I KEEP six honest serving-men
(They taught me all I knew);
Their names are What and Why and When
And How and Where and Who.
I send them over land and sea,
I send them east and west;
But after they have worked for me,
I give them all a rest.
I let them rest from nine till five,
For I am busy then,
As well as breakfast, lunch, and tea,
For they are hungry men.
But different folk have different views;
I know a person small—
She keeps ten million serving-men,
Who get no rest at all!
She sends'em abroad on her own affairs,
From the second she opens her eyes—
One million Hows, two million Wheres,
And seven million Whys!
I Keep Six Honest Serving Men.
Rudyard Kipling
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We walk into my room and the Prince takes a seat in one of two chairs next to a small table, and crosses his legs getting very comfortable. I sit on the other chair taking my cue from the Prince himself. He smiles seemingly finding it amusing, but I don't smile back. The Prince is a snob, and a self indulgent man who knows he holds power over others. The only thing that keeps him in check is the authority of the King; other wise he would be a TYRANT of the first order. He favors his sister Jah-jahní in looks, which he probably uses to his advantage with female Majah-tu. He sits there smugly studying me, and I wait patiently to know his reason for this unexpected visit. "Are you not curious as to the purpose of this visit?" He asks chidingly.
"Well the thought had crossed my mind, but I know that you will let me know why." I answer. He chuckles at my response.
"You are positively one of the most stoic beings I've encountered." he says. I sit back and relax a bit since I can't find any reason to trust this individual, so I'd rather he do most of the talking. "My dear Captain, it has not escaped my notice of how my sister fancies you, and how you seem to reciprocate the feeling."
"You don't say." I try to play his game, but I'm an amateur in comparison to him. He grew up listening to the rules and I didn't. "Is there something wrong?"
"My dear Captain, my sister is the next in line to rule. Do you know what that means?" His question is loaded. He's aware that I know this, he just has to drop the other shoe.
I gesture for him to continue. I'm tired, so I don't want to waste too much time here with his useless banter. "Well I'm afraid you will have to stop making nice with my Jah-jahní, for she is betrothed to another." I look at him to see if he's trying to play some game here, but he's sincere.
I look away for feeling a pang of pain in my chest, at the mere thought of Jah-jahní marrying someone else. But, I do my best to seem calm and not give this guy any advantage over me. "I see. How soon will this take place?" He has the look of victory on his face; I can't stand this Prince.
He laughs at my discomfort and all I can do is grind my teeth, so he doesn't notice the fire in my head. "Fear not, Captain." he states. "My sister will not marry anyone she does not like, and she detest that one." So why even mention it.
"Your highness, I'm rather tired and I need to rest." I say. "If there is nothing of great importance then I would like to retire into bed to try and to finish sleeping." He inclines his head.
He gets up heading for the door and he suddenly stops turning around. "Just so you know, that individual is arriving in the morning and I'm sure he will seek an audience with Jah-jahní." He turns to leave.
"Wait!" I say. I know he's laughing inside, but I'm blinded by Jah-jahní, so I can't think or even see straight here. "I need to speak to Jah-jahní, can you let her know that please."
He smiles deviously because he has struck a cord in me and he knows it. Bastard! He's hit my weak flank and I'm lost here. "Of course, Captain. I will do anything to help you and my dear sister." I grind my teeth again; this SON OF A...
"Thank you." I say, this will only serve to inflate his ego. "Tell her... in her thinking room."
"I will. Now good night Captain." He bows slightly and I return it. He leaves. I have to get a grip here and be calm. Jah-jahní nor I have not declared ourselves; I hope she doesn't get upset with me. This could spell trouble for our budding alliance if I don't act intelligently. Damn that Prince! I'm sure he did this to create a Dilemma between us and the royal family, there is no other reason to do this now.
