“Damaged goods,” giggled Mirri.
“Bingo,” I replied.
“But the price. How did you know he’d go for a sealed offer? It makes no sense,” asked EJ.
“If he hadn’t, I wouldn’t have made the deal,” I said most soberly.
“But that would have left me with him,” replied EJ.
“And as that would have been impossible,” I said with a smile, “Ralph had to have taken the sealed deal.”
“But there’s one big hole in that reasoning,” said EJ slowly. “What if you could very comfortably have walked away and left me holding the bag?”
“Could you have done such a thing?” asked Cala.
“I don’t know,” I said flatly. “Please don’t ask me again.” Then I smiled again. “But hey, it was impossible, so I had to win.”
“What did you write on the paper, Uncle?”
“Him back,” I answered. “And then old Ralphie kind of got upset. I hope he’s recovered. A demon his age needs to be mindful, you know.”
“Jon Ryan I am so glad of two things,” said Cala. “I am glad to know you, and I’m even more glad to not be you.”
“Well, I just want to state for the record that you’re all welcome,” I beamed.
“Which leads us to the final question. Why are we here, Jon?” asked Cala.
“I thought you’d never ask.” I batted my eyes at her flirtatiously.
“Why is it I think I shall regret having asked that question?”
“Because based on my considerable experience, honey, you almost certainly will,” responded EJ.
“Oh, stop it,” I protested. “You guys are going to embarrass me.”
“Not hardly,” responded Mirri.
“Okay, here’s the deal … I mean proposal. I don’t want to be involved in a deal ever again,” I remarked. “EJ here is not fit to be around any other living soul.”
“Gee, thanks, yet again,” snarled EJ. “Make sure I have your address for when I need a personal reference.”
“Most plants and inanimate objects too, for that matter,” I continued. “I propose he live here.”
“Hmm. That’s only part of a plan,” observed Cala.
“You know, you’re very smart,” I replied.
She raised a paw. “More worried.”
“I suggest he be confined here until he has been rehabilitated and deemed fit to return to the general population.”
“Uncle, rehabilitation suggests supervision and ultimately someone to determine when it is complete.”
“Right you are, Mirri. And here’s the beauty of it. Now that you’re a full-fledged brindas, Cala here would otherwise be out of a job if she didn’t take personal charge of EJ.”
“What?” Cala snapped.
“Oh, come on. You saw that coming,” I charged.
“Yes, I did, and I still say what.”
“Who better to pound morality, concern, and empathy back into his thick and corrupted head?”
“Hey, don’t I have some say in—”
“No, you do not,” I said. “You are the problem, not any part of the solution, bozo.”
“Why would I agree to be this man’s warden?”
“Because it’s a job that needs doing.”
“Why not you?”
“I’m too close to him, and I have a lot of baggage. I could never be as objective and as farseeing as—”
“Stop, I surrender. I will have no more flattery shoved up my behind,” said Cala. She turned menacingly to EJ. “I want you to know two very important things. One, I’m old and impatient and, above all, cranky. Don’t piss me off. Two, your very life depends upon me. Don’t piss me off.”
“Make him read all those books, Cala. The ones Slapgren and I had to read. Talk about punishment.”
“Rehabilitation, Mirri, please,” I corrected.
“Oh, right. Forget the books,” she responded.
“I so did not need a comedy team in my life,” mused Cala.
“Okay,” I concluded, “let’s have a toast with this delicious tea and all be about our lives.”
“Tea?” asked Cala. “Where did you find tea. I didn’t leave any.”
“Sure,” I said, sinking, “right above the stove on the shelf to the right.”
She smiled. “The bat droppings I use to fertilize my herbs? The ones in the brown jar with the blue stripes?”
Dag nabbit, the jar was brown with blue stripes.
To be continued.
GLOSSARY
Agatcha (3): Traditional Deft stew.
Al (1): The ship’s AI from Jon’s initial Ark 1 flight. He kept it with him until his dying day and then it elected to hang around. Good AI! Full name is Alvin. Those engineers and their lame naming.
Als (3): The surname for the “married” Ais, Al and Blessing. Given them by a pissy Jon Ryan.
