And you all thought I'd just dropped it...
Separate Paths – Journey Begins P1August 27, 2077
‘Cousin Esperanza. Sorry for the delay, but finally things have slowed a little here. The Quidditch World Cup finals begin in two weeks, but everything is pretty much ready. As expected, the Raptors didn’t make the finals, but the L.A. Pterosaurs made it, knocking Ireland out of this year’s games. Jonny’s still upset his team lost, but they played a good game and hopefully they’ll have better luck next year.’
‘I was assembling this packet and decided to include my mom’s diaries concerning what she was doing while Dad was away even though it doesn’t pertain to New Krypton. But I think Mom’s experiences may be just as interesting – she didn’t just sit and wait for Dad to come home.’
‘Give my regards to your mom and dad, Jason, Charlie and Sam and their families. Hope to hear back from you soon. Maybe you can send me a copy of your mom’s diaries, assuming she agrees, of course. I think it would be interesting to compare their experiences.’
‘Your cousin, Martha’ -o-o-o-
From Lois Lane’s Diary: September 30, 1996
It was nice, staying the weekend with Clark’s parents. I think they are missing him more than I am, if that’s possible. Martha and I both broke down at the airport, hugging each other as we said our good byes. Poor Jonathan was so embarrassed, the two of us hugging and crying in the middle of the Kansas City airport.
We’ve already made plans for Thanksgiving, assuming I can get time away from work. With Clark gone I know my work load is going to be a lot heavier, especially since I plan to ask Perry to let me take up Maggie’s offer. I think a series on how the SCU works and how they’re coping will make a great series, maybe even a book. The SCU will be trying to pick up the slack, now that Superman isn’t around. It’s funny. When Superman was around, Maggie complained he was a vigilante. Now she has to figure out how to cover for his absence.
I hope he’s okay. I hope Clark can come home soon.
From Clark Kent’s personal journal: September 30, 1996
Ching suggested I take today a little easy. I’m not used to living without my powers and I keep scraping myself on the furniture. Plus the gravity is a little higher than Earth-normal and it may take a few more days until my body adapts. He also suggested I do more reading on the history of Krypton. I’m more interested in how New Krypton functions.
I told Kela my plans to walk around the estate and she warned me to stay within the bounds of the dome – I hadn’t even realized the estate was under a dome. Kela couldn’t explain how it worked, only that it protects them from the hard radiation from the sun. The planet doesn’t have a magnetic field, so the dome fulfills much the same function, blocking harmful radiation and converting it to visible light.
The walk was tiring, but also enlightening. The colony seems to be a strange combination of extremely high tech and outright primitivism. The fields are plowed with a combination of animal labor and old-style tractors Dad would understand. Much of the extremely sophisticated equipment that was brought here during the ‘last days’ is already failing. The colony would have been better off if they’d brought along a ‘mister fixit’ like Jimmy or my mom instead of me.
Excerpted from ‘A Year on New Krypton’ by Clark Kent © 1998
Ching recommended that Kal spend the day after the fealty ceremony resting and getting briefed on his new positions within New Krypton society. This gave me the opportunity to explore the estate to some extent.
Kela warned me to stay inside the protective dome. The dome is similar to the one Lor used to entrap Smallville and is designed to keep out harmful radiation from the New Krypton’s sun. Earth is protected by its magnetic field but New Krypton doesn’t have a magnetic field so must use technology to do the same thing. The dome also converts the incoming ionizing radiation to visible light – it’s far brighter under the dome than it is outside.
Trips outside the estate domes entail using a shuttle, or wearing a heavy radiation suit, or using one of the underground transport tubes. Transportation within the domes is by foot, rickshaw, something that resembles a tricycle, and riding an animal called a hesha. It resembles a heavy horse with horns and cloven hooves and is used in plowing fields and pulling wagons. Its milk is used for food – the cheese is soft and heavily aromatic. It is considered a delicacy.
