by P. R. Garcia
CUTTING OUT OF THE HEART
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“Take your shirt off so I can dress that wound,” Europa instructed Terrance. She knew Terrance was still really shaken by the incident with Jeanip, but he was putting up a good front of confidence and assurance. She admired him for his bravery to stand up to Jeanip. Few people had done that. No, come to think of it, she couldn’t remember anyone who had every faced Jeanip and admitted to him they had lied. And, combined with the fact the lie concerned her safety, she knew Terrance was very lucky to be alive.
“I thought for a minute there Jeanip was really going to cut my heart out and feed it to the sharks,” Terrance said, pulling his shirt over his head, revealing a small wound above his heart where Jeanip’s knife’s tip had penetrated the skin.
“I thought he was too,” Europa added. “If Earon had not thought quickly enough to tell me to give Jeanip a direct order, I am afraid he would have.”
Looking up at Europa, Terrance added, “When Jeanip announced who my father really was, I thought you were going to LET him kill me.”
“For a second, I was,” Europa answered, keeping her focus on Terrance’s wound so she could not see the expression on his face. “But only for a second. I remembered our times together and how much you have supported me these past few days. I knew you were not capable of such horrors, even if you were JeffRa’s son. You could not be a cold-hearted assassin like he is. Plus, I remembered how very much I loved you.”
“You love me?” Terrance asked, not sure his ears heard the words he had been longing to here.
“Yes,” she softly replied, keeping her eyes on his chest as she poured peroxide on the wound and placed a large bandage over it. “Luckily the blade’s tip did not go in very far. It is mostly a superficial cut and should heal quickly.”
After a few seconds of silence, Europa finally looked up into Terrance’s eyes and saw the warm smile on his face, the twinkle in his eyes. Placing his hand underneath her chin, Terrance looked directly into her eyes and asked, “So you really love me?”
“After all we have been through, after all the weird stuff we have seen in the past few hours, you doubt something as simple as I love you?” Europa inquired, giving him a huge smile. “Yes, Terrance, I love you.”
“As I do you,” Terrance said, kissing her with all the love he felt. Europa kissed him back, allowing the deep love she felt materialize in her kiss. When the kiss was over Europa curled into his arms, being careful not to put pressure on his wound. Suddenly, both remembered where they were and turned their gaze to see if Jeanip or Earon had seen the kiss. They realized both had witnessed it since each had his eyes averted and a huge grin on their faces. Slightly embarrassed, Europa quickly said the first thing that popped into her mind, “So, your father might be JeffRa! That complicates things a little.”
“Just a little bit,” Terrance replied, laughing.
“What was he like? Your father, I mean.”
“You mean my stepfather? I never knew my real father. He died in the war shortly after I was born.”
“Yes, your stepfather. What was he like?” Europa asked. “Did he seem to be someone who could be this JeffRa?”
“A cold man, got close to no one, pretty much stayed to himself. He was never mean to my mother or me, but I remember at a young age wondering why he never showed much affection toward us. As I mentioned before, he used to disappear on his field studies a lot. I do remember once, though, I was on a baseball team. I hit a home run and was coming into home plate when this big kid on the other team tripped me and caused me to be out. I confronted the kid and got kicked out of the game. As we were leaving, the kid’s father made some derogatory remark about me. My father walked over to him, lifted him off his feet and slammed him into the wall. He never said a word to the man, but I’d never seen someone so scared as that man was. So I guess you could say he was protective of us.”
“If he was so unloving, why did your mother marry him, if you do not mind me asking?”
“Not at all. I don’t know if she ever really truly loved him. She was fond of him. Plus, she was a single mom trying to raise a son on her own and hold down a low-paying job. I think she married him for financial security and so we could remain in this country.”
“It does not sound as if he was capable of the atrocities this JeffRa has done,” Europa stated. “Perhaps your stepfather is not JeffRa. Perhaps he found the weapon and was really conducting research on this lost royal family.”
