The Light-Field (45 page)

When she rushed toward him and smothered him with kisses, he wondered if he had fallen asleep in the shower and was dreaming this.

‘No ghosts,' she whispered in his ear. ‘I've been dying to jump you ever since that interview, but I was too afraid —'

‘Me too.' He hushed her with another kiss, but then his own concerns began to surface. ‘I though I might have freaked you out with my little memory boost today.'

‘No …' she assured him. ‘It just
really
turned me on.' Kalayna lost his towel for him, as her legs wrapped around his form and he carried her to his round sleeping pod with its view of the stars.

‘You said earlier that you recognised everyone on board,' Kalayna recalled after they'd dropped to the bed. ‘How is that possible?'

‘Taren awoke memories in me that extend beyond this universe, to another we lived in together in a different time and space.' Telmo's explanation only made Kalayna concerned.

‘You and the captain's wife?' she queried.

‘No.' Telmo laughed at this. ‘Not just her, but all of this crew.'

‘Me included?' Her smile returned when he nodded.

‘You especially,' he granted, and she was clearly tickled to hear this.

‘Why am I special?' she challenged his claim playfully.

‘Because you are my companion,' he had no qualms in saying.

‘I am?' His claim brought tears to her eyes.

‘I saw you perform in the court of a possessed king of a grand, ancient kingdom once.' He nodded to assure her he spoke the truth. ‘Your name was Mahala then, which meant sweet singer, and you certainly were that.'

‘Stop,' Kalayna half-heartedly urged him, as tears rolled down her cheeks. ‘I'm not used to so much romance, it's making me cry.'

‘That's because deep inside your psyche somewhere you remember what I am telling you and know it to be true.' He gazed deep into her eyes, not fearing rejection any longer. ‘We are meant for one another.' He moved in for a kiss, but Kalayna blocked it.

‘If I find out you say this to all the girls, I'll kill you,' Kalayna threatened in fun.

‘Donna, Seshut, Mahala, Kalayna … you are all my girls,' he concluded and the response won him that kiss finally.

‘Tell me about Donna,' she said to pause the action, and tease him.

‘Later,' he kissed her neck instead.

‘What did I do as Seshut?'

‘You were the scribe to a time-hopping rogue alien warlord.' He made her laugh with the claim.

‘Now you're bullshitting me,' she challenged, grinning with delight.

‘Never,' he stated, staring into her eyes. ‘To lie to you, is to lie to myself; it serves no purpose.'

She caught her breath, touched by his words. ‘You have the sweetest pillow talk, Telmo Dacre.'

‘I have a very inspiring muse,' he replied.

Again Kalayna caught her breath, but before she could say anything else he engaged her lips with his own and a sudden flood of passion ended the conversation.

With the news of Khalid's escape; the psychic outing and kidnap of the engineers at the newly opened inter-system gateway; and the major political reconciliation that had taken place between Sermetica and Phemoria, the United Systems press was abuzz! Anselm had invited the rulers of Frujia and Maladaan to join him on Phemoria to discuss recent developments. Chief Matan-tu-hoo of Frujia had graciously declined, placing his trust in Anselm's judgement. Maladaan had refused outright to become involved, and President Tallak had said he would hold Sermetica responsible if Khalid sought revenge on their planet, as the triple S was responsible for allowing Khalid to escape.

‘Never mind that I alerted Maladaan to Khalid's treachery in the first place!' Anselm complained, over a rare family dinner that the Qusay-Sabah Clarona was hosting at her private palace on the outskirts of Tonissia, where the gathering could be kept secret. The Queen of Phemoria had invited Taren and Lucian, her sister Satomi, Mythric, Zeven, Aurora and Thurayya.

‘I'm sorry I let Khalid slip through our fingers,' Taren apologised for the umpteenth time since the event. ‘But at least Maladaan blamed
him when the newly opened inter-system gateway link broke down and they had no one qualified to fix it.'

‘I do wish you'd stop blaming yourself for losing Khalid,' Zeven complained. ‘I'm always right beside you when we do these things and yet you insist on taking all the blame!'

‘You're annoyed because I'm taking all the credit for failing?' Taren felt Zeven's competitive streak knew no bounds.

‘Khalid is otherwise occupied for the moment and that's a blessing,' Lucian put forward his view and Mythric raised his glass to that.

‘Hear, hear.'

‘Mother.' Thurayya had finished dessert and was wriggling in her seat. ‘May I explore?'

‘Would you like me to show you the palace?' Satomi offered.

‘Yes please, Grandma!' Thurayya was down from the table and awaiting Satomi in a heartbeat.

‘I'd love to tag along.' Aurora excused herself and joined them.

‘I lived here when I was a little girl,' Satomi explained to Thurayya, as she took her granddaughter by the hand and led her out of the royal dining room. Aurora blew Zeven a kiss as she followed them out the door.

‘If you'd told me a few months ago that my life could be this perfect, I would have thought it impossible.' Mythric watched his wife, daughter-in-law and granddaughter until they were out of view.

