Just for the record: I am NOT the author of the following piece.
He can be contacted at:
Lewis Burden <LEBURDEN@tiny.computing.csbsju.edu>
Please remember that this contains a lot of spoilers for JAD I,
and that you're starting from middle, so most characters are
not re-introduced. Also, it WILL spoil the hanging end of JAD I.
JAD I is avaiable at the RAAS archives (ftp.std.com).
[START OF INCLUDED TEXT]
Lewis Burden
September 21, 1995
Alt-Urusei Yatsura
Still Dreaming
I
"I wish this dream would never end."
It was the afternoon tour. The Guide deftly steered
the tour group through the high stone arches of the Uruseian
Imperial Palace. He had brought hundreds of groups through
the building, and he knew the history of every part. He
told them of the worker's rebellion when the palace was only
half built. He told them of the bomb which destroyed most
of the original structure and how it was painstakingly
rebuilt to look exactly as it had before. He told them of
the various artists who had been called in to do the frescos
as well as the wood and stonework.
He was only half surprised when upon bringing the group
into one of the large courtyards they happened upon the
Princess and her new alien consort. Often during the
tours they might happen to glimpse a member of the royal
family going about their business. Catching the Princess,
of course, was a special treat because she was so rarely on
Urusei, and of course she was so beautiful.
The Guide bowed respectfully and hoped that everyone
else did the same. He heard the Princess wish them good
luck, and then out of the corner of his eye he saw the boy
rush out from the group toward the Princess. The Guide
swore silently and ran off after the boy. Children were
often a hassle in these groups. This one in particular
because his parents weren't with him. The Guide hated when
parents, in order to buy a few moments peace, put their kids
under the care of some unsuspecting tour guide.
The Guide had bought the kid some souvenirs and an ice
cream cone in hopes that he would be placated and well
behaved. Surprisingly, he was. He had, in fact, up
until that moment, been one of the best behaved children
that the tour guide had ever led. Now, however, he was
causing the Guide great embarrassment and in front of the
Princess, herself.
The Guide was quite relieved when the Princess smiled
and signaled that she didn't mind signing an autograph.
Then it happened, just as the Guide was about to grab the
child and bring him back to the group, the child became
strangely still. The Guide felt that there was something
terrible happening. It was milliseconds between the time
that the Guide saw a strange glow in the child's flesh and
when he leapt to shove the child away from the Princess and
her consort. It was the last thing that he ever did.
* * *
Benten banked her bike hard to the right. Imagine the
nerve of that bastard, trying to get away. The enemy
fighter slipped tantalizingly close to her cross-hairs, but
then pulled up. He was using a classic evasive pattern.
Benten wondered when these Uruseians would learn to be
creative.
Benten anticipated the next move in the pattern, and
the enemy dutifully moved his fighter right into her
awaiting sites. The computer pinged a lock and Benten
fired. There was a momentary hesitation before the guns
reacted. The lights dimmed and the enemy exploded.
Benten screamed in frustration and slammed her fists
against the control console. The starry background faded
from her canopy and was replaced by the metal panels of the
hangar bay.
Benten began slamming her fists into her fighter in
rage. She wasn't fast enough! She was slipping! The
computer hesitated because it was compensating for the
fighter moving out of lock again. This could happen to a
novice, maybe occasionally to a veteran Uruseian, but not to
Benten. She didn't really need the computer to target her
prey. It shouldn't have to compensate for her failure to
react in time.
Benten was forced out of her rage by the pain in her
hands. She had slammed them against the walls so hard they
were bleeding. Her face was red, and she was breathing
heavily as she brought her hands in before her chest. Her
eyes were wild with rage. It was fortunate that no one was
around to see her like this.
She was a failure. She couldn't even be counted on to
protect one person, one very precious person. She had
failed the galaxy, and she had failed herself. Lum's
protection was her responsibility, but she let herself be
distracted by all the celebrations. She let herself be
distracted by getting her world back, and she let herself be
distracted by the terran boy. She had let her guard down
and paid the ultimate price. Better for her to have died
in that explosion than to lose Lum.
"Damn the fucking universe!" she shouted, slamming her
fists into the walls one last time, and regretting it. She
took a deep breath and worked to relax. Destroying her
hands wouldn't bring Lum back. She had to remember the her
favorite axiom, given to her by her first trainer. `The
angry fighter gets killed that much quicker.'
This was one of the harder ones for her, because of
her temper, but she knew it was true. It was cold,
undivided concentration that would put her enemy between her
sites. The time for celebration, short lived as it was,
was over. There was no room for the terran boy. There
was no room for festival dresses. There was only room for
one thing. She had her vengeance against the Azu's, now
there was a new enemy, and Benten knew how to make enemies
pay.
She bent over and pulled the first aid kit from under
her seat. She opened it and proceeded to bandage her hands.
Having this done, she replaced the box, took a deep breath
and reinitiated the simulator.
* * *
Ten sat in his favorite chair, deep in thought. He
was doing, in his own albeit more reserved way, much the
same thing that Benten was. He was damning himself for his
failure. All his thoughts and schemes and plans were
worthless. It was such a game, wasn't it. So fun to
play, he scoffed. Why didn't he see it coming? How could
such an obvious thing pass by unnoticed? A bomb!
There were no convoluted paths of Family intrigue.
There was no hidden power grab to strip the Princess of her
authority before she was crowned. Someone had simply
placed a bomb in an android and marched it right up to the
Princess. Ten was caught completely off his guard.
When Lum needed him most, what was he doing? He was
too busy patting himself on the back. He was too busy
planning a grand addition to the palace, just for his own
indulgences. Everything was working out so well, and now
it was all over, or soon would be. Lum wasn't dead. The
heroics of the tour guide had saved her and Ataru, but she
could have been dead. And certainly whoever sent the first
bomb would send another. He wouldn't be able to stop that
one either if he didn't find out who it was. For the first
time in his life, Redet Jariten doubted whether he could
find who was responsible. He was doubting many things
about himself now.
Ten stood and looked around his room; his play room in
the command section. The pretentiousness of it seemed so
useless, so wasteful. It was beginning to disgust him.
He set his face and made his way to the door. He didn't
know where he was going, but he was certainly leaving this
room.
He reached the door and opened it. He was surprised
to see Ran was there.
"I thought you might need someone to talk to," she said
shyly.
Ten nodded and let her come in. He really didn't feel
like talking to anyone, but he was in control of himself
enough not to take it out on Ran.
Ran sat down on the couch. "Everything seemed to be
going so well," she said.
Ten chuckled. "That's usually when things fall apart,"
he said and then his face darkened. "I should have realized
that simple fact and been prepared."
"You blame yourself for what happened, don't you?" she
asked. She knew that he had. It was why she had come.
She had been sitting with Lum. She was tired of feeling
helpless, alone, so she came to see Ten.
Ran had just been there talking with Lum and Ataru
moments before the explosion. If she had only stayed. It
was a servant's duty to die for her mistress. She would
have gladly, even with all blessings the future held for her
now. She would have gladly, even though Lum's death would
likely make her the Empress, if she married Rei.
Ran thought about being Empress. It would be so
hollow. She had failed her best friend. Protecting the
Princess was part of the duty of her servant. Oyuki would
never fail the Empress. Ran was too busy worrying about
herself. She had failed her friend, who had done so much
for her. She had failed her job.
"It was my job," Ten said in an effort to explain his
feelings, "to see that plots like this didn't touch the
Princess. It was my fault."
