Palm Springs Eternal -- Part Four

The bottom floor of the house was made up of only one room, which served as the kitchen, dining, and living room. The walls were wooden and the floor made of smoothed stones. There was a small stove and a fireplace, a table with chairs, a bookshelf, and that was all. In the rear left corner there was a staircase leading to the upper story.

The room was lit by gas lamps. In their light Demi could at last see the house's occupants more clearly.

The man, Alec, looked to be in his late forties. He had gray eyes and tan, rough skin. His hands were coarse and looked strong. He had thinning salt-and-pepper hair, which Demi could see once he removed his hat. His face was deeply lined. His mouth was thin and severe. He wore a simple leather tunic and boots.

The woman was around the same age. She was thin, but looked hearty and healthy. Her hands, like Alec's, were worn and had callused palms. Her hair was dark green but strands of gray were appearing here and there. She wore a violet colored dress that looked like it hadn't had a good washing in some time. Life in the desert had aged her, but she had youthful, happy eyes and a bright smile. She was very pretty.

"You are all very welcome in our home," the woman said as Demi led her friends inside. "My goodness! An honest to goodness Motavian! This certainly is a surprise."

Elm looked down and brushed the comments away. Dahl wondered if he was blushing underneath his thick coat.

"Oh, Alec, look at the ears on these lovely things!" the woman said as she hovered around Dahl and Azur. "And such fine clothes you have! Is this what people are wearing in the city? And look at this strapping young fellow. A shame we don't have more boys like you around here. We could use the help, and I-- Oh, goodness." Her eyes came to rest on Mium. "Forgive us, m'lady," she said. The woman curtseyed in an elegant and deeply respectful manner. It was in sharp contrast to her appearance and what the others expected from her.

Alec had just placed a pipe in his mouth when he caught sight of Mium. His eyes went wide and he simply stared at her for a moment. But then he got off of his chair and fell to one knee on the floor.

Mium looked at the couple, and then at her confused friends, and then at the couple again. She cleared her throat and said, "Really, this isn't necessary..."

Alec and his wife slowly stood up. "But it is such an honor to have you in our home, m'lady," the woman said. "Oh! And I don't have a thing to offer you..."

"I don't ask for any offerings," Mium said. "What is your name?"

The woman looked down at the floor and toyed with the apron she wore. "Mina."

"Mina. And Alec. Why did you bow like that just now?"

Alec and Mina looked to one another. "Because that is what is asked of us," Alec said, sounding a little confused himself.

"By whom?" Mium asked.

"By Sister, of course."

"Sister?" Dahl asked.

"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about," Mium said. "Who is Sister and how would she be connected to me?"

"Forgive us," Mina said. "You come from Algo too, correct? We should have realized you wouldn't understand our...traditions. Please, all of you, sit down." Mina motioned to the table as Alec sat down again and started to smoke his pipe. Erol and Elm pulled out chairs for Dahl and Azur, who accepted their seats graciously. Mium sat, too. Mina ran over to a cupboard beneath the stairs and pulled out two more chairs, one for herself and one for Demi. But Mina didn't sit. "Is there anything I can get for any of you?" she asked. "We don't have much, but what we have is yours."

"We've been traveling all day," Azur said. "I think we would be very grateful for even a slice of bread or some cheese. I know I would."

Mina smiled. "That I can get for you!" She ran over to a cabinet next to the oven and began to prepare some sandwiches.

Everyone at the table took a moment to introduce themselves. When they had finished Mium said, "Now please, tell me. Who is Sister?"

"Ahhh, Sister," Alec said, between puffs on his pipe. "Sister is our protectoress. She came down from the stars with us a very long time ago, and to this day she watches over and guides us."

"She sounds like a counterpart to Brother," Demi said.

"Brother?" Alec asked. "You mean the demon machine that they have in the new city? Their replacement for the wicked Mother Brain!"

"I'm sorry, did I offend you?" Demi asked.

Alec shook his head. "No. But be certain that you don't confuse Sister with Brother." He puffed on his pipe some more. "A pity. Not only did the damn New Palmans bring their corrupt society and their damned technology to this planet, but they had to bring their nursemaid with them. Damn it all!"

"You aren't New Palmans," Dahl said. "Then you are Landians."

