The Staff of Ira

by Carl Sheffield

  “It is well built,” Mekon said.

  Walking around, the Xonian captain said, “From the air, it looked smaller.”

  Mekon stated, “There were twenty-seven beings on this ship.” Mekon spent several hours studying the craft.

  Finally, he came to the bridge. “Leah, they lied. They weren’t cloaked.”

  I asked, “Why did you say that?”

  Mekon said, “Find Mea. Hurry, Leah.”

  I sent a sentry to Mea. “Tell her to come quick.”

  Mea entered the lab. Mekon said, “It was a suicide mission.”

  Mea asked, “What do you mean, father?”

  Mekon said, “It’s a bomb. Mea, I can’t disarm it.” I listened to my father and sister as they talked about the ship. I sent a sentry to find Candance and Ellie.

  “Tell them to come quick.”

  I asked, “Father, if we can’t die, why bother? Why do we care what happens?”

  Mekon replied, “It’s not that we can’t die, it’s the damage that will happen.” It was twenty minutes before the girl came aboard the ship. I told them there was a bomb. Mea is trying to disarm it.

  I said to the girls, “My powers are not so strong since I have become pregnant.” Candance said the same, so did Ellie.

  Kira came to the ship and asked Mekon, “Did you find where they were from?”

  Mekon said to her, “I have no knowledge of their race, or the system they’re from.”

  Mea said, “The bomb is going to explode. Father, I can’t disarm it.”

  Kira looked at me as a sentry ran with the staff. Ira knew we would need the staff; I don’t understand how he knew. Kira took the staff, stretched it forward. There was nothing. She looked at me. “It’s up to you,” she said. I took the staff, closed my eyes, thought of nothing except the ship. I took all the power inside of me. I stretched the staff forward and hit the ground. Opening my eyes, the ship was gone as if it never was there.

  Falling to the ground, Mekon picked me up, took me to the lab. He told me later I had been out for hours. I told him I was with Adair.

  Mekon said, “I don’t know what that is.”

  “Father, she is my twin sister. She is dead.” For the first time, I had told someone besides my husband. Mekon moved away. I looked around. Everyone was waiting.

  Mekon told me with his thought, “We will talk about this later.”

  Omega said, “You girls have a way of saving us.”

  Sitting up, I said to Kira, “Maybe that’s why the lady said Dorn should never leave here again.”

  I asked my father, “Is my baby ok?”

  “Yes Leah, the baby is fine,” Mekon said.

  “Now tell me, how did they get by our sensors?” I asked.

  Mekon said, “I have sent a shuttle to check. They could have taken them out. Mi is on the shuttle. He will jump three light years beyond the ones that are already there. He will place them in and around the galaxy; at least it will give us a warning.” Candance and Ellie helped me to my quarters. I was tired; I slept for hours.

  I suddenly was awake for some reason. I found myself floating in the air. This was not the first time this had happened. I saw my body on the bed, floating above the palace higher and higher over the city to the Marder-to-go’s. Was this a dream or was it real? The velocity of the wind is so strong, I had to close my eyes. I was afraid, why was I? I’ve never been afraid. Someone touched my arm; Zin.

  “Come, mother,” Zin said. “Let me show you what you seek.”

  “I seek you, my son,” I said.

  Zin replied, “In your heart mother, not in your mind.” I felt warm and secure, my son was here.

  I told him, “Son, you have grown so much.”

  “Mother, it won’t be long before I’m with you and father.”

  I said to Zin, “I suppose you know.”

  He said, “Yes, mother, I know he is on Earth. Well, in a few days. Mother, come walk with me.”

  I asked my son, “Where are you taking me?”

  He replied, “To Ira.”

  “Then this is a dream,” I said.

  Zin said, “No mother, it’s what me, Marie and April were working on. We’re not sure how it works yet. Ira and the Busies are working on it as we speak. The Busies said I was born five hundred years, too early. That’s why Ira had you bring me to him on my fifth birthday.”

  I asked, “Are we really flying?”