The colony itself seems to be a strange combination of extremely high tech and outright primitivism. The fields are plowed with a combination of animal labor and old-style tractors. But the colony has interstellar travel and anti-gravity shuttles Much of the extremely sophisticated equipment that was brought here during the ‘last days’, such as diagnostic computers and replicating machines, is already falling into disrepair and the colony must contract out to neighboring worlds for the expertise needed to repair them.
Despite Lor’s claims of Kryptonian technological and societal superiority, the protective domes and FTL travel are about the only truly advanced technology that can’t be found in any third world nation on Earth.
The colony’s population is currently at close to 50,000 souls. About twenty percent of that is children under fourteen who are too young to work at a trade, although even very young children are expected to help in whatever ways they can.
About ten percent of the population is either too old or handicapped to work at a trade. Those who are mentally capable become teachers and child care workers. On my walk to the house of the mining master I saw children about kindergarten age tending the planting beds in front of their houses. They were being watched by elders in dark robes who nodded as I passed. The children simply stared. I am no doubt the first ‘stranger’ they’ve ever seen.
“Tanth Kent?” an older man I recognized from the fealty ceremony greeted me. “I am Mik-Van, welcome to my home.”“Thank you,” Clark said following Mik-Van’s gesture and entering the building. This was the first time he’d entered a private home. It was also the first time since his arrival that he’d been allowed to escape the watchful eyes of Ching and Moro. The room he’d been ushered into was small and utilitarian and Clark realized it was probably only an office. A door at the back of the room no doubt led to more personal areas of the house although it was hard to tell. Except for the manor, the buildings all seemed so small. Much of the manor was actually underground and he suspected it was the same for the other buildings.
His suspicion was confirmed a few moments later when Mik-Van said, “I am honored at your presence I my home… come, my wife has prepared tea for us.” As he spoke he opened the other door to reveal a short hallway and a staircase leading down. Clark followed Mik-Van down the steps into a large and brightly-lit common room. Other chambers branched off the main room – work rooms, sleep areas, even a classroom of sorts.
An older woman nodded in greeting to Mik-Van and Clark. She poured a hot beverage into delicate porcelain cups then stood back as Mik-Van and Clark sat and sampled the drink. Mik-Van nodded and the woman hurried away.
“Your wife isn’t joining us?” Clark asked. Mik-Van shook his head.
“She has other duties.”
‘And baby-sitting a newbie lordling isn’t one of them,’ Clark thought. Aloud he said, “Tanth Van, I’ve been reading about Krypton, and New Krypton, at least what I’ve been given, to try to figure out what I’m supposed to be doing, how everything fits together. I’m told the mining guild is the largest and most powerful of the guilds, and you, Tanth Van, are the master of the mining guild.”
Mik-Van smiled gently. “I am one of the many mining masters in the guild. I oversee the mining of ores within the area governed by the House of El. I am also charged with seeing to the training of new mining masters and the safety of the mines within the other estates.”
“So, you’re not the head of the mining guild?”
“Not in the way I’m sure you mean,” Mik-Van said. He poured them both more tea. It was aggravating. Clark wasn’t even sure what questions he needed to ask to get the information he wanted. He didn’t even know exactly what other people thought he knew or didn’t know. He was reminded of a short story he’d read in high school about engineers trying to figure out an alien installation, even though they had a copy of the instruction manual – in Martian. The one piece of information they needed was the one they didn’t have – the
purpose of the facility. He felt like one of those engineers.
“Tanth Van, maybe it would be helpful if I told you how things are run where I was raised…”
“The realm known as America?” Mik-Van asked.
Clark was surprised Mik-Van knew about that. He’d been given the impression that few people knew where Jor-El had sent his son. “Yes, America. In America, the government, the rulers and ruling bodies, are elected. We, they, choose their leaders periodically, usually about once every four years according to rules set out in a document called the Constitution. It describes how the government should be set up, describes the rights of individuals, things the government shouldn’t do, like take people’s property away without cause or compensation.”
