Under a Starless Sky

Chapter 82

Orton’s ‘no’ was not from a place of honor, but from fear. He feared being rejected for all time if he Content bel0ngs to Nôvel(D)r/a/ma.Org.

protested too much.

“How do you escape it?” Orton asked, Arne.

“I am clear,” Arne said.

“That’s not helpful. And you?” Orton asked Shen.

“You can’t rape the willing. They come at me at like that, they get fucked,” Shen said.

“Your wives tolerate it?” Orton asked.

“I suspect they have come to some kind of arrangement,” Shen said. He paused for a moment and

communed with a tree. He leaned against the tree, touching his forehead against it. The exchange was

unnecessarily private, an update on the creatures of the forest.

Their walk of the forest, outside the gates, was usually their only time to recharge- men time,

reasonably alone. Uffe and Erico had returned to their homes, likely because their wives had insisted.

Shangri-La had more of a commune feel, not precisely hippies; more like a Kibbutz in Israel. It had a

democratic feel, people came to a circle and made decisions together. The castle was busy with

people, with Avatars, and ghosts. Outside the castle, the Irk had been scarce, likely having had

numbers dwindled after the harsh winter. Irks had crossed paths on occasion with Valkyries, scouting

the forest- and out of deference to Shen’s request, none were killed. Assuming numbers were down, he

wanted them to have a chance to repopulate. If the present company was at risk of encountering Irks,

the escort would intercept and direct them away from the men.

The Valkyries found many reasons to come talk to Shen on his walks, and the presence of Irks was

one of them. Like the Tamorians, the Valkyries traveled in three’s. Unlike the Tamorians, there was a

fourth that walked with them in spirit, watching from ‘Third Sight’ which was their term for ‘Remote

Viewing.’ Sometimes the forth was visibly present, like a ghost.

Shen came out of the tree, took a moment to orientate. Arne was there, and Orton, quietly waiting. He

was aware of the tree spirit, and the invisible fourth.

“Where were we?” Shen asked.

“We were talking about sex and arrangements,” Arne said.

“I wish I was healthy as you,” Orton said.

“Oh, fuck you. I am not healthy. I am still operating from an outdated, economic paradigm,” Shen said.

“I don’t understand,” Orton said.

“I come from a world where men are catered to- to the degree they could care less if the partner is

satisfied. Typically, the more self-sufficient the man is, the more likely he is to be self serving in all

domains. I was not that guy. I had to work to get partners, and work to satisfy partners, and

consequently I became hyper-sensitive to their needs, meaning an unhealthy balance where I would

neglect self. Unhealthy balance always leads to decline in quality of the relationship. I would eventually

lament not being appreciated and when someone left, I found myself frequently annoyed they hooked

up with someone less sensitive to their needs because I believed I was doing more for them. And I

was. But I wasn’t taking care of myself. Their next partner would be more into themselves and that

relationship will like be unstainable for her, too.”

“Women don’t like clingy or needy,” Arne echoed.

“Fuck you,” Orton said.

Shen touched Orton’s arm. “He was talking about me, brother, not you. There is that, Arne. I was

certainly that in my twenties. But the opposite of that is also not a suitable partner. I am more the

opposite of clingy with the Valkyries. I still likely to accommodate any request, but mostly- I am just

accepting a fuck. Unlike my world, if the Valkyries take advantage of any generosity, it is not because

they are malevolently manipulative, but because they make an assumption that all people, even men,

will take care of their own needs. They don’t even recognize there is economic exchange going on.

They’re just engaging in fun. There is love in their playfulness.

“Orton, in the perfect world, men and women are equally confident, and in that confidence they

negotiate how to serve each other- but that ideal can only come from a place where people are equal in

some domains, not all. The ideal relationship comes from balance…”

There was a noise like thunder, but there was no evidence of rain. At this depth in the forest, it could be

raining above the forest, and take hours before the water began to filter through the canopy. Their

escort was suddenly in the clearing with them.

“We need to return,” Imly said.

