Day Five:
In the exercise room of the Eternal Wanderer, Tabatha Cherna stood as still as a stone, looking at the straw target in front of her. Onestar was standing at the door, watching her. The tabaxi knew he was there, but Onestar was convinced she didn't. With one lighting flash Tabatha drew her two swords and reduced the straw target to a pile of debris, and swung around very fast, leaving the tip of her katana just inches from the samurai's face. Onestar looked startled.
"You're better that I thought," he said.
"Thank you," Tabatha said, putting away her swords. She was wearing a two piece exercise suit that on a human would be barely decent, but on a tabaxi with a full coat of fur it looked fine. Onestar took a wooden practice sword off a rack on the wall.
"Would you care to have a mock duel?" he asked. "It has been a while since I fought someone of... your talents."
Tabatha gave a slight smile and narrowed her eyes.
"I recognize that short sword," Onestar said.
"Then you know I'm not to be taken lightly," Tabatha whispered.
"Indeed I do," he answered, raising the practice sword. Tabatha lifted a pair of balsa wood nunchucks and assumed a defensive stance, her feline teeth in a wicked grin.
"Mirisuki chena Hi!" Onestar said.
"Mirisuki seeka ti!" Tabatha responded and she did a back flip across the room with lighting speed.
This is going to be fun, Onestar thought.
A little while later, Tabatha found Hall in the library, looking over some strange looking scrolls. She was exhausted from her mock duel with Onestar, and she was almost wheezing.
"Hall," she gasped, "you have to..."
"Get some rest," Hall said as he left the library.
A few minutes later he saw Onestar in the exercise room, healing himself with his psionic abilities.
"I know what she is," Onestar said plainly.
Hall raised one eyebrow.
"You of all people should know better than to tangle with the likes of her," Hall said quietly as he closed the door. Onestar just looked up at him with sweat pouring from his forehead. Hall sighed heavily and sat on the floor near the door.
"Why are you doing this to yourself?" he asked quietly.
"Don't start that again, Hall," Onestar grumbled. "There are issues here that you wouldn't understand."
"Try me," Hall said with a deadpan voice.
Onestar remained silent.
"Come on old pal," Hall said. "This is me. Hall-ee-mor Dargess, you remember? 'Uncle' Kirisaki's dragonship? Garassh and the Asteroid cove? That card game on Greela when we tricked those dohwor into selling us a hammership at half price?"
Onestar scowled for a minute, then his face softened.
"Do you know what it's like," the samurai started, "to come face to face with a turning point from your past... and not know what it was all about?"
"You have managed to pull through so far," Hall commented. "Bit by bit the memories are returning. Eventually it will all make sense, but you shouldn't fight it this way."
"That's easy for you to say," Onestar said, becoming angry. "You have a good three centuries left before your time runs out," he snapped. "What's more, you were able to solve all of your problems by simply casting a magic wand! I don't have that option!"
Onestar stood looking at Hall, furious.
"Are you finished?" Hall asked quietly.
"Yes," Onestar sighed. "Sorry."
"Let's try again. Why are you doing this to yourself?"
"I told you. I was given back parts of my past back there. Parts I wish had never happened..."
Onestar paused. He was obviously in pain, both physical and emotional.
"So much of who I am is missing. I have no true memories, only feelings. People I once trusted betrayed me... "
"We have all faced that in some way," Hall said quietly. "Some day I'll tell you why I haven't gone back to Solaris, despite my love for my home world."
Onestar gave Hall a startled look. Hall had been hiding something for a long time. Apparently he too had a very painful memory from his past that he never shared with anyone.
"Sometimes people change for the worse," Hall stated. "That's a cruel fact of life. You know that."
"I know, it's just... If it happens again... I won't know how to act."
"Something tells me that you just changed the subject," Hall observed.
"I can't remember the details. All I know is that... Arista. I went through a great amount of pain because of her."
"So that's it," Hall said. "You're afraid of getting hurt again."
Onestar simply looked at the floor and didn't say a word.
"Some time ago you said you were done with the past," Hall stated. "Perhaps this time you really should think only of the present, and the future. If things go wrong this time, at least you will remember it."
At that the bard rose and left the exercise room, leaving Onestar to ponder his words.
The day's meetings had been long and difficult for Blaise and Hypathia. The continual barrage of business propositions, grant requests, and marketing plans had been a bit much, even for an arcane. The day's business had ended with a huge dinner, with a matching amount of sagecourse, ale, and wine. Blaise and Hypathia worked their way from the meeting hall in Andru's complex to a large garden, overlooking Lake Bral. Across the lake, the city was a blaze of lights. The two sat down on a bench, preparing to work off the evening's alcohol.
"That was some party," Blaise said.
"Mmm," Hypathia answered. "I may differ in the morning, however," she added, rubbing her head.
Blaise just looked at the city and suddenly seemed far away.
"What is it, Blaise," Hypathia asked.
Blaise sighed.
"We encountered a Doombat on the way here," he answered. "Things are not well at home."
Hypathia gave him a questioning look. She knew what a Doombat was, and that Blaise was from Clusterspace, but she didn't know what Blaise was talking about. He then told her about the problems back in his home sphere, the involvement with GATH and the creatures from the planes. He tried to sound optimistic, but things had been happening too soon and too fast. Blaise ran his hands over his head and paused.