“This realm does not have Great Houses or lords? Who protects the land, the people?”
“The law and the people entrusted to uphold that law. They give their fealty to the law, to their duty to uphold the Constitution, not to any individual.”
“And this system works?” Mik-Van asked. He sounded like he didn’t quite believe Clark’s explanation.
“It’s more complicated than it sounds, and doesn’t always work as well as we’d like,” Clark admitted. “But it does work.”
“Krypton was a world of law, not quite as you describe, but a world of law, nonetheless,” Mik-Van said.
“And New Krypton?”
“A corrupted dream,” Mik-Van said.
Excerpted from ‘A Year on New Krypton’ by Clark Kent © 1998
I was able to spend several hours with Mik-Van as he tried to answer my questions about how New Krypton is governed, the economy, how things fit together.
On New Krypton, the Great Houses and Minor Houses are roughly equivalent to old European dukedoms. The Great Houses control, ‘own,’ the arable land, which means they control the food supply as well as the travel routes through their demesnes. This arrangement is upheld by tradition as well as force – the ‘aristocrats’ are the only people allowed possession of weapons more complex than a drei. This is in contrast with Old Krypton, where the peace-keepers (police) were among the few allowed to carry arms and the Great Houses did not control agriculture or land per se, but had economic resources at their command, much like large family owned corporations.
Unlike the early fiefdoms, the people who work the land are not peasants, but free tenant-farmers. In theory, any of the tenants could choose to break their ‘lease’ and move themselves and their families to another estate, but in practice there’s not enough land to go around – there’s no place they can go except to the guilds.
The guilds - mining, building, healing, transportation, and others - are another portion of the power equation of New Krypton. The guilds control and develop the needed technologies and handle manufacturing and craft work. But the guilds only research what they need to – there is no such thing as research for the sake of simple knowledge. Apparently, this was even true of Old Krypton. Science and technology were not linked in the same way as they are on Earth.
The guilds are the closest thing that New Krypton has to a middle class. Acceptance into a guild is based on merit and aptitude. Periodically the guild recruiters go to all the schools and recruit the best and brightest of the older children to join their ranks for training. At this time a child’s general education ends and specialized education begins. Those not chosen for guild training remain on the estates to become retainers for the manor or work the fields with their parents. Members of the Houses have their own specialized training – although it is more general that that offered by the guilds – liberal arts as opposed to trade school. But even then, many of the Great Houses send their children to study with the guilds – Kara Zor-El, Kal-El’s cousin, was studying to become a healer when she and her mother were killed.
Rulership of the Houses is hereditary but the guilds are more democratic. While advancement within each guild is based on merit, each guild is governed by an elected board, which in turn elects one of their number to be Guildmaster. The Guildmaster has the ‘honor’ of interfacing with the masters of the Houses.
The third part of the power equation consists of the Temple and religious leaders. On Earth, the Church in Europe, in many ways, evolved parallel with and in opposition to the Crown. Much of European history came about as a result of the tension between the fragmented and secular powers of the various kings and the imperial designs of the religious hierarchy headquartered in Rome and other places.
On Old Krypton the power of the religious evolved differently than in Western Europe. More like Buddhism, Taoism, or Shinto.
Rao was and is the name of Krypton’s sun as well as the name of the creator god.
According to Kryptonian legend, Rao looked out at the universe after its creation and realized that for all its beauty, he was alone and he was lonely. So he spread his seed throughout the universe. Most worlds were too hot or too cold for his seed to sprout properly, but there were some where his seed sprouted and grew and thrived. But of all the worlds, only on Krypton did Rao’s seed grow straight and tall and only on Krypton did his children look up and know their father.
The priests of Rao have traditionally been advisors to the Great Houses as well as the guilds. More importantly, the priests interpreted the laws enacted by the council of elders and acted as judges in all but the most serious crimes. They fulfill the same function on New Krypton with an additional duty: the priesthood handles the education of the children too young to go to the guild schools. It was late when Clark got back to the manor. Kela had a meal prepared and Ching was waiting.
