Sisters Read online

  Sisters

  a Hyllis family story #6

  Laurence E Dahners

  Copyright 2019

  Laurence E Dahners

  Kindle Edition

  This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only.

  Author’s Note

  Though this book can “stand alone” it will be much easier to understand if read as part of the series including

  “Telekinetic (a Hyllis family story #1),”

  “Teleporter (a Hyllis family story #2),”

  “Healers (a Hyllis family story #3),”

  “Telepath (a Hyllis family story #4),” and

  “Psychicians (a Hyllis family story #5)”

  I have minimized repetition of explanations that would be redundant to the earlier books in order to provide a better reading experience for those of you who are reading the series.

  Other Books and Series

  by Laurence E Dahners

  Series

  The Ell Donsaii series

  The Vaz series

  The Bonesetter series

  The Blindspot series

  The Proton Field series

  Single books (not in series)

  The Transmuter’s Daughter

  Six Bits

  Shy Kids Can Make Friends Too

  For the most up to date information go to

  Laurence E Dahners website

  Or the Amazon Author page

  Table of Contents

  Table of Contents

  Preprologue

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Epilogue

  Author’s Afterword

  Acknowledgments

  Preprologue

  Mouse 101 didn’t turn out to be a very good mouse anyway, getting sick and losing weight. Russ was frustrated; thinking he’d have to find another mouse to test the safety of the viral telekinesis vector. He took the mouse down to sacrifice it. He’d intended to kill it early anyway since it needed to be excluded from Ameil’s work. As he picked it up to put it in the CO2 chamber, he took one last look at it. For a moment he wondered if it could be sick because of the DNA insertion rather than just coincidentally. Could he have made an error in one of the steps intended to be sure there was no viral DNA in the viral shells? Maybe the DNA I inserted combined with the viral DNA in some kind of…

  The sick mouse sneezed…

  ***

  The worldwide “super flu” pandemic has been traced back to a ‘case zero.’ Case zero was a Russell Phillips who worked as a research tech at the University of Pittsburgh. Although the laboratory where Phillips worked did use viral vectors for DNA insertion, Phillips apparently did not work in that part of the lab. It seems unlikely that anyone will ever determine whether Phillips might have associated with someone who actually did use viral vectors because the exceedingly high mortality of the super flu has resulted in the death of every last person who worked in that lab. Even the hospital at the University of Pittsburgh where Phillips first sought treatment is now an empty shell.

  It seems a moot point as this efficient viral killer has spread extremely rapidly and, no matter where it blossoms, it seems to kill approximately 95% of its victims. Somehow the virus got loose in the CDC and decimated the scientists there before they even began working on a means to control it. Medical facilities around the world have collapsed as physicians and researchers die or flee for their own lives.

  Experts predict that about half of any survivors of the virus will be killed in the oncoming collapse of civilization. If indeed the world’s population of 7 billion is reduced to 175,000,000, a population density not seen since about 1000 A.D., it seems unlikely that anyone will be interested in exactly who killed us all. They’ll just be trying to survive the end of civilization as we know it. Presumably, someday, if and when civilization reestablishes itself, someone may be interested in these words.

  As I write this I’ve developed a headache and started to cough…

  Prologue

  Harriet heard a key rattle in the lock. She quickly sent her new sense through the door, detecting an adult and a child, presumably her son Jason and her grandson Kyle. She got up and started toward the kitchen. She heard the door open behind her, so she called out, “Hello?”

  “It’s us, grandma!” Kyle called out running across the room to tackle her about the waist and squeeze.

  “Oof,” Harriet said at the impact. Reaching down and ruffling his hair, she said, “You’ve got to be careful Kyle. You could’ve knocked your ol’ grandma down. I might’ve broken something! Don’t forget us old people are fragile.”

  “Sorry grandma,” the child said perfunctorily, heading for the kitchen. “I’m hungry. Can I have a snack?”