"Are you perfect, then?" Ran asked, talking to herself
as much as to Jariten. "You can't protect her from the
whole universe."
"Can't I?" Ten said and stood. "I'm Redet Jariten, my
dear, trickster extraordinare." There was a definite
sarcasm in his voice. "I can pull a rabbit out of a hat
even if there isn't a hat. No one in the universe can
weave a better scheme, nor with more style." His face
contorted with rage, and he slammed his fists into the wall.
"Damn me! I'm such a pompous ass!" He slumped to the
floor.
Ran went to him. She knelt beside him. She saw he was
crying, and rubbing his hands. He turned to her and offered
a weak smile. "I'm starting to act like Benten."
"We haven't lost yet," Ran assured him. "They're not
dead. They still need us."
"They've been out for days," Jariten reminded her.
"They're not coming back. They have to want to come back,
and I don't think they do. Why would anyone want to return
to this world?"
* * *
Lum sat in absolute darkness. She couldn't see
anything. She felt air against her body and she realized
that she was naked. Where was she? Where did she used to
be? Her mind was all foggy. Was this Tomobiki? She
couldn't imagine being anyplace else, but why was it so
dark.
Suddenly it became light, and she saw that she was in
Tomobiki. She was sitting in the middle of the street in
front of Ataru's house. She was still naked, but there was
no one around. She stood. It didn't seem real somehow.
She was still very disoriented.
Not knowing what else to do, she walked toward the
house and went inside. No one was home. "Mother, Father,"
she called. There was no answer.
She made her way up the stairs. "Ten," she called.
Still nothing. She went into Ataru's room. It was empty.
Draped on the open window was her tiger striped bikini.
She looked at it curiously. "Now why would it be there?"
she wondered.
She walked over to the window, and picked up the top to
her bikini. The fur was soft. She studied the small piece
of material. For some reason she didn't want to put it on.
There was something that she was missing. Something
important.
Finally, however, she thought, "I have to put on
something. I can't remain naked, forever."
She was about to put on the top when she doubled over
in pain. It was an incredible burning sensation all over
her body. She screamed and fell to the ground.
Suddenly Ataru was there with her. He put his hand on
her shoulder. "Lum, are you all right?" he asked.
The pain seemed to lessen with his touch. She looked
up at him. "Darling. . ." She saw that he was naked too.
He smiled at her. "I thought that I had lost you," he
said.
"Lost me?" Lum asked dazedly. "How?"
Ataru went blank. He stepped back. "I don't know.
It is . . . It's just a feeling. A feeling that you were
gone. And when I . . . and you weren't there, I thought."
Lum nodded. She understood perfectly. The pain had
gone, and Lum sat up. "I was in the middle of the street,"
she said. "I don't know how I got there."
"I was sitting at the neighbor's front door. I can't
imagine going there without any clothes on."
"I can't remember yesterday, or anything before I found
myself on the street," Lum said.
Ataru looked down, trying to remember anything at all.
He failed. He got up and went to the closet. "In any
case," he said. "We shouldn't be going around naked."
"Why not?" Lum asked coyly.
Ataru turned. She was smiling at him. Ataru returned
the expression.
"There's no one around," Lum said. "You are my
husband."
Ataru paused. Husband? "No, I don't think I am," he
replied.
Lum stood. "Of course you are," she insisted.
Ataru thought again and slowly shook his head. He
opened the closet and got out a shirt. "I don't think
we're married," Ataru said again, putting on a shirt.
Lum's face fell. She quickly put on her bikini top.
"You're just trying to be mean. You love me, and we're
married. Admit it!"
Ataru put on his underwear and pants. "We are not
married! And I don't love you!" he shouted. "It's all in
your head!"
Lum finished putting on the bikini bottom. "Darling,
how could you say such a thing?!"
"Because it's true," Ataru replied, sticking out his
tongue.
"I hate you!" Lum shouted and sent a lightning bolt at
Ataru. He dodged it. They were about to start a battle
royal, when Ataru's mother called from downstairs.
"Ataru, Lum!" she called. "Come down for dinner!"
"Food!" Ataru exclaimed and scampered out the door.
"Dahling!" Lum called "We're not finished arguing."
She flew after him, but paused at the doorway. She looked
back toward the window. It seemed there was something that
she was supposed to remember.
"Lum," she heard Ten say, "aren't you coming down for
dinner? If we don't hurry the jerk will eat everything."
Lum turned her head. Jariten was floating in front of
her.
"Is there something wrong?" he asked.
Lum smiled and giggled. "Nope, everything is fine."
* * *
Ataru wolfed down his food as usual, and began to think
of a way to ditch Lum so that he could go on a "girl hunt."
Peeking up from his meal, he saw that she was looking at
him. Her expression was not at all an approving one. It
was as if she was reading his thoughts.
"Dahling," she said, her tone laced with accusation,
"what are you planning to do after dinner?"
"I thought I would do some school work and go to bed
early," he replied.
His mother choked on her food. "Ataru, if you are
going to lie to your girlfriend, you should at least try to
make it believable."
"She is not my girlfriend," Ataru insisted.
"That's right," Lum responded, "I'm your wife."
"You are not anything of mine," Ataru said standing.
"You forced yourself on me! I wouldn't marry you for any
price!"
"Dahling. . ." Lum fumed. She started to crackle.
"Not at the dinner table, Lum dear," Ataru's mother
said calmly. "If you are going to electrocute him, please
do it outside."
"Yes, mother," Lum said obediently and grabbing the
protesting Ataru by the collar flew him outside. "Now,"
she said, holding him several meters in the air, "say you
love me."
"I will never love you!" Ataru proclaimed, and
received the appropriate punishment. Lum dropped the ashes
to the ground.
She then dropped on him and asked again, "Do you love
me?"
"Who's that?" Ataru said.
Lum was stunned. She looked up to where Ataru was
looking. There was someone, or something standing just out
of the shadows on the other side of the street. He
appeared to be watching them.
Now they were used to having passersby watching their
arguments, but this person seemed a bit odd. He was
short, about the build of Professor Onsenmark, and that's
who they would have thought it was, but there was something
eerie in the way he was watching them. Then they noticed
something even stranger. Even though he was in the light
of a nearby street lamp, he was casting no shadow. He
noticed they were looking at him and he disappeared around
the corner.
Lum quickly leapt into the air and flew after him.
Ataru got up and followed her, but by the time they reached
the corner he was no where to be seen.
"That was strange," Ataru said.
Lum scanned the area, nervously. She felt as if they
were still being watched. "I want to go back inside," she
said, and tugged at Ataru's arm.
"Yeah," Ataru agreed, also looking around. "I guess
that'd be a good idea."
They both returned to the house, but they were checking
behind themselves all the way to the door.
* * *
Ataru lay awake, staring at the ceiling. It was the
middle of the night, but he couldn't sleep. He felt uneasy
about something. He couldn't put his finger on it, but
something just wasn't right.
He could hear Lum's gentle breathing coming from the
closet. There was something very wrong with their
relationship. His protestations against him loving her
seemed even more hollow than normal. No, he didn't mean it
like that. They weren't hollow, he thought trying to
convince himself. He did really mean to say that he didn't
love her.
That was the thing, though. Suddenly, he felt that he
did love her and that he had told her so very recently. He
knew that wasn't true. It couldn't be true. He would never
tell her that he loved her. That would be giving in.
