Box Set #4: Sisterhood's End: [The 3 book 4th adventure of Egg and the Hameggattic Sisterhood]

by Robert Iannone

  “What did I do?” the girl responded with pretend ignorance.

  Before Megg could explain, Grammy stepped forward and said to the Princess that she had once taken in as a twelve-year-old girl, “M’egg-Alynnia, I must say that you’ve grown into a lovely woman.” The last time she had been to Aerianna, Meggy was off-world.

  “I am so sorry, Grammy. Please forgive me” and she hugged her mentor. “It is so good to see you again . . . even under these trying circumstances.”

  “I understand. But first, may I introduce my . . . um . . . friend. Ezra, this is M’egg-Alynnia, the Queen’s daughter and heir to the Throne.”

  Ezra stepped forward and nodded his head. “It’s a pleasure, Princess.”

  “The pleasure is mine, sir. Has Grammy told you about my stay on Earth?”

  “On Earth? No, we haven’t gotten to that story yet.”

  “It is well worth hearing, I can assure you. Your lovely friend was kind enough to take a brash, irritating child and turn her into a somewhat worthy Princess.”

  “Now that has my interest. How young were you? I thought that all of this has been going on for only about four years. You must be in your mid-twenties.”

  “I am. However, back then I was the same age as Egg and Sylvia.”

  “I’m sorry . . . what does that mean?”

  “Time dilation. We on Aerianna aged about six years for every one on Earth. That is until our sister K’ssss sped up our solar system. Now we are in sync with the time on other worlds.”

  “I truly have no idea what that means.”

  “Sylvia is probably best equipped to explain it to you . . . when we have the opportunity to chat like civilized people. For now . . .” and she left the sentence unfinished.

  “I understand. May I ask, are you a Hameggattic Sister also? “

  “I have that honor. Alas, I am retired from the Sisterhood. Helping my mother govern this world is my first responsibility.”

  “Of course.”

  “But she had one mind-boggling adventure before she retired . . . and that’s another great story we have to tell you about. It happened on Zynn-Zaz’zia and involved a large, nasty dragon, an ugly villain and a construct that controlled time,” said Egg with a big grin.

  “Don’t forget that our little Princess almost got herself killed saving Wind’dancers. Her face was horribly burnt. No offense, Meggy.”

  “None taken. However, you exaggerate my importance to our mission.”

  “Ha. Ezra, when I got trapped in a Time Castle, Megg took over the Sisterhood and rescued me. She was terrific for a mega-brat.”

  “Geez, you were so awful back then,” added Sylvia. “Poor K’ssss would cry whenever she saw you.”

  “Stop,” begged Ezra. “I’m on informational overload . . . and most of it doesn’t make any sense.”

  “All in good time, dearest. All in good time,” and Grammy leaned over and gave the man a kiss on the cheek.

  Syl looked at Egg who looked at Meggy . . . and they ‘oohed’ like sixth graders.

  Ezra looked up and laughed while Grammy raised her chin and pretended to be indifferent to the girls’ reaction. “Ladies, please. I’m old enough to be your grandmother . . . which means I’m old enough to kiss a man. A very handsome man, I might add.”

  With the tension as high as it had been, now was a good time to laugh and bring the emotions under control. So they did.

  When they finished, Egg asked Meggy, “Can you get Ezra a translation crystal. If he gets separated from Grammy, he’s not going to understand anyone.”

  “Of course. I will have it delivered shortly.”

  “Megg”.

  “Yes, Sylvia?”

  “There were no serpents or dragons back in the Throne Room. Why?”

  “Geez, I didn’t even notice.”

  “Nor did I,” added Grammy. “Perhaps we were a bit nervous, all things considered.”

  The Princess turned serious. “Our dear Empress is unsure how she feels about the other two species. Dragons have talons and razor-sharp teeth and I presume she feels that they could threaten her person. And serpents are unfamiliar to her. She knows of their scientific ability which intrigues her but she is uncertain of their potential threat. So, for now, they are excluded from her presence.”

  “That’s rude.”

  “Egg, I promise you none of them are eager to be anywhere near the Empress.”

  “Don’t blame them.”

