“But he wouldn’t be able to be a philanthropist if he wasn’t already rich,” LeAnne argued.
“Yes, I know. I don’t have all the answers. I guess the Aegiala do. That’s enough talk of government and politics. My head is starting to hurt.”
“Mine too,” LeAnne said.
On our trip north, we never ran out of things to talk about. Mostly we talked about Ranjisan, Aegialeus and Tellus. It was a conversation that could continue on forever. LeAnne was fascinated and I couldn’t blame her. At that point in time, she may have been the only human with knowledge of other races on distant planets.
“So how does time work on Ranjisan? Do you have months, days, years?”
“If you think your brain was going numb talking about government, wait until I explain how the Ranjisan calendar works. Are you ready?” LeAnne nodded.
“Ranjisan is larger than Earth but its spin is faster so days are not much longer than here on Earth. Days are called iots and they are about 27 hours long. A year is called a Maia. There are 684 iots in a Maia. Hours are called ciots. There are 38 iots in a month. Months are called dschubbas. It takes 18 dschubbas for Ranjisan to rotate once around our sun. We don’t have weeks. We just refer to the day by number, like day 1, day 2, etc. Any day with the number ‘4’ or the number ‘8’ are like your weekends and a lot of people don’t work those days. But it’s not mandatory. A lot of business people will work some of those days. So in a 38 day month, a typical person may have 8 days off. What you refer to here as the weekend, we call the ‘4s and 8s’; got it?”
“Hahaha.”
***
The lights of Las Vegas greeted us around 1:00 AM. “Do they have anything like this on Ranjisan?” LeAnne asked.
“No. I don’t believe the concept of gambling has ever occurred to anyone on Ranjisan. I guess people on Ranjisan are more reserved. They are less animated and less exciting. They would never pass an audition for those wild TV shows like “The Price is Right” or “Let’s Make a Deal.”
“So you would be an oddity back home? You are certainly exciting. Look at what we’re doing now. You’re a fugitive on the run,” LeAnne said.
“Yes and someday I’m going to play in a rock band and I can sing about being a fugitive.”
“Yea right,” LeAnne said with a smirk. “But you’ll probably be one of those musicians who just stands there playing without moving.”
“Probably.”
We drove past several wedding chapels with blinking neon lights and checked into one of the glittering hotels on the strip. We had shared a room back at the airport in Harrisburg but LeAnne was very sick and I was really there to watch over her. Back at Cooper’s we had separate rooms so when we stepped up to the desk I asked for two adjoining rooms. I knew at some point we would share a room and at some point we would explore intimacy, but something didn’t feel right about Las Vegas. Even with all the wedding chapels, somehow the Las Vegas strip did not seem very romantic. It was not how I envisioned our first intimate experience. After checking in we continued our ongoing conversation about Ranjisan as we strolled the strip until late in the night.
“Do Ranjisi marry like they do here?” LeAnne asked while we watched two people emerge from one of the wedding chapels.
“Yes. I guess love, bonding and fidelity are literally universal, I mean probably throughout the universe. I suppose the ceremonies and the commitments are different everywhere but I think even prehistoric beings of all races developed family bonds. I know both the Ophiucha and Aegialeus marry. I’m not sure about the Tellus.”
“So how does it work on Ranjisan?”
“Well, that’s a big question because, to understand it, you have to understand our spiritual beliefs. We don’t have hundreds of different religions with different gods and different beliefs like you have on Earth. We did millions of years ago but at some point, people evolved. I mean if there are 100 religions and each one thinks all the rest are wrong, isn’t that naïve?”
“Of course, but people are evolving slowly here,” LeAnne said. “But what do people on Ranjisan believe? Do they believe in god?”
“No one will ever know where intelligent life began. But here are a few things to think about: Ranjisan is billions of years older than Earth. We have scientific proof that life on Ranjisan was seeded by another race that we believe was billions of years older than Ranjisan. So intelligent life has been in existence for perhaps forever. Thinking about the beginning will just tie your mind in a knot. But it is all too spectacular to think it was all an accident and there lies the seed of spiritual thinking.”