  “Only in your mind you are aware of your surroundings. When I bring you back, I must take some of your memories.” Zin smiled. “I’ll leave you with a few.” I spent what seemed to be hours with my son.

  Zin said, “I know what you are thinking mother, I can read your thought.”

  I said to him, “Not even for your mother.” Zin took me to a great wall since the first time on this planet. I saw a mist, then it came to me, heat will rise. There’s a shield to cover the city to hide it that’s why it’s a mist. Looking to my side, stood Ira in his yellow robe, long hair and his long beard. He was a statue of a man.

  Beside Ira was a Busie, “Lady Leah,” He said to me. Kayla approached the wall walking with the Unicorn. She, as Dorn said, was beautiful.

  She spoke to Ira, “Please let us talk for a while.” Kayla took me by the hand we walked to a golden bench.

  I smiled, “Is it real gold.”

  Kayla answered, “A gift from the Busies. Leah, you cannot believe the power they have.” Walking with Kayla to the great wall, there appeared to be a hole in the wall. Kayla took her hand, made a wave over the hole. She let me see what I never thought was real. The hole appeared to be a mirror of the city of Ratio and the palace.

  “We knew they were coming, Leah. We can pass little waves on to you or whoever we choose. That’s how you saw them. The Busies gave you the power to handle the problem.”

  I said, “Kayla, this time, what about the next time? Where do they come from? Who are they? Why have we been marked? Mekon said we can’t die it the damage.”

  Kayla said, “That is true, Leah.”

  Kayla made another wave. “Look, Leah, this was yesterday. This is today. The hole where the craft hit was completely repaired. I told you Leah; the power they have, the Busies and the Unicorn.

  Kayla said, “Zin is working on the location and system of the planet. Leah, he is so intelligent.” I told Kayla to look at his father. I told her Dorn was very intelligent.

  Kayla asked me, “Leah, did you know you are a princess?”

  I asked, “How do you see that?”

  Kayla said, “I was queen, Dorn is my son.”

  I mentioned, “It was by DNA.”

  “Leah, still it remains, he is my son. That’s would make him a prince, you a princess.”

  “I never thought of it like that,” I said.

  Kayla said, “No one else did either.” Kayla and I talked for a while. I told her that Kira was worried about Tressa.

  “Leah, Tressa is fine. Kira will have a surprise when Tressa returns. If she returns.”

  I jumped up. “Kayla, she must return. Kayla, she is only sixteen, she cannot live on Earth. Seriously, there is no telling what will happen to her. Tressa is the future queen.”

  “Leah loves to play a strange game, you know that,” Kayla expressed.

  “I was twenty-one, Kayla. From the first time I looked at him, I never wanted to be with anyone else. I beg you, please don’t let this happen. Kayla, Tressa is already spoken for.”

  “I don’t see this, Leah,” She questioned.

  “Tressa. Tressa loves Zin. I’ve seen it,” I said to her.

  “Leah, how is it that you can see this and I can’t?” Kayla asked.

  “Kayla, you must trust me, they will be together. Royal Blood, it should be like this you will see before it’s over. The native woman, you know her,
she was your handmaiden. She saw this.”

  “Soy,” Kayla said, “her name is Soy.” Kayla made a wave with her hand. The portal was gone. “Come with me, Leah.” We walked to Ira. “My love, how long before our son reaches the planet?”

  Ira replied, “One week.” Kayla looked at the Busie. “We must not let Tressa stay on Earth as planned.”

  “Kayla,” he expressed, “Time has been written, explain please!”

  “Tar, if she is to stay, she will die along with my son. Soy said Dorn would die. We cannot take the chance.” The Busie left as he said goodbye to us.

  I bowed to Ira. He said, “Come with me, child.” Ira embraced me. I swear I felt the power run through my body. I suddenly felt warm. I must admit it was well, I can’t say how I felt seeing him or Kayla. Long gone from us, yet here.

  Kayla spoke, “Leah.”

  “I’m sorry, I was lost in thought. I was scared.”

