Becky's Gift

Others To Rescue

The healers who taunted that boy didn't say another word. That trader waved and a ship appeared. The hatch banged down. People had things in their hands, mostly sticks with something sharp at the end. I couldn't believe that these poor people had to work so hard! But they are slaves. Not in a mine, but they are slaves.

Ashamar frowned. "You may put your things in your terminals. Is that all you have?"

Many of them repeated that they were not allowed to have them.

One of the healers went down the line waving a coin at people, and their items vanished from their hands. If a child had a toy, it stayed in the little hand, but blankets, crude farming tools, and sticks vanished. They all got a soft blue blanket. Many clung to this and wept!

A healer spotted a body in a field and ran to it. Came back carrying an old man.

An older man startled. "He can't work, so I left him in his field to die among the plants he loves." His voice broke.

"My son, we will not leave anyone! Or, his plants!" A wave, and flowers in yellow dirt floated around him. He smiled.

Others floated into the ship, and plants, and a few skeletal animals.

That first boy cried and hugged a very thin dorna that carefully laid beside him.

A line of slopfahi came from fields near them. These animals are living toilets. They have bright green fur and tri-jawed mouths with no teeth. They lick. A database told me. Usually, every family on Elshar Mashai and most Elshar worlds have them. Even they were thin!

The TS Inspector and that trader waved up records for people. Some were from other worlds, and they arranged for their families and things to port there.

One wife cried. "I thought Sasasch died in the War! And, we can come?"

"Esta ay! Come with us to Alb!" He explained that they could live anywhere for 10% of their trading. They were on a remote farm on Elshar Heizgha. It looked barren there, too.

Another family was on Elshar Deisha in a similar area. The database described lush farms in most areas of these worlds, but not in these provs. Several families were Ishah, and starving. All three of these places, on three diff worlds, were like this prov, owned by someone who wanted to get rich. TS Inspectors came to their leaders and made the same offer, to move to Alb, and they got traders to take them there. All of them won their cases, too. The corrupt leaders and their council members all went someplace in light blue portals!

Perasha kept contacting worlds, and got other artisans to do it. Other worlds weren't as easy. No TS Inspectors. Finally, his healer came. "What is it, Per? You're pale!"

They shared memories. Cried together.

A man with orange skin came. "Friends, nae this sorrow. Know you, traders fly from Alb to most worlds? And, diplomats! There are many to ask after your friends."

"My cousin traded for a farm on Moehsa, and I cannot contact him! There are Ulukai there, and I tried to get him not to move there!" The word Ulukai made his friend shudder!

"Did you know? Moehsa was liberated yesterday! Ships took everyone who wished to leave! Did you check on Alb's Hub?" He waved up a bewildered man. "Per! What world is that? I came to D'sharr and thought, surely, you would be here!" Behind him was a lush field.

"Op, will you come here?" He named five relatives.

The man waved a hand down. "Here, there is not another person in 5 rashanon! No one to persecute me for my work as haruner. No one to take my food because of some imagined case! I am truly self-sufficient!"