Part 25
“And we thank you, for both the suggestion and the service.”
“Glad to be of service.” Mark grinned. “We can have it done in a minute. After the work we did the other day, we’re well practiced in casting the Gates.”
“I will provide you with the required information in fourteen minutes.” First Mauve informed him.
“Hmph.” Amirgath went as he tossed his head a bit. “I had hoped that this would be a great accomplishment that I would have a leading part in, but it will still be a great accomplishment. The fourteen minutes will allow me to alert Kellaran to what is about to occur, so that we can properly welcome our visitors to our neighborhood.”
With that, both gods vanished.
Mark’s family smiled smugly at each other, then returned to the work they were doing. After all, fourteen minutes was too long to spend in anticipation when there was work to do.
True to her word, First Mauve returned in fourteen minutes, with Visinniria.
“I’m here to give you the position and speed information psionicly.” Visinniria explained. “The Triax want to be sure you have it right and have it down, and so would prefer that you’re given the information psionicly. Since psionic communication between their gods and our mortals is still a problem, I’ll be giving it to you and monitoring what you’re doing for them, and facilitating communications.”
She did so, and Mark’s family Linked, considered and mentally rehearsed what they were about to do for a moment, and acted.
Val, Talia, and Alilia Translocated to where they’d collected power from the sun at sixteen times normal intensity, and cast vast collection fields. Fire, Karz, Povon, and Kragorram went to the void above Kellaran where the Triax fleet would emerge, to anchor the exit portal. Six and Mark Translocated out into the void farther than any mortal of Kellaran had ever been, beyond the orbits of the inner worlds, in the path of the incoming fleet and moving toward the sun. Though still distant, the vessels of the Triax fleet already looked huge and impressive.
Working together, they all cast the Gate with portals three hundred and twenty kilometers wide, just to be completely safe. They let Visinniria know where it was and where its edges were.
orientation of the Gate by sighting the stars that are visible
reported; “All right, everything looks good.
cast the Gate beside and in front of them as they flew toward Kellaran and let the fleet catch up with them, so they could watch the fleet going through.
located in The Triax’s desired orbit in a place where it was in direct sunlight, while above a part of the world that was in the darkness of a cloudless night, so that Kellaran’s
the test passage
apparent, then suddenly all sixteen mighty vessels were through in far less than a
everything is good.” Visinniria said with a big smile. “You
go through it first!” Six laughed, and then he and Mark became the first Kellarani to use a Gate
were joined an instant later by Val, Talia, and Alilia, then they
time they had caught up there were already thousands of Kellarani in the void about the worldlets, many holding or casting
them with great sincerity. “That was very, very well done, and
of them a divinely wonderful warm hug as
great Triax vessels and flew gaily but carefully among the Kellarani, along with hundreds of Triax
some gods of Kellaran and other leaders of The Assembly. All the rest kept their distance with an almost elven decorum, though many waved and smiled when they were
functions of the new void-proofing spells made it seem that the air was full of music and conversation, feasts were served, billions danced
glowing red jewel of a professional Revealer appeared in front of them, and First Burgundy approached with a
senior mortal Triax.”
starting with Fire, who was closest at the moment, again
first Orders of Merit awarded by The Kellaran-Triax Alliance, and they are Orders of Merit for Brilliance. Both of our peoples are
are made by Kellaran, the medallions are made by The Triax. There is an energy field in the medallions that The Triax can read, and they read the same as the plaques. More than thirty billion individuals from
beyond measure by the trust that all of your people placed in us.” Mark told him with a broad smile. “And to be fair, each of