1st Post "Eye of the Prophet" 5/8

[ROBERT PORTER-COOTE]

A DS9 STORY - "Eye of the Prophet"
by Me
Copyright April 4th 1997

This story is rated W for weird, S for slash and AR for age
restricted material.

*---++++============<>{#*#}<>============++++---*

<*>...Chapter Five...<*>

---==={*}===---

"Julian.."
"Odo..Oh thank-god..I thought..you'd been killed."
"I damn near was..They set up a force barrier around the
area..I almost flew right into it..Lucky for me, another bird
tried to pass through it, and I saw it happen. It wasn't a
pretty sight."
"Wait a minute..You can *hear* me?"
"Loud and clear."
"How.."
"What do you mean how?
"I can't talk.."
"You're talking to me right now."
Julian's hand went to his throat. It had been so long
since he'd tried to talk. Ali had been right, time had given
him his voice back.
"The first thing they did after they brought me was to
have my voice..disabled, well, actually Ali Venda ordered my
Ali to sever my vocal chords but Ali refused..and did
something that took it away, temporarily to give the
impression he had carried out the order. It used to hurt so
much to try and talk..that"
"You stopped trying."
"Yes.
"Funny, It was hearing your voice that lead me to trying
to breach this compounds security."
Julian flushed a little, the only time he raised his
voice was when he and Ali were making love."
"I'll have to remember not to talk without thinking. Ali
Venda doesn't know I can talk.. He has this idea I'm a witch
and you're a daemon I've called up. That's why he wanted my
voice taken away, so I couldn't call you up and sic you on
him."
"Won't he be in for a surprise."
"How did you get out of their trap?"
"The cave..I finally thoroughly explored it and found a
way past the barrier. I had to follow the course of the
tunnels till I found one that led to the open outside the
force barrier. Then I had to find my way back to the cave site
and search for clues and by that stage, natural forces had
erased the trail your captors left behind. I had to keep
circling around and around till I found something snagged on a
bush to tell me which direction they took. I've been looking
for the clansmen who carried you off ever since."
"I take it one finally crossed your path."
"Actually, I was flying over this compound a month ago
when I thought I heard your voice.."
"It took you a month??!"
"It took 3 day's to confirm you were here, I saw you
waddle into the garden..I've been trying to get in ever
since."
"What took you so long?"
"There's a force barrier that extends up over the
compound, and it's built on solid bedrock. I couldn't
penetrate it, so I was forced to observe and finally, someone
took a walk with one of those creatures they seem to have made
into pets..I lured it away and took it's place to get inside."
"They..He told me..they killed you."
"He lied. What have they done to you?"
"Have you seen the really tall etherial looking person
who some times walks around here."
"The woman..Yes..She's hard to miss..The only person of
comparable height here is you."
"That's my Ali.. He's half terran, half Les'Inderian.
They snatched him off Earth over a decade ago and brought him
here, and didn't find out she was a he till they got him
here..He's been imprisoned here ever since."
"He???"
Julian blushed, his first instinct was to tell Odo what
he'd learned about Ali that Ali hadn't known, never been told,
the fact that he was a Hermaphrodite, a shemale.
"That's why I was brought here.. When Venda saw Ali he
fell in instant lust and took Ali as his mate, then he
discovered Ali is a male and it was too late to back out of
it..For various reasons he can't kill Ali..And he's been
throwing women at Ali ever since, trying to get Ali to father
a son and heir."
"I don't see what.."
"They've never seen a Terran female, and when you look at
Ali, can you blame them for thinking I'm the female of the
species, Venda know Ali's male..So he assumed it meant that
Terran females looked like me."
"Obviously they didn't examine you to insure they didn't
make the same mistake twice."
"I thank God every day that they didn't. I think it was
probably because of their belief that I was a witch, and they
weren't really willing to push their luck till they took my
voice away."
"Ah, and he's never been tempted to double check."
"I'm Ali's women, Ali castrated the little pipsqueak for
getting a little too close up and personal with me once, and
makes sure he never gets to see me naked..Not that it matters
much any more."
"I'm almost afraid to ask.."
"I don't just look pregnant, I am pregnant, Odo."
"How.."
"Ali successfully turned me into a fully functional
hermaphrodite and got me pregnant."
"With or without your consent."
"I really didn't have a choice about it, Odo."
"So he raped you.."
"Nooo.. Ali would never hurt me..I meant, I didn't have a
choice about the pregnancy. That's why I was captured, my only
value lies in my ability to bear children, Ali made it
possible, and it..wasn't easy.. This is the second time I've
fallen pregnant."
"You've already.."
"I lost the first and it damn near killed me. That gave
Ali what he needed to make Venda back off a while. Neither one
of us wanted to try again, but.."
"Unless you're pregnant you're as good as dead."
"Uh-hu."
"You realise, they'll kill you when they're born."
"Only if ones a boy."
"You mean.."
"As long as I'm pregnant I'm safe. Ali has never been