  “Meggy, what now? How can we help?” asked Sylvia.

  “I am not sure we have the time nor the where-with-all to effect any change. However, since you are forced to stay for at least a little while, perhaps the Sisterhood could meet and discuss our options.”

  “Great idea. Heck, there’s us three, Sassi, K’ssss, Soo and big bird. That’s seven. How . . .”

  The other four chimed in with “EPIC.”

  “I wasn’t going to say ‘epic’, wise guys.”

  “Oh really. Go ahead and finish your sentence,” Sylvia egged her friend.

  “I was going to say – that’s a wonderful coincidence.”

  The others just laughed.

  The mood turned serious again when Sylvia asked, “How do we get away and meet without the big cheese knowing about it?”

  “I’m sorry. Most of what you ladies are talking about is . . . alien to me,” and Ezra smiled at his own clever use of words. “But who in blue blazes is the big cheese? Oh, and big bird – I assume that she isn’t a character from Sesame Street.”

  The four ladies smiled, but Egg answered, “The big cheese is the Empress. It’s a long story why we call her that. And big bird is Aeri’elle – one of the original seven sisters and a dragon. Oh, she’s also a professor of history.”

  “Wow and double wow. A smart dragon . . . who knew?”

  “Yes, indeed,” agreed Grammy. “Just for the record, as intelligent and educated as Aeri’elle is, she doesn’t hold a candle to K’ssss. Actually, none of us do.”

  “She’s the one that fixed the time problem, right?”

  “Exactly. FYI, she’s also a sea serpent.”

  “NO.”

  “Yes.”

  “Grammy, if you think K’ssss is smart, wait till you meet Serenity.”

  “I assume K’ssss is one of your sisters. But who is Serenity?” asked an ever more confused Ezra.

  “She is another one of the original seven. Serenity is just a . . . um . . . well, she was an enemy but she’s now a friend.”

  “I know you have a lot to discuss . . . but promise you’ll tell me how you converted an adversary into a friend,” begged Ezra who was more impressed by the second.

  “Sure.”

  “So how and where do we meet?” pressed Sylvia.

  Egg smiled. “I’ve got an idea . . .”

  But the girl was interrupted by a knock on the door. Sylvia looked at Meggy for permission to open it. “Please.”

  Sylvia did and there stood the head of the Imperial Sentinels . . . the same guy who first arrested them. “Your Majesty, I have been asked to relay a message from the Empress.” He didn’t look happy.

  “You have our permission.”

  “The Empress would like a private audience with . . . with Egg of Earth. She would also . . . um, ask . . . that you escort Eloise and her guest on a tour of the city.”

  “What of Sylvia?”

  “I have no instructions on her account.”

  “Very well. Tell the Empress her wishes will be seen to.”

  “I have been instructed to escort Egg. I will await her pleasure outside.” The Sentinel bowed, turned and left.

  “Rats.”

  “Indeed. We cannot keep Violetta waiting. Egg, what was your idea?”

  “Sighing Whorl. The Tree will keep everyone else out.”

  “Excellent. But that will need to wait until your meeting is over.”

  “Let’s not waste time. Syl, find Ben’Edikk and have him take you there.”

 
“Why him?”

  “It’s his chance to talk to the Tree.”

  “But the Tree wouldn’t last time.”

  “Yeah, but now he’s helping defend Aerianna. Trust me on this.”

  “Egg,” said Meggy, “you are simply incredible. What a lovely thing to do.”

  “Hey, he’s going to marry Molly. Tell him it’s my wedding gift.”

  Ezra had been listening in rapt attention. Finally, he turned to Eloise and asked, “What is going on? Who are Ben’Edikk, Molly and Tree? That’s not really a . . . well, a tree, is it?”

  “Oh, yes. It’s a talking Tree. I’ve never met him, but Egg says he’s very nice.”

  Her friend just shook his head in utter bewilderment. “Well of course he is. What else could I’ve expected from a tree that talks?”

  Chapter 2 – Seven on Seven

  On the Seven, Above Zynn-Zaz’zia

  After Egg and the others left, BreeZee went to visit her parents. She told the girls that she’d be spending the better part of a day with her folks. When she returned to the ship, she would escort whoever wished to go on a tour of her village.

