“Are you an alien, Jamie?”
How to answer? Was there anything safe to say? Here was a man, not like Hensley who was bound by his personal prejudices and spoiled with parochial righteousness. Muldower was a man to step carefully around. I could not let personal fears and emotion get in the way. Nations went to war on his decisions like when ‘I’ was Kodus. This was playing out again in Cheshire. Likes and dislikes had nothing to do with it. I had to convince him that we - me and the aliens - meant him and our world no harm. “Obviously not, Mr. Muldower. I have unusual abilities for unusual times. But as the General and others can testify, they have never been used to hurt, only to help. That is the information you need to use to make decisions.” What could I use to convince this man of our good intentions? Somewhere in his Essence Memories I needed to find an experience that would touch him, change him. I sent another portion of myself to explore.
Inherent in every Essence Memory lies all that created it. The whole experience, every person, every emotion, from every angle. These all can be accessed if you know how. Muldower needed to walk in someone else’s shoes. He needed to feel vulnerable, without control. He needed to experience the converso’s terror in all of its ramifications, the ruined life, the spoiled future, potential that would never bear fruit, and the aching realization that he had destroyed it without need. His Entity was happy to help get the message across. But how? We decided to use sudden intuition, dreams, and some personal experiences.
Muldower said, “You are remarkably sure of yourself, Jamie. Abilities like yours are dangerous.”
The General said easily, “Agreed, if the person with the abilities is aberrant or a criminal. That is not the case here, Brian. This not a problem.”
“I am concerned that Jamie could become the center of a cult or movement.”
The General shook his graying head. “He is the antithesis of such a person, Brian. The man has ethics.”
“Not morals?” Brian arched an eyebrow.
“Morals, Brian, are cultural. Invented to promote and support a culture and its institutions,” I said. “Ethics are principles and standards of personal conduct.”
“Good and evil?” Brian looked down at me from his great height.
“I don’t like the term evil. What I mean is creating behavioral boundaries you don’t cross. Not violating yourself, others, and the Earth.”
“In other words ... ?” Brian squinted his eyes, and pursed his mouth.
“Not lying, cheating, stealing, and hurting others physically, psychically. Helping others when you can. Not violating other species if you can help it. Things like that, Brian.”
“Wonderful words, Jamie.” Brian’s lips twisted. “Words to live by. But everything is not black and white.”
“True, but you need to create limits for yourself, or you can go off the deep end. Digging yourself out can take a long time.”
“A code of conduct. And?”
“The Middle Path,” I suggested. “The eightfold path to wisdom.”
“Buddha. I can buy that, Jamie.” He tapped my wrist cuff. “That’s related to the aliens. How am I suppose to take that?”
“The Entity I am a part of had a life on another world with these aliens. This cuff is from that life.” God. What must he be thinking?
“That’s astonishing. I heard about the box opening only to your energy frequency. Is that right, Colonel?” Derek nodded. Muldower smiled without humor. “Do you think there is a conflict of interest here? How am I suppose to take this bit of information, Jamie?” He turned to the General. “Help me understand this, Will. Is this credible information?”
General Carson said, “Three weeks ago I’d have said this is all crazy. Now, I have experienced Jamie’s abilities from saving my life to healing himself from what should have been a fatal wound. Also ruining a rifle at a distance. You’ve seen the rifle. It’s all there. Credible information, Brian.”
“So, these aliens. This eugenics concern. They’re bent on stopping this on our planet.”
Derek handed Muldower the computer screen. “This is what happened on a planet they were living on. They’re afraid it could happen here.” Derek reached over and turned the screen on.
Brian recoiled at the images. “They would do that here?”
“Eventually, when they developed the technology,” I said. “There are Entities, who believe in eugenics, who are sending personalities to be born here to start eugenics programs. They are already doing this to a certain point. The genetic modifications of plants and animals are part of this. What you are seeing on the screen are things that happened on the other planet.”