able to take things all the way with any woman.. The Chief's
ecstatic that I'm pregnant again, even if they are female, I'm
still valuable to him, because Ali is hot for me and will keep
trying till he father's a son. And Venda wrapped me up in
veils and took me to a meeting of the chiefs, and let them
think I was Ali and used my pregnancy as proof he could
provide an heir, either via Ali, or her first born daughter."
"So, you're safe enough, even if you produce girl
children."
"I *have* to give birth, at least once...It doesn't
matter if I miscarry constantly after that, the little
pipsqueak couldn't care less, just so long as he know's Ali's
trying to produce a son, he's happy, besides, he's a voyeur,
he keeps drilling holes in the wall and watching us.."
"Lovely."
"And he keeps pumping some drug into the room, that turns
us into lust crazed fools who just can't get enough sex.. So
he can get his kicks watching us."
"That's how you.."
Julian nodded.
"I didn't..couldn't help myself. Ali knows about the
damned drugs, they've been used on him before, he thinks..it's
what caused my first miscarriage and threatened to totally
emasculate Venda if he didn't stop it..Warned him I'd loose
the babies.."
"Babies, as in.."
"The first time was via artificial means.. But..Venda got
impatient and used the drugs again..Ali called it the most
vile fertility drug around."
"How many?"
"Too many..Ali's waiting till my health improves a little
more..then he's going to preform a selective abortion..I can't
carry them to term, I'll miscarry again if he doesn't..and.."
"It almost killed you last time, he doesn't want to take
chances."
Julian nodded.
"That means I have to wait."
"Exactly."
"You can give birth, naturally, can't you? You did say he
made you a fully functional herm."
"That's right..Fingers crossed, I won't need a c-section,
though it's a possibility. In the mean time, I'm relatively
safe, well treated, and in no danger."
"That could change .."
"Odo..I can't leave while I'm carrying these babies, we
don't know who they'll take after..The Les'Inderian woman's
who's eggs I carry, or Him..If it's her, they'll be tiny
babies..You should see their babies you could hold them in
your hands..They're so tiny..that..I should be able to give
birth to them..naturally, but if they take after him..There's
no way I'll be able to do it, it would kill me to try..It has
to be a C section."
"Can't Ali select the ones who.."
"The first ones were genetically engineered, these were
naturally conceived, I'm not the first bearer of his children,
that one died because the child took after Ali, that's why he
genetically engineered my first baby. Chances are they'll all
take after Ali."
"So..I have to put my plans back until you've had the
babes."
"Odo..Forget about me..You can leave here, Ali say's
there are regular visitors from other worlds."
"There are..I've seen them."
"You can contact them, make arrangements to leave.."
"Not without you."
"I can't leave.."
"I'm not about to leave your baby behind..We'll take it
with us."
"It's not..Venda's a real bastard, when it comes to
keeping his hostages, he gets dirty.. They've been lacing my
food or my drinks..With a drug, I don't know what it is, but,
my body has adapted to it, if I don't get it every few hours,
I go into agonizing withdrawal. I tried to fight it..But..I
ended up having a fit.. I was in convulsions when they caught
up with me and hit with enough of it to ease them. That's when
I miscarried..And I knew..I knew I was loosing her..I just
wanted to die..with her..I fought them..but..I wasn't strong
enough..They brought me back, put me in chains, till I let Ali
get close to me again, to try..Once I was pregnant again, they
put me back in my gilded cage and gave me unlimited freedom."
"And you don't abuse it because you know if you
do..you'll loose the babies."
"He said...if I tried again, he would have Ali
lobotomized..Turned into a brainless Zombie..He did it
once..With drugs," Julian said shuddering.
"I'll try to find out what they're lacing your food
with..and get my hands on some. If I can do that.."
"Tell me..Ali is in the same position. Given the chance,
I'm sure I can talk him into coming with us."
"Julian..don't give it away until you *know* Ali will
join us and not betray us."
"Ali would never betray me."
"You betrayed him once, running with his first child and
lost it and almost died yourself. He might pretend to go along
with you to find out your plans, to use them to stop you
succeeding out of fear for you and the babies."
"He couldn't care less about them Odo...He know's they're
girls, I try to get him interested in them, but he's keeping
clinically detached, because..
"He know's they'll be killed at birth. But I gather he's
not so clinically detached about you."
"He thinks I'm the best thing that ever happened to him."
"And he won't want to loose you...You almost died last
time..What makes you think he'll take the chance?"
Julian sighed.
"Unless you're absolutely certain - as sure as you were
about the baby you lost, don't bring me up."
"If you can get what they've used to keep us from
escaping, I can give some to him and tell him to let nothing
pass his lips long enough to prove its the right drug and he
maybe able to use it to find a *non* addictive
substitute..Then he'd come with us..And I wouldn't have to
worry about the babies.."
"I'll do my best."