“I understand you had a fulfilling first day among your people,” Ching said.
“Tanth Van was very helpful in explaining things, so yes it was,” Clark told him, sitting down to eat. Whatever Kela had made smelled great. “I still have questions, of course,” Clark added. “But I think things are getting clearer.”
Clark gestured for Ching to sit.
“Good,” Ching said, ignoring Clark’s gesture. “The Lady Elesa wishes to see you and Lady Zara tomorrow after first service. Lady Elesa indicated she wanted to see how you were adapting. New Krypton is quite a change from Earth.”
“Well, I admit, it is different,” Clark admitted. “But I’m not as tired as I have been. Although I probably couldn’t take you one on one, yet.”
At that Ching unwound enough to actually grin at him. “We will have a practice session after Lights Down. In the meantime, I need you to review tomorrow’s ceremony at Temple.”
“I’ve been told both my uncles were very involved in the Temple,” Clark began. He looked up at Ching again. “Will you please sit down?”
Ching looked uncomfortable. “It is not…”
“Protocol be hanged. It’s just us here,” Clark stated. “Please… sit.”
Ching sat in the chair opposite him, folding his hands over the folder he’d brought with him. He looked uncomfortable.
“Have you eaten yet?” Clark asked.
“I will eat when…” Ching began.
“When I’m done,” Clark completed for him. “Well, new rule. When it’s just us, I see no reason why we can’t have a civilized meal together. I doubt the power structure of New Krypton will collapse.”
Ching didn’t look convinced.
“Besides, given how often assassinations on Earth are committed by the palace guards… I figure it’s a good security precaution. You’re less likely to poison me if you and your grandparents are eating out of the same dishes as I am.” Clark smiled to take the sting out of his words. He was heartened to see Ching grin back at him.
“We could simply take the antidote,” Ching suggested. Kela gave him a dark look as she placed a filled dish in front of him.
“And you would be the prime suspects if it’s found in your systems,” Clark retorted.
“You could fall prey to a training accident…” Ching suggested, but his tone indicated he was joking.
“Ah, but you are too clever for that,” Clark added, also joking. His tone turned more serious. “So, what about this ceremony tomorrow?”
Ching sighed. “I know you are not an adherent of Rao, so…” Ching began.
“I’ve attended enough religious services on Earth so that, with a little coaching, I shouldn’t embarrass you or Zara,” Clark told him.
“It isn’t that,” Ching admitted. “Tomorrow you and Lady Zara are to publically proclaim your fealty to one another as husband and wife.”
“I thought we did that on the ship on the way here.”
“You did,” Ching said. “But Zara’s advisors believe it would be politically advantageous if you did so again, at Temple. They are hoping that a public ceremony will put Nor’s objections to rest.”
“And what do you think?”
Ching looked straight at him. “I think it will give Nor even more reason to kill you.”
From Lois Lane’s Diary: October 1, 1996
This wasn’t an easy day, going back to work without Clark – I kept looking over at his desk, wanting to ask questions and he wasn’t there. Your normal couple would be spending time double checking the wedding arrangements, talking to the caterer, that sort of thing. Instead, I’m wondering if I even have a fiancé, whether Zara has had her way, or if Nor found a way to kill him already.
Luckily, Perry had some simple assignments for me and, to my surprise, agreed to let me spend time with the SCU. He agreed it would make a good series about how the MPD’s elite are trained and how the police are adapting to Superman being gone.
I spent the afternoon going through the ‘standard’ SCU vetting process – physical checkup and the first-stage psychological tests. I think Maggie was surprised I came even close to passing this set of tests but I did. Granted, it was with the lowest admissible marks, but I did pass. I start training next Monday.
The silver-lining to all this is that the Wedding Destroyer won’t be coming after Clark and me. Myrtle Beech escaped Belle Reve Mental Hospital last night and a copy of our wedding announcement was found in her room after her escape was discovered. I feel sorry for whoever she chooses as her next victims. The woman is simply vicious and I consider it one of the high-points of working with Clark that we were able to put her away before she killed someone.
