Farm 22, A restless night, A knowledge filled meeting…
Sarita could not sleep. She was tired from the hard-physical labor, but her head buzzed, and her body itched. It was as if she was outside a classroom, or a dining hall and a very thick door was shut. She could hear and feel things, but they were indistinct and annoying. To make matters even worse, her skin felt as if she had fallen naked into a patch of pepper bristles. Mama Morianan had told her to expect it. When someone waited a long time to fully manifest the power, it created disturbances in the body. Early marriages were encouraged in Utopia. Some who waited too far became mentally unbalanced or physically ill or lost the power they would have manifested. Sarita would have preferred to be married like her sisters.
After her woman day, several men had courted her, but none had won her heart. She had enjoyed the attention and was still friends with a few of them. She could not picture herself with any of them, not for a lifetime commitment. She wanted a partner, a relationship like her foster parents, or her sisters and their life mates. She wanted someone who dreamed like she did of a better way to live.
She had strongly considered an apprentice ranger who had visited Family Kearney when she was 17. He was in training to join the force guarding the borders of Utopia, protecting against the exiled renegades and the many wild carnivores native to the planet. He had been traveling to learn the land, but also to find a wife, so his power would be fully manifested before he was assigned to a company. She was close to a commitment with him, but a day on the weapons practice field had ended their courtship. She had beaten him at martial arts, fencing, and archery. Some of her foster sisters had chided her. She should have let him win.
Sarita was shocked. To begin a relationship on deception was beyond her understanding. What if he had good psychic ability and could sense deception after the bonding night? Momma Morianan has always told the girls that truth and honesty were two pillars supporting a healthy marriage. The ranger had beaten her at riding and would not even consider staves or hand-to-hand fighting. He was stronger and more experienced in the field but could not bear the fact that she had beaten him. He rode off. Sarita later heard he had married a woman who had never trained to fight beyond the basic self-defense taught to all children.
Her foster mother had suggested if the itching got too bad, a hot soaking bath might help. It certainly would not hurt, since the faint odor of the day’s labor still hung about her hair. Her quick shower in the barn had not cleared off the smell of the manure. Sarita slipped out of bed and into the hall quietly, so she did not disturb the three other girls in her room. The bathing rooms were at the end of the sleeping wing where they could be supplied from the hot springs.
She walked down the stone floored hall and gathered towels and a clean sleeping suit from the supply cabinet. All clothing was owned in common so all one had to do was find your size. She opened the small side cabinet and drew out a bag of sweet herbs. Morianan kept a good supply of them, because sometimes the water was heavy with sulfur gas, and aromatic plants would kill the scent on the skin. Morianan had been right. An hour later, Sarita slipped back into bed and fell into a deep, restful sleep.
***
The discerners of Family Kearney looked like grumpy oldsters, which they were, when Sarita presented herself in the hour after first meal.
“Why can’t you just fall in love with one of the young men and get this over with child?” Decoman Kearney, the senior of them asked sharply. “There are quite a few fine young men here in the farm.” Decoman was Fergus’s uncle. She was certain Fergus had expressed his liking for her at their family table.
Ethel Kearney was the senior woman of the discerners. “Decoman, you know how disastrous matchmaking by elders can be! She obviously has not found her amancara. Have you had the itch, Sarita? I worry you are waiting too far. Have you considered requesting to travel to other farms?”
“Lord Kearney took me with him to the Assembly last fall, my lady. There were many young people there and I made several friends, but none moved my heart. And yes, I have experienced the itch a bit.” Sarita knew better than to keep anything from them. Their extreme sensitivity to the power also enabled them to sense when someone was lying.
“Let us begin, Ethel,” Decoman grumbled. “If you please Sarita, relax and open your mind.”
As if she didn’t know the routine. This was at least the fourth time the discerners had scanned her in the last six months. Sarita slipped into the relaxation mode all Utopia children were taught. She concentrated on the image of the sky reflected in a still pool of water as the discerners gently probed her mind.
“I tell you Decoman, she will have great empathy,” said another of the family.
“A bit, I will admit, but her potential for telepathy is high as well,” Ethel Kearney responded.
