"You can't find Ghoram," Nathan said blankly. "He's a Friend of the Oreni, and the Oreni can't find him? It took months just to find you! Hrumuss, do you have any idea how that sounds? "

"Michael is a Friend of the Oreni. He is on Grossa," Hrumuss replied unfazed.

"A technicality," Nathan began.

"Not at all," Hrumuss interrupted. "Ghoram and Michael are two distinct persons. We did not choose Ghoram. We chose Michael."

"You took on the responsibility of looking after Michael's well-being when you chose him as Friend."

"Yes," Hrumuss responded.

"Humans are multi-part beings. Ghoram' and Michael's souls switched bodies, but the bodies they now inhabit are alien to them. Surely at some point Ghan intends to switch them back."

"We agree," Hrumuss replied.

"So you have a responsibility to keep the bodies safe," Nathan said.

Hrumuss was silent for several seconds. Nathan wished he could 'read' the Oreni better. Sometimes it seemed like talking to a glass statue.

"Michael is very close to Ghan now. He is safe. Ghan has dealt with humans for many generations. He understands your nature. He had to in order to exchange Michael and Ghoram. Ghan would understand the need to keep Ghoram safe. Why not take your questions to Ghan?"

"He hasn't answered," Nathan said, almost sheepishly.

"Ghan will not talk to you, but you think I could help? I must conclude Ghan does not want you to know. I do not know why, but I trust Ghan. Do you not?"

"How long have you known Ghan?" Nathan asked, then added "In human terms. 500 years? 700 years?"

"Approximately," Hrumuss answered after a pause.

Nathan paused as well, waiting to see if Hrumuss had more to say. "So five to seven hundred years," he said. "When I have known Ghan half that long, ask me again."

"As you wish," Hrumuss replied. Nathan could never tell when Hrumuss was joking. He knew all the Oreni understood and appreciated humor, even if they didn't show it. But he'd had more interesting conversations with computers back on Deutscherwelt.

"Do you think you could enlist the help of all the Oreni who have befriended humans, at least for a day or two? With all of you looking, we may be able to find him. Please treat this as a formal request."

"As you wish," Hrumuss said. He abruptly disappeared.

"I wish you'd talk to me, Ghan," Nathan said to the sky. "I hate bothering the Oreni". Of course, Nathan realized he wasn't as hesitant about bothering Ghan, who was obviously more reclusive, not to mention more powerful.

"I do talk to you," boomed a voice in his head. "This is not your concern yet."

"Yet?" Nathan asked aloud. "That's not very reassuring either, Ghan."

"Reassuring you is not my primary concern," Ghan replied.

"That's definitely not..." he stopped himself.

Ghan was silent.

Olos felt the boundary distinctly as he crossed it. He paused, surprised. He had not sensed anything ahead. He stepped back. He felt the boundary again as he passed through it, but could not now sense anything in front of him. This was not natural.

Olos had felt drawn to this place in his search for Ghoram. Ghan was complicit in Ghoram's disappearance, and this boundary felt like something Ghan might have created.

"Ghoram!" Olos called aloud. "Are you here?"

After a few seconds a voice called back, "Who's there?"

"I am Olos. We have been looking for you."

There was silence. After a minute or so, Ghoram peeked out from among the rocks. "I can't leave," he said.

"Because of the boundary?" Olos asked.

"I've stopped trying," Ghoram confessed. "It's just too much."

"Please explain that," Olos said. "I can sense a boundary, but it seems to have no effect."

"You're lucky. It must not affect the Oreni. When I approach, the monsters appear."

"Monsters?" Olos said, puzzled.

"I suspect they're not real," Ghoram explained. "But the closer I get to the barrier, the more real they seem. I don't know if you are actually here, frankly.

Olos walked to Ghoram. "Do the monsters ever come inside to you?"

"Never before. So are you real?"

Olos punched Ghoram in the shoulder. "Do I feel real?" he asked.

"Did you have to punch that hard?" Ghoram asked, rubbing his shoulder.

"You know I'm real now," Olos said. "I am here to bring you to Nathan."

"Please! Go ahead," Ghoram said enthusiastically.

"I need to understand what happens when you approach the boundary. Would you do so now?"

Ghoram shrugged resignedly and approached the boundary with Olos at his side.

The monsters appeared in full force. Ghoram had never seen so many at once. He stopped short of the boundary. Trying to keep calm, he said to Olos "See?"

"Ghoram, there's nothing there," Olos said blankly.

"How can you possibly," began Ghoram, turning to look at Olos. He didn't finish his question. The most horrible monster he'd ever seen stood in Olos' place.

Olos sensed Ghoram's fear had escalated enormously. His experience with humans suggested Ghoram would either run or lose consciousness. Either way, Olos needed to act quickly.

He grabbed Ghoram and began forcing him across the boundary. He had no way to prepare for Ghoram's reaction.

Ghoram fought the monster with everything he had. The thing's strength was phenomenal. It was dragging Ghoram across the boundary.

Ghoram knew this side was safe. The monsters had never crossed inside before now. This one monster obviously had now crossed, and was forcing Ghoram right into the multitude on the other side. This was life or death.

Ghoram's physical strength wasn't enough. He drew on his fear and hatred as if they were weapons themselves, lashing out at his attacker. The attacker stumbled, but their combined momentum pushed Ghoram across into...

Nothing. He fell down due to his off balance steps. All was quiet. There were no monsters. Getting back up, he looked behind him. There stood the glass statue form of Olos.

Something was wrong. Olos stood motionless like an actual statue. His face was a textbook illustration of utter terror.

