Chapter 25 #3
At first, Bellisans welcomed the split. Both sides wanted to prove they didn’t need the other.” He took a breath. “You have
seen the results.”
Aradella had to look away. “And all this was for your planet’s entertainment.”
Davro’s voice was barely a whisper. “I am sorry to say so, but yes. That’s what it became. All our great technological knowledge
is now being used to give pleasure.” His voice was bitter. “Bellis has been made into a place where Yuzans can experience
the things our ancestors threw away. They come here to be excited, thrilled, even frightened. Masses of money exchanges hands.”
Mekos’s face showed his anger. “All while you are safe. Your people are untouched by the risks that such strong, violent emotions do to us.”
“That is true,” Davro said softly. “Even on Yuzan today, anything offensive is immediately taken away. There is still perfect
peace and harmony. But on your planet, it is different.” He looked at Aradella. “It’s no consolation, but everyone cried when
your parents were killed by Olina and her mother. I’m ashamed to say that the play for power with King Aramus and you marrying
the disgusting Nessa had high ratings. The sponsors made a lot of money.”
“How do we stop this?” Mekos asked.
“Unfortunately, it cannot be done through war.” Davro sighed. “If it could, your great-grandfather, Haver, would have done
it. But change like you want—and need—must be done in stages. It’s like a puzzle and you have to find the pieces.” He could
see that they didn’t understand. “There is a practical side to all this. Your utilities go from us to your islands. We give
you clean water. We work with your doctors and your food producers. Without us and the chips we created, you wouldn’t be able
to understand each other. You and Aradella speak different languages.” He looked at Ian. “You are incomprehensible to all humans.” He turned back to them. “And there is the fact that Yuzans truly believe they are balancing
the evil with the good.” His voice rose, as though in warning. “They will fight change with all the weaponry they can create
while they spout mottos that make them feel righteous.”
“But my grandmamá has foreseen a future without . . . this.” Mekos waved his hand to mean all that was outside.
Davro tried to calm himself. “She has started the first steps.” He paused.
“For all our knowledge of the universe, there is one thing we cannot comprehend—or conquer.” His eyes lit up.
“Magic! It makes no logical sense to Yuzans. When Garen’s mother and grandfather died, we took their bodies and dissected them.
Their brains were put under high-powered microscopes.
Every level of sound was used on them, but nothing was found that could explain how they can perform magic.
” Davro looked at Aradella. “What you and Bree did with those plants in that arena is not logical. That little man . . . What did he do to your mass of weeds?”
“Ignited them,” Aradella said. “He made them come alive.”
“We cannot understand that. How is it possible? Yuzans could see the difference in the brain of my sister, but they cannot
see if magic is in there.” Davro lowered his voice. “I will tell you a secret. Yuzans fear your magic. If there is to be an
overthrow, it will be through that.”
“How do we find the puzzle pieces?” Mekos asked. “How do we unite and stop being your puppets and existing only to entertain
you?”
“My sister has dedicated her life to that question. When Kaley and her family were brought here, there were other Earth people
who came with them. Each person has something special about them, something he or she can do. They have different levels of
magic. What Vian foresaw involves them too. I don’t know how.”
“Bree was sent to another island,” Aradella said. “She was told it was imperative that she go. Will she help undo what your
people have imposed on it?”
Davro nodded. “I hope so. One of the earthlings ran away. It’s believed she made it to the island where Bree was sent. My
sister says that everything is part of a long-term plan.”
“Won’t your spy cameras see what we’re trying to do?” Ian asked.
Davro gave a smirk of a grin. “Thanks to my sister, Yuzans are being told that when you move from one island to another your
only purpose is to make friends. So far, they think it’s all entertainment.”
Aradella curled her lip. “Maybe there are advantages to them thinking we’re stupid.”
Davro smiled. “That’s what my sister says.”
“But we are actually uniting the many islands on Bellis,” Mekos said, smiling back. “And your language chips are allowing
us to do it.”
Nodding, Davro looked at his nephew with pride.
Abruptly, Aradella stood up. “It has been a long day.”
Mekos stood up beside her, Ian to his shoulder. “Yes, it has. Could we rest?”
“Of course.” Davro stood. “Accommodation has been made for you.” He led them down a short hall and opened a set of double
doors.
What they saw made Aradella gasp. Unlike the rest of the place, the bedroom looked like Qip’s cottage. There was pretty striped
wallpaper in shades of pink and cream. A wooden bed had soft covers, and fat chairs were upholstered with a print of roses.
It was truly beautiful!
“This is what Qip said you’d like.” Davro looked as though he hoped he’d pleased them.
“It’s lovely,” Aradella said.
Davro smiled and looked at Ian. “I have a reproduction of an Earth sultan’s palace for you. It is lavishly decadent.” To his
delight, Ian flew to his shoulder.
“Lead the way,” Ian ordered and they left.
Alone, Mekos and Aradella looked about. She went to the window and opened the curtain. Outside were three of the giant playboards.
Have dinner with Thomas Jefferson.
Weaving class with Mahatma Gandhi.
See the best of the Cutting Games on Selkan. Feel the pain or not. Your choice.
She turned away in disgust. “I hate this place.”
Mekos fell back onto the bed and the comforter almost encircled him. “This is the finest quality of swan fabric. We save this
for our own family. I wonder how they got it.”
“Stole it, then enjoyed the tears of whoever they robbed.” She dropped down onto a chair.
Mekos looked at her hard. “What’s on your mind? Other than solving all this, that is.” He waved his hand to mean what they’d
been told.
“I understand what he was saying, and it’s made me think about my own life.
I’ve always been jealous of my cousins.” She looked at him.
“What if I had been made queen? What would I have done to my subjects? Would I have hated people based on their looks? Would I have sent pretty people to a place like Abicis? Or worse?”
Mekos smiled at her with love in his eyes. “Maybe learning this makes it all worth it.”
“I don’t want to stay here. I want to go home.”
Mekos turned on his side, his head on his hand. “And where is that? Have we decided where we’ll live? With help, we could
probably overtake Pithan and you could rule—”
“No!” she said fiercely, then quieted. “Sometimes you can’t make up your mind about things, then suddenly you know what you want.” She looked hard into his eyes. “This—” She waved her hand to mean the whole planet. “This isn’t something
I want to try to solve alone. That’s what you and I did with Valona and we failed. Because of us, Urah and Olina are free
to cause more destruction.” She paused. “I want us to help with whatever Tanek and Vian and all of them are doing. I don’t want you and me to ever again think we’re alone in this fight.”
She took a breath. “And I want a home and a family. I want to live at your destroyed Homestead. I want your father and Kaley
to be there as we rebuild the place. And I want my friend Hale there. I miss her very much.”
She looked at him with great intensity. “What Davro said about my body . . . I want a child.”
Mekos raised an eyebrow. “You mean now?”
“Yes. This child. Don’t ask me to explain it but this child showed himself to me through your uncle.” She paused. “After seeing this place and how much control these people have
over every aspect of us, I don’t want to think of the future. I want all the happiness I can get right now. This minute. No
more postponement!” Her voice was rising.
Mekos was smiling at her, listening.
She smiled back at him. “I want our child to learn about swans, like your family knows. Our son will be of the Order of Swans.”
“With you as his mother, we’ll make it the Order of Royal Swans.”
Aradella raised her eyebrows. “Do you know how to do it? I mean, to make a baby?”
He smiled. “Yes. Papá has only done it once, to make me, but he said it’s a pleasure like no other. For both of us.” He paused.
“You have no doubts?”
“I’ve never been more sure about anything in my life. What about you?”
“No doubts whatever.” He opened his arms to her.