EPILOGUE




	As the days wore on contingent after contingent of Magni-Xandian soldiers continued to 
cross the Main and pour homewards from the shores of Vespar and D'Or with all their supplies, 
lock, stock and barrel, except their heavy weaponry on the insistence of the new Supreme 
Commander, Algar Kolmarin.  "We will give you back your Rumblers should you need them 
against an invasion," he told them with old hireling humour.  Dego Kolmarin, as the new Regent, 
decided not to reinstate the title Governor General in respect and memory for the Lord Laris who 
had become such a close friend during the dark days of the war. 

	Okrane was not as badly devastated as Merinburg, which had become a city of torched 
buildings and blackened streets but, as Queen Fleuridi foretold, the scars of the Royal City ran 
deep as countless men and women, regardless of their ages, had met a horrible end at the hands 
of mowing Gliders.  As the citizens started to clean up the boulevards and avenues, from which 
the last torrent of rain had washed away the gore but not the debris, they however held faith to 
their young Queen's plea of honour and took no reprisals of straggling Magni-Xandian soldiers. 

	Finally a day for celebration and thanksgiving was set.  Dego Kolmarin had returned to 
Okrane with Deyron whilst leaving Eirini and Leoynar in Krystan's company.  He was in daily 
communication with Lumentor but on Krystan's request he kept his word not to divulge the 
location of that legendary place to his compatriots.  Krystan had also declined to take part in the 
planned celebrations, and had advised the Regent it would be wiser to leave him, and Trajan, 
entirely out of the festivities.  Urging Kolmarin to take heed of the lessons of the Legend, 
Krystan pressed him to present to the public that the war had been won by the courage and 
strength of the people alone.  

	Dego Kolmarin was at first angry and unhappy that Trajan would be denied the honour 
that was due to him.  Krystan took him apart and whispered a few words in his ears which 
seemed to completely convince the sage mind of Kolmarin.  From that moment on he could only 
address the young Captain, whom he at times regarded as a son, by his proper title.  And so, as 
Krystan insisted, the evening of celebrations arrived with Commander Deyron, Leoynar and 
Eirini being the eminent guests of honour, as he and Trajan proceeded to the cellars and prepared 
the Soul of the IsoMén Equation for the return passage to Iucari-Tres.  

	The celebrations commenced on a low and sorrowful note of remembrance as Queen 
Fleuridi paid homage to those who had given their lives to ensure the ending of the war.  She 
refrained from calling it a triumph for Vespar, but as soon as the eating and music started and the 
wine flowed into the glasses, grief made way for unbridled joy and folk were dancing and 
singing on the streets and the trees that still stood were once again tinselled with colourful 
sequins.  Still no treaty was signed with the Dominion of Aseur but food and other material aid, 
which had continued to pour in from the generous hands of the Aseurans gave the Vesparans the 
opportunity to indulge in a little extravagance during days of celebration.  

	Without a shadow of a doubt Algar Kolmarin had become the hero of the people.  Their 
Regent's grandson was their new sun of worship, a former hireling who with outstanding 
leadership directed the battle on the sea to almost complete victory over Penari.  Despite to all 
appearances he seemed to enjoy this new height of popularity, in spirit he was sobered by the 
thought of one, whose guidance had brought victory to Vespar.  

	As Vesparans and D'Orrians sang and danced, Aseurans joined in the rejoicing and 
across the Atlantic Xandia, no longer Magnificent, was slowly pulling together under a new, 
hopefully wiser, reign, Dego Kolmarin prepared for the inevitable painful parting of dear friends. 
On the appointed day only he, Algar and the four Seedlings who had so far been revealed, 
Jeremy, Conrad, Maykin and young Queen Fleuridi, accompanied Deyron, Leoynar and Eirini on 
their secret trip back to Lumentor.  Trajan, with his forehead still bandaged, but looking fit and 
hearty, welcomed them at the gates of Lumentor.  

	"My Lord," said Dego with moist, yet beaming eyes, "it gladdens my heart to see you so 
well." 

	"I am no longer a captain to you," Trajan said a little sadly and when Dego resolutely 
shook his head and handed the rephar and silver poniard back to him, Trajan sighed and 
shrugged.  "I have to get used to the hazards of my new profession, I guess." 

	Dego followed him with his eyes as Trajan briefly stole a kiss from Eirini and went to 
speak with the Seedlings.  "My Lord," he said softly, under his beard, "in my heart you will 
always remain the young captain who laid his hand on my head and said, 'Do not be afraid what 
I will do to your thoughts, I am only establishing a link'.  That link is still within me and will 
remain there until the last beat of my heart."

