DreamStar: In Delphi - Duty Meets Destiny (The Delphi Countdown Trilogy Book 2)

by JB Penrose

  Even Neely was smitten with the introduction. Mags had hardly witnessed the first blush of love so blatantly, and now she completely understood why her intuition had strongly pushed Neely’s involvement. Their handshake lingered longer than normal and still their eyes could not meet; it was charming for Mags to watch.

  “Alexadera Pfiefel is the President-elect’s --”

  “Chief-of-Staff,” Neely said in unison with Mags. “Yes, I know,” he said. “Nice to meet you, Alexadera.”

  “Please,” she tried not to blush. “You may call me Alex – or Dera,” she kept talking. “Mother and Poppa call me Dera.”

  “Alexadera is a beautiful name.” Neely gave her a charming smile.

  Dera turned away, embarrassed but smiling. “Mother, you look very – well, modern in that business suit.”

  “Thank you dear. I used your pictures as my fashion guide,” she said. “It’s quite different from the desert wardrobe, but I thought I looked sharp; at least modern enough for this group!”

  “Oh, Mother,” Dera laughed. “You’ll have them eating from your hands before lunch!”

  “That could be quite messy!” They laughed together. “But it is the effect I intended,” Mags agreed.

  “This is for you.” Dera pulled a corsage box from her large bag and pinned the flower on Mags’ lapel. “I’m glad I chose a white rose. It’s the perfect accent for your blue suit.”

  “Roses are always perfect,” Mags agreed. “As you well know.”

  “That’s good information,” Neely chimed in. Both women looked at him and laughed lightly. “Roses,” he mumbled to himself.

  “Thank you for facilitating this conference; the group will never know how blessed they are to have you around. I can’t stay,” Dera told her. “I just had to drop by and wish you luck.”

  “It wasn’t luck that brought me here, it was you,” Mags told her. “But I’m happy to do my part,” she agreed. “Be wonderful today.”

  “Yes,” Dera kissed her cheek again. “You too. And you as well, Neely. I’m glad to have met you.”

  “Thank you, Alexadera,” he lavished his time on her name. “I hope we will meet again,” he added with a more confident smile.

  The door burst open with the first group of arrivals and quickly the conversation level rose.

  “And now it begins.” Dera laughed. She waved a goodbye to both of them and walked away as though she knew she was being watched; and she was. Neely was momentarily blind to any other activity.

  Mags however, immediately shifted into hostess-mode, making sure introductions were included as well as directions to designated areas and seating arrangements. Neely was a quick study and assumed the same responsibilities with each new arrival. It was going to be a busy day.

  “I can’t wait to meet this Neely fellow,” James told her as he sat a bowl of stew on the table. “You really think he and Dera--”

  “Oh, honey! I’ve seen it before, and this was definitely the first blush of love.”

  At the mention of her name, Honey, jumped into her lap. The large tabby had also made the move to the Gemini Estate and obviously enjoyed roaming the halls. It had taken James some effort to disable the alarm systems, but he ultimately rewrote the code to include a random furry creature entering the room, telling her how he hoped a racoon or other of nature’s friends didn’t enter by accident!

  Mags rubbed Honey’s ears and urged her back to the floor. She wondered again how Gail was faring aboard the galactic cruiser, and how she felt about Donnally. Mags had tried to forget, or at least, not hold it against him, his connection to Iscar.

  “Thanks for dinner, my love.” She filled her bowl and sat in the chair beside James. “It smells delicious.”

  “It’s more fun to cook than it is to replicate,” James agreed. “And I always think it tastes better!”

  “It’s much easier to add love to the mix when you add the ingredients yourself.” She spooned up a sample for herself.

  “Alright!” he said with exasperation. “How long are you going to make me wait for your report about today’s conference? You were quick enough to fill me in about Dera!”

  Mags smiled and with a wink, she turned in her chair toward him. “I wanted to make sure I wouldn’t boar you by talking about work,” she teased. “But it was wonderful! I mean, there were problems, of course.”

