Chapter 20: Plans for the future.

Chapter 20: Plans for the future.

More sleepy than they ever had thought to be, Billy and Petra woke up after their hour of sleep.
Mom was a bit concerned, while Billy did look so pale, but he did not feel feverish. He ate a hearty breakfast, so she believed him, when he told, he had a very long dream with lots of running and so on.
They all laughed, everybody sometimes did dream that way.

Petra escaped all the teasing, by not showing herself, before they were on their way to Nemo.
Nemo also did look, if he had not slept much, which was true.

It was too interesting, to read about how far technology in the world had developed, a thing, the Atlantians only could hear about, when the mermaids did rescue somebody.

Lately only Billy’s parents were scientists, al others had other jobs, important to know about, but Nemo did like to know all he could and investigate.

“Have you slept a bit tonight?
I have not after you were gone, and there was a big heap more of those sacks in the hallway this morning.
I did not hear you, while I was reading about decompression.”

Billy did rub his eyes again, Petra did yawn a bit, but their eyes were on his face, waiting for him to explain.

“I do think, the Lady did lift a tip of the veil of the future, by telling you to learn, as hard as you can. So your whole family will have to do.
For we are so deep in the ocean, we cannot go up in a very short period of time.
The normal world is not of paper!” he joked, with a wink to the kids.

“Decompression is simply said: very slowly getting used to less water pressure and another mixture of air.
Divers do use different air as the normal air from the world under the sun, or on dry land.”

Here Billy laughed, and told: “In Homeland it always smells fresh, and feels light, quiet different from here!”

“How that works, you will learn in the next years.
But to keep all of you healthy to do some missions for us on dry land, a group of the humans is slowly going up, each month a few centimeters.

For that we have to design, and make, with the help of a lot of this books, and our own special knowledge, a special bubble, that will not be discovered by people, but allow you all to adapt to the other conditions.”

“Why could that not earlier than?” Billy wanted to know.
“I do know my parents sometimes are homesick, although they are lucky here.
They do miss the family on dry land, who now must think, they do not live anymore.”

Petra smiled, looked at Nemo, and almost at the same time they said: “There is a time and place for everything.”
There after they both said something different. Petra said: ”my grandmother told” while Nemo said: “the old books say!”

They started with sorting all the things they collected in Homeland.
“Do I have to learn áll that is in there?” Billy wondered.

“Yes, most of it, but this bubble is not build in one day, as the one that brings the humans up will be.
We take all the time that is needed, mister impatient!”

Than Petra told, what they had thought to ask, so Billy would not say the wrong things: the writing assignment about the house of knowledge.

“That was a good thought,” Nemo answered.
“But soon your parents will know about the going up project.
Let’s start and bring all this knowledge to were it belongs.
After that you have to leave it to the Atlantians, the Lady, and the adult humans, how we share what we know by now, or what we can use.”

“But you have not told one tiny bit of the secret of the healing stones,” Billy sulked a bit, also while he was that tired.

“Well, that is the last I will tell you, before the hard work of bringing all this to the house of Knowledge begins.

You have seen the Axels. You do remember, I did tell you, the world also does have an axel with the same color follow up.
There are also spots, we Atlantians do know, that conduct the energy of the stones from one place to another.
The crossings of those connecting points have even more energy.

Some of this knowledge is saved by the humans as folklore: they do call this path ways ley-lines and the crossing are vortices of power.”

“What are vortices” Petra asked.

“The more energy-rich crossing points.
Some people can feel them, and before electricity most people could feel, they were on the good road, while it was a ley-line-road.

They did build churches and important buildings on this spots, feeling their power.

Well, some of the humans have the difficult task, to burry a heap of powerful stones in buildings like this, or along this lines.
They do have to do that, with out others knowing it, or those easily can destroy it or take it away.

This way slowly the world should be brought into its right balance again.
More of the secret, I am not allowed to tell you now.
Still, you do not have to wonder until you are a scientist yourself, Billy.
Petra will learn as much as you will, while she is your lifelong friend.”

“Did I hear right, the Lady sometimes can come and visit you?” Billy asked curiously, while this made, he was not the only one with a Homelander friend I the bubble anymore.

“Only a few times alas, Billy.
She can, when we do draw her a drawing of my study, the one with the locked book case. Petra will bring that to her.
But while she is the Lady, and does have so much important tasks, it will be not that often.”

Petra told: “Sometimes, there also are friends, that have a great different in age, may be your friend is not born yet” she consoled Nemo, and at the same time let her friend know, he wás very special.

“So let’s start with our own great project, so you, and some others can go up in a few years time as our ambassadors.”

“Ambassador?”

“That is somebody, who can speak for another country or people. It is a very important task, so we start early, more early as I did think before.”

So all went on with discovering learning, and preparing for a clean and healthy future of our world.
On dry land a lot of friends did, what they had to do.
May be we meet some of them in the future, knowing they do have a friend, but mostly not, while we cannot see the friends of others outside Homeland.

And in the bubble Billy, Petra, Lilo, later even Violet and their parents came together with some other humans, when the time was right, and they started the long and slow way up.

But that is another story, may be later we do tell about.
For now how our Homelander friend Petra met Billy and what adventure they had together ends.
But knowing Homeland, and also knowing, it is were all the real secrets of life are saved, you will hear another story about what will happen to them, when they do tell me.


© Nan van Daalen, all rights reserved.

Chapter 19: The big ending ceremony of the Pow Wow.

Chapter 19: The big ending ceremony of the Pow Wow.

Billy and Petra had really a nice time. In between they had to go to their own flag, while the sacks with material for Nemo became to heavy.
Than they took just new ones, and went on, looking, asking, dancing dances from all over the world.

They did taste food, that also was so very different from what Billy was used to, he had to be careful not to eat to much, for his tummy was very full after trying so much different things!

Luckily there was another circle, that had a pool, so they did meet Purple again, who dared them to swim for speed, not showing, she easily could have won each contest. After that Billy was hungry enough to try another bite when he did see something, he never dreamed of being there.

Special the food and clothes intrigued him, being used to very simple ones.
All did look so more colorful, had such different kinds of taste, he was afraid his food home would seem boring, and he said so.

But Petra said: “when you are home again, you do remember how it was, but it never stands in the way of your daily life, remember that promise?”

That made it a bit easier, his life was not always a celebration like this, and again Petra was the wisest of them.

“We do learn in our bedtime stories, that when you have a party every day, it is not a party, but also not normal living.
So enjoy the day, like he comes, and make the best of times like this, so you have a good memory, for when your day does not go smoothly!”

“Your mom and grandmother must be wise women,” Billy said.

“Well, they must be, for I did grow up in Homeland, were all secrets of life are saved, remember?”

Than the Elder came round to announce the last secret ceremony.
They did announce, that all had to prepare for leaving, when this was over in an couple of hours, while otherwise they would not be home, and in their bed at the right time.

And specially for the kids that was very important.
Billy and Petra did look worried to the heap of sacks, they still had to take home, although they did bring so much already to Nemo.

” Hopefully there will be not to much extra we get,” Petra sighed, “otherwise I am afraid we have to mirror hop several times,” she said.

“Did you not always say: in Homeland all is possible?” Billy laughed.
“Keep trust, all will be alright!”

“Now I do act like I am the one, who is here for the first time, you really are the best friend I can wish, while others may be had laughed about me.”

“That I do, but not about you, but to you, so we laugh together.
So lets go. Time is nearly up.
It will be very, very difficult, not to tell the others about this,” he ended.

“May be we can ask Nemo for writing lessons, in which you have to tell about what you have learned about the world above in the house of knowledge, and than tell about that?
Remember that for tomorrow, but now we have to go,” she urged, pointing to all the others, looking their best, and slowly walking to the Secret Circle.

There the drums were already beating, the flutes and other instruments sounded great.

One could not do different as join the others in rhythm and dance, so all danced, like there was one long chain of dancing people.

The most lovely was, it was like there were beads from all corners of the world, while each did wear the costume of his land of origin, when that still was in use.

Billy had a great look, and wished, he had something, like he had seen Lea use: a video-recorder, so she could save all not only in her head, but also to look at.
But alas, that was not there in the Atlantian bubble.
He had to be happy with very good look.

Than Lea came to dance besides him and softly whispered: “I will send Cindy some photo’s, and she will give them to Petra, but you have to promise, that you keep them safe at Nemo’s house, otherwise it is not fair to your siblings.”

After that she danced back to her own place, behind Cindy.
When the dancing finally was over, Wise Feather sat down with next to him the Lady and the Elder.

Than the speaking began.

Only in this case, most came from the Lady, that was the difference with a Pow Wow on dry land, were people came to solve problems between each other or did seek for healing and consultation.

Wise feather held the talking stick with the eagles feathers on it in his hand, so he was the one who could speak first.

“All my friends from Homeland, and the world we come from, My Lady and the Elders have some special words to say.
So all I will, and can do is thank you all, for being here, and both working that hard, still making it a big celebration.”

Than he gave the talking stick to the Lady.
And as always, everybody could hear each word she said.

The lady also thanked everybody for the hard work, and went on: “I do know, that it looks strange, the small tent in the middle of the secret circle.
We have put it there with a purpose.”

Here everybody, also the kids, looked with much anticipation, for they still did not know for certain, what would come of all their hard work.

“I am glad, you all did also have time to celebrate, to learn, who everybody else is, and what was done already.
It was nice, we nowadays have a big circle of friends, but from olden times on, when there is need for much help, there also do appear a lot of friends.
How come, is one of the secrets, that are saved here in Homeland,” on which word almost everybody did laugh loudly, remembering a time, or circumstance, they did forget about that.

When everybody was calm again, the Lady went on: “as you do know, I have been with Petra and Billy to the Atlantic Bubble, but just as you, I do not know, where precisely it is situated.

Only Nemo told, his ancient books tell, it will be some more years from now, before we will meet outside on dry land.

But he has made a plan, for which he needed all the crystals you together did collect, and sorted.
But to make it possible, to implement this plan, for the little ones, that means to make it come true, we have all to make a sincere promise.

Nobody will tell about this when home, while Atlantis, and their knowledge for now have to stay a mythe.”

Everybody nodded and a buzz went round the circle.

