His body convulsed and he screamed as the pain tore at his very soul.
*****
I’za had waited for this opportunity – a distraction that consumed the attention of everyone present.
She glided up to, and behind, the Hegemon. Pressing the silver dollar sized disc to the woman’s neck, she activated the device.
Gan’gli whipped around when she felt the cold metal on her ridiculously thin neck.
But it was too late. The device sent the pulse to her sleep center . . . and she collapsed to the floor.
Being the gatekeeper for her people on all information, the same pulse was re-transmitted to every member of the collective almost instantaneously.
And the entire Ephemeral clan collapsed – fast asleep before they hit the floor.
I’za rematerialized and ran up to Waldo. Helping the big man who was still reeling from the last jolt he received, they hurriedly made their way out of the habitat.
“Egg, now,” called I’za.
She and Waldo disappeared into a cloud of twinkling lights and rematerialized on the bridge of the ship.
*****
With the help of a few of the biggest men from the hold, they managed to carry Waldo to sickbay. Unfortunately the auto-doc was gone, having been sent with Benny to the hospital ship.
But all ships in the Aeriannian navy carried at least one Medicus (think doctor). She was summoned to administer to the stricken man. After an injection of something or other, the effects of the electrical jolts he had received dissipated.
“Where am I?”
“Aboard ship, you big hunk of a hero,” and Egg did something that she would never have dreamed she would – or could – ever do.
She kissed the cheek of Mobius. Well, technically it was Waldo, but close enough.
*****
“Egg, can I talk to you privately.”
“Sure, Syl,” and they went to the girl’s cabin.
“I talked to Bree . . .”
“Stop. I know – he doesn’t remember that he proposed.”
“He doesn’t remember anything about your relationship. He couldn’t remember Bree’s name or Tee’s. He referred to you as the Leader of the Sisterhood. Bree even said that his sense of humor seems to be gone. I’m so sorry.”
Egg’s shoulders sagged and her head drooped in acceptance of what was. “I can’t cry. In my heart I knew this was going to happen. That ‘life changing injury’ – it had to be this. In fact, I’m glad it was. Losing what we had is far better than if he had lost a body part or something. Heck, he doesn’t even have to get over the loss since he doesn’t even know he lost it.” Understandably she was beginning to babble a bit.
“Do you want me to stay with you? You know, talk this through?”
“Thank you but I’d rather be alone for a few minutes?”
“Sure.” She gave her friend a hug and walked out. As the door closed behind her, she heard her best friend sobbing. Expecting this outcome was not the same as accepting it.
*****
“Your Lordship.” Egg’s eyes were red and swollen but everyone pretended not to notice.
“Eloise. Thank you for rescuing my people.”
“Sure.”
“And thank Waldo for his willingness to sacrifice himself for them. His efforts will be rewarded. Is he recovering?”
“He is. Big guys like that don’t stay hurt for very long.”
“Of course. I . . . that is to say, that . . .” but he couldn’t finish his thoughts about his son’s condition.
“Yeah, it’s sad for all of us. I’m not really sure how to stop loving him.”
“He fell in love with you once, why not a second time?”
She didn’t want to talk about it anymore. “We’ll be rendezvousing in about ten hours. I’ll see you then.”
Without waiting for his response, she cut the communications.
*****
The Next Morning
They had made the rendezvous the previous night and transferred all the freed hostages.
Bree and Tee had rejoined them. Tee’ka, as soon as she boarded, made a mad dash to see her man. Bree had gone directly to see Egg and give her a first-hand account of what had transpired with the Prince.
“We went back a second visit, but he refused to see us. Sorry.”
“You did everything you could. Thank you.”
“What are you going to do?”
“First, we need to see Waldo off. You heard what he did?”
“Very brave and noble of him. Tee is getting a good man. I just wish he had picked a different face.”
“It’s actually growing on me. I don’t shiver when I see him.”
“That’s progress. And after he leaves, are you going to see Benny?”
She shook her head yes. “I need closure.”
“Maybe seeing you will jog his memory.” It was wishful thinking.
“Yeah. Maybe.”
*****
They were all gathered in the hold of the Gracie where Waldo’s ship had been parked and readied for his departure.
“Waldo, the Sisterhood would like to recognize your heroism and all your help.”
“You have given me this body, this woman and a sense of self. Nothing further is required.”
Tee’ka stood on tippy-toes and whispered in the man’s ear.
“Oh.” He turned to Egg. “But thank you for offering.” He looked back at Tee who nodded and smiled.
“Nevertheless, I would ask that you accept a small token of our appreciation.” She walked up to the giant and tied something around his waist. “This is a symbol of the bond between us sisters. I ask you to accept this green scarf and our invitation to become an honorary member of the Hameggattic Sisterhood.”
Waldo looked down at the scarf – then he looked to Tee’ka for advice. “Shall I accept?”
“Oh, please. Then we can be sisters.”
“Tee . . .” began BreeZee, but Egg cut her off.
“Not worth the effort. What say you, Waldo, First Citizen of the Klat?”
