“Agreed,” said Crissy.
“Agreed,” said Francesca. “But I don’t know any of the players besides Misti, who is almost certainly dead. I scarred the tissue around her main arteries to close them off, and, even if she still draws breath today, she certainly will not for much longer. I shall defer to your planning and will carry out your instructions.”
“Good,” said Edward. “Then all that remains is the next forty-eight hours of Crissy’s alone time with Francesca. It begins now.”
“Never!” said Francesca and Anna simultaneously.
“According to the roofies in your wine, Francesca and Anna, Crissy and I say otherwise. I have given Anna to Crissy as a special bonus. But the next couple of days I hope will satisfy both of you, especially you Francesca. This, my sweets, is the price the two of you pay for disobedience and for the excess in the way you knowingly dealt with Crissy contrary to my instructions. You, Francesca have barely arrived. You have no equity with me. Crissy, on the other hand has been a loyal family intimate for many years. Since our first sweet years together when she was in high school, she has been obedient to my commands, and performed well beyond expectations in every facet of her life.
Interesting, and fortunate, that her parents distrusted Adam but trusted Anna and me. What we did to Crissy gave us such pleasure and awakened the real Crissy Chance.
“None of can go back; our only option is to move forward. I have a plan.”
Chapter 37
It was a bright and glorious Saturday morning; the sun had been up for hours, and the ladies, both mortal and Immortal, had straggled in from the previous night’s activities for breakfast. Adam was wearing a denim “Kiss the Cook. Where is not Important” apron expecting a normal weekend of reduced work and more walking around his growing City meeting new arrivals.
Fionna was strangely absent but suddenly appeared as the last of the stragglers finished whatever they had ordered. Adam was finishing up with the dishes and pans, arranging them just so as was his custom. More than one man in the City and in the Paraiso countryside thought this effeminate and somewhat metrosexual for the man in charge and reported to be part normal, part sociopath, part psychopath and all genius. The few men who challenged his manhood directly to his face wound up in the wellness center. The few that made lewd remarks to his face about his women were similarly treated. For now, there was little democracy involved in the running of the City or the greater territory of Paraiso.
Fionna said, “Our Lord has requested our presence in his chambers today, and soon.”
Adam asked, “Later today?”
Fionna said, “No. Now.”
***
Within seconds they entire group invited, consisting of Fionna, Hecate, Hana and Kendra, the four senior Immortals along with Adam, Misti, Noki and Eene, were in the presence of his Omnipotence. Once again as a favor, their Lord appeared in a Great Hall as a shimmering ball of colors emanating in almost blinding fashion situated on a small column in the center of the polished marble room. There was nothing else except four walls and a roof.
“Thank you all for coming today as I have collected a few things I would like to share with you and to ask a favor.”
Adam said, “Anything Lord. You need only ask.”
“First, and most minor, I will ask all of you henceforth to call me ‘Father’, as I have been convinced that it is the most appropriate name for me to be called. Don’t ask me to explain, as I will not. This name applies only to those of you assembled here today. I think the other Immortals call me all sorts of things; I have never given guidance on the subject matter never thinking there was a need.”
His light dimmed.
“There are those on your planet that call me, or something they believe is me, by many names. God, gods, Supreme Being, Creator and on and on. They are all wrong. I am old, and I am a creator of life, but I certainly am not the all-knowing, all-powerful God you humans seem to want to worship. If such a being exists, I too wish to meet and worship this God. I exist and have the unique power to create life. That is what I know. The rest I do not think about nor is there anything more about which I care to know on the subject, until there is Revelation. I do not interfere in the lives of mortals, though I permit my Immortals and servants to assist and interfere from time to time.”
The ball glowed bright again.
“I used to have three classes of Immortals; for ease of description I shall call them ‘Liara class’ Immortals, ‘Adam class Immortals’ and ‘Fionna class’ Immortals. I have destroyed the Liara class Immortals as unworthy after the many fiascos with mortals that I uncovered, along with the duplicity of Liara and the misuse of the powers given her. In its place I created the Adam class Immortals, that is Immortals who will be born into a Universe, grow up, mate, grow old and die. Then they will begin life over again with only knowledge of me and the Fionna class Immortals and some past life memories. In fact, only this group here today, plus a few others to come, will comprise this class. I am subdividing the senior Immortals into two groups; a few chosen ones who will have new duties and be more engaged with mortals on my behalf and the rest, who will remain as currently formulated; powerful, but indifferent to the lower orders. This is a new division of labor based upon my experience with Hana and Kendra, as well as Hecate, Fionna and Niona.
The class of Cyclical Immortals, Adam and those here present, will be a separate favored class, given special abilities and knowledge; appropriate to the world they inhabit and the needs of the mortals involved. I will create, at some point in the future, a warrior class of Cyclicals, and Adam will be the template for the attributes of my new soldiers.
“From among my loyal servants, I have sent four Immortals to Earth to be managed by you, Adam. Disobedience to me being a heinous crime for which there is no real punishment for an Immortal, my other legions of Immortals find a sentence to Earth commanded and indentured to a mortal being, even recast as a ‘Cyclical Immortal’, to be the most painful punishment they can endure. I know better, and so do you.”