“So do you believe in god or not?”
“We neither believe nor disbelieve. We believe in nothing and everything. We don’t know if there is a purpose to life and we don’t know what happens when we die. We don’t pass judgment on the beliefs of others but we don’t see how anyone can know the answers to these questions. But we have learned through millions of years of living that a society is happier, healthier and more capable of progress when we live by some form of code or belief. If we do not continuously move forward than we are doomed to stagnate and slip back into chaos. So our code is simple, flexible and informal. Our society is a circle and philanthropy is at the heart of the circle. It is our way of life, but what will seem unusual to humans is that philanthropy for us does not begin close to home with family. For us, we begin at the outer edge of the circle. Philanthropy begins with our race and planet and then moves into our larger provinces and then to our communities and finally to our families. The human concept of family first doesn’t work on Ranjisan. For us, our entire race is our family. That’s it in a nutshell. I guess in some ways we are more like a big dolphin pod than we are like humans.”
“Okay, my head is spinning and you still haven’t explained how marriage works.”
“Are you familiar with Mehndi?”
“No, is that something from back home?” LeAnne looked confused.
“No. It’s from right here on Earth. It’s a tradition carried on in India, Pakistan and just about anywhere in southern Asia. The tradition consists of painting beautiful designs on parts of the body before special events. Since marriage is the biggest event, that’s when it is especially beautiful and meaningful. In Mehndi, they use the natural coloring that comes from the Henna plant. The designs may consist of flowers and other beautiful designs. The paintings wear off after a couple of weeks but they signify love, affection and a long happy marriage.”
“On Ranjisan, we don’t exchange rings but we do something similar to Mehndi. Our version of Mehndi is less elaborate but the paintings are permanent and they are matching for man and woman. Professional artists are solicited and each design is registered like a copyright so that they are never repeated. Each design is unique. For that reason the artists get paid well.”
“Wow, I like it. It all sounds too beautiful. Your spiritual beliefs, your culture, your version of marriage. Do people get divorced?”
“People do get divorced but it isn’t a legal quagmire like it is here. If there are children involved, families go to counselors who help establish financial needs. Child support is not mandated by law. People generally do what is right. Occasionally, people don’t do what is right. On Earth people say things like, ‘we are only human.’ It’s the same back home. People say things like ‘we are only Ranjisi.’ But when someone does something disgraceful like not taking care of their own child, they are shunned and disgraced until they make things right. These people cannot hide. They are listed on a special broadcast channel and new additions to the ‘disgrace list’ are listed each night on the regular news broadcasts.”
We walked the Vegas streets until late into the evening, before finally returning to the hotel. In the morning we were up and out early. We had nothing but time so instead of traveling straight up State Road 93 we took the detour to Valley of Fire State Park to see the sandstone arches and rock formations. We continued talking, mostly about the differences between h
umans and Ranjisi. When we got closer to the park property I began wondering where we would sleep. The nearest hotel cluster was in Mesquite, a few miles away from the park.
“Naos, can I ask you something?” LeAnne sounded a little reluctant to speak so it was easy to figure out what she wanted to ask about.
“How does sex work with Ranjisi?”
“Ah yes, another reason to consider the possibility of a Supreme Being. It seems as far as we know, no matter where you go in the universe, survival of a species is the same. All intelligent life forms experience some form of sexual drive. There is an enormous variety of rituals but the end result is the same. A male must penetrate a female.”
“You make it sound clinical and not much fun,” LeAnne said with a giggle.
“Of course it is fun, if you are with the right person, and if you aren’t with the right person, it’s probably still fun. But of course if there is love and affection, there is greater passion and the whole experience is that much greater.”