But the tone did say, they did understand, as well that they did expected, that people, who did not have a Homelander friend, would think, this was just another fairy tale or old story.

On went the Lady: “”Starting with the people, were the sun rises earliest this day, everybody comes through the pavilion, together with their Homelander friend.

There me or one of the Elder will give you a task, something you have to take care of. Some will need for that some of the crystals, we gathered near the crystal flag. Others will need something different.

We are not allowed by Nemo to tell each other, what we are going to do with the crystals, for when there is a rumor going around the world, there are so much crystals hidden, greedy people will destroy the balance in Nemo’s healing plans.”

Again a buzz went round the circle, and the Lady did let them talk for a moment, knowing, they better could do that here, as in the world.

When all calmed down again, she went on: “Do not think your mission is less important, when you did not get any stones with you, for it is not.

It is just the best you, and your friend can do on the place you do live.

Or just important for the whole planet, like the boat-cleaning project, you all did hear about, as the new trees, that are going to be planted, to protect the world.

This way, I can go on till tomorrow, when all of you have to be home.
So now I say goodbye to everybody, see each of you in the pavilion, and after that: have a good mirror hop home, and success with your missions!”

After this, she did give Wise Feather his talking stick back.
He used it, to tell everybody, who was a bit impatient, now the Pow Wow was over, to wait his turn, and he did lead all in fine order.

Billy and Petra got an extra message for Nemo, and the words: “You two will have to sort out in your lessons with Nemo a great lot, we still are not allowed to know.

But be brave, and courageous Billy, it cán be you, who is starting to bring the Atlantian knowledge to the humans of dry land.

So still it is important to learn your lessons well, to come in Homeland every now and than, so you will not look to strange about the world of dry land, when you are that one.

Now go, we will meet again.
Do not forget all those information for Nemo!”

After this, they did say goodbye to a lot of friends, and all kept their promise not to tell, what they had to do.
It was a pity, they would not see each other that often, Billy thought.

But on the other hand, not being used to have so many people around, he was very, very tired too.
It was really as Petra and Cindy told before: that one night in the normal world had been a week over here, so they had all the memories, tiredness, and happiness of that week together too.

When they mirror hopped home, they did see, they could bring the sacks to Nemo, and still had an hour of nice sleep to go, before another day began.

© Nan van Daalen, all rights reserved.

Chapter 18: The big Pow Wow, part 2.

Chapter 18: The big Pow Wow, part 2.

After so much fun and some sleep, Billy and Petra came by a group, that were talking around a flag, with a big, blue ocean on it.
And it was, as if suddenly a memory-switch in Billy’s head was turned over: Purple!

She was the one, with whom all this started, after Petra had come through the mirror. She was the one, who was crying about all the dirt in the oceans, who did make him aware of the word environment, and what that could mean.

Why did he not remember before, Billy did ask himself.
So in this ocean-group he asked: “Does anybody of you know Purple, and have you seen her around?”

Petra looked a bit guilty too, and did softly ask the same to Homelander children, in case the humans did not notice a mermaid.
But here in Homeland all could see, what was going on, so they pointed out, that Purple had a swim to have a great breath, while in the water breathing worked better for her.

But after that, she would swim up the wide ditch, they specially did dig for her, to all circles about the oceans, so she could be there too, and have her say.
Billy and Petra decided to wait for their friend, while Moy and Dory went to the group, with only crystals in their flag first.
They would come over to tell about it, they said.

“That was a lovely thought,” Petra said, when they left, “but Nemo had a lot of questions for them, so we have to go there our self.”
Billy nodded confirmation, but was distracted a bit, while his old friend Purple came swimming in.

“I knew you would come here, or in the other groups with a ditch. This friends have something you will not understand, but Nemo will.
Most of these people are Oceanographers and environmentalists.
That means, their profession is knowing all about the ocean, and the other are very concerned about the pollution, and nature, we talked about that before.
They also came together in the real world,” and there she did laugh loudly, “what was a bit awkward.”

“Why” Petra asked very surprised.

“While when they had met here, they did see each others friends, and when they did meet at an meeting about the pollution, they knew, the others were there too, but they only could see their own friend.
So sometimes they had to go, and sit in a separate room, so they could talk some things over, by asking their own friends!”

Again she laughed: “It is much easier, to have the Pow Wow over here, in Homeland! But the advantage of what they did is, they now do know things, other people with no Homelander friend are busy with too!”

“But how do I tell Nemo, what all those adult scientists are doing, I will not understand most, I guess,” Billy said.

“Not necessarily,” one of them said.
“We did put all on paper, for the Lady told about Nemo, and the knowledge of the Atlantians. So here is what you came for, and Violet can tell in words, you do understand, what is in it.”

This Violet told: “They did invent a kind of factory on a ship. It does resemble a big fishing trawler, only the catch-side is in front.
With that they manoeuvre through the heap of waste in the oceans.
Than sort it out in things, they can re-use by melting, like plastics, and what they have to burn.
The heat of the burning does help to make the plastic melt, so they can directly make either something useable of it, or blocks of plastic, to use later.

Sounds rather complicated by me, but they say, they can do it, so the beasts, the fish, and my friends do not have any trouble with that any more.”

Petra smiled: “that will make you and Nemo very happy!”

But Billy said: “Factories are polluting, I did understand, so how will make that both happy?”

“Me,” said Purple, “while I can stay a mermaid, my folks will not be discovered, as long as we stay out of the way of this rubble-recycling-boats.

And Nemo, while he will see in the papers, they use a part of the rubble, to get with of it, and still re-use, what they can.

Now go on to Moy and Dory, for I do see them waving. There is something going on over there in that circle.
I have to swim a round to come there too, so I can listen in.”

Away she swam.
Billy and Petra picked up the books for Nemo, put them in their carry bags, and went to the crystal circle.

When they arrived there, they had to protect their eyes, for enormous heaps of crystals, sorted to what kind, and what color were made, were laying ready for what there had to be done.

“You are just in time,” Cindy said, who was there with Lea, the Elders and the whole group, that had collected the crystals.

“You do see, that we have worked hard, to do as Nemo has asked.
We even sorted the crystals in the follow-up Nemo suggested by his color axel.

Here,” Lea said, handing them over some sunglasses, “put these on, so you are not blinded by the glitter and shine over here!”

Than the Lady took over again.
She said to Billy and Petra: “We have had about 1/3th of the time, we have to fill one night on earth.
But now we are shorten up your time a bit, by asking to wake up Nemo, and ask him, what he wants with the crystals and the maps.
We will tell him, we duplicated all, so we have enough maps and color-axels for a lot of people.

But we now do not know what to do with them, because our healers only do use crystals with human healing, not with earth healing.
Can you take me with you with the extra drawing please?
I am the only one, who can go everywhere, we have a drawing of. That is because I am the Lady.

I myself will take the pink/purple secret crystal with me in the box.
And all others will wait here for us.
For them it will be a short moment” she laughed.

With big eyes of wonderment Billy and Petra only could shake yes, took their mirror and the drawing of Billy’s bedroom, and with the 3 of them they mirror hopped to there.
Very hush they went outside to Nemo’s house, who was wide awake, as if he had been waiting for this moment.

“Welcome, Lady, Petra and Billy. I do see a lot of filled sacks, put them over there, if we do not need them directly.
Take a seat at this large table Lady, and you two too,” he pointed some nice chairs.

On the table was one of the maps, he had drawn, but there was a difference with those, he had given them before.
On certain places was drawn an axel of the colors, he had given them.

“Look, My Lady. This is, were all is done for.
You see some of these axels, and some are small, some are large.
I tried to give in centimeters how big they have to be.

There are other spots, that only have one color, and in that color group has to be certain crystals, I did write down by name.
They are marked with the round, colored spots with a number, that says, how much weight they do have to have.

On these spots, all over the world, you have to burry the stones, that have to heal the world.
As you see, there are 2 sorts of healing going on at the same time. The how I am not allowed to tell even to you,” he said when he looked in the Lady’s face.

Than he went further, knowing, the did not have much time: “The people, who do so, are to do this in a way, they will not been seen or in a manner, they are going to be found to soon.
Can you manage to give out the maps and the stones in a way, that nobody does know, where the others put them?”

The Lady did think for a moment and said: “I will do so within the secret circle, and give each one with a friend an instruction, just for them alone.
The smaller ones have to do something for the cleaning up in their own surroundings, or writing something for their classes.
Only Dory has to know, while one of the spots is on her Grandfathers land, but she will not tell.

Than I will end this big Pow Wow with the secret dance of White Feather, and announce a smaller Pow Wow in another ½ year.
There they have to show the things they made or pictures, like you got of this beautiful stone.”

After that she took out the secret box the stone, Nemo longed so long time to find again. Nemo sat down, totally flabbergasted with the honor, but his face was also gleaming like a star of luck.

“Will you take it back, or can I keep it here?” he asked after a short while.

The Lady answered: “The box still seems to want it back, it draws to the stone, so the time for you is not right.
We have learned to listen to an omen like this.”

“Alas,” Nemo sighed.
“But it was an honor, to see it, to hold it, and have such wonderful pictures of it, therefore I could complete my book.
Now, before to much time has gone for Billy and Petra, I have to say goodbye!”

“You are right, my friend.
But I will come, and visit you once in a while, when you made a drawing of your room, and give it to Petra, who can bring it to me.

We have lots of things to talk about, but you do still have not a Homelander friend. I am the only one, who can.
There is a lot to do for me, so it will be not very often.”

Nemo answered: “It would be an honor.”

Billy and Petra had rolled the map together while the adults were talking.
They knew, not all was for their ears.
Nemo or the Lady would tell, what they were allowed to know.

Than Nemo left the room, so they mirror hopped directly to the Lady’s tent.
There Cindy and Petra waited, together with 3 other very trusted friends.
They were send to collect the maps, and were told to mark each one with one axel or colorspot, and than write the name of the friend on it.

Billy and Petra were send to go around the nice things of the Pow Wow, they did not visit yet. So they could see all, and take with them, they had not gotten yet for Nemo.
They had a lovely time until the ending ceremony whould start.
© Nan van Daalen, all rights reserved.

chapter 17: The great Pow Wow, part one.

Chapter 17: The great Pow Pow, part one.