<*>

Julian lay in the deep tub that was his bath letting the
aches and pains of his body be soothed by the hot fragrant
water, as Ali massaged his body with a gentle abrasive cloth.
"I wish I could stay in here all night." Julian murmured.
"Is your back aching again."
"Yes..You better check my ankles..I can't see them, but
my feet and legs are aching too..I'm sure their swelling up."
Ali reached under the water to run his hands along
Julian's legs, then began a massage.
"You have a double load to bear, high gravity and the
babies. You should stay in bed, it's not good for your health
to keep walking around."
"If you could be sure you could get away, would you try
to escape?"
Ali stopped massaging his feet and his hands went
unerringly to his groin to start working there. Julian's train
of thought derailed as Ali skilfully toyed with him.
"Allah.." Julian breathed as Ali brought him to the brink
of orgasm and then kept him suspended there for what seemed an
eternity before giving him release.

<*>

As he lay on the big bed enjoying Ali's ministrations to
his aching back he tried again.
"Ali..What do you think will happen to the babies."
Ali ignored the question.
"Ali, I know you can *hear* me..I'm talking to
you..Answer my question.
"The first..will live, he needs to keep it, be it a boy
or a girl..After that..any girl child you have..will be killed
at birth."
"I don't think I could bear that.."
"If they are healthy, they may be spared..In the hope
that they will prove to inherit my looks..Which will make them
valuable as future negotiation bribes."
"If we could get out of here, we could raise them.. Give
them a decent life.."
Ali kissed his shoulder and began nuzzling his shoulder.
"I wasn't alone when I crashed here."
"They killed your companion."
"So they say..But, you don't know Odo.. He's hard to
kill. I'm sure he's out there somewhere just waiting for an
opportunity to break me out of here."
"Julian..I thought you had accepted the fact you can't
escape after your failed attempt to do it."
"If you had a sample of the drug they use on us, to keep
us docile, do you think you could find a non-addictive
substitute."
"Do you have a sample?"
"No..But .. I'm working on it."
"If you could produce the actual drug.."
"It's easy enough to identify if its the right drug, by
letting nothing pass through my lips and using it every four
hours if I don't go into withdrawal..We'll know."
"You'll do no such thing, last time you were in the best
health I could get you in when you made your attempt, now,
you're system is stressed to the limit, if you went into
withdrawal again, you wouldn't survive it."
"Would you be willing to take the risk to test it, if it
meant we could escape?"
He looked over his shoulder at Ali.
"Together."
"Julian..You can hardly move around..How can you be
contemplating trying to escape?"
"He's out there somewhere..I'll find a way to contact
him..If we can find a way to beat the addiction."
"Julian, unless you can produce the drug, I don't want to
hear any more of this talk."
"If I could..Would you..take the risks.."
Ali slipped onto the bed, sliding a hand over Julian's
body and silenced him with a kiss and a massage of a far more
intimate variety.
"Stop trying to distract me."
"I can think of better things to do with my time than
wasting it discussing an impossible scenario."
Julian captured Ali's hand and moved it to his chest.
"Do you feel that?"
"It's your heart."
"It's yours. My life..is yours..It is meaningless without
you to give it meaning. But death is preferable to life in a
gilded cage, serving as nothing more than living breathing
incubator to produce a baby to be used as a pawn in a power
game, even if I share that gilded cage with you."
"Is that how you feel?"
"That's how I feel, that's how I felt about the baby *we*
conceived through an act of love instead of a bloody test
tube."
Ali's hands started drifting.
"You're not listening."
"I am.."
"No..*Listen with your heart Ali..If you loved me half as
much as I love you, you'd stop patronising me."
"I told you..Until you produce this drug for me to work
with, I don't want to hear anything more about trying to
escape."
Then Ali began making love to Julian.
"And..as for how much I love you..I love you more than
life itself.."
"If you did you'd not only help me escape but come with
me.."
"If you loved me half as much as you say you do Julian,
you wouldn't try."
"I can't..not try for the sake of the babies..our
children.."
"Pillow.."
Julian passed a pillow down. Ali slipped it under his
back. Julian handed him another which joined it.
"I know what you're thinking."
"What I am thinking."
"You're thinking you can distract me by making love to me
until I fall asleep, cause you know, I'll wake up in a real
good mood and think I won't want to even contemplate leaving."
"You do know what I'm thinking."
"Go ahead.."
What he didn't say was, that it might be the last time
you have the chance. His hands flew to his belly as he felt a
wave of emotion sweep over him. Ali stopped his ministrations.
"What is it."
Julian fought to keep from crying.
"One just kicked."
Ali's hand flew to Julian's belly and Julian turned on
the water works.
"How can you ask me to carry this life and not even try
to ensure it has a chance to survive."

