Chapter 22

BY the time Golden Flight's trans-max pulled up near the stage area, the park was already overflowing with people, many of them obviously under the effect of the Mingus.  Those who weren't had plainly been intoxicated by some other means.  Many things were available in the illegal markets of back street Accad.

The music of pipes and tinkling percussion instruments sang and jingled among the gathering.  Bracken stood up from his rest and walked to the max to greet Lisha.  He was not prepared for what confronted him.  As Lisha stepped from the stopped vehicle, she smiled somewhat remotely at Bracken.  Her dark eyes reflected an excited fire, distant and elusive.   She brushed by him with a light embrace and then walked a short distance away, turning back to watch as the others descended from the rig.  The musicians and Ley greeted him warmly and headed for the stage.  Ley spoke to the confused Bracken as he passed.  "Lisha's already used the Gem.  We decided to go ahead on our way over.  The ride on the water cross was so beautiful, she wanted to see how it looked through new eyes.  She really seems to have found something exciting this time under the Effect."

"Is she going to be all right? She's acting kind of strange," asked Bracken apprehensively.  He watched as Lisha stared in apparent captivation up into the sky.

"She's fine," assured Ley, casting an approving eye toward Lisha.  "She's a beautiful woman and I believe she's beginning to discover part of herself she never knew existed.   Don't worry though.  I've been watching out for her.  I've helped a lot of people through these things.  We haven't forgotten you though," assured Os, handing Bracken the Mingus case.  "Go ahead and join us.  Just be sure to wait until you've passed the initial phase before you leave the trans.  Ley's eyes narrowed for a moment and Bracken wondered what Os was thinking.  "Lisha will be with us, so you don't have to worry."

Somewhat uncertain but eager to touch the stone again, Bracken followed Ley's instructions and disappeared into the trans-max, closing the port behind him.

This time when he pressed the stone against his head he felt a dreadful shudder go through him.  This must be a more powerful stone, he told himself as he slipped under its spell.  The next hours were lost in a whirl of sensual luxury.

Pulsating music was the first clear sensation he felt as the Effect began to level off.  Physically unsteady, but confident in his euphoria, he climbed from the trans-max and walked toward the platform where Chepa's group was performing.  Something was missing.  He felt good but wanted Lisha beside him. Where was she, he wondered.

Mesmerized by the driving sound waves and the swaying crowd, he felt suddenly disoriented.  To calm himself he sat down on the grass.  He felt his body tingling delightfully beneath the barrage of musical pulses coming from Golden Flight's instruments.  The separate parts of his environment began to melt into one.  Captivated by his joyous surroundings, he wasn't immediately aware of his growing derangement.  Before he knew it, he was hopelessly overwhelmed.  Confused and slightly fearful, he began to search for Lisha.

Standing to his feet, he struggled against the flow of the people around him.  He bumped into others clumsily, apologizing, taken back by vacant stares and sometimes hostile glances.  Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, his gaze fell on Lisha.  She was spinning around in apparent ecstacy, holding tightly to someone else.  Uncertain at first, who it could be, he walked closer only to see that it was Ley Os.

Suddenly he wanted to run.   He felt cut to the core of his being. He felt alone and crushed.  Hurt twisted a knot tightly around his heart.  But instead of running, he slowly turned and walked back toward the max, tears welling in his eyes.  He felt ripped off, deceived by Os.   Hatred grew in his heart.  Bitterness clenched his soul.  Struggling with the pain of betrayal, his mind a flurry of bewilderment, he collapsed into a lounge chair.   He strained to regain his rationality, squirming in a mental vice.  What was Lisha doing to him.  Why had she turned to Os?  Surely she cared for him.   Or did she? Maybe he was crazy.

Perhaps she never really cared, and never would again.

Nearly at the point of breaking, his agony was by an odd sensation.  As if his emotions had been removed from the cage of a ferocious beast, something suddenly resolved and he was free.   Free from Lisha, free from himself.  In relief, he slipped into a dream. He slept for hours.

The trans-max was quiet and if was dark outside when he awoke.  At first, it appeared as though the vehicle was parked near the scene of his previous trial.  Instead he discovered, as he glanced out the window, that it was sitting on a quiet residential street lit by night lamps.   Something behind him rattled, and he turned to see Chepa coming from the rear of the vehicle.  "It's good to see you awake," said Chepa, a note of concern in his voice.  "We weren't sure you would come around before tomorrow."

