Wishing On A Star

Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Once we got everybody checked in and their baggage put away I called a meeting. The rooms were adjacent connected by a door. When everybody was seated and comfortable I stood before them and announced. "It's late in the day however tomorrow morning we'll ride out to a location where what I'm about to tell you will reveal it's self as the proof… What I'm about to reveal to you good people is the absolute truth Hanna and Collin here will vouch for me on this, please let me tell the whole story without interruption, as I said, all questions will be answered. Andy, I want you to pay particular attention to this, as we'll have to go through this all over with your folks, your father's farm plays a key role in all of this."

And so I began, detailing the attack on the stagecoach, the desperate fight Hanna and I put up, as well as our subsequent flight. Then it was the description of waking up in a strange room, of meeting Morkai and Nargra, the trip to Falth, what I saw and experienced there, as well as the other women. Being very careful to leave nothing out, my tale eventually ended with where we were now. Nobody said a word for a moment, then my father looked at me and said, "So you're wed to some, some strange being from another planet, this whole thing is preposterous, now that you're done having sport with us, please tell the truth." Tears were starting to form in my eyes and I was on the verge of crying, "Father! What do you think I've been telling you for the last half hour?" Collin then spoke, "Sir, with all due respect your daughter is telling the God's honest truth. I, like you was a nonbeliever at one point, yet we left Michigan only yesterday evening, taking all of two hours to arrive here, I rode in this machine she spoke of, I've met and talked with her husband, he is a fine and honorable man, please sir, I beg that you believe your daughter."

My mother then spoke up, "Why for heavens sake didn't you invite us to the wedding dear?" Frowning, I replied, "Falth is several thousand light years away mother, and for your information, a light year, or dorn whish is what the Falthians call their years. A light year is the time it takes light to travel in a year, so you see they come from a long ways away, it would have been rather difficult to get you folks there. Hanna then added her side to the story, finally adding, "I'm sure you've already guessed I was a w***e, I know that's a harsh word, and I'll freely admit it, however I've left that life behind me, I'm wed to a warm loving husband. Nargra knows what I was and he doesn't care. I feel as though God has given me a second chance. If that is the case, I plan to make the most of it. The best decision I ever made was to accept Nargra's offer to come to Falth. Like Holly, I'm now a citizen of Falth; the opportunities available to me are limitless. Would I ever consider returning to this country to live…Ha! Not on your life. Holly is telling God's honest truth, and tomorrow you shall witness the proof, proof you simply will not have words for." Hanna grinned at me and said, Whew! That's the most I think I've ever said."

Hanna's rant pretty much silenced my parents who were now looking very uneasy Andy and his wife appeared to be equally confused, speaking up, I said "Rest assured everybody, tomorrow the proof of what I say will be revealed, as well as all your questions being answered." Andy then spoke up, "Cousin, you spoke of my father's farm being pivotal in this endeavor please share your thoughts on that." I then described the brain disease the Nuel are susceptible to and the serum that cures it, detailing the use of walnuts as well as St. Johns Wort. We've already have a pending arrangement with Sara's father in Michigan concerning this matter, he has a large grove of black walnut as well as a couple vacant fields Wort could be grown in. This is the offer we wish to extend to your father." While Andy was considering this, I turned to my father and said, "Father there is a strong possibility that you may have met Mr. Blessing during the war, he also fought at Gettysburg with the fifth Michigan cavalry he spoke highly of the Pennsylvania regiments and mentioned fighting along side a cavalry unit from our fair state." This snapped my father out of his state of mind, "I should like very much to meet this gentleman," was his reply. "If things go according to plan," I replied, "I'm sure you will."

Before the "meeting" broke up for supper, I brought up one more item. "There's one more thing I have to bring up and this is going to be something you're really not going to understand but in order to understand Morkai and Nargra, each of you will have to accept a Transnano injection." Hanna then produced the injection device and held it up for everybody to see. Continuing on, I announced, "Transnanos are microbes so tiny you can't see them with the naked eye, and I doubt microscopes currently available here on earth can't see them, yet they are real. They travel in your blood stream and make their way to your brain, where make it possible to speak and understand Falthian, but that's all they do you won't be able to read or write the language, but in your cases that's not important. Hanna and I however can read and write the language but that's only to be expected. Besides Hanna and I, Collin here has received an injection, tell them all about it Collin."

Not being sure he wanted to be put in the limelight, he thought about what he was going to say, then. "She's right, I couldn't understand a word my sister's husband was saying, but after they poked me in the neck, and I rested a bit, I could understand him with no problem." Hanna then added, "It's really the only way, we could always translate but that would be rather tedious, all three of us have had these injections, it feels like a pinprick you lie down for a half hour or so to allow the Transnano's to do their job then you are able to communicate with any Falthian, in this case, our husbands." With much trepidation, all four people consented to the injections, which Hanna administered. They went to their respective rooms and lay down on their beds. While they were resting, I called Morkai with an update on our situation.