On the other hand, the only reason Leo Nunk is alive is that it’s against the law to declare open season on sleaze-bags. I cannot believe he wrote that about me! 'REPORTER STILL SEARCHING FOR LOST MIND!' indeed. It’s my life. Clark and I declined to comment and I’d hoped that would have been the end of it. I’d sue if I thought it would do any good.
Oh yes. Lucy arrived and is staying in my spare bedroom until she and her fiancé get a place. Ron seems like a nice guy. Turns out he’s a journalist and he’s hoping to get hired on at the Planet. Mom is beside herself. My wedding gets cancelled and now Lucy needs to get married in a hurry since the baby is due in a month. (Something she forgot to tell anybody about.) Maybe it’s a good thing Mom ‘forgot’ to cancel the chapel and the caterers.The tests had been exhausting, but Lois knew from the quirk in Maggie Sawyer’s lip that her scores hadn’t been too bad. At least there was a good chance Lois wouldn’t end up embarrassing the department while she was on board.
She wrote up her notes and headed for the Planet to check in with Perry. It had been a long day and she needed a caffeine fix – unbelievably, the SCU’s coffee was even worse than the newsroom’s. She’d stopped after one cup and now wanted something chocolate and frothy.
The man at the coffee stand made her mocha exactly as she liked it and she gratefully sipped it. She warmed her hands on the cup as the liquid warmed her insides.
Someone had left a copy of the National Inquisitor on the condiment shelf. The front page screamed 'REPORTER STILL SEARCHING FOR LOST MIND!’ and had a photo of her below it, looking wild and disheveled. The accompanying article carried Leo Nunk’s byline.
“Lois!” someone shouted. She looked up to see Nunk crossing the street. A shaved rat in a silk suit accompanied by another rat in jeans.
“Hello, Nunk.”
Nunk nodded to the paper in Lois’s hand. “What's this? A reassessment of my work?”
“Nope... just looking for a birdcage.”
“Birdcage, that's good. Glad I had the recorder running,” Nunk said, showing her the microcassette recorder in his hand. “Anything else you'd like to say for the record?”
Lois smiled insincerely at him. “Yes. For the record, you should get yourself to Harvard - that's a college in Boston? And turn yourself over to the science lab as a scientific breakthrough: the newly-discovered, one of a kind, lowest form of life, in the known universe.”
She turned to leave, dropping her copy of the Inquisitor into the trash can as she turned.
“I wonder if you’ve heard about Myrtle Beech,” Nunk said. “The, uh, Wedding Destroyer?”
Lois stopped at looked back at him.
“She's out,” Nunk added. “Out and about. You and your boyfriend put her away didn't you? Sure you got nothing to say?”
“I have nothing to say,” Lois stated as firmly as she could. Nunk didn’t seem to get the message.
“Listen, I feel for you. You just can't get a break. Amnesia, living with Lex – hey, that musta kinda burned your boyfriend a little, huh? You whacked and shacked with your old fiancé? Of course he had that hot little lizard-eatin' clone to do the Frug with…”
Lois whirled to face him. He wasn’t much taller than she was and she was wearing heels. “Listen. Get something straight. Clones eat frogs. Not lizards. Frogs. Any idiot knows that! Of course, you’re not just any idiot, are you? And if you’re trying to scare me… I’m not getting married anytime soon, so I doubt Myrtle Beech gives a rat’s ass about me.”
“Oh yeah,” Nunk said as if he was just now remembering. “Kent took off with Superman. Bet that burned you a little? Your fiancé taking off to see hotties on another planet?”
Lois took a deep breath. It wouldn’t do to get arrested for beating him up on her first day with the SCU. “Nunk, I’m going to keep this as simple as possible for you and even then I’m sure you won’t get it, but most of the reputable journalists I know would have killed to have had the opportunity Clark was given, to see an alien world. I would have done anything to go, but my fiancé was the one they chose.” She turned away from him once again.
