Chapter 4

"When God saw the chaos that came from the males' disappearance, She sent Gran to restore order, and bring the women back to righteousness."-- The Story of Gran Ch. 5, Line 3.

Dahra sat down on a large rock. Lissa on the pebbly ground, rapt in the story her adopted mother was unfolding.

"Your mother looked much like you do today, Lissa, except that she was a year older than you are now, a little stockier, and had hair a shade darker than yours. Her hair was cut short in the front and left long in the back, as was popular at the time. She was also faldu like you, but had bowed to social pressure and had had her breasts surgically reduced, soon after she graduated from college. Also like you, she also had a zest for life, new discoveries, and adventures. Every time I see you get excited about something new, I see your mother doing the exact same thing..." Dahra looked off into the distance, think- ing of the past.

"Anyway, Krinan, Frissa, and I were the best of friends. People in the college used to call us the Great Trio. When we weren't sleeping, we were practically inseparable. Frissa's office was next to Krinan's, and mine was across the hall from Frissa's.

"While Krinan was the oldest, and I was the youngest of the threesome (having just received my ipse), Frissa was widely thought of as the most brilliant. Her inventive theories about ancient society had led to much acclaim by her peers.

"Anyway, it was a cool day, just a few days after the monsoon season, when Frissa came running into Krinan's cramped office, with a rolled up map in her hands. I was not there at the time, off at a meeting or something.

"Fran was all excited when she came into Krinan's office, which was not unusual. She got enthused by the smallest discoveries. But this time she had a good reason. She had just been perusing an article about an ancient library found in the Sandy Wastes the year before. It was a minor find, as all the books were gone.

"She had noticed that this particular building was missing something all other ancient buildings had. A basement.

"Krinan was dubious about the significance of that fact; but Frissa thought that there might be a basement, but hidden from casual scrutiny.

"At this point Krinan's interest was piqued, and agreed to go with her. She pointed out though, it was nearly midnight in the Sandy Wastes' time zone. Krinan suggested that they go home, get some rest, then meet at Frissa's house around midnight, early morning, Sandy Waste time, and go then.

"Frissa agreed."

Dahra shook her head sadly, stood up, and started pacing.

"Poor Frissa. She was so excited, it never occurred to her to wonder how Krinan knew the exact time difference between the Sandy Wastes and Fahr. In actuality, it was an hour after dawn on the Wastes when they had had their conversation.

"When Krinan didn't show up at the Frissa's house and wasn't at her home, Frissa came to me, very worried about what had happened to Krinan. After she told me about their discussion, I had a pretty good idea where she was.

"Your mother, bless her soul, was a great anthropologist, mentor, and friend. But she was also one of the most naive persons I've ever met, and a terrible judge of character. I think it was partially due to her mother being wealthy, sheltering her throughout her childhood.

"I had been to the ruins several times before, and had no trouble portaling both of us there.

When we arrived, the ruins were crowded with many of the most prestigious members of the archeological community and many members of the press. Krinan was nearby, talking with Flag Vaggirfelgis, our dean. She was ten years old, and about to retire.

"Frissa still hadn't figured out what had happened and asked me, 'Dahra, wha-what are all these people doing here?'

"I said, 'Frissa, I think Krinan stole your discovery.'

"Frissa stood there in shocked silence for a few seconds, then she erupted.

"Your mother was one of the most easygoing person I had ever seen. I had never seen her so much as raise her voice until that moment Something snapped inside her.

"'That slut!' she roared. She leapt at Krinan with her hands outstretched, trying to grab her throat.

"I restrained Frissa, while Krinan hid behind Flag. I am convinced that if Flag and I hadn't been there, Frissa would have killed her, then and there.

"I had never seen your mother so angry before or since. Her fury at being betrayed by her best friend had transformed her into a wild thing. Restraining her was like trying to wrestle a waterspout. I still don't know how I would have controlled Frissa without Flag's help. Flag was an accomplished emoter, and managed to calm Frissa down. I can still see kindly old Flag standing face to face with a murderous Frissa, sweat flowing down her brow from the strain, soothing her, promising to get this whole misunderstanding straightened out.

"When Frissa was finally calmed down enough to tell her story, Krinan denied all accusations. She claimed that Frissa had made the whole story up so that she could steal the credit of the discovery from her.

"When she said that, Flag's control broke, and chaos ensued. I ended up portaling Frissa home under stressful conditions, which is not easy for me. I spent the rest of that day trying to keep your mother calm, while nursing the headache that resulted from the effort.

"The next day, a board of inquiry was held. After hearing both claims, the board concluded that since your mother had no concrete evidence, though many believed her, they had to accept Krinan's claim. Thus the five books found in the basement were credited to Krinan. The books were as unreadable, like all the others we've found over the years, but still a major find."

"And you believed my mother," interrupted Lissa.

"Yes I did. Initially it was just a gut instinct. But as I thought about it, over the following days, my rationale became clearer.

"You see, I had often heard Krinan express her envy of other archeologists' discoveries. How making a major find was just 'dumb luck', and how she wished she could have a little luck herself.

"Frissa, on the other hand, had never said such things. She applauded other's accomplishments, and told Krinan that it took more than just luck to make a major find, and that credit should be given where it was due.

"It just wasn't in Frissa's nature to try and steal someone else's discovery, but it might be in Krinan's nature.

"Anyway, the end result of this mess stained both of their careers. Because many believed Frissa, Krinan became known as an ambitious opportunist; one not to be trusted with secrets. Frissa, because she kept whining about the injustice done to her, was generally thought of as immature, one who was not willing to accept the facts of life.

"As a result of the whole incident, neither got the position they were vying for; though Krinan got a junior position a year and a half later, after the new dean retired."

Dahra let out a long sigh. "After that incident, your mother was never the same. She seemed to have aged two years, overnight. She never cracked jokes, and was not easily made to laugh. She spent every waking hour going through old texts, and exploring promising sites. She seemed driven to redeem her reputation as an anthropologist.

"A week after the incident, she went in for her monthly insemination, and got pregnant with you, Lissa. Even being an expectant mother didn't slow her research, which included expeditions to primitive, unexplored islands. Many, including myself, feared that she would lose the baby. There was even talk about giving her a leave of absence until the baby was born. It was pointed out though that that would not even slow her down.

"She gave birth to you two months after her impregnation. No complications, thank God.

"I got pregnant a week after Frissa did. But unlike her, I slowed down and took care of myself. My baby, as you know, was male. I heard him gasp for breath when the doctor slapped his bottom, but he never cried. His little comatose body was put in an incubator, and I never saw him again."

Dahra walked over to Lissa, who was still sitting on the ground, and put a hand on her shoulder. "Your being around, Lissa, was a great comfort to me in my grief. You became the daughter I never had."

Lissa blushed, but said nothing, not wanting to distract her adoptive mother's train of thought.

"When you were born, your mother had to slow down and care for you. I think having someone else to care for helped mellow her out some, and saved her from working herself to death a lot sooner than it did."

Dahra glanced furtively up and down the abandoned stony coastline. "Frissa was very secretive about her work. She had learned her lesson the first time. Most of the notes she made were memorized and destroyed. I was the only one whom she even told a part of what she was doing. I was her only friend, and even then she kept her secrets. From what she told me, your mother was searching for the next major find. She was looking in areas that haven't been thoroughly explored, but still held strong possibilities.