“Yes, Father,” said Adam. “It is what I expected all along. You have simply transferred two incorrigibles to me rather than having to deal with them yourself. But if I may ask, why Hana and Kendra? I doubt their disobedience to your will, though I am not complaining.”
“There are two parts to punishment. Disobedience and assent to punishment. I am not without compassion; I shall not waste the resources, skills and abilities of any Immortal. The threats to put an Immortal into the center of a sun for a million years is mere rumor. It is far more likely I will send them to manage mortals in a solar system, something they hate.”
“Then?”
“In this case, Hana and Kendra do not wish to be parted from you, but they have no infractions that I know of. This is a problem. I cannot be seen as arbitrary and doling out punishment without cause. So, I commanded each to plant a red flower in a garden in your City, but they planted a white flower instead, my symbol. I gathered all the Immortals along with Hecate and sentenced the four of them each to eternity with you. I told the assembled Immortals that similar disobedience would be handled in a similar manner. I believe it is what you Earth mortals call killing two birds with one stone.”
“I am grateful, Father.”
“You should be. From now on I wish to hear no more of their innate ability to disobey, cause headaches or cause unnecessary mischief. I shall require Kendra back more often than most but she will always be assigned to you. I will also require the services of Hecate from time to time, but, for what, does not at this time concern either you or any other mortal or Immortal. Understood?”
“Yes, Father.”
“All of you, not just Adam.”
“Yes, Father,” they all said.
“Good then we are clear. Adam, I shall expect regular reports on this motley crew.”
“Yes, Father. How often? Every year?”
“I should think every five hundred million years should do. And no progres
s reports either. They are now yours to manage; the headaches are now yours alone.”
***
Adam was both shocked and amused that the entity he now called his Father, a reminder of his early years as a practicing Catholic, would not wish to hear reports from him. As a Cyclical Immortal, along with Misti, Noki and Eene, through tens of thousands of previous rebirths, lives and deaths, he had never, in all those millennia, been called before his Lord for a conversation of any sort. This conversation was remarkable.
Most Immortals seldom intervened directly in the affairs of mortals, so the activities of four Immortals in a relationship with a Cyclical Immortal, not much more than a glorified mortal with the power of rebirth, was considered unclean, improper and unwise. Though technically Immortal, being only a Cyclical Immortal, other senior Immortals looked down on anything below them on the Immortality scale and were now existing in constant fear of the Omnipotent One, who could enslave them to a Cyclical Immortal on a whim.
Mortals, thought the Lord and his senior Immortals, should handle mortal issues; they were generally the cause and cure of their own making.
With the intervention and misuse of power by Liara and her Immortals, the Omnipotent One had changed course to a more interventionist, but still carefully circumscribed basis. The ‘Adam’ class had been the result of an experiment precipitated by Liara’s folly, and the eventual arrival of Niona the Huntress and her sister Fionna the Immortal, to repair damage and set the fate of an insignificant planet back on its intended course. That both sisters, both Immortals, would fall in mortal love with the same mortal man was scandal, but not one in which the Omnipotent One would interfere. His desire had been to watch and wait. Odd, but favorable results were often obtained by accidental means; the existence of Adam was one of them. It was, after all, an opportunity to experience what would follow. And, the Omnipotent One wanted to see what would happen next.
The Father would experiment with the concept of rebirth or reincarnation; life, death and rebirth, the form of Immortality he now favored. No more Liara’s to deal with. To that end, the Father could elevate and demote mortals as Cyclical Immortals and promote, as he had Hana and Kendra, to full Immortality status. The Father had seldom thought much of wisdom, as relative as it was, but some of these human mortals were clever in problem solving and had ideas, even if most of the rest of their ideas were ridiculous.
“I have made decisions today,” the Father began. “I have been listening to and learning from my favorite Immortals indentured to Adam, and watching my Cyclical Immortals and the mortals they work with. I have learned that Immortality is, or at least should be, more than just the creation of things and the accumulation of knowledge. There is something that I, as Creator, owe to those whose existence I created. I’m not altogether sold on the idea, but I am willing to allow certain of my senior Immortals to assist my class of Cyclical Immortals in helping to solve mortal problems and issues. Problems created not directly by us, but through our inattention or indifference. We shall see over the next few millennia how the experiment goes, on Earth where you reside, and on other worlds that may similarly benefit from assistance.
“To that end, I believe you humans refer to adding beings that have the skills to benefit a project as ‘staffing up’. Today we shall staff up. I hereby add to the Earth list of Cyclical Immortals Eene Birkenstock and Nocera ‘Noki’ Lee. Until now you have been mortals who show up in one alternate Universe or another but I wish this role now to be permanent. You, like Adam and Misti, shall be born, grow up, live, meet and perhaps mate with Adam, and then die when your time comes. That is, if you accept my offer of Immortality. You will always be near and part of Adam’s family. You may drop out at any time as may any Immortal. I do not understand your gravitational pull, Adam of Earth, but whatever it is, it is real. Do you both accept?”
