‘It looks as if Agent Chensee,’ Asher pointed to one of the dead men, ‘went crazy, killed everyone and then himself.’
‘These are not your people, obviously?’ Taren assumed, as Noah had claimed that all Kila’s residents were immortal.
‘No,’ Rhun was sad to admit. ‘They were agents from Maladaan to whom I gave asylum.’ He shook his head, disappointed in himself. ‘I should have heeded Ronan’s warning about sleeper agents. Chensee killed his entire team, as well as Agent Juna’s wife and children. I fear the only reason Mr Dacre is still alive is because this agent didn’t know he was here. Has anyone checked on Miss Cardea and Fari Doon?’ Rhun looked to Asher for a response.
‘Jahan alerted me that Fari had attempted to attack both Miss Cardea and himself and so he has been restrained with a Nerguz. Miss Cardea was knocked unconscious during the attack, but is recovering in the healing temple,’ Asher said. ‘It was then I came to check on our other guests and found this.’
‘So, it could just as easily have been Fari who did this and made it look like Chensee was to blame,’ Rhun put forward and Asher nodded. Rhun shook his head, disheartened. ‘He’s just a kid.’ He felt sorry for the lad.
‘The MSS does not discriminate … we need to hypnotise any personnel from Maladaan to check for, and break, MSS conditioning. Including Lucian and Mr Dacre,’ Taren advised.
‘Are you saying I could have done this?’ Telmo was very uncomfortable with the suggestion and Taren nodded.
‘It’s far from impossible,’ she assured.
‘I’ve never killed a bug, let alone —’
‘It doesn’t matter,’ Taren said, ‘MSS conditioning represses all personal emotional responses.’
‘Walter Cadfan will be able to tell if your mind has been tampered with just by looking at you,’ Rhun assured Telmo and then looked to Taren. ‘But what about you?’
‘I have already broken my conditioning,’ Taren advised.
‘And Kestler’s was cracked by Cadfan when he first landed,’ Rhun added.
‘Kestler is here!’ Taren gasped at the news.
Rhun nodded to assure her it was true.
‘He didn’t perish, thank heavens.’ Taren breathed a great sigh of relief.
‘Have you had word from Ronan?’ Avery returned from viewing the crime scene, having noted it was over twenty-four hours since the envoy had left.
‘No,’ Rhun replied, rather concerned about the fact.
‘He is treacherous,’ Taren gave her view.
‘Not any more,’ Avery argued, ‘he would have made contact by now if all was well with him.’ Avery took Rhun and Taren aside to speak with them. ‘Something isn’t right. I have felt a darkness descend on Maladaan that was not there when it arrived … and I can only compare it to the kind of evil we encountered from our worst nemesis back on Earth.’
‘Are we talking supernatural? Extra-terrestrial?’ Rhun queried his brother.
‘Maladaan would never knowingly work with the supernatural, they fear it too much,’ Taren commented, and both men nodded to concur.
‘Extra-terrestrial then?’ Rhun stated the more likely conclusion.
‘I cannot think of any major adversaries who escaped justice or —’ Rhun was cut off mid-sentence by Avery.
‘I didn’t say it was one of them, I said it feels similar,’ he clarified. ‘Let me pay Ronan a visit.’
‘I’ll have Telmo announce your intention,’ Rhun concurred.
‘No,’ Avery insisted, ‘we cannot announce my visit or this new nemesis will be awaiting me. I need to find out who and what we are dealing with first.’
‘But if I do not announce your visit then we are in breach of the treaty we signed with Maladaan,’ Rhun objected.
‘The treaty they have already breached?’ Avery objected to Rhun’s protest.
‘Gentlemen, please,’ Taren cut in and they both calmed. ‘Can your dominions help you identify this dark character?’ Taren queried Avery.
‘There is not a trace of nature left on Maladaan,’ Avery explained the difficulty, ‘there are only the air elementals I called to form an artificial atmosphere around the planet, and it was they who informed me of what I know. Anything untoward is taking place inside the buildings on Maladaan, where the artificial atmosphere is still in use, and my air elementals won’t go near there.’ He shrugged at his dilemma.