That evening, after playing with his sisters, listening to a story of mom about how they at university were trying to make the Kirlian photo’s that down here, in the bubble ware so normal, Billy asked: “would you like to go back to dry land? Or as you say, to the surface again?”

Mom did ask: “Why do you want to know?” and she did shake her head in wonderment.
“Would you, if you had the chance? And why do you ask?”

“Well….” Than a moment silence followed, “I do not know.
But since I have been in the house of knowledge, I do know there is so much more upside the land, I keep wondering.
And than again, you tell about the university, and how you tried to make those nice color-bubble photo’s Nemo just has to put on a machine for.
Than I do think: the Atlantians, I do know.
They are my friends, and maybe they do know more than the people on dry land.
I really think, I have to learn more about both. Is that silly?”

Mom did shake her head, and dad, who had just listened in, said: “may be the people did learn a lot more in the 10 years we now do live here.
I do not know either. But I am satisfied, mom and me did not drown.
We can do work we like to do, ánd we have you three kids.

In one of the other bubbles do live more nice dry-land people.
May be there is a time, we slowly can go back together, when all kids have grown and things like Purple said lately about pollution, are not solved.

Lets talk about that another time, when you have been sleeping, for that time is already past, and mom and me also have to discuss this with the others.
Promise, we will let you know!”

Billy looked satisfied, although he did know what his father did not: tonight he went to Homeland.
And if the story’s Petra told, were true, this one night for his father, could take more time for him…
So he kissed them al goodnight and happily went to his room.

He and Petra had laid ready the last things to take with them in the bags, also the last drawings, and their new mirror with the books, Lea and Cindy did make for them. They were ready, but they tried to rest till lights should go out.
So when those lights finally went out, their great mirror hop did start a real adventure.

They ended on the place, besides the tent of the Lady, stepping immediately out of the lines, so someone else could use it.
Waiting for them was a line of people, so for the first moment Billy looked a bit shy. So many humans he never had seen together.

In his mind he did miss the trusted form of the longer faces of his daily friends, the Atlantians.
But this was what he had been longing for, even had worked so hard for, so he swallowed his pride and fears, and with his head up high, he asked Petra: “And what now?”

Petra looked for Lea and Cindy, knowing that the most they had done with Nemo, also was investigated by them, and their group of people.
Out of the line came a little boy, very proudly carrying a flag with a book and some crystals.

“Hi, Petra, and you must be Billy.
I will bring you to the circle, that is for those, that have books or drawings ánd crystals. In there are also waiting Cindy, Lea and some elder people, but also a shy little girl, that just as you only once was in Homeland.
Will you help her a bit? Here it is,” he pointed, before he went back to the line to fetch some more people, that should belong to this group.

Lea and Cindy were talking with two very young girls, who hardly looked old enough that they could read.
But both had necklaces of crystals around their neck and arms.

Cindy told: “these are Moy and Dory.
Moy belongs in Homeland and Dory in the mountains of Montana, on high ánd dry land, one could say.”
“And I am Billy from the bubble under the sea, and my friend is Petra from here. What a lovely necklaces you do have!”

Dory said, “I did look for the crystals, that Moy did show me.
My grandfather is a miner, he does know a lot about stones and always tells about them.
Most people do think it is boring, of why do you not sell them for money, but granddad said, there comes a time we are going to need them.
So he stored them in a place, only me and Moy are knowing about.”

Petra, Cindy and Lea were interested, while Billy pondered about the question, so he asked directly: “how does your granddad know?”

The circle round them all became a bit bigger, some more people with books, drawings and crystals joined in and listened.
They did behave mostly, if they knew each other from other times, what was correct.

“Grandpa’s father had a Homelander friend too, and he told this stories, and what adventures they had to my dad, and he to me, so I was not so very surprised when Moy came through my new mirror.
We played a lot with the stones, made necklaces and other nice things with them, and only once before I came here to meet the Lady, who told about the Pow Wow.
Will you help me? I do not know how that works?”
Billy confessed: “I also was here only once before, and while I do live under the sea, all is strange to me.
I never have seen so many humans in the same place! But we have nice friends, and those around us look very friendly, so let’s stick together.”

Lea said: “That is just, what this circle is for.
Cindy, being the lady’s great niece, is the one in charge.
All the others know about what we are doing, and looking for in this circle.
Most have met in between the time the Lady said we will have this Pow Wow and now.

But before we start talking, there will be the big opening ceremony.
We all are going behind the boy with our flag.
The oldest and wisest in front, the ones that are from Indian heritage, who look so nice in their costumes” she added for Billy and Dory,” will dance on the sound of the drums.
When we all are in the secret circle, Wise Feather and the Lady will welcome us, ask the great spirits in the sky, that other people do call God, or Allah, or even other names, for guidance to find, what we do seek.
After that we all dance to our own circle, and go and do the things we came for.”

And so it happened.
It was a lovely, colorful view, some were in nice dresses, Billy later certainly would ask questions about.
But now he had to keep his attention on how he had to dance on the tones of the drums. And even more, to understand all, Wise Feather and the lady told about the why of this Pow Wow.

Luckily Lea and Cindy could explain a lot about all later.
That was very nice, for Petra only had met Wise Feather once, and Nemo had nothing in his books about Indians or other native tribes.

Before they start comparing, what they did bring with them, they did choose a table for food, and did put there a bucket with water and some towels.
Nobody did like their books or drawing fatty with grease of the food.

And on one table, the stones came, everybody did collect, and had no need for to get them back home the next day,
Stones Billy and Petra had not, but Nemo’s drawings and the lists they made, were as good as gold.

And little Dory did already know, she had to leave her shiny toys behind, like her grandpa had told her, as did Moy.

All people in the group wondered, how come, they did not know, there still were Atlantians in few secret hiding places. But when the Lady said so in the secret circle, it hád to be true.
And Billy, living with them, had brought knowledge, most people did know a tiny bit of, like the force of the stones, or the sequence of the colors.
But not much people did know, you could combine most, or that the earth had the same colors hidden in itself.

Carefully they did lay down the drawing of the axel.
Cindy suggested: “Is there some of the elder people, that can make this big copy’s now, mirror-hopping home? And of that list of crystals and names. And when done, come back immediately?”
Two ladies nodded and volunteered, one saying: “When I do the Axel on my color copy machine, nobody will ask, even if one by accident is fallen on the ground, while I am an artist, who is discovering all there is about colors.
Can you do the other ones? In that case, we are back in a whimsy!”

So they decided, and the ones who stayed behind, looked at all the books, now laying on the other tables.

Each table had a motive, so Dory did ask: “I cannot read well, but I do see, that the pictures are almost the same.
Is that while one book is about what Billy calls chakra’s, and another about mountains?”

Billy admired the little girl, for his reading was also not very well yet, but she was right.

Than the Lady and the Elder came in their circle, just when the others mirror hopped back with the copy’s.
Together they talked, how they should divide the tasks.

Than the Lady did ask Billy and Petra, Moy and Dory to come with her outside their book-crystal circle.
There she told them, that a Pow Wow for children also was, to learn about what others do.
To have fun in discovering.
And to see, what more there was in the world.

So she did tell them: “Do not worry about time, as your friends have told before. When this Pow Wow is over, there only will be gone one night in the real world.
So you can go with your friends everywhere, you want to know something about.

Everybody will show you, what they are doing or talking about in a way, you understand. Have fun kids!”

Than she waved and went on, busy like always.

But first Billy and Petra had to tell Nemo’s story about the axel of the world, with the same colors as the axel in everybody’s body, the backbone.
And that Nemo said, they should search as much as possible sets of combinations of this axel in crystals.
And if that was done, they were allowed to go back to the bubble, to fetch some information, Nemo still was working on.

Than the others, seeing the eagerness in the kids eyes, did send them looking in the other circles, while they were looking, what was the same, and what was different in the books of the humans and Nemo’s Atlantian drawings.

Billy and Petra and all the other kids had the time of their life.
In almost all circles was something, they were interested in, or good to taste, or just a nice soft place to take a nap, before going on dancing, talking, asking or just back to their own circle.

Life was busy, but good in Homeland during the Pow Wow.
Billy almost wished, it never came to an end.

But he also knew, there were serious things to do, and he would miss his mom and dad and sisters to much, even Nemo and his Atlantian friends.
So he did the most logical: he enjoyed as much he could, while also asking all questions he could think of.
He even asked some people to write down what they said, while he did not understand what they were talking about.
So slowly but surely the bags, Petra had laid ready, were filled with the answers Nemo was looking for. And in the mean time, they made a lot of fun too!

© Nan van Daalen, all rights reserved.

Chapter 16: Pow Wow preparations.

Chapter 16: Pow Wow preparations.

The next morning, after a long sleep, filled with colors and dreams, Billy woke up. Petra already had gone, but now he was used, she sometimes went her own way, and while his belly said, he was hungry, he prepared for breakfast.

Al where there: mom, dad, Lilo, still a bit bleak, but looking better than yesterday, and Violet, content chewing on a ring of very smooth material.

Billy did ask mom: “What is Violet doing?”
“She is chewing a biting ring, you did use.
Like Lilo did, when you two got teeth as well.
And the healing Lady gave Lilo a massage, and some stones to wear, until she feels totally well again.”

“Is that, while they are pink-purple-ish?” Billy asked.
”How do you know?” wondered Lilo.

“Nemo and me have yesterday talked about crystals, and what they can do.
We had a big book out of the house of knowledge with us.
And he showed me all colors around me with an apparatus.
Did he not teach you that?”he asked Lilo.

“No, I mostly got my lessons from a lady Atlantian, while sometimes girls do learn other things than boys,” Lilo said.

“But the apparatus, you are talking about, we also do use, when she is teaching me about healing,” Lilo proudly told.

“May be we can ask, we can have some lessons together soon, while it does show a bit, what we are talking about, too,” Billy said.
“Or do you think your Lady teacher does not like that?”

“I will ask Monadi, as you do the same with Nemo.
But first I have to be balanced again,” said Lilo, and went back to bed.

After breakfast Billy met Petra on the way to Nemo, and told, what he found out this morning.
“I knew,” Petra said, “sometimes, when I am not with you and Nemo, I do end up with Lilo and Monadi.
But while they mostly speak about things, who did not interest you until lately the crystals, I never mentioned it.”

“Did you learn a lot of them?” Billy asked curious.
“And were there things, you think Nemo has to know?”

