The
Visitor
by
MAC
- Chapter One -
Rev. 0.7
"Hello, Mr. Phil! Hello!"The falsetto voice
was meant to enhance the image of the homemade doll that bounced
from side to side playfully in front of Phil. The net effect,
unfortunately, was lost on the Tetrite."Most entertaining, sir,
however I am at a loss as to how I should respond.""Oh, lighten up, Phil."
scolded William lightly, removing the dancing doll from in front
of its unappreciative audience. "I just wanted to show you
what I made for Mara. What do you think?""I am sure the Little One
will find it most useful, sir. What is it?""It's a little bunny rabbit."
Again the doll was momentarily placed directly in front of Phil
to dance. Its long ears flopping from side to side with every
move. Phil sighed slowly, enduring the moment."My mistake, sir, said Phil
dryly. "I thought it might be a Tuifli Dorh."The dance immediately stopped."What's a Tuifli Dorh, Phil?""A long-eared species that
resides on Varn, sir. The species is generally avoided by most
of the other indigenous species on the planet due to its persistently
disagreeable aroma."William brushed the ears of the
doll back lightly with his hand. "Do they make the smell
themselves, Phil?""In a fashion, sir. The Tuifli
Dorh line their nests with their own dung.""Oh, man!" exclaimed
William, rolling his eyes at the thought. "I could have
gone through my entire life without hearing that one.""Indeed, sir," murmured
Phil, remembering the falsetto voice. "I am familiar with
that very thought.""All right, Phil, all right.
You want to be a grouch today, fine, but nothing's going to spoil
this for me. "Mara is just going to love this doll. All
little girls like little fuzzy, cuddly things and this one will
be Mara's." William had a sudden thought. "Maybe I
should have made a teddy bear."Phil turned slightly to see Mara
playing with a dozen small Tetrite infants. The billowy down
of the youngest and the immature fur coats of the older infants
tickled Mara as they scampered, tumbled, and played together.
It was common to see four or five Tetrite infants cuddle with
Mara during her afternoon nap."Has the Little One expressed
her concern about a shortage of fuzzy, cuddly things, sir?"William, oblivious to the scene
behind him, continued to perfect the appearance of the bunny
rabbit doll."Not in so many words, Phil,
but I know little girls. She'll just love this thing and...""Hi-eee!"The greeting from overhead wasn't
unusual enough for William to look up. His response was just
as familiar."Hi, hon."His naked mate descended immediately
before him, her arms collaring his neck in a surprise embrace
that included a deep kiss. The kiss ended in a question asked
with a silky voice and a subtle smile."Miss me?"The wide smile that formed on
William's lips gave her all the answer she needed. She could
feel his firm hand pull her closer, his fingertips in the deep
crease at the center of the small of her powerful back."I love the way you come
home, Lillith.""That's because I love to
come..." Lillith noticed the doll. "Oh, a Tuifli Dorh!"
She scrunched her nose unappreciatively. "Yech, they smell."
William instantly released her
to instruct them both on the correct interpretation of the happy-go-lucky
doll."That is NOT a Tuifli whatever
it is!""Dorh, sir." offered
Phil. William waved the effort away."It's a bunny rabbit, a little
fuzzy bunny for my daughter to play with. Got it? Bunny. Fuzzy
bunny."Phil and Lillith both nodded their
understanding."Bunny. Got it." said
Lillith firmly.Eyeing the two spoilers of all
things fuzzy and cuddly, William mumbled to himself before turning
around to call his daughter."Tuilfi..." he groaned
contemptuously. "... dung." Lillith lowered her eyebrows at
the last word, unsure what that was all about."Mara!" called out William
pleasantly. Mara immediately stopped playing to look in her father's
direction. Unfortunately, at that moment she was also supposed
to catch a tiny Tetrite infant who had jumped trustingly off
a nearby rock. The infant was rolled tightly into a ball and
squeaked once when he unexpectedly hit the ground."Yes, Daddy," she responded."Come here, honey."
"I sorry, Daddy.""No, honey, you didn't do
anything wrong. I want to show you something."" `kay."Mara and the Tetrites immediately
returned to playing as if no other demands had been made on her
time. A few seconds elapsed before William realized that she
wasn't coming as he had just asked. It happened from time to
time."MARA'LYN!" he commanded
a bit more forcefully."I come!" responded
the Little One without looking up. Evidently, there was something
important to complete in what appeared to the untrained eye as
random play. Mara finished whatever that something was and was
soon running as fast as she could to her father."Yes, Daddy," the tiny
voice said to her smiling father who immediately held up the
new doll for her to see."This is for you, honey-bunny,"
he announced proudly.Mara looked blankly at the handmade
rabbit before glancing to her mother. Lillith made a mother's
facial command understood by most children and nodded toward
William. Mara got the message and said the proper words."T'ank you, Daddy."
