Through the Looking Glass

Chapter 18: Reverend Behemial Far Traveller

"Faith and doubt both are needed - not as antagonists, but working side by side to take us around the unknown curve"
-Lillian Smith, Ancient Earth Novelist


To say that he was surprised at what had gone on during his absence would have been putting it mildly. Though why he was so surprised he didn't know, as this was Beka they were talking about. But only the slight widening of his eyes and a few choice words were all the Wayist Monk gave to the new developments.

The news of Mr. Jensen's departure had filled him with a calming warmth and a silent prayer of thanks to the Divine. Beka was too strong of woman to be dependant on a man, especially one who treated every other member of her crew unjustly, including her own daughter. He was no good for Beka and definitely not father material to little Emily. It was a blessing to the small Maru family that the man was finally gone; and while he could not condone the violent way in which Mr. Jensen had departed, he was glad to finally have the crew where they should be.

At least those were his thoughts before he heard the rest of the story.

He was gone a month. Just one month and look what happened. One month and Beka got rid of Bobby only to be found by Emily's biological Nietzschean father. The child looked to be one cloud nine when she told him about it. She already worshipped him; a man she hardly knew.

Rev hoped for her sake that this would be different. That he was different. And as far as differences went, Rev was somewhat of an expert. He was Magog. His natural disposition told him to slaughter all those around him, revel in his savagery, destroy and consume the ones he had come to love. But he didn't. He chose the way of peace, embraced the religion of The Way and the one true Divine.

He was different, and during the week he had been back, there were things, differences, that he noticed in Telemachus as well.

There was something...not quite normal, about this Drago-Kazov. His actions towards everything around him weren't what Rev would have expected from another of his Pride when put into close quarters with humans and a Magog. While his own treatment of Rev was off and aloof, coupled by glares and a curling lip his treatment of the others was much more...loose.

Some of his actions around Beka were typical Nietzschean possession. He hovered, surprised her by coming out of nowhere, and was reluctant leaving her alone to anything. But there was something else in the way she held his attention that Rev would watch more closely. She was human, yet he didn't seem inclined to treat her like a slave.

Or Harper either. That had really surprised Rev. The boy had grown up on the war ravaged Earth. Magog swarms, Nietzschean raids. He was ruled over by the Drago-Kazov all his life. When he had first met Harper, the introduction had gone less than smooth. It had taken a while before the human boy stopped jumping or flinching at the sight of him and staring at him with fear and suspicion.

Telemachus tolerated Harper, whereas any other Dragan, Rev was sure, would have sent him back to Earth or carried out the execution order for runaway slaves. The monk had held his breath the other day when Harper's foot-in-mouth disease acted up and the insult was out of his mouth before his brain could catch up with it and watched in surprise as the Nietzschean, to whom the barb was flung, merely rolled his eyes. It was unexpected.

And then there was Emily. A bright spark of a girl who took wholeheartedly after her mother. Telemachus showed her more attention than Bobby ever did, and she basked in it. He'd never seen the girl so happy before. She was only half Nietzschean but was that really enough for her father? Was the fact that she carried his lineage and half his genes enough for him to accept her fully as his? He wore no double helix, no wives, was he here willingly or did the Dragans cast him out and he didn't care? There were many things Rev Bem wondered about this Nietzschean and only time would give him the answers he sought. He could only hope that this didn't turn out like any of Beka's past relationships. He, himself could only ever offer her guidance and the advice of a friend.

Turning his attention now, there was another change in the crew roster since his return.

Trance Gemini. The strange purple girl with more secrets than Tarn Vedra. No one else could see it, but somehow he could.

He knew what she really was.

And it was radiant. Beautiful. But why one of her kind would seek them out he did not know. Her reasons would only be revealed when she saw fit to disclose them. They were being led somewhere. But for why and what purpose he couldn't assume to know. But he only prayed it was for the best.

Aside now from the new crew, he was informed that the Eureka Maru now also had a new debt. One that had come about by a long chain of events that had ricocheted off each other like a shattering meteor.

The Eureka Maru was indebted to a Nightsider.

He paid the way to Olivares Trust and for repairs to the ship to get there, his cargo was transferred to another ship to get to his instructed planet on time. The other half of back payment would be whenever the 'businessman' Gerentex decided he needed another cargo ship. Rev only hoped this debt wasn't something they would regret. It had been Trance, he was told, that had led them to the Nightsider and to his deal.

Rev sighed. All things would come in time, and he would pray to the Divine for peace and guidance.

He would keep an eye on Telemachus, he may not like most Nietzscheans, but he still had the attitude. He could make either a dangerous enemy or a welcomed ally. Rev couldn't help the voice that nagged him about this man...

Things may not always be what they seem.

He would also watch Trance, the shining avatar filled now with such youth and innocence, how much of those qualities were real he couldn't tell, but he would watch her. He would watch for manipulation and malevolence. He only hoped that she was genuinely true though and had nothing but the best intentions at heart, for all their sakes.

He would continue to keep watch over Beka, Emily, and Harper as he always did; offering them his time and guidance, insightful advice and an ear to listen. They were his family and he would ask the Divine to watch over them always as they were so often in his prayers.

The universe would lead them all down their destined paths and he only hoped that things would be for the best and all mysteries revealed.