Alec nodded and smiled proudly. "Aye, that we are. Closest to the boundary, too. My grandfather was a brave man and built this homestead almost a hundred years ago. We're all mighty proud of that."

"You said Sister is different from Brother," Mium said.

"She is. Legend has it they be of the same ilk, Sister and Brother, and that when the Landians and the New Palmans split, so did they. But I cannot believe that. Brother is just some kind of machine. He has no face or mind or soul. But Sister does."

"So you actually know Sister?" asked Demi.

"No," Alec said, "but my father and grandfather both went to her before planting their crops, to ask for advice. I've never needed to, since the fields have gotten so small and we can grow so little. She lives in a cave up in the northwest."

"So Sister is some kind of oracle," Erol said.

Alec puffed on his pipe a few times and then nodded. "Right. She tells us when it will rain and what land is good for planting. That sort of thing. She has lived for thousands of years, but never grows old and never dies."

Over the private channel that androids from Zelan shared, Mium said to Demi, "Sounds just like Mother Brain to me."

"I agree," Demi replied. "Could be some kind of android or robot."

"But why did you bow to me?" Mium asked.

"Oh, that. Sister has venerated your kind, Mieu."

Mium smiled. "So there are other Mieu-types around here? All those in Algo save for myself are gone."

Alec nodded. "They used to be plentiful, but have become scarcer over the ages. Not many in this place. Not many people here, either. Most of the homesteads are nearer the coast, as far from the new city as one can get. But Sister has venerated your kind. I know not why, but she calls the Mieu her special ones. And so we must show them the proper respect."

"Ask him about Aermel," Azur whispered to Dahl.

"What did you say there?" Alec asked.

"We are strangers, but we didn't find this place by accident," Dahl said. "Someone from Leneopolis told us that we would find this farmhouse here. The man called himself Motabaermel. He was a historian."

Alec gave the party a cold stare and puffed on his pipe a few more times. "Yes, and?"

Elm shifted uncomfortably on his chair. "Well, we thought it was strange that he'd know about your home, considering that New Palmans are forbidden from coming to this territory."

"Are they, still?" Mina asked. She brought over a tray with sandwiches and drinks for all. "Now, don't you be scared of that brew," Mina said, handing a glass to Azur. "This is only the sweet stuff. I thought you might not like the ale Alec makes for himself. Nothing but sugar and a little bit of juice in this, though. It'll do you no harm."

Azur smiled and took a long drink from her mug. "Oh, delicious! Thank you, Mina and Alec."

Mina smiled and finally sat down.

"So?" Demi asked. "Is Aermel a New Palman or is he a Landian? The New Palmans are forbidden from coming here, but no one ever said that Landians can't go to where the New Palmans live."

"He be neither New Palman nor Landian," Alec said. "He's one of the old men. One of those who lives by the old town. A ghost, if you ask me."

"Alec, don't be talking about ghosts," Mina said.

"All right, then, I won't. But I'll be advising you not to trust a word those men say. In your search for this criminal of yours, you'd be wise to avoid the old town if you can. A few crumbs like that devil Motabaermel stay behind and study what relics remain, but they are fools. And dangerous ones at that. Sometimes they get bored so they go to the new city, to blend in with the New Palmans and cause more trouble. Aermel must have been over in the new city there for twenty years now."

"You mentioned 'the old town,'" Erol said. "What is it?" He took a bite of his sandwich.

"The old town is where our people settled when they came to this planet. But it was abandoned a long time ago, by our first king. The king told the New Palmans to go east, but he told the rest of us to stay behind. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to tell this to the New Palmans. They thought we were disobeying the king's rule. That be why we are separated now."

"Stay behind for what purpose?" asked Mium.

"To keep strangers from going back to the old town. The king sealed something terrible away on that spot. A demon. He feared some unwitting fool might accidentally release it."

Dahl and Demi locked eyes.

"What is it?" Mina asked.

"That's got to be it," Dahl said.

Demi nodded. "That's why he's come to this planet, for whatever demon is locked up in the old town. But how did he know about it?"

"Some kind of telepathic link?"

"What's this?" Alec asked. "You think the criminal you're seeking knows about the demon? But how could that be? Exactly what kind of person is it that you are seeking, anyway?"