“I do think, by the way they do use the same books, sometimes even the same words, they do know the same about what we are doing.
They only look at it on a different way, we do. A girly way.
And you are a boy who has to do more!
So lets go on, we have a lot of drawings to make today!” Petra urged.

So their day went very fast with preparations.
Only Nemo was curious about one thing: “Billy told me, that time goes different in Homeland, and so the books do say.
And nobody will miss him, while it does look, like he is still in bed.
Is that right Petra?”

“Yes, it is. In Homeland, there always is time to do, what need to be done.
There are a few people, who instinctive seem to know, how much time went by on thís world. Lea, the friend, I was telling about before, was out only for one night.
But in Homeland, it did look as if it were weeks.

As long as you do not go to much from our world to Homeland and back.
But that will not be the case, I do think, unless we do have to wake you up for information. Than time flies, as always!” Petra laughed, thinking of the few mistakes she herself had made with that, before she understood.
So they went on finding crystal forms, and colors as needed.

In Homeland at the same time, other preparations were being made.

The old place between what had been Homeland and the Otherlander place, was again set ready for this.
It had done it’s job good last time, and was big enough.

Under the guardian eyes of Wise Feather and Rob, who found some more people with Indian friends, they made all ready:
The secret circle, for the dance, at who’s rim the Medicines people, the elder and wiser people should sit, was cleaned.

All around it were smaller circles, where a flag did show, what kind of group was expected to use it.

There was a flag with a book, but also a big one with stones.
There also were flags with windmills and other machinery, Billy and Petra would not recognize, but the dry-lander’s should.

Big fires were made, and on the most pots of food were simmering, besides other places for food and drink.

There also were a lot of tables and benches around the flag with the books, so they needed not to be laid on the ground.

And as always in Homeland: there was space enough, for all that were expected.

But of all this, Billy had no idea, and Petra only could only suppose so, while she also had seen how the Lady and Elder had done, when Lea and Cindy came to the last Pow wow, to ask for help, solving the Otherlanders and their Gang problem.

“It really was nice, to know that in Homeland there is place, and a solution for all, with a little help from our friends” she loudly concluded her thoughts.

Nemo and Billy looked up, wondering, what she was talking about.

“Oh, I was thinking about the last Pow wow we had, and how well the Lady and the Elder did solve all, while they managed everybody, to do that, what was needed,” she answered.

Than Petra told about the field, and how everybody had found a place, while in Homeland always was time, and a place for all and everyone.

“You did mention that before,” Nemo said. “But what do you mean by that?
My books do not tell such things at all.
Probably, while I myself have no friend from Homeland, and they find things like that normal.”

“That is true,” Petra said.
“We ourselves even sometimes do forget, that time here, and with us in Homeland is totally different.
Even while we do have places, like the cave, where the grannies and the baby’s stayed, to learn about that.”

Nemo nodded understanding, but Billy looked, as if he did see water burning.

“Time is always the same, or not?” he said, looking very surprised to Nemo.
He said: “No, that only does look so.
But very learned people understand the relation between time and distance, and in Homeland that will be so too,” looking for confirmation to Petra.

“Yes, in Homeland there always is time, to do what is necessary.
But we have to watch that very well, so nobody is home again late, so their family will have sorrows, that are not necessary.”

With those words she looked at Billy. “They will see you in your bed, when they look around the door, to see if all is well.
But to show Nemo it works, we can go, and deliver already some of this papers to the Lady, and ask her, if there is more she does want from us?”

“But is it not a secret, how we travel?” Billy asked surprised.
“Yes it is,” Petra said, “so we will travel from another place, he cannot see.”

Nemo did not like it, he could not come. But there still was no Homelander friend found for him, so it stayed: no, he could not.
Billy and Petra did bring the papers and drawings, Nemo and they themselves had made, to the Lady.

The Lady had laid ready a lot of photo’s of the pink/purple crystal, an older friend from the world above water had specially made for Nemo.
Therefore he was not too much disappointed, while he seemed almost absorbed by the good view he had of this crystal, as he had of how big it was, while there was a measure besides it on one of this photo’s.
So he could complete his own axel with the right form and color.

He did send Petra and Billy swimming in the moat, while he thought, they did deserve a bit of free time to play.
This night, there had to be done a lot of work, so a bit relaxation in advance was no bad idea.

After swimming Billy did play a bit with his sisters, listened to another story of daddy about the time, he grew up on dry land, thinking, it was ok daddy did not now about Homeland.
For he did hear sometimes a bit of homesickness in that story. Specially when daddy told about climbing trees, and running down hill, and the plays, he and his friends did play.

Petra did find some sacks to carry things from Homeland to the bubble and back.
Billy had not spend any thoughts about this, but it seemed to be a good idea.
You never could know.

That evening they took the rest of the drawings, Nemo made, some fresh clothes for Billy, for when it would be colder or hotter than the bubble, with it’s steady temperature, and off they went: mirror hopping to the Pow wow.

© Nan van Daalen, all rights reserved.

Chapter 15: Colors and crystals again.

Chapter 15: Colors and crystals again.

The next morning seemed to go slow: Lilo did not like her breakfast and Violet was crying, something she almost never did.
Billy looked to mom and dad helplessly, not knowing what to do.
Petra, who in Homeland also had a little sister, acted, unseen by the others, like she was slowly rocking the baby.

Billy thought, he could ask and try, so he said: “would it help If I rock Violet a bit, so she falls asleep?”

Mom wondered, but thought, that Billy had not said or played very much with his sister, like Lilo had done, but had seen hér doing so.

“Yes please, Billy, for daddy has to go to his project with the others. Than I can have a look what is wrong with Lilo. Nemo will understand, if you tell him why you are late.”

So for the first time without anybody watching but Petra, Billy took Violet in his arms, and slowly rocked her, singing softly a little song, he remembered mom singing when he had been small.

“Little, little sheep, do you have some wool? Meh, meh, yes three bags full, one for the morning and one for the old, and one to huddle in, when I’m going cold.”

Slowly Violet calmed down, while she did suck on Billy’s finger, like she sometimes did with mom or Lilo too.
Than he discovered something strange: Violet did not have teeth yet, and still there was a hard spot in her gum.

So when mom came back, after putting Lilo back to bed, he asked: “When do baby’s get teeth, mom? It does feel hard in her mouth!”

Mom took over Violet and said: “Well, Violet is starting to get them early than. And it hurts a bit, while they have to go through the skin in her mouth, that’s why she is crying. And Violet is getting a bit ill, but do not worry, I did send for the healing lady. So thank you for helping out, and now go to Nemo quickly, so he has not to wait to long for you."

When Petra and Billy were outside, Billy did thank Petra and asked: “Hoe did you know?”

“Well, I have younger siblings too, and we are taught to help too” but the question made her smile.
"Sometimes I do miss the little ones, so I am glad, you do have 2 sisters, that does make it more easy for me. Let’s run, who is the first at Nemo’s!” and of she was.

At the same time they arrived at Nemo’s, although Petra started running a little bit earlier.
There Billy wanted to know first: “What is a sheep? I remember mom singing that song, but what IS a sheep?”

Nemo looked at Perta, if she did know, for he already was busy with colors and crystal shapes.
So he went on, while Petra said: “that is an animal.
On dry land or the world above, they are kept, while they grow a thick coat of wool each year.
When not with people, they just loose this heavy coat by rubbing against ruff surfaces, but people had learned to cut the wool of, when the days got to hot, so they could make clothes of it.
And some people did eat not only vegetables and fish, but also meat from certain animals, sheep to.”

“Oh, I just do eat, what is on my plate and never do ask mommy what it is. May be I should have?” he answered.

“Well, when you are old enough to go to the growing bubble, you learn also about that. While there is, where all things we do eat grow, some small animals too.
But we seldom do eat them, besides fish.
We do think, that is not so necessary.
People above do eat a lot more of it, although more while they do like it very much, as while they need this every day” Nemo said.

“But now come, and tell what made you late today.”
So they did tell about Violets coming first tooth, and Lilo being a bit ill. Than they had their attention to the colors, on Nemo’s drawing.

“It does look, like there is a certain follow up in colors, you did use on that … what is it? A stick?”

“That is an axel.
An axel is something, around what something else is rotating.” He answered.

“Like the ball a few days ago?” Petra said?
“That is right. In the rotating of the ball, you could not see the axel, but it is there too.
For all things have a center, a ball also, even when you can not see it.
And a ball also has an axel, that makes it go round, like I did show you.
Our world does have that too.
The bottom end is called the south pole and the top end the north pole.
So the world rotates between 2 polar ends. This way it is created.
This axel has the colors you see in this stick, as you call it.”

“Has that a reason?” Billy asked, and Petra also looked very interested, like she had not heard so before.

“Yes, in this whole world this is a time and again repeating pattern. It works in all there is.” Nemo said.

“That often, you say it twice?” Petra asked.

“More often, as anyone does realize” was the answer.
“It does belong to this world, and each other world has a slightly different pattern of colors. But that is not interesting for now.
What we are going to do, is finding a sequence of crystals that precisely matches this sequence.”

“Sequence?”

“The same follow up of this line.
We used to have, in the days the Atlantians still did live above ground, a supply of each crystal, so we could choose.
Now we have to do, with what the friends come up with at the Pow Wow.
So it has to be done very carefully, this drawing.
You two can help, by wearing gloves again, and looking for the right colors crystal.

And yes, you get a small pencil, and a piece of paper to note down, the names of the crystals, and the colors you did find.
But do not press to hard, otherwise the core of the pencil does brake, and it is gone before it need to be.”

Again it was like a game of hide and seek: the crystals were hidden over several pages, while they also had different shapes with the same kind of colors.

Than finally, when all was written down and colored by Nemo to his satisfaction, he told some more.
Billy and Petra were ready to listen, tired from concentrated searching.

Than Nemo explained: “all does have a kind of axel, the earth, but also a human.
In a ball, you can imagine it very easy, by just putting a stick trough it.
That would be hard in an human, would it?”

Both laughed, but were to interested to intervene.

“So the axel in a human lays in the backbone. There it is protected by bone.
And it does have the same colors from down to up.
In a human the places, where those colors are the brightest, are power-centers, called chakras.
There goes the energy in and out, up and down, the easiest.
That does help to keep your body healthy.