“I do,” said Noki immediately.
“As do I,” said Eene.
The Omnipotent One then said, “It shall be so. I now have but one last piece of business left to conclude, and I do not know how to handle it or what to say. Therefore, I shall bring her out, let her speak, then you shall all decide what is to be her fate.”
Out stepped Niona the Huntress.
***
The entire entourage ran to Niona who was crying, something not seen in Immortals but now seen in an Immortal turned mortal for the love a of a man, then turned Immortal again but somehow wounded in a way unknown to everyone, even the Omnipotent One.
They sat her down on a chair that suddenly appeared and began asking her question after question.
“Are you all right?
“Are you happy?”
“Where is your mate?”
“What have you been doing?”
“Have you fully returned to the Immortal life?”
It was too much for Niona to handle she just sobbed and sobbed as if her life was in ruin and her despair untenable. She looked around at everyone, including the new Immortals, obviously miserable but calming herself.
“It may seem selfish,” she said between sobs, “and I would understand if you all rejected my pleas to you.”
Adam said, “What? What plea? There is nothing we would not do for you. We love you and have missed you dreadfully. Please just tell us what we need to do, and it will be done.”
Niona dropped from her chair onto her knees in front of Adam.
“Husband, please take me back. Back to my family, and back into your heart again. I was lonely and left, but I was a fool, seduced by the thought of constant companionship and a greater kinship within my former col and indifferent Immortal life. But as soon as my mate discovered what I wanted and needed, he left. He abandoned me saying I was not Immortal; I was a half breed no longer worthy of him or his company.
“Husband, I wish to come home. I wish to again be your wife and serve you as I once did. I beg you to take me back. I beg all of you to take me back.”
Adam looked around in shock as if there could ever be other than one answer. “You are back; you are home with all who love you. You never left. We are husband and wife, Immortals in a realm of Immortals. I will beg our Father to forgive us all our foolishness and allow all things to be returned to us as they were before, including our children.”
The Omnipotent One looked at Adam, “This is what you truly want, for her and for you? She was …”
“It is. I wish my wife back restored to all her powers and past memories. I wish the return of our children too. I have missed them as I have greatly missed my wife.”
The Father looked at his flock. “Niona the Huntress is restored. Her experiment with mortality and all the pain it caused expunged. Go now. I shall ruminate on the lessons of this day. I ask Hana and Hecate to remain behind and return to your mortal family tomorrow. Fionna, take everyone home to Earth, including the children of Niona and Adam. They shall stay with you until I command their return. Take your children as well, Fionna. Begone.”
And they were.
Chapter 38
Adam wandered into his Study after cleaning up after breakfast to the sight of his entire collection of women, all seated, the Immortals in holographic form, and Eene seated in a single chair across from Adam’s imposing desk. They said nothing as he entered; he walked over to his desk, looking at each as he passed by, and then sat down.
“Am I in some huge pile of trouble? I thought breakfast was pretty good today. Even you, Fionna, had pancakes. Misti’s table manners were much better, although you ate your entire breakfast and half of mine. What’s up?”
Eene apparently was going to speak for the entire group.
“We have been talking, all of us, including with Alana who is not present and banned for the time being, about where we are in this contest with your parents, Crissy and whoever this new fourth guy is. We don’t have a suggestion or a plan, we have observations we wish to share and to discuss concerning our future. Ours with you, Paraiso and whether Noki’s vision can ever be realized without d
ealing with Edward and his witches. That’s right, witches. Believe it or not, it was Hana’s idea.”
“My Hana? My sweet Hana? Witches?”
Hana said, “Sweet still, yes, compared to my sisters, but learning more, getting more comfortable with discovering new pleasures, so yes I came up with the new name for those horrible, horrible people.”
Eene continued, “Here’s the deal. We don’t think we will ever be at peace, all of us together with you, until Edward, Anna, Crissy and the mystery man are dead or in jail. Preferably dead. As long as they are alive and able to ever get out legally, or escape, we are all at risk.”
“I agree.”
“But the police are on their side and Edward has them looking for us saying all he and his wife want is to reconcile with you. He fears you are mentally ill and in great need of psychiatric help. The police for their part, have no reason to doubt the eminent Dr. Edward St. James, the equally caring Dr. Anna St. James and their daughter the well-known New York attorney, Crissy Chance. Who knows who the mystery guy is, but I’m guessing he’s an anthropologist too. So, we have forces arrayed against us looking for us, but not to harm or put us in jail. We’ve been run out of New York and Greece, not criminally, but in order to hide for our own protection. We’re not being pursued because we’ve done anything wrong, but because nobody can believe that your folks are bat shit crazy, run a criminal organization or are anything but law-abiding good Samaritans.”
“Your point?”
“My point is we’re looking for them and they’re looking for us. Object: first to find the other kills and wins. We don’t give a shit about the Marco Polo stash but you parents obviously do. And they think that Laura knows where it is, while we know she doesn’t. Gaea was let go and is in the wind. For a year we’ve had zero luck finding your Dad and the witches. We need to use what we know against them because of what they don’t know.”
Crissy Chance Page 28