The conversation seemed to be moving in sync with where we were driving. We were approaching the center of Mesquite where the hotels were. Mesquite is a beautiful small town set in a valley surrounded by blue sky and mountains. I think we were both wondering the same thing. Was it time to stay in one room together? We weren’t yet lovers but there was a blossoming love between us. We were friends but we both knew we were more than friends. I already knew that LeAnne was the kind of person who was aware of other people’s feelings and emotions. I always thought that heightened awareness was a sign of intelligence. LeAnne had it so I wasn’t too surprised when I pulled into a hotel parking lot and she jumped out of the car. “I’ll go register Naos. Wait here a minute.”
“This was good,” I thought. “I’m a coward. Let LeAnne make the decision. Just like back home, it may be better if it is the woman who sets boundaries for a relationship.”
“Room 201,” was all she said when she came back to the car. It was the first room on the second floor facing the rugged peaks of Parashant National Monument. I immediately wondered if the room would have two double beds or one king. We were both silent as we carried the few belongings up the stairs to the room. I was relieved to see two double beds when I opened the door. LeAnne did the right thing, I thought. She took some of the awkwardness out of the situation. We would sleep separately and let the possibility of romance and intimacy develop naturally.
The Mesquite Lodge was a combination of deep woods hunting lodge and traveler’s hotel. The lobby and breakfast area were pure hunting lodge with natural wood beams everywhere, a large fireplace with the dear head overlooking the room and huge leather sofas scattered about. But the walk-up room on the second floor was a typical roadside traveler’s room. It was the best of both worlds with a private bath and a small balcony that looked out toward the Parashant National Monument.
The Lodge had a small dining area but no room service but we were able to purchase two bottles of wine to bring back to the room after dinner. We spent the evening sitting out on the balcony sipping wine and looking at Parashant. The sun was setting on the opposite side of the hotel but the shadows of the setting sun did help to make the view more spectacular.
“I’m getting sleepy and I’m feeling kind of grimy so I’m going to take a shower,” LeAnne said.
“Okay. I’ll take a shower after you.”
I sat thinking as I heard the shower start. “This is it,” I thought. “It’s a beautiful, peaceful, romantic setting. There is nothing to worry about. Our trail is cold. If CIPE does catch up with us, it won’t be for a while. After I take my shower, it will be the right time. I’m not too sure how to start, so I’ll just hope that it happens naturally and without too much awkwardness.”
A few minutes later LeAnne came to the balcony wearing a robe she had packed. “It’s your turn,” she said with a slightly awkward smile.
I continued thinking of all the possibilities while washing up in the shower. I didn’t have a robe. My bedroom clothing consisted of just a pair of gym shorts and a white tee shirt. When I stepped out into the room, LeAnne was sitting on the bed closest to the bathroom with the pillows propped up behind her, blindly staring at the TV with the volume turned off. I sat on the opposite bed and faced her.
“How are you feeling LeAnne?”
LeAnne swung her legs around and off the bed so she was facing me. “Right now, at this very moment this is the happiest I have ever been. I am happier now than I was when I was nine years old on Christmas morning. It is all too perfect. Sometimes I think I’m in a dream and I’m going to wake up and be sick and alone again.”
“It is not a dream LeAnne. You will never be sick again and you will never, ever be alone again.” I reached forward and took both of LeAnne’s hands in mine. There was no awkwardness. We both leaned forward until we were inches apart. We looked into each other’s eyes for several long moments before leaning in for our first truly relaxed and intimate kiss. The kissing became more passionate as we continued to lean forward until I slipped and hit the floor. LeAnne giggled for a moment and helped me up and guided me to sit next to her where we continued kissing. We stopped long enough to look into each other’s eyes for a moment. It was time. Lifting my legs I rolled myself around to LeAnne’s far side and rested back on the pillow. LeAnne turned and rolled over toward me, resting her head on my chest for a moment before looking up at me. I slid down while she shifted herself up where we were face to face again. No words needed to be spoken. We just kissed and kissed for a long time.