"Umm, Olos?"

Nothing.

"Hey, come on! You're scaring me Olos. Look, we're out. Let's get away from here." Olos did not respond.

Remembering what Olos had done before, Ghoram punched him in the shoulder. He nearly broke his hand. Olos felt like a statue.

"Ghan!" Ghoram called out. Silence.

He was actually feeling pretty spent. He dropped to the ground and sat with his head in his hands, trying to think.

"What have you done to him?" asked the voice of an Oren. Ghoren looked up relieved, but only briefly. Olos was still immobile, but several more Oreni now surrounded the pair.

"What have you done?" the voice repeated.

"I thought he was trying to kill me," Ghoram stammered. "I fought back."

One of the Oreni went to Olos and touched him,immediately recoiling in shock. "We need to take him to the Old Ones. Hrumuss, please take Ghoram to Nathan."

"I didn't think it was really Olos," Ghoram explained. "I thought..."

No one was listening. Hrumuss bodily led him away from the group. When they had traveled some distance, Hrumuss said "We could not have foreseen this, nor could you. Do not blame yourself for this. What is truly disturbing is that Ghan has used you to greatly injure one of us. This changes much of what we thought we knew about Ghan."

They traveled the rest of the way to Death Valley in silence.

"Hey!" Nathan shouted, cuffing the side of Ghoram's head. He had aproached from behind, unseen or heard by Ghoram. Not that Nathan had sneaked up - he was too direct for that, but Ghoram was startled nevertheless.

"I've told you about moping around," Nathan continued. "Come on, we've been summoned to the mountain."

"I can't face them," Ghoram replied. "They'd..."

"Trust me, you're not that ugly. They'll survive."

Ghoram wasn't sure which was stranger - this little boy's air of authority, or his weird sense of humor. Of course he knew Nathan was probably the oldest human he'd ever met, but was hard to think that way of someone to whom he had to kneel to converse at eye level.

"You know what I mean, Nathan." Ghoram refrained from calling him Nate, even though it seemed natural to do so. He'd made that mistake once. "I seriously hurt Olos, remember?"

"Precisely. They haven't shared details, but they want you to participate in his healing. Personally I think that's as great an idea for you as it is for him."

"For me?"

"To help you work off that misplaced guilt."

"It's not misplaced."

"The Oreni tell me otherwise. Whose judgment do you suspect I am more inclined to trust?"

Little boys just didn't talk like that. If Ghoram had doubted Nathan's true age before, he was rapidly becoming a believer.

"If they're calling us, we'd better go," Ghoram replied, not knowing what else to say. He really would like to help Olos. He just couldn't imagine how that was possible.

Traveling by Chair was always disorienting. He sat for several seconds waiting for the vertigo and the strange imagery in his head to clear.

Nathan, on the other hand immediately hopped down from the chair in his comical small-boy manner and strode purposefully up to First Face, who hovered in the center of the circle of chairs. "What have you got?" he asked.

"It is good to see you as well," First answered, half-smiling. "We have come up with the only course of action that we believe will work. As you feared Nathan, there is no 'quick fix'."

First noticed Ghoram rising from his chair. "Ghoram, may we assume you are willing to participate in Olos' healing?"

"It's my fault he's hurt! I..."

"Did precisely what Olos expected you to do. You fought to stay inside the boundary. Olos knew the boundary worked by using your fear to thwart any intention you had of escaping. As long as you tried to escape, you could not do so. By fighting to stay inside, you could inadvertently leave."

"You think he planned it?" Ghoram asked incredulously.

"We were able to recover that from his mind. He had no idea how strongly you would struggle, nor how strong your fear and anger could be. We must apologize to you."

"He got me out!" Ghoram exclaimed. "I need to apologize!"

"You did exactly what you were supposed to do. We appreciate your feelings, but we will not accept an apology that is not needed. The only apology owed at this point is from Ghan."

"That's what Nathan said," Ghoram muttered.

"It's what is true. Ghan could have released your ancestor at any time. Similarly, he could have released you. You were an unwitting tool Ghan used to injure Olos. You are not responsible. Further,we believe that by taking part in Olos' healing, your own conscience will be eased as well."

"I am willing to help. I have no idea how," Ghoram said.

"Fourth!" First called out.

From seemingly nowhere, Fourth approached, leading a toddler by the hand. "He doesn't understand speech yet, except for his name," she said. "Ghoram, we want you to be his father."

Ghoram was literally stunned. "I have no idea how to do that," he was finally able to say.

"If we understand correctly, no human father does, at first. We have made things somewhat easier for you. We accelerated his growth somewhat, and preprogrammed the skills of walking and eating solid food. We removed Olos' memories, and moved his consciousness into this body only hours ago. This is his first day as a human."

Ghoram had absolutely no idea how to respond to all this. Finally he said "Okay."

Fourth looked at him intently for several seconds, then turned to the boy. "Olos," she said excitedly, "This is your daddy!"

The toddler smiled. Fourth picked him up and placed him in Ghoram's arms.

It was a lot for Ghoram to take in, but he shifted the child to one arm and used his other hand to give the boy a brief tickle. The youngster laughed. "Now what?" Ghoram asked.

"Take them home Nathan," boomed First's voice. He and Fourth abruptly disappeared, leaving the humans alone on the mountaintop. Olos began crying.

(OR USE YOUR BROWSER'S BACK BUTTON TO RETURN TO PREVIOUS PAGE

Copyright 1996 by Garvath Publishing
You may link to this story or copy it IN ITS ENTIRETY as long as this copyright notice is attached.