<*>

Odo watched Julian waddle into the secluded gardens,
hands folded on his distended belly a smile on his face.
"You look happy," he commented as he helped Julian to sit
on the garden bench seat.
"Ali will actively participate in an escape attempt."
"You're sure?"
"Positive, have you found out what the drug is yet? He
doesn't want to know my plans until I can produce it. I'm not
allowed to bring it up, till I can prove it's got a chance of
success.."
"But you're sure he'll go along with it."
"Absolutely..I got dirty about it."
"How?"
"I used the babies..then...I let him make love to me, and
then I went into the bathroom and slashed my wrists."
Odo looked horrified.
"Not very deep, just enough to look messy, it
worked..When I said, I'd rather die, than bring the babies
into the world here, he broke down and agreed to try help me
escape, but only if I could find out what the Chief's having
our food laced with."
"I'm still working on it, the kitchens here are among the
securest area's of the compound. Next to the security centre
and Chief's wing."

:------====<>{#*#}<>====------:
Subject: "Eye of the Prophet" (DS9:MC- Bashir & Odo) 5/?

A DS9 STORY - "Eye of the Prophet"
by Me
Copyright April 4th 1997

This story is rated W for weird, S for slash and AR for age
restricted material.

*---++++============<>{#*#}<>============++++---*

<*>...Chapter Five...<*>

---==={*}===---

"You get more and more insufferably cheerful each day."
"I can't help it, for the first time in months, I have
good reason to be happy," Julian said with a smile that became
radiant as he reached for Odo's hand.
"Here.."
He set Odo's hand on his belly.
"Something kicked."
"They've started moving..When one stops, another starts.
They hardly stop."
"I can...tell what it feels."
"How does it feel?"
"Content..no..wait..that was a hey you, stop crowding me
this my corner of the womb, go find your own."
Julian laughed.
Odo moved his hand and his face broke into a smile as
Julian winced.
"What?"
"That ones curious.."
He dropped his hand.
"I can see why loosing the first one tore you apart.
Those babes are..telepathic."
"I suspected that, now and then..I get a wave of pure raw
emotion that's completely disconnected to what I'm up to."
"And the first?"
"It was the same, only stronger as it progressed, these
ones are pretty weak compared to Amanda."
"Amanda?"
"That was what I called her, it means, beloved."
"I'll try harder to get hold of that drug for you."