  Kayla said, “I doubt that.”

  I said, “I was more scared for my baby.”

  Zin looked at me. “Mother, you’re having a baby?”

  Mea said, “The baby will be a girl, a sister, Zin.”

  I said, “She will be born very soon, very soon.”

  I asked Ira, “Why do other planets trying to destroy us?”

  Replying, Ira said, “Long ago Leah, I’m sure you know the stories. We refused to sell our ships or trade with them. The Centaurians and the Platonians tried to force their way into our world. Leah, you with the other have won every challenge. It’s because we see it coming.” We talked for what seemed for hours.

  Kayla said to me, “Leah, it is time for you to go.”

  I said, “Wait, I have not spent time with my son.”

  Kayla insisted, “This visit was for them. We needed to talk to you about the staff. You will see Zin again.” I found myself flying again with my son holding my hand. It seemed minutes. Zin touched my head; the velocity of the wind was so great. Closing my eyes, I was over the city, then the palace, just the way I left it.

  My son left. He said, “Mother, tell Tressa I love her.”

  I told my son, “With the power you have, you tell her.”

  Zin said, “She will meet a man on Earth. I can’t stop that, it has been written by the Busies. I love her, I miss her so.”

  I said to Zin, “Her being with another man, does this bother you?”

  Zin said, “Mother, I can’t change this. I will accept it as it is.” Opening my eyes, looking up, Mekon was standing over me.

  Mekon was calling to me. “Leah, I’m here. Leah, I’m here,” he kept saying. Suddenly I came awake, taking me in his arms.

  Mekon said, “I thought you were gone.” I told him I had an unbelievable dream. I told him about the dream. I said, “Kayla said peace would come again to us. Father, I saw my son. He has grown so much.”

  Mekon said, “I didn’t mean to come in without knocking. I want you to know I care.”

  “I know father, you should change to your human self for a while. Let your emotion run wild. Dorn was like that when I met him. Father, walk with me.” In the great hall, Candance and Ellie were waiting for me. We started to walk away when there’s a call from behind.

  “May I join you?” It was Kira. We walked past the courtyard to the street that leads to the city, passing the waterfalls.

  Kira said, “I forgot how beautiful it was. It has been several years since I have been here. The last time was when we first met Kikki.” We stopped at the pool, picked up a gem, made a wish, kissed it, threw it into the water pool. Walking past the statue of Dorn, down the path that leads to the Village of Kira, we stopped at our favorite tea shop.

  Tea was brought to us. People and natives looked at us, mostly at Kira. Walking through the city, it was larger than I thought. Candance and Ellie walked from one side to the other. To the North of the city was the Valley of the Unicorn; there was a park. I told them to look how beautiful it is.

  Kira said, “In my dreams have I seen such beauty.” We walked up and down each street. I had been to the city several times. I was always fascinated by the structure of each building. I wondered how a world could have such a place as this. I thought on Earth when I lived there it was truly amazing, this was so much more.

  The precise cuts of each stone, the placement of each one, where did they get them? Then I remembered something: the wall where Kayla and Ira were, it was made of stone as this.

  The walls had a language written long since used. It was the same stones. How did the stones get here?

  “Kira,” I asked, “In your studies, have you seen a writing as this?”

  Kira touched the words. “I do speak some of the old word Leah, not like this. I’ve never seen these words before.” I thought to my self, Maoke must be laughing.

  I asked the girls, “Would you like to stop by Soy shop? She has everything.” Kira was not feeling very comfortable; she had never been this far into the city. I didn’t understand these. Her people, they would bow to her when we pass. Candance would bow to them.

  I said, “Candance, you’re a bitch. They’re not bowing to you.”

  Ellie said, “Yeah Candance, what Leah said.” I told her she was a bitch too; they’re bowing to Kira. We crossed the street to Soy’s shop.

  Entering the shop, I said, “Morning, Soy.”

  Soy saw Kira. “Well, good morning to you, my queen. It is good to see you out among your people.”

  Kira said to Soy, “Please call me Kira.”