“This is disastrous. Many of these are people.” Brian stared at the screen, clearly shocked, at the changing scenes.
“They have to be controlled somehow, Brian,” I said, “before they get to the point where they can do that.”
He looked at me with open dislike. “I’d prefer you call me, Mr. Muldower. We know each other somehow and it doesn’t feel good.” I could feel his need to run and be away.
Carson and Randolph stared at Muldower, and then at me. I nodded, “Think, Mr. Muldower. Think of your love for the Spanish culture of Spain. It’s hard beauty, and your love of red.” The Spanish converso raged forward, and it took all my power to keep him under control. I forced him back.
He recoiled. “How could you know?”
“Oh, we know each other. You will dream of that time tonight. And of another time which will comfort you. Then when you’ve digested it, come back and we’ll talk. I’ll fill in the gaps for you and flesh out the picture. Our relationship is not irreparable.”
Muldower’s face steeled and frosted. “Nothing is irreparable, Jamie.”
“I am encouraged, Mr. Muldower,” I said. I left the three of them to consult with our council, and went off to give Muldower the space he needed. I was shaken. The incident with the converso and Muldower left me wondering where it would lead. Muldower was a linchpin we needed.
That night I visited Muldower’s Entity where we crafted a dream for Muldower feeling both the roles of the Inquisitor and tortured converso. We watched Muldower immersed in and feeling both roles; the cold imperious inquisitor examining the terror stricken converso, and the helpless agony of the converso with no place to go; his life, family, livelihood and future shattered in ruins. Muldower twisted in his sleep, consumed with the terror, and the wanting of what could have been.
I watched him as he woke in a sweat, peed, and then hunched on the side of the bed in the Bachelor’s Officers quarters at the fort, too rattled to go back to sleep. He picked up a pad of paper and wrote the dream down. Then about an hour later, swearing at me under his breath, he lay back down and prayed for peaceful sleep. Slowly he drifted until he was deep enough to enter another dream.
He found himself the inquisitor again as a young woman was escorted in more angry than terrorized. “You have been accused of practicing Jewish rites,” he said, staring down at her from his raised desk.
“I am a true daughter of the Church. Not a conversa. This is not true.”
Muldower looked at the papers before him. “Your great-great grandmother on your mother’s side was a conversa.”
“I was not aware of that. The Queen’s great grandmother was a conversa. Who is my accuser? Ha, I know. That fat greedy neighbor who wants to put me out of business and get me into bed. I am a widow making an honest living for myself and my three children. These are dangerous lies. Planted by a man willing to subvert you unwitting to evil and serve the Devil.”
“Senora, I will decide that. Your defiance does not bode well. If you do not confess, we can put you to the question.” He liked her spunk, and felt an odd camaraderie with a strange need to protect her. Family.
“Torture. Of course I will confess anything under torture, but it doesn’t mean it’s true. So, do you want the truth or do you want to torture me? What do you want me to confess to? I will, of course, do it.” The young woman’s mou
th wrinkled, and she looked down at her shaking hands. Images of the ruined converso dying in an auto-da-fe entered Muldower’s mind.
“It is possible your neighbor is trying to ruin you by using us.” He motioned his captain of the guard. “You will bring this man to our court immediately. To use us to subvert the will of God is inexcusable. You, Senora, are free to go. We will examin your greedy neighbor.” The dream eased, but not the satisfaction of saving the woman. Muldower sat up in bed, and stared at the gathering dawn. I left, after thanking Muldower’s Entity, and went back to my body.
“Long night, my love?” Judith stirred beside me.
“Yep, you could say that. Mr. Muldower had some interesting experiences in his dreams. Might give some closure for a wounded personality of my Entity.” I lay there watching the dawn grow into the gathering morning.
“Think he’ll come around?” Judith snuggled, putting her head on my shoulder.
“Can’t say. It was intended to be instructional. I’m hoping he will see the aliens in a more favorable light, and give us some breathing room.”