  “I just need a little quality time alone with my mom and dad.” What she didn’t say was that she needed advice from her father. As head of the clan, Zephyr understood the qualities that made a good leader. BreeZee wasn’t sure that she had inherited them.

  “Absolutely,” answered Spirit who knew how difficult it was to be separated from one’s parents. “Take all the time you need.”

  “Thanks. Um . . . maybe you guys should start discussing how we’re going to accomplish what needs to be done on Paradox.” The poor Wind’dancer felt so out of her depth trying to replace Egg as the leader of the sisterhood. The other girl made it seem so easy . . . but it wasn’t.

  “We’ll make the most of the opportunity,” replied Tee’ka. The newest sister took her position as Bree’s Feminion very seriously.

  “I know you will. So, I guess I’ll just go.” Instead she put her head in her hands and moaned, “Oh, my gosh.”

  “That’s as close as you’ve come to being Egg,” teased Bl’azzz.

  Unfortunately, it struck a nerve with the butterfly girl. “I’m sorry. I’m not good at being a leader. I wish she never put me in charge.” The girl had gone red in the face . . . blushing at her outburst, at her insecurity and her lack of the leadership quality that made Egg so amazing at what she did.

  Into the silence, Serenity said, “May I suggest . . .,” but stopped when the others just glared at her.

  “You’re not even a sister,” snapped the dragon.

  That did it . . . everyone started to argue or complain simultaneously. They were all under pressure without their natural leader . . . but until this moment, no one had realized the seriousness of the situation.

  No one, but Jynx. She “Grrrrrrr’d” and “burped” loudly to get the attention of the others. When they stopped their yammering and looked at her, she did what only a Shamie could do.

  She morphed into an exact replica of Egg.

  Well, not an exact copy. Jynx was partial to blues and purples and decided to satisfy her own tastes by altering the image to what she considered a more appropriate color.

  The others just stared.

  Then Jynx, as Flying Girl, pointed her finger at each of the girls and shook her head no . . . as in NO more arguing. Satisfied that she had made her point, she morphed back into her normal shape, rolled over and began to snore gently.

  “Jynxie is right as usual. We shouldn’t be turning on one another. Bree, my suggestion is that you don’t try to be Egg. Be yourself. We love you and we’ll do whatever is necessary to make you more comfortable in your new role. Before long, it won’t seem so strange to you. Just give it a chance.”

  BreeZee forced a smile to her lips. Then she walked up to her sister and gave her a hug. “Thank you. All of you. Please, if I do something that’s not well reasoned, or seems arbitrary, tell me.”

  *****

  After the Wind’dancer left, Spirit turned to Serenity. “I would like to hear what you were about to suggest.”

  “Why?”

  “For any number of reasons. You have volunteered to help me free Paradox, you have every right to express an opinion, and I consider you as a . . . hmmm . . . as a friend in the making.”

  Serenity wanted to say that the first reason was probably the most important to the Thought Weaver, but decided not to. She was smart enough to know what she didn’t know . . . and that was how to be part of a group. Instead, she said, “Thank you. I was going to suggest to BreeZee exactly what you told her. Don’t try to be Egg; that would only disappoint everyone – Bree included.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  Serenity turned to Bl’azzz. “Were you addressing me?”

  “Yup. I’m sorry for being such a . . . such a dragon brain. It was rude and you didn’t deserve it.”

  Poor Serenity, having people be nice to her for no particular reason was such a novel experience. “Thank you. But everyone is nervous and that causes people to react in strange ways.”

  “What do you have to be nervous about?”

  Serenity smiled – a stark contrast to her normally serious expression. “I’ve never been a member of a . . . I can’t say sisterhood because I’m not. How about part of a sorority. We can call ourselves the Seven on Seven.”

  “That would perfect,” added Tee’ka with a big grin playing at her lips.

  “Why?” asked Bl’azzz.

  “Our initials would be S.O.S. – that’s an earth distress code meaning ‘We’re in trouble, send help”.

  “Nice. I think you and I are going to make a great team. Without Soo, only we two have a sense of humor.”

