Chapter 57

The Residency, are they well, will they survive…

“What got this started, these changes?” Pentast Morales asked. “Just because we have a new Poh does not mean we have to change all these things.” He had insisted on coming in to see Francos. “I can understand about the women. I recognized some of the women of my harem are not brain damaged. Why do we have to change the way find husbands for our daughters and the way we do weddings?”

Francos knew he would hear this from his elderly relative, well known in the family as one who hated change.

“It is his responsibility to examine things,” Pentast added. “To be sure, the church is being run correctly, but does he have to change everything?”

“Tio Pent, I have discussed this with the Poh, and I agree with him. This change is needed. We have spent too much energy on hiding things. Asking our women to pretend to be brain damaged when they aren’t is not just unkind, it’s a waste of talent.” Francos was still suffering from his wound from the wedding. His uncle’s visit was not welcome.

“I promised the healer that I would not tire you or stay too long. I needed to be certain you are well. Having both you and Megal struck down is dangerous. I see everyone hovering outside the door, so I know I had better go. Thank the Three, you were spared.” The older man left before Marta and Maria had to shoo him away.

Francos was restless. “I do not need more sleep, Marta. Is Sera Rita close by? I want to talk to her about this system they have in Utopia to screen couples.”

“I will ask her to come, Fran, but only if you promise to stay quiet and calm.”

“I promise, mi corazón. I will listen to what she has to say. I think we will need their help with this, but I am not sure.” He spent the next hour consulting quietly with Rita about how discerners were chosen, as well as how couples were trained before their first sexual experience. He could see the changes would be needed if they were going to stop the custom of forced, arranged marriages. It was time they accepted what the planet had done to them — if it really was something on the planet that caused it. No one was really sure.

***

“I am flattered, your Holiness, and I apologize that I cannot rise,” Francos said. He greeted the Poh from his bed. He was still weak and while he had been up and out of his bed, he was not walking very far.

“Ser Francos, I am pleased to find you alive, so the niceties of protocol can be dismissed. I have a report that has angered me greatly and I need to discuss it with you.” The Poh had only recently been allowed to get out of bed himself. He had lost weight and arrived at Francos’ room in a wheelchair. “While we were recuperating, some of my staff continued to investigate the Keeper of the Blood. Where you aware they do not have a functional machine to examine the genetic material of an infant?”

“What! How long has this been the case?” Francos’ anger flared and he fought to use the meditation tricks to calm himself. He thought of the pain his wives had suffered when a child was ruled corrupt and ordered destroyed. There was his own shame that his child was ruled defective. “What happened to the machines we had when we first were stranded? How have the decisions been made?” The healer stepped into the room as Francos’ anger was broadcast. As she sensed he was regaining control, she nodded and stepped back into the hall.

“As far as we can find,” the Poh said, “the chemicals to do the tests ran out, and we do not have the ability to produce them yet. Instead of changing the policy, it became a decision of how did the infant look, then who were the parents. It was all an evil, evil practice. What we must decide is how to deal with this evil that poisoned the church.”

“Not just the church, our whole society! Have you found records as to when the chemicals ran out? I can almost excuse them if they thought we were getting rescued soon. But it should have been announced. Have you names?”

“Yes, we know who was in charge at that time. I am working now to get answers from the current Keeper as to why these polices have continued. He has not been very cooperative.”

“Romerie Malfe has also caused me problems,” Francos said. “I have heard he is causing issues for House Pesch, too. Perhaps he needs to join his uncle at the Casa de Penitencia?”

“Not until I have the full story from him.” The Poh was emphatic. His readings of old documents stressed that life was a gift of the Three in One, and only that divine entity could take it away. The death of an infant was the same as the death of a full-grown person.

“I have discovered so much about the changes made by those who led the church in the early days,” Juan Garza said. “Much of it was done for convenience or power. They did not seem to have a good grasp of what the Iglesia Humanos Verdaderos taught on Terra. Some things will need to be accepted but as you have mentioned, some are hurting our society.”

“Yet, we need to be careful of inbreeding which needs the attention to genetics. I know the Utopians have a system because we received a document when Ser Pesch suggested Sarita to us. Perhaps she might have some information we could use.”

Francos called his assistant. “Serept, please see if Megal and Sarita can join us.” Francos wanted to know how Utopia had avoided inbreeding. They also suffered losses during the arrival. Surely, they had some type of testing. The young couple were wheeled into the room, obviously still weak.

“Your Holiness,” Megal said, “please excuse our transportation. We have not regained enough strength to walk more than a few steps around the room.” He bowed to his former teacher as best he could while seated. “Sarita and I appreciate your declaration that we are wed. I wish we could have finished the vows you wrote for us. I believe they will be welcomed by other couples.”

The clergyman smiled indulgently at the couple. “When we have time, I much want to understand what you two did to escape from the Cathedral.”

“As you can see, Your Holiness, the effects were very debilitating. We have pleaded that no one attempt to do translocation until we better understand what we did and how to avoid the damage.” Sarita was recovering faster than Megal but still weak. Both wanted to walk to Francos’ sick room, but their attendant insisted they ride.

“Sarita,” Francos asked, “how does Utopia keep track of genetic abnormalities among infants? Poh Juan has discovered that the Keepers of the Blood do not have any type of working genetic screening equipment. I noticed that the information your uncle provided for us listed your genetics. How do they determine that?”

“The family trees of each person are closely kept, and permission to join and produce a child is monitored closely. Some of the medical technicians can examine a person’s blood and see if there are mutations. My mother has worked with some who are studying to find what caused us to gain psy powers. We do not have the equipment for DNA like was on Terra. We are monitored mostly for psy power when we reach our maturation.”

Megal added to what his wife had said. “Your Holiness, Sarita’s mother Sera Rita is a respected and powerful healer. Her research was widely respected in Utopia. I urge you to seek her out. She understands the systems they use in Utopia.” Megal had come to respect his new mother-in-law, especially after the session where she was able to lessen the frightening dreams that recalled his disastrous manifestation. “From what you have said, the practice of the Keepers helps explain an alarming statistic. In an article Sarita wrote, she pointed out that our balance of female to male births is unnaturally skewed. Whenever the Keepers base their decisions on political or economic reason instead of genetic quality, that would be one result.”

The Residence healer came into the room and announced that their visit was over. She had sensed a rise in the Overlord’s heart rate, and it was time for him to rest. “You too, your Holiness,” she said. “I sense you have need of a rest. These poisons weaken the body, and both of you had large doses.”

“Not before I tell Sera Sarita that I too have read the article, not knowing it was by her,” The Poh was surprised and pleased. Making changes in Refugio might be easier than he suspected with leaders like this couple. She was his partner, that was clear. “I believe we have accomplished quite a bit but there is more to do. I will keep you informed of what we find. And the suggestion of the Casa stay for Malfe is a good one. May the Three bless you all and give everyone a rapid recovery.”