“Acceptable,” and he gave each girl a bow. They applauded in return.
“Wear it in good health, friend.”
“Until the stars cease to twinkle,” he responded misquoting a portion of the Hameggattic oath.
“It would be appropriate at this point to kiss one of the sisters,” teased Egg.
He took a step toward her and she almost fell down as she backed away. “Not me, you big lug.”
He smiled. “I jest.” He turned and grabbed Tee’ka and lifted her off the ground and proceeded to kiss her with great enthusiasm.
She apparently was predisposed to do likewise.
*****
Egg went to see Benny. Though she understood logically that a concussion could cost a person his memories, on an emotional level it was impossible to accept. How can a conk on the head knock out a person’s love for someone? So part of her knew to expect the worst while the other part insisted that one look between them would make everything okay.
When she reached his hospital room, a guard stopped her. “The Prince does not wish visitors.”
The normally polite girl was nowhere to be seen. “Get out of my way.”
The poor Sentinel looked as uncomfortable as he felt. “I’m sorry Lady, but those are my orders.”
“Your orders have been rescinded by me – Egg of Earth. Now, move.”
“Egg, he’ll have my head,” pleaded the over-matched man.
If he expected sympathy, he wasn’t going to get it. “If I have to call the Queen, she’ll cook you over an open fire until you’re well done. So I’m guessing losing your head is the lesser of two evils.”
He moved away from the door.
She didn’t even knock; she just barged in.
“I told that dolt that I wanted no visitors. Please come back later.”
“Nope.”
He was about to argue then seemed to realize who his visitor was. “Ah, Elo
ise. My apologies. My mind is a bit fuzzy from the explosion. Do come in and allow me to thank you.”
She was impatient to get to the crux of things. “Benny, do you remember any of the time we spent together?”
He ignored the question – especially the inappropriate form of his name. “Eloise, Heroine of Aerianna, thank you and your sisters for saving my life. My family and I are even deeper in your debt. And, thank you for coming to pay your respects.”
“Benny . . .”
“Please do not address me in such a familiar way. If you prefer not to use my title, it is acceptable for you to call me Ben’Edikk. However, do so only in private.”
“I’m going to leave now, but I want to give you something to think about. I know the doctors told you that you had a severe concussion which has resulted in some memory loss. Isn’t that right?”
“My medical condition is not something you should be privy to. However, since apparently you are, the answer is yes.”
“Part of your missing memory is about you and me.”
“So BreeZee mentioned. Logically, I find that difficult to believe.”
“Why? Am I so repugnant to you?”
“You are a perfectly lovely young woman. Your deeds are stuff of legends. I am certain that some man will find you irresistible. Unfortunately, I am not that man.”
“You think I’m just making this up?”
“To be honest, the thought has crossed my mind.”
“Why would I do that?”
“To marry a Prince of the House of M’earth would be quite the coup. It is not beyond the machinations of some women to try to ensnare someone as eligible as I in their web of lies and deceits. I am sorry to be so blunt.”
Egg shook her head. “I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to find a way to stop loving you. Well, the man I love is obviously not in this room. Instead, there’s a pompous blue butted bas . . .”
“STOP. I will hear no more impertinence from your lips. Leave or I will summon that dolt of a guard to drag you out.”
Egg actually laughed. “Back to being a blue-foot booby. See you around, Benny.”
“Egg,” he called.
She spun around expecting to see a big smile on his face from playing such a dirty trick on her – pretending not to remember their love.
“Do you know why I never call you that name? Because it is ridiculous beyond imagining. Now leave.”
*****
“Sparky, take us home.”
“Course set for Aerianna.”
“Belay that. Set a course for Zynn-Zaz’zia. Syl needs to get to class, you need to talk to the scientists about parallel universes, and Jax’x needs to see an ocean.”
“Egg, why don’t we have a big reunion of the sisters? We do have two new members,” suggested BreeZee.
“That’s a great idea. I’ll let you make the arrangements.”
“What about you? What are you going to do?”
“Not sure. Maybe go flying.”
*****
That night Egg dreamt. In her dreams appeared her old friend Storm.
“Hi, Storm. Thank you for saving me back on that planetoid.”
“It’s what friends do.”
“Did you come visit for a reason – not that you need one.”
“Just to ask you a question.”
“Really? Okay, ask.”
“Where’s Waldo?”
“Back with his people. Why?’
“Think about it.”
“Think about what?”
“The answer to your problem, of course.”
Egg and the Hameggattic Sisterhood
Egg’s Ben’Edikk
Book 4 of Ever After
Egg’s Ben’Edikk
Book 4 of Ever After
Another Novel of
Egg and the Hameggattic Sisterhood
©Copyright 2016, by Robert Iannone
All rights reserved
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 – Forget Me Not
Chapter 2 – Zynn-Zaz’zia
Chapter 3 – Pilgrims Progress
Chapter 4 – Back to Work
Chapter 5 – The Love Boat
Chapter 6 – Good Golly Miss Molly
Chapter 7 – Total Recall
Chapter 8 – Dear Diary
Chapter 9 – We the People
Chapter 10 – I love him; I love him not
Chapter 11– Let’s Party
Epilogue – The Princess Bride
The seven active sisters.
