People gasped! Zheien, anyway. Via waved, and every Esta Faho Zheien immediately yawned and fell asleep! Wasa Mai leaned against Via, and another him carried him into the yellow mud. The ones on their feet had an Ishah healer to scoop him up and put him in the muds. Everyone got a leisurely mud bath and got carried into the yellow building.

Shocked me that a good many of the Ishah also went to sleep. So it works on anyone. As he said, another Ishah healer came to work in his place before he laid down, often where he was, even on a cael. Animal tenders seemed to just walk by the cael until a healer came. Some went to the festival, that was still going.

An Elshar near us also got zapped. He wore a diplomat's uniform. His healer put him on a cael, put a long, white tunic on him, and the cael walked to an Elshar lady carrying a tray. She gave it to another lady and climbed up beside him to hold him.

Several Elshar artisans—red robes—carried sleeping people to healers with confused looks, and Ishah healers carried them in, too. Some just looked sleepy until a healer picked 'em up and they went to sleep, too.

I laughed. "This is like something out of Sleeping Beauty!" Then I had to explain the fairy tale about the princess cursed to die if she pricked her finger on a spinning wheel's spindle, but the fairy's blessing just made the whole kingdom sleep until true love's kiss woke her.

One diplomat got a mischievous look and kissed his sleeping wife's forehead. "Ah, she is immune to the True Love's Kiss! Or perhaps, my love is nae true enough—"

She laughed and pulled him down, then fell asleep again.

"O! He works! I am true love!" He laughed and held her. Then he, too, fell asleep.

I was pretty tired by this time, so I pulled Farley close and put my head down.

I am unwell!

I almost missed that bare whisper from Farley's mind! "Love, it's safe here."

A diplomat put his hand on Farley's forehead. "Dear friend, I am Fespa, Diplomat Of Par Vu, Parveia, and I am rested, and well. Sleep long. I am here to watch, in Galarsmen's Chambers Of Rainbow."

"Rainbow?" He struggled to open his eyes, and his healer hummed. His body went limp, but I felt that humming in his mind, too, and he didn't want to listen. So I sang. When he heard me, the panic faded, and he relaxed.

Another girl came over and sang. This one could sing opera! She looked a little like Sarah Brightman, with black curls and light blue eyes.

I learned quite a few Zheien songs in Rainbow, but when I ran out of them, I sang a little Ode To Joy, and he relaxed more. But there was one that I liked that Molly sang a lot, when she wasn't singing stupid commercial jingles.

Sunshine and butterflies

Free wings under blue skies

Listen to my heart rise

It sings for you.

This girl named Angel knew all the verses, and I learned 'em. When I got too tired to sing, I laid down and went to sleep.

I startled when Farley's healer sat him up. "Oh, don't worry. I'm just going to feed him and let him wake briefly. Zheien get scared when they sleep too long." This fella was Elshar.

Farley looked at him and got teary. "Siasch? Why are you here?"

He laughed. "Oh, one of his clones liked learning healing, and I'm his bahie! If you'd rather have a Zheien, I have plenty of friends."

"I wish nae to offend, but I nae see Kono or Konomai."

"They are on this bed. Milly, is Konomai ready to eat?"

A clone of Molly sat sleepy Konomai up. He reached for Farley and she helped him hug. "Wake me! I have to watch Farley!"

"Dear friend, if you need rest, I have healing if I need it." My husband stroked his head.

Konomai barely touched his arm. "O, nae sweat on you, dear friend?" His head nodded.

"I feel mostly well, though sleep pulls."

"Want me to sing a blessing? You need a lot more sleep—" Milly hugged him.

"Must I?" Konomai wept.

Farley stroked his head. "O, sleep can be a trial, but did you ever rest so well as we did? Ella's singing is very well. Sing, dear wife, sing us a blessing!"

Zheien sing blessings. That seemed really weird, but I gave it a shot. Used the tune from "A Child's Prayer". I'm not good at poetry, so I didn't try to rhyme but just sang the words that I would've just spoken. I asked Heavenly Father for healing for all of Esta Faho, and comfort for everyone who was scared. But I used Zheien words so people who didn't know 'Areonian' would understand. Zheien is naturally poetic.

I saw smiles on a lot of 'em when I lifted my head. We had festival pastries. Siasch knew how they tasted, for Elshars, which worked for me, and for Zheien, which surprised Farley! We all shared my husband's faves until he wheezed and Siasch made him stop.

"O, let him eat. Some heating heals a body." Konomai's remark made Siasch frown.

"If his body heats, it's a sign that his absorptive chambers are damaged, and it'll damage them more! This isn't a mission, my sons. Stop when there is discomfort and ask for healing! I'm bringing Pirad." His black marble eyes stared at the portal to outside.

Konomai got upset. "I am his healer, and know what is well for him!" He kept nodding. Milly held onto him, but each time she eased his head to her shoulder, he tried to sit up again. I stifled a grin.

Pirad just appeared on the bed, without a portal, kneeling in front of us. "Farley, if you have discomforts, ask for me. I often need easier work!"

"I need nae healing, Pirad, is only a little discomfort—"

"You are a diplomat, and must unlearn harmful habits! Slight problems can become serious when ignored. You should not have pain after I recloned you. I must know all to heal you." His jointed face had that frozen expression of dismay.

Farley's face turned very orange! "I showed you all my healer's records—"

"I asked you to show me all of your unwells. Did you? I think not." He planted his hand on Farley's chest, and Farley grimaced!

"Must you touch me so?" My poor husband's face oranged!

"I cannot send this healing. Eat and let me listen to you. Do not hide."