People do use nowadays sometimes crystals again, luckily, like we used to do, although not with the force, we could use, and luckily some of us still can.

The world also has such an energy going on, like I did say before.
Not much people can see this, so you do have to believe me, when I do say so.
In the earth, there belongs those crystals in the same follow up.
That is deep inside, and humans have not the skills to delve that deep to our luck, so the most important big crystals still are in the right place.

Only the purple-pink healing crystal, the one that belongs between the purple and the white top one, was lost, and now is found in the box of the Lady.

To try out, if the system with a little help can be healed a bit, before the time we are allowed to show ourselves again in our predictions, we are going to try to lay it on as much places on the earth, and on maps of the earth, the right stones.

For that we are going to use, what we do have of the list, you two just made.”

“You do say so, Nemo, but I never have seen colors around a human,” Billy said.

Petra laughed: “In Homeland there are more people, who can see that, not all, just a few. Perhaps that is just so with humans, Nemo?”

He nodded, scratched behind his ears, as if he tried to remember something, and said: “Ah, yes, in the house of knowledge is a machine, that will show you.
Lets go there, and take the color-stick and your list with us, so we can compare, if we did our job well.”

They went, and in the house Billy did lay his hands on two tablets, than Nemo turned a switch and suddenly it did look, like there was a boll of colored light around Billy.
Petra and Nemo held the color stick besides it, and it nearly matched, only the pink one was missing.

“You see, that's the one in the Lady’s box, it was not in the book.
Shortly, when I have hopefully seen it, it will be again, otherwise one of you two will have to draw a precise drawing for me” he said, and switched of the machine.

“That was awesome!”Billy said. “Can I tell at home I did learn about this?“

“You can tell about the axel of the world and the colors of your body, while your mom and dad also do know about that.
They did work with them on dry land already. They did call this Kirlian photogaphy. But you cannot tell, why we are researching this right now.”

“Researching?”
“Investigating, finding out how and why it works,” Nemo answered.

Now lets go back to the normal classroom, and finish the drawing for the Lady.
We only have one more day after this to finish it.
Remember, the night after this one is the great Pow Wow, you 2 are expected with this answers.
So take care to sleep very well tonight.
Yes, I do know you sometimes talk late, while you have to do that when the others are not around, except me. But not tonight. Promise?”

That they did, knowing there was a lot to do still, before all the Lady did need from them was done. And they had no intentions to break that promise to the Lady and all the others.

© Nan van Daalen, all rights reserved.

Chapter 14: What Billy, Petra and Nemo found out.

Chapter 14: What Billy, Petra and Nemo found out.

Billy found out, it took more courage, that he had imagined, to keep the drawing in the book for the new mirror, and than get enough confidence, so he could step through.
Petra did show him twice, how she did do it, and came back in one piece, with the drawing of his bedroom above, to come back.

Then finally he dared.
This was the most scary thing, he ever did, knowing, he went to an entire new world. But he did it.
He even kept his eyes open, to miss nothing.
The first he did see, was the bright light of the sun, so he blinked his eyes to adjust.

Than there was the green.
He never did realize, there were so much shades of green.
And when he finally dared to look up, there was the most brilliant blue, he only knew from the pictures on the murals, he had seen yesterday.
Even the blue of his moms dress was not that clear.

And when he had a good look around, it strangely did look, as if he always had lived in a place like this.

“It does not feel strange, Petra. It does feel a bit like home!” he said.

Petra had to laugh.
“Most friends do feel a bit like this.
But also, for most friends, who do come here for the first time, it is less strange, while it looks like home for them.
Dry land, as the people in the bubble do say. It looks, like the illustrations in their fairy tale books.”

“What are illustrations, and what is a fairy tale book?” Billy wondered.

“In the world most people do have books, while paper is not so valuable as in the bubble. So each kid becomes books like Nemo has.
They are smaller of course and there are stories for kids in them.
They also have nice colored pictures in them, like you did see yesterday on the wall, in the house of knowledge.
Those pictures are called illustrations, while they do show, what is in the story.”

“Are all kids books fairy tale books?” Billy wanted to know.

“No, of course not. There are all kinds of books, from just stories until books like Nemo possesses.
And a fairy tale book is a special kind of kids book.” Petra answered.

“Why it is so special, are the stories different than?”

“Yes, they are, although most people do not know why, the only do know the fairy tales are mostly old.
But they are written by someone, who does have a friend in Homeland, and they always do teach something, that is kept safe for all times.”

“What are you driving at, when you do say it this way?”
Billy got more and more curious.

“Well, I did tell how Lea and Cindy did meet, did I not?
For Lea was the message, there are different kinds of friendship.
There even is a kind that looks like it, but is not, remember?”

Billy nodded yes, and said: “that is why you always underline, I have to learn patience and trust, to become a good friend.
So that is a Homeland or fairy tale message.”

“You did understand!
A story can teach you something, but does not need to come from Homeland, where all secrets of life are saved.

In the most fairy tale books are illustrations, somebody with a Homelander friend has made.
Therefore this surroundings do look familiar to most friends.
And while you parents did tell, how their life was, before they were saved, to live in the bubble, ánd you did see the illustrations of Nemo, it is the same for you too.

Come, lets have a walk, and see, if we find somebody, I did tell you about.
And when you do want to know, how a tree feels, just touch it.
How is the smell of that flower? Just smell it” she said laughing.

So before Billy went far, he touched, and smelled, and said: “all is so nice and fresh here, like new!”

“That is, while all that is good, is saved here.
So the air smells, like it belongs: fresh. The trees always have the color leaves, belonging to the season.
About season I tell you later, for there are Amany and the Lady.
I do think, we should go to them, and hand over Nemo’s letter.”

Billy became a bit shy, so he stood there in ah, not knowing how to behave.
Than he saw Petra going to the Lady, and just was pulled by the hand by Amany, who said: “well, Billy, Petra will have told you I am Amany.
Let’s go, the Lady does not bite… she loves us all!”

Than Billy gave the Lady a hand, like he had learned from his mom and dad and said: “Lady, Nemo has given us a message for you. Would you like to have it now?”

The Lady slowly did read it, while for her it was a long time ago, she had seen those Atlantian lettering.
Than she laughed, and said: “Tell Nemo, we will do as he asks. But Nemo does have to have a bit patience, for I do not know, if all the crystals, he is asking for, will be there, when the big Pow wow will be.

Amany had not have a dream about it, so we will have to wait patiently.
Now go and play a bit with the other kids.
I do see, they are playing football, and you always think it a bit sad, there are not enough kids around, to play this proper.”

Billy looked at Petra, who nodded and said: "What are you waiting for? That’s mostly a boys game, so I will talk a bit with Amany and the Lady."

That’s how Billy got used to Homeland: after feeling and smelling he did play his favorite game, so he never ever hesitated anymore, to go there, when it was necessary later in his life.

The Lady did write on a new paper the answer, Nemo was searching.
Than she did send one of the Homelanders with an adult friend, to find an atlas, in which was, how the world now did look, with all the maps, Nemo was looking for.

Further to bring a big notepad, and some pencils, among which a box with all colors of them.
That was easier to come by, when asked for from an adult friend, she explained Petra.

Than the football match was over, Billy came back, hungry, tired and all he wanted now was something to eat and than going to sleep.

He just said so, and the Lady told: “You will have all the time to rest, you will need in the bubble.
For in Homeland, there is always time to do, what is necessary, without interfering in your daily life. Petra will later explain.
Now go home, and in 2 of your nights, the big Pow wow will be here.
You are invited, together with Petra, to deliver Nemo’s answer.
So take this all to him safely, and let Petra carry it to him, so nobody else will see this.”

Amany said: “Have a safe mirror hop. And do not go by yourself, for you still do not know all the rules of Homeland. We do not want you being lost.”

So back they went, and Billy did see on his clock, there only had been gone a few minutes. But he was too tired to wonder, having played a nice game of football and seeing all those new things.

The next day Nemo did read the Lady’s answer.
Billy and Petra were curious, but knew, Nemo only would tell something, when he had finished reading.

Than he unwrapped the parcel, and with a big sigh of satisfaction did see, all he needed was in there.
The kids could not explain, why he did look so satisfied, so they looked at him with big eyes of anticipation.

“Where do you need that for?” Billy could not wait his turn again.

“In the time, we did live deep in the sea in our bubble, the world became a bit different. How that works I will explain later.
There also are a lot more cities, full of people, where no one did live, when we were there, except the animals and plants.

So in order to see, if our ancient wisdom of crystals can help, I do need to know, how the world looks today.
That I do find in this atlas.
Look, that blue lines does say: here is water, a river.
That colors on this maps do say: here is a mountain, and there is flat land.
And the big, big blue pieces are seas or oceans.
And here, just in the middle of this ocean, where the map says the water is the most deep of the world, on this spot, we have build our bubble.”

“So therefore you were so satisfied to see, the humans cannot dive deep enough to find us,” Petra said.

But why do you need those lovely colored pencils?” Billy said, a bit envious while he had to write with coral sticks, that scratched sometimes on the sleet.

“Well,” Nemo said, “when you are very careful, you can use them when we are drawing special things for your lessons. But for now, I do need them to draw something the Lady does need, so you only can look.”

There was a bit of disappointment in Billy’s eyes, but also an ah, when he did see Nemo draw with sure hands a map of the world.

Of course not all was on it, like in the book, the Lady called atlas, but they clearly did recognize the outlines, and the mountains, and the biggest of the cities.

Than Nemo took the colored pencils, and did try each color carefully, sometimes a bit mixing them until he got the right shade, fitting to one of the crystals in his old book.

At that moment Billy’s patience was ended, so he did ask: “Why are you doing that?”

“While each crystal has its own place, and function.
I did tell you, the purple one was the crystal of healing for us Atlantians. Specially the one with this form,” he pointed to a crystal, with 5 sides, ending in a point.

“This one is normally hidden inside a bowl, that from the outside looks, like a very big pebble.
But when it is broken, the inside is covered with these.
They mostly are found in the medium sized mountains. We were able to take them out, long ago and let them grow, until we had the size we needed.

Now only the earth itself can grow them, and luckily the very big ones, we do need to heal the earth, grow that deep, they are not discovered, and taken out yet for rich people to make jewels.

