such an honor. She would be forced to surrender her position as leader of the Sisterhood . . . and that is something I cannot imagine.”

  “I beg to differ. When she married you, the opportunity of her becoming a mother increased dramatically. She would never knowingly endanger herself and leave her children’s future to others.”

  “Not even her husband . . . their father?”

  “You know what I mean.”

  “I do. However, if you expect me to expedite parenthood just so that your plans will come to fruition, you are mistaken. When she is ready, she will let me know.”

  “That goes without saying. All I am sug
gesting is that her mindset may not be as rigid as you think. However, it might be a moot point. A few months ago she told me that she needed to talk with Sylvia and myself to discuss the future of the Sisterhood. It would not surprise me in the least that she is already given this some thought.”

  Benny smiled. “Nor I.”

  “Furthermore, do remember that this time around, the people will vote for the next monarch. She will have a difficult time to deny them their choice.”

  “And how can you be certain that she will be that choice? I can certainly see humans voting for her. What of Serpents and Dragons? Especially Dragons.”

  “I have talked to Queen S’eeee-sik. As I suspected, she expressed a distinct disinterest in ruling Aerianna. She also assured me that her people find little interest in such things. When the time is right, the Queen will campaign vigorously for Egg.”

  “And what of our winged neighbors? They would dearly love to rule the entire world.”

  “They would indeed. But I intend to elicit help from someone that commands their greatest respect. I foresee no problems with Dragons.”

  “Really? And who might this paragon of veneration be?”

  “Storm, of course.”

  Chapter 8 – As Time Goes By

  They were finally headed home. It had been a tumultuous, but incredibly rewarding, ninety days. However, they were all exhausted and looking forward to some rest and relaxation.

  Onboard were Kon’dor, Feather and TK. Bree’s parents had invited the young man to visit and he had accepted. It wasn’t hard for Zephyr and his wife to sense their daughter’s intense interest in her rescued Sky’lord.

  It was Bree who received permission to invite the two children. She was growing very close to the girl and wanted to show her Zynn-Zaz’zia. Kon’dor suggested they also take her brother. To his mind, both children would one day be the new leaders of Splendora and he wanted to begin the grooming process. This visit was an opportunity too good to miss.

  T.K. was particularly attracted to Bl’azzz and Aero. Then, again, what teenage boy wouldn’t be attracted to dragons. He took to following them everywhere on the ship. “So did you ever eat a person?” The Kid had a thousand of them – questions apparently designed to make a dragon crazy.