He looked over in the direction of the closet. She was
so beautiful, he thought, in so many ways. And she wanted
him, desperately so. He never understood how anyone could
love him so much. He never believed that it was possible.
Maybe it was time to make a break. Maybe it was time
to admit what he felt. It was really unavoidable. He
would have to give in sooner or later. It wasn't like she
was ever going leave. It wasn't like he really wanted her
to. It was stupid to fight it.
He was about to get up and tell her when his good sense
took over. I have a harem to collect, he reminded himself.
Then the uncomfortable feeling returned with force. He
once again felt a presence.
He slowly looked around and had to fight the urge to
scream. Silhouetted in the window curtains was the figure,
back lit by the street lamp. Ataru's heart was beating
out of his chest. He drew an uneven breath. He was well
aware that his room was on the second floor and this being
had to be hovering.
He considered that it might be Jariten playing a joke
on him, but he could hear Jariten snoring. He drew up his
courage. The shadow of the figure wasn't moving at all.
Ataru fell to the ground and slowly crept over to the
window. He reached out to pull open the curtain, fully
expecting some grotesque monster to be revealed when he
pulled the curtain aside. He paused, and took a deep
breath. His heart was pounding the blood hard against his
ears. In a rapid motion he pulled the curtain aside.
There was nothing there. There was only the street
light and an empty street. Ataru let his heart slow down
some. He turned a slumped back against the wall.
He froze! The person was standing right in front of
him. A cold dark figure, and then it was gone.
Ataru was immobile with fear. His eyes darted back
and forth. He was alone in the room. He jumped back from
the window. The shadow was no longer there. He pulled
back to a far corner away from the window and just stared at
it, waiting for the figure to appear again.
What was it?! What should he do? What could he do?
His eyes fell on the closet. He had been too scared to
call out, so Lum remained asleep. Ataru decided that is
was good. He wouldn't tell her. He would deal with it,
if there was something to be dealt with. Her happiness was
more important.
He pulled his legs into himself, making as small a
figure in the corner as possible. He stared at the window
and waited, and didn't sleep.
* * *
Ataru, of course, paid for his vigilance. In the
morning, when Lum opened the closet, she found Ataru, awake
but drowsy. He looked horrible.
"Dahling, what happened?" she asked.
"Nothing," Ataru answered groggily. "I couldn't sleep.
It's time to go to school." Ataru got up. He was a little
shaky, but fortunately he was young, and was able to call on
the hidden reserve of strength that he'd most likely miss
sixty years down the road. He stood up and smiled at Lum.
"Another day," he said brightly.
Lum was skeptical. "Something happened," she said as
she followed him down the stairs. "Did you have a
nightmare?"
"Yes!" Ataru exclaimed. "That's it, a nightmare!" He
turned to Lum. "I had this terrible dream last night, and I
couldn't get back to sleep, but I'm fine now."
"My poor Darling," Lum said, flying up to him. "If you
had a nightmare, you should have come and slept with me. I
would have protected you."
"No, thank you," Ataru said sourly.
"Dahling!" Lum protested. "Why won't you let me help
you. I am your wife, after all."
"Ataru!" Ataru's mother called. "Hurry up or you'll be
late for school!"
* * *
The walk to school was pretty normal, but Ataru
couldn't get his mind off the strange being that he saw.
What could it possibly want with him? Or maybe it wanted
Lum. He couldn't be sure. Something was very strange
about the whole event, though. Ataru couldn't quite place
it. He was certain, however, there was something that he
should be connecting this with.
Lum and Ataru turned the corner and walked into the
school courtyard. Dozens of students were wandering about
talking among themselves in their last moments of freedom
before classes started. Ataru sighed. Back here again.
Why did he always end up back here. It seemed there was no
escape.
They entered the building, went to their class, and sat
in their desks. It was the same as it was everyday. What
a waste of time for someone as important as he was.
Sitting in a ordinary class just as if nothing had happened.
Admist all the trouble that had recently befallen him,
Ataru had hoped that when he had left . . .
There was a scream and Ataru turned to see what was
going on. Floating in the window was the figure.
"Dammit!" Ataru stood. "What do you want?!"
"It's that man again!" Lum exclaimed. "He can fly!"
With that Lum lifted into the air and flew after him. The
dark figure immediately flew off and she went after him.
Ataru went to the window. "Lum, wait! I'm here now.
You don't have to do this alone!" She was gone. Mindless
of protests from Onsenmark, Ataru ran out the door, down the
stairs and out of the school.
Once outside he scanned the sky for Lum. She was
nowhere is sight. Ataru didn't believe that figure was
safe, not safe at all. He was very afraid for Lum. He
ran out the front gate, all the while scanning the sky for
her. It was times like this that he really wished he could
fly too.
They originally headed off west, so Ataru turned in
that direction. He had never felt so helpless. It was
like waiting in Ten's playroom all over again. Ataru
froze.
There was an idea. He knew it was an important one
and he had almost had it in his grasp, but then it eluded
him. He strained his mind to get it back. There was
something that he really needed to remember. He scanned
the skies. There was still no sign of Lum. The feeling
of dread in his gut was rising. He started to run again.
What would he do without her, he thought. All these
years of running from her and now he couldn't bear to lose
her. It was strange. Hundreds of bizarre creatures had
come to Tomobiki before. None of them had ever filled him
with so much fear as this one, this presence. Ataru wished
he knew what was different about this one. What had made
the world so much darker.
That thought from before drifted into Ataru's grasp
again and this time he held onto it. He stopped running.
He knew now why the world was darker, and at the same time
brighter. He had a good idea who the Presence was too.
Ataru knew that his worst imaginings about the Presence
were a shadow of the truth. This Presence must have been
what had tried to kill them, to kill his Lum. His face
contorted in rage and fear. Lum was in terrible danger.
Ataru leapt into the air and flew as fast as his dreams
could carry him.
* * *
Ataru flew fast and far, but it didn't help. Lum was
no where to be found. Ataru eventually flew back to his
house, and sat on the balcony railing looking out to the
sky.
It was quite clear to Ataru that the figure was not a
part of the dream, but more likely the cause. Its purpose
was also clear. It had meant to frighten Ataru and Lum so
that they would be distracted enough not to remember that
they were in a dream. Ataru was being difficult so they
upped the ante. Now they must have hoped that Ataru would
be so busy looking for Lum that he wouldn't remember.
Ataru wondered if the Presence knew that Ataru had
discovered the truth.
It was also possible that Lum had discovered the truth,
and she was being held, or worse. No. No, Ataru wouldn't
accept that. She was alive. If the link that had always
existed between them was broken, Ataru was sure that he
would feel it.
Unless, of course, the link was created by the
Presence. That thought disappointed Ataru. He very much
wanted the ethereal bond between himself and Lum to
something special; certainly something more the alien
machinations.
One thing was for certain. He needed to know a lot
more about the Presence and its purpose than he did now.
The trick was how to find out. The Presence had apparently
captured Lum. Ataru knew that this was not easy to do,
especially when she had her dream powers.
Jariten floated into Ataru's room. "You're in big
trouble," Ten began.
Ataru turned sharply. He was so deep in thought, that
Ten startled him.
"The school called to say that you skipped today.
Walked right out of Onsenmark's class, they said. Your
mother is going to get you, but good. By the way, have
you seen Lum?"
Ataru had grown to like the real world Jariten. Ataru
hoped that Jariten and he would become close friends. This
Jariten however was a different matter. Dream or no, he
was annoying as hell.