“And you too?”
“Yeah. That would be good. I’m concerned he will look at these abilities as a bogeyman stuff - something to be feared - and lump me in with them. He is already aiming himself in that direction. Sometimes, for that reason, I wish they’d never come. I couldn’t live successfully in the world before The Change with these abilities.”
“Everything happens in its own time for a reason. You’re protected here.”
“I hope. I know I need them for the future. There are those out there who will try to derail this meeting, and the good that can come of it.”
“The eugenicists?”
“Right. Some know things got out of hand and that ethics are needed, a new direction. Some don’t care. They just want the technology and the field to play in. They will choose a time to try and embarrass you with Marta and the Queen of Adora. It may also be an innocent request, considering the vast knowledge of your Entity. To access that knowledge. I suspect it will be when Muldower is here. I still have another assassination attempt with a spider coming.”
She leaned on her elbow at that. I told her of the room in the spacecraft with its curious personal items and the shielding within. “Someone from The Thera?”
I nodded. “I’m assuming the same person tried to help Nick shove the knife into me. That’s why it went so deep. Normally it would have stopped at my rib. I could feel the extra heave-ho from an outside source. But this person is perfectly shielded. I suspect if I go back to the spacecraft at a random time, the room would be vacant. The room may be a setup to distract and point me in another direction. Not something I need.”
“So what do we do?”
“Stay alert. Put puzzle pieces together. We don’t have enough information on the aliens’ past and present to create a clear picture. Memories are not in place yet, and I don’t know where to go to get them.” I laughed. “Wasn’t life simpler before the aliens came?”
She sat up, hair tousled, and stretched. “Jamie, I knew I’d be in trouble with you one day.”
“Got you in trouble twice as I recall.” I eyed her. “Both time it was voluntary on your part.”
“I wasn’t talking about Victoria or Abe. This alien thing. The dimensions of it are larger than we thought,” she said. “Messy.”
“Messy,” I agreed. “On a planetary past and present scale beyond anything we’ve ever imagined or considered. Like all of this was deliberately hidden.”
“It was. Crafty Souls, Entities I mean. And we’re in the middle of it. Then there is Laith and, his coming of age so to speak. We need to stabilize the local government leaders and the aliens to let it happen. Are the aliens even aware of Laith?”
Judith reached for her bathrobe. I helped her into it. “Fresh,” she said, smacking my hand, looking pleased. God, what a gorgeous creature. “They know our system is about to undergo a transition. That’s one of the several reasons they came. Our Entities planted us here. They knew.”
“Feel used?” I said. “But you have to admit it’s all very exciting.”
“Very exciting,” agreed Judith. “But not when it comes to killing you. I know we made a lot of enemies during the eugenic wars, but I know only a few standouts. Who else? Who else?” She tapped her fingers on the kitchen table. We sat before steaming mugs of hot tea. Laith came in and cheerfully joined us.
“Trying to figure out the bad guys before they figure you out.” He smiled. “So far so good. I dreamed of your younger brother, Dad. Uncle Jesse. Seems your parents were into ’j’s.” He grinned. “He and a gang of kids with a dog, cat and Aunt Marcy are headed our way. New baby. Lynn.”
Judith looked at me. “New baby?”
“Yep,” I said. “They’ve been coming. Dodging sharks, sea-going crocs, and bad guys. They’ve been busy. Current problem is not good. Keeping tabs on the group.”
“Not good?” Judith eyed me.
“A member of the Brotherhood is stalking them with a high powered rifle.”
“Brotherhood?”
“A gang of religious fanatics. Really, a cover for a gang of slavers and criminals who prey on whomever they can. Jesse killed the leader’s brother in self-defense. The leader sent teams to kill them, with no success. But this guy is a problem.” I sighed. “We’ll work with them to help solve it. Jesse and Marcy’s family is unusually cohesive and focused, with enormous strength and purpose. Everyone looks out for everyone else and the group as a whole. They know above all to stay positive.”