Top left to right: BreeZee, Tee’ka, Bl’azzz and Jax’x.
Bottom left to right: I’za, Serenity and Egg.
Chapter 1 – Forget Me Not
It was late morning and they were about a half day out from Zynn-Zaz’zia. The mood on the ship should have been festive since the sisterhood had once again achieved the impossible. But Egg was lost in self-pity and couldn’t muster even a faux smile.
There were no more tears . . . that ‘well’ had dried up the night before. After she left the hospital, she teleported back to the Gracie and went directly to her room. She locked her door, turned off the light and without undressing, crawled under the covers with her face buried in the pillows.
As she played and replayed her conversation with the Prince, the tears flowed freely. Oddly enough, she cried in part because she felt sorry for the young man. He had lost the love of his life . . . but he didn’t even know it.
And of course, she cried for herself. Unlike Benny, she knew exactly what had been so cruelly taken from her. But it wasn’t as simple as that. She was experiencing a hodgepodge of emotions each vying for supremacy.
Half of her actually felt relieved. If that obnoxious stuffed shirt was the real Benny, then thank her lucky stars she found out now and not after she had married him.
The more rational second half of her inner self was heartbroken. The man she loved – the first man she had ever loved – was lost. But he was lost in a most unsatisfactory way. He was still physically here – close enough to hug and to kiss. However, their emotional connection - the wonderful feelings he once shared with her – was trapped inside his damaged brain and, for all intent, lost forever.
Her third half (give her a break, she was never very good at math) couldn’t equate that stranger she had just left in the hospital with the one she had planned to spend the rest of her life with. In her heart she just knew that the real Benny was still out there, just waiting for her to find him.
As she sat in her command chair the next day, still lost in thought, her closest friend in the world walked up behind her and said, “Give it time.”
Egg turned toward Sylvia. “Like I have a choice.”
“The choice you have is to move forward with your life. You of all people know that dwelling on what was, on what should have been – isn’t going to make it happen. Give yourself time to grieve then embrace the future. You lost a love but you haven’t lost love. There’ll be another Benny out there – probably more than one.”
“Yeah. All eager to lay claim to the Heroine of Aerianna. No thanks. I don’t intend to be some man’s trophy wife.”
“No one on Earth knows who you are.”
That gave Egg pause. “That’s true. On the other hand, the thought of an earthman is too depressing to contemplate. They know nothing.”
“Think how much fun it would be to show him.”
“Him who?”
“Zeke.” As we all remember, he and his twin brother Zack dated the girls back home.
Egg smiled. “Not happening.”
“Why not?”
“I moved on a long time ago. You can’t go back.”
“No, you can’t” agreed her friend. “And that’s why you’re going to have a hard time giving up Benny. Once you do, you could never go back.”
“Why do I get the feeling you’re trying to tell me something?”
“That’s what I’m supposed to do.”
“So tell.”
> “Grieve for Benny for as long as you need to. When you finally exorcise that particular demon, you’ll be emotionally free to move on. The ghost of Christmas past won’t be able to haunt you anymore.”
“Nice imagery.”
“I have a knack.”
Egg hugged her best friend. “Yeah, you do.”
*****
"Incoming message. It’s Meggy.”
Egg was expecting – and dreading - at least one of Benny’s family to call. “Let’s get this over with. On screen.”
“Sisters” greeted the Queen.
“Hey, Meggy. What’s up?”
“First, may I give you an update on my brother or would you prefer to hear it in private?”
“Since my grumpy mood is affecting everyone on board, they all deserve to hear whatever you have to say. Go ahead.”
“Ben’Edikk’s injury is more extensive than originally diagnosed. It is not just his feelings for you that have been lost, but so much of his personality has been altered.”
“How so?”
“I can give you the medical explanation we have received from our psychiatrists but you will find that as tedious as I did. So, I shall simplify it. Our personalities are made from various layers of subconscious thought. It is the weaving of all those layers that manifests itself into who we are. When one or more layers are destroyed, what remains is drastically different than what had been.”
“Bl’azzz is about to take a nap.”
“Oh, I do apologize. Let me give you an illustration or two. What do you get when blue is mixed with red?”
“Purple.”
“Correct. But if for some reason the blue is later removed, all we are left with is the red . . . a much more vivid, even harsh, color. And what happens when fossilized carbon is put under tremendous pressure for a very long time?”
“It becomes a diamond.”
“Correct. And if we remove that pressure?”
“All you have is a lump of coal.”
“Is that more helpful?”
Egg glanced at Bl’azzz who nodded back. “We understand. Some part of Benny is gone and what is left has no relationship to the man we both love.”
“Exactly. My brother is now pompous beyond belief, short tempered and rude. Worse, he lacks even a modicum of humor. Quite understandably, my parents are distraught.”
Ark - Box Set #6, Part 1 of Ever After [an Egg and the Hameggattic Sisterhood novel] Page 30
