“Okay.”
He sank into a lawn chair next to Taran. “This is the life, huh?” Taran didn’t answer. “Of course you don’t have a clue what that means.” He sighed. It had been easier to teach Tirzah the language. “It means, life on this island is very good.” Why had it been simpler with her? Probably because he’d desired her and realized he was falling in love with her. Was? Damn, I fell in love with that girl from the moment I saw her, even before I sensed she was a shifter.
He managed some conversation with Taran, but was glad when Tirzah brought out the fish for him to barbecue. The three watched intensely as he built a wood fire beneath the grill.
“You need to teach the others, Cain,” Tirzah said.
“You don’t barbecue on your planet?”
“I don’t know. We’ve never really talked about how they cooked on Alishur. Sometimes my mother talked about certain foods she longed for, but never how everything was done.”
“So how did you cook the fish and fowl in the village?”
“Over an open fire.”
“I see. Well, we do that when we go camping. There are metal, gas barbecues you can buy, too, but I like this brick one.”
Soon, the delicious aroma of barbecued fish drifted around them. The four fish didn’t take long to cook and they ate outside at the patio table. He poured them each a glass of wine and laughed at their expressions when they first tasted it.
With Tirzah translating some of what he said, their conversation wasn’t easy, but there was a lot of laughter. Before he realized, it was near midnight and Taran and Senki stood to leave. They said something to Tirzah.
“They said thank you very much for a delicious dinner and wonderful evening and they can’t wait to learn your language completely so we can talk properly,” she told him. “Passing the implants around to all my people, there hasn’t been enough time for them to absorb the English language, and the ones that learned some from you before we left, didn’t really know enough yet.”
“I had fun, even if conversation was difficult. Come, my princess, time for bed.”
They didn’t make love that night but just cuddled and talked softly about the future. It didn’t take long for Tirzah to fall asleep in his arms. He kissed the top of her head and felt his eyelids grow heavy and his mind go blank.
Damn, how long will it take to find our family, my brother?
Cain’s eyelids snapped open. What was that?
We’ve searched for so many years now. In the beginning we reported him missing to the police, we put up posters, we contacted orphanages, but nothing. I’ve almost given up hope of ever finding your brother or my sister, her husband and children. You know they disappeared, too. Maybe they took the baby when they fled the park. They left their home, their belongings, everything behind, and we’ve never picked up their thoughts. I miss my sister. Maybe they left the country and don’t mindspeak anymore. Who knows? After our ship crashed on this planet, we all worked so hard to build a new life. Your father and I were afraid, too. Scared that someone had taken photos of our group, but instead of fleeing, we waited. There were no photos in the paper, just a small article about a prank call to the police, causing the park to be closed for twenty-four hours.
Maybe he’s dead, Mother. You said, when it happened, you were all together in a park on a picnic. Tell me the story again?
If a couple of your cousins, Sarah and Robert, had not foolishly shifted right in the open in front of a lot of Earth people, sending us all scattering in panic, nothing would have happened and we’d still all be together. I’m thankful that the authorities ended up thinking it was all a stupid hoax, a prank, but in the meantime, we all dispersed into different directions and your brother disappeared.
Sarah and Robert have probably lived with their guilt ever since. Maybe your sister thought you and Father wouldn’t have anything to do with them after what their children did.
It’s possible. There was no excuse for their stupid prank. All our children were warned repeatedly about the dangers of shifting. For Christ sake, we live in a city, not in a forest or the mountains. What were they thinking? What were they trying to prove? As you know, we go camping in the mountains every year so we can all shift to our heart’s content.
Cain lay frozen, yet his heart was beating so fast and so hard, he thought it must be loud enough to wake Tirzah. Was he really listening to a conversation about himself? About his family? Could he finally pick up their thoughts? Was his mind playing tricks on him? Did he want to find his family so badly he was conjuring up the conversation in his head?