<*>

Julian slept with Ali snuggled down at his back, spoon
fashion, and Odo looked down at them and debated wether or not
to wait for Ali to leave..or wake them both now and tell them
his news. Julian made the decision for him, stirring with a
grumble to start sliding toward the edge of the bed. Odo moved
in to help him sit up, Julian looked up wide eyed.
"Odo, what are you," he hissed.
"I know what it is.."
"You got into the kitchen?"
"No..It's not in your food..I heard him bragging to a
crony about how he keeps his hostages docile. It's in your
bed, your bath water, and even the air that you breath. It's
what he uses to turn you into sex crazed maniacs, he just has
far more of it pumped in."
"What?!"
Odo held up a Lazer scalpel and then ripped back the
sheets to expose the mattress and sliced through it to pull
back the top layer and expose a layer of leaves inside, Julian
inhaled sharply.
"Odo..that's.."
"That's how they found us..They were coming for the
foliage of those trees and saw us there."
Ali stirred, Julian looked around then scrambled over the
bed, laying a hand over Ali's mouth as he woke.
"Shhh..Listen, my companion Odo is here, don't make a
fuss, he's got *great* news."
Ali nodded Julian pulled his hand away and looked around
as Ali sat up.
"So he was right, you did get away from them."
"They tried to contain me, I'm not easily contained."
"Look at this." Julian told her, and drew her attention
to the hole in the bed.
Ali crawled over and looked.
"Leaves???"
"It's an aromatic narcotic..They found me, when they went
to renew their supplies from the natural source."
"You mean.."
"We know where to find it, and we don't need to stay any
longer. We can escape..Can't we Odo?"
"Give me half an hour, there's an emergency escape tunnel
*under* the compound..It leads beyond the force field, into
the wilderness. It's a *long* walk to freedom on the other
side."
"How long?" Ali asked
"By my calculations, the tunnel is a minimum ten
kilometres long. Possibly longer.
"We'd have to carry him..unless..The gurney..We could use
that to push him down it."
"You're kits already there, I could get you both past the
guards, but I can't get that. He has to walk, unless.."
"Unless what?"
"Ever seen a horse?"
"Yes."
"Would it be safe for him to ride one?"
"You can get a horse, here? How?"
"Ali..trust me, he can get the horse and it will be..a
gentle one. Now go and pack everything you think we'll need
till we can arrange for a Starship to collect us."
"Can you?"
"I have accessed several subspace communications centres
and dispatched messages. I can return to those centres on a
regular basis to scan for a response."
Ali scrambled off the bed and darted across the room to
open the wardrobes.
"Odo..Could you help me get to the bathroom..I don't want
to hear you saying, couldn't you have gone before we left."
Odo helped him up and Julian groaned deeply as he came to
his feet only to have his legs buckle under him. Odo caught
him and eased him back onto the bed. Ali was back sliding
across the bed to his side before Odo had finished turning to
call her.
"Julian?!"
"I can't stand..My legs won't hold me.."
"Have you got a cramp?"
"No.."
"The bathroom, the tub..Drain it and toss the towels
in..Mop it up. Then get my kit here, if you can..I think I
need it."
"The babies.."
"They're not moving..They're always moving..I can always
fell them..Now I can't.." Julian wailed.
Odo spun and raced back to the bathroom.

<*>

Odo tried to control the changeling version of nausea
that swept through him as he assisted Ali to preform an
emergency C-section on Julian.
"Stop looking away, you have to watch."
"Why?"
"You'll find out soon enough."
His skin crawled as Ali plunged his hands inside and
after a pause pulled out a blood covered baby that was barely
bigger than his hands.
"Suction it's face."
Odo looked at the equipment she'd laid out, then found
the suction pump and cleaned it's face.
"Towel."
Odo put the pump down and grabbed a towel as Ali turned
the baby upside down and slapped it. It didn't respond. Ali
laid it on the towel then tried to breath life into it. It
didn't respond to the attempt and he picked up her scalpel and
cut the cord, then covered it and without a word turned back
to Julian's prone form to reach for the next. Odo set the
towel wrapped babe aside and picked up the suction pump and
waited.
3 times Ali produced a tiny baby and tried to breath life
into it. 3 times she failed and returned work on Julian. The
fourth time he plunged her hands inside Julian Ali didn't
bring forth another baby, instead she held out a hand and
requested an instrument, pointing it out. Odo fetched it and
handed it to her and watched as she set about using it.
"There's a rupture..I'll need to make another incision
when I close up to seal it..I'll need the other suction pump
when I make it."
Odo nodded.