"Where are we? I can't seem to make it out too well.  Bracken's head swirled.

"This is Ley's house," replied Chepa, pointing toward Ley's castle-like home.

Bracken squinted out the window. "Oh yeah, now I remember."  Bracken followed Chepa out Of the trans and helped him seal the door.

"All of us are his guests tonight" Momentarily, Bracken thought of one guest who probably was being made quite welcome at the moment.  He closed off such thoughts from his mind by a fresh feeling of resolve.  He was different, he told himself.  He cared, but he didn't care.  Lisha was free to be who she wanted.

"I guess you know Lisha's with Ley."

"I know," smiled Bracken, Unmoved by Chepa's statement.

A security buzzer released the latch and allowed them in, after Chepa acknowledged who they were through the guardtel.  They walked down a darkly lit corridor, stopping at the second door they came to.

Chepa pointed toward a cozily decorated room containing two beds.  "Well be staying down here tonight."  The house was quiet except for the occasional sound of laughter coming from above.  "Most everybody's retired for the night, announced Chepa, settling down in his bed. "If you want something to eat, there's food prepared in the room at the end of the hall."

"Good, I'm hungry.   Get a good night's rest," said Bracken as he made his way down the hall.

Opening a door to a dining room, its main table filled with food, Bracken noticed that Nev was sitting quietly with his girlfriend eating a late night snack.  "May I join you?" he asked, taking a seat at the table.  The room was filled with plants and a few candles flickered here and there.

"Of course, there's still plenty left."  The three of them ate without much conversation.  Nev and his companion slipped off to their room with a "good night" shortly after Bracken arrived.  Finishing the meal, he washed up and returned to his room.  In spite of his earlier rest, he fell asleep on the soft cushion bed.

Later that night, he woke to the sound of sobbing.  It was Lisha's voice whimpering painfully in the darkness.   Bracken arose from the bed, throwing back the covers and walked down the hall.   The soft light from a candle at one end lit the passageway.  At the bottom of the stairway he found Lisha, her head between her knees, shaking with remorse.   Surprised by his approach, she looked up.  "Bracken," she gasped, standing up and embracing him.  "I'm so glad to see you. I thought you had gone."  Her face was wet with tears, her hair disheveled.  She looked up at him pleadingly.  "I went looking for you in the max, and it was empty." "I'm staying down the hall in a room with Chepa."  The tone of his voice was slightly aloof.  "I hope you've been having a good time tonight ... with Ley." "Oh Bracken, don't talk like that. I'm so sorry," she whimpered.   "I just don't know what came over me.  You must understand."   Why had she done it? She asked herself.  She felt full of shame.  She'd been used.  All she wanted now was for Bracken to hold her, to comfort her.  But somehow he was different, distant, cold. "I do understand.  You're your own person now. You have to find your own way.  Ley's part of that way."   Bracken didn't believe the story he told her, but he knew it hurt her.  It felt good to hurt her.  She had hurt him.  Now, it was her turn to hurt.   "I'm glad you could enjoy each other."  There was a mocking tone in his voice. The tears began to flow again.  Lisha's beautiful face looked contorted and tortured.  "Ley is horrible," she moaned.  "It was all so beautiful and seductive, but when it was over it was so different."  A look of increasing dejection clouded her face.  "He doesn't care for me, he just deceived me so he could use me." "You're wrong, Lisha," responded Bracken quietly.  "Ley cares.  I care.  But you have to learn to let go.   Quit holding on to your emotions.  You have to stop feeling before you can learn to really care." Lisha suddenly drew away from Bracken shocked by what she heard.  His voice sounded distant, possessed, and compassionless!  "What are you saying, Bracken?" she screamed, moving away from him.  "I told you I was sorry.  What do you want?  Please help me.  I'm so confused and hurt and you're acting so cold." "Lisha," Bracken whispered loudly, his face drawn and anxious, "I am trying to help you.  But you must let go!  Go back to Ley.  I'm sure he can make you happy again." "Oh no," she moaned loudly, turning and backing for the front door.  "You're different, Bracken.   I've got to get out of here." "Please, Lisha.  Let me tell you what happened to me earlier.  I'm free now to care for you and not cling to you." "No, no! I don't want to hear it."  With that, Lisha turned and ran to the front door.  Pulling it open, she ran, crying into the night.