  “I’ll see what I can find,” Harriet said, following the child to the pantry.

  Behind her, Jason said, “Kyle, what’d I tell you about running and your grandmother?”

  The boy stopped. In a small voice, he said, “Not to run into her.”

  “Not to even run near her. Why not?”

  “’Cause she’s blind. She can’t see me coming, so if I run into her I could knock her over real easy.”

  “That’s right. Now, can you promise me you’ll try to be more careful in the future?”

  “Yes, Daddy.”

  Harriet came back out of the pantry, handing an apple to Kyle and tossing another to Jason. It wasn’t until the apple was in the air that she realized her mistake.

  “Mom?” Jason said slowly.

  “Yes?” she said, making a show of reaching out to feel for the table as she shuffled towards it.

  “How’d you know where I was?”

  Damn, Harriet thought. “I heard you talking,” she said as she pulled out a chair and settled into it.

  Slowly, her son said, “When I spoke I was walking.” Her senses showed he was shaking his head, “I’m not where I was then.”

  “Um, you know, they say we blind people get really good at hearing where things are. I probably heard your foot scrape or something.”

  After a long silence, Jason said, “Kyle, you can go out and play.”

  The boy, who’d been standing there turning his head back and forth as he listened to their curious conversation, reluctantly said, “Okay.” He took a bite of his apple and, crunching it, started for the door.

  Jason sat down at the little table. He and Harriet didn’t say anything until the door closed behind Kyle. Then Jason said, “How’re you doing these things?”

  “What things?”

  “I think you know what I’m talking about. The way you walk across the middle of the room, heading exactly where you want to go and only putting out your hand to feel for stuff right before you arrive.” Jason paused.

  Harriet thought she was going to have to confess to her weird new sense.

  But then Jason said, “I don’t think you’re as blind as you say.”

  A sense of relief flooded over her, “Well… no. I can see some vague shapes.” The lie came easily. “Enough to kind of know where I’m going.”

  Jason turned his head to look behind him to where he’d been standing before. “That makes sense. I guess you could tell where I was because I was outlined against that bright window, huh?”

  “I really don’t remember. But yeah, I guess you probably did make kind of a splotch of darkness against the window. Don’t discount hearing, it helps too.”

  Jason leaned toward her to speak with eager intensity, “Has anyone told you there’re some new heale
rs in town? Ones they say can cure blindness?”

  That’s just plain ridiculous, Harriet thought despite the surge of hope she felt rising in her breast. She longed to see the faces of her family again. “I don’t think that can possibly be true, do you?”

  “I didn’t, but this morning I saw old man Geller walking down the street without anyone guiding him. He looked like he could see just fine.”

  What! Harriet thought, goosebumps tingling their way down her back.

  ***

  While the five would-be-healers were waiting in the tavern dining room, the man from the end of the bar served each of them a mug of excellent beer and a thick slice of wonderful, freshly-baked, warm bread slathered with butter.

  The best bread Hareh had ever tasted.

  Just as Hareh was starting to worry about why Kazy’d been gone so long, a group of people came down the stairwell and started across the dining room toward them. An older woman was at the front. Hareh felt surprised. I didn’t expect the celebrated Eva Hyllis to look so… ordinary, he realized.

  Three of the four apprentices looked enough alike that Hareh thought they could be from the same family. An older woman, though not as old as Eva, a teenaged boy, and… a teenaged girl.

  Oh, wow. I think I’m in love! The girl was beautiful, though obviously not stuck up about it. Baggy pants and a loose shirt with short uncombed hair suggested she spent little time worrying about her appearance. Get yourself in control, he thought at himself, she’s too young for you! He turned his eyes back to Eva and realized with some surprise that she looked nothing like her cousin Kazy.

