Condition Evolution 4 by Kevin Sinclair (parable of the sower read online .txt) 📗

“I apologize for this oversight, most humbly. I may have become overly focused on increasing his levels.”

“I can understand the excitement at Vakuna’s abilities becoming stronger, but you of all people should know the results will be better if Clarity is at maximum,” he said, his tone softening a little.

“I do understand, Fiekela, and it will not happen again.”

“Very well, Ialos, see that it doesn’t. As for you, Vakuna, I insist you use the rest of the day to practice your physical-mental link for levitation and telekinesis. I have received reports suggesting you may be lacking in this area compared to your other growth. At least, until we can adapt your Wisdom training.”

I was about to say, ‘no problemo’. I stopped myself just in time and nodded solemnly instead.

“You are incredibly quiet today, Vakuna. Normally you are much more vocal?”

I wrestled out a lie as formally as I could, keeping it short. “The door... has… upset me.”

“Ah! Yes, of course. It did have an extraordinarily strong effect. I imagine it would be disturbing for you. We will do what we can for you. Do not be concerned.”

I nodded and waved at him in response, wishing the big patronizing shithead would just fuck off already. Subterfuge did not appear to come naturally to me. I sighed in relief when he did turn and fuck off. I watched him until he disappeared from sight.

“Thankfully, he assumed negligence rather than noticing the true extent of the problem,” Ialos said in my mind. “Jezai should arrive soon. He will help me figure out what to do from here.”

“Do you mean about the Clarity?”

“Certainly. I dare not even look at what is no longer filled away. If you don’t mind, I think it would be best if you didn’t look either. Let us focus on training for the rest of the day until we get word from Jezai. It sounds as though you will be left in peace while they talk it through.”

“That’s fine by me. I prefer fucking about flying around the rings anyway.”

Ialos shook her head, my response clearly causing her stress.

Chapter 11

Vakuna Matata

That evening after training, Ialos escorted me home. She did this on occasion if I had suffered a significant pasting in training. But today I was different. I assumed she preferred to talk to me outside the training facility. Yet, she said very little on our way back, walking with her hands clasped behind her back, deep in thought. I didn’t mind the quiet company; it was still better than being alone.

Arriving back at the house, I walked in to find a stranger waiting in the lounge. Ialos darted past me straight into his arms. They hugged, and he kissed Ialos on the cheek. I felt a surge of some emotion I had not experienced before. A bit like anger, but subtly different. When they broke the hug, his eyes fell on me. “Hello,” he said, acknowledging me, “I will call you Vakuna for now. My name is Jezai, we knew one another briefly, before your memory loss. I want you to understand that I am not your enemy. My hands are tied at this present time, but I have come tonight to help Ialos to modify your speech, so that you may pass any inspection. She tells me you are unable to revert back to a neutral form of speech. Is this the case?” He came closer to me. He seemed friendly, but my danger radar was going wild at everything.

“Look, Jezai. Something really fucked up is going on here, and I’ve no clue what it is. But you people can't just keep messing about with my head, you're all driving me crazy.”

“I will tell you everything soon enough, but for now I must ask you to trust me.”

Ialos interjected, “If you have any trust in me, Vakuna, I ask you to trust Jezai as well.” Her face had a pleading expression.

I eyeballed them both intensively for a few moments, hoping to be able to read their true intentions. I still wasn’t sure, but I finally relented. “It doesn't seem like I’ve much choice, does it?”

“Not if you want the best chance of answers,” Jezai said to me, before addressing Ialos again. “Would you mind giving me a summary of precisely what transpired today?”

“Certainly, Jezai. After discovering a door inside Vakuna’s Subconscious Room, Kirel informed Fiekela, who arrived just after I spoke with you. In the meantime, I’d asked Vakuna to attempt to speak without his current inflection.” She dropped her head slightly in what looked like shame or embarrassment. “I also accidentally used another name and as a result he suffered a fleeting but extreme psychological breakdown.”

“I suffered a what? I can’t remember that!” I blustered, confused.

“Don’t worry, no real damage was done,” she said to me, then spoke to Jezai again. “When he came around, his mannerisms and speech were altered further.

“When Fiekela came to see the door for himself, he discovered that Vakuna’s Mental Clarity was at 97 percent. For now, he assumes incorrectly that I have not been instructing Vakuna to order his inventory. To avoid further conflict, I accepted the accusation and made my apologies.”

“So, there is a definite breech in the memory barrier caused by whatever occurred in his Subconscious Room. This is an unexpected and interesting development!” Jezai replied.

“Why does everyone keep saying that! All I know is, someone is fucking me about here,” I interrupted. “Whatever’s going on has left me without memories, and I’m growing pretty certain it wasn’t a fucking illness or an accident. You're all telling me you want to help me? Give me my fucking goddamn memories back!”

“We cannot. While I can neither confirm nor deny anything right now,” he answered, “I do give you my word that our intention is to assist you in regaining your memories.”

“I want to trust you, you seem like an okay bloke, and Ialos seems to like and trust you, but I just don’t know