  She smoothed back her hair and let the smile relax her face. “Minister Horaios is a very patient man! He started with introductions, and reviewed the basic agenda, but when he attempted to illicit ideas of what each religion thought about the DayStar the conference seemed to fall apart. Everyone started talking over each other, arguing silly points that hadn’t yet or could never be proven, and each one thought they had the only opinion that mattered.”

  “Sounds much like the summit planning the OneWorld Conference,” James told her. “Did your group accomplish anything today?”

  “All of that happened before lunch,” Mags said. “So Armurr, Minister Horaios,” she clarified, “told everyone to think about their statements during lunch. At that point the groups fell together by the similarity of their thoughts about the DayStar, more than their belief about religions.”

  “At least he knows how to take control of an argument,” James nodded. “And I’m sure the rest of the afternoon was more of a success.”

  “Yes, but not from their deliberation. Armurr didn’t even return to their ideas about the DayStar. When they sat down after lunch he started with a different theme: What do we agree on?”

  Mags clasped her hands into her lap and smiled, supremely satisfied with the outcome.

  “That does sound like something my wife orchestrated,” James cocked his head. “Which is exactly why Dera wanted you to host this conference.”

  “I’ll admit it had been a passing thought of mine. I’ve often realized that when you can’t agree on where you’re going, you should at least agree on how you’re going to get there,” she smiled. “Minister Horaios is an excellent leader, and by the end of the day everyone agreed on one thing.”

  “Okay, okay! Don’t make me wait to hear this!” James urged her on.

  “They agreed upon One Source!”

  Mags smiled; pleased with the outcome, but James had a puzzled look on his face.

  “That’s it?”

  “That’s a great deal if you think about it!” Mags was surprised at his confusion. “One Source! We had a group of all religions sitting in the room and at least they agreed there was One Source! Of course,” she added, “everyone had a different name for that Source, but you know – A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”

  “And that’s why you’re hosting this conference and not me,” James told her. “I thought the point was to understand what each religion theorized about the DayStar.”

  “Oh, that will come. Truthfully, this conference will force these religions to come to a determination of what they think of the Star in the sky; even if they haven’t done it yet.”

  James kissed his wife on the cheek.

  “The scientists haven’t formulated a working hypothesis about the DayStar, either,” James admitted. “Maybe they wanted to include religions because they didn’t have the answer.”

  “Sometimes,” Mags said quietly, “I feel like I have the answer,” she sighed. “But I just can’t remember..”

  * * *

  Her room had been supplied with food and drink in her absence. The insulated containers were clear enough for her to see the contents. Rachel lifted the lid to a box on the top and steam rose with an aroma that made her mouth water and she reached inside for a sample.

  The breaded wrap was filled with saucy vegetables. It was delicious, even without the appetite she’d developed since her arrival.

  Rachel wasn’t quite sure just when she had arrived. Like Iscar described – eat when you’re hungry, sleep when you’re tired; time really had no measure in Delphi.

  She filled a plate with a selection
of items, most of which she didn’t know the name for but that smelled wonderful, and she fell into a large chair facing the entry door. It wasn’t a tired feeling that came over her as much as she was finally relaxed. All her life, sounds had intruded on her relaxation and sleeping had been plagued by nightmares. Sitting here in Delphi, she was completely relaxed, and she tried again not to let that worry her.

  Rachel sensed the activity in the cavern, the clatter of carts rolling through the different levels of the Tiphereth, and even an occasional whistle. But there was an underlying vibration she couldn’t pinpoint – a pulsing energy with a deep resonance. As she concentrated, the other sounds dropped off and without realizing just how it happened, Rachel let the sonic pulsation sync with her breathing as well as her heartbeat.

  It was a reassuring rhythm, as natural as dancing, not loud enough to drown out her thoughts but still commanding enough to take over her meditation. She let her mind follow that river of sound to find its source, tracing the golden thread as though chasing a leaf on the wind.