* * *

	In his usual casual way Trajan renewed acquaintance with his old friends.  "Where is your 
mistress, Commander?" he asked of Algar with a wink. 

	"She is busy selecting a site for our house, Cap--My Lord," Algar replied with a broad 
grin. 

	"Commander, you have done magnificent work and no doubt Stephanola will see to it 
that the line of Kolmarins will not be broken.  Over the ages people will keep singing their great 
deeds."

	"My Lord," Algar said, "generations of Kolmarins will keep faith to the memory of the 
great Lords Schurell!"

	Coming next to Conrad, Trajan offered his condolences and Conrad informed him Assiya 
had been buried in a glade under the rustling eaves of the birch wood lying north of Okrane, 
which he himself had selected and where she would rest for all time to come.  

	"Never forget her teachings, Conrad," Trajan said.  "She was a staunch Adherent of the 
Lords Laris."

	"My Lord," Conrad said, "I will remain in the Capital and continue to be a member of the 
Fly Corps as a Navigator and the Corps will go stronger until eventually it will reach to the 
stars!"

	Before Queen Fleuridi Trajan still bowed his head and kissed her hand.  "My Lord, it is 
me who should bow to you and pay you respects," the little queen said with a flustered face, 
"You and your father, you have both saved Okrane and Vespar."

	"No," Trajan said with a smile, "we only guided, you did the rest, as it should be.  You 
have acted and inspired your people with your wisdom and principles of mercy, Your Highness.  
Vespar's hopes are high for having a sovereign like you."  

	Lastly, Trajan approached Jeremy who stood grim and stiff as if he was hewn out of 
granite.  Quasi-sternly he said, "You can do anything you want Jeremy except crying your eyes 
out.  No tears, please!"  

	Jeremy sniffed hard and tried to smile.  "I am going to miss you!" he blurted out.

	Trajan put his hands on Jeremy's shoulders and looked into the boy's eyes:  "And I am 
going to miss you, all of you, but I have given a little part of me to you, never forget it, Jeremy.  
That part will always remain with you."

	"I will never forget it and I shall teach my people as you have taught me, since I am now 
their new Perceptor."

	"You will be a good leader, Jeremy.  Where will you take your people?" 

	"Here," Jeremy said and a light of conviction shone upon his face.  "Here where once 
there was only Smaze.  The Mountain Clan will become tillers of soil and farers of seas.  And 
here, your steed Brightloft will gallop with the wind in freedom upon wastelands, which we will 
turn to meadows!"

	"I will give you something more.  The lords and ladies of my world carry this silver pistol-
blade as a status symbol.  It will now be the symbol of the Perceptor of the Mountain Clan.  They 
are a good people, Jeremy.  Despite the hardship they suffered on the road, not one of them 
betrayed me."

	Jeremy clasped the pistol-blade with both hands and pressed it lovingly to his heart.  "It 
will stay with my people and be passed down from father to son and from mother to daughter.  
As my people grow, the pistol will be the symbol of their greatness, and as long as I live I will 
always carry it on my breast!"

	Trajan gave him a fond embrace.  "Take good care of Brightloft for me."  

	His eyes falling upon Deyron, he spluttered with disbelief:  "Superpre, what are you 
doing with that filthy headgear!  I can't believe you want to take that thing home?"

	"And why not?" Deyron snorted. "I have become quite fond of this hideous object.  I'll 
keep it as a memento and hang it as a trophy on my wall, as a remembrance that once I had two 
faces."

	"You have distinguished yourself very well as a commander," Trajan said with a sly 
smile.  "Would you like a position in the Command?  I can perhaps pull a string here and there." 

	Deyron swept the air with a determined hand.  "Definitely not!  I am tired of combat and 
losing crew.  I have had enough of it!  I just want to go back to Castelmoer and maybe settle 
there in retirement and in all peace." 

	"Then what are you waiting for, you old uncouth, the way to home is in the cellar.  You 
will be back in Aberon within minutes."

	Deyron swung round with a whoop and made a little jump in the air and the little group 
of Seedlings curiously and excitedly followed him.  Trajan turned to Dego and spreading his 
fingers he taught the Regent the Iucari-Tres trigonal pledge of friendship and truth.  

	"This how we make friendship and pledge to each other the truth of our emotions," 
Trajan said as his fingertips touched those of Dego's.  

	"What do you want me to do, My Lord?" Dego enquired. 