“I hope that’s true,” Terrance said. “It’s hard for me to believe he could be this JeffRa person. As I said, he was not a loving man but he never struck me as a cold hearted killer, certainly not the annihilator of an entire race. He is persistent when he is investigating something, but I don’t believe he could carry a grudge for thousands of years. Let’s hope you are right and he found that weapon. And that my stepfather is really Jeffrey Landers and not some psycho.”
Concentrating on talking to Terrance, Europa did not see Runbee come aboard. She was startled when she heard his voice as he spoke with Jeanip. “Jeanip, it’s been two hours since you entered the fog. We’ve searched along the shoreline and fifty miles out to sea. We’ve seen nothing to indicate anyone is following you or even looking for you at the moment. You are my commander; I follow your orders. Hoping I do not offend you, I suggest we start toward the Hunting Lodge. You are in need of medical attention and your charges need rest and food. There are a few hours of light left and it will be easier to follow the jumpers now than when it is totally dark.” Runbee waited to see if his recommendation would be met with retribution or acceptance.
“A sound recommendation,” Jeanip said. “Tell the jumpers to begin their departure.” Runbee left to inform the dolphins to start the journey to the Hunting Lodge. Jeanip looked at Earon, saying, “Earon, can you follow the jumpers in this fog? Or do you want Runbee to navigate the ship? You’ll need to keep it at a low speed so our movement is not detected.”
“I can navigate for now,” Earon answered. “Maybe Runbee can take over when we lose the light. It is going to get a bit tricky trying to navigate in the dark without lights AND through the fog.”
“That it is,” Jeanip agreed.
“Jeanip, why not get some rest while we travel to the Hunting Lodge?” Europa suggested, seeing how drained Jeanip was. She could see that, beside sheer exhaustion, his leg was causing him considerable pain. “We will wake you if anything happens.”
“No, I am fine. I can rest once I get you two to safety,” Jeanip stated, afraid if he closed his eyes even for a minute he would never open them again. He could feel his strength escaping through the undisclosed wound in his side and, with that knowledge, the realization his time on this planet was drawing to a close.
“Would you like something for pain?”
“No, I cannot chance taking anything that could cloud my decision making. But if I may impose upon you, I could use two of those syringes marked AC-13 in the medical bag. It will be a dark purple and gold liquid.”
“I’ll get it,” Terrance said, quickly retrieving the syringes from the medical bag and bringing it to Jeanip
“Thank you, Terrance,” Jeanip said. Removing the cap from the two needles, he pushed the liquid to the top of each and injected the serum into his leg. He prayed his miracle water would keep him alive long enough to get his monarchs to the Hunting Lodge where protection awaited them, but he also knew it would not keep him alive long enough to reach Saint’s Isle. He accepted the fact the wound in his side was a killer and this would be his last voyage with his monarchs. Delaying their arrival at the Hunting Lodge had sealed his fate, but he was the only one still alive to carry out his team’s mission to protect Europa and Earon. He would not fail them by diverting from the plan in order to save his own life. The situation demanded they travel quietly and slowly in order not to attract any type of attention, and that is exactly what t
hey were going to do. His monarchs’ survival was what was important and the only priority, not his survival. He sat on the bench observing his three charges, afraid to move too much for fear one of them might notice his second wound. If they discovered he had taken a shot to the side they would insist on going faster and jeopardize their own lives. Better to keep it a secret so they would think clearly and concentrate on the matter at hand. His vision was beginning to become blurry and he could feel his life force draining away. He only had to hold on for a little while longer. They were almost there. To keep his mind alert and active, he decided to question Terrance about his real father.
“Terrance, you said JeffRa was your stepfather. Do you know who your biological father was?” Jeanip asked.
“I never knew him, Sir. He was killed in the Middle East shortly after I was born.”
“Your father was a soldier?”
“Yes, Sir. He was a commander in the army, in the unit known as the Big Red One.”