The words were fine, but the lack of enthusiasm hit William like
a sledgehammer, leaving him devastated. Mara wheeled around without
accepting the doll to scamper back to her playmates. William
lowered the rejected plaything back to his side in total defeat."I... I really thought she'd
like it." He wasn't speaking to anyone in particular."Mara!" called Lillith.
"Come back here, velorinna."Mara stopped and turned, but only
walked slowly back this time. Parents are such a problem sometimes."May I?" asked Lillith,
taking the doll from her dejected mate. She examined it briefly
while Mara traveled the short distance back to her. "Nicely
done, darling. It's beautiful."William nodded meakly as he accepted
her consolation prize of praise."Sorry, Mommy," groaned
the slump-shouldered child."No, Mara, you didn't do
anything wrong," corrected Lillith. "I want to introduce
you to a visitor.""A whistor?""Uh-huh." The doll took
center stage before Mara as Lillith spoke seriously to her. "This
creature comes from far away and has been stranded on our planet.
There is no way for the creature to go home now and it is all
alone.""Oh.""Yes. There are so many dangers
and the creature needs our friendship and our love.""Uh-huh.""Most of all, the creature
needs our protection."Mara's eyes widened at the idea.
She looked directly at the doll and spoke with all the authority
a four year old Protector could muster."I p'otec' you."Lillith handed the doll to her
eager daughter who immediately cuddled it warmly."I knew you would, velorinna.
Protect always.""P'tec' aw-way," parroted
Mara. "Look, Pil!""Yes, Little One, we've met.""That's all, Mara. Go show
your friends."Without another word, Mara ran
as quickly as she could back to the waiting Tetrites. They huddled
around Mara's new charge, full of questions and wonder. Mara's
instincts were strong even at her young age. She was, without
a doubt, the daughter of a Velorian Protector.Lillith strutted majestically
past a stunned William and a speechless Phil. Her smug smile
the highlight of her self-satisfaction. Stopping her parade before
him, her finger dragged lightly under William's chin before pushing
his slightly agape mouth shut."If you boys need any more
help with anything," she said with an exaggerated sigh,
"I'll be in the house."Her parade started again and continued
down the path to the house as she hummed happily. Her audience
of two remained silently in awe."Oh, she's good," mumbled
William, still a bit bewildered."Very good," agreed
Phil. Five years later, in Mara's bedroom in the house
"Mara, why are still holding
on to this old doll? It's getting so worn out.""Mom!" Mara protested
loudly. "I want to keep that. I've had that bunny ever since
I was a kid.""That long, eh?" remarked
Lillith with a wink."You know what I mean."
"I know, dear," said
Lillith, smiling brightly. Leaving the room, Lillith called back
over her shoulder to her only daughter. "Come downstairs
and eat, dear. It's time.""I'll be right there, momma."Alone again, Mara put the old
bunny doll back in its place of honor in front of her mirror.
Her fingers petted the frayed ears into place on the discolored
fabric."Protect always," she
whispered, smiling at the thought before running from the room
to join the family downstairs.In the kitchen, Lillith found
William gazing out through the window with his coffee, smiling
warmly."What are you smiling at,
silly?" she asked."Nothing," he mumbled.
"Nothing. I just feel good today, that's all."Lillith didn't have to say anything
more about it. She knew his acute hearing could hear a pin drop
at five miles. Instead, she merely stood close behind him, kissed
him briefly on the side of his neck, and rested her chin on his
shoulder to peer out through the window with him."Me too," she sighed.In the vicinity of Thebes, Tetra's largest moon
The small ship drifted without
any sign of power or life. The corroded aging hull was completely
darkened, without so much as a navigation light illuminated.
Even the windows that encircled the upper deck were dark, except
a few that faced forward. At the bridge deck windows, a
modest flicker of light came and went, hardly noticeable unless
you peered into the ship through one of them. There, on the deck
of the small compartment that served as the bridge of the ship,
you would see three figures huddled together around a small candle.
The male, barely conscious and sprawled on his back with his
head held tenderly in the lap of the female who cared for him.
Next to her sat a young child about nine years old. The child
remained impassive, not daring to touch or speak to the male,
whispering occasionally to the weakly gasping female who could
only respond with an occasional nod or shrug. Each knew that
these were their final moments of life. Their ship was already
dead. They would follow soon enough.The child asked yet another whispered
question. The female tried to answer, but her words were cut
short by a groaned demand by the male for them both to be silent.They all spoke Velorian.
The Visitor continues....
NEXT CHAPTER
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