“How many in the family?” Judith asked.
“Three girls and two boys plus baby Lynn, Marcy and Jesse. A Pride of Children. Extra ordinary group of personalities,” I said. “Marcy and Jesse have been collecting the children as time and circumstance provide.”
“So where are they?”
“About thirty miles out. We need to send a rescue party. God knows, they can use it.”
“When you’re thinking of them, Jamie, what comes to mind?” Judith asked.
“Jesse is thinking ‘a hunting we will ago’. The song is going off in his head. He’s dueling with this man. They’re stalking each other.” I shook my head. “Not good.” I folded my hands together and sent a portion of myself to my brother.
Then we heard the chopper. I ran my hand through my hair, closed my eyes, and sighed.
“Brian Muldower?”
“Yeah.
“Is he going to be trouble?” Laith asked, standing behind me.
“Hope not.” I said. Laith whistled. “What?” I twisted around looking up.
“Your bald spot is gone. Your hair is full again without grey. You’ve ceased to age. And Mother too. What’s going on, Mom. ? Dad?”
I laughed. “The Sound Language. Being part of the Thera. These things are from our Entities. Natural as breathing. Something we’ll need.” I looked at my son. “Not something you’ll need, my handsome. Let’s go see Mr. Muldower.”
“Your reading glasses, Dad.” Laith handed me my glasses.
“Thank you, my son, but they are not necessary anymore. For now.” I set them down.
We met the chopper with the General, Muldower, and Randolph. The Council was there. The aliens arrived in a large disk shaped ship. Technicians were working with our people, the soldiers, and the local population on upgrading our waste water and sewer system to an enclosed recycling system using light and sound.
Muldower was talking with the General. He saw me and turned. “Mr. Muldower,” I said.
“The blood red of Spain,” he said, pulling on his neck, studying me, mouth crumpled. “The dreams of last night preyed on me. You’re a cruel man, Jamie.”
“The coverso laid a curse on the inquisitor that he would never forget the injustice he had done and it would prey on him forever. The inquisitor was from your Entity and the converso from mine.”
“There is a hell of’ va lot more of me than I thought. Parts I wish I’d never met.”
>
“And?”
“Now I understand why I didn’t feel comfortable around you. The things I did to you.”
“But your inquisitor learned and protected an innocent young woman. That’s worth something. Everything. He changed. Began to help the innocent. When he died, he was revered for his humanity and justice,” I said. “The curse or thought form held and followed you into this life, so your intense interest in justice for everyone.”
“But what I did to you.”
“That has to be left where it happened. In the past. That’s why people don’t remember so-called past lives of their Entities. They do have the essence memories or the lessons learned. We are all new personalities here. That’s the opportunity of the future.” I watched the tall man. “So, you know why you didn’t want anything to do with me. And the opposite can be true. Judith and I have a long history. Can you work with us, Mr. Muldower? We need your help.”
“I can,” Muldower said. But I wasn’t convinced. He was holding back. He needed more. I turned and stared at the Peaks. Jesse. The duel was ending badly for both my brother and the man from the Brotherhood. Turning back, I excused myself, grabbed Laith and raced for the house, leaving a stunned group behind me. “Jessie,” Laith said. I nodded.
We lay on my bed at the house. Laith was first out of his body. I followed with difficulty as my emotions were getting in the way. I arrived in a small clearing with tall pine trees, and a lanky middle aged man pinned to a pine tree by an arrow. Blood stained the tree trunk and flowed down his body. My brother hunched over in excruciating pain, bleeding out of multiple wounds all over his body. I couldn’t be sure where his blood and the other man’s blood started and ended. A major mess. “Gotcha,” Jesse got out, struggling to control his pain.. “You thought I was going to jackrabbit. But I ain’t dead until I’m dead.” A mountain lion roared in the distance.
“You should have the courtesy to kill me,” the man grated.
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