God's Dogs Book 2

Democracy is when the indigent, and not the men of property, are the rulers.

Aristotle

The next stop was the planet Boru, another agricultural world. It seemed the planets impacted by the nova wave front long ago valued basic survival above all else. That made sense to Quinn, as he strode to the briefing room on the ship. An extinction event would have a long half-life in the survivors’ genetic memory.

Quinn called for an extensive debrief of their sojourn on Nadira, and those under his command were ready. He entered the room and they were all waiting: the rest of his team, Timi and Nah, the Guardians, and Tsa-Mung, the royal cadre’s elf sergeant. They were seated at the bolted down metal table in the middle of the room.

“What did we learn?” Quinn asked as he sat.

The hot wash roamed across topics for almost an hour. For the most part, the operation was a qualified success.

Sgt. Tsa finally came under the spotlight, and the elf became hesitant.

“A certain practice spontaneously emerged while we were guarding the embassy entrance.”

He paused, then, uncertain how to proceed.

Moss helped him out with, “Well, nobody died. What was the spontaneously emerging practice?”

“Many of those waiting in line to see Timi were clearly distressed,” he said. “We sat those people down and performed healing on them.”

Quinn’s mouth arched into a slow grin. “And you think that might be out of line.”

“Well, some of those we administered to left the line and went home.”

“The healing took effect,” Moss clarified.

“Yes,” the elf said, as if owning up to a mistake.

River laughed, and the rest of them smiled broadly at the elf.

Quinn said, “Compassion is rarely the wrong trigger for action, sergeant.”

Timi said, “We’ll need a bigger room so you can help me.”

“But you are the healer,” Tsa protested.

Timi replied, “You went through the same training I did. All of the Silvertonae were better at meditation. Why would I not want your help? There are more people out there needing healing than I, alone, can deal with.”

“It won’t detract from our mission to establish you as the Camtok?”

Pax answered that one, “On the contrary, it will show the Camtok is sharing healing technologies freely to those who wish to learn.”

Timi jumped on that idea. “We could hold classes for the people.”

Moss snorted. “We’ll need a much bigger room for that.”

Lord Aron was also on his way to Boru aboard a commercial flight. He was carrying dispatches from his friend, Lord Birac. Birac couldn’t make the trip as he and his comrades were still dealing with the aftermath of Timi’s dramatic invasion of the guild house and her forceful pronouncements.

It rattled the pragmatists, as Birac’s faction was called. Aron, of the purist faction, thought the whole thing was a fitting comeuppance for the pragmatists. The purists were hoping for something beneficial to derive from the crisis the pragmatists manufactured by attacking the Camtok.

He landed at the Boru spaceport and an initiate picked him up. They rode in silence to the guild house. A group of seven lords and ladies awaited him in a secure meeting room.

Aron entered and gave the data cube from Birac to one of them.

“Lord Aron,” another said in greeting. “I am Lord Siamanu, the head of this chapter house. Please sit with us and share your experience of the episode on Nadira.”

One of the others said, “He’s a purist, Manu.”

“I know. At this point, it doesn’t matter.”

The Boru people were also gnome-like beings but thinner and less wrinkled about the head and neck. Aron sat with them and told them what he knew.

“The Camtok is a healer, not a symbol for uniting the ten-worlds. She is a servant rather than a leader. Her self-assigned mission is to heal us from the residual effects of the existential threat we endured eons ago.”

“That violates all we planned for her,” another commented.

Siamanu said, “People have a way of finding and following their own destinies.”

Aron was surprised by that remark but added to it, “She also found powerful allies to aid her on her path.”

“The humans,” another remarked with derision.

“The humans,” Aron confirmed. “They are formidable warriors with, it seems, skill at psychic combat as well.”

“You would not oppose them?” Siamanu queried.

“I would not,” Aron said. “Nor would the majority of the purists. We have never been in favor of an enforced monopoly on the teachings.”

“It could cause chaos,” another challenged. “She is disrupting the order we fought for centuries to establish.”

“Out of the chaos we could expand our influence,” Aron countered, “build more schools, or establish our own healing centers.”

“She heals for free,” Siamanu pointed out. “We are a for-profit organization, Aron. We must protect our interests.”

“There are many ways to do so.”

Siamanu nodded and said, “We will review the data you brought us and decide a course of action. Will you be staying?”

“Wouldn’t miss it,” Aron smiled.

The same three shuttles transported the party to the capitol of Baru. A cavalcade to the parliament building was well attended, people lining the streets, but uneventful otherwise. This time there was no ambush at the parliament chambers.

The party proceeded to the Masul embassy and set up shop. The following day, the queen held a press conference to announce the details of the free healing sessions her daughter would offer.