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I sit there staring out of the window looking at the guards walking the parameter, making their rounds. My thoughts are on the words of the Prince and I find myself grinding my teeth, this is exactly what that Bastard wanted to do to me! Get me off my game, more than I've been already! I take a deep breath to steady myself in order to clear my mind, and relax. The door opens and Jah-jahní enters closing it behind her; I stand and she walks over to me looking into my eyes she touches my face. I gently touch hers. "What is wrong I can feel your discomfort?" She asks with concern in her voice.
I throw my arms around her holding tightly and she does the same. "I can't lose you." I said it even though I had thought the opposite, of staying quiet; I'm already falling like when I got the news of the Hyperion, it's too much.
"You will not lose me." She says holding me even tighter. "I can not lose you." God why am I so in love with Jah-jahní... It's because we have always been in love we just hadn't met? "Why are you so worried about this?"
"Your brother the Prince, he told me about your betrothal and that he is coming tomorrow." I tell her.
"No," she answers. "Do not fear over this. My heart only belongs to you, it always has from time and all eternity." We kiss and the room erupts in a vision. I see another place, in another time long forgotten. We are together with our children, but we look different from our present form. The image changes and we are in different world, but it's us. I don't know how I can make that assertion. However, it's true. As true as the sun will rise in the morning. Like the thousand suns we've lived under and the thousand moons that have shown it's light, in those loved filled nights. I pull away from her and she smiles. "Now you know. We have always been together in one life or another." She looks at me with a great love in her eyes. "I don't know why we were so separated from each other this time around, but I will not let you go." So she waited for me. The lines of time blend with each other and I can see the countless me's and Jah-jahní's in an endless line.
"How is this possible?" I ask. "Why do we meet in such different times?" There must be a purpose for it all, and somehow we are a nexus in time that may signal a change.
"We will bring change." She says
"What kind of change will come from this?"
"The blending of our two peoples, the beginning of a new race." She adds. A new race? A change in how the galaxy is run. Our love will unite, eventually two different peoples and make a new kind. This seems so far off because we yet have to pass the obstacles before us. "It won't be easy to overcome Majah-tu pride; we are an obstinate people set in our ways." Then she looks at me. "Your people are young and wild eager to see the unknown." She says putting our foreheads together.
"I have something to show you." I reach into the inside breast pocket of my jacket and pull out a small black journal. "Should have done so before, but I hesitated." I hand it to her and she looks at it turning over looking at me with a questioning gaze. "It's called a journal. A record I keep of my life; go on open it." She does and the first thing she sees is her name and she lifts her eyes to mine. "I've had this one for almost two years, and I've been writing your name since I was a boy."
She turns smiling tracing her finger over it amazed at the mark; she turns page after page seeing it at the top of each. She goes and sits down on one of the chairs going back to the beginning and starts to read. I feel a bit self conscious, since I'm not a very good writer. She is a fast reader; before I know it she's almost half way through the journal, and then she abruptly stops putting it down. "You were l-lovers... the Major and..."
"Yes we were." I finish the sentence, since it was hard for her to say it. "Don't be upset." I say to her. "That relationship has soured and we tired to fan the flame, but it wasn't same, no matter how hard we worked at it. There was always something between us." Mandy is keeping things from me, and she was not going to share.
She sits there pensively wondering more about my life so far away from hers. I can't blame her if she becomes upset; I know I would be if I knew she was sleeping around with someone else. Putting the journal down standing up wrapping her arms around my neck. "Do you still love her?"
I shake my head. "No." I answer. "Not the way I love you." Putting our foreheads together she closes her eyes.
"I will be honest with you I do feel a bit of jealousy, because she was first in your heart." She says softly. "I do not hate her, but I know that she will work to try to take you back."
I look at her smiling at her concern. "Don't worry I'm not going anywhere without you." Gently lifting her chin with my finger I gaze into those silver eyes of hers. "I will always come for you, no matter what gets in the way." She's just a little bit shorter than I, so pulling me down a bit she reaches up and kisses me. The room is getting lighter, so we both turn to the window and the sun is rising. I look at her knowing that this is only one of countless sunrises we're sharing together and things... they will go the way it's meant to, no matter what we think. All that is important to me is standing in front of me right now.