Ark 1 (3): The subluminal ship Jon took on his very first flight. He was searching for a new home for humankind. The story is revealed in The Forever Life by this author.
Blessing (1): Vortex Cragforel gifted to Jon.
Brathos (2): Kaljaxian version of hell.
Brindas (1): High master of Deft tradition and psychic ability.
Brood-mate/brood’s-mate (2): Male and female members of a Kaljaxian marriage.
Calfada-Joric (3): The Deft master brindas on Rameeka Blue Green. Goes by Cala.
Calran Klug (5): Prime of the Secure Council of the Adamant Empire after Lesset.
Canovir (2): Species of dog-like sentients containing the Adamant. Big border collies.
Caryp (2): Clan leader for Sapale’s family.
Command Prerogatives (1): The thin fibers Jon extends from his left four fingers. They are probes that also control a vortex.
Cragforel (1): Friendly Deavoriath Jon meets after he first escapes the Adamant in the far future.
Daldedaw (5): Policewoman on Kaljax, military leader of colonists on Kalvarg.
Darfos (5): Whole Leader and newly appointed to the Secure Council after the purge caused by the defeat of the fleet at the hands of the Plezrite. A friend to Calran Klug.
Davdiad (2): Kaljaxian divine spirit.
Deavoriath (1): Three arms and legs, the most advanced tech in the galaxy, and helpful to Jon.
Deft (1): A shapeshifting species from the planet Locinar.
Dondra-Ulcrif (3): Brindas from long ago who gave Evil Jon his “magic” abilities.
Dodrue (5): Large aquatic sentients of Kalvarg. They are wiqub, about the size of an Orca. Mortal enemies of the Epsallor Kingdom’s vidalt.
Evil Jon Ryan/ EJ (1): Alternate timeline version of the original human to android download. Over time, he turns to the darker side of his nature. He studied “magic” under a Deft master.
Excess of Nothing (2): Emperor Bestiormax’s personal ship. Huge and opulent.
Five Races (2): Adamant, the leaders, Loserandi, the priests, Kilip, the teachers,
Descore, the servants, and Warrior, the enlisted fighters.
Fuffefer (3): Group-Single Fuffefer. Commander of the detail that supervised Jon’s and Cellardoor’s slavery period.
Garustfulous (2): Wedge Leader Garustfulous is a high ranking Adamant military leader taken hostage by Jon.
Gorgolinians (4): Sentients of Sotovir who look like fish tanks.
Guvrof (5): Lesset’s right hand dog. One of his few trusted confidants.
Hantorian System (5): Location of the planet Kantawir. The location where Jon confronts EJ for the final time.
Harhoff (3): Adamant Group Captain officer aboard Rush to Glory. He becomes a key figure in Jon’s quest to rescue the Deft teens.
High Council (5): The governing body of the Plezrite.
Himanai (5): Variant Deft visant. The first to meet with Jon and Sapale on Nocturnat.
Hirn (1): A Kaljaxian dialect.
Hollon (3): The complete joining of two Deft shapeshifters. More than marriage.
Imperial Lord Emperor Bestiormax-Jacktus-Swillyforth-Anp (2):
Current Adamant emperor.
Jangir (5): The name assumed by Garustfulous when he goes undercover as Harhoff’s Descore.
Jonnaha (4): Prime Minister of a main country on Vorpace. Agrees to try and form a united defense against the Adamant onslaught heading to their region of the Milky Way.
Kantawir (5): Planet where Jon and EJ meet for their final confrontation.
Kalvarg (5): Planet Jon takes the orphan Kaljaxian population to as the Adamant are destroying their home world. An island solar system long ago ejected from the Milky Way galaxy.
Langir (5): First planet Jon goes to trying to establish a cohesive rebellion against the Adamant.
Lesset (5): High Wedge and Prime of the Secure Council early in the reign of the new emperor Palawent. Vicious, cruel, and thoroughly Adamant.
Loserandi (2): The priest class of canovir.
Locinar (1): Home planet of the Deft in the Milky Way galaxy.
Membrane (1): Space-time congruity manipulator. A super force field.