‘What if I were to go with him?’ Taren suggested to Rhun, who appeared horrified by the notion.
‘Absolutely no,’ he decreed. ‘You are my key to a solution to the Maladaan problem, I cannot risk your safety.’
‘I don’t need a babysitter, and I can have my answers while you are all still discussing it.’ Avery took a few steps away from them.
‘Don’t you dare,’ Rhun warned, ‘I will bring the full judicial force of the allied council against you if you defy my —’
Avery vanished and Rhun nearly hit the roof.
‘Damn it all … you son-of-a—’ Rhun bit his tongue and calmed himself quickly.
‘Should we send someone after him?’ Taren wondered out loud.
‘There are only a handful of the Chosen powerful enough to pursue Avery to Maladaan via teleportation, myself among them, but I am not prepared to risk our safety for one of Avery’s impetuous stunts,’ Rhun said in exasperation. ‘By the time I track one of the elite down and brief them, Avery will be back!’
‘In that case, we can only hope his visit goes unnoticed.’ Taren tried to think of something positive to say, but Rhun’s thoughts were on another tangent.
‘I want you to return to the lake house, submerge and stay put.’ Rhun placed both hands on Taren’s shoulders to instruct her. ‘And I am serious this time.’
Taren nodded and would not dare defy him again after what his brother had just done. ‘What are you going to do?’
‘I am going to a meditation chamber, to attempt a telepathic link-up with Avery,’ he advised. ‘He may be an arrogant little so-and-so, but that is all the more reason I need to look out for him.’
‘I think your mother would be proud of your resolve,’ Taren said as he backed up to take his leave.
‘I don’t think so,’ Rhun retorted, as his physical presence began to fade, ‘as I fully intend to smack him in the jaw when he returns.’
‘That’s the Dragon’s boys for you,’ she muttered to herself, recalling her previous gung-ho impression of them. I’d best let Noah know what is transpiring.
When Avery joined Ronan inside a detention cell he knew something had gone very wrong.
‘My Lord, leave,’ Ronan stated upon sighting him — he’d been expecting the Lord of the Otherworld to keep his promise to rescue him and had been vigilantly awaiting his appearance. As head of the MSS he knew the cell he had been placed in would be under constant video surveillance, so his government would now know him for the traitor he was. ‘This is a trap.’
‘Calm down.’ Avery took the short route for information and held a palm to Ronan’s forehead to perceive the cause. He was in the midst of receiving this information when Avery felt his older brother’s consciousness join with him, not to reprimand but to observe.
Ronan’s meeting with his president played out in Rhun’s mind and the second he saw Ronan’s perception of the new arrival on Maladaan and heard his name preceded by the word ‘Yahweh,’ Rhun’s heart sank into the pit of his stomach.
‘Orions,’ both Rhun and Avery concluded at once.
If the Chosen had a formidable foe in the universe, then the lizard people from the Orion galaxy would be it. The Chosen had been forced to deal with their kind before, during the fall of Atlantis and following the time of the Gathering on Earth. After hundreds of years of peace, the Chosen had thought they had rid this sector of the galaxy of these technological terror types, but obviously not. The weapon they boasted to have could well drive the Chosen to their knees.
‘I believe they mean my people harm, and your people even more so,’ Rhun over
heard Ronan advising his brother.
‘Get out of there, Avery,’ Rhun instructed.
‘They are extremely hostile and view all human beings as inferior.’ Avery ignored Rhun to confirm Ronan’s hunch. ‘They are carnivorous in regard to our species and enjoy extracting fluid from the human brain, during extreme episodes of trauma — human fear is a recreational drug to them.’
Ronan was mortified by what he was hearing. ‘Maladaan’s entire government has been drawn in by them!’
‘That was the case on Earth also, but they are not invincible.’ Avery assured Ronan that all was not lost.
‘With that weapon they have, I wouldn’t count on that.’ Rhun was getting edgy. ‘Leave now, talk later!’
‘We have to go.’ Avery agreed with Rhun, and took hold of Ronan’s arm.
Ronan was stunned, as his eyes looked past Avery to the door behind him.
Avery turned about, and was knocked backwards by the force of a particle stream.