Then she added, “We will also offer basic instruction in healing practices. Think of it as a first aid course in healing. It’s a two-day course. Payment is donations. Sign up is through the embassy information portal, and it’s on a first-come basis. Over the two weeks we will be here, we will offer five of these two-day trainings.”

A reported shouted out, “Does the psychic guild know about this?”

The queen smiled. “They do now.”

A different reported pressed, “You don’t have their permission, do you?”

“We don’t need it. The class will be in the embassy. Technically, that’s Masul territory. The only permission necessary is mine, and I plan on taking the class myself.”

“Who teaches the class?”

“Some of those who taught the Camtok.”

Another reporter challenged, “Is she really the Camtok if the guild has renounced her?”

“They recognized her when she was born,” the queen said. “That she grew up to become a healer and dedicate her life to the people, rather than be subject to the guild’s political agenda, seems to prove she really is the Camtok.”

The press conference delighted Aron, and it profoundly disturbed the pragmatists. They sent people to the healing sessions and a few adepts to the classes. The initial hope was to expose the Camtok and her helpers as charlatans. When that didn’t work out, and another assassination attempt was ruled out, the pragmatists were hard pressed to find the leverage to turn the situation to their advantage.

Siamanu decided a head-on approach might be best. He called the embassy and arranged for a meeting with Timi.

His impression of her as he entered the comfortable sitting room at the embassy, was that she presented as a self-assured young woman. Her own race would rate her as quite lovely rather than beautiful, and she carried herself as royalty.

He shifted his view to observe her aura, and her energetic presence lit up the room. She glowed with energy, as if she was in constant contact with the healing potential of the universe.

He glanced at the human woman standing behind Timi’s chair and couldn’t get a read on her energy signature at all. It was locked down and shielded. He doubted he could break through it, which was a disturbing thought.

Siamanu offered a simple bow and said, “Princess, I am Lord Siamanu, the head of the guild chapter on Boru.”

Timi gestured for him to take a seat in the overstuffed chair facing her. “I am pleased to meet you, Lord Siamanu. Can we resolve the issue the guild has with me?”

“Not without a full conclave,” he said. “The purists have no issue, in any event. The pragmatists’ issue is more financial than theoretical.”

River, standing behind Timi, spoke to him, “You sent people for healing and to take our two-day class. You know we are legitimate, and because of that we represent a threat to your monopoly.”

“True, on both counts. Hence, the financial issue. We make our living selling our services. If healing technology is widely shared, it will cause economic hardship for our members.”

“I have considered this,” Timi said. “It is my vision that healing centers open in every city of the ten worlds. People can pay for classes there, and local hospitals can hire healers for especially post-operative care. The normal citizen would receive care on a sliding fee, dependent on their income. Any deficits in your financial situation could be recouped through these centers as they would be wide-spread. Furthermore, we will set up schools to train people in healing practices, and for that we can charge a fee.”

Siamanu frowned at this proposal, but he could see it could work. It would require a restructuring of the guild, but it would vastly expand their influence and membership.

“An ambitious vision,” he said. “It would require a radical reorganization of the guild if we joined your pursuit of that vision.”

River chuckled. “Reacting to what Timi is already doing will force a change. Would you rather do so as a reaction or as a partnership?”

“And you are?”

“My name is River, one of Timi’s tutors.”

“And bodyguard, no doubt. What is your stake in this dispute?”

“A mandate from the Congress to aid in resolving the bickering in this local area. We determined the Camtok myth could be a unifying symbol to bring peace and harmony.”

“So you dedicated your resources to support the princess.”

“We did,” River smiled. “And it seems to be working. Your people shot at us on Nadira. On Boru, we’re having a civilized conversation.”

Siamanu sat back in his chair and considered the options before him. Then he said, “It will still require a conclave to alter our policies.”

“How soon can one be called?” Timi asked.

“It would take months.”

“Our tour of the ten planets will take at least another four months,” Timi replied. “We conclude our tour with a celebration at Masul. It would pleased me if we can announce our collaboration in pursuing the Camtok’s vision at that celebration.”

The lord took a deep breath and stood. “I am less important than other guild house masters, but I will call for a conclave to debate the proposal you offer.”

“I will see to it you receive a detailed proposal by tomorrow,” Timi told him.

“That would be helpful,” Siamanu said as he bowed and left the room.

Timi shuddered as the door slid shut behind the lord. “That was intense.”

“Yep,” River agreed. “It’s why I’m not a politician.”

“But you did so well,” Timi exclaimed.

River allowed a wry grin to cross her face. “It was all I could do to keep from pounding on his head, calling him a stupid idiot for his short-sighted, stupid, exclusionary policies.”

Timi started giggling and River joined in.