throat. "As most of you are aware, Mercuros has been here since before your people arrived. With the agreement of the living mind of Geviil, he was allowed to make his home here."
The room erupted with shouts and denials. The speaker banged his gavel and the room ground to silence.
"This is the first we have heard of a living mind for this world. There has never been an avatar called."
Kyra gestured to Vinni. "Vinnarolous Nehanic was called by Geviil. The planet has never found any of your species to be a suitable host. You don't take well to psychic invasions. Those of Dhema, however, though they deny their psychic leanings, have a strong propensity for mind-to-mind communication."
"Why has Geviil never made itself known?" One of the men on the end of the benches asked.
Vinni spoke. "He has. The sudden storm that stopped the fire of Rhaza. That was Geviil. The raising of the Makinar ridge to assist in mineral harvest. That was Geviil. You have thousands of moments in your history that you attributed to luck, never knowing that there was a mind behind it, because when your folk landed, there was no test you could administer to check."
The room burst into shouting again and the darkness blurred into Vinni's eyes. He held up his hands and the room shook.
Vikki was scooped up into Merc's arms and he beat his wings to raise them aloft. Beast did the same with Fury and the calm Tiergar grabbed Kyra and sprang his claws, swiping at any Geviilan who got too close.
When Vinni dropped his hands, the room stopped. "I have just shifted the occupied continent nine feet to the left. Check your monitors. I am Geviil and Mercuros and his wife are my honoured citizens. I wish them to live and remain here, have a family and enjoy all that I can offer them. Mercuros has offered himself to you in service for a pittance. A home of his own and the maintenance of the property. He would get that if he was a civil employee. I bequeath to him the proceeds of nine untapped mineral deposits and leave it to him as to the species he will hire to excavate it."
The premier was staring with his mouth open. "Where are these deposits?"
Geviil looked at the small man and bowed down to where they were face to face. "I have created them for Mercuros in payment for his services. He and no other will get access to the deposits. Anyone else attempting to mine will be on the receiving end of a lightning strike. Now, I want to know how your people are going to compensate me for the resources you have consumed."
As Merc and Beast landed, Vikki knew it was the beginning of a very long day.
* * * *
In the end, the premier was dismissed from office, a new one appointed and a negotiation for compensation for services rendered tendered to Mercuros. As the original occupant of the world, confirmed by Geviil, he was the true original citizen. Should he care to, he could expel the locals back to their overcrowded home world.
Kyra brought out precedents, Tiergar helped negotiations and in four days, Vikki and Merc returned to a home that was theirs as long as their bloodline lived.
Fury and Beast were called away, but they promised to visit soon. Several of the sleepers had entered the Guard and there were going to be a lot of calls in Merc's future once the Drai chose to call him. With them all living on different worlds and under aliases, they had to make the contact with the anchored Drai in their own time.
Kyra and Tiergar extended an open invitation for a visit to Azon and they left when the Guards did.
Vinni was designing his home with Geviil architects and having a wonderful time in his new role as avatar. Only two assassination attempts so far, so he was doing well.
"I thought we would never get home." Vikki was exhausted.
"I concur. It lasted a little longer than I had anticipated. Kyra is quite the negotiator, isn't she?" He had his arm loosely around her waist, a habit he had developed during their time in the boardrooms.
"Not like our final
The room erupted with shouts and denials. The speaker banged his gavel and the room ground to silence.
"This is the first we have heard of a living mind for this world. There has never been an avatar called."
Kyra gestured to Vinni. "Vinnarolous Nehanic was called by Geviil. The planet has never found any of your species to be a suitable host. You don't take well to psychic invasions. Those of Dhema, however, though they deny their psychic leanings, have a strong propensity for mind-to-mind communication."
"Why has Geviil never made itself known?" One of the men on the end of the benches asked.
Vinni spoke. "He has. The sudden storm that stopped the fire of Rhaza. That was Geviil. The raising of the Makinar ridge to assist in mineral harvest. That was Geviil. You have thousands of moments in your history that you attributed to luck, never knowing that there was a mind behind it, because when your folk landed, there was no test you could administer to check."
The room burst into shouting again and the darkness blurred into Vinni's eyes. He held up his hands and the room shook.
Vikki was scooped up into Merc's arms and he beat his wings to raise them aloft. Beast did the same with Fury and the calm Tiergar grabbed Kyra and sprang his claws, swiping at any Geviilan who got too close.
When Vinni dropped his hands, the room stopped. "I have just shifted the occupied continent nine feet to the left. Check your monitors. I am Geviil and Mercuros and his wife are my honoured citizens. I wish them to live and remain here, have a family and enjoy all that I can offer them. Mercuros has offered himself to you in service for a pittance. A home of his own and the maintenance of the property. He would get that if he was a civil employee. I bequeath to him the proceeds of nine untapped mineral deposits and leave it to him as to the species he will hire to excavate it."
The premier was staring with his mouth open. "Where are these deposits?"
Geviil looked at the small man and bowed down to where they were face to face. "I have created them for Mercuros in payment for his services. He and no other will get access to the deposits. Anyone else attempting to mine will be on the receiving end of a lightning strike. Now, I want to know how your people are going to compensate me for the resources you have consumed."
As Merc and Beast landed, Vikki knew it was the beginning of a very long day.
* * * *
In the end, the premier was dismissed from office, a new one appointed and a negotiation for compensation for services rendered tendered to Mercuros. As the original occupant of the world, confirmed by Geviil, he was the true original citizen. Should he care to, he could expel the locals back to their overcrowded home world.
Kyra brought out precedents, Tiergar helped negotiations and in four days, Vikki and Merc returned to a home that was theirs as long as their bloodline lived.
Fury and Beast were called away, but they promised to visit soon. Several of the sleepers had entered the Guard and there were going to be a lot of calls in Merc's future once the Drai chose to call him. With them all living on different worlds and under aliases, they had to make the contact with the anchored Drai in their own time.
Kyra and Tiergar extended an open invitation for a visit to Azon and they left when the Guards did.
Vinni was designing his home with Geviil architects and having a wonderful time in his new role as avatar. Only two assassination attempts so far, so he was doing well.
"I thought we would never get home." Vikki was exhausted.
"I concur. It lasted a little longer than I had anticipated. Kyra is quite the negotiator, isn't she?" He had his arm loosely around her waist, a habit he had developed during their time in the boardrooms.
"Not like our final
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