‘I hear you.' The queen tipped her glass to Mythric. ‘It all turned out rather better than we expected.'

‘I have to admit, having a family is pretty sweet.' Zeven drank to that.

‘Back to Maladaan.' Taren looked at her father across the table to continue to talk shop.

‘I need some air.' Lucian rose abruptly.

‘Is something wrong?' Taren looked to him, and sure enough he was exasperated.

‘You never give it a rest. There are more important things in life than plotting political espionage, you realise?'

‘Like?' Taren challenged, a rising anger in her gut, as she knew where the conversation was headed.

‘Like … fun, relaxation,
family
!' Lucian declared, but Taren had already tuned out.

‘He does have a point,' the queen agreed. ‘When can we expect our first grandchild?' Her mother took Anselm's hand to include him in the equation but he was cringing; he knew their daughter would not like the subject matter.

‘There are psychics being persecuted on Maladaan with a weapon created from
my
technology and you all expect me to be thinking about having babies?' Taren could not even fathom the reasoning.

‘Kalayna believes she has a solution for that,' Lucian argued.

‘Which I
was
attempting to tell father about, before the room went all gooey,' she snapped disdainfully, knowing her words would not be met well.

Lucian opened his mouth to retort, but thinking better of it, he turned and left the room. Zeven and Mythric were quick to follow Lucian's exit.

‘That was a little harsh, Timekeeper.' Mythric attempted to defuse the tension as he rose.

‘He knows the score in that regard,' Taren defended, ‘and trying to blindside me by getting my parents on his side is naturally going to piss me off!'

‘Taren!' Her mother was shocked.

‘What?' She shrugged in response to her mother's objection.

‘Please don't use that colourful terminology in my presence,' the queen replied.

‘You think that's colourful?' Anselm gave a chuckle, knowing his daughter's language had a much broader spectrum.

‘In any case, I don't think Lucian set out to ambush you,' the queen voiced her view, as Zeven and Mythric closed the door behind them in leaving. ‘This was supposed to be a family gathering, not a business meeting.'

‘Oh please.' Taren stood. ‘I'm not here to play house — I want some questions answered, like what is happening with the inhabitants of Tonissia's twin city?'

The queen was a little affronted by the question. ‘Its twin city on the other side of the planet, you mean?'

‘I think you know very well that is not what I mean.' Taren stared her mother down.

‘What does she mean?' Anselm wondered aloud, and the Qusay-Sabah Clarona looked to him warily.

‘I think you should go find the menfolk,' she suggested. The president was taken aback that his wife and his daughter obviously had a secret they were not willing to share with him. ‘Please,' the queen added.

‘Of course.' He looked to Taren, who gave nothing away, and then he left the room.

‘Have the women you keep imprisoned in that etheric city been told of the psychic revolution taking place out here in the real world?' Taren demanded as soon as they were alone.

‘How could you know?' The queen was still in shock about that.

‘I jump about through time a little bit.' Taren was frank in order to get past the issue. ‘And there was a time when you attempted to feed me to the Phemoray. You showed me the city where they hoard all the souls of the most psychically talented pure-blood Phemorians, and told me of the vault where all their physical bodies reside.'

‘Oh.' The Qusay-Sabah Clarona seemed both satisfied and humiliated by that explanation.

‘Now, answer my question. Have those women been told?'

‘No.' There were tears in her eyes. ‘They have not, and cannot, be told.'

‘Why not?' Taren frowned, assuming her mother was being old-fashioned and unreasonable.

‘Because I cannot open the way to that realm without the crown of Phemoria on my head,' she admitted. ‘They are trapped unless I return that curse to my life.'

When Taren discovered the problem, her heart went out in sympathy to her mother and she took a seat. ‘Can we not just go to the vault and wake them up?'

Her mother shook her head slowly. ‘They would not wake, they would be cut off from their
light-bodies
.' The queen used one of her daughter's terms. ‘They would simply die.'

‘Well, we cannot just leave them all in limbo forevermore.' Taren was annoyed with her mother for not saying anything about the spiritual hostages before now.

‘There is nothing we can do,' the queen appealed. ‘As much as I love my people, I cannot, will not, wear that crown again.'

There was a knock at the door and Salantea, the queen's steward, entered. ‘Majesty, your female guests are in the throne room and are requesting your presence immediately. They said it is quite urgent.'

The queen looked to Taren, who was as curious as she was, and they both rose to go investigate.

 

Mythric and Zeven caught up to Lucian, who was rather glad to have their company. In the Phemorian palace there were Valoureans everywhere and although their queen did not mistrust every man she met anymore, the rest of her people were still a little hostile.

Not that Zeven seemed to notice. He was turning circles, checking all the Valoureans out and singing to himself. ‘I'm a happily married man.' Until at last, he burst with happiness. ‘Is this a dream come true or what?'

Ahead lay a door to outside and Lucian could barely wait to reach it.

‘Hey, hold up,' Anselm called ahead to them, and they stopped to wait for him.

