Part 23
“Listen.” Talia said as she went to one knee before her children and put her hands on Fire and Six’s shoulders. “Just before the time-bubble is cast, we’ll cast our copies on Hilia. And I know that we’ll be with you while the time-bubble runs. But the us that’ll be in the time-bubble won’t be able to see you for years, and I know that’s going to be really hard on us. Only the knowledge that it’ll only be a short time for you and that we’ll regain the memories of that time after the bubble ends gives me the courage to do this.
“So give me a big hug, and I’ll take a really good Reading of you to remember while I’m away from you.”
She hugged them with desperate affection while she Read them, and Mark and Alilia did the same, and they continued until all three of them had hugged and Read all four children and Povon and Kragorram as well.
“We’ll miss you. And you won’t miss us.” Alilia laughed with a tear in her eye as she hugged and Read Povon.
“True, but I’m sure you won’t miss us much, what with all the little ones keeping you busy.” Povon teased as she released Alilia.
As those who would stay and those who would leave separated into two groups Mark asked Visinniria; “Let us know when there’s five seconds to go?” and she nodded.
When she gave that warning, Mark, Talia, and Alilia cast the Multiple Simultaneous Manifestations spell to create their copies on Hilia, and called; “It worked, we’re on Hilia, we love you, take care!”
Amirgath Translocated everyone who was leaving to their preferred destinations just a fraction of a second before the bubble was cast.
PART 24
“That was different.” Val commented, even as she and her siblings rushed to their parents on the patio of their cottage on Hilia and hugged them. “When Amirgath jumped us here, there was no perceptible time of transition, and no quick flash of cold. We were just suddenly here.”
hugging our parents while feeling like we just left them for a
exceptional really have unique problems. I’m sure no
chuckle a
it bother you, knowing that you’re a copy?” Kragorram
there’s only one me, one mind with one soul. I just have two bodies right now, and I don’t know what I’m doing in my other body because
reduce the tendency to think of it as two separate
the same.” Talia
you, it wouldn’t have been that bad, and it would have saved you a lot of trouble. But we really don’t have the discipline yet to make that kind of a self-sacrifice. Now that I’ve become psionicly aware of the full
weeks without you. Lots of children go on vacations that long without their parents, to visit their grandparents or whatever, and they deal with it. We’d have had Povon and Kragorram and Sheramiv and all The Atoned and lots of people to keep us company, and
couldn’t even bring myself to suggest it. The thought of spending six weeks without you
the boy. “I’m glad you’re not done with being our children that way, because we’re sure not done with being your parents that way. As wonderful as
cheated with only eighteen years! I don’t care how fast you develop, I’m still
Six
eighty years of raising me that all dragon parents deserve?”
sure.” Povon told him with a smile and an affectionate grip on his shoulder. “Ask
for our militaries to be as proficient as any force in it, and I’m sure you all feel the same. We should make sure we have
plan’s charts and Revealings that they’d been given.
“Sheramiv?”
immediately
prepare a status report on the Hilian military’s state