  It wound around the city in a circular pulsation; the echoes were as clear as the sound itself. She thought it might be music but it was undefinable as a note or rhythm. Rachel was mystified and concentrated harder so as not to lose the thread she mentally followed.

  She had plenty of practice tracing the thread of a thought or emotion among a full city of active people. If she heard a cry for help, she could follow it to the source, or if she sensed danger, she would change her course of direction. Singling out a specific sound was a just matter of concentration and Rachel held fast to the vibration of that sound. This vibration touched everyone and she felt each connection.

  When she discovered herself physically standing at Mammoth Falls she had no idea how she arrived there. It was the coolness of her breath reflecting back on her face that prompted her to finally open her eyes. The light of the Oracle was golden soft; she was close enough to see it shimmer.

  “I know you.” She spoke to it without thinking, and when it twinkled in response, Rachel understood that as well. She didn’t yield; she didn’t step back from the curvature and the closeness, so she didn’t see Gideon coming up behind her.

  “Beautiful, isn’t it?”

  The surprise of his presence caused her heart to skip a beat, but it was more difficult to break her gaze from the Oracle and acknowledge him.

  “I think it was talking to me,” she gave a little laugh. There was very little activity in this area; he must be headed to see Iscar, she thought.

  “It speaks to everyone,” he replied seriously, “although some people seem to understand it better than others.”

  “And for you?” Rachel wondered aloud. His demeanor was humbled, almost reverent, and that seemed out of place for the formal nature she glimpsed previously.

  Gideon thought for a moment but with a slight shake of his head, he answered. “I perceive the Oracle more through feelings. It will radiate comfort when I need it or clarity of thought when I’m confused. My brother, however, receives images as his direct communication. He says it shows him visions waking or sleeping, almost constantly, and often gives him outright instruction.”

  “Your brother is Gabriel, right?” Rachel wondered how Gabriel was faring with the almost-completed roleau if he was in Peter’s company. “I met him before,” she hesitated, “before I arrived with Iscar.”

  “Yes, that’s him.” Gideon suddenly looked uncomfortable. “If you don’t mind Spokesmon, I should be going. I’m sorry I interrupted your – conversation, with the Oracle.”

  “Quite alright.” Rachel smiled reassuringly. “I’m sure you’re very busy with all the arrangements to be done. Thank you for stopping to talk with me.”

  “Well, yes. Thank you. And if you need anything-”

  “I know,” she laughed. “Just think it!”

  He laughed with her but it was uncomfortable, and he left her by stepping backward through the corridor half-bowing until he was out of sight in the darkness.

  Rachel was glad again for the quiet. She stood motionless and wondered about restarting her conversation with the Oracle or returning to her room for complete privacy. She took another long look at the Oracle lodged gracefully in the frozen falls. It twinkled cheerfully but didn’t seem to make a connection.

  “I guess you don’t feel like talking anymore,” she said to her invisible new friend.

  The desire to learn more about Delphi would keep her awake; she might as well submit to the prompting. Her heart was light as she skipped down the stairs toward activity in the main cavern.

  Delphi was a new adventure every time she stepped out of her room. She knew secrets and surprises waited for her and discovery was half the fun. It had been centuries since Rachel was this excited about life; no, she realized it had only been days. Her heart and her mind shouted Peter’s name and once again, Rachel hoped he would hurry his arrival.

  She heard a giggle from behind and spotted the little redhead bobbing toward her.

  “Hello, Fairidai. Did you come to find me?”

  “No, well, yes.” Fairidai hung her head and pouted. “I don’t mean to be a pest. I’m sorry, I’ll leave you alone.”

  Rachel sensed her interest. “It’s alright, I’m glad you’re here. Where are your friends?”

  “It’s too early for the Tribe – that’s what I call them. You only met three of them; six total, plus me, of course.” Her seriousness was sincere and Rachel smiled at her earnest. “I’ve been helping Hannah with sound and lights for the Twilight Gathering. It’s going to be incredible. She has monitors set up all around the city.”