‘I thought you were talking politics?' Lucian wondered what Taren was doing now.

‘The conversation turned to Phemoria and the ladies kicked me out,' he explained. ‘I think there is more going on beneath the surface of this planet than anyone realises.'

‘Marvellous.' Lucian threw his hands up. ‘A few more skeletons in the family closet to sort out.' He turned and headed outside into the fresh air.

The still earth beneath his feet felt strange after he had been in space for years. The lawn in the garden was so lovely that Lucian felt compelled to lay down, his companions followed suit.

‘Lay down before we fall down, excellent idea.' Anselm was the last to stretch out. Although being earth bound did not bother him so much, he seemed to appreciate the opportunity to relax in the shade of a tree in the late afternoon as much as his kinsmen. ‘I feel I owe you an apology, Lucian.'

‘Why is that, sir?'

‘Taren and I, we talk politics because that's the level we relate best on,' explained Anselm, sounding a little sorry about that. ‘This is the first real family gathering we've ever had, so don't be too hard on her for not knowing the protocol.'

‘Actually, the protocol of a family gathering is usually that there is no protocol. I just see happy families everywhere and I … feel
so
ready,' Lucian admitted.

‘I think she'll come around,' Mythric put in.

‘No, she won't.' Lucian was sure about that.

‘In five years,' Zeven cut in, ‘when we see our celestial friend safely on his way, then —'

‘—
then
Taren has still got to figure out how to warn those on Kila.' Lucian knew the responsibilities and missions would be never ending. ‘And you can guarantee she'll want to see to it personally.'

‘What?' Both Mythric and Anselm were concerned enough to sit upright, as did Zeven.

‘Shit, I hadn't considered that.' Zeven was anxious for completely different reasons. ‘I can see now why she doesn't want children.'

The comment really got on Lucian's nerves. ‘Well, I am getting sick of having to fix every little thing wrong in the universe before we get to have a life!'

‘I guess you probably shouldn't have married the daughter of two planetary leaders then?' Anselm suggested, as he was the only one who could do so and receive a smile in return.

‘I sound selfish?' Lucian wondered, as the band on his arm was making it ache. Taren had warned him that marriage to her was going to be less than idyllic, as was the calling of being psychic.

‘No, you sound human,' Anselm said. ‘But you are no longer just human. You crave a normal life, one that is within your control, but you know if you had that … all you'd want is adventure and chaos!'

‘How true that is,' Zeven agreed; they had always seen eye to eye.

‘You just need to enjoy what you have while you have it and leave the rest for another day,' Anselm advised. ‘Order will always follow chaos, and the other way around.'

‘Not with your daughter,' Lucian chided. ‘Life with her goes from chaos, to
chaos
, and then more chaos!'

‘But the sex is great,' Zeven threw in in Taren's defence, and neither Lucian nor Anselm appreciated the comment.

‘What was that you were saying about Kila?' Anselm's steely glare returned to his son-in-law.

‘Did I?' Lucian felt he really shouldn't have mentioned that. ‘Too much to drink at lunch.' He shrugged.

‘Mr President! Sirs!' The queen's steward beckoned them back toward the house. ‘Your presence has been requested in the throne room.'

All the men looked at each other, unsure if they liked the sound of that.

‘On our way,' Anselm said to the steward, and looked to Lucian, who was quietly breathing a sigh of relief. ‘Saved by the steward.'

‘Damn, that means we have to get up.' Zeven peeled himself off the ground and noted Valoureans laughing at their lack of vigour. ‘We've been in space, all right!' he called out and the women actually found him amusing.

‘Maybe there's hope for the women of this planet after all.' Mythric noted the unusual occurrence.

‘Figures, they all get amorous
after
I'm married,' Zeven grumbled, and all his companions groaned as one, as they moved off toward the house ahead of him.

 

The tour of the palace had been going splendidly. Satomi had just got through explaining that much of the palace had been remodelled since the sexual revolution, but that the throne room still remained from ancient Phemorian times.

When they entered the chamber in question, Thurayya at first seemed overawed by the grand circular room, but as she walked toward the thrones she became increasingly upset.

‘Horrible things,' she said. ‘I mourned in this room.'

‘Ray, honey.' Aurora saw her daughter's tears. ‘Let me take you somewhere else?'

‘No!' She pulled away and ran to sit on the queen's throne. ‘It's all my fault!' she stated adamantly. ‘We have to free them!'

‘Who, sweetie?' Aurora was trying to be patient and not become upset.

Thurayya looked past her to Satomi. ‘Grandma knows.'

Satomi's gasp startled Aurora to turn about, and when she saw how shocked she appeared, Aurora was really worried.

‘Send for the Qusay,' Satomi advised, too stunned to do so herself, and Aurora called for the steward who had been following them about.

 

Taren and the queen entered the throne room to find the little girl seated on the queen's throne. As soon as she saw them, Thurayya rushed to the queen and threw her arms around her skirt to beg. ‘We have to free them.'