	Trajan handed over Assiya's Frame.  "There will be a few more micro-pads like this 
scattered throughout your Sphere.  Once these pads can no longer snag the seekerpulses of our 
microcoms, they will fall silent once more.  The Legend must be buried and the link with my 
world absolutely broken.  It is a painful separation for all of us, but the time has not yet come for 
such two disparaging Spheres to beneficially coexist.  We will inevitably corrupt each other.  
Maybe in the future there will be a time for our races to meet again, but it is not here yet.  
Krystan and I have rigged the whole of Lumentor with explosives. Here is the remote control 
which will trigger off the explosion.  When we have safely gone through the IsoMén Equation 
and you are far away up in the air in your Zippercraft, activate the remote control by sliding away 
this safety lid and pressing the button.  We have arranged that the IsoMén Equation will 
disintegrate by itself once the passage is complete but Dego, Lumentor must be destroyed 
without a trace.  It is time for Earthlings to rule the Earth again, and may you rule it wisely." 

	"My Lord, how much it pains my heart, I will do as you direct.  The Legend will die and 
a new age will start for Earth, a new age when we stand with our feet on the ground and lift our 
eyes to the stars: Star Age." 

	"Dego, old friend," Trajan said with great affection. "And there among the stars our 
people will perhaps meet again.  Watch for the Trigonal Mark of the new Süryarils: Schurell, 
Trevarthen and Ermiz."

	At this moment Krystan came looking for them.  "We are ready, waiting in the cellar," he 
announced.  "The gateway is open once more."

	"Are you going with them as well, My Lord?" Dego enquired, gazing at Krystan with a 
rueful face.

	Krystan nodded.  "Yes, I have a son and a lady, who loves me and is still waiting for me 
at the other end.  There is no other place I would rather be."  He laughed and added:  "And this 
young rascal of a lord here needs a tutor, as well!"  He still chuckled inwardly about the 
outrageous anecdotes of the Spacio Command that Trajan had told him between a guffaw and a 
wink.

	"I'm taking the remains of my mother and my brother with me," Trajan told Kolmarin, 
"There will be no shrine erected for Iucarians."  Whereupon Kolmarin told him the body of the 
former Paramount had been salvaged from the rubble of the Steeples and returned to his Lady 
Consort.  The Regent further informed that old Balwin and his son, Ralph, had survived the 
assaults on Okrane and decided to stay on in the Royal Capital.  Terzan, Eugene's former mate 
when he was Vaco, had deeply mourned the death of his Brother Pagan and returned to the 
lingering moral swamp of Ostracis to establish his own movement and preach a new creed.  
Eirini, Leoynar and Deyron had said all their farewells to the dear companions they would leave 
behind.  Maykin embraced Eirini stormily with a heroic, dry face.  "He loves you so much, 
Eirini," Maykin whispered. "I am so happy for you." 

	"My own brave, little Seedling," Eirini said, fondly smiling upon Maykin's bright little 
face.  "A gulf of time and space will separate us for your duty lies here, but we will be staying 
together in memory." 

	Maykin promised, "I will never forget you, and neither will my children, and my 
grandchildren, my great-grandchildren.  I will be staying in the Royal Castle and become the 
Historian Scribe of Queen Fleuridi's Court."

	In the dimly lit cellars the IsoMén Equation throbbed and sparkled like a miniature galaxy 
and was vibrating a tunnel of light into the Great Beyond.  Trajan sent Starglory first across the 
bridge to secure balance.  The first to go through was Deyron, impatient to find out what had 
happened meanwhile to his Videts in his long absence, followed by Leoynar yearning for the 
fragrance of the silverfirs at Verimur; Krystan was the third, thinking of wife, son and a dear old 
friend, Berin Guillen. 

	"Captain!" the Regent suddenly cried out. "Do you still have Dego's Stone?" 

	Trajan and Eirini turned their heads and looked at him with smiling faces.  "I am wearing 
it as a pendant, here inside my blouse," Eirini answered him.  "It is your wedding present to us."  
Clasping one another's waists they were the last to disappear into the glow.  

	"My good wishes to you both, Eirini and Trajan!" Dego said, suddenly feeling content 
and at peace, watching the IsoMén Equation slowly dissolving to a void without a Soul. 

* * *

I am Starglory.  I speak with my own voice before I blend fully and willingly into the Voice of 
Trajan Schurell.  Call me angel.  Call me demon.  Call me saviour.  Call me destroyer.  Use me to 
sow fire and ruin, and I will do so and be your own damnation.  Use me to build and safeguard 
and I will do so and elevate you to new heights.  I will abide by no one, except for the ones I 
choose.  I have chosen.  A new generation of Peregrinators, Süryarils, shall rise in HeliĆ Shine.  
But a storm is coming and I will be in the forefront defending Iucari-Tres, my Domain.






THE END