Amduscius: A Guy Edrich Story

By Vanda Denton and Tom Denton

In this the third of the Guy Edrich trilogy Guy painstakingly develops an economic model in the area he calls home, to be replicated across the world eventually. His initial aim is to undermine the cabal put in place by Autarkhos, to rule over the United Kingdom. In time Guy’s scheme will replace cabals and dictators that Autarkhos empowered throughout the world.

During that complex process, the people of earth gradually become aware of a fresh set of aliens rapidly multiplying in this realm. On first sight these seem very different from all others. Some believe them, in their beauty, to be angels that will protect mankind from any other demons that might invade this world.

Meanwhile, Guy’s psychic talents develop further still, as other half-breeds in this realm also find their minds expanding. They do not always take on the values of the Credentes. Some choose to be enemies to Guy Edrich.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Jul 30, 2022
• ISBN: 9781471607301

Book preview

Prologue

‘What the hell is that?’

‘It looks like a giant chrysalis.’

‘It can’t be. For a caterpillar to make that it’d have to be as big as a person.’

‘Looks just like one though.’ Jack stepped a little closer. ‘Imagine what could hatch out of it.’

What they observed was broadly the shape of a cocoon: a silver-grey case of resin and silk in appearance. It hung from the branch of a fresh spring tree by a thread, much like a butterfly chrysalis attached to a twig. But had there been an opening to do so, it was almost big enough for Penny to crawl into. Jack was picturing his wife doing just that when she pulled on his arm.

She took her watch from her overalls breast pocket, ‘We need to get moving.’

Jack scowled, aware as was his wife, if they were anything less than early and eager, they’d lose their jobs and thus their home, along with money for food. In time their very lives would be forfeit. ‘OK. We can come this way back.’

It wasn’t their usual route to the quarry. This overgrown footpath in the woods hadn’t been used since the area was swarming with what everyone now called ‘the creatures’. It was a shorter route though and one they now judged to be a risk worth taking. Almost all the personnel at the quarry had realized the numbers of workers there, would soon be cut. Their plan was to show the foreman they were reliable, eager and obedient. They still had time to make that work.

As always, they kept their talking to a minimum. They must show no signs of breathlessness on arrival, since it could be interpreted as sickness, along with all that followed. They helped one another as they tripped over exposed roots and dense clumps of grass. And they were hugely relieved to find enough of the track remained for them to follow the route through gorse bushes and long-established, newly refreshed, spring brambles curling across the path.

When the trees thinned out, the trail opened on to rough ground which they then crossed to the quarry. They allowed a few minutes to be sure of lower temperatures and to even out their respiration, before striding across to the foreman’s hut. Not a single other worker had beaten them.

As always, while they waited for the foreman to emerge, they looked long and hard at the huge, broken machines. One they had helped to heave up out of the quarry and on to the scrubland. They had been there for so long that foxgloves and primroses were growing close to the wheels. The stripping machine had once made good progress clearing off the scrubland to reveal that rocky outcrop, before it spluttered to a halt. With that one failing, both Jack and Penny, along with all others new to this work, once expected to see it being repaired while they continued working with the drilling rig. The recollection of that one breaking down, being more recent, felt harsher. However, both studiously avoided giving it more than a glance, for fear that the foreman would see that and come to judgement from it. Both privately recalled how they had finished, along with others, scraping away with hand axes and shovels, to remove soils and plants still hiding the edges of the area of chalk. Then with Penny operating the trailer, they had loaded the blocks of chalk on to the crusher. Since then, they had seen a dozen of their fellows sacked through not being seen to be working very hard. Two had actually died whilst trying to keep up with their quota. Following that, quotas remained unchanged even though it must be achieved by the use of old hand tools only. Penny had repaired her pickaxe twice and Jack his shovel five times. They worked together because the foreman chose to ignore their separate quotas, providing that between them they maintained the quantity of product scheduled for the two of them. When the manager checked the books, there’d be no repercussions. The fact that it kept Jack and Penny in the quarry was a bonus. The foreman wanted the young strong ones to be left here because there was no chance of replacement machinery on any of the Duke of Langham’s land.

All toiled through the day. Thankfully not too hot and though wet-through from relentless drizzle and their own sweat, they did not suffer heavy rain, never mind one of the frequent storms. At the end, the young couple were relieved to head for their short-cut. No one, exhausted though they were, considered using this shorter route with them. Eyes followed, fearing their fate, should my demons remain in there, while judgement of foolishness had them trudging back to their homes via the longer routes.

Now exhausted, the couple drew to a halt by what they settled on calling ‘the cocoon’. They rested cross-legged in the long damp grass studying the curiosity.

As though afraid of waking a sleeping beast, Penny whispered, ‘You sure it’s not connected to the creatures?’

Jack had been giving that serious thought. ‘Yes. It’s a cocoon. Nothing to do with their kind.’ He turned his head to glance at her with certainty, ‘Or