We’ve gone back to that park so many times hoping to pick up our son’s scent. You were both so young. I grabbed you and I thought your father had grabbed your brother but he must have crawled away when all the screaming started and we had to run for dear life before the police got there. Animal control and the police cleared the park and searched for the two black panthers for hours, right through the night. We couldn’t get back into the park to look for Harry. When they finally opened the park to the public again, there was no sign of our baby. I’ve told you this story so many times. We need to resign ourselves to the fact that Harry’s gone.
It’s like half of me is missing. I feel him. I know he’s alive.
I’ve heard twins are often connected that way, even if one of them has passed on to the afterworld. It’s very late, son. Your father has been in bed for a few hours already. It’s a good thing we can communicate this way. You have such a deep voice and when you get excited, you’re loud. He has to work early in the morning. I’m going to bed and you’d better go home.
Goodnight, Mother.
I wish I could trust Duncan’s feelings. I hope Harry’s alive and well somewhere. But why can’t we pick up his thoughts? Mm, if he didn’t grow up knowing about his ability to mindspeak, then how could we hear him? It wouldn’t have had a chance to develop if he grew up with a foster family. He’d be thirty-four now, like Duncan. I need to stop thinking about him. It’s time to put Harry to rest and just remember the short time we had with him.
The communication faded. That’s it. I’m going crazy. Sleep wouldn’t come. He was wide awake. Gently, he disengaged Tirzah’s arms and legs from his body and went outside. He walked to the beach. He wanted to swim to help clear his mind, but it was too dangerous in the dark. The moon was just a sliver of silver in the sky. Instead, he sat at the edge of the water and let the waves roll over him while thinking about his experience. Harry? Was that his name? Could he have a brother called Duncan? Did I really hear it or was it a very vivid dream? Damn, I don’t feel like a Harry. How come the Earth names if we’re from Alishur? See, it had to be a dream.
Chapter Fifteen
“Father, Cain had a very strange dream last night.” Tirzah joined her father on the patio and sat beside him.
“Really? What was the dream about?”
“He asked me not to say anything. Says it was just stupid, his wish to find his family surfacing in dreams, but I think he may have picked up their thoughts. His telepathic abilities are increasing rapidly.”
“Tell me about his dream.”
“He’ll be angry, but I want to know what you think.” Tirzah told Henke everything Cain had told her that morning, or at least, what she could remember of it. “He thinks it’s not real because of the Earth names.”
“One explanation for that could be they settled in the city, that their ship didn’t crash in the Amazon like ours. But then they would have been detected, been seen, so I’m not sure what to make of it. From what Cain has told me, people on Earth are very eager to see alien spaceships and to meet aliens.”
“Could their ship have been thrown off course, like yours? Could it have crashed on Earth, but closer to civilization? In the water maybe? I suggested this to Cain, but he still insists it was merely a vivid dream.”
“Where is Cain now?”
“Opek called and asked to meet with him. We have to do much planning yet.”
“That’s true. I told Opek I wanted to just enjoy the new surroundings for a while before we started all that. I’ll concentrate and see if I can pick up any thoughts outside our tribe, but it will only work if they use mindspeak often. If they’ve lived in the city for many years, they may not use it much.”
“True. Cain mentioned the woman said she was glad they could mindspeak so the father’s sleep would not be disturbed.”
“I will talk to Opek about it. He has the strongest telepathic ability of us all. His thoughts can travel far.”
“Father, promise you won’t say anything to Cain yet? I don’t want to get his hopes up. And ask Opek the same?”
“I promise.”
Calira walked toward them carrying a tray with a platter of fruit and drinks. “Good morning, daughter. The children have left to explore the island and we’re about to do the same after we have a midmorning snack. Would you like to join us?”
“Yes, I’d love to. I looked for Taran and Senki, but they weren’t home. Maybe they’re exploring, too.”
“They’re in love and prefer to be alone,” Calira said, smiling knowingly.