<*>

Odo sat on the bed and stood as Ali reentered the room.
"Were you able to.."
"It wouldn't have mattered if he'd had one baby or
six..None of them was viable..He would have aborted even if
one of them had'nt kicked so hard it ruptured the womb."
"He can't..carry a child to term, can he?"
"Not in his present state..Perhaps with the time I need
to give him the level of care he needs to improve his health..
This place you're taking us..Is there uncontaminated water
available?"
"Yes..I set up a water catcher for the rain."
"It rains regularly?"
"At least once every two days. There's more than enough
water to support you both."
"We'll need food..I wouldn't trust anything grown in that
area."
"I usually collected the fruit he ate from a kilometre
away."
"And as sterile an environment as we can make it."
"There's a cave system.. I can sterilise one of the
interior caves..If I can get something to block the entry and
filter the air."
"Two days..Tomorrow I will have what you need and leave
it behind the icon in easily transportable boxes..I'll tuck in
instructions on how to .. reconstruct and use it."
"I'll also need to transport some delicate equipment.
you'll need to make a minimum 8 trips if I keep the carrier
small enough to escape notice."
"Use as many carriers as you think you need..I can make
several trips easily if they're kept small."
"There's a collapsible gurney I'll take it apart and pack
that up and mark the carriers..You'll have to put it together
and leave it behind in the tunnel..We'll have to carry him."
Odo nodded.
"You don't want him to remain here till he's fit to
travel."
"He'll die unless I can bring the addiction under
control."
"That's why.."
"He lost them."
"You've been exposed for ten years."
"I wasn't give the sort of exposure he was, I was born to
live in this environment, my bio-chemistry is different..I was
fit and in excellent health when I was imprisoned here, he was
anything but, I didn't have a choice, when it came to him, Ali
Venda is an impatient man.. If I'd had time to work on him, he
might have had a chance..Instead, I had to make him pregnant
to keep him alive and it added to the stress his system was
under trying to cope..You should see his liver..If I had the
choice and the facilities..I'd give him a liver transplant,
and put him on a detox system to clean up his system..But..
"You'll do the best you can under the circumstances."
"Yes..This is strictly between you and I..He's not to
know how serious his condition we need to reduce his stress
levels, not add to them."
Odo nodded.
"And don't tell him he lost them all."
"He'll know."
"No..he won't..I'll be keeping him sedated till the
internal damage has healed, then we'll implant him with
another baby."
"How do you intend to do that if we.."
"You'll do it. That's why I made you watch."
"And just where are you going to get the baby to.."
Ali patted his stomach. Odo's eyes widened, he'd thought
Ali's shape was just for show.
"You're a herm too."
"And didn't know it..Till Julian set me straight and he's
very straight.. If you get my drift."
Odo nodded.
"I never intended to let his pregnancy go to term, I was
going to abort and implant the one I'm carrying. I know it's
viable, they weren't, but..."
"He gets so attached.."
"I couldn't tell him."
"I don't know if I can preform the .."
"Do you want to tell him he lost all the babies, that he
can't naturally conceive a viable child?"
"He didn't have much trouble conceiving with you."
"He's had four miscarriages."
"Four!"
"Two he thought were natural menses. I knew better since
Les'Inderian women don't menstruate. They only produce an egg
when they have orgasmic sex. Each time he has menses, he's
really aborting a naturally conceived babe."
"He never wanted too.."
"He grouches about getting pregnant, but when he is, he's
radiant, his whole attitude changes. It's only when he thinks
about what will happen to the baby that he pretends he doesn't
want it. It's a sure thing, once we're free he'll admit he
secretly wanted the baby. He admitted he wanted the one he
know's he lost."
"Can he be moved?"
"Not right away...
"I meant, back here, to the bed."
"Oh, yes..I'll need to take care of that mattress.."
Odo pulled up the sheets to show her the mattress was no
longer the same."
"How."
"I exchanged the mattress for one in an unoccupied suite
near here."
"Then..we can move him."