Farley got teary. "Is difficult, nae to do, because I had to finish much work." His voice broke. I gave him a sweet pastry, and he took a bite.

"You hide many discomforts. Why do your legs hurt?" Pirad clicked his jointed face into frozen dismay.

He looked at his feet. "I nae walked today, but my toes burn as if I ran!"

"I will bring Math~an from Escet Vu. He knows more of Zheien foot problems than I do. He has time. Eat more."

We handed Farley pastry after pastry, and a lady Ishah brought a huge platter three times. Farley wasn't thin any more after this. I giggled.

"Dear wife, I ate more food than is well, for many children hunger!" He wept.

Pirad vanished.

A bunch of kids came over. "Nae weep, Cousin! We ate well today. I ate until I—" She glanced at her chest, then snapped her eyes up. "Healers helped me and I ate as much as you! Now I feel much more well, and look at me, how large I am!" She pushed long, blond curls off her shoulder. She's thin, but tall. He remembered her a lot shorter. Maybe she's a bit older than Allison.

He laughed and put her on his lap. "Eae, Tamora, you look well again! And Bisa, Lunumar, and Sie, you all look well! Feel you well?"

Tamora hugged him and wept. "Fa sleeps so! Mea is yet thin after much healing! O, Farley, are you well? You slept far longer than we, and healers tell us go and play. I fear to play! Are slavers far?"

Farley got that faraway stare and his eyes turned so light they nearly went colorless! "All who watch reassure me, nae slavers even came close to Elshar Zheiea! Eae, all of Alb—" He paled, and Siasch grabbed him!

Put a hand on the left side of his face. "My son, you overuse your telepathy—"

"But we are safe! All of us, safe! Progs ran 20 times in the past hour, and slavers went to Ih Esta from Par Vuan worlds!" His eyes went light again, and so did Tamora's, happy, light blue.

Happiness tingled on me from Zheien all around us, even sleeping ones!

Siasch chuckled, but kept his hand there. "Oh, it's happy to know that, isn't it? But you need more rest, to be well. Lie here and Math~an has time to come. He's landing."

I barely heard the whoosh, and Zheien cried! "Fear nae, I am a healer! What frightens?"

"I thought surely slavers came!" A kid's voice. Humming.

"I will take him. Nae fear, any of you! Slavers can nae come in portals or ships."

That healer, built like a football player, came in weeping.

"Brother, nae this guilt! People will accustom—"

"I took a ship, if I knew I frighten children!"

"They are happy now. We told them you are a master healer, and they are happy. Come see Farley's feet. Pirad said they should nae pain him. He is recloned."

The man sprang from the far wall and landed, sitting! Zheien are amazing! I laughed.

Math~an pulled at a golden curl as he shoved the blanket back. His were a lot more rounded and golden than my husband's. Farley shivered, and he folded it over him. "I am sorry, my son. Let me see these feet. I am Math~an, a healer."

"You are the master healer for all Escet Vuans! Is an honor to meet you!" Farley dipped his upper body. Siasch helped him sit up again.

Math~an laughed. "Ah, what are titles but impairments to comfort? Think of me as an ordinary—" His hands touched Farley's ankles, and he lost the merry smile. "Nae hide, my son."

"Nae hide? There are children—" But they had all gone outside. Everyone near us was sleeping, even Konomai.

"Show me, my son. A healer can nae heal until he can see—"

"M-my wife thinks—"

"Show him, Farley! I can handle it. You know what my feet looked like!" I wondered what was wrong with his! Maybe that's why my injury freaked him out so much!

He watched me with eyes black as his feet gave a little twist. Oh, my! "Go ahead, Love. I'm okay."

Farley cried as he stopped hiding. His feet were twisted and brown with bruises! Twisting went all the way up to where his knees would be, if Zheien had them! I hugged him.

"Can you love me—" He sobbed and a lot of people woke up!

"Of course, I can love you, and I love your feet, too! You loved me after I got hurt, and my legs were horrible!"

He relaxed and let Math~an pull them straight.

Siasch held his head and hummed. "My son, you need nesfa. Math~an, can you work?"

"Give him. I can work. Show me all of his missions. I fear none of his healers noticed this!"

There was one note from Healer Pedsa at Sigan Mas. 'He has pains I cannot find. This student came to me injured, and even in unawareness he nae lets me put ea fae on his feet. His friends worry that they nae ever saw him put ea fae on his legs, even when I know all Zheien must. This tells me his healer should watch his walk. I wrote a prog to apply it when he is in his dorm or his ship. His friends tell me they will run it if he disables it.'

Normally, a healer won't touch someone who had nesfa! Siasch kept humming as Farley slept. Math~an waved up a bowl of very strong minty stuff that is dark blue foam. Massaged his legs with lots of it. Sang.

His legs untwisted and all the bruises went away! They turned orange. Farley went a lot limper! I smiled, but I was careful not to move while I held his right side.

Siasch giggled. "I'm so glad you could heal him!"

He stopped when Math~an didn't smile. "Siasch, this healing makes him look well, but he is nae. One can nae neglect feet when required to walk in unwell sands and hard surfaces, oft! I looked at the content of Esta Faho's sand. These people are a miracle that any of them live or walk!" I tried not to show it, but I felt dismayed! No use upsetting people.

"I can nae compensate for 25 years of this torture. I must see all of his family. Pirad grows many clones of me for here, and they will come in two hours. If they are so, all Zheien of Rahn Estar are so, for different reasons. We learn together how to heal them all.

"Let me see him thoroughly. I fear other problems that affect feet."