Becky's Gift

Are They Dead?

Farley's clones ran in. All 5 of them. "What happened to my ba?" The first one put both hands on his blond curls and a cloud of green sweat-powder rose.

His wife, Ella's twin, touched his head and gasped. "Farley, I'll—divorce you. You can marry--

Ella held Farley and screamed! "I don't—he's not dead! I didn't die, so he's not dead yet! Oh, Farley, honey, you have to live!"

Pirad shoved his arms under him and lifted. "I can try to reclone him again. King Challet asked for a clone. I can use him. He is willing."

Her twin jerked at his arm. "You can't do that if he's alive!"

"I just tried to run stasis. It will not work. If I do not reclone him now, I will not be able to try again. Would you rather sacrifice your husband?"

And I held Tom. Pirad has to help Farley because he has that necklace!

But we all went into white portals. We dropped through the white sand of Alb Seer to Kirnonos' Lab! That's where they did recloning. Tom wasn't recloned in the old Rainbow.

Wasa Mai brought a recloning lab with him from Ishah. Pirad said all of them had these terminals. Wasa Mai, too? I saw him on another table.

A Zheien picked Ella up. Farley's clone. "Ella, please, listen. Is my choice, to help my ba live again. He loves you. You love him.

"At times, there must be sacrifices, for the well of the thirteen galaxies Ry'nao holds in his hands. Farley knew things that Ry'nao must, to keep our galaxies safe. Hear you him?"

"Does anyone else hear him besides you, Farley?"

Milly held my hand. "I hear him. He needs to know if Mican got any of that tech and gave it to someone else. If anything got out of that building before it was destroyed, we need to know."

"Did—what was that diplomat's name? The one who died on D'gharr."

"What? Nobody died on D'gharr!" Milly shook her head.

"The one who brought this to Farley!" Ella waved that necklace at her.

A hologram formed and floated along with us. That diplomat from Farley's memories!

"I am Tanorsen, Leader Of Tanorsen Prov that bears my name. I am the Elder left when they destroyed the original facility, when Mican tried to take him. I lived as Zheien, but I am Laruu. I am recloning myself as Zheien to infiltrate the Fortress Of D'gharr."

More Pirads came for every one of our husbands. And their clones. "As Farley's 1st Ba is willing, I am willing to help Tom. You understand, do you, Becky?"

"But you were going to marry—"

"She could nae bear my leaving for missions." He sighed, and it rumbled on me.

Another Pirad took me. Put me on a table. "It is time. Let me strike at Mican through you--

"It's not the 31st—" But, it is?

Farley's clone ran Ella to another Bisillip. "Did you hear, Kirnonos?"

This one moaned, too. "I did! Poisons of the 6th! What was Mican? Dosillian?"

"I think, Naisain, as Tanorsen made himself. They were supposed to be observers like the Imwa and Laruu, but they hid weapons and came back to conquer. Their reign of terror lasted for millions of eons! All their knowledge was thought destroyed. Put him here. I am ready. If we cannot save him, none of his clones know what he knows."