  “What happens at the Gathering? I don’t even know what to expect.”

  “I’ll tell you what I remember. I was pretty young at the last Arrival.” Fairidai’s voice took on a tone of importance. “That was when the Master Healer arrived. But I have seen the schedule of events; Mother had one of course, since she’s the Kitchen Director.”

  “Yes, of course she would be informed. So,” Rachel tousled her red hair, “tell me what I’m supposed to do tonight.”

  They stepped on to the trans-vela without a clear destination in mind and Fairidai began explaining the schedule, using excited gestures and emphasis on each event.

  “Before we get started everyone grasps hands. All around Delphi everyone is connected. We focus on the Silence to find our chi with the Oracle. When we do, it’s a certain pitch, like a hum. I know, because we’ve done this part before.

  “When the Septorian grasps the last hand, and connects all of us, the charge of energy is amazing.”

  “I’m sure it is.”

  “Gather together our hearts, our minds, and our souls, that we may become as One Fire.” Fairidai had her eyes closed as she recited the phrase that Rachel read earlier in the private journals and had heard from the authors.

  “Do you hear them, too?” Rachel was sure she was right. “The Pathways? Do you hear those voices, too?” She wasn’t surprised at Fairidai’s perception but she was sure no one else had been privy to the secrets.

  Fairidai suddenly stepped off the vela and her hands went to her cheeks. Rachel stepped off as well and walked back to the young girl.

  “I’m so, so sorry! Really, Spokesmon, please forgive me,” she begged. “I’ve never told anyone what they said. I know they are intended for you, but I listened to the voices before I was old enough to know how to not listen.” Fairidai snapped her fingers. “Zues! I’m in trouble now.”

  “You’re not in trouble with me, Fairidai. Do others know the Pathways speak to you? Does the Septorian know?”

  “Oh no, I’d be in real trouble then. I mean, I’m in trouble now, but-” Fairidai’s blush was the color of her hair.

  “It’s alright, I won’t tell anyone. Why do you think you can hear what others can’t?” Rachel wondered.

  “I don’t know how I do what I do, I just do! They are trying to teach me not to do it all the time. Sometimes I’m a nuisance to be
around. Since I can’t block my sensory input everyone has to work harder to block their sensory output.”

  “It’s a good lesson to learn,” Rachel lamented. “Trust me; it’s nice to have a vacation away from all of the voices.”

  “Really?” Fairidai questioned the idea. “I think it would be lonely without them.”

  Lonely is being separated from Peter. Rachel sighed heavily and wondered again how close he was to Delphi. She knew whatever she needed to accomplish in Delphi had better be done before he arrived; everything would change at that Arrival.

  “Who is Peter?”

  Rachel immediately shielded her thoughts from the youngster. “Never mind,” she told her. Peter was a connection that she did not want to bring into action just yet, and Fairidai’s exuberance might reveal her secret at the wrong moment.

  “You said the Master Healer was the last Arrival,” Rachel said to Fairidai. “I think I’d like to talk to him about it. Do you know where he might be right now?” Rachel looked around the lights of the city. “I know a gold light represents a medical or educational section of Delphi, but I wouldn’t know where to find the Master Healer.”

  “Of course you would,” Fairidai answered matter-of-factly. “Just listen for him.” She stepped off the vela as she tugged on Rachel’s hand to do the same.

  Rachel watched the child; her eyes closed with innocence, intently listening for the Master Healer’s singular vibration. Fairidai was right – Rachel could listen like that too, but decades in the city made up her wary about opening herself so freely to the vibrations of others.

  Delphi was different and it was teaching Rachel to be different as well. She let go of her fear and listened with her heart. In a moment, she felt a connection.

  “Yes, I’ve found him.” Rachel tugged on Fairidai’s hand and her eyes opened. “I’ll lead and you can tell me if I’m going wrong.”

  “Of course you know where he is,” Fairidai said. “You’re the Spokesmon.”