“I have heard of that unit. History speaks of them as a very important part of the U.S. Army during scrimmages in the Middle East and many others in this country’s past, especially the Viet Nam war. You should be very proud your father commanded such a fine unit of soldiers.”
“I am, Sir. I always have been.”
“I can see the soldier in you. Very few have had the courage and audacity to stand before me and tell me they lied to my face,” Jeanip said, then thought for a moment. “No, that is incorrect. Only two have had the courage; one was Sunam and the other I killed for his lie.” Jeanip searched Terrance’s face once more for some type of falter, some sign of weakness. There was none. “You have the heart of a warrior, young Terrance, the resolution of a great man. I am glad Europa has chosen you and very much approve of this relationship. Having said that, know this: If you ever lie to me again about anything, I will not hesitate to end your life. Do you understand? I will not tolerate falsehoods when they jeopardize my monarchs’ safety. Nothing is more important to me than they are.”
“Nor to me,” Terrance answered, looking at Europa. He saw a slight blush rise in her cheeks.
“This incident is behind us and will not be spoken of again. Terrance, I believe you said you had one of your father’s journals with you. Might I be allowed to see it?”
“Yes, Sir, I’ll get it right away,” Terrance rumbled through his backpack, happy Jeanip needed something from him. He found the journal and brought it back, handing it to him without hesitation. “This is it, Jeanip. I can’t make out most of what he wrote.”
Jeanip opened the cover and began to leaf through the pages. When he arrived at the section where the writings were done in English, he closed the book. “Yes, it definitely is written in Terrian. More than likely in a secret code.”
“Are you able to read any of it?” Europa asked, hoping Jeanip could decipher it.
“Unfortunately, no. Misso was the expert on the Terrian language. She could break down just about anything. Sunam was a good decoder too, so the two of them together created a dynamic team.” Jeanip saw an odd look come across Europa’s face. “Do you doubt my words, Your Majesty?” Jeanip asked her.
“Not at all, Jeanip. It is just that I only knew Misso as the kitchen maid and Sunam as a farm hand. It is just hard to imagine them as this dynamic team you speak of. I lived with them my entire life and I never knew who they were. I did not even know they were husband and wife. How sad does that make me?”
“You were never supposed to know they were anything other than what you knew them as,” Jeanip replied, wanting Europa to realize her lack of knowledge was not of her doing. “That was their role, a role they played well. They were soldiers who were assigned one order - to ensure you lived a long, happy life as a human, unaware of your true Waters’ identity.”
“And never know who any of you really were? Not even to know my own brother?” she stated coldly, turning to look at Earon who still sat in the Captain’s chair steering the vessel toward safety.
“You cannot know what is hidden from you, Europa,” Jeanip replied.
Knowing Jeanip spoke the truth, she saw no point in pursuing this line of thought. “Would you like me to see if I can decipher any of the writing in the journal?” she asked.
“If you feel up to it,” Jeanip responded.
Europa held out her hand and saw Jeanip was having trouble handing her the journal. Concerned, she reached out and took the book from his hand. She began to slowly turn the pages while keeping an eye on Jeanip’s face. Was he hiding something from her? Were his wounds more serious than she knew? She dismissed his trouble of handing her the journal to being overly exhausted and concentrated on deciphering the journal. After reading the first fifteen pages and having no luck, she handed Terrance back the journal. “No, I am sorry, Jeanip, but I cannot make out any of the words.”
A little disappointed, Jeanip said, “Terrian is a very hard language to read. And add the fact that it is written in a secret code and it is just about impossible. Perhaps Mr. Dark Feather will have someone at the Hunting Lodge who has some experience in deciphering Terrian.”
____________
As the sun began to dip below the horizon and the darkness descended upon the vessel, Runbee returned to the wheel house to take over the ship’s navigation. Soon it would be impossible to see an inch in front of oneself due to the thick fog and the darkness of night. Runbee’s talents were needed to safely bring the monarchs to their next destination. To minimize the possibility of injury in such total blackness, Jeanip suggested Europa, Terrance and Earon wait below in the galley. As they entered, Earon gestured toward the small table with a bench on each side. Terrance slid in on one side along with Europa sliding in next to him, snuggling her back against his chest. Terrance wrapped his arms around her and kissed her on the back of her head.
