Seed of the Gods

concealed pictures of jealousy, watched as Rack touched his tongue to the tongue of Yellow Sky. The flying establishment lifted rapidly into the dark, swirling clouds. Rack sent back pictures of their condition to the Far Seers. Yellow Sky took them up swiftly, as if to prove to all that she, as well as Beautiful Wings, could power the soar. Soon the establishment burst through the clouds into the blackness of the upper air. Rack in contact with Shadow on the Moon, directed her to slow the ascent until finally they hovered motionless high above the planet. The flying enclosure was almost invisible against the black space beyond it. Below, the view was blocked by the most terrible winter storms in history. Yet they were not alone, for the Far Seers held them in their minds, measuring their expenditure of substance. Exultant, not penalized in the slightest by the fast, heavy lift, the Power Giver radiated joy. Rack, however, was slightly uncomfortable. His mouth to hers, he knew the vague unease that he always felt in a merge with anyone other than Beautiful Wings. He was relieved when the Far Seers had enough information to allow the soar to end, and when they returned to earth he immediately sought seclusion within his chamber at the Eastern Establishment. That he was being selfish did not occur to him. However, when Beautiful Wings entered he looked up, arranging his features in an expression of pleasure. «Did you not even want to see me?» she asked. «Of course,» he said. «I was merely tired.» «Yet we have soared the wide sea without feeling fatigue,» she said. She was defenseless against his probing mind. Their long closeness had robbed her of the ability to close her mind to him. What he found hurt him. «You are the most foolish of Power Givers,» he told her fondly. «Do you think I could forget so quickly?» He sent pictures of the repeated joining and she melted, coming to his side. «I will not allow you to merge with her again,» she said. He laughed. «Then you shall be the one who explains it to Red Earth.» But he sent such a wave of love that she purred aloud with pleasure and clung to him. Since it had been proved that the flying establishment could be soared relatively easily, only a few tests remained. As Yellow Sky once more lifted the load, Beautiful Wings tried to appear unconcerned, but was not successful in hiding her pique from Rack. At the height of the soar, in the thin air of near space, they hovered. Under the guidance of Shadow on the Moon, the flying establishment moved in an arc corresponding to the curve of the planet. Faster and faster they moved, Rack sending his energies into the body of the Power Giver. Just as the contact was about to be broken by the curvature of the planet Shadow on the Moon ordered them to slow, make a sweeping turn, and come back. As they complied the establishment began to move up at an increasing rate of speed, the strain felt even in Rack's strong body. When they returned to the surface of the planet they found the Far Seers greatly excited over the relative readings of power expended in the two methods of acceleration. One more test was required to confirm the thinking of the Far Seers. And to the relief of Beautiful Wings, it was decided to use the team that would make the final long soar. Rack was happy to be merged once again with Beautiful Wings. He knew her as he knew no other, knew the vibrant life force of her, the gladness with which she merged, the inner workings of her organs, the miraculous beauty of her cellular structure. His mind sang with hers as she lifted the thin bubble of the Material through the toxic clouds to where the bright sun was visible in the cold, thin air. Up and up they went, moving slowly, to conserve energy. Their trajectory was angled, aligned with the curve of the earth in a direction opposite to its rotation. Just before contact was lost, Shadow on the Moon directed them to level and engage the power of Beautiful Wings' mind to push the flying establishment even faster. There was no sensation of speed. Blocked by the curve of the earth from the mind of the Far Seer, they relied on an instinctive sense of timing to halt the force. As they rested, they felt light and free, their bodies floating gently free of the rack. Disengaged, they examined the situation. The senses of the Power Giver noted the pull of the earth, but they also distinguished another force that counteracted it. The balance of these two powers kept the flying establishment on an even keel, circling the earth at a far height, with no need for Rack and Beautiful Wings to expend any of their own energies. They passed through the dark of a space night and emerged again into the sun. The minds of the Far Seers came into contact, measuring jubilantly. After another circle of the planet at a speed never before attained, they came down, the mind of the Power Giver using its force to break the unseen force that counterbalanced the pull of the planet. Forcing against the pull they lowered slowly and settled outside the Eastern Establishment. Rack had difficulty understanding the pictures in the minds of the Far Seers, but Beautiful Wings, whose knowledge of planet fields and pull was inbred, grasped the pictures easily. Together, minds blended, they would be able to follow the exact instructions of the Far Seers. Moreover, throughout the early stages of the soar, they would be in contact with Shadow on the Moon. In his mind the wheelings of the worlds were precise pictures and his logic could send the pictures ahead in time to anticipate the exact location of the sister