Ataru stood up. The devil himself could not have
sported a nastier grin. Ataru walked up to Jariten and
held him in a stare down. "So," said Ataru, "I'm in big
trouble, you say."
Even the dream Jariten was no dummy, something was
amiss. Ataru had too much confidence, even for an idiot.
The only time Ataru was ever like this was when he had
something up his sleeve. Ten decided not to waste time,
he took a breath.
Ataru did have something up his sleeve. He also knew
when Jariten was warming up. His edge, however, was that
Ataru knew he was in a dream. Several possibilities
crossed his mind, but only one seemed appropriate. Ataru
took a breath and flamed Jariten.
To say that Jariten was surprised wasn't quite enough
to capture the full range of emotions the Jariten was
experiencing. Fear and wonderment were also there in good
portion. Jariten didn't know where Ataru got the ability
to breath fire, and he didn't care. More important was
that Ataru might be fighting at an even or better level than
Jariten, which fitted with Jariten's rules of combat not at
all.
Ataru, however, was very happy. First he got to
electrocute Lum, and not he got to flame Jariten. He
considered finding Mendo, and making his life miserable,
however a better thought occurred. If I'm dreaming, he
reasoned, and I know that I'm dreaming, then I can control
just about everything. I can have my harem! At last
there is nothing to stand in my way!
Ataru was about to embark on creating a harem, when a
little voice in his head reminded him of someone whom he was
missing. He wasn't free from its influence yet,
apparently. The Presence would always be trying to make
him forget. It would always be trying to get him to accept
the dream as reality.
He had to get away from anything that my help to make
him forget. He had to get away from Tomobiki and everyone
in it. Much to Jariten's astonishment Ataru ran and leapt
out the window. Jariten tried to follow him, but was too
slow to keep up.
Ataru stopped and looked back to see Jariten giving up
and turning around. Ataru really would have liked to have
Jariten's advice at this point. In an instant Jariten was
floating in front of him.
"What happened to you?!" Jariten exclaimed, alarmed at
his suddenly shift of location. "Where did you get all
these powers? Are you the real Ataru?" Jariten started
flying around him to see if there were any flaws that would
give away the disguise.
Not necessarily the advice of this Jariten, Ataru
thought, and the dream Jariten became the real Jariten.
However the real Jariten isn't able to fly, and demonstrated
this fact by falling. Ataru gave him a flying helmet, and
Jariten floated back up. He looked a little shaken, but he
recovered.
"Well, lad," he said. "It appears we have a problem."
He looked around. So this is your dream. I suppose it's
okay, as dreams go. I've had better."
It occurred to Ataru that this Jariten's advice
probably wasn't going to be of much use. He was either
just a manifestation of Ataru's mind, or controlled by the
Presence. In both cases Ataru was just wishing for
something he couldn't have.
Ten noticed the look of disappointment on Ataru's face.
"Well. People are usually more pleased to see me then
that." Ten studied Ataru a little further. "You're worried
that I won't be much use, aren't you? I'm not the real Ten,
after all. I'm just something you conjured up in your
head." Ten tapped Ataru on the forehead.
Ataru offered a slight nod in affirmation.
Ten continued. "I wouldn't be so sure. This is no
ordinary dream. Both you and Lum are present in this one
dream, perhaps you actually invited the real me in as well.
Or I could be a part of your mind that you couldn't get in
touch with otherwise. But without a doubt, as all will
attest, I'm excellent company!"
Ataru looked at Ten skeptically. "Or," Ataru began,
"I could have just created a means for the Presence to
misdirect and control me."
"Doubtful," Ten said thinking. "If the Presence could
control every part of this dream, then they wouldn't have
used such an indirect way to distract you earlier, and they
certainly wouldn't be letting you fly now."
Ataru considered this and decided that even bad advice
from the Presence was better than what he had now, which was
nothing. "So then how do we find Lum?"
"Well you could just wish her back," Ten suggested.
"That sounds too easy," Ataru said. "Besides how would
I know that it will be the real Lum and not just a
creation."
"There's no way you can ever know if it is the real
Lum. How do you really know that she was here at all?
Here, reality and dreams are the same thing. Even your own
self is just a projection of your unconscious mind into this
world. Your body isn't here."
Ataru felt himself getting a headache. He hadn't
considered that. Even he wasn't real. Only his mind was
real, Lum's mind, and that of the Presence. He felt
certain, though, that Lum was with him before. "Lum was
here," he told Ten. "I know that."
"Indeed," Ten smiled, "you both are linked. I
imagine that, in truth, you couldn't be fooled by a fake."
"I'm not so sure," Ataru said. "What if that link was
created by the Presence? They could turn it off just as
easy as they created it."
Ten rolled his eyes, and leaned back with his hands
behind his head. "Now I know that you and Lum are made for
each other."
He turned over and caught Ataru's eyes. "Is there no
room for magic in either of you? Search your heart. Can
you really believe for even one moment that Lum found you
across the light years just because some alien pushed a
button on a machine?! Don't you believe that there is more
to the universe than that? Out of all the trillions of
beings in the galaxy it was you two who were brought
together. It was you two who fell in love. How can you
doubt even the most outrageous notion when faced with that
fact?"
Ataru's eyes grew wide. It was true. The fact that
they met at all was more incredible than anything they had
ever encountered in their dreams. How could the Presence
have known how much they had needed each other? How could
it have known out of all of infinite space that these two
beings would fall in love. Maybe the Presence had made the
link initially, but the Presence, whatever it was, was
guided by something higher. Love was always a miracle, and
couldn't be contrived.
At once Ataru could feel Lum near. The flimsy facade
of Tomobiki that separated them became just that. With an
inner voice Ataru called out Lum's name and the veil that
separated them disappeared. Tomobiki vanished.
"Tell Lum that I'm sorry for letting her down," Ten
said and vanished as well. All that remained was Lum,
Ataru and the Presence.
* * *
Shinobu sat next to Ataru's bed. Well it wasn't quite
a bed. It was a zero gravity chamber. Ataru floated in it
peacefully. It was a useful technology for caring for the
comatose. They didn't have to be turned to prevent
blisters, and it eased the stress on the internal organs.
Patients tended to heal faster.
However, as peaceful as Ataru appeared to be, it was
hard for Shinobu to see him as he was. The blast had burned
away most of his skin and hair. He was now covered with a
synthetic skin that was supposed to speed up the healing
process. He didn't look quite human. At least he was
alive, she assured herself, but he should have been awake as
well. At least that's what the doctor said.
Lum floated in a separate chamber, next to Ataru. She
looked about as good as he did. Between them both a machine
monitored their condition. It was relatively restful, but
at one point Ataru had become terribly excited about
something. Two Uruseian guards stood at the door.
Shinobu saw them glance over to Lum repeatedly. It was
obvious that they were worried too.
Shinobu had spent a great deal of time next to Ataru
the last few days. She waited. She waited for them to
return from whatever realm they had gone to. It was
certain that they were dreaming. Those subspace
transmissions were very active, and the doctor feared to
block them out.
While Shinobu waited many others stopped in. Ataru's
parents came, Lum parents, Benten, Oyuki, Jariten, Ran and
Rei. Many people that Shinobu didn't know came to see Lum.
Shinobu couldn't help but feel that they were mourners
coming to view a body. Very few ever said anything.
Shinobu just stayed and waited.