Luckily there are enough left in their rough state, so they can be used for the sacred act of healing, like we did once.

We are going to look in our olden books, if the places, where they were, before our Atlantis sunk under the sea, still are in the same place.
Both of you will also wear gloves and will be very, very careful!”

“Of course,” Billy said, “You told, these books were irrepla…”
“Irreplaceable,“ Nemo repeated.

With that, they filled the rest of the lessons, so without even noticing, while it did look like a game of hide and seek, Billy and Petra learned, where the most important things of this earth were.

“Can I tell mom and dad tonight, what we were doing today?” Billy asked, when the lesson was over.

“You can tell them, we did do geography, that is the adult word for knowing, where something is on earth.
But not about the pencils.
And only about the crystals, that you are learning, there are different ones growing in the earth. When they do need to know, I myself will tell them.

Now you have seen Homeland, you can imagine, they can get homesick to live above again. And you did see in Cindy and Lea’s book that paper, that explained, how difficult that will be in this world.

Can I trust, you are big enough to keep this all a secret as long as necessary?” Nemo accentuated again.

Billy looked indignant, and said: “I did not tell about Petra, did not I?”

“But this is even a bigger secret, and the Lady and Amany said, it had to stay that way, until they told you, you can talk about it,” Petra said.

And Nemo added: “than they even have to make that trip up without you and your sisters, when it have to be soon, for it does take a very long time to get used to less water pressure, and live normally on land level, like you can do in Homeland without any trouble. So promise!”

Billy promised.
And found out the same evening, how hard that promise was, while to his luck, Petra was besides him, invisible for the rest of the family.
She gave him a punch, when he started about the trees, he had seen, so he could go on with: “in the house of knowledge” the moment he realized his mistake.

That night, his dreams of Homeland were about how it really did look like, at least the part of it, he had visited yet.

And he dreamed of all colors of crystals, even in his dream guessing, what Nemo would tell about that tomorrow.

© Nan van Daalen, all rights reserved.

Chapter 13: Homeland and dry land.

Chapter 13: Homeland and dry land.

The next morning, after a night of the strangest dreams about how dry land should look, Billy did wake up a bit confused. Just before mom did call for washing and breakfast, he could tell Petra about it.

All she could say was: “You still have to have a bit of patience, the first of the Ladies rules has happened, while yesterday your mom and dad did tell, how they did grow up on dry land. May be it comes true sooner than you imagine!”

So after their walk, during which Billy kept asking how trees did look like, and was it not scary to live without a hard rim above you to protect you from the open sky, Nemo also had a surprise in classes.

He took both of them with him to another house, Billy never was in, while unlike all others without inhabitants, this one was locked up.
Therefore he never had explored it, like he did so many others, finding his treasure-mirror as result.

“Why is this house locked, Nemo? Are here such special things?” Billy asked.

“Wait a bit, you impatient rascal,” Nemo laughed.
“We did not build all houses in the bubble in one day! So you also cannot learn the whole history in one day too.
That is for humans like you, a more slow process as for Atlantians, while you have to see all for yourself first to get any idea.

We can, as you by accident learned when Petra showed the crystal was not lost, talk with out thoughts, even send a kind of picture, and the other does understand what I am talking about.
That is, why you did miss so much of that lesson, the first time I did show the book of the great city, and we had those Atlantian youngsters as guest.”

“I did not notice you did know,” Billy said, a bit ashamed.

“Of course I did, but you are special, for humans do learn differently from Atlantians, that is the reason you and Lilo get classes apart mostly.
And the Atlantian youngsters will probably stay their whole life under water, may be go in the submarine to the gardening bubble or somewhere else, to investigate.
But they never will live on dry land in the near future.

It is however possible, that your parents, you or one of your children, when it is necessary, have to live on dry land. I shall now, by going in this museum, show you both, why I do think so.”

In he went, and all the lights went on, when they entered.
Billy did look a bit estranged, while in most houses, where nobody lived anymore, this possibility was shut down, and the adventure of going in there was made extra exciting, while he had to explore in the half light, that came in from outside.

“Do you come here more often, that the light is still working?” therefore he asked.

“Yes, I do, and so do the Atlantian Kids.” Nemo answered.“Now follow me.”

With those words he did lead them along a path, marked on the floor with a green line.
Billy and Petra wondered, while there was a myriad of colored lines on the floor, sometimes crossing, sometimes going along side, other times bending in a room, they went not in, while the green line did not go there.

The moment Petra did point to those lines, Nemo just started to say: “this lines are for the ones, who want to study by themselves.
This house is a kind of house of knowledge, where everybody, who has studied, can find the answer on his questions, by going to the index, asks what color he has to follow, than do so, and pays attention to all he sees while walking his line.

This morning, I did ask the index to mark a green line, to explain how trees and scrubs became trees and scrubs, and what their function is.”

Billy could not keep his mouth shut: “what is an index?”

“You have seen in some books, there is in front a page, on which is marked, what is on the other pages.
In this house the index is very old, and it does work on memory crystals.
That is an art we alas did loose too, but now the healing crystal is found again, there may be some others return as well!”

Along all kinds of painted walls the green line did send them.
Nemo explained things, that did not were clear for the kids, while they had not the Atlantian ability, to understand just by seeing.

So slowly Billy did get an idea, how dry land could really look like, although the smell and the sun, like Petra, mom and dad had told about, where not there.

Billy did feel really at home with those paintings.
It was like he came home in a home he never did see before. “So this is, how dry land really does look like?” he asked with a big smile on his face.

“A small piece of it, at least.
The piece, where your mom and dad were living.
Other parts of the world do look different, but your dad told me, where he came from, and that’s a good starting point.”

“But why did you not show this me before? Wondered Billy. “Is it while you were not sure I ever would need or see that?”

Nemo nodded yes, and said: “how things do develop nowadays, and the questions Purple, the Lady and you are asking, my books about what is to come tells, we are going to prepare for a help action. So you too, Billy!”

First billy looked flabbergasted, than he jumped out of his skin with a big yell: “wow, maybe I can see Homeland or dry land sooner as I did think!”

Petra said: “You do forget 2 things: for the first the lady has to give permission, and for the second you have to grow a few more years, Nemo told, remember?”

“Yes, I remember, but you often do say, Homeland does look like dry land, so that will make the time look shorter, I will have to wait until I am grown up enough!” he said enthusiastic, not letting his happy mood disturb by such things.

“All you now have to ask the Lady, if Nemo does not know the answer by his books, if that water and air pressure thing also works so difficult in Homeland.
Or not perhaps?”
He did not let his enthusiasm dampen by any hindrance, so eager he was.

“Lets wait and see, what Petra says tomorrow,” Nemo said, “we did tell you, the Lady has the last word of ok for that.”

So Petra again went to Homeland for the night.
There the lady, Cindy, Lea and Amany were already waiting for her.

The Lady had a big smile on her face, while she said: “So your little impatient friend found out, the time is there, he can come over here!”

“How do you know?”Petra wondered.

Amany said: “I did dream, he was present with the big pow wow, that will be in 2 days. Remember, the Lady asked all, who had a friend to come with what they found about the environment and about crystals?
Billy is needed there too, I did dream.”

Than Cindy took over: “Lady, would it not be wise, he has been here before he has to meet so many people? He only is 8 years of age, and Petra tells, there do live only a handful of humans in the bubble.
So only meeting so many people like himself will be strange enough for the first time.”

“You will be a very good Lady, when it will be your turn to be in the future,” the Lady said.
“I did not think about that.
besides, he has to get used to have air above him and a landscape around him, he does not see the end of.
It seems the best, he comes for a short first visit tonight.”

Petra jumped of joy. Lea and Cindy only could laugh, but also had a surprise.
“One mirror in the bubble is not much, we do not know, if there are more.
So while they are easy to buy in the country, I do live in, I did buy 2 sturdy, small ones.
And Cindy and me have discussed, which places would be good for him to see, so we made 2 travel books for you and Billy, just like we have,” Lea said.

“Take good care of them, and do not show them to anybody but Nemo, unless the lady tells you otherwise.” Amany said.

“That also was very important in my dream.
Billy’s mom and dad could get homesick to dry land, when they do know their son can come to Homeland, that looks so much like the normal world.
And while you did forget again, Petra: In Homeland, where all paper things….“

“Of course,” Petra answered.
“On paper there is no air or water pressure, so here all is possible.
How could I forget again?” she wondered.

“May be, while in Homeland everybody only learns and knows, what is necessary to know here and now.

So all mothers and grandmothers do tell now about water pressure and pollution, as if they never have done otherwise,” the Lady told with a wink to Petra.

“Now go, and take our little rascal for a short trip over here tonight” the Lady ordered, so Petra did.

First they did show Nemo their new treasures, while that was allowed.
Full of interest he pointed out things, he remembered, with that showing how old he was in reality.
He even could explain a picture, Lea had done in between the drawings, she did make. It came out of her biology book, and showed a page about deep sea diving, and the dangers.
It even had chards, which said something about how long you had to wait, before you could come up another 10 meters, when you had a very deep dive.
It also showed him, until which depth humans were able to dive, and that was not as deep as the bubble was.

About that he was very relieved, so they could not be discovered before the time, it really was necessary, like his books told.

That evening Petra and Billy for the first time went together to Homeland, with a message of Nemo, written on one of their empty papers.

They only could not read well enough Atlantian, to understand all.
What they discovered, they were going to tell Nemo, so lets wait, and hear later, what they did tell him, shall we?

© Nan van Daalen, all rights reserved.

Chapter 12: Questions and more questions.

Chapter 12: Questions and more questions.

Billy and Petra now slowly used to be together on certain hours, but also were able to let the other find something to do for themselves.
For Billy that was difficult in the beginning.
Now he finally had a friend of his own, of which only Nemo knew, but also he had to learn better lesson number 2, this better could not interfere with his normal life.

That had another advantage: they often found out different things: Petra by strolling around the bubble, and seeing with a fresh look all that was new for her, where Billy so was used to see things inside, he hardly did notice them anymore.

Billy therefore had to look better, with more curious eyes even, to explain what he knew about all, or what he had to ask Nemo.