worlds at any given time. He had conceived a daring theory to save energy. As the flying establishment approached the sister world it would be speeding through space at a huge picture of velocity. Having measured the strength of the power used by Beautiful Wings and other Power Givers in stopping the fall of their own bodies toward the planet, he pictured the force needed to slow the flying establishment with the weight of Rack and Beautiful Wings inside. To stop the motion would cost dearly if Beautiful Wings forced herself directly against the satellite and came to a direct landing. Shadow on the Moon thought it possible to allow the pull of the satellite itself to slow the soar. Rack tried hard to capture the concept, but it was difficult. He left such technicalities to the Far Seers and Power Givers, confident that they were right when they said that the flying establishment should not aim directly at the satellite, but should swing past, allowing the pull of the world to slow the forward motion and curve it into a circle around the satellite. Power would then be used sparingly to slow the motion and allow the tug of the satellite to pull the establishment down to a site selected by Rack and Beautiful Wings. The preparations were complete. On a dark night at the low end of the sun circle, with the storms howling outside, lifting all the heavy gases into the already toxic atmosphere, the group gathered and listened to a recital of the deaths of the season. There were more blank spaces in the thin web of life force around the continent. Death stalked the world and dampened the anticipation of the great event. The aching knowledge of loss added a sense of urgency to the last-minute activity as Healers stored good air and broth in the flying establishment, placed fresh, healthy Breathers in the tanks, stored the eggs of the Webbers and Juicers and the slime source plants in their containers. Unable to sleep, Rack lay with his armored hand on the flank of Beautiful Wings. He felt her shift in sleep and heard the sound of her lungs using the good, sweet air. The Establishment was quiet, work at a half. He could hear the sigh of the winds through the thin walls of the Material. On his scales he could feel the occasional particle that made its way through the resistance of the walls. He wished for the abilities of the Far Seers, so that he could send his mind up beyond the lowering clouds to feel the swing of the worlds, the heat of the sun. He considered his life, and it was good. He had seen much, done much. This was the greatest adventure a Healer would ever experience. The fate of his world depended on his action. But Rack the Healer was young, strong, and confident. He did not know fear. XII This is the Book of Rack the Healer, called the New One, sent back to the minds of the Keepers from a point where the planet is but a yellow-purple brightness. These are the thoughts of Rack, sent from Space. They are sent for my daughter, the Keeper, whose name I do not know, who can store and keep but who can never know me; for those we love, Red Earth and Shadow on the Moon and Gray Body, Far Seers of great knowledge; for those who helped Yellow Sky the Power Giver and our brothers and sisters on the Eastern Continent, whom we greet. Our thoughts travel to them as well as to our homeland, for here, where the planet is small below us, our thoughts spread easily through the clear vastness, the ever-growing picture of distance. Know you, my brothers, my sisters, that your force is felt even here. Tender but strong emotions follow us, making us feel the life force, labeling our world as one of the favored of nature, one on which the life force glows brightly. We are able even now to feel the reassuring warmth of the combined minds of you, the Far Seers. We know at what cost you are sending us your guidance, for the distance is great and the sky is thick with poisons. And before we pass beyond the strength of our weak mind powers, I, Rack the Healer, presume to speak, to clutter the vaults of the Keepers' minds with my thoughts, in the hope that future generations might gain from our experience. You have seen the deadly poison and the dark, swirling air. You have, some of you, been able to make the high soar, passing beyond the obscuring darkness into the light, where you could see the sparkling suns within the black depths of the universe. For you, I send the scene to be recorded forever. The curvature of the planet is becoming evident as we rise, the cold is beginning to be felt inside the Establishment. I ruffle my scales so that they receive the direct rays of the sun. Its hard particles bounce and send energy into me which I share with the one who is welded to me, flesh on flesh. We leave the dying world behind. The night of space is black and the sun a brightness that, without the protection of my outer lids, I cannot endure. Even as I record my poor thoughts alongside those of my betters, I receive and obey the learned thinking of the Far Seers, who guide our soar into an arcing swoop. Now the forces equalize and we float, effortlessly. At this picture of distance, the clouds lose their deadliness and are merely a beautifully mottled layer of color, smooth, dense, even, obscuring the planet from our eyes. Into the cold of the shadow of the planet we fly, and I feel the slowness of my blood and give of my warmth to my Power Giver. We are measuring the time and at the precise moment determined by the mind of Shadow on the Moon, we surge, using all our combined power. I bid you, my world, temporary farewell and send you my love and ask yours in