  “Silly . . . would you have expected anything different from a person who lived in Fair’Giggle on the planet Laff’Alott?”

  “Too much,” Serenity cried in mock despair.

  “Tough,” replied the dragon. “Get used to nonstop chortling.”

  “So what should we discuss?” asked Tee.

  “I, for one, would like to take this opportunity to talk to K’ssss . . . however, that’s going to be problematic,” and she tapped her wheel chair. “Would anyone object if I use the Flying Girl avatar while we’re on Zynn-Zaz’zia?”

  “You already made it?”

  “It was going to be part of my plan B if things didn’t go my way.”

  “Need I remind you that ‘things’ didn’t?”

  “No . . . I can assure you I haven’t forgotten. Anyway, the artificial intelligence is not yet programmed. But for my purpose, that’s not important. I would be controlling the avatar with my mind. In so doing, I’ll be free of this chair and can visit K’ssss as well as BreeZee’s family.”

  “May I ask you a personal question?”

  “You want to know why I don’t have an avatar of myself for such occasions. The answer is a little complicated . . . only because it makes no sense. If I had that avatar, then I would spend all my time in it. That would be . . . cheating.”

  “Say what?” asked a confused Bl’azzz.

  “I am what I am . . . regardless how it came about. Do I wish I could walk again . . . of course. And I’ll continue to study the problem until I can find a cure, if I can. Until then, I need to accept who I am and rise to the challenge. It doesn’t make sense . . . so that’s why it’s complicated.”

  “What about the eye? How come you let Spirit fix that?”

  “That was simple vanity. I’m not beautiful, but that hideous, mechanical doohickey over half my face was just adding insult to injury – so to speak.”

  “Serenity, you are wrong.”

  “About what, Tee’ka?”

  “You are beautiful.”

  “Even in a wheelchair?”

  “Perhaps because of it.”

  Normally, logic would have made Serenity argue. Instead, and in a sign of how her personality was beginning to evolve, she responded with “thank you.”


  “I don’t think any of us would mind you using Egg’s avatar.” Bl’azzz was growing more impressed with the newcomer with each passing conversation. She couldn’t even imagine the strength of will and of character required to overcome such a handicap.

  “Again, thanks.”

  “Is there something specific you need to discuss with K’ssss?” asked Spirit.

  Serenity calmly replied “quantum sub-space instabilities and neutrino flux in an man-made singularity.”

  As you would expect, that didn’t make much sense to a F’yre Dragon. “What did she say?”

  “Perhaps she’s malfunctioning,” suggested Tee’ka. As smart as the former artificial life form was, her creators never assumed she needed a deep understanding of physics or any of the sciences.

  “Would there be a simpler way to phrase that?” inquired Spirit hopefully.

  “Sorry. Not really.”

  “Is this just an intellectual exercise or do you foresee a practical application?”

  “That is what I wish to find out” was the unsatisfactory response. However, the other girls felt no need to pursue it . . . not because they weren’t curious, but because it sounded pretty much like gibberish.

  *****

  The other three girls accompanied Serenity to Zazzi’s cavern. They materialized in virtually the same spot as Egg had the day before.

  “K’ssss,” yelled the F’yre Dragon who flapped her wings to get her sister’s attention.

  The serpent looked up. “Bl’azzz, I’m so glad you came to visit. And Spirit, how wonderful to see you again, sister.” Then she noticed the other two. “Egg?”

  “No. My name is Serenity.”

  Super-smart K’ssss took a heartbeat to figure it out. “You’re using an avatar.” It wasn’t a question.

  Serenity nodded. “Yes. I’ve been eager to meet you.”

  “Have you?” But before she pursued that statement, she turned and looked at the fourth girl. “You must be Tee’ka. Welcome to the Hameggattic Sisterhood.”

  “Thank you, K’ssss. It’s such an honor.”

  “To be a sister or to meet me,” teased the serpent.

  So far, the one aspect of her new self that Tee’ka loved the most was humor. She smiled and replied, “To be a sister, you slithering sack of silly.” It didn’t sound as funny as it did in her own head . . . and the poor girl blushed scarlet. “Sorry” she squeaked. “That sounded mean.”