She wasn't waiting for them to wake up really. She was
waiting for closure. Either waking up, or never to wake up
again, she hated to admit it, but either case would be
acceptable. It was their current state of being in-between
that was hard to take.
Sugoi came in and sat down next to her. Shinobu
acknowledged her with a brief smile and a nodded but said
nothing. Sugoi was worried about her new found friend.
Shinobu had barely left this post that she had taken up.
Sugoi knew that she was eating, but she also knew that it
was more by insistence of the infirmary staff than by
choice.
"There has been no change?" Sugoi asked, hoping to
start up some conversation.
Shinobu slowly shook her head.
"They're probably dreaming that they're in Tomobiki.
I'm sure that they're very happy."
Shinobu nodded, and said quietly, "Probably too happy
to come back. That's what Ten thinks. I don't blame them."
Sugoi sat back. "This is a depressing bunch we have
here. I'm sure that they wouldn't want us to mope around
for the rest of our lives. Why don't you come with me? I
know some wonderful places to eat on Tolia."
Shinobu looked up at Sugoi, and then back to Ataru.
She could certainly use some cheering up, but she didn't
feel comfortable about leaving Ataru and Lum. She had left
her Father and he had died.
Sugoi guessed her thoughts. "There are more doctors
and guards here than anywhere else in Tolia. That's the
Princess floating there. No one is going to abandon her.
If they wake up I'm sure that someone will come and get us."
"I know it's foolish," Shinobu said, "but I can't leave
them. If I do they might . . ." Shinobu looked away.
"So that's it," Sugoi said. "You're still not over
your father, are you?"
"How am I supposed to get over that! I ran off to the
stars. I didn't even know he was dead for two days! I
was his only daughter. I should have been there."
Sugoi studied Shinobu, wondering what to say. "I said
that Ataru and Lum wouldn't want you to give up your life
mourning for them, I don't think that your father would
either. Your father is dead and that is bad. I'm sorry.
Please don't make it doubly worse by giving up your life
too. You have to live for him, and you have to live for
Lum and Ataru."
"I'm sorry," Shinobu said with her head lowered. "I
know that you're right, but I can't leave them yet. I need
to see them alive or dead. I need to be here for them."
Sugoi stood and shook her head. She started to go
out the door but then she turned around. She stopped and
looked back to Shinobu. Shinobu was looking back at her.
"All right," Sugoi said. She went back and sat next to
Shinobu. She giggled, hoping to lighten the mood a little.
"We'll wait together then."
* * *
Mendo lay comfortably on Benten's bed watching her
busily pack things into a large garbage bag. She had
barely said two words to him since he had come over, but she
hadn't asked him to leave either.
Benten had quickly moved back into her room when they
returned to Lum's carrier. In other words she had emptied
her garbage bags into the appropriate areas of the room.
Mendo finally had been given his own room. In had been
lonely the first night. Even after only a few weeks, he had
gotten used to hearing her on the top bunk. Since they had
returned he had to make due with visiting her often. She
used to talk about all kinds of things with him. He had
almost come to expect that she would want to talk about what
happened to Lum and Ataru. That's why he had come over,
but she remained silent.
"Where are you planning to go?" he asked, breaking the
silence.
Benten stopped what she was doing. There was a look on
her face as if she wanted to tell him something, but then
she shook her head and went back to packing.
"I take it that I'm not invited?" Mendo asked still
hoping to break through. Her silence was starting to get to
him.
"No," she said simply, this time without stopping.
"You're not invited."
"Because you're going someplace dangerous and you don't
want me hurt," Mendo said.
"Partially," She said. "There's been too damn many hurt
already." Benten closed up her garbage bag. She flung it
over her back.
Mendo got up out of bed. "And what if you don't come
back? What do I do?"
"You live a long and happy life," Benten said and left
the room.
Mendo followed her out. "That's not how it's going to
work. Not any more. Where you go, I go."
Benten turned back to him. She appeared to be getting
a little irritated. "I promised Lum that I would take care
of you. I would like to keep at least one of my promises
to her. You're staying here!"
"What?! Is that all I am to you?! Someone you have to
protect? Now you listen. Ataru was probably the only real
friend I had until I met you. I am tired of feeling useless
while you go out and fight. I don't like being cooped up
while the action is going on any more that you do.
Further, I am not a child that you need to protect. If
we're going to be a couple, then we're going to be a team,
or nothing."
Benten studied Mendo, her emotions sliding between
anger and compassion. However, she knew what she had to do.
"Then it'll be nothing," she said plainly. She turned and
continued on her way leaving him in stunned silence.
Mendo recovered and raced after here. He caught her
as she was approaching her fighter. He put a hand on her
shoulder and pulled her around. "What do you mean by that?"
Benten stopped. "Now is not a good time to be touching
me," she said through her teeth.
Mendo was confused by the venom in her voice, but he
pulled his hand back.
"Maybe you can't read me as well as you think you
can," she said. "You're a distraction. You kept me from
doing my duty. I have a job to do and you're only in the
way."
Mendo couldn't believe what he was hearing. His
normal calm demeanor was crumbling. It was one thing when
the real world was just another imaginary realm that he
wasn't really invested in, but he had given up all that. He
had invested himself in this alien woman. Her words cut to
a place that he had always kept protected. She was the
first person he had ever let get so close to him, and now
she was tearing herself away. Normally, he could read her
easily, but now his pain was clouding his vision.
"In the way?" he repeated. "How can you say that?! I
thought you said when a woman from your world danced for
someone it was important."
Benten's insides ached. Mendo wasn't the only one who
had let someone into an otherwise protected space. This
wasn't as easy as she thought it was going to be. She
wasn't nearly as cold as she used to be and that was the
problem. She needed to get the warrior back, she felt.
She needed the merciless killer that she had turned herself
into to do the job she needed to do. She needed to forget
her softer side and she couldn't do that with Mendo around.
"I fight alone," she said and resumed walking to her
"bike."
"Fight what?" Mendo challenged. "Where are you going,
anyway? Even Jariten doesn't know who did this."
Benten reached the fighter and opened up the belly to
stuff her belongings in. "I do," she said as she worked,
"and I'm going to make them pay." Benten closed up the belly
of her fighter.
"How did you find out?" Mendo asked. Even in his
emotional state this story was too blatant to miss. "You
have no evidence."
Benten turned to Mendo. Her eyes were stern. "I have
this!" She slugged her gut. "This tells me who. It's those
damn Azus'. They couldn't win honorably in war so they
snuck in a bomb. I'm not going to let them get away with
it!"
Benten started to climb up into the cockpit of her
fighter. Mendo pulled her back down. "This is insane!" he
said.
"No," Benten said pushing Mendo away and then bearing
down on him. "What's insane is you grabbing me again. One
more time and I might forget that I liked you."
"How are even going to get to the Azus'? Your fighter
can't travel to other stars. You won't help Lum this way."
This was supposed to be a lot easier. She had planned
to just hop in her fighter and fly off. Once in space she
could forget Mendo and focus on the task at hand. She
really had no plan beyond getting off the carrier. It was
proving to be difficult. "What do you want me to do?
Perhaps I should sit around here and do nothing, hoping that
whoever planted the first bomb won't try again. The Azus'
have to be taught a lesson."
"I knew that my friend Benten would be approaching this
matter with a cool head."
Benten and Mendo were startled out of their argument by
a voice coming behind them. Looking back, they saw
Jariten coming toward them.