“Oh, Earon, why is this happening?” Europa asked, as Earon sat down across from her. “Why is this JeffRa so intent on my destruction? He has killed everyone: Misso, Sunam, Birea, Tinderoon, Evonic, Ebar, Mintoo and Mother. All we have left is Jeanip, and no matter what he says, I think we may lose him too. Earon, I cannot shake this feeling he is hurt worse than he said he is. He was not even able to hand me that journal earlier. I fear something is wrong.”
“I know, Sis. I feel Tinderoon, Misso and Sunam’s loss deeply also. I cannot remember a time when they were not part of our family. The others joined us when we came up to the surface to live at Minnos, so I did not know them as well. As for an explanation of why this is happening, why this JeffRa hunts us, it is not my place to explain it to you. Plus, I am not even sure I could explain it all; I do not know how much of what I have been told is the complete story, what might be fabricated and what is pure omission. But Jeanip promised to reveal all once we arrive at the Hunting Lodge. Regarding his injuries, I think you are right. He is hurt worse than he is letting us know. But he is a strong old soldier – he will stay alive just out of principle. He would consider it undignified if he died before he got us to safety.” More out of nervousness than comedy, the three of them chuckled lightly, knowing that was exactly what Jeanip would think. “He gave himself several shots of that special serum he has. I remember hearing about it when I lived at the Complex. They called it a miracle drug. He just has to hold on until we reach the Hunting Lodge, until we get him to Mr. Dark Feather.”
“When you lived in the Complex? What Complex? The Complex I found a map of in Mother’s attic?” Europa asked, instantaneously invigorated by a new piece of the puzzle.
“Is the Complex on another planet? Were you born in outer space?” Terrance asked simultaneously with Europa, enthralled Earon might be willing to talk about his life as a shape-shifter.
“I do not know what map you are talking about, Europa, so I cannot say if it is a representation of the Complex. No, it is not on another planet but right here on earth, not far
from this location at the bottom of the ocean. And I was born on Earth, just like you two were.” Earon smiled, as he imagined the disappointed looks on Terrance and Europa’s faces when he said he was born on Earth. “And that is all I have to say on that subject.”
“That is not fair,” Europa stated, as the three felt the boat tip slightly to the left as it made its turn into the channel that lead to the Hunting Lodge. “You know everything, Earon, and I do not know anything.”
“You know some things,” Earon replied. “In fact, you know more now than you were ever supposed to know, Sis. And Jeanip will tell you about our parents’ past when we arrive at the Hunter’s Lodge and the truth about our people.”
“If he makes it,” Europa stated. Beginning to understand the true severity of their situation, she asked, “Earon, what if he does not? What if Jeanip dies on us? Then what do we do? Who will help us reach Saint’s Isle? Who will tell me about our past and my true family history?”
“If the worst happens and we lose Jeanip, Sis, our protection and the truth of who we are will fall to Mr. Dark Feather. From what I have observed over the decades, Mr. Dark Feather knows as much about our past as Jeanip and Mother. And, as a Commanding Leader, he will not hesitate to step into the position of our chief protector if need be. He is bound by the same vows as Jeanip and will fulfill his duty.”
All three travelers sat quiet for a moment pondering Earon’s words about the future. After several minutes Terrance broke the silence. “Earon, how does Runbee know in which direction to steer the ship if he can’t see where he’s going?”
“Dolphins do not need to see at night. They are able to navigate very well by using their sonar. The dolphins have positioned themselves on all sides of the boat – stern, bow, starboard and port. If a course change is needed, the dolphins on the side of the vessel needing the adjustment will let Runbee know by whistling and clicking. These Waters have lived as dolphins for so long they are able to communicate with each other no matter what form they take.”
