Under a Starless Sky

Shen sat on the floor next to the hearth. He was given a huge plate of food, more than he could eat, and it was clear he was meant to eat first, before Arne and his family. He wanted to protest and give it back, but that could have been seen as an insult. Arne had food on his plate. He would learn in time, there was an order of service- guest first, children, elderly, those who had contributed to the meal or process, slaves, then the host. Guest would have a meal delivered first, and friend of the guest would also be served. As soon as guest ate the first bite and approved, food would be distributed accordingly. This meal was slightly different, due to being off schedule. The children were given dried fruit for snacks. They used stools for tables while sitting on the floor. Arne’s wife sat next to him, nursing. There were other women in the house. Other men. Children, too. There were lots of questions put forth. There was a Tarmorian present. She had served the food to Arne and Shen.

Torny sat near, holding a child for a friend who needed a break. “Is Loxy a true ghost, or a projection of someone living remotely?”

“She is Bilocated?” Yaffa asked.

“I don’t think this is what we’re experiencing,” Jerica said. She was a light master, and Torny’s triad-friend, maker of the rune a fifth above hers- and she had the gift of Bilocation. Her hair was read. She was slender. Her hair was flame red. There was splattering of freckles as if someone had sloshed excess paint from a brush straight into her face. Shen felt as if he had known in another life, but didn’t place her in time, space, or dream. One eye was green the other blue. It was explained by her that when she pushed a doppelganger, her eyes were both blue, and her origin form held both green- the only distinction between them.

“We have heard grandmother speak of tree spirits for ages, but never seen anything like that tonight,” Arne said. “Will your friends return?”

“Loxy is always with me,” Shen said.

“Even now?” Torny asked. “Is she hiding?”

TL came out of the shadows. All eyes were wide. She bowed to Aslog. “May I come into the light, and sit near my husband?”

“Of course,” Aslog said.

‘Someone asked, can someone be married to a ghost?’ ‘Can you be married to an idea?’ was the reply.

TL sat next to Shen.

“Do you want food or drink?” this came from the servant girl. Her name was Bao.

“No, thank you,” TL said. “I do hope, Arne, that we have not caused too much trouble. It was right of Shen to share this secret. It has been a burden to him. Ghost is really not the appropriate term for who and what I am, but it’s close enough for now.”

“You must tell us your story on how you came to be together,” Aslog said.

“I am more interested in knowing your relationship with him. You called him husband?” Jerica asked.

“Does it matter? You are free to flirt with him, are you not?” TL said.

“He prefers ghosts, and old people who will be ghost soon enough,” Jerica said. “He may not see me.”

Shen choked. TL hit his back and freed it. “Thanks,” he managed.

“He sees you,” TL assured her. “He sees everyone.”

“He is your husband, or your slave?” Jerica asked.

“You make a distinction?” TL said.

“Slaves are property, and are protected, coveted. A person with sovereignty has more options in bedding partners,” Jerica said.

“What does your husband say?” TL asked.

“Do you think when he is at sea I must be chaste? Do you think he doesn’t have relations with foreigners abroad?” Jerica asked.

“You’re okay with that?” Shen asked.

“Men will do what men do. Women will do what women do. I love my husband, I want him happy. He is always welcomed home,” Jerica said.

“May they always return,” the women said, in chorus.

“Husband and wife means relationship,” Jerica said. “A partnership, sharing wealth. Women govern the property. Children belong to the community. Every milk breast feeds every child.”

“And every adult,” Tane said, toasting air.

“Hell’a better than goat milk, that’s for sure,’ Erico agreed.

“It takes every person, man and woman, to ensure the security of the child,” Arne said. “All people are children. All people deserve to be held, hugged, and accepted with touch, affection. All people, regardless of age, gender, or position, at any time can asked to be held. A person may decline, but only if there is another willing to meet that need. Being intimate with grandmother has raised your esteem with almost everyone here. I bet by morning, the whole island will want to know more.”

lonely ladies, will

to help me out, brother,” Shen said to Erico. There was laughter as he coughed on his milk. “Are there people that are not

Of course. Most people who have a limited ability to love or to fight, they align themselves with someone they can tolerate,” Arne said. “They usually align themselves with people who would not aggressively pursue affection. Slaves are granted protection from all advances, protected from battling as a form of conflict resolution. Some stewards are better than others,

“Boa,” Aslog said. “Tell the truth, have

have not,” Boa

“Why?” Shen asked.

said. “These are the ugliest people I have ever met.

free person,” Arne said. “It was to be an exchange. We would teach

she?”

are too stupid

learned,” Shen

narrowed. “You lie,” she

is

will not suffer

“I will

said. She flipped her script. “They are not on the path. They deviate, allowing men to know script and stones and light

can see in the

ability of the mind to adapt to acoustical feedback in such a way a map is rendered in the brain,”

a clicker,” Boa said. “That is not

radiation. They can find their prey even in the dark. The heartbeat of prey can be discerned like a candle in the night. Just swimming at a speed can create enough of an electromagnetic signal that the sense can be used to detect them. Humans have an electromagnetic sense that is latent, but it is there, just as all animals have it. An adaptation to fight predators who are strong in EM sight is the ability to ‘freeze.’ When prey senses danger their heart stops, they go still, they go dark and silent and the predator passes in the dark. The heart kicks back on and they go quickly about their business. Humans also can experience freeze when threatened. You can’t have this ability to freeze if you don’t also have the sense discernment of EM predation. Human’s sense of smell has decline due to the dominance of sight and hearing. EM sense has also declined due to the dominance of sight and hearing, but also because we are the top of the food chain. In the wild, people have sense when something is sneaking up on them. People have sense when someone is staring at them. People who live in the dark are going to develop Second Sight. The heart is a light that paints everything in its sphere of influence. The echo of that beat paints a map in the brain. To see this, you have to not ‘see’ with your visual center of the brain, and not ‘hear’ with the hearing part of your brain. Even though both these brain regions contribute to Second Sight, either can also turn it off when threshold of signal is met. “Every living cell respond to that heart light

woven into their paradigm, and some were already trying to

“Who taught

Holder of Easterly’s light,” Shen

said. “And I

am your people,”

in the land doesn’t make you people,”

woman as dark as you. As short and arrogant as you,”

sense. She must have found you in a basket and told you she gave birth,” Boa said. “Regardless,

vicariously, watching. L’Ma, Lanore, Master of Light, born in East Midelay,

one of

to me, along with a daughter, who resembles you,” Shen said. “I failed to become a part of their system. I lived in the

can live in

“Unless you are friend to the forest,”

with ghosts,”

“I have lived in the forest. I have tamed Irks. I have handled

Arne. “You have yet to teach me

not something I can

you

“I am sovereign. I am definitely not beholden to

return again, would you gift this knowledge to

have no bearing on my friendship with your husband,”

look. “I am afraid,

hand in hers to

my

Everyone laughed. Erico spit milk

to see how she was doing and catch Jerica looking at him. TL was aware of it, but gave it no energy. She was too busy talking, and holding a baby. Privately with Shen she shared, ‘I told you.’ “You did. You okay I slept with Ili?” ‘Are you kidding? My esteem for you has risen tremendously. Everyone deserves intimacy. People assume the elderly are dead walking, but they are also deserving. That was a kindness.’ “Well, my position was not kindness. I was horny as

found a moment to ask Arne if

need the

want some fresh

“Come on,”

out a tunnel, out into the night with a torch. They walked

“It is the most beautiful land, so majestic, like a

can imagine,”

really see

to the sleeper spell. As you.” He tapped his

“You know about