"You are the last person that I want to see now,"
Benten said. She pulled away from Mendo and straighten her
uniform.
"I'm flattered," Jariten said coming up to them. "So
you've decided that the solution to this problem is to
destroy the Azu family."
Benten crossed her arms. "I care little for your
opinion."
"To tell you the truth," Jariten said. "I have to
admit that not too long ago I would have been glad to join
you, but now I have other concerns and I need a pilot."
* * *
"Why did you leave?" the Presence asked. "Isn't it
what you wanted? What you both wanted?"
Ataru floated in darkness only a few meters from Lum.
Her eyes were open, but they were blank. She floated
limply. The Presence must have done something to her to
keep her from thinking, from using the dream to her
advantage as he was doing. Ataru was on guard, but he
didn't know what he could do against this foe.
"Who are you?" Ataru demanded.
"I am no one important," The Presence cooed. It
appeared as it had before a dark squat man-like shape.
Ataru was barely able to make it out in the blackness. "I
merely wanted you and the female to be happy," the Presence
continued. "Don't you want to be happy?"
The voice had an hypnotic effect. Ataru felt himself
drifting. It was getting hard to concentrate. "Is that
why you tried to kill us," Ataru said, "to make us happy?"
"Kill you?" The Presence seemed surprised. "We have
not harmed you in any way. We are merely assisting your
dreams. We created for you the dream that you would most
like to have."
"Who's `We'." Ataru didn't think he would be able to
hold out much longer. The voice was so soothing. It was
all he could do to pay attention to what it was saying.
"Just referring to myself, I'm afraid. I'm sure that
you really did not mean to leave the dream. You want to be
with your girl forever."
"I want to be with Lum," Ataru agreed sleepily.
Jariten appeared next to Ataru. He was considering him
bemusedly. "Is this the best you can do?" he asked.
Ataru looked over to Ten. "I thought you had left."
"I did when you destroyed the dream, but now you're
slipping back into it, so I thought that I would return.
Are you just going to start dreaming again, or are you going
to fight some?"
"I want to be with Lum," Ataru repeated sleepily.
"You can do that when you're awake. You're getting
married, you know."
"But in the real world we can't have fun," Lum said
appearing next to them. They were in Tomobiki again. "I
can't be the person I want to be."
"It's all about a bunch of politics that I don't
understand," Ataru explained.
"Here it is much simpler," Lum said and giggled. She
went over and lifted Ataru up. "You can't fly, Dahling,"
she told him.
Jariten studied them both. He was worried that he
would lose this battle. "How about the dreams of those
billions of others who were depending on you?" he asked.
Ataru looked up at Lum, and she down to him. "Never
met `em," Ataru said.
"It's time to go on our date, Dahling," Lum said.
"I never agreed to a date!" Ataru protested.
"I knew that you would say `no,' so I didn't ask," Lum
explained. "Come along." They both flew off, leaving Ten
alone.
Ten puzzled for a second. "I'm still here," he said.
"They're lost in the dream again, but I'm still here." Ten
looked around at the placid scene of Tomobiki. "Two
possibilities. Either I'm the real Jariten or they haven't
completely fallen yet."
Ten put out his hand. "I wish I had a bottle of Bandar
Yuli," he said. Nothing happened. "Well that settles
that. A hopeful sign, but I really could use the Yuli." He
sighed and shrugged. "Ah well, I have work to do." Ten
flew after Ataru and Lum.
* * *
Ten soon found the Lum and Ataru. They were hard to
miss. They were at the Beef Bowl restaurant. Ataru was
holding tightly to the door frame, while Lum was trying to
drag him in.
"Dahling!" Lum exclaimed. "You've been here a hundred
times, what are you so worried about."
"Not on a date! I'm not going on a date with you! We
are not a couple!"
"This is what they've been doing in their dreams?" Ten
wondered. He floated down next to Ataru. "Is this what
you both consider to be fun?" He asked.
Lum stopped tugging to notice Jariten. "What are you
still doing here?" She asked.
"Well," Jariten said, ducking under Ataru's arm to gain
entrance into the restaurant, "my guess is that part of you
is not sure that you want to stay here."
"I definitely don't want to stay here," Ataru said.
"There are phone numbers to gather."
In flash of electricity, Ataru fell to the ground.
Ten leapt back in astonishment. "Quiet, Dahling," Lum said
and dragged him in.
"That was quite a show," Ten observed and followed
them. The place definitely did not fit with what Ten
considered to be a good eating establishment. He would
describe the decor as early `blah.' The clientele were
primarily adolescents and were all noisily slurping down
what appeared to be some kind of noodle soup. Ten was
startled by a break in the steady slurping noises.
"MOROBOSHI!"
Ten turned to see who was shouting. He recognized the
face immediately. It was the Terran that Sugoi had
kidnapped. He went over to Ataru's table with three others
in tow.
"How dare you manhandle our dearest Lum like this and
in a public place as well. Have you no shame?!"
Lum was currently trying to force Ataru into a booth.
Ataru was using the same failed tactic that he had tried on
the door. Ten felt certain that another lightning bolt was
coming.
Ten was a little confused by the misreading of the
situation by the one with the glasses. And what was this
"our dearest" thing. How many people had a claim to Lum in
this dream? Ten wondered what kind of fantasy world she
was engaging in.
"I'm not doing anything to her!" Ataru protested. "I'm
not touching her! She's touching me!."
"The effrontery of it all!" Megane exclaimed.
"Yeah! The effrontery!" Chibi agreed. He then turned
to Megane. "The what?"
Megane continued, unheeding. "To put the blame on an
innocent, to cover your own animal intentions. Moroboshi
you are lower than low."
"Not bad," Ten thought about Megane's statement. It
needed a couple of adjectival flourishes though.
Lum stopped trying to force Ataru into his seat and
turned on Megane. "You take that back. My Dahling is
wonderful," she said angrily approaching Megane. Ataru
used this opportunity to escape. Ten followed him.
Megane foolishly took Lum's hands. "Dearest Lum," he
began, "we only have your interests at heart. That lech is
not worth your attentions. He is scum, slime, a genetic
mistake."
Lum's eyes narrowed. "You had better take that back,"
she said crackling a little.
Outside Ataru was scampering away quickly trying to
gain some distance before Lum noticed that he was gone. Ten
felt fortunate that Ataru had wished him a flight belt
before falling back into the dream. He couldn't believe how
fast Ataru could move. "This has definitely been
revealing," he thought. He wasn't sure whether he should
continue trying to stop it or let it run and do a study.
Of course the existence of a self-aware dream character was
a study in itself. It was unfortunate that he was only a
dream and could not communicate to his real self what he was
learning.
"The loss to science is incalculable," he said out
loud.
Ataru stopped to talk to a rather attractive young
woman. Ten wasn't sure, but it looked like Ataru was
drooling. The woman slapped Ataru and then marched off.
Ten was surprised to see Ataru smile and then run off to
talk to another woman. Ten was glad that he had decided
not to inquire further into the nature of their dreams
before. It was definitely time to get them back to reality
before anything more bizarre came up.
Suddenly, something small and supersonic sped by
Jariten. It nearly ran into him. By the time that Ten
had recovered, whatever had passed him had turned around and
now was floating in front of him.
It was an Uruseian child riding what looked like a
tiger striped duck. "Who are you?" the child asked.