‘No!!!’ Rhun’s connection to Avery was abruptly severed, and Rhun was on his feet, fuming.
Had Yahweh Shyamal just successfully tested his new genetic weapon on his youngest brother and rendered him mortal? The notion made Rhun absolutely livid and immediately he wanted to retaliate — no backup, no comity. He missed the freedom to be as impetuous as Avery was. ‘If they kill him …’ Rhun couldn’t even consider the chaos that would arise in the Otherworld in the absence of a Lord and Master!
His mind in a whirl of emotional turmoil, Rhun’s first thought was to consult En Noah before doing anything rash.
11
THE OLD CREW
At the lake house Taren was greeted by Noah and Lucian, who’d both been out of their minds with worry.
‘Where have you been?’ Lucian queried, embracing her rather more tightly than usual.
‘I was with Rhun.’ She hadn’t thought they’d even notice her missing. ‘Something terrible has happened.’
Taren explained as much as she knew, and with every sentence Noah grew more concerned.
‘Avery defied the governor and went anyway,’ she concluded, ‘thus the governor has retired to a meditation chamber to follow his brother’s movements telepathically.’
‘A smart move,’ Noah agreed, a frown wrinkling his brow. ‘A presence as dark as our worst nemesis,’ he repeated for clarity and when Taren nodded, Noah urged them both inside and immediately took steps to submerge the lake house.
‘Excuse me, won’t you?’ Noah left Taren and Lucian in the lounge room, and made haste downstairs to his office.
‘This is not good.’ Taren felt it in her gut — they may have only been here a little while, but they were already running out of time to solve their dilemma. ‘I need to get my memory back from the MSS … the governor suspects it might hold some answers to the Maladaan mystery.’
Lucian played devil’s advocate. ‘I don’t see how, being that you lost your memory long before Maladaan ever went missing.’
‘Well, I certainly don’t have any answers now,’ Taren cried in desperation, ‘and these people all believe I am the key to this mystery!’
‘And you were told they held the solution —’ Lucian voiced his understanding, but Taren shook her head.
‘Actually, no …’ she thought hard on it, ‘… I was told that I had a role to play in the return of Maladaan and that I’d find the answer to the problem here, in this universe. It’s just that I foresaw meeting the governor and so assumed he held the answers I sought.’ She began to pace. ‘This universe is where my memory is now, so perhaps the governor’s hunch is correct?’
‘Right then.’ Lucian made a move towards the stairs to the upper level of the lake house.
‘Where are you going?’ Taren thought this an inappropriate time to take a nap.
‘I’m going to see if I can summon Azazèl and get some straight answers out of him,’ Lucian advised with a sly smile. He had his own ‘Power’: he was a medium and as such had the ability to see spirits, deceased or celestial, and could see straight through all physical matter.
‘You can do that?’ Taren was stunned; she knew that Lucian was able to see the Grigori on the rare occasion they made themselves present, but she did not realise that Lucian could summon their guardian spirit.
‘It was only with the cooperation of the Grigori that I conscripted Zeven to aid me to rescue you from your demented uncle.’ He referred to an incident that had taken place before they’d left their universe of origin.
‘I didn’t know.’ Taren realised there was a lot that had transpired just prior to their hasty departure from the Sermetic star system that she had yet to learn about. ‘Thank you.’
‘You’re welcome,’ he replied modestly, backing up the stairs. ‘One day, when we find some time to sit down, I’ll tell you all about how Zeven appeared butt-naked in front of your parents.’
‘What?’ Taren may have been stressing, but that premise brought a smile to her face. ‘No!’ She thought he was surely pulling her leg.
‘It’s true,’ he assured, disappearing into the sanctuary of the large bedroom upstairs.
Taren gave a huge sigh, in the hope of ridding herself of the great hollow feeling that welled in her chest; she missed the old crew of AMIE, Zeven most of all.
‘He’s telling the truth …’
Taren grinned, sure she must be imagining Zeven’s reply.
‘… I did appear butt-naked in front of your folks.’
Taren gasped as she felt a hand on her shoulder and when she turned to find Zeven standing there, she jumped backwards in shock.
‘What, no hug?’ he prompted with a smile as Taren found her tongue.