Mesdorre (5): The second old clan leader rescued from Kaljax and relocated to new colony on Kalvarg.
Midriack (1): Adamants’ personal guards. Very deadly, no sense of humor. Avoid them!
Musto (3): Strong Adamant booze.
Naldoser (5): The local name of the sneaky vidalt of Kalvarg.
Nocturnat (5): Home world of the variant Deft. Once concealed. Part of a star system ejected form the Milky Way. They did the ejecting with their magic.
Oowaoa (1): Home world of the Deavoriath.
Opalf (2): Honorific title in Kaljaxian society, reserved for the elderly.
Palawent (5): New emperor after Bestiormax.
Peg’s Bar Nobody (4): First reference in The Forever Quest. A true dive bar Jon loved. A total dump, and Peg was one tough cookie.
PEMTU (1): Personal exotic matter transportation unit. A super way to enter here and end up anywhere instantly.
Plezrite (5): The species name of the Deft variants on Nocturnat.
Quantum Decoupler (1): A most excellent weapon that pulls the quarks apart in a proton. The energy released is amazing.
Rameeka Blue Green (3): The planet where Jon and the Deft teens meet Cala.
Risrav (3): The anti-rune of Varsir. The power of Varsir is negated in the sphere of this rune, as is some other types of magic.
Rush to Glory(3): Ship Jon leaves Ungalaym on.
Sapale (1) [Also See Entry Below]: Jon’s Kaljaxian wife from his original flight to find humankind a new home. At first just her brain is copied, then eventually, she is downloaded to an android host. Travels with the corrupted Jon Ryan from an alternate timeline.
Sapale (4): Young female named after her relative Sapale. Rescued from hiding place in pantry.
Secure Council (3): Twelve-member group of military elite who actually run the Adamant Empire.
Shielan (4): Female security guard to and sister of prime minister on Vorpace, Jonnaha. Brief romantic interest of Jon’s.
Sotovir (4): The second planet Jon convinces to ally against the oncoming Adamant storm. The sentients look like walking fish tanks, but please don’t hold that against fish tanks. It’s not their fault.
Stingray (1): Name Jon uses for his vortex Blessing.
Talrid (2): A major city on Kaljax. Sapale’s home town and that of her clan.
Toño DeJesus (1): The creator of the android Jon. His lifelong friend.
Torchcleft (2): A species of smallish dragon. Copied by the Deft teens to hunt.
Triumph of Might (1): The massive spaceship Mercutcio rules. Jon first meets the Adamant there.
Urpto (5): The Assistant Subtender for the Kingdom of Epsallor, where Jon lands on Kalvarg
Varsir (3): The name of the magical rune Evil Jon uses to do his “magic.”
Var-tey (3): Highest of warrior rankings. The bravest among the Deft. Demi-gods.
Vidalt (5): Large aquatic sentients of Kalvarg. Enemies to the larger Dodrue.
Visant (5): The proper name for a pair of Deft joined in hollon.
Vorpace (5): The third planet Jon tries to bring into an alliance against the Adamant. Populated by human descendants who’ve heard of the great Jon Ryan.
Vortex Manipulator (1): The intelligence inside the vortex. Not actually an AI, but similar.
Wiqub (5): Species name of the larger species on Kalvarg.
Yisbid (5): Grand Visionary on Nocturnat. She is a leader of the Plezrite variants of the Deft.
Zar-not (1): A melding of a Deft’s mind with that of a copied animal.
And Now A Word From Your Author
Who Doesn't Love That?
Thank you for continuing your journey through the Ryanverse! Along with this series, please check out The Forever Series. Beginning with The Forever Life, Book 1, learn Jon’s backstory and share his many incredible adventures.
Along with reading, hop aboard the bandwagon. There’s plenty of room. Follow me at Craig Robertson’s Author’s Page on Facebook. Partake of the conversation and fun. Best of all, sign up for my Mailing List. (https://www.facebook.com/craigr1971/app/100265896690345/) That way you can be abreast of news and new releases. You’ll be so glad you did.
A final favor. Please post a review for this book, especially on Amazon. They are more precious to us authors than gold.
Craig
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