The stories Petra told about Homeland, still were a well of information, and he longed more to go there each and every day.
To make clear, it was difficult, and why, Petra did ask Nemo about a submarine, the moment she did see one of them pass the outer rim.

Out of breath she came at a lesson, Billy went alone to, because she could read and write the normal letters and numbers, while Billy had to learn both systems: the old Atlantian system, ánd the one, the humans on earth, or dry-landers did use.

This became more important each day in their search, while it had to be done before the kids could ask Nemo for the olden information about crystals and colors, and what they had to do with the environment.

But also Petra had to wait, until this lesson was over, before she could ask.
Finally the time was there.
Nemo looked at her and said: “What is on your mind? You did run in like there was something very special you wanted to know.
Thank you for waiting for the end of Billy’s lesson. What was on your mind?”

“I was at the rim, and I did see a submarine pass by.
That did remember me a question, I did ask the Lady about what a space shuttle was, and she told: ask Nemo about a submarine, and imagine that in the sky.”

Billy looked as if he did not understand a word, but also remembered asking himself, why the rim was that hard, and why the Atlantians, and sometimes daddy went out into a submarine.
How could Petra or the Lady know, he was curious about that too?

So he shook his head, almost in disbelieve, and said: “How did you know, I wanted to know about that, just before you arrived for the first time?”

“There are no coincidences,” Nemo said.
“We Atlantians do believe, that all happens on the right time. We also do believe, that all has a reason.

We do build submarines, to go through the deep water.
They have to be made from the strongest materials, we ever found.”

“Why,” Billy asked. “for me it still is something… uh… unclear, that thing about water pressure. Why is that so very important?
And what is the difference, or the resemblance with the space shuttle, Petra asked about?”

“Well, it seems another biology lesson is due.
You do remember, that we need oxygen to breath, and for that need plants?
For fish and water creatures, the oxygen also exist in water, but we cannot breath that. So we have to live inside a protected place, where the air cannot escape, like our bubble.”

“Why is that bubble round and hard, Nemo?” Billy asked.
“I do wonder a long time about that, but there were so much other things going on, I did forget to ask about.”

Nemo went to a filing cabinet, where he did store some food, for when he was busy doing experiments, that did not allow him to go away if he wanted to record all that happened.
He came back with 2 boxes, 2 eggs, a huge bucket of water and some strange goggles.

When all had those goggles on, he did put the box, made of hardened seaweed, in the water. The deeper in the bucket it went, they did see through the goggles, the more the sides of the box were pressed inside, until they broke, long before the bottom was reached.

Than he did the same with his egg.
That did reach the bottom, the egg was still whole to Petra and Billy’s surprise.

He did not explain what was going on, but did bring them to another room, where he had a glass contraption standing, with a hose on top.

“With this apparatus, I can take out all the air in the glass.
That is the same, as when you are outside the air-zone of the world, for you: of dry land. There we use space-shuttles. Now look!”

He did the same experiment again.Strange enough the opposite happened with the box. The sides did not go inside, but got outside, as if there was a balloon blowing itself inside out.
Until it burst, and flew away in a myriad of small peaces, that where stopped by the strong glass bowl.

Than he repeated the same with the egg, and that did not bulb out… only when all air was out, and it did not float anymore, it did fall and became broken.

”You do see, that the round form is stronger, than the squared form.
That is, why submarines are mostly round or cigar-shaped. That is close enough to round, and that makes it better go the way we want it to go.

Now you have seen with your own eyes, why you cannot go out of the bubble without protection, Billy.
You have no round shape.
And you cannot, like Purple, breath water.
So try now please, how long you can keep your head under water, without taking air.”

Billy did, but could not stay under for longer as a few counts, just as with the swimming lessons he now had in the moat.

“Well, we cannot only drown in water, our body’s also cannot without the air-pressure.”

“Does our skin not keep us together?” Billy asked.

“Of course it does, but lately you began to understand, that things are more complex.
Just like what Petra said, she had learned of her grandmother: You cannot take out one thing of something whole, like your body also is, without damaging it.
Your body would react as the box in the glass, when I slowly took the air out.”

“How scary,” Billy said. “But is there not a solution for that?”

“That is rather complicated, you have to learn a lot more, before you understand. For now, this must be enough as an answer.”

“Is that also the reason, the rim is so hard and round?” Billy did ask again, very hard thinking, what made the round form so special.
“I always wondered, but I do think, I am going to understand about it.”

“There is more to this double question of Petra’s.
Until now, you cannot understand all, while you never have been on dry land.
But a bit I can show you. Will you please take your football into here?”

Billy wondered, but when he could play his ball, he always did run as fast as he could.

“Look, the whole world has this shape, even you cannot easy see that, while it is that big.”

“How big would I be, when I was compared with this ball?” Billy wondered.

“You could only see yourself with a very strong magnifying glass, such as we do use sometimes to study very small things.” Nemo said.

Even Petra had no idea.
For her the world always had look totally flat, and so she said.

“This time, you just have to believe what I do say, later, I do promise, I will show you. But you have to be big and strong, as you did see by this experiments.”

“May be you can have a better idea earlier, when you do know the differences between the real world, and Homeland, where I do come from.
There is more possible.
But remember, your parents have to tell you more about dry land, so you cannot make a mistake, ánd the lady has to agree,” Petra said.

Nemo looked with a kind of home sickness in his eyes, as if he remembered, how it was on dry land, and asked: “Do you think, I also ever can come to Homeland?
I sometimes like to see the sun, and the trees and so on again.”

Petra answered: “Only, if there is found somebody, to be your special friend alas. And my name is not Amany, the girl that dreams the future, so I do not know.”

“Than lets go on with this, before lesson times is over.”
With this words he did put Billy’s ball in the glass container, and first nearly all air was sucked out.
It seemed the ball was growing a bit, but luckily it did not burst, Billy thought.

Than Nemo let in some smoke and blew softly trough the hose, so the ball started turning.Than something strange did happen: all smoke went round and round the ball, as if it was stuck there.

“That is called gravity, Billy.
That prevents all and everything from falling of the planet, even air, so light it weight is almost nothing.
Gravity comes from the planet, later you will learn more about that, when we start learning about materials, and about the rotation.”

Petra said: “do I understand well, that going round and round without ever stopping is rotation? About that my mother or grandmother did not tell yet, nor my teacher.”

“You are right, all knowledge is saved in Homeland, but only that, what is needed, is in the stories.
You will see, that from now on, all mothers and grandmothers do know about this.”

“Who did tell you so? I never heard about that,” Petra said, wondering how Nemo could know a thing like that.

“I did read it in the chronicles, that are even more ancient books, only very learned Atlantians do study.
Now put out the light, and I will show Billy the last lesson of today, before he got his ball back,” he laughed.
They did, and suddenly in the dark Nemo let a very small light shine on the ball.

“That does look like the sun!” Petra said. “That is the only thing I do miss, when I am here under the bubble. Sunlight is so different from this light.”

“And do you see the shadow?
Now you can study that better, while our lights are so evenly divided over the bubble, that except under the table in the houses, almost nowhere is shade.
Think about it, or ask you mom and dad how that was on dry land.
I do have the idea, this will be of need in the near future.
Tomorrow we will go with this, and may be I then found some more in my books about the crystal.”

That evening mom and dad had a lot to tell about how they did live, before they came to the Atlantian bubble.
Just like all moms and dads do, when they made a walk and explained their kids about nature, and all they do see around.

Only Billy had to use his imagination, while he never did see those things.

But that night he did dream of dry land, and how it would be, so much green and blue, and how would a real sun look like?
May be he soon was able to go?

© Nan van Daalen, all rights reserved.

Chapter 11: Slowly things become clear.

Chapter 11: Slowly things become clear.

Petra told the Lady, all she had learned the last time, with as most important fact, how glad Nemo had been, this special crystal did not go lost, as the Atlantians had believed.

The Lady told Cindy, who was there with Lea and Amany, another secret of her ‘secret box’.

“It does not have any use for somebody else, to look into that box.
You know, in very ancient times this box was created, and given to a great, great, many times great grandmother, that had the same lovely curly red hair as Cindy,” and she did make that stand all sides by rubbing with her hands through it.

Than, while Cindy still giggled about it, she went on: “the one, who did make it for us for safe keeping, told we were not allowed to have somebody else peek into it, without our permission, for only ‘we’ could hold in all, that belongs in there.

The things, that have to appear, do so, when the time is right for it when wé do look.
When somebody else should have a peek, things could come out, when it is not the right time for it.”

Lea said: “A bit like our teacher told about the olden history of the Greece, about the box of Pandorra.”

The Lady did smile: “Yes. Like that.
That is one of the stories in that time, a Homelander friend told his friend in the world. Why?
While than also people sometimes where to nosey, even when it was not their right to be nosy about something.”

“Is nosey different from curious?” Lea did ask.

“Curious is about wanting to know how things work, and it mostly has a purpose, a goal why somebody wants to know.
Nosey is just wanting to know for knowing only, not for a purpose.
Would you like everybody knows all about you?
Just while they want to, even if you do not like that?” the Lady asked.

“Of course not,” Lea said indignant.
“Nobody does know about Cindy, and nobody should!”

“That makes it clear.
So while things do appear in our secret box, when it is time for them, also here in Homeland, where all secrets of life are kept safe, we also are very careful with it.

Cindy did put it back in its secret place, only we redheads know.
When Nemo does think, he has need for it, and he can explain us why, only than we will take it out its hiding place.
Will you tell him so, Petra?” the Lady did ask.
She only had to nod yes.

Than another question came in Petra’s mind: “Cindy and Lea, you did promise me, to make a copy of the sleets, with the drawing Billy made of his room.
How can that be, and please, could you do it now?
There is already a small corner broken of, while I did fall,” she said, blushing, while she did feel not to be careful enough.

“Give them to us, and in a few minutes we are back,” Lea said. “I do make copy’s on my scanner. How many do you want?”

Petra’s mouth opened in wonderment: “How many? But is paper not very valuable in the world?”

“Well, we are using less and less, while for new paper mostly trees are cut down, or we do use recycled paper as we can, but a few small pieces do not matter that much,” Lea said.

“Can I please have one for me, one for Billy, and may be one for the Lady, in case of any emergency?”