<*>

"Odo...This..is..magnificent."
"If you have to lie on your back all day with nothing but
a roof and walls to look at you won't have any complaints
here."
"My only complaint is that I can't go outside and get
some sun..I miss being able to take a walk around in the
open."
"Do you want to loose the baby."
Julian shook his head.
"Then you'll listen to Ali. You're confined to bed till
he say's otherwise. Or you will loose the baby."
"I know I said..I never wanted to get pregnant again..
but..I'm glad he was able to save one."
Odo laughed.
"What are you laughing at."
"He said you'd say that."
"I can't hide anything from him."
"Julian..I hate to spoil your happiness, but there is
something we have to talk about."
"What?"
"Ali's found out the sap of the tree those leaves came
from is the purest form of the drug, he's working on a way to
turn it into pills, and will gradually wean you off it. You'll
both loose the addiction..and it was the drug that.."
"Made us fall for each other."
"Yes..You have to be prepared for it."
"I am Odo. Breaking the addiction won't change how I feel
about Ali, I'll love him till the day I die.. I want to have
his baby, as a sign of that."
"That's how you feel now."
"Odo..I *know* how I feel is real. It's not a result of
the drugs."
"It may feel real to you, but what about Ali?"
Julian looked away up through the transparent bubbled
ceiling.
"Ali will love me to the day he dies," Julian said in a
voice that sent shivers down Odo spine.
Then Julian looked at Odo again.
"And I will never stop..feeling the way I do."
"I just thought it should be brought up..after all.."
"You were affected by it too, to a degree, weren't you?"
Odo nodded.
"You did enjoy the times you were massaging me."
"Too much. I went a little..insane after you were taken.
I didn't loose the insanity until I left that place far behind
me."
"And now, you don't feel the same."
"I feel..closer to you now than I did..before..but..I
don't have the same..urge to merge that I started feeling
around you."
"What were you thinking..The day you came to our suite
and watched us sleeping together."
"You don't want to know."
Julian reached out to take Odo's hand.
"Odo..Listen to me.. I'm not leaving here.."
"But.."
"I want you to go, when the ship comes for us, I won't be
on it. Neither will Ali.. I want you to be on it."
"You can't stay here, if Venda.."
"I'm going to have twins.. Two babies..One will be a
boy."
Odo's eyes widened.
"One will be a girl, I want you to go, take the girl,
raise her as your own, Odo, I can't bring a girl child into
this world. Not yet.."
"You can't stay here."
"It's the will of the prophets, Odo, they sent you after
me, to save me, to get me out, it was no accident we were
grounded here. I have seen the future Odo, and it's horrific,
these people will spread through out the universe, conquering
every world in their path..And they'll never change, unless
someone with the power to make changes starts making them now,
and the prophets have given me the means to do that, through
my son. When the Venda and Babar clans merge, they'll be the
greatest power on this world, and my son will be Chief..And I
will raise him to use the power he has to change the face of
this world"
"You *know* that for a certainty, just like you know, Ali
will love you till he dies."
"No..I don't.. It's a certainty about Ali..The prophets
showed me that..Just as they showed me I would have a son and
a daughter..That you would raise her as your own. That she'll
grow up and be a real heart breaker, as every bit as gorgeous
as Ali, and she'll grow up calling you father.."
"She'll know who her father is, I'll.."
"I'm her mother..Just remember to take a picture of me
while I'm still pregnant, so she won't get confused. She
doesn't need to know about Ali.."
"She'll wonder..If she looks like Ali she'll.."
"She'll have her mothers looks, but she'll also have
mine, enough to insure she never has any doubts about who her
mother was."
"And you're son."
"He'll be the spitting image of me, only, better
looking."
"She'll want to know about her father."
"She'll never get curious about him, unless you tell her
about Ali. She will believe you are her father. That's a fact,
Odo, you could say, it's the prophets way of making up for
dragging you into this. You weren't to be. It was just me they
needed. It was just chance you were involved, and that chance
goes by the name of Winn."
"Now, I believe you have been touched by the prophets."
"By the way, Odo.. When she grows up, try not to get too
protective.
"Oh..did you see that too."
"I've seen what she'll grow into, and she'll be a real
heart breaker. And if there's anything a young woman resents
its a father who tries to scare off any young man who comes
sniffing around. Let her be, she won't get up to mischief for
a long time. And, she'll always be daddy's girl if you
restrain yourself from acting over protective and trust her.
She'll know when she meets the man who will be her soul mate,
and no other man will get close to her."
"And this soul mate, what's his name?"
"I have no idea.. I just know..she'll find him and when
it happens, you'll know, and I'll know, because she'll want to
introduce him to her mother," Julian said, then laughed.
"He'll be a doctor, just like me, and something I did,
will turn me into his hero..and that's how she'll snare him.
Through his interest in me."
"What about you?"
"Me..I'll have other children.. All to different fathers
by the looks of it. For the diversity, they'll go off and find
Les'Inderian mates, and have children..And I'll live long
enough to see four generations of my descendants all gathered
in the same place. So will you by the way.. I saw you
there..It will be the one of the proudest moments of my
life..It'll also be the day I die."
"Did you have to say that."
"Yes, because, I want you to know my wishes, I want to be
buried next to Ali. You'll make sure I am.."
"What will the event be."
"It'll be when my son's, son's names one of his daughters
as his heir after she's born, she'll be the first female
Clanschief on Les'Inderia."
"If they let her, you won't be around to see that it
happens."
"It'll happen, Odo."
"I suppose you'll expect me to make sure that it does."
"I'll live long enough to affect four generations, that's
what it takes to make lasting changes. I don't have to live to
see her take her father's place to know she will. But I'd
appreciate it if you dropped in now and again, just to make
sure all that power doesn't go to her head."
"You have my word on it."
Julian pressed a kiss to Odo's palm then rolled over
drawing the blankets over himself.
"I'm tired.."
"I'll leave you to get some sleep."
"Try to disappear when Ali gets back..Hmmm."
"If you think you're getting up to that, think again."
"Oh... I know we will.. I know we will."
"Oh, so the prophets showed you that too."
"I know Ali will die while we're still here, while I'm
still pregnant, Odo.. I also know, we'll be together one last
time before that happens..I can only sense one baby, I can
hardly have another if Ali and I don't get together again, now
can I."
"Maybe, you'll get together again after it's born.."
"No..They'll be born within a few months of each
other..And you'll deliver him, via a C-Section..I'll give
birth to her."
"You saw that."
"Yes."
"Oh."
"That's why I think it's the will of the prophets, Odo..
For the life of me, I don't see how I can conceive again while
I'm pregnant."
"Les'Inderian women can only conceive after orgasmic
sex."
Julian looked at him in surprise.
"Ali mentioned it."
"Really."
"That's why you had so many babies in one pregnancy..You
kept having great sex, until Ali worked out you were
pregnant."
"Ah..Yes, that's right, After Ali found out, he wouldn't
make love to me that way any more. Not that I'm complaining.
He really loves it when I'm the one being the dom."
"That's more than I needed to know about your sex life."
"You'll know more about it than you ever wanted to know
if you don't scat and get Ali to drop in.."
"He's out collecting sap,"
"Even better, he'll be feeling extra affectionate when he
gets back. But I'm feeling affectionate, *now*."
"I'll get him for you."
Julian smirked, then suddenly came bolt upright, eyes as
wide as saucers, his pupils the size of a pin head.
"Ali!" he screamed, then dropped back onto the bed
bonelessly.
Odo lay a hand on his face, ran a quick scan, then jumped
to his feet.
"You'll live."
Then he spun bolting for the exit.
"But will he.""