“I can appreciate that. I understand they are going to mate soon. Cain wants the four of us to have an Earth wedding. He says we need to be completely legal.”
Calira smiled. “A wedding completely according to Earth’s customs. That should be interesting. He’ll have to guide us. We have so much to learn about Earth’s culture, but the computer devices Cain supplied us with will help tremendously.”
“Why don’t you and Tirzah go exploring on your own? I think I’ll join Cain and Opek,” Henke said.
Tirzah caught his knowing look and knew why her father wanted to be alone. He couldn’t very well approach Opek while Cain was with him. Maybe her father would succeed. A pang of excitement touched her at the thought of Cain having a twin brother. Would they be identical? That could prove interesting. Would she be able to tell them apart? It was strange that the voices hadn’t awakened her. Usually, if she was asleep and anyone spoke aloud in their mind without blocking, she’d wake up. Perhaps Cain was right and it was just his wishful dream.
* * * *
“Opek, you’re alone?” Henke asked upon entering the living room of the main house.
“Yes. Cain has gone home to make up a list of further items we need, like tools, seed for vegetable gardens, office furniture, and sufficient food supplies. We also talked about animals, like fowl, the animal that supplies milk. He called it a cow. I can’t remember all the names of everything yet, but Cain has a long list. We need to become self-sufficient so we don’t have to rely on the mainland for too much.”
“I agree. Did Cain mention anything to you about a strange dream?”
Opek’s eyebrows rose. “No. Should he have?”
“I was hoping he’d talked to you himself. Tirzah approached me this morning. Cain told her about a vivid dream he had last night in which he heard voices of people who had been searching for a lost son, a brother. There were names, Harry and Duncan. Earth names, so Cain thinks it was a wishful dream, but Tirzah begs to differ.”
“Cain’s telepathic abilities are developing,” Opek said thoughtfully.
“Yes. From what Tirzah told me, there was a woman in the dream whom the man called mother. And the lost son and brother’s name was Duncan.”
“You know, it’s very possible that through the blood connection, Cain picked up their mindspeak.”
“Tirzah hopes that you can concentrate enough to get a connection. Cain told her that in the dream, the brother was one of twins.”
“Not uncommon for our women to give birth to twins. We have several among our group. It could be that Calira’s hypothesis was correct, that the lost tribe left the planet to settle elsewhere and one of their ships crashed on Earth. It certainly explains Cain’s existence and I’m even surer now that he’s displaying telepathic capabilities.”
“It still doesn’t explain the smaller cat species we’ve seen that are not shifters.”
“The great Creator of the universe, all planets, and all living things, may have created that species for Earth. Just like we had animals on Alishur that are more than probably not found anywhere on this planet. Do you know the name of the place where Cain was found?”
“Yes, Tirzah told me. A city called Portland, in Oregon. From what I’ve learned, America is a nation divided into fifty sections. They call each section a state and each has its own governing officials, and there is one leader of America, the president.”
“I remember him mentioning it during the tribunal. And America is just one of how many nations on Earth?”
“One hundred and ninety-six.”
“Good grief. And I guess there are just as many rulers. How do they keep peace with one another?”
“Cain told me there are some very powerful nations and many smaller. I don’t know, Opek. I haven’t learned enough yet.”
“The time for study will come. We need to build first and get completely settled. I will concentrate and see if I can help Cain, but more than likely, he will find the answers himself, before I do.”
Chapter Sixteen
“I have to go to the mainland today,” Cain told Tirzah.
He’d awakened very early to go shopping. His list of supplies was long but he had another task. He hadn’t told her what he’d heard that morning while he showered. This time he knew for sure it wasn’t a dream.
“Can I come?”
“Sweetheart, I have to buy so much that I have to avoid any extra weight—not that you weigh much, but even ninety pounds makes a difference. And you look delightful when you pout.” He kissed her on the tip of her nose, then her lips. “I’ll be back tonight.” It hadn’t been a complete lie. He had to watch how much weight he took onboard. Before telling Tirzah anything, he had to be sure, so he needed to be alone.