* * *
Jariten maneuvered confidently through the marketplace
crowd on the Azu primeworld. "Ahh, money changing hands,"
Jariten said to Shinobu. "the only way this could be nicer
would be if that money were all coming to me."
"It'd certainly be better than going to the fucking
Azu's," Benten said. Benten was in a thoroughly foul mood.
She was on the Azu primeworld where she wanted to be. That
was fine. But she was there on Jariten's terms, not on her
own. That's the part that bothered her. Coming to the
Azu primeworld, Benten had always felt, was best done with
it in the sights of her "bike."
Ten had made her fly in on an interstellar shuttle.
She had complained the entire flight. As much as Shinobu
liked Benten the complaining was starting to wear thin.
She didn't know how Jariten had even convinced her to come
on this trip. As usual he had filled her with so many
wonderful words that she didn't know what she was doing.
Perhaps it was for the best though. She needed to get her
mind off things.
Mendo wasn't sure how to take Benten's complaining.
She hadn't talked directly to him the whole trip. It was
clear that she had decided to try and forget about him. He
wasn't too happy with that decision. However, Benten's
mood was a sign that she wasn't really that happy with the
decision that she had made, so it gave Mendo hope.
Besides there was the exciting new place. Mendo could
not get over all the different kinds of aliens that were
roaming the market place, and all the strange things that
were being bought and sold. Mendo's eyes wandered all over
the market. Again his imagination had never even dreamed
that there could be such of variety of things and people in
the universe.
There were many Uruseians. They were obviously the
wealthier of the peoples. The other aliens paid deference
to them. Occasionally though there would be one or two who
were seen talking and laughing with the others. These were
rarely dressed in the fancy clothes of the nobles, though.
There also Uruseian soldiers. They bore the insignia that
Mendo had come to realize indicated allegience to the Azu
clan.
The soldiers had forgetten much of what their other
duties were. They were keeping their attention on Ten's
party. Actually, most in the market stopped to look at the
travelers. Mendo heard comments about Earth, and whether
Mendo was the young human who would be Emperor. It didn't
seem that many people knew what had happened to Ataru and
Lum.
Mendo was almost so involved with the sights that he
hadn't noticed at first that Jariten had stopped. A
Uruseian dressed as a merchant had approached him and they
were talking. They were talking so quietly that Mendo
couldn't hear what they were saying. He also wasn't sure
whether they were speaking Uruseian or not. It occurred to
Mendo that there were probably not. In an Empire were
everyone spoke the same language having a alternate language
for secrecy would be very valuable.
After he finished talking Ten turned to the others.
"This is a associate of mine," Ten said indicating the
smiling Uruseian. "He prefers not to give his name. . ."
Benten let out a wordless comment.
Ten ignored it. "I have a one or two things I need to
do," Ten continued, "before we pay a visit to the family
mansion. It won't be long, but it is necessary. If you
all would come this way."
"We are not here so you can make money," Benten said
obstinately.
Ten stopped and turned. "What are we here for Benten
dear?" Ten asked. He hadn't actually told anyone what his
mission was.
Benten narrowed on him. "We're here to prove that the
fucking Azu's tried to murder the Princess."
It suddenly got very silent around them.
"That wasn't smart." Shinobu commented under her
breath. People had been curious about them throughout
their entire way from the space port, but now they had the
complete attention of everyone in earshot, and given the
growing whispers, Shinobu expected that word was spreading
very quickly.
Three of the Azu soldiers could be seen making their
way toward the party. Benten didn't like it. Benten was
used to saying things that she probably shouldn't in public,
but usually her trademark icy stare took care of any
rebuttal. That was play, however, and Benten wasn't in the
mood for play just now. She had Azu soldiers in her
sights. Benten was going for her blaster.
Jariten was aware of every event going on around him.
He saw the guards and he knew Benten. This was not how he
had wanted their trip to go. Before Benten could start
shooting, Ten took control of the situation. "Come along,
it is time to move!" He said urgently and quickly led them
away.
Benten was reluctant, but Shinobu took her arm.
"Remember the angry fighter," Shinobu remind her.
Benten took a breath and holstered her weapon. She
followed Ten and the rest. The soldiers, however, were not
so quick to give up. When Ten started to move they gave
chase. The family name had suffered greatly due to these
people. They weren't going to be allowed to add another
insult. Additionally, there was always reward for anyone
who killed Benten.
The soldiers weren't going to be collecting any
rewards. Ten and the others turned the corner and by the
time the soldiers reach the place, they were nowhere in
sight.
* * *
Ten really didn't know what to make of this characature
of himself. A diapered child? Was that really what Lum
thought of him? The diapered child wasn't too sure what to
make of this adult who claimed to be him, either.
"So you're me in the future?" Jariten asked.
"Well not exactly," Ten answered. "I'm an older
version of you . . . apparently . . . but I'm not quite from
the future."
"What are you here for then," Jariten asked, "and why
are you watching the idiot?"
"The idiot?" Ten asked.
"Yeah," Jariten said pointing to Ataru. "the fool
chasing all the women, who my cousin, our cousin, Lum seems
to like for some reason. Do these two ever get married, or
better yet, does Lum ever leave him?"
"Well," Ten began. "That's where the problem comes in.
Your Lum and my Lum are the same. This is where she's been
coming to see Ataru."
"I don't want to be rude," Jariten said, "but you're
not making a lot of sense."
"I know," Ten said and sighed. "but I need to get them
to want to come home."
"Oh, he'll be home in time for supper, you can be sure
of that," Jariten said.
"Not home here," Ten explained and wondered why, "home,
home, in reality."
"You mean on Urusei?" Jariten asked. He was beginning
to wonder if his older self had lost it.
"Yes," Ten said, deciding not to carrying this
silliness any further. "Home to Urusei."
"Moroboshi's not from Urusei," Jariten said not really
willing to let this matter drop.
"Look," Ten said. "All this is a dream, all right?
The city is a dream. I'm a dream and you are, thank the
Spirits, a dream. The only two real people here are Lum,
Ataru, and some alien who's keeping them here. I've got to
convince them to come back out of the dream to reality so
they can get married and rule the Uruseian Empire. Happy?!"
"You sure are rude for being me," Jariten said. "And a
little nuts. If we're just somebody else's dream then how
are we have a conversation without Lum and Ataru and how can
too people have the same dream?"
"It's a special dream."
"Oh yes, that explains everything," Jariten said
sarcastically, "So, when did you first realize you were
losing it? I have to know how much sanity I have left. It
was the fool who drove you over the edge wasn't it? I've
always thought that might be the case."
Ten looked around Jariten and noticed that he had lost
Ataru. "Now I've lost the idiot. . . I mean Ataru."
"He's easy to find, either send Lum after him or just
listen for the slaps. You know people have been trying to
get those two together for years. They're very stubborn.
If I was me at your age, I'd just give up and go have fun
somewhere." With that Jariten jumped back on his scooter
and flew off.
"I'm glad that myself will never find out what is
really going on here," Ten said and went to look for Ataru.
* * *
A hundred alien smells filled the air in the small
darkened room where Ten's party found themselves. It
looked like an old curio shop. A young humanoid man, who
was sweeping the floor, stopped to notice them.
"The master is busy at the moment, perhaps I can help
you." He seemed very genuine.
Ten was about to answer when a shout came from a back
room. "Don't you be trying to act all high and mighty
there, Inaba! You sweep the floors, I do the selling!"
Inaba was obviously stung by the rebuke. He lowered
his head and apologized, and went back to sweeping the
floor.