  Hareh rose to his feet just before they arrived at the table. He made a little bow to Eva and said, “Ms. Hyllis, we’re so pleased to finally meet you.” Eva’s eyes widened a little, but Hareh plunged on, trying to plead his case before he got interrupted. “We’ve heard of your cures all the way over in Cooperstown where I grew up. I and my friends,” he indicated them with a wave, “all want to be healers like you, so we saved our money to travel to Walterston and ask if you’d take us on as apprentices. Of course, we were dismayed to learn you’d left Walterston, but as we followed you over the roads to Clancy Vail, we heard even more stories of your amazing skills.” Realizing he was babbling so much she couldn’t possibly get a word in edgewise, Hareh paused for her response.

  To his consternation, she said, “My name’s Vyrda Soh.” Then she turned and held her hand out to the second oldest woman in the little group saying, “This is Eva Hyllis. I’m studying under her and I must say,” she smiled, “that nothing you’ve heard about her probably compares to the reality.”

  Hareh turned disbelieving eyes on the real Eva. She was studying him intently. Rather than any of a hundred questions he’d expected, she said, “You’re from Cooperstown?”

  Unusually at a loss for words, Hareh nodded.

  “Do you know Marissa Gaynor?”

  Startled, Hareh nodded, “My mother. Though her married name’s Ruen—”

  His words cut off when the famous Eva Hyllis took two strides forward to throw her arms around him.

  Squeezing him tightly, head buried in his shoulder, Ms. Hyllis said with a sob, “I’m your aunt! Marissa’s my sister!” She pushed Hareh back to arm’s length and studied his face, “How is she? I’m always saying I’ve got to go see her, but…” she got a distant look in her eyes, “I’ve always let the distance be an excuse.” She looked into his eyes again, “It’s horrible to admit, but I haven’t talked to my own sister in twenty years.”

  “She’s…” Hareh almost said “okay,” out of habit, but it wouldn’t have been true. “She’s been sick. The local healers say it’s cancer. They shake their rattles, chant their prayers and ask for their money, but mother gets no better. She’s why I’m…” he swallowed against the lump in his throat, “She’s why I want to be a healer. A real healer. One who actually does something for the sick.” Heart in his throat, he said, “I pushed my friends to come looking for you now instead of later because I’ve been hoping you have a cancer medicine I can take to her?” Entreatingly, he said, “I’d come back to attend your school afterward…” His voice croaked, “Whether she gets better or not.”

  Eva Hyllis’s face had crumpled and her eyes welled with tears. “I’ll come with you,” she choked out with a sob. She turned to the handsome young man who looked like her, “Tarc, will you come with me?”

  He nodded.

  Eva’s eyes sought another. “Daussie, will you come too?”

  The new love of Hareh’s life nodded as well. Then he realized she resembled Eva as well. With dismay Hareh thought, She could be my cousin! He took a moment to consider the likely family tree. Probably a first cousin. He felt his shoulders slumping.

  Eva turned back to Hareh. She confirmed his worst fears by waving at the teenaged boy and girl he thought might be his cousins and saying, “Hareh, meet my son and daughter, Tarc and Daussie. Your first cousins.”

  Hareh greeted them enthusiastically despite his disappointment at learning Daussie was so closely related.

  As soon as Hareh stepped back from the teenagers, Eva spoke decisively, “Tarc, go to the master of the caravan that’s on the grounds. Find out how to get to Cooperstown.”

  Tarc asked the strangest thing, “By caravan? Or on our own?”

  Hareh wondered what in the world he could mean by “on our own.”

  Eva replied, “We don’t have time to wait.” She turned to Daussie and said, “Figure out how we can get some horses.” She turned back to Hareh, “Do you have a horse?”

  Surprised, Hareh shook his head.

  Eva turned back to her daughter, “Enough for the four of us,” she made a little circling motion with a finger indicating herself, her son, her daughter and Hareh. “So, Bayby, Brownie and three more so we’ll have a spare. We’ll rotate the two mules pulling the little wagon with our supplies.” She turned to Vyrda Soh and Kazy, “I need to talk to Daum. Will you come with me so we can decide some things together?”