“I detect both trans-location and compulsion,” Discerner Canter added. For repeated examination of an adolescent, the team of discerners was supposed to be made up of both locals and visiting member from another farm. Each discerner had the ability to sense different powers, so a mix of individuals kept an ability from being overlooked. Each time she had come, the visiting discerner had spotted some other power. Sarita broke her concentration and sighed.
“May I go now? I really don’t need to be present as you argue about which of you is right.” Sarita’s dejected tone of voice took the sting out of her disrespectful comment.
“Go ahead, child,” Ethel said with a laugh. “You are a puzzle to us, and you are right, all we’ll do is argue and there is no need for you to be here. I think Nathan and Rhonda are still at first meal in the dining room.”
“Thank you,” Sarita gave them a proper bow and left to find her sister and brother-in-law.
***
The farm’s main dining room was almost empty, so it was easy to find the young couple. Sarita slumped down on the bench near their table and watched them with an embarrassing surge of envy. They were oblivious to anyone else as they discussed their first assignment as guides. The conversation that consisted of single words and gestures made little sense to anyone else.
Two strangers Sarita had not noticed before approached carrying food. “If you love birds can wake up for a moment, I think you have a guest.” The couple sat down across from Rhonda and Nathan at the table.
“Sarita, I’m sorry,” Rhonda gasped. “I didn’t see you come in. This is my younger sister. Sarita, these are Mona and Don O’Cauley. They were our mentors last night.”
Sarita got a mug of tea from the sideboard and joined the couples at the table.
. “You have to forgive these young love birds,” Mona said with a laugh. “When you have brains that are as closely linked as these two, they get lost.”
“Don’t be so hard on them. I suspect we were just as wrapped up in each other after our first session.” The older man shook his head and offered Sarita some of his nut bread. She just smiled and declined.
“Honorable, Rhonda and I are honored you were mentors for us,” Nathan said nervously.
“Don’t get too wound up, young man. You two show excellent potential and did very well last night. It was an honor to back you up. Mona and I enjoy working with new guide couples.”
Rhonda spoke up. “The O’Cauleys are head of our guild. They are of the first family to use guides,”
Mona corrected her. “We were not very first, Rhonda, but thank you. My grandparents were the first to try it, and Don and I set up some standards for everyone to follow. It was not as mysterious as it seems,” she said. “When my parents were married, my grandparents who were highly telepathic stayed close to them. They were able to intervene and aid them in channeling their power manifestation. Afterward, they realized with practice, manifested couples could guide others, so they would not hurt each other. I must say Rhonda and Nathan will be excellent guides.”
“Thank you, Honorable,” Nathan stammered.
“Just Don and Mona, if you please,” Don said between bites. “We are colleagues now.”
“I am interested in you and Rhonda’s manifestations. I sensed crosscurrents of both empathy and telepathy from both of you. Don’t worry about admitting it. In spite of what the discerners and Assembly insist, most people have multiple powers and don’t suppress them.”
Nathan looked a bit sheepish, and Rhonda blushed. “It’s true. We are both strong in both powers, and Rhonda has some healing ability as well.”
“The visiting discerner said he sensed translocation and compulsion powers in me this morning” Sarita said. “I had to be examined again.”
“You have not bonded yet, Sarita? A beautiful young woman like you should be beating the men off with sticks,” Don teased.
“Don’t be too hard on her,” Rhonda said. “She has not found anyone here who she is amancara with. We keep introducing her to men and they keep running off. She is my very special sister.” Rhonda grinned at Sarita, who stuck out her tongue at her older sister.
“Tut, tut, sisters, behave.” Mona shook her head laughing. “Seriously, as we travel about, we see more and more young people with several strong powers. It seems the longer we live here on Higgins, the more it affects us.”
“I can’t imagine one could be good at all of them,” Sarita said. “How would you tell what you were using? What if you wanted to heal but used fire instead? You’d kill the patient.”
“You would think it might be that way,” Nathan interjected, “but you find you can choose the one you want when you need it. It is like choosing which tool you want from the tool storage.”
“Ah-ha, I knew I sensed more than one in you.” Don grinned smugly. “Don’t try to deny it. What have you got?”
