Kirlian Quest Read online

  Herald the Healer's part in the resolution of the Amoeba-Cluster crisis served to abate the Curse of Llume on Sphere Slash. He remarried Psyche of Kade. It was not complete bliss, for he had a slightly wandering eye and she had a temper, so they did have their tiffs, but they always made up, and their underlying love was deep. They had a child named Pleasure, of course. But she had lost her body and home, and he his profession, for new means of healing and identification were provided by the Amoeba technology. Constitutionally unable to settle down, they remained active as Transfer agents, always operating as a pair, using multiple and diverse hosts to assist the processes of forming the new order. Both were effectively immortal, owing to continued enhancement of their auras. In fact, immortality was now available generally to those who desired it, provided they were willing to make their lives worthwhile for civilization.

  Sixteen of Jet was pleased to serve as Psyche's base host; she had always craved high aura. But as the labors of the Cluster-Amoeba integration increased, Psyche was away from that host for longer periods. This was unfair to Sixteen, who had no local sire for her Kirlian family. Two Kirlian entities learned of this and were moved to act. Flame of Furnace and Hweeh of Weew visited the hosts Herald and Psyche had used. Their natural auras were not as high, but this hardly made a difference in these days of enhancement. When Flame met Hweeh, and their two potent auras interacted and their two fine minds took the measure of each other, something happened. In due course they married and disappeared into private life.

  On Planet Keep of Sphere Sador, Segment Etamin, the Duke of Qaval emerged as the most powerful noble of that society. He arranged to be designated heir apparent to the Throne of Crown, and assumed effective political control of the planet. He promoted the Baron of Magnet to be the new Duke of Kade. Magnet was the only other survivor of the destruction of Kastle Kade, as he was being conducted under guard to his own castle when the nuclear detonation occurred, and had been tough enough to roll out of the mess that remained of his guards as the mushroom formed so close behind. He was slightly radioactive, however. He did his best to salvage what remained of the rich herds and pastures of that region, and to render aid to other sapients who had been near the holocaust. Prince Qaval, meanwhile, brought in sophisticated Kirlian equipment to ensure that never again could a sapient entity be burned at the stake for Possession—falsely.

  So the Kirlian Quest was ended in the Cluster—and initiated in the Universe. The figure of Herald the Healer, savior of the cluster, became a part of history, joining those of Melody of Mintaka and Flint of Outworld. Only one more story remained to be told: that of the last— more correctly first—of the shapers. This was the founder of the Temple of Tarot, whose amazing private experience provided the philosophical grounding for all that followed. He was Brother Paul, an obscure novice in an obscure sect of pre-Spherical Planet Earth during its Fool period. His was the quest for the God of Tarot.

  Cluster

  Political Geography

  Sphere or Segment

  Symbol

  Location

  Character

  Amoeba

  |||

  Deep space

  & Coordinator

  X Research Command

  0 Action Command

  Ast

  *

  Andromeda

  Whorl of Precipice

  Bhyo

  Milky Way

  Cloud 9

  $

  Large Magellanic Cloud

  Cloud 6

  ¢

  Small Magellanic Cloud

  Dash

  —

  Andromeda

  Duocirc

  oo

  Andromeda

  Etamin

  "

  Milky Way

  Duke of Kade

  Lady Psyche

  Earl of Dollar

  Baron of Magnet

  Caesar of Capella

  Prince Circlet of Crown

  Brother Paul of the Holy Order of Vision

  Flint of Outworld

  Melody of Mintaka

  Fa¿

  ¿

  Milky Way

  Freng

  Milky Way

  Furnace

  #

  Fornax

  Flame

  Jet

  =

  Globular Cluster NGC 6624

  Sixteen

  Knyfh

  %

  Milky Way

  Lodo

  ΢

  Milky Way

  Moderns

  +

  NGC598 (Pinwheel)

  Hellflower of the Kirlian Inn

  Novagleam

  σσ

  Milky Way

  Pin

  ^

  NGC 598 (Pinwheel)

  Prick

  Qaval

  δ

  Milky Way

  Duke of Qaval (Keep)

  Quadpoint

  ::

  Andromeda

  Smallbore of Metamorphic

  Sculp

  §

  Sculptor

  Slash

  /

  Andromeda

  Herald the Healer

  Thousandstar

  :::

  Milky Way

  Weew

  @

  Milky Way

  Hweeh of Swees

  Wheel

  θ

  NGC 598 (Pinwheel)