“Do not forget that I’m a goddess now, beholden to the religious pillars of the Empire,” Jane reminded her. “Be careful.”
“I’ll take my chances,” Kara retorted, not breaking eye contact with her friend.
Jane looked into Kara’s familiar brown eyes and wondered how far she was going to follow Tir on his quest. In the Afterlife, Jane had learned of Tir’s plan and why the god or war had set it in motion, handpicking Kara to help Tir achieve his goals, however before she could recollect all of it, Jane was brought out of her reverie by a question.
“Have you had any contact with Ellie since you have been back?”
“I sent her a message telling her not to come back until she finishes the husband stealing. But I don’t know if she’s read it. I still don’t have an IC. The High Council refused to allow me access to one until the High Priestess made her punishment decision.”
“I saw that,” Kara smiled, “ridiculous.”
“Again, I’d like to say, ‘I agree,’ but you made me a goddess Kara so now I have to tow the religious line.”
“Don’t give me that look, Jane. You love your hair that length and being a goddess suits you and me. I put your statue everywhere and now you are back.” Kara activated the privacy bubble on their table. She had no doubt that Jade and Ko used it to have sex in the busy kitchens and hoped that the table was cleaned frequently. “How is it that you are back by the way? Did Dru’s sister bring you back alone or was it true that Mir had to help?”
Kara was one of Jane’s best friends. They had been through a lot together, but she didn’t trust her entirely, especially not now that she was married to Admiral Tir. Jane answered vaguely, “Yes, she helped bring me back. Apparently because you made me a goddess it wasn’t as easy as just fixing my physical body.”
“What do you mean?”
Jane was happy to stray from who really brought her back and the compromises made in the Afterlife, “Mortals don’t have souls, just physical life, when you die Kara, you are gone forever.”
Kara looked directly into Jane’s blue eyes and said nothing for a minute taking in that information, then she took a sip of Paloma, “I’m glad that I’m living my life to the fullest then.”
Jane put her hand on Kara’s arm, “I thought you said you were pregnant?”
“Oh, I am, I have a blocker on. The alcohol and all unhealthy things I put into my body will be absorbed by and removed by the blocker. It gives me a headache, but it’s worth it.”
“But you don’t get any of the effects of the alcohol?” Jane asked.
“No but I can remember what it felt like when I taste it. It’s second best to actually having it,” Kara said. “Now tell me, what did you do in the Afterlife? Did you meet the god of war? Was he handsome? What did it feel like to be dead and a goddess?”
Jane took a sip of her own drink, a simple gin and tonic and told Kara all about the Afterlife and what it felt like, or didn’t feel like, to be a goddess. She explained how she could see and understand everything going on in the Empire, but that she was emotionally detached from it all.
“Do you know the plans for myself and Tir?”
“I can tell you this, you are doing the gods’ wills.”
“Jane, that’s not what I mean,” Kara replied.
Jane knew what she wanted to hear, “Kara, I’m sorry. I’m not responsible for your fate, but all the same, I am sorry.”
“I hate him as much as he hates me and then we love each other the same. It’s hell for both of us, this hot and cold.”
“You were thrown together for your strengths. It’s so different in the Afterlife, the gods, except for Mir, don’t understand what it is to be mortal like us in these physical bodies.”
“Do you know how many times Tir and I have tried to kill each other?”
Jane nodded, “It’s impossible to do. You have been chosen by the gods. You must do their bidding. They will not allow either of you to shrink from your task by suicide or accidental death.”
“Why is it that I have no choice in my destiny ever since I came to this place, but every other mortal seems to get to do whatever they want? Jade has three husbands!”
“You do have some choices,” Jane countered.
“Don’t be like that, you know what I mean. I want the choices that count.”
“I don’t believe that given free will you or Tir would have chosen differently. You are both like moths to flames.”
“That’s the goddess of humanity talking nonsense,” Kara said flippantly.
“I can tell you this, if you and Tir do what you are meant to, you will be rewarded in death.”
“I don’t want a statue or a place in history,” Kara stated.
“Liar,” Jane replied. “You want both of those things and more. I know what you and Tir want. All those prayers, I heard every one of them.”
“Will you support us then?”
Jane looked into Kara’s large brown eyes earnestly, “I will always support humanity.”
Kara shook her head at Jane’s evasive answer, “I can’t decide if you’re more annoying now with all the goddess talk or if it was worse with all the Jim talk. The only thing I support right now is getting some buttermilk pancakes and crispy lamb fries with miso, red chili and jalapenos.”
“How are those hormones, Kara?” Jane asked sarcastically.
“It will be better once I have fed the little monster inside of me. He will rule one day you know?” Kara asked purposefully baiting Jane.
“Praise the gods, may he continually walk in their light,” Jane said dismissively looking through the menu.
9
United and Reunited
Valentin escorted Ellie onto the Song from Reima Two’s Spaceport called ‘Opportunity’. When he had mentioned his ship was docked there, and its historical significance as the first recognizable GC location for Reima Two, Ellie had wanted to have a look around rather than just walk through it as a means to an end again. This was also because she wanted to stall saying ‘goodbye’ to Valentin as much as she wanted to get on her way home to her mother. Her heart was being pulled in two direction and walking around the historical space port was a way to both be leaving and at the same time spending more time with Valentin, who she still had not given a definite answer to about their marrying. She was waiting for the right time.
As they walked through the busy spaceport, many people stopped to smile at them. Ellie mostly saw grey faces, but every now and then there would be a human face or a Dulu face in the crowd, but when they saw her they smiled.
“What do you think?” Valentin asked about the cosmopolitan space port. Unlike the Empire’s impressive Space Port One, the Opportunity was bustling with galactic shops and restaurants from all over the galaxy.
“So many people are smiling at us, I only hope they are laughing with us and not at us.”
“I’m sure it is with us, but we will only know for sure after the Marriage Pause is over.” He stopped walking in front of an Imperial clothing and jewelry store. All the silver jewelry was displayed on rotating holographic grey skinned, necks, ears, breasts, and bodies in the shop’s large windows.