Demi sighed and pushed her hair back. "It's a long story..."

Alec's eyes went wide and he dropped his pipe. Quickly he bent down to pick it up again, and he burned his fingers in the process.

"Alec, what is the matter with you?" Mina asked. Giggling, she looked to Demi, and at once her eyes went wide as well.

"What is it...?" Demi asked.

Mina swallowed a bite of food and then whispered, "The dot. She has the dot!"

Everyone looked to Demi, whose long green hair had been obscuring the red jewel in the center of her forehead.

"Oh, that?" Demi asked. "What about it? Is something wrong?"

Mina and Alec looked at each other. "I can't believe it," Alec said.

Mina shook her head. "Nor can I!"

"Please, tell us what is going on," Demi said, clearly agitated.

"Forgive us once again, please," Alec said. "It's just that this has been quite a night of surprises. First strangers come to our home, then they are from Algo, then a Mieu is among them. And now..."

Demi looked from one Landian to another. "Yes, and now what?"

"Mama? Papa? What's going on?" A young female voice echoed down from above. Everyone looked to see a young girl around the age of eighteen coming down the staircase in a blue nightgown. Long, dark blonde hair cascaded around her face. Her skin was fair and looked like fine porcelain. She had crystal blue eyes interlaced with the sparkle of emeralds. The girl rubbed her eyes and, when she saw the strange company in her home, stopped dead in her tracks.

Mina stood up and walked over to the girl. She put an arm around her shoulders and said, "This is my daughter, Lisa. Lisa, these kind people have come all the way from the star Algo! You remember about Algo; we've talked about it before."

The girl gasped and a hand flew to her mouth. She looked up at her mother in total disbelief. Mina nodded, and the girl slowly returned her gaze to Dahl and the others. "I can't believe it..." she said. "It...is a pleasure to meet you all..."

Demi and the others nodded at Lisa. Mina and Lisa then descended the stairs and stood in the kitchen. Mina explained to Lisa all that had happened.

Alec turned back to Demi. "But as I was about to say..." He looked again at Demi's jewel and had to shake his head. "I think I owe you an explanation."

"Yes, please." Demi said. "What is it about my 'birthmark' that you find so troubling?"

Alec took a deep breath. "There was a tribe a very, very long time ago. I know not how ancient it was or how it came to be. But it lasted for thousands of years. Not even Mother Brain's tyranny could destroy it. It survived the destruction of Palm. Members of that tribe were aboard the ship that brought my ancestors to this world. They included some of our greatest legendary and historical figures."

"But what does this have to do with me?"

"A red jewel set upon the forehead was the symbol of that tribe. I had been taught that the tribe, perhaps not in Algo but certainly on this planet, died out many centuries ago. To see someone who bears that special marking is indeed a powerful omen. And look at that fine sword that you wear on your back! You must be a great warrior, just like those of the ancient tribe!"

"But you realize that I am not a member of the tribe you speak of," Demi said. "I do seem to remember learning about such a clan while researching ancient Palman societies. But I received my marking in a very different manner than they did."

"Yes, I know," Alec said, puffing on his pipe again. "I knew you couldn't truly be one of them. But it's so odd. Odd that someone should appear with the marking after all these centuries. Miraculous that the marked person should be...a cyborg!"

"What? What did you just say?" Demi asked. "A cyborg? I assure you, I am not a cyborg. I am an android, completely mechanical in nature."

"I'm sorry," Alec said, blinking. "I don't understand. What is...an android?"

"Mium and I are both androids," Demi said. "All of the Mieu-types are androids. I guess you could say that androids are mechanical people."

Alec thought for a moment and then said, "It appears we simply use different terms to describe the same thing. We call beings of your kind 'cyborgs.' We always have, since long, long before our people came to this planet."

Mina and Lisa came over to the others. "By the black sword of Orakio," Mina said. "Can you imagine it? Coming face to face...with a Layan cyborg!"