“That’s amazing,” Terrance said.
“Yeah, I guess it is,” Earon said. “For me, it is just a part of normal life. It would be like a caterpillar transforming into a butterfly, or a tadpole becoming a frog. Those are amazing things if it is the first time you saw them transform. But if you saw it all the time, you would accept their transformation as a normal part of life.”
“Have you ever transformed into a dolphin?” Terrance asked, curious as to what Earon was capable of.
“I used to quite regularly before Europa was born,” Earon replied. “I use to go out on patrols with Graybin and Runbee while we waited for her arrival. Before that I did it just for fun. And yes, in case you were wondering, I have also been a whale numerous times. Talk about some powerful muscles!”
“Can I transform into something?” Europa asked, a tone of hopefulness in her voice. She thought how wonderful it would be to transform into another animal and travel the oceans and explore its depths. She closed her eyes hoping Earon’s answer would either be ‘yes’, or at least ‘possibly’.
“No, Sis, I am afraid you were born as a human. In order to transform you would have had to be born as an Oonock,” Earon answered truthfully, regretting he was the one to deliver even more bad news to his sister. As he looked in Europa’s direction he realized he was able to see a few disappointed features on her face. Then more and more of her features became visible. Realizing the cabin was becoming lighter, he turned toward the bow and saw the fog was dissipating and there were lights ahead. “Hey, I can see lights. I think we have finally made it to the Hunting Lodge.”
Hearing voices downstairs, Jeanip yelled, “Europa and Terrance, you two stay seated until we have docked and I tell you it is okay to move. Earon, I need you on top. Bring that rifle under the seat.”
“Why does he want you to bring the rifle? Does he think this place has been compromised?” Terrance asked, beginning to worry.
“No, I am sure it is just normal security protocol. There is a huge set of rules and regulations regarding security, especially when it comes to Europa and me,” Earon answered.
“Jeanip’s rules and regulations,” Europa said, quiet enough that Jeanip would not be able to hear her.
“Actually they are not Jeanip’s, Sis. He just enforces them – to the letter. I have never seen him deviate from them; not even once,” Earon replied.
“Then whose rules and regulations are they?” Europa asked
“Our father and mother’s. It is their law, their rules, their regulations. Many were devised when the war with the Terrians broke out in their homeland, but more restricted ones were added the day Mother found out she was pregnant with the next ruler of our people. Jeanip is bound by the Security Protocol Laws until the day he dies. All Oonocks are who live under Father’s rule. And they will follow them to their death, especially in matters concerning you, Sis.” Earon clarified. “I need to go top side. I will see you two when we dock.”
“Especially in matters concerning me,” Europa repeated after Earon left, snuggling deeper into Terrance’s embrace. “How many more beings are going to have to die for my protection? Too many have died already. People I took for granted and, now that they are gone, I am learning they were so much more than I ever knew.” Tears began to fill her eyes again as she thought back on Misso, Sunam, Ebar, Tinderoon, Evonic, Mintoo, Birea and her mother. “If my safety as a monarch means more people are going to die, then I do not want it. Maybe if I just resign as the royal leader JeffRa will leave everyone alone.”
Terrance hugged her tighter, realizing the weight of responsibility on her shoulders. “Europa, I don’t think it works that way. You are the royal leader by birth, by blood. You just can’t stop being who you are because it becomes difficult. And to do so would also make everyone’s deaths meaningless.” Terrance hoped his words would help Europa somehow accept what was happening. He had no doubt more would die before this journey was over. He just hoped it wouldn’t be anyone else Europa loved. “I’ve only known you for a short time, Europa, but during that time I’ve seen in you the qualities of leadership, pride, compassion and real heroism. You may not feel it now, but you possess all the qualities of a true monarch, a real royal.”
“Do you really believe that, Terrance?” Europa asked, turning around to face him. “Because I certainly do not.”
“With all my heart,” he answered, as he bent down and gave her a deep kiss.
ARRIVING AT CHANCEE’S DOCK