He flew to the mainland first to fuel up, then headed for California. As the helicopter flew steadily, he allowed his mind to dwell on the communication he’d heard that morning, loud and clear.
Mother, are you awake?
Heavens, Duncan. What are you doing here so early?
I couldn’t sleep and needed to talk to someone. I got laid off yesterday.
Why didn’t you come and talk to me last night?
I didn’t want to worry you and Father but I do need to tell you now because I’m thinking of moving to Los Angeles. I’m flying down today for a job interview.
I hate to see my children spread their wings. Why can’t you find another job here in Portland?
I can’t pass up this opportunity. I’ll earn double the wages I’ve been making here and there are bonuses involved. They’ll also supply me with a company car and an apartment.
It sounds too good to be true. What is the name of this company?
It’s a large biomedical lab. You’ve probably never heard of them. Ornado Janel Medical Labs. Mom, don’t cry, please. I won’t be that far away if I get the position.
I can’t help it. All my children have moved to other cities and states and even out of the country. You are the only one who stayed in Portland.
Why don’t you have more?
We’ve raised so many children. Your father and I are enjoying our old age.
Old age? You don’t look a day over fifty and you’ll continue to look like that for a while. Your childbearing days aren’t done yet, surely?
Not quite, but they will be soon.
You could always move to Los Angeles. That would save you having to pay someone to change the birthdates on your paperwork again.
That’s true. Longevity is nice, but on Earth, where most people die under the age of a hundred, it’s a nuisance. We’ve had to move to different neighborhoods too many times. Maybe your father and I should buy a cabin in the mountains, far away from everyone.
That’s a thought. I can come visit and if you’re in the mountains, I can enjoy shifting and roaming free. I have to go. My plane leav
es in an hour. My interview is at eleven a.m. Don’t say anything to Father yet. Time enough if they hire me.
That had been the end of the conversation, but Cain had heard enough. He’d found the address of Ornado Janel Medical Labs on the internet. He’d been too overwhelmed to try and mindspeak to Duncan. All he could do was stand like a frozen statue under the shower and listen. So it was true. He had more than probably located his family.
Strange feelings attacked him as he headed for Los Angeles. Excitement, fear and strange emotions stirred his blood, settled in his stomach and caused his heart to beat faster. Fear, because what if it was a wild goose chase? It couldn’t be. Not after what he’d heard. How many people on Earth, besides Tirzah’s people, had such clear telepathic abilities? Excitement, because maybe he had a mother and a father. Emotions, because Duncan could be his twin brother.
He glanced at his watch. He’d have to rent a car at the airport. Could he be at the lab in time? If not, he’d wait until Duncan came out of the building.
Cain sat behind the steering wheel, his gaze fixed on the steps and glass doors of the Ornado Janel Medical Laboratories building. It was ten minutes to eleven and he hadn’t spotted anyone going in or out who remotely resembled him. There was no guarantee that his twin brother was identical. They could be fraternal. That’s if they were related, which he was almost sure they had to be. If they were fraternal, his brother could look very different from him.
Fretting, he got out of the car and lit a cigarette. He hadn’t smoked in a long time, but he was as nervous as a boy going to school for the first time. He’d bought a pack of cigarettes shortly after leaving the airport. He looked at the time again. Three minutes to eleven. People went in and out of the building, some in lab coats, others in suits, some in jeans, most probably going there for tests or they worked there.
On the dot of eleven, a car pulled up behind him. Cain put his cigarette out and glanced at the parking car. The last thing he needed was to have someone hit him. The parking space behind his car wasn’t that big. Perfect parking job. The door opened and a black man stepped out. He reached in to withdraw a briefcase, closed the door, punched the button on the key ring to lock the car and turned to walk to the pedestrian crossing.
TirzahsAllure Page 11