The talk went on for a good long while. Demi and the others told Alec and Mina about their journey to New Palm and their experiences in Leneopolis. Repeatedly Demi tried to get more information from Alec about the Landians and their world. Where was the old town? What sort of being was the demon trapped there? And who, exactly, were the Layans? But invariably the conversation turned back to Demi and Mium, or why Dahl and Azur had such long ears, or how Elm could stand living in a desert when he had such thick fur. The only time Demi had a question fully answered was when she asked Alec who Orakio was, and Alec responded that Orakio was an ancient general who had, according to legend, owned a living black sword. Unfortunately, that was all Alec knew about him.

After two or so hours, Mina asked Lisa if she would go out to the well behind the house and fetch some fresh water. Lisa agreed. She went upstairs and changed into a dress like the one her mother wore, only pink in color. When she came back down Dahl was waiting for her by the door.

"Hi," Dahl said. "Mina says she wants two buckets filled. I thought I'd come with you to help."

"Thank you very much, Dahl," Lisa said. "I appreciate it." Lisa lifted a small lamp from off a hook by the door, and the two young women went outside.

The prairie wind had grown a little colder, but the temperature was still comfortable enough. Lisa and Dahl walked around the side of the house, past a few bushes and over a pile of stones. The well was in the back, inside of a three-sided shanty built into the semi-circular stone wall. Lisa set her bucket on a hook and used a crank to lower the bucket down into the water.

"We've all been very relieved that your family has accepted us so warmly," Dahl said. "The people in Leneopolis are a little afraid of you Landians. We weren't sure what we should expect."

Lisa smiled as she worked. "Ah, yes, well that's just the way of things, I suppose. People are people regardless of where you live. But even though everybody knows that, we are all suspicious of one another anyway."

"Does it ever get lonely out here?" Dahl asked. "How far are you from your nearest neighbors?"

Lisa stopped turning the crank and looked off toward the western horizon. "There's a nice family that lives off that way. They've got the cutest wee dog. Takes most of the afternoon to get there. Past them is a tiny village with about ten people. And it takes all of a day and half a night to reach it."

"You must not get many visitors."

"Not really, no," Lisa said. "That's why I was missing so long, I suppose." Lisa began to turn the crank in the opposite direction, causing the heavy bucket to rise. Yet despite the bucket's weight, the girl wasn't even breaking a sweat.

"Missing?" Dahl asked.

Lisa nodded. "I didn't want to mention it in front of Mama and Papa. It's not a secret, but it gets them upset something terrible when I talk about it." In a whisper she said, "You see, Dahl, I was missing for thirteen years."

"What happened to you?" Dahl asked as she handed the second bucket to Lisa.

"Sad story, really," Lisa said. "When I was five years old my mother came 'round to get some water from the well, and she left the front door wide open. Not knowing any better, me and my baby sister Serah wandered outside. And that was the last anyone saw of me until a year ago. They found me out by the Castle -- that's what we call them patch of crags a ways north of here -- wandering around like my mind had left me. I could hardly speak. I didn't know where I was or who I was. But I was wearing this." Lisa tapped the pink headband she wore. It looked like it was made of satin. "Mama made this for me when I was born, from the same material as her wedding clothes. When she saw it and my blue eyes she said she knew it was me, finally come home to her."

"But what about your sister?" Dahl asked.

Lisa finished raising the second bucket. "Poor little Serah. She was never found. I tell you, Dahl. I live with the guilt of her death on my mind day in and day out. Made even worse by the fact that I can't even remember her."

"But it wasn't your fault, Lisa. Little kids don't know any better."

Lisa wiped her hands on her dress. Some mud on the well handle had rubbed off on them. "I know," she said.

"How did you survive all that time?" Dahl asked as she picked up one of the buckets. "Don't you remember anything at all?"

"That's the thing," Lisa said. "I don't remember a thing before Papa's friend Seamus found me up at the Castle. And the days following that are an awful blur, until Papa and Mama brought me home."

Dahl squeezed Lisa's shoulder with her free hand. "It's a blessing that you have such a wonderful family. It must make things a lot easier."

The two walked back towards the front door. "What of you and your sister?" Lisa asked. "Do you have more family back home?"

"Demi raised us," Dahl told her. "I think of her as my mother. But we don't have a natural mother, no. Thank goodness Azur and I have had each other!"

"No father, either?"

Dahl stopped and looked up at the stars. "I guess it depends on who you ask."

They went back inside.