The owner of the stinging voice, appeared through a
opening in the back of the shop. He was tall, thin. His
head was covered with a bony shell. His eyes were two
large pupils, with no whites. Initially he smiled at his
new perspective customers, but then his expression changed
to unpleasant recognition.
"You! You have the gall coming here! You've already
ruined me and now I'm sure you have come to drive the stake
in farther."
Ten, unflustered, approached the man. "It's good to
see you as well, Minah, old friend."
"Friend? I don't need friends like you. And who is
this lot you've brought with you?" His eyes fell on Mendo
and then Benten and finally Shinobu. When he reached
Shinobu, his expression lightened somewhat.
He whispered to Ten. "Have you brought them here to
make it up to me? Finally decided to work a more
profitable trade."
Ten soured. "You know I don't engage in that kind of
thing. But if you tell me what it is I have done to you,
perhaps I can make it up."
The man went over to Shinobu, studying her. "Are you
sure?" he asked. "She'd fetch a good price."
He soon got an answer in the form of Benten's blaster
pointing right at his nose. "He's sure. We're not for
sale." She turned to Jariten. "What did you bring us to
this slave trading sleeze for?"
"Slave trading?" Minah said a bit insulted. "I prefer
to call it dealing in precious commodities. We're all
slaves to the Uruseians anyway. What does it matter if I
make a little money from it?"
"That is going to change." Benten said angrily.
The man threw up his hands and went back to Ten. "Oh
yes, change! You've gone and changed everything haven't
you? You're raising the masses, and have gone and made the
Azu a minor family. This planet is no longer a commercial
hub. We have to go over to a Pochik world, of all the
insults. On top of that, all the slaves think they got
rights and priviledges now. I haven't had anyone sell
their daughter to me since the war."
"Too bad," Benten said sourly.
The slaver nodded, and then turned to Ten. "Too bad is
right. I'll may have to close up shop soon, and that'll
ruin my usefulness to you won't it?"
"Now now," Ten said. "I don't think we'll have to let
that happen. It just so happens that I did bring something
to help you out."
"Uh huh," the man said skeptically. "I'll take your
money, but special information is a bit scarce. Most of
what is going on in the Azu mansion is common knowledge."
"Most?" Ten repeated.
Minah smiled. "Well, I supposed I managed to pick up a
few things from my girls that isn't known by every old woman
on the street."
"And how much would this uncommon information cost?"
"Considering the straits that you've put me in, I'd say
plenty."
Benten pulled out her gun. "If you have something
useful to say, you'd best give it for free."
"Benten, Benten," Ten said. "We negotiate with our
clients, we don't threaten them. It is bad business."
"Anything that we could get from this slime is bad
business!" Benten said angrily. "I can't believe that
you'd sink so low as to deal with someone like this. This
thing stands for everything that Lum is trying to fight."
"It's for the Princess that we are here. Lum
understands the necessity. I don't know where to get better
information about the Azu's."
While Benten and Ten argued, Shinobu's attention turned
to the young man, mostly because she had been noticing that
he was sneaking glances at her. He was trying not be
noticed, but his curiousity was overpowering his caution.
Shinobu went over to him. "What is you name?" She
asked.
"Inaba," he said quietly. "I hope that I wasn't
bothering you."
"No," Shinobu said kindly. "What do you do here?"
"Well I sweep," he said and proudly, and showed his
broom to Shinobu. "And I cook the master's meals, and clean
his clothes and things."
"How long have you been doing all that?"
"Most of my life," Inaba replied sheepishly.
"Sometimes I get to take care of the girls when he is away.
He trusts me."
"Does he own you, too?" Shinobu asked, not too sure if
she wanted to hear the answer. Helping the Princess or no,
Shinobu agreed with Benten, she didn't think they should be
dealing with a slaver.
"Sort of," Inaba replied and turned away. "I had
better get back to work."
"It is as simple as this," Ten explained, "we can work
with Minah or go home. I don't have the luxury of choosing
whom I deal with. If I'm to serve Lum, then I have to use
the best sources I can find. Sometimes they don't have
sources of income that you would approve of. That's just
the way it is."
"Well, why don't we free all the girls he has here, and
I'll threaten the information out of him. I'm usually
pretty good at getting things that people don't want to tell
me."
Benten gave Minah a looked that started him to sweat.
"And then all my other sources dry up. And the
Princess will have to work blind."
"Besides," Minah explained. "None of the girls would
follow you. I stole steal people off the street. They're
brought here, often by their parents. I'm selling them
into a luxury that couldn't have otherwise. The alternative
is starvation on the street. They have no place to go."
"I've heard that argument before," Benten said coldly.
"Benten you are not helping Lum and embarassing me,"
Ten said, his irritation was plain.
"Benten," Shinobu implored. "I don't like this place
either, but we can help the girls better by helping Lum and
Ataru first."
"Good point," Minah said. "Helping you might put me
out of business. The price for my information just went
up."
Information gathering had always been so easy for Ten.
He was questioning the value of bringing these amateurs
along. At least Mendo was being quiet, too apparently
curious with the shop to make any trouble for him. "Let's
you and I discuss things in the back room," Ten said to
Minah.
"Anything to get me away from these idealists," Minah
said.
"Try not to break anything or get yourselves killed
while I'm gone," Ten said to Benten.
"Try not to lower your scruples any lower than the pit
they're already in," Benten shot back.
"Inaba," Minah barked. "Make sure our guests don't get
into trouble and see that we're not disturbed."
"Yes, master," Inaba said obediently. When Ten and
Minah disappeared throught the back door, Inaba turned to
the rest. "He really is a kind man."
Benten crossed her arms. "A kind oppressor, you
mean."
"Do you think you could get us into any more trouble?"
Mendo said, finally speaking. He had been following the
whole exchange quietly, disgusted with the implications of
both sides, but realizing that they had a job to do.
"I don't need to hear from you," Benten said dryly.
"Oh really," Mendo said approaching Benten. "I know
what has gotten into you, and it is not helping. You're
not doing any good for Lum and Ataru by fighting Ten."
"And what am I to do? Oh how nice, we're dealing with
a guy who sells young girls into slavery. Maybe you think
we should help him out by making a purchase, or perhaps
you'd like to sell Shinobu and me. How can you be
defending this bastard?!"
"I'm not defending him!" Mendo replied. "There is a
time and place. What was all that you told me about being
focused. And keeping a single goal in mind above all else.
But this wasn't what I was talking about. You've been
fighting us ever since we left Urusei."
"This isn't the way I like to fight," Benten said in
her defense. "Skulking around asking questions. It isn't
the way I work."
"It takes too long, doesn't it?" Mendo said and then, a
little more compassionately, he added "You see image of
Lum and Ataru burning away, don't you? And you want to kill
something to make it easier."
Mendo hadn't realized it, but he was talking to himself
as well. In fact his words struck all three of them. It
would be so easy to just find the enemy and kill it. That
would make everyone feel better, for the sense of failure
that they all felt. There was a pause while all three
searched their feelings.
"Excuse me," Inaba asked. "When you say, Lum, do you
mean the Princess?"
"Yes," Shinobu said sadly. "Somebody tried to kill
her, and Ataru her fianc‚."
"I know," Inaba said. He lowered his head. Almost
inaudibly, he added, "I know who did it."
[END OF INCLUDED FILE]
---
Henrique Holschuh <henriqmh@dca.fee.Unicamp.br>