Zol dropped all formalities, “Why speak to Drusilla and not to Jade? I know you were a witness at Jade’s marriage ceremony to Ko and we all know that Jade and Ko were your witnesses at your own marriage in the Underworld. Babette and Jade are good friends, so why are you troubling my daughter in-law with your problems?”
“Simply, because Jade isn’t a doctor. Besides, she’s on honeymoon now with her maximum class husband. And as tradition dictates, they are not to be disturbed,” Mir left off saying, ‘And Jade, of course, doesn’t have what I need.’
Zol made a face of disgust thinking about Jade. She hated this ancient law about three husbands. “I don’t know how you could support such a barbaric law. And you a god yourself. Three husbands. It’s not right. One man and one woman, that is all.”
Mir was surprised that Zol would say that as her only daughter, the heir to Imperial House Vo, preferred women to men. “As I remind many people,” Mir said casually, “I’m merely a god incarnate. The Alliance people will do what they are fated to do. I’m not here to pass judgment or interfere as an individual entity.”
“But you’re meddling by supporting it. By standing as a witness at their marriage ceremony,” she bit her tongue from continuing to say, ‘And you have always meddled in mortal affairs.’
“The law was already passed with the gods’ blessings centuries ago and as you are all still here and are all living better lives now than when the law was initially passed, I’d say the majority of the gods agree with the law of three husbands and one wife in times of need. And as a mortal now, I’ve the same right as any Alliance man to support my friend at his marriage ceremony if he requests it of me.”
Zol shook her head in disapproval and then changed the subject, realizing she was going to get no support from Mir, “What’s this about your wife then? I’ve heard rumors that she’s unhappy on Alliance Planet Four.”
“I’d rather wait to speak to Doctor James about it in private as it’s a personal issue,” Mir replied and before Zol could respond, Doctor James joined them, quietly entering from a small door on the left.
Mir stood and bowed to the young, red-headed human woman. She was also wearing her navy-blue doctor’s uniform but with her hair pulled back simply. From the moment she fixed her green eyes on him, Mir could sense her natural power overflowing from her, just as he had done the first time he had met her in her private rooms in the Capital City Hospital. Although her power was great it was unregulated. In that moment, he wanted to dive into her mind and find out whose daughter she really was, but that curiosity would have to wait. He had already done enough this morning in changing the timeline of events to ensure that no time would be wasted once Doctor James agreed.
“May the gods be blessed,” Dru said crossing the room. “I didn’t think I was late,” she said realizing at once that she had been purposely told to come later. “But I must admit, I’ve no idea why the god of peace would single me out for a private conversation?”
“Doctor James may the gods be blessed,” Mir said kindly, and then explained, “I’d only ask to speak to you alone about Babette, nothing more serious than that. I’m worried for her. I need a human doctor’s advice.”
Zol and Dru looked at each other and telepathically agreed. They did it naturally, as House Vo was a medical house, everyone, from the slaves to the maximum class were telepathic.
Zol stood and dismissed Mir formally, “Walk in the gods’ light.”
Mir rose and wished her well with the standard reply. Once he was sure Zol was gone from hearing either with her ears or telepathically, Mir did something he rarely did, he used his godly powers to stop time. He then told Doctor James what he had come there to say, “Babette is going to perform a slave ceremony to prove that she is my true other half as well as the goddess Sif. This is quite dangerous as she is a human.”
Dru knew she couldn’t read Mir’s thoughts, but she was trying out of habit anyway. As the seconds passed by though, she began to feel stranger and stranger. It became difficult to focus on Mir’s words, “Are you doing something to me?” she asked running her hands over one another trying to keep herself grounded in the reality of her being through physical touch, “Using some kind of influence or magic to seduce my mind?”
Mir looked into her eyes and repeated himself, “I need your help. She’s only human and doesn’t have the strength for a journey to the Afterlife and back again.”
“What does this have to do with me?” Dru asked as if she were speaking through a thick wall of white cotton.
“If she’s not the goddess Sif, she’ll die, and I need your sister to bring her back. Even if she is the goddess Sif, only she knows, returning to a human body will be difficult. I know you are holding your sister prisoner, that is why I am requesting this of you and not her. Jesse has no free will at the moment and if I can commend you on that, well played.”
“What?” Dru caught herself then replied haughtily through the haze, “You’re the god of peace, you bring Babette back. I don’t want any part of this.” She was wary of the god of peace because he was unpredictable. Dru had investigated his lifetimes and knew why Alliance people avoided him. She was not going to be the stupid off-worlder who fell for one of his tricks.
Mir looked at Dru intently, “I need Jesse to bring her back.”
“Why do you think Babette will die? You said might even die if she is the goddess Sif.”
“I know she will die. She is human,” he put a finger over his heart.
“Are you saying that you knew she’s wasn’t your true other half and yet you married her anyway, thus bringing bad luck to the Empire and now you want me to be a part of a plan to continue this lie? No. The goddess of home was right about you being both selfish and ungrateful. Humans already have enough prejudice as to deal with as it is, I won’t make things worse by doing this.”
“You misunderstand me, mortal,” Mir said harshly. “There’s no doubt that Babette is my true other half. My doubt is that even if she is Sif, in her human form, she’ll still die from the ritual. Humans are frail. And if she cannot bring herself back, she and I will both be punished for her suicide.”
“But you could bring her back yourself,” Dru insisted.
“No, as I said, it’s forbidden.”
“How do you know my sister could bring her back? Jesse is also only ‘a frail human’,” Dru repeated his insult sarcastically back to him.
Mir gave Doctor James a look like she had just said something really stupid, “Jesse has the power to bring Babette back. Human to human. Do you think we don’t know when other godly creatures come here into our realm?”
“What do you mean, ‘godly creatures’?”
“It’s not worth me explaining it to you now and it’s not my place to do so either. All of this will be revealed to both of you soon,” Mir then erased those last words from Doctor James’s memory. “I’ll only offer you this, if your sister witnesses Babette’s ceremony and does what might be necessary to make sure she remains in her mortal body for this lifetime, I’ll tolerate your covert experiment with Admiral Jei.”