Finally I got up and turned the bathroom sink light off and left the little night light on. Before returning to the bed, I took my shirt and shorts off. LeAnne opened her robe. There was just enough light to see her beautiful body which I had been imagining for many months. She was softer and more beautiful than I had ever imagined. We continued kissing for several more minutes before exploring each other, first with our hands and then with our lips and tongues. It was amazing and natural and wonderful.
We were so overwhelmed discovering each other that I had forgotten to close the curtains. We awoke together in each other’s arms with the morning sunrise sending wake-up beams of light into the room like laser beams.
I turned to face LeAnne. “I love you LeAnne.”
“I love you too Naos, and I think we have made history here.”
“Do you want to make more history right now?” I asked.
“Let’s make history all day Naos. I’ve waited for this history for a long time. Let’s make history and let’s make memories.”
16 - Idaho City
After spending two days making history and memories at the Mesquite Lodge, we decided we needed to move on. We needed to find a place to settle in, at least for a while so we bought a cheap laptop in town and did some research before heading north again. The best route would take us on a meandering path through the most populated areas of Utah and on to Idaho. Idaho has a lot of small and mid-sized towns and we thought we could blend into one of them. We drove all day and into the night, driving through Twin Falls. We stopped at a rest area outside Boise where I grabbed several of those little tourist pamphlets they always have in the rest area lobbies. One of them caught my attention. It was a two page folder published by the Idaho City Chamber of Commerce. “Check this out,” I said as I handed the folder to LeAnne.
“It looks like it might work for us. Let’s check it out,” LeAnne agreed.
Idaho City seemed like the perfect place for an alien fugitive to go un-noticed. With a population of about five hundred people, it was small enough to make a few friends but big enough so that people wouldn’t become too curious about us.
It was late in the night when we arrived so we just napped in the car for a few hours. When the sun was up, we drove around, ate and tried to get a feel for the people and culture. Nestled in among the mountains it was beautiful and the people seemed friendly so after spending the day just driving around we decided we would stay so we checked into an old hote
l.
We had hoped to rent a cabin off the beaten path but all we found after living in the Idaho Hotel for four weeks was a mobile home set on three acres. Boise was too far of a commute so I got a job in a vitamin distributer and LeAnne got a job as a Home Care Aide. Fortunately we weren’t actually fugitives or missing persons since LeAnne had contacted her family a few times. Thomas had sent letters to LeAnne’s parents that were postmarked from London. We were only fugitives in the eyes of CIPE Code Exaction Forces (CCEF) and they had no Earthly legal access to our information. The CCEF was a very small security force that monitored the activity of CIPE Phase II agents. I wasn’t worried about getting caught. I knew it would be almost impossible for the CCEF to find me. But there was still that nagging question about how they found out about us living at Cooper’s house in Tucson.
As soon as we got set up in the mobile home, I continued the chat sessions with the Tseen Ke group. Although I would no longer be performing Tseen Ke on anyone, I was still able to contribute my opinions about possible candidates. We were all convinced that it was Manny from Chile who reported us to CIPE. There was no other explanation. He knew what we were doing and he had never followed up with Cooper when he was asked to help. Cooper never heard from him again.
During the chat sessions I learned that Cooper’s punishment was just about as I expected. He was sent back to Ranjisan, permanently suspended from CIPE and sentenced to two years at a minimum security prison. I knew this would be my fate also, if I was caught.
We were friendly toward people in Idaho City, up to a point. We didn’t want to get too close to anyone for a while, at least not until we really felt like we were safe. So life became almost normal, consisting of the usual things people do in their daily lives. LeAnne worked odd hours in nursing and there were days we only spent a few hours together. But we made the best of the time we did spend together. All in all, we were comfortable and happy. LeAnne missed her family but our closeness helped. I was convinced that she had no regrets. Two people from distant worlds were truly meant to be together.
The Good Reaper Page 15