Shen tuned into TL. She was there- with explanation. “There was an attack, Jon. A missile.”

“Seriously?” Shen asked. “You intercepted?”

“No,” TL said. “Someone else did.”

Ghosts arrived in the clearing, blocking all the perceived paths out of the clearing. The Valkyries took

up point around the men. Each planted their staffs, illuminating them as if that would shield them

against the ghosts if they were hostile. Arne placed his hand on the hilt of a sword.

“What?” Shen asked him. “You’re going to draw on ghosts?”

“Why is the sky blue?” Orton asked.

Shen blinked- aware of the blueness around them. He had been ‘here’ before, when he had confronted

the Irk and first used magic. This was when he was holding the orb Oa had given him. The trees stood

out from the background of each other and sky, framing a surreal blue- it was not sky, but more like

sustained lightening.

“State your business,” Imly said.

One of the ghosts came forwards. She was the girl with the cell phone. “Mother wants to speak with

you.” She was looking at Shen.

“Your mother?” Shen asked.

She held out the cell phone. Imly went to intercept the object but the ghost stepped back. Shen came

forwards and Imly blocked him.

“They’re ghosts,” Shen said. “How can they harm me?”

“You’re not as smart as I imagined you to be,” Imly said.

“I don’t have a response to that,” Shen said. “But, mother is calling. I should probably take this.”

Imly looked to her companions for consensus. She let go of Shen’s arm and nodded. Shen stepped

towards the girl. The ghost girl came towards him. She handed the cell phone to him. It felt real in his

hands. Part of his brain wanted to know if he was really holding it and part of his brain was telling him it

didn’t matter. He sorted the screen. It said ‘mother.’ He touched a button, putting the call on speaker

phone.

“Take me off speaker phone,” Mother said.

“Um, no. I want my companions to hear,” Shen said.

There was silence for a moment. The girl crossed her arms, as if conveying ‘how dare you talk to

mother like that.’ “Jon-Shen. I want you to go to Sinter.”

“It’s good to want things,” Shen said, quoting a movie. TL in his ear said not funny, contextually.

“You will go to Sinter,” Mother said.

“Not likely,” Shen said.

“You will go to Sinter, and you will end this,” Mother said.

“Again, not likely,” Shen said.

“This is not a request. You will go to Sinter. You will prophesy against their ways and bring them back

into alignment with mine,” Mother said.

There was more in there to unpack than he had expected. “Who do you think I am, Jonah? Not going to

Nineveh, Mother. For starters, they don’t want me there.”

“You will go,” Mother said. “That is all.”

The call ended. The girl came and collected the phone. She and the other apparitions disappeared.

The sky around the trees became black. The glow of the canopy far above was hardly even a

lukewarm log with the fire hidden inside it. Staff lights were prominent, and didn’t penetrate as far as

the eye would have liked. The Forest’s Night could be intimidating without second sight. They quietly

assessed each other.

“You’re not really considering it, are you?” Imly asked.

“Mother did seem rather insistent on the matter,” Shen said.

“Where is Nineveh?” Orton asked.

“Another world, another time,” Shen said. He began walking.

“This way,” Imly said.

“West Midelay is this way,” Shen said.

“Home is this way,” Imly said.

“She is right, brother,” Arne said. “We go home, we discuss this vision with family.”

Shen weighed it. “Probably not a good idea to keep mother waiting.”

“You didn’t even ask her for her name,” one of Imly’s companion asked.

Shen bit on a thumb nail. “I didn’t.” On the face of it, he seemed to agree it was odd. “I always forget to

ask the good question during ghost encounters.”

“Like where do they get their clothes?” Orton asked.

Shen looked at him. “You want naked ghosts?”

“Yes,” Orton said.

“You can’t handle us, and you want ghosts?” Imly asked.

“Oh, this could be fun,” Shen said. “But I feel compelled to go this way.”

“You will remain with us until family counsels, or I will sleep you and carry you back,” Imly said.

“She’d do it, too,” Orton said.

“Okay,” Shen said. He went with the group.