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3 ~ Beauty<br />
Burlim had sent his most trusted people to attend the checkout of the new arrivals <strong>from</strong> ShipTwo,<br />
almost all suffering <strong>from</strong> electro-shock trauma. He doubted the priests would allow them more<br />
than a cursory examination. Even though they were becoming quite addicted to the technological<br />
marvels his people could give them, the priests still showed them little in the way of real trust. He<br />
felt the most important thing they'd done, at least as far as the priests were concerned, was<br />
making the transfer pods capable of re-docking in spite of any attempt to lock them out. Once the<br />
re-docking had been accomplished, the short-range stunners they'd made had been the key to<br />
taking ShipTwo.<br />
He continued to wonder about the captain of ShipOne, Rednaxela—the man who had chosen a<br />
crew that fought so well to save their ship—the man whose daughter he was about to meet.<br />
Rednaxela was reported to be in the Unholy Lands with the supposed Savior of the Narians.<br />
Burlim's people had come up with a way to filter their operatives into the region of the Disciples<br />
of Faith but this religious group, even though light-years more rational than the Lord's Army, was<br />
still too cautious to aid the <strong>An</strong>gan counter movement in its attempts to penetrate the Unholy<br />
Lands.<br />
The method they were using to get their people into Suva, the main territory of the Disciples<br />
was gruesome but effective. The <strong>An</strong>lan priests were totally blind to the individuality of their<br />
followers. Except for the sexual differences, they seemed to literally see them as interchangeable.<br />
This most propitious mental flaw made it easy to substitute the more pliant followers of the<br />
priests for the Chosen Ones among his own people. His mind was intrigued by how the <strong>An</strong>lans<br />
and <strong>An</strong>gans had evolved to look essentially alike—so similar that the priests would accept one of<br />
their own as a sacrifice when they'd intended to kill one of his people and make of them a fitting<br />
Gift to their God for His Grace and Mercy in sending so many new people to their failing<br />
population. <strong>An</strong>d, since they took little notice of how many followers they actually had, the<br />
substitutions enabled his people to make their way, ever so covertly, toward Suva. If this girl,<br />
Velu, was as remarkable as his people had said, she could be the key that unlocked the path to the<br />
territory of Vaei and then to the Unholy Lands—the ultimate staging ground for what Burlim<br />
planned as his people's new home. Even though those in the Unholy Lands were the avowed<br />
enemies of the Lord's Army and the Faith of Eternity, the priests never considered going there to<br />
deal with their most feared enemies. Their superstitions would be his people's protection.<br />
Burlim wished he had time to fathom the incredibly fogged and twisted consciousness of these<br />
<strong>An</strong>lan priests, let alone the unnatural submissiveness of their followers. All he could do now was<br />
hope he lived long enough to earn that time. <strong>An</strong>d, if he did earn it, he was sure he would spend no<br />
more time thinking about such strange people.<br />
He nodded to Sousna, who was pointing out Velu and Jalur to him, and told her: "Make sure of<br />
things. Auren is preparing the escape route."<br />
As he approached father and daughter he was struck with a wonder that he found disturbing—<br />
Velu was completely calm to the outer eye yet clearly communicated immense power to him. This<br />
should be impossible in the convoluted layers of plasma his people had created in this area. Still,<br />
there was no doubt it was happening. Velu spoke.<br />
"We must begin our journey."<br />
"How do you know I'm the person to say that to?"<br />
"You have the right clothes on and others who have spoken to us about our plans defer to you."<br />
"Jalur, this is not your natural daughter?"<br />
"Natural? No, not biologically, but, naturally, she is my daughter because she wants to be. She<br />
wants two fathers."<br />
Burlim watched Velu hug Jalur's arm and barely saw the young girl behind the overwhelming<br />
thought-power she was exuding.<br />
"Velu, I assume I'm one of the few you're allowing to feel your thoughts?"<br />
"Yes, but we must go."<br />
"I respect your mental accomplishments, Velu, but unless you can make the priests do what you<br />
will, we must take the necessary precautions and use circumspection."<br />
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