“How long to you plan to wait for him?” Nunk demanded.
“How long did Penelope wait?” Lois asked without turning around.
“Who?”
“Odysseus’s wife,” Lois answered. “How long did she wait?”
“Twenty years,” Nunk’s companion answered. Lois thought his name was Lamont. She nodded and walked away. Behind her, she could hear Lamont defending himself to Nunk, telling him the story of Odysseus and Penelope. Nunk still didn’t get it.
Lois shuddered. Myrtle Beech was out and was no doubt looking for victims. Lois just hoped that with her and Clark’s wedding delayed indefinitely that The Wedding Destroyer wouldn’t bother with her. But Lucy and Ron could well be targets. Who knew what went on in the head of a madwoman?
From Clark Kent’s personal journal: Day 3
My watch is useless. The hours don’t line up. Earth has a twenty-four hour day and New Krypton has a ten hour day. Actually that’s not quite true. Old Krypton’s day was just a little longer than Earth’s, but they measured time differently and New Krypton uses the same measurements.
Kela has put my watch away for safekeeping, but I have a suspicion it’s also to take away reminders of Earth, of home. I miss it so much. I miss Mom and Dad, and Perry and Jimmy and the gang, even Ralph. But most of all, I miss Lois.
She probably went back to work today. She was talking to Maggie Sawyer about a series on the SCU. Maybe that’ll come together for her. If I was home, Lois and I would be double-checking the wedding arrangements for next Sunday. With our luck, Myrtle Beech would have escaped to try to ruin it and we’d end up flying to Vegas or Reno to tie the knot.
Instead, Zara and I had to stand up in temple for the same ceremony Trey conducted on the ship. Even the robes were the same – Chinese red with gold brocade, Zara’s with a red train. The one difference was that this time she wore the red and gold headdress so that her hair was completely covered. Apparently that is the mark of a married woman.
Nor showed up at temple to watch. Apparently he doesn’t come to temple very often and there was a bit of commotion as the temple guards made sure Nor and his men weren’t carrying weapons other than knives. Overall the ceremony did what Zara hoped it would do – publically cement the relationship between our two houses.
After the ceremony and the religious service, Zara and I went to Lord Trey’s estate. It’s newer and smaller than my estate (it feels odd to write it – my estate) but the manor house is more ornate. Lady Elesa checked me over and declared I was adapting well. Then I donated a sperm sample. Lady Elesa checked that as well. She thinks there should be no problem getting Zara pregnant.
She also admitted there had been some doubt as to the viability of my sperm. No one has ever studied the long term effects of yellow sun radiation on Kryptonians and there was some worry that the radiation may have affected my reproductive capacity. Those concerns have now been put to rest. We should know within a few days whether or not Zara has conceived.
I feel sorry for Ching. At least Lois isn’t here to watch me go through the motions of being married to another woman. Ching not only has to watch Zara acting as my wife, but he has to protect me and train me to be the leader his people need. I wish there was something I could do. He’s a good man.
I’m worried about Nor. He kept staring at Zara all through the ceremony. He still reminds me of Luthor – His unhealthy fixation on Lois and his lust for power. Luthor would stop at nothing to get his way and I think Nor is cut from the same cloth.
Excerpted from ‘A Year on New Krypton’ by Clark Kent © 1998
Old Krypton was about the same size as Earth, although its astronomical year was much longer. (About 98 Earth years to complete an orbit.) New Krypton is a little larger than Earth with a surface gravity about ten percent higher than Earth normal. New Krypton’s year is a few minutes longer than eighteen Earth days. Since New Krypton is tide-locked, the term ‘day’ actually has little meaning. Day and night are markings on a clock, although the domes are darkened at ‘night’. Many plants, even Kryptonian ones, are photoperiodic and don’t do well without a period of darkness.