“That is a very good idea, Petra,” said the Lady. “For besides you, nobody does know how to get there.
And Billy does still have to wait, before he can come here for some time. And Nemo does not have his own friend here, so he cannot. We not always can use Purple to be our messenger, can we?” the Lady said.

Lea and Cindy went through their mirror, and hopped direct back already.
Almost a miracle in Petra’s eyes.
Petra did see the copies, admired them and carefully put away two of them, after giving the Lady hers.
“I do think, I’ll have to go to dry land also, when I am allowed, to see those miracle machines,” she laughed a bit envious.
“May be, when we have a hop over there with a lot of other Homelanders, like we did to the land of Wise Feather,” the Lady did remember Petra.

“But now we have to go to Lea’s home again, her night is almost over, and we want it to stay a secret, she sometimes does travel with me to Homeland to help.”
With those words they both waved goodbye and mirror-hopped back to Lea’s bedroom.

“Now you go back too, and this time use the copy. All you can tell Billy, is that Lea and Cindy did make it on dry land.
When it is time for him to go there, we tell him more.
But alas for him, that will take some time.

In the mean time, I will ask for some older Homelanders, if their friends in the world are interested in crystals.
And if they have heard of crystal healing, in a way, we can use to heal the world.
Will you do the same with Nemo, if he is allowed by his people and predictions?”

Petra asked: “Did Purple tell you about this predictions?
Or is there another way you do know about it?”

Suddenly shy, while she did ask such investigative questions to the Lady herself, she held her hand before her mouth: “Oh, am I allowed to ask this? Sorry, my Lady, if I was impolite.”

The Lady laughed: “We are not living under the spell of the Otherlanders anymore! The ones, who did not want to come back to become good Homelanders again, all went with a space-shuttle to a new world, to find out, if there are adventures for them, they do find to their satisfaction.

And a space-shuttle is a machine, that travels to other worlds, that are in the skies,” she explained, seeing the riddle in Petra’s eyes.
“Do ask Nemo about a submarine, and imagine that going through the sky instead of through water.
He will have the answer, I do not have without asking the men.”

Petra said: “If you do not mind, I will go back, and will not wait so long for the answer this time.
There is so much new for me to discover…”
“That you sometimes a little bit do forget, that you still are a girl, a Homelander girl, that cannot solve all by herself.
The same Billy will have to learn.“

She waved, and turned to somebody else, coming her way.
This way Petra knew, that she had gotten all the answers, she could get for now, so to Billy she went.

That evening they did talk softly a long time, after they together had admired the copies of Billies drawing.
Both did put this on a very safe place, for except to Nemo, they could not tell anybody, how they became a piece of such valuable paper.

Most answers had to wait, until Nemo had given his answers too, tomorrow, or the day after…

© Nan van Daalen, all rights reserved.

Chapter 10: The crystal.

Chapter 10: The crystal.

Next morning all went, like what was going to be a habit.
Billy became more aware of the difference between the time, he had to spent with his family, or alone with his teachers or Petra.

That made Petra was able to explore by herself also, like she had learned in Homeland to do.
She went in houses, made of totally different material, she was used to.
She wanted to ask together with Billy, why that was this way in one of Nemo’s lessons.

She went swimming in the moat, like she would have done in Homeland in the pool or a river.
And found, Billy could not, so she had to ask Nemo, is he allowed to learn too?

Billy found more and more fun in playing with Violet and Lilo again, seeing, it was not in the way of his friendship with Petra, nor the things they did do together. And with Violet growing a bit each day, she became of more interest for him, like mom and dad had known.

So finally Billy did find a balance, that we in the world also have: some things you do with your family, some with one friend, and others with more friends.

Now for Petra it became time, to do as the Lady did ask when she was in Homeland.
On one day, when Nemo had talked about biology again, and they had tasted the first self grown cress, she asked: “Nemo, do crystals also grow? And if so, do they grow like plants?”

Both Nemo and Billy did look a bit surprised, Billy while he did forget about the Lady’s question, and Nemo, while they never had talked about crystals before.

But like always, Nemo had an answer.
For that, he had to take out another of his treasured books out of the cupboard, and he carefully laid it on the table.

He opened it on a page, with wonderful colors and forms.
Each form had a different color, and the variation seemed endless.
To point the different ones, Nemo took his gloves again.
So he could pinpoint one special form.

“Why do you always wear gloves, when you use a book?” Billy wondered.

“While these are old. And more valuable than you ever can imagine.
They also are irreplaceable.”

“What is irreplaceable, and why are they so valuable?”

“That’s two questions in one, young man,” laughed Nemo.
“Valuable they are, while there is knowledge in them, nowhere else in the world you can find.
At least not as far as I do know of.

And irreplaceable means, I, nor somebody else can make them again, while we all together do not know all, that is in it.
Some people do have a small portion of this knowledge, but we are only a few anymore.
Even when we all do write down what we know, that would be a very small portion of what is in it.”

“Do we have enough paper than?” Petra did ask.

“Of course not, we should make a hazardous trip to the dry land, and buy a lot of that. That is even more dangerous than in earlier days, for we have to pay with gold or precious stones, while we do not have money in the bubble.”Nemo answered.

“So you go on dry land sometimes? Can you later tell about that? And what is money?” Billy could not control his curiosity.

“All in due time”, was the answer, “first Petra’s answer.
In olden times, Petra, when the earth was a bit different from now, we could make crystals grow.
That is a bit hard to explain, while a lot of things were different, and only a few tribes in the world do live like in those days, and tell stories about these times. The Aboriginals call those times: the dreamtimes.”

“And that is a later lesson, I do think, while there are first the other questions, am I right Nemo?” Billy said with a sigh.

Oh, how he would like to know all at once!
What was it difficult to follow Petra’s first lesson: patience!
He sometimes did wish he could eat patience to make it grow, but it had to be build in his head.

“Yes, it is. I do wear gloves when I use the book, so there is nothing, that can damage the pages.
Not dirt or sweat on my fingers, even a nail, that did grow a bit to long.

Now question number two: Yes, we sometimes go to dry land.
It does take very long, to get above, while it is dangerous for our health.
That is, why you cannot come now, before you are fully grown.
And the dry-landers also do have submarines nowadays, and are not allowed to find us yet. That time has not come.

So for paper alone, we do not go above.
We used to pay with precious stones, but now they use money.
Money is a kind of change-for-something-else-thing. Here we do share all we have, while we do all work together.

That does not work, when there are so many people around in the world.
So the humans found a method to exchange things with money.
That are coins of copper, or silver, and papers, with letters on it, what it is worth. That way, they can buy things with that, instead of share.”

“So buying is a kind of sharing, like we do?” Billy did think loudly.

“One can say so, it is a bit more complicated, but while you live here now, we leave that subject for now.
Petra had another question, and the answer is in this book.

In olden times, the earth was different from now.
In those days, there were Atlantians, who were able to let certain crystals grow. They were called Magicians, while they did this with the power of their mind.
That ability, or art how to do that,” Nemo explained, while he did see in both their eyes huge questions, “some of the very old ones had.

Now crystals do grow by the force of the earth, but it does take ages to do so.
It does take a lot of pressure and minerals from the inside of the earth, besides the right circumstances.
That is, why these mostly are thought of as very valuable.
But why did you ask about that, Petra?”

Petra got a color on her cheeks, while she should have asked days earlier.
“The Lady asked me, if you could tell me something about crystals.
In her secret box is a purple crystal, of which the origin is lost.
That is very strange in our land.
She did find it in the secret box, in which only the wisest Lady of all, that also needs to have red curly hear, can look.

She did find it just before I did find the mermaid Purple. That seemed to much accidental things at the same time, she said.”

“To much of an coincident, I also do think,” Nemo said. “Did you see that crystal?”

“Yes, she showed me, before it went back in the box.
Can I have a glove too?
Than I can show you, there is one just like it on the right hand side of the paper.”

Billy became more curious, but did understand, he would learn the fastest, when he this time just listened.
But he was not prepared on Nemo’s reaction when Petra pointed it out.

Nemo sat down, did put both his hands for his mouth, closed his eyes and murmured: “Thanks to all the Gods of our Universe, this is not lost, like we always have thought.”

Petra and Billy wondered, but while Nemo sat there, and seemed lost in his thoughts, they deliberated, what to do now.

“Get him a bowl of water,” Billy said, ”but not on the same table as the book!”
Petra went for it, and Billy did shake his arm: “Come and sit in that easy chair. Petra is getting you a drink.”

That made Nemo aware again of all around him again, so after a sip of water, he went back to the book.

“You see, kids, one of the great arts of working in Atlantis, was using crystals as working stones.
Each color had its own specialty, one for each art or craft, and this one was thought lost forever.
It is the crystal of healing power.
All colors and forms had their own power, when in the hands of an learned Atlantian.

I do understand from new people from above, like your mom and dad,” he pointed to Billy, “that some people are rediscovering this art again.
They never will have the high power, the Atlantians had, but they can do a great deal of good by that.
This is a lucky day for us, the last Atlantians.
I did send my thoughts to all of them, wherever they are in the world now.”

“Can you do that? Can all living Atlantian do so?” Billy asked.

“Yes, but while most humans cannot learn to do so, we almost never tell about this.
This art is lost, while we changed it to an other ability.”

“What is an ability, and why should one do so, when you can have both?”

“In your mind there is a lot place to store things to think about, or how to do things with your hands.
But like in this book: there is a huge place, but full is full, so sometimes people did choose to learn other things and go to the ones who could heal, instead of learning that themselves.
And what you have learned to be a master of, is called an ability.

Now please do find something else to do after you have watered the plants and kept the record,” Nemo said.

“I will put this book away and have to think about this all.
My grandfather was right, when he told me: Homeland is the land were all paper things live, and were the values of life are preserved.

You are a very lucky young man to have such a friend.
And I am just as happy, I am allowed to share her, when you two are here together. Now go!”

That they did, but there was a lot to talk about, so they did wander around doing so. After that Billy took the time before diner to play with his sisters.

In the mean time Petra went to Homeland, to tell the Lady about all this.
Luckily Billy had understood enough about living under water, and on dry land, he did not ask to come too.

That had to wait, until his mom and dad had told how they once did live on dry land.
He had enough to think about for now.
And all went more curious each day! Life with a friend like Petra was certainly not boring.

© Nan van Daalen, all rights reserved.