  Soy said, “You know I cannot do that. I knew you would come. I knew you were coming before you left the palace.”

  “How did you know that?” Kira asked.

  Soy said, “News travels fast when the Queen is out.”

  Kira asked Soy, “Can you read the old language?”

  Soy said, “Our words changed thousands of years ago when Bota brought the first humans here. Maoke said it would be easier for the natives to learn English as they called it. Speaking this English would be easier than the old language; it was changed. I did try to keep up with some of it.

  When Ira and Ren started going to the blue planet, it helped them. There were others before them. My mate was a captain on Ira’s ship. I or he did not know at the time I was having a child. I had only one; I never mated again.

  Winter came, there were others before her. None was taken to as we did Winter. She would be as old as Kira, maybe older. I tell you, the humans could not understand us for what we were. Ira could speak several languages. He tried to speak to some of them; they just could not understand him.

  Ira did as Dorn. He died, was gone several years; Mekon too. When they returned, they could shift to other beings. Ira, Ren, my husband went to Earth often. Of course, our people have been going there forever. I asked once after they returned without Ira what the planet was like. Foo said, very primitively. I do believe this was around the Earth years of the 1300s. I’m sorry, I just run on.”

  Kira said, “No Soy, please talk.” I could tell Kira was becoming calm.

  Soy asked, “Would you like tea?”

  Kira asked, “May I help?” Soy looked at us, then out the window. There were people staring in.

  Soy said, “I cannot, my queen.” I told Soy we would love tea. Pouring the tea, she looked at Kira.

  Soy said to Kira, “Your daughter will be fine, my Queen. Something you must understand when she returns, she will be different.”

  “In what way?” Kira asked.

  Soy replied, “She will be a woman, a full-grown woman, not the little girl that left. The three, as everyone calls them, they got stronger coming here. Tressa got stronger going there. You will see upon her return.”

  Ira stayed because he found Kayla. He was a prince, so was Ren. Ren never wanted to be anything but a pilot. Ira found Kayla on Earth, brought her here. Ira’s fat
her ascended, left Ira in charge. He proclaimed himself King, Kayla as his Queen. We had no idea what a king was. No one objected so we had our first king and queen.

  I knew long ago when we started bringing humans here, I knew it would be a matter of time before some outsiders come. I went to the archives to learn the old language words. I did good for a while, the words we speak were easier to say. Ren even told me to forget it. The humans would be the reason our species lives on.

  “Don’t let anyone fool you, Ren was a good pilot. Ren is very intelligent too. Don’t let him fool you. He is not as coy as he would like for people to think. I do believe Mekon took several women to Earth, gave one of them Ren’s DNA.” We sat for a very long time, listening to Soy talk.

  Soy said, “Listen to me just carrying on. Tell me, child, where is this writing?” I told her I had seen it before.

  Soy asked, “Where was that, Leah?” I told them I flew to a misty heaven over a valley of a Great Wall. There were Busies and Unicorn. Ira, Kayla, and my son were there.

  Soy looked at me. “You have mistaken Leah, you were never there.”

  I said, “Soy, I was there. I was with my son. I thought it was a dream.”

  Soy said, “Where is this witting, Leah? show it to me.” Walking from Soy’s shop crossing the street, we walked what I thought was fast. I don’t know why she had a problem believing me. What I saw was true.

  Turning the corner, I said, “Here, Soy.” Soy looked at the writing then she placed her finger in the writing.

  “In your dream Leah, you said the wall was like this?”

  “Yes, Soy, with the same writing.”

  “Leah,” she said, then she paused. “Why have I not seen this before?” She touched it again. “There’s more.”

  Kira asked Soy, “What does it say?”

  Soy said, “Only the Keeper of the staff has the power to move it. One will rise from childhood from a native father and a mother of another world. The Keeper will stand for all people under one… this is not right,” Soy said.

  Kira asked, “What is it, Soy?”

  Replying, “I can’t believe I’ve never seen this writing before.”

  I asked Soy, “How long has it been here?”