"Okay, but can I help?" Tom was simmering somewhat nervously, waiting for the reply.
"Help?" The ambassador looked at him, suspecting he was up to no good.
After 'decontamination' ended, Tom established his 'rule' over the manor. 'Helping' everybody 'in need'. He also occupied the library, which was already occupied, by the ambassador, and made it into his 'trone room'.
That how Mr. Cubic described it... Actually, he really tried to be helpful, but he constantly suddenly blacked out, which caused a lot of broken plates, and even Edward's arm, and Medea's leg...
The ambassador checked Tom's head, and it turned out it was a "delayed bonding", as she called it.
She told me that the White Crown was, in fact, a mycoid species the same, in some way, as starlings themselves. The truth is the White Crowns mycelium is in symbiotic relationship with starlings. The foreseeing ability starlings have is the result of that symbiosis. They lived in this relationship for ages, and when they crashed on our planet, and of course they brought it here because it was kinda in their brains...?
So, my theory about the King's being infected was correct... I wanted to ask her about it, but in the end I didn't. I guess maybe he didn't want to talk about this traumatic experience... Especially if it was in some way the same as Tom's. And it's not my place to disturb their past. They would've tell me if they wanted to.
So, yeah, Tom was infected, he survived, and the White Crown's mycelium was now a part of his body, growing into his brain. That's why his hair became white... The same colour as our King's...
It's funny how you live with people you wholy trust yet know nothing about. All of that secrecy and confidentiality around everything annoyed the hell out of me. I've never understood why you can't just tell the fucking truth and deal with it together as a team, family, society or whatever!
I was frustrated, you know, I asked if my son would become a foreseer, though...
She said: "Probably", and I said: "Huh". That was the end of our conversation.
"Yeah, help. You helped me, and you're leaving. I can help you pack things. I'm fine now..." Tom smirked. "And I'll try not to rip your braid... I mean arm... off... As I did last time, hehe." He scratched his forehead guiltily.
"It was my fault. After all I agreed to be combed by you..." The ambassador cleared her throat. "Well, you can help me, I think. Here, you see that pile of books? Pack them into bh-storage. And I beg you, make a list."
"Yes, ma'am!" Tom grabbed a bh-storage from the table near him, opened it, found the 'books' section and started adding the books one after another, while adding their names to the list on the ambassador's tablet.
Bh-storage, was an another technological marvel starlings had. The full name's "'Black hole' type storage unit", it looked like an oblong chunk of metal. You touched the chunk, and it opened the computer interface and then a storage. Starlings usually wore this chunks as a costume jewelry; the ambassador wore it on her belt.
"Will you come over?" Tom was typing the name of the big navy blue book into the tablet.
"I will teach you, if you're asking about your situation." The ambassador was doing her 'hair' standing before the mirror.
"Nah, asking bout mom."
Ha-na stopped.
"When you touched my brain, I saw yours kinda."
"And what you saw?" She turned to look at him.
"Well, first time nothing. Second time - all was pitch black, you know... But then I saw mom. Don't know why, thought it was important."
"And... How you saw her?"
"Just saw, like when I watch how she's doing something. Mhm... She was dusting or swooping. Eh, don't remember."
"And..."
"You like her, don't you?" He finally turned to meet Ha-na's gaze.
"You concluded it from seeing her in my memories?"
"I kinda saw no one else."
"You saw pitch black something..."
"Oh, come on!"
"Look, Tom... I know you love her. She is... Well, your foster mother." She sighed heavily. She went up to the boy and put her hand on his shoulder. "But it's not like this. You probably just saw my memories of her cleaning the library. I lived here for almost half a year! And you saw it... Probably because your consciousness tried to find something familiar to hold on to our connection..."
"But..."
"I'm sorry... I don't like her in that way."
"Well, damn, but I think she does, though..."
"So that's why I needed to be in the library cus 'mom, it's a life or death situation'???" I was furious. "Really, Tom?!"
"What... What are you doing here...?" Ha-na looked embarrassed, and well, I would be too if I were her.
"Apparently, looking at my son's desperate attempt to fix my nonexistent love life."
"Mom, I was sure she liked you!"
"Tom, my beautiful, chaotic son, it is not an excuse!"
"But..."
"Are you for real, Tom?"
"What's happening...?" The ambassador seemed lost in the conversation and in thoughts.
"Ha-na... I mean, the ambassador, please forgive me, and Tom. He... I don't know why he did it... I... Ugh." I sighed. Then left the library, muttering how everything concerning me was fucked up.
"Ha-na, I'm sorry. I just wanted to... help." Tom stood up and put the bh-storage on the table. "It's done."
He left the library, leaving the starling to process whatever the hell just happened.