The three of us then went back down stairs to wait. Rather than wait around the lobby, we strolled up the street past Collin's dance hall, and a neighboring saloon. It soon became apparent that Collin's presence was keeping unsavory types at bay, his physical appearance as well as demeanor was preventing Hanna and I from being accosted by saddle tramps and bar sweeps. As for Collin, I think he rather enjoyed the fact that he had two attractive women on his arms. We entered a large mercantile store, where Hanna and I each purchased more coffee, as well as some flour and sugar, I also purchased "Sense and Sensibility" by Jane Austen as well as the new novel by Mark Twain, "the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," as well as a copy of Scribner's magazine. On our way back to the hotel we witnessed a brawl erupting from a seedy looking saloon, with the sheriff quickly arriving to break up the altercation.

Back at the hotel, we discovered that railroad journey must have been quite tiring as everyone was still sleeping. I gently woke my parents as well as Andy and Emily. All apologizing for "oversleeping." All thought the injections would have some "magical" effect on them or that some mysterious power would be available to them, "Sorry everybody," I announced, were our husbands here right now you would be able to converse with them, unfortunately that will have to wait until tomorrow morning." "But why are they being so inhospitable," asked my father, "what better place to welcome them and enjoy a pleasant meal together than here?" Frowning, I replied, "Well for one father, they must stay vigilant in guarding the Na'Vas, and for another…Nuelian facial features would cause them to stand out, please, just wait until tomorrow." That evening we all dined in the restaurant with my parents as well as Andy and Emily, Naturally I wanted to know all about their wedding, which apparently was only last month. Another wedding that was on everybody's mind was that of Andrew Carnegie. Since I had been "off planet" for quite awhile I wasn't aware of the talk of Pittsburgh, a deficiency my mother and Emily soon corrected.

Apparently, Mr. Carnegie had recently married a woman twenty years his junior, Louise Whitfield was the talk of Pittsburgh as well as all the social circles of the rich. Many thought it scandalous and were condemning the poor woman, Hanna and I weren't particularly concerned by this and considered the whole matter rather trivial but we feigned interest all the same. Collin regaled us with stories of his "Bunkie" a man he described as not only an excellent horseman and cowhand but quite the artist as well. Charles Russell was his name, Collin then produced a small portrait of himself done in ink from his wallet. Drawn on the back of an old envelope it was an exceptional likeness of him. "Charlie's getting quite a reputation around the Judith," said Collin. "All the boys on the O-H think highly of him. Had us all in stitches last Christmas with a sketch he drew for a fellow, of Santa Claus standin' in a bunkhouse with everybody pointing six shooters at him." Then as an afterthought, Collin turned to Hanna and I, "If you was to get back up that way I could persuade him to draw you two." "Sounds interesting Collin, perhaps we'll see," I replied.

The next morning after breakfast, Collin brought the carriage around, we were just able to all fit, then a bumpy ride out to the rocky area where the Na'Vas was hidden. Collin maneuvered the carriage into the draw and pulled around to where the hidden door was, before banging on it with a rock, I made another announcement. "Our vessel is just behind the secret door here," I tapped on the "door" which opened almost immediately, Nargra stood there holding a plasma rifle, he was also wearing tinted goggles so nobody got a look at his eyes, (or ears) apparently. Hanna made a brief introduction before we passed through the narrow opening. Nargra greeted everybody as I inquired, "Did you all understand him?" All agreed, as I added, "Good, the reason you can understand him is because of those injections you took last evening." When at last we emerged a chorus of gasps and exclamations arose, as the Na'Vas caught their eyes. "Oh my God! What is that?" "What is the nature of this contraption?" "It's our home silly people!" I replied, with much irritation in my voice. Morkai was lounging in a chair at the foot of the ramp, "Greetings all!" he said as he waived. "Who is that?" Asked my father. With a tone of exasperation, I replied, "That's my husband father, everybody please meet my husband Morkai Draaka." Morkai also had a pair of dark goggles on, which prompted Andy to ask, 'Why do you all wear tinted eyewear?" "Makes things easier to see in this bright sunlight," replied Morkai, "Besides too much sun isn't good for your eyes. Speaking of the sun, shall we move to where it's shadier, up the ramp everyone; we can talk in the cargo hold."

Morkai started moving up the ramp but no one else was following. "What are all of you afraid of?" I asked, "There is no danger here, I told you all about the Na'Vas last evening." Collin and Hanna moved past my family and headed right up the ramp following Morkai. Slowly my father, then Andy started up the ramp. My mother then Emily followed suite. Once inside they ignored Morkai's offer of chairs, choosing instead to gawk and gasp at the fantastic sight all around them. When my husband removed his goggles, my father gasped pointing at Morkai's eyes, being a bit on the grumpy side Morkai glared at my father and said, "What's the matter now?" "Y-Y-Y-our eyes…They are devil eyes!" "What the drek is a devil? Holly! Help me out here," announced an irritated husband. I stepped in and tried to calm things down, "Father Morkai doesn't have "devil" eyes, that's just silly, That's what's different about the Nuel, their ears and eyes are different from ours, in fact I as well as the other women find them quite fascinating." My father, ever the gentleman apologized for his offence and offered to shake hands with Morkai, who graciously accepted. Actually, father wasn't the only one to recoil at seeing my husband's eyes. In varying degrees of alarm the others did as well, but all seemed to recover quickly, and adjust to the difference. To further calm the situation, I offered coffee as well as Malo and Ipsha. Andy and my father accepted coffee, my mother tried Ipsha, and Emily went with Malo.

