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16 ~ Honor<br />
Alunur found a resting place on <strong>An</strong>la-Purum in what had been called the Unholy Lands and was<br />
now Aklana. Being surrounded by Aklans wasn't as bad as he'd feared when his contact had told<br />
him where to hide next. This Territory remained in most minds as a place that was either<br />
unspeakably glorious or mind-numbingly dangerous. Either reputation sufficed for Alunur's<br />
purpose: avoid Independents.<br />
The daily life of the family he was staying with was so normal that he wondered why people so<br />
often attributed miraculous powers to these people. They did pray in the morning before<br />
beginning their daily routine but the routine was, well, routine. The father kissed his wife and<br />
headed out to the mining facility; the mother got her children ready for school then rushed off to<br />
the university for her classes in history; the children went to school, came home and did their<br />
homework, went out to play, and returned before dark to be loved by the mother and father. Yes,<br />
they did pray again before sending the kids off to bed. But the reputation of Aklans being some<br />
rare form of spiritual beings wasn't apparently true. They were merely good people. Good people<br />
who took him in and made him feel welcome. Good people who without trying made him feel<br />
protected.<br />
Alunur spent the first weeks just recuperating <strong>from</strong> the harrowing passages he'd navigated in<br />
the past two years. Staying one step ahead of dangerous Independents was easy with his financial<br />
resources. The uneasy and exhausting part had been acclimating to environments where his<br />
status as rich and educated mattered not a bit. He was humbled, confused, distraught, and<br />
witheringly tired.<br />
The Besul family was a healing force just by their acceptance of his need to quietly sit, eat, sleep,<br />
and sketch. One day, without premeditation, he'd asked for a pad and pencil. He was surprised he<br />
had artistic ability. He'd thought his talents were studying, writing, and negotiation.<br />
His passion about hiding his new creations was eventually penetrated by the youngest child's<br />
persistent unveiling of her own efforts in drawing. After each presentation of another of her selfproclaimed<br />
masterpieces, she would beg him to show her his sketches. He eventually did.<br />
Mother Besul was the first to rank his work as genius. The children couldn't grasp the reason<br />
for her excitement but they did like his work. Father Besul was calmer than his wife but insistent<br />
that he be able to contact an artist of his acquaintance who could help Alunur become recognized.<br />
“Mr. Besul, I can't become known for anything.”<br />
“Alunur, when will you finally call me Taliv? But no matter, we accepted you here because<br />
you're a child of God in distress. We hadn't expected the testimony of <strong>An</strong>glana to your<br />
trustworthiness but I still don't understand how a man who appears out of nowhere, who has<br />
wealth but seems a natural recluse, can receive the blessings of <strong>An</strong>glana.”<br />
“She recommended me for a job once. I had to escape attention because certain people didn't<br />
like a decision I'd made. Mr.— I mean, Taliv, I'm hiding <strong>from</strong> the Independents.”<br />
“Whew...”<br />
“Yes, I was, well, in an influential position and the Independents were counting on me to make<br />
certain things possible for them. I realized that, if I did, my entire holdings would be wiped out. In<br />
fact, a large portion of the Worlds' wealth would have been obliterated. Before I left my job, I gave<br />
the authorities the names of key individuals, people since arrested and under constant<br />
supervision. Still, those people have many friends...”<br />
“There used to be a Council member named Alunur, but his last name wasn't Pelv.”<br />
“Taliv, I'm who you think I am.”<br />
“My, my... You poor soul.”<br />
Taliv told Alunur he would make very private inquiries about a possible resolution of the<br />
situation. He assured him that, if things worked out, he might be able to live a less restrictive life.<br />
He didn't tell him that the inquiries were about how to communicate with Mura.<br />
~~~<br />
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