“Empathy, telepathy, and compulsion—but I have never used that last one except when dealing with emergencies. The discerners said I was such a strong empath the others would just go away. They seem to be getting stronger, rather than going away, though.” Nathan said.
Sarita sighed. “Every time the discerners examine me, they come up with a different power they think I will manifest. Sometimes I even envy some of the powerless who don’t have to worry about it.” She propped her chin on her fist and stared out across the large room.
“Cheer up, Sarita, you’ll find someone soon,” Rhonda said. “Don’t be worried about having more than one power. Why the couple last night had not only animal handling powers, but they also had healing and animal empathy.”
“Right, but this nonsense about limiting a person to only one power really has to stop.” Don said a bit too loudly. “It is creating an atmosphere of guilt and repression. We have enough conformity in our land without that.” He shook his head and resumed eating.
“But then we all would not be as equal, would we?” Sarita commented sarcastically. Then she realized she was speaking to guild leaders, and so attempted to stammer an apology.
“Now that sounds more like my sister Sarita,” Rhonda laughed, “outspoken and opinionated.”
“But, I expect brutally honest. Am I right?” Don shook his fork at Sarita with a stern look on his face.
“I spoke too quickly, Honorable, please accept my apology.” Sarita glared at her sister’s amusement.
“No need to apologize,” Don said. “I have said much the same myself. Our founders were idealistic to think they could maintain a totally egalitarian society. The best will always gain recognition. A meritocracy is more realistic.” He smiled at Sarita.
“I see Discerner Cather coming, so it must be time for us to leave,” Mona said. “We have enjoyed our stay here and meeting you, Sarita. If you ever come to Amaurot, please stop in and visit us.”
“Nathan and Rhonda, you have our authorization to work now without mentors,” Don said. “You are strong enough. You will do your job well and be a credit to the guild.” He shook hands with them both as he rose to meet the discerner.
“Ah, Sarita, nice to see you again,” Discerner Cather offered his hand and gave a slight bow. “I hope you will not listen to these traditionalists who want to limit you to one power. You are going to manifest several and be a great asset to Utopia. Just don’t wait too much longer to find an amancara. With your potential, it is dangerous to wait so far.”
Sarita was shocked. None of the Kearney discerners had ever discussed her multiple potentials before. “Thank you Honorable. We were just discussing that with the O’Cauleys. Perhaps I ought to put an advertisement on the comnet that I really need a husband and would all the men who are interested please apply.”
“That wasn’t exactly what I had in mind,” the discerner said with a laugh. “But do be careful, child. You will be too great an asset to have you lost to burn-out or brain damage.” The visitors made their goodbyes and left to take leave of Simon and Morianan.
***
Sarita was bursting with questions about what had happened the night before, but Rhonda quickly dissuaded her.
“We are bound to not discuss what happened,” Rhonda said. “It is too personal and should be private. I know you are so insatiably curious, but we really can’t discuss it.”
“I am more concerned about you,” Nathan said. “Seriously, what are you going to do? I can think of at least four men who find you attractive and would be willing to court you.”
“But I know all four of them, and I feel nothing but friendship for them. I need to get married soon. The itch gets worse every week and the noise in my head is getting distracting. I guess I had better get back to the house. Papa Kearney had some Refugio new reports for me to transcribe. Oh, that reminds me, did you know the Refugio trade representative had dinner with the family last night? I sat by him and he talked to me. He reminds me a bit of Mother, but I can’t imagine why.”
“Probably because he is from Refugio.” Nathan teased her. Sarita swatted at him as she left the dining room.
“What is she to do? She has been introduced to so many men and yet none interest her. Fergus has pursued her, but that would be a disaster,” Rhonda said softly.
“True words, my love, Fergus is a good man and a hard worker but about as bright as a one of his rusty gears.”
“Nathan, that’s not true. He repairs almost anything brought to him, and Papa Kearney said last month he’ll be in charge of the repair shop as soon as he is bonded.”
“You didn’t have to live with him like I did in the men’s house. He believes anything anyone tells him, and his mother coddled him so much he can’t do anything for himself.”
“Well, I know he is not a good match for Sarita, but I wish I knew who was. She is close to burn-out if she does not bond soon.”
Should you want to read the whole story…
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