Telling time:
The smallest non-scientific time unit is the thrib, roughly the length of an Earth second. One hundred thribo make a dendar, or minute. One hundred dendaro make a wolu (hour) and ten woluo make a zetyar or day.
The Kryptonian week, or fanff, was six zetyaro long. Seventy-three fanffo made an short amzet of 438 zetyaro. Also seventy-three zetyaro made a lorax or month. Seventy short amzet made an astronomical year, called an amzet (as opposed to a short amzet.)
New Krypton uses the thrib, dendar, wolu, zetyar, fanff, lorax, and amzet. Three fanffo make an astronomical year but generally the astronomical year is ignored except for those few who have an interest in astronomy and the star ship pilots. An amzet is 438 zetyaro. Since no one can see the stars unless they travel to the dark side of the planet, there are no seasons and no moons, it doesn’t matter that time-keeping has no relationship to the reality of the planet.
The temple and its servants are in charge of time-keeping for the colony. Bells or chimes are rung to mark each wolu and half-wolu and the chimes are synchronized throughout the colony. Each estate has a small temple with a priest or priestess and maybe one or two acolytes who run the ‘pre-schools’ for the estates.
The main temple in Nehro is, naturally, the largest religious building in the colony. It’s a large white, almost cubical, building protected by a high stone wall and is part of a complex with offices, dormitories, and a school. The priests and priestesses are trained there and the senior priests also function as the colony’s arbitrators and judges.
Public religious services are held once a fanff at second wolu. The temple is also one of the few places where all New Kryptonians are considered equal. The only bowing or kneeling done in temple is to honor Rao.
The service itself would be familiar enough to Earthly church-goers. A call to prayer, religious lessons, a lecture on Rao’s love and the laws of humanity, a call for community with breaking bread, dismissal.
Lady Zara’s advisors suggested that she and Lord Kal repeat the ceremony that was conducted on the ship and also pledge their fealty to one another. The advisors felt it might moderate some of the negative statements Nor’s people have been making about Zara’s and Kal’s intentions concerning their marriage. Since Lady Zara and Lord Kal were to publically state their fealty to one another, they brought the bread and salt that was to be used for the bread breaking ceremony.
Nor and his men tried to cause problems when they entered the temple to watch the ceremony. As in many places on Earth, the temple is not only considered sacred territory, it is neutral territory. No weapons other than the ceremonial knives the lords are allowed to carry are permitted within the temple walls. Nor didn’t want to give up his weapons. He seemed to think it was an affront for a ‘lord’ to be forced by ‘mere priests’ to abide by the rules everyone else takes for granted. Luckily, Jen-Mai was able to talk him into cooperating before the situation became even uglier.
Zara and Kal wore the same Chinese red and gold brocade robes as they had for the ceremony on the ship. This time, however, Zara wore her red and gold headdress. Apparently married women, especially high ranking married women, do not expose their hair in public. I didn’t make this connection this yesterday on my walk through Lord Kal’s estate, although I did see that most of the adult women were wearing scarves or turbans. Yet another sign that women have been relegated to a second class status in this culture?
Kal and Zara processed to the central altar, carrying their offering of bread and salt. It was accepted by the high priest and the blessing said over it before Kal and Zara shared a small piece of the now salted bread. Then the bread was handed out to the rest of the worshipers.
Nor and his closest companions made a show of refusing to partake, although I noticed that Jen-Mai and his people had no problem with taking part. Jen-Mai even looked a little worried at how Nor was acting.
The rest of the people seemed pleased with Lord Kal and Lady Zara’s offering and their promises of loyalty to each other and to New Krypton. They were greeted warmly as they stood with the priests at the temple entrance after the service. Greeted by everyone except Nor, of course. He refused to even look at them as he left.
After the services Lord Kal, Lady Zara, Ching, and I took the shuttle to Lord Trey’s estate to have a meal and for Kal and me to see Lady Elesa for a checkup.
Like Lord Kal’s estate, Lord Trey’s estate reminds me of a Southern plantation – large manor house surrounded by fields and smaller buildings. But while the buildings on the El estate are constructed of native stone, the buildings on the Ar estate appear to be of man-made materials – concrete, ceramic, and some sort of plastic. The estate also doesn’t appear as large, although the buildings are newer and more ornate.
Historically, the manor house on the El estate was the first permanent building built for the colony. It was a point of pride for those first brave souls to build their future homes out of the native rock.
Inside, Lord Trey’s home was as ornate as the ship had been – draperies and tapestries, ornate rugs on the polished floors. The meal was simple, similar to one Kela would have prepared for Lord Kal and me. A thin soup then a meat dish with a starch and some vegetables I don’t know the name of.
Lady Elesa’s examination of both Lord Kal and me was brief. We are both adapting well to New Krypton’s environment. She was surprised that I was doing so well, being a mere Earthling, but I’ve always kept myself in good shape so the increased gravity doesn’t bother me as much as it might someone else.
The one concern she has is dietary. Humans and Kryptonians have slightly different dietary requirements. We don’t know if the food here has the proper amino acids, minerals, and vitamins for me. It’s something no one thought of before we left Earth so she doesn’t have access to the medical and nutritional information that would tell her if my diet here is adequate.
She will be monitoring me closely, just as she is monitoring Zara. We are all hoping Zara conceives soon so that the matter of Kal-El’s heir can be resolved.
From Lois Lane’s Diary: October 2, 1996
Mom is taking Lucy’s situation quite well, considering everything. She’s getting a son-in-law and a grandchild at almost the same time. Dad won’t admit it, but he’s glad Lucy has decided to move back to Metropolis, even under these circumstances. Lucy thought she was going to be consoling me after Clark’s ‘abandoning’ me for the story of a lifetime. But I’m the one holding her hand while Mom goes gaga over last minute wedding rearrangements.
I’m not sure what to tell them about The Wedding Destroyer. I’m trying not to panic. I’m trying to convince myself that Beech is just trying to scare me.Based on Lois’s previous experience with Myrtle Beech, Perry assigned the follow-up stories on The Wedding Destroyer to her. But it was going to be hard without Clark. She’d gotten used to relying on his ‘special’ abilities. But she’d been an award winning journalist before she met him and she hadn’t lost her touch. She hoped.
“You know, if she's smart, she'll leave the country,” Jimmy was saying to Perry. Lois wasn’t paying much attention to them as she reviewed her past notes on Myrtle Beech.
A uniformed messenger stopped beside her desk. “Lois Lane?”
She finally looked up. “Yes?”
“Sign here, please,” he said, holding out a clipboard and pointing to the required line. She initialed the spot and he handed her a package. She read the address label: TO: L.L., FROM: T.W.D.
Jimmy peered at it over her shoulder. “The Wedding Destroyer.” He sounded worried.
Lois began to rip the package open.
“Now hold on,” Perry nearly yelled. “We oughta get the bomb squad double quick...”
“Beech has to know by now that my wedding’s been cancelled,” Lois stated as she finished opening the package. Inside was a small cassette recorder.
Perry breathed a sigh of relief as he saw the recorder in Lois’s hands. “You took an awful chance there...”
Lois pressed the ‘play’ button. The Wedding March began to play from the tinny little speaker. Then came the sound of a man crying. Then more men crying. A woman joined in, followed by more women. A wailing chorus of sorrow. Lois shut it off.
“Well, if she wants to worry me, she’s doing a pretty good job,” Lois commented. “But I’m betting she’s just gloating because my wedding’s already gone down the tubes. Without her help.”
“But what about your sister?” Perry asked.
Lois sighed. Perry was right. Beech might not be able to wreck Lois’s wedding, but Lucy could well be just as good a target.
“Okay, fine. She wants to go after me, I'm going after her,” Lois announced. “Jimmy, pull every nano-byte we have on that… that…”
“You got it.”
Swear To God, This Time We're Not Kidding was written by John McNamara
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