‘Are you both insane?’ Taren noted Ringbalin beside him, and flung an arm around each of them. ‘What are you two doing here?’
‘We thought you might be in trouble.’ Zeven grinned.
‘You have no idea.’ She laughed, almost euphoric to see the pilot. But as her eyes turned to Ringbalin she frowned, wondering if there were implications to him meeting another manifestation of himself?
‘You don’t seem so pleased to see me?’ The botanist wondered at her frown and ebbing excitement.
‘No, I am,’ Taren assured, taking hold of both his hands, ‘it’s just that —’
A chime sounded, which brought their conversation to a halt. As there was no one else around, Taren wandered over to the intercom by the front door.
‘Are we …’ Zeven looked to the large windows to check out the view and Balin followed.
‘… underwater.’ Ringbalin smiled with delight as he finished Zeven’s observation for him.
‘Hello?’ Taren spoke into the intercom. ‘Can I help you?’
‘Who is that?’ asked a woman, sounding very surprised.
‘I’m just visiting,’ Taren replied, thinking it was unwise to disclose who she was. ‘Would you like me to get En Noah for you?’
‘Yes, I would.’
Taren was startled to find their guest had manifested beside her. She’d seen this woman in Noah’s chronicles but asked to be sure. ‘Who are you?’
‘I’m En Noah’s wife, Rebecca.’ The dark beauty stared her down. ‘Who are —’ She stopped herself short and then her eyes widened in recognition. ‘No, it can’t be?’
Taren ventured to smile, and held out her hand. ‘Taren Lennox, a.k.a. Tory Alexander, I’m told. En Noah has been kind enough to hide us here, upon the governor’s request.’
‘No wonder he’s not back on campus yet.’ Rebecca’s smile broadened, and it was then that Taren saw in this shorter, dark-skinned beauty, the woman that Ringbalin had lost not so long ago. ‘“Us”, you said? Is Maelgwn here, too?’ Rebecca looked about for him, but spied Zeven and Ringbalin by the windows. ‘Brian!’ She rushed to embrace Zeven, who was stunned, but not opposed to her attention.
‘Okay,’ he agreed.
Rebecca then looked to Ringbalin and Taren held her breath, unable to stop snowballing events. ‘
Hello, darling,’ said Rebecca, as she kissed the botanist.
‘Why does he get a kiss?’ Zeven protested, as Taren rushed over to try and explain the misunderstanding to both parties, but as Rebecca pulled away from Ringbalin she realised her error.
‘Oh my Goddess … you’re not Noah, are you?’
‘Um, no.’ Ringbalin couldn’t wipe the smile off his face.
‘I’m so sorry,’ she apologised, embarrassed.
‘Don’t be,’ he said, still grinning.
‘I just thought you’d shaved, and grown your hair.’ Rebecca laughed, gazing at him in wonder and he at her. ‘You look just like Noah when I first met him.’
‘You also remind me very much of someone I used to know,’ Ringbalin admitted.
Rebecca looked over all the strangers in her summer house with a warm curiosity, realising that none of them were who she thought them to be. ‘So, who are you people?’
Noah had retired downstairs to consult the Tablet of Destinies on this matter once again. He was particularly interested in the crowning pyramid of the tablet, the one that had foreseen a war if nothing was done about their concern. Originally he had seen spacecraft, unknown to him, attacking Kila, but upon closer inspection there was one craft among these that his ancient memory did recognise.
‘Orions!’ stated Rhun as he appeared next to Noah, confirming Noah’s own observation.
‘I should have seen this earlier.’
‘They have Avery!’ Rhun emphasised. ‘They have created a genetic weapon that has rendered him mortal!’
Noah wrapped up the Tablet and placed it away.
‘I want to go after him,’ Rhun appealed, as if his colleague was in charge.
‘You cannot.’ Noah was the voice of reason.
But there wasn’t anyone Rhun was prepared to risk — all his greatest warriors and scholars were his dearest friends and family and now one of them was in great peril.
‘Goddess, why didn’t he listen?’ Rhun paced out his frustration, beyond all rational thought. ‘Why me for governor?’ He questioned his ability to handle the unfolding catastrophe. ‘Brian would have known what to do.’