  They nodded.

  Eva turned to Hareh and the others at his table, “I’ll come back and talk to you as soon as I’ve got things underway. Do you need anything? Food?”

  Hareh shook his head while looking at the others. Looking stunned, they all shook their heads as well.

  Eva said, “If you do need something, just ask Farlin over there.” She indicated the young man who’d brought them their beer and bread.

  Hareh was stunned by the pace at which Eva was getting things moving. He couldn’t imagine a need for this apparent rush since the caravan they’d come with wasn’t headed to Cooperstown. Feeling the need to make this clear, he said, “Aunt Eva, the caravan’s next stop is Murchison to the north. Cooperstown’s to the west.”

  She nodded and sent Tarc and Daussie on their way. She gathered Vyrda and Kazy and started across the room toward the bar. A moment later she was slipping through the door at the end of the bar and into a neighboring room.

  Hareh looked around. Once again, they were alone but for the young man on the other side of the room. The one who’d brought them the bread and beer earlier. He turned to the others feeling mystified.

  Argun asked angrily, “What the hell just happened?”

  Jadyn, Argun’s semi girlfriend, placatingly said, “I think we just threw a wrench in the works here. They’re trying to adapt.”

  Argun frowned, “What’s to adapt? Start teaching us. Give Hareh some medicine for his mom so he can take it next time a caravan goes west.”

  Jadyn shook her head, unhappy with what he’d said like she so often was. “Argun, for God’s sake. She wants to see her sister before…” Jadyn broke off, her eyes going apologetically to Hareh.

  Hareh nodded, “Before she dies, I get it. But, remember, Eva’s supposed to be able to cure a lot of stuff no one else can.”

  Argun rolled his eyes, as unsympathetic as always. “You’re grasping at straws Hareh. Nobody cures cancer. What we’ve been able to learn about
it says even the ancients had lots of trouble with that disease.”

  Standing up, Jadyn punched Argun’s shoulder. “You’re such an asshole sometimes.” She walked away.

  Argun got up to stalk after her, saying, “I’m just trying to get him to face reality. We’ve come all this way to find this amazing teacher and now Hareh’s got her taking off on a fool’s errand. Before we left, I said…”

  Argun and Jadyn had gotten far enough across the room that Hareh didn’t have to hear the rest. He felt a touch on his arm and looked up to see Seri’s hand. “Sorry,” she said. She shook her head, “Though,” she shrugged, “he’s always been this way.”

  Rrica said, “I don’t know why he thinks he wants to be a healer. He’s totally lacking in kindness or empathy.”

  They’d been over this before, but Hareh said it again, “He wants to be a healer because Jadyn wants to be a healer… And he loves her. This moment notwithstanding, he’s a lot less of a jerk when she’s around.”

  Rrica’s eyes were still on Argun and Jadyn. “I don’t know what she sees in him.” Her eyes turned back to Hareh, “Or, why you saw fit to let him come along.”

  Hareh shrugged, “I thought we needed another man if we were going to be out on the road. Besides, Jadyn’s going to be an awesome healer.” He looked over at the couple and sighed, “And now that he’s gotten us here, I hope she’ll start recognizing his issues.”

  Rrica snorted, “The one time we women needed a man to stand up for us,” she made finger quotes, “‘out on the road,’ Argun was useless as nipples on a stallion.”

  Hareh thought Seri was trying to divert the conversation to a new topic when she said, “And all the way here I’ve been thinking that maybe I might be related to Eva Hyllis.” Hareh had thought of that possibility himself, considering that Seri’s last name was Hyllis. Seri went on, “I don’t know why I didn’t think about the fact that ‘Hyllis’ would be her married name.” She snorted softly looking at Hareh, “And, I would never have dreamed that you’d turn out to be the one who was related to her.”