"I can understand your taking sides in the Solaris conflict," Blaise said. Hypathia raised an eyebrow in response. "I'm not sure I agree with it, but I can understand it. However, I don't understand what the Arcane of Highport are doing. I never could."
"That's why you left Clusterspace," Hypathia said. Blaise nodded. Hypathia had heard the story before, of how a single arcane left Astromundi because he refused to go along with a business deal. At the time, leaving was sufficient for him. Now that the plan had expanded, Blaise wonderd if perhaps he should have stayed at Highport, and tried to stop the deal.
Such was the past, and the past should be left alone.
"Do you like what you are doing now?" Hypathia asked.
"Yes," Blaise answered with a smile. "I am free to research new products at my own pace. Few arcane have that privilege."
"Some arcane would consider that the life of a slacker," Hypathia ribbed.
Blaise just laughed.
"I enjoy making a business deal as much as the next man, but there is more to life than cutting a profit. Take yourself. You are the owner of a small merchant fleet, that isn't above involving itself in Pentiacate politics."
Hypathia rolled her eyes and blushed.
"So much for the Neutrality Principal," she said. Blaise nodded in agreement.
"Actually, now that I have worked with humans and demi-humans for so long," Blaise said quietly, "that I think it would be difficult to follow the Principal for long. I agree with it, mind you, but when your 'customers' actually become people you know as, well, people..."
Hypathia nodded.
"That's why I'm still a merchant, and not an administrator" she said. "It's also why you are a researcher and not a marketing executive.
"I'm not complaining," Blaise said.
"Neither am I," Hypathia answered. "I like what I do, even if I get my wrists slapped by the Conorg from time to time. I've found that loyal friends make the best customers."
"They also make good mentors."
Hypathia smiled.
"Between you, Mr. Dargess and the illithid... what was his name?"
"Estress," Blaise answered.
"...your ship has the intellectual strength of a small university."
Blaise laughed again and looked at the city. After a long pause, Hypathia spoke again.
"Having loyal friends and mentors is good," she said softly, "but one can still get lonely out here."
Blaise gave her a sad smile.
"Hypathia," he whispered, "we've been through this before. I can't learn about the working of the universe if I am traveling the merchant lanes with you."
Hypathia sighed.
"And I can't ply my trade if I'm following you all over the place doing who knows what," she said.
"That doesn't mean I've lost hope," she added.
"Neither have I," Blaise said. "Besides, we both have what, three hundred-some years before Transformation? We have time."
Hypathia laughed, and the two arcane looked at each other again.
"We do have now," Hypathia whispered with a smile. Blaise returned her smile and the two arcane started back for the palace.
Meanwhile, down at the royal docks, Hall and Onestar relaxed after a long, busy day. Onestar had been thinking about what Hall had said earlier that day, but prefered not to discuss it, at least not yet.
In the warm, summer-like breeze coming up from the air world below, the sagecourse never tasted so good. The serenity of the moment was shattered when a very excited gnome ran down the stairs toward the ship. As the gnome approached, Hall and Onestar looked at each other for a moment...
"Zebart," they said in unison.
"CaptainMrDargassthe Conorgarcanejustgranted meapatentformyWonderous DevicethatPrepares FoodinthePhlogiston byDrawingOutthe NaturalHeatoftheFlow andTransferringitthethe FoodWithout EndangeringtheWell BeingofthoseHungry Peoplewho SimplyWantSomething toEat!"
"...We're happy for you Zebart," Onestar said.
"ThankyouIamsoexited butthearcanesaytheywillhave tomarketthedevice underadifferentname howeverbecausetheysaythename istoolongwhichIdon't agreewithatall andthenametheywanttousedoes notadequatelydescribethe deviceatallinfactit doesn'tevensoundlikeaword soIwillhavetodiscuss thematter...
"ZEBART!" Hall said. "Slow down. Now, what's the problem?"
"They want to rename by invention. I would still get the profits, but they will give the device a new name. Short. Original. Something that can be said in one breath which goes against thespiritoftheinvention becauseitreallyisabreath takinginventionso..."
"ZEBART!" Onestar shouted, now very annoyed. "What are they going to call it?"
"The Microwave Oven."
"Sounds fine to me," Onestar said.
"Me too," Hall agreed.
"BUTYOUDON'TUNDERSTAND! IFYOUCHANGETHENAMEOFTHE DEVICETOSOMETHINGSO SHORTANDNONDESCRIPTIVE ASTHATTHENENTHYASTICINDIVIDUALLS willnotknow whatthedevicereallydoes infacttheywillhavenoideahowitworks whichwill preventthemfromimproving it at a later time should they ever find it necessary to do so which is very... likely... because... a... device... so... useful... can... always... be... improved... with... the... correct... planning... and.............. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz."
Onestar looked over at Hall, who was in the final stages of casting a sleep spell. There was a sly grin on the bard's face as he looked at the sleeping gnome.
"Let me sweeten that for you," Onestar said with a grin, as he lifted the jug of sagecourse and re-filled Hall's mug.