<*>

Ali Venda died in the grove where he first hatched his
plan to carry off Julian. Odo made sure of it, after he found
the man gloating as he kicked what remained of Ali, a corpse
charged beyond recognition, but for it's height. Ali Venda
died as so many women had died at his hands, screaming for
mercy.
Odo wasn't feeling merciful.
Ali Venda's men ran for their lives, only they forget
just one thing in their head long race to escape the dread
daemon of the grove, and that was the force field they'd
helped set up and reinstated after they'd entered the grove.
They died as countless numbers of the wildernesses natural
inhabitants had died. Only one of them escaped, seeing one of
his brothers in arms dying in the field, he remembered that
the chief had the controls, and quailing with terror crept
back to the site, to see the daemon digging in the bare Earth
with his hands, there to lay to rest the remains of Ali.
Then the daemon looked straight at him.
"I know you're there," the daemon said in a icy voice,
then pointed to the chiefs corpse.
"Go and take this carrion with you and know that any who
enter this place will die as he died."
The terrified clansman nodded.
"Be quick about it before I change my mind and send you
to hell with him."
The clans man collected the chiefs corpse and then
hurried away as fast as he could, sending prayers of thanks to
the gods that the daemon was satisfied for the time being.

And so a new legend was born on Les'Inderia, about the
daemon in the grove of lovers.

:------====<>{#*#}<>====------:

End of Chapter Five
TBC
in
CHAPTER SIX
*---++++=============<>{#*#}<>=============++++---*
* Eye of the Prophet is written by Red Skye *
* All subsidiary characters not belonging to *
* Paramount, are copyrighted to Red Skye *
* Copyright, March 1997. *
* Reprinting this story in whole or in part *
* is denied without the permission of Red *
* Skye - except in cases of review. *
*---++++=============<>{#*#}<>=============++++---*