Mother surprised me by commenting favorably on Ipsha, "I really don't care for coffee like your father," she said, "I prefer tea, with sugar, but this is ever so slightly sweetened, it doesn't require any at all, I rather enjoy this delicious beverage." Morkai chuckled, "Mrs. Bickford, you are actually the first Kagorian I've run across who actually likes Ipsha. We have nothing compared to coffee on Falth so I suppose that is why I along with my compatriots enjoy it so much, I'll be sure to get you a supply of it." Emily also endorsed her beverage of choice, Malo which was served cold either in a glass with ice cubes, or right out of the metallic can. Serving it over ice seemed to mellow the taste which is what I did. Emily thought it was very effervescent and tickled her throat. "It's quite popular on Falth, they offer other flavors as well, but this is the one the provisioners always seem to give us," I remarked. Gradually my family became more relaxed, and comfortable in their new environment, talking with not only Morkai, but Hanna and Collin. Morkai displayed his sense of humor albeit dry, my family could see that he wasn't some strange "being" from another world, and soon grew more relaxed around him and Nargra.

When the time was right, I conducted a tour of the Na'Vas, starting with the two cabins, I began with the one I first woke up in, "This is the room I awoke in, as you can see the lighting fixture is concealed in the ceiling and dims when I press this wall switch." I demonstrated how the room light turned off to just barely casting a glow, "But what makes all this work?" questioned Andy. "Electrical energy," I replied, "The same energy that powers the street lights as well as those incandescent light bulbs that are now popping up in cities all over this country." Then it was on to the "necessary, where everybody was astounded by the commode but especially the hand wash and the shower. "I've no doubt in a hundred years all of this will be commonplace here on earth," I observed. The Falthians are people the same as you or I, they just have a higher state of technological development than we do, always remember that." This brought on the question by both Andy and my father as to why all these "wonders" could not be shared.

"Because of something called the "Prime Directive father, which means that the Falthians are forbidden to interact openly, or contact any member of government, or scientist, or physician. That's why what we're doing is so secret, we harvest what we need and leave. With higher technology comes a higher level of responsibility, the Falthian government simply doesn't think the people of earth are ready for the kind of tech available on Falth. It's very complicated father, before we leave for here, the contractors have to sit through a meeting detailing every aspect of the Prime directive, we all know what it means, but we still must sit through a lecture explaining everything." We then moved on to the bridge where I pointed to the pilot and co-pilot seats, and announced, "This is where we work, don't touch anything, I'll point out all the important instrumentation, as well as the controls."

Even though I went out of my way to explain everything very carefully, it was a lost cause, the scanner screen really upset them, they just couldn't understand the concept of video cameras taking live images.

Morkai and Nargra stepped in and made a little progress, any made the best effort at trying to understand things, being an apprentice machinist he could grasp certain technological concepts, and extrapolate the general idea behind whatever it was, he was being shown. Finally, my father confessed, "We appreciate you trying to explain all of this to us dear, but your mother and I are old and set in our ways. The fact that you obviously can understand all of this warms my heart. You are young and your whole future is ahead of you. Although all of this remains very strange and in many cases frightening, we will bow to our ignorance and simply accept what we see, as being very real, but beyond our understanding." Andy later told me that although he was baffled by what he could see as reality, "Please continue to school me in these wonderful and amazing devices, I'm beginning to find a curious fascination in your new world."

I then replied, "I'm glad to hear that cousin, because in fact you are going to get the opportunity to view the actual source of what you see around you. Remember when I mentioned in my letter that a possible job opportunity might be forthcoming/" "Yes I do," he replied, in fact you said something about remittances well, coming out here at your request cost me my employment as well as considerable out of pocket expense." I produced a few gold rings from my pocket, and said, "These rings are 24 carat gold, return me an itemized list of all your expenses, and you will be paid in these rings, although Collin has suggested gold coins might bring less interest in where you found all of this gold." As for your loss of employment, the man we work for, one Sandrick Alazon has asked that you accompany us back to Falth, Emily as well, I'm pretty sure he has a very lucrative employment opportunity for you." Andy stepped back, "What? To actually travel to a distant world? I-I-I don't know, I mean Emily she might not be up to such a journey." Shaking my head, "Settle down cousin, there's absolutely nothing to it, we do it all the time. I'll admit it's a long boring week, if you know how to play poker Hanna is always willing to deal, but I assure you there will be no discomfort, naturally you and Emily will be accorded our cabin, but I'm telling you right now you're being offered an opportunity that comes, maybe once in a lifetime, the best thing I have ever done is take Morkai up on his offer to accompany him back to Falth."

"Let me speak to my wife first," replied Andy, "She's not the adventuresome type." "Just be aware Andy," I said, "You stand to make a considerable amount of money should you accept Sandrick's offer."