SIXTY-THREE: Heartbeat

When Arous turned MiJin was already gone.

“Who is she?” said Arous.

Therese stared at Arous. She didn’t look angry or shocked but stared in a trance.  She didn’t look disconnected but fully aware as if she was getting an unheard transmission.  A warm breeze seemed to breathe down the back of Arous’ neck.

“So, it’s you,” Therese sighed.  “I was beginning to wonder if I’d ever see you.”

“You know me?”

“There are no strangers in the Bowl.  When you are there you know them all. Away from there, away from your source, you memory is more foggy.”

Arous heard a faint whispering, a remembrance.  Therese smiled at her.

“They told me you were coming.”

“They couldn’t stop themselves the minute I ran away - ” Arous anger flared before Therese’s look interrupted her.

“Oh, I don’t know about you running away,” she smiled, almost laughing. “Last spring, I was at the Bowl for Spring Jubilee.  I saw you Skin-dancing with Mekko and Esfahva. I’m friends with Priscilla and Miguel.”

“I suppose you know Priscilla has gone back into the Mist,” Arous was angry.  She felt there was something she should have known and didn’t.

“She’s still my friend.”

Without thinking, Arous had slipped her hand into her pocket and felt the envelope that James had given her. She pulled out the envelope and was holding it in her hand.

“What do you have there?”

“I don’t know.  I don’t remember taking it out of my pocket,” Arous glared at Therese. “You Aclarids are all alike.  I can’t tell if it’s you in my head or me.”

“It wasn’t me.” Therese smile continue to disarm Arous as she joined her at the table.

Arous looked down at the pictures. They were pictures of her mom and another person.  All of them of her mom and another man.

Trust her, Edlawit said. Trust her.

“Mother,” Arous said.

Therese pulled the pictures toward her. She held her breath.

“Who’s this man?” asked Arous.  “He’s in all these pictures with her.”

“They didn’t tell me I’d be involved with this,” sighed Therese. “I guess it doesn’t matter. Knowing the Diofe is always, well, unexpected things do happen. Adventure is never safe.”

Therese held the pieces of news paper in her hand.

“No one has ever created anything to perfect the newspaper,” said Therese.

“A history lesson? I just want to know who this man is,” said Arous.

“The addition to V-dots to it was substantial. There isn’t anything more convenient to look at on a slow Hoveh-hyoc than a newspaper.  Fan. Flyswatter. Umbrella.  You can even hide under it. Pictures with a peel-and-play V-dot at the top of each page.  If you want words to go with the pictures you just pop the V-dot in your mouth and you have all the words you want. Can’t always trust words though.  Words can be manipulated, changed. No one has to read: a controlled public. A public with no easy access to readable history. That’s the way they like it, I guess. V-dots are easily manipulated. Your mother knew that.”

“Knew what? The last thing I got from her was a VIH-dot.  Do you mean it was all a lie?”

“You haven’t gotten it yet?”

“What?”

“A letter. Your mom wrote you a letter.”

Therese continued, looking at her. “A picture may be worth a 1000 words but a V-Dot can tell 1 million lies. A letter. On paper.  Written by your mother’s hand.”

Therese studied the pictures.

“Who is he?”

“The man is Ephor Ricci.” Therese stroked Arous hair and looked into her eyes; her lips smiled but her eyes didn’t. “Arous, Ephor Ricci is from Alippiana.”

Arous got up to leave but Therese had a firm grip on her forearm.

“Arous.”

Therese took the spoon from the molasses and watched it peel back into the jar.

“Mijin always forgets to take the spoon out of the Molasses.”

“Do you have the letter?”

 “No.”

“Who then, Ephor Ricci?”

“No,” said Therese. “It’ll do no good to tell you this but you should stay away from him and his whole entourage.”

“I know you have the mind-sight. Do you know who has the letter?”

“You’ll have it when you get home.”

Therese looked back at Arous. Her grip tightened.  Her eyes looked a bit far away but keen into Arous.

“Your mother was Idelle to Ephor Canadí who was also World Prime Ephor at the time.  A very powerful position,” Therese paused before continuing. “Arous, before the Ephor was assassinated there were all sorts of rumors about Ricci and your mother.  Ricci was the Minister of Security then and was creating what is now known as his Grey Guard. The Prime Ephor made his position only 2^nd in command of the City to him. After the assassination everyone insisted that he become Ephor Canadí. The MOTA’s didn’t even vote. Your mother, remained Lady Siren; Ricci changed her title to First Lady Gray. There has never been one woman in the City with so much power.”

Arous tried to pull her away, to leave but Therese had a firm grip on her wrist, holding her hand down to the table.

“I know what you think you have to do, but Arous, be careful. Remember your Source. You think you know who your friends are. You don’t.”

Edlawit opened her eyes.

“Miguel, she wants to know who Ricci is. There is something about him but she is afraid to ask Therese.”  Her tears came in an uncontrollable rush.  I walked her to the swing on the porch.

“She has forgotten,” I said and stroked her hair. “She met Ricci once. But she won’t really believe it. Not until he says it.  Then she’ll begin to doubt everything.”

            “I want Priscilla.”

            “I miss her, too. She won’t be long now.”

            “How do you know?”

            “I can feel her getting close to the edge of the Mist.  I can smell her, almost,” I said but I was cautious to venture this part.  “Much like you can feel Arous when you have the sight.  You can, can’t you?”

            “Yes,” she said and began to sob.  “How did that happen?”

            “You have a connection and she let you fully in. Even if she let me in all the way, we don’t have the bond the two of you do.  You can -”

            “I can feel her heart beat,” she said then alarmed. “I can feel her panic.”

            “Remember,” I said and pulled Edlawit close to me, breathing deep, “she can feel and hear you too.”

            “Not anymore,” sobbed Edwi.  “After today, she has promised to block me with all of her strength.”

“Don’t panic,” I said. “She’s always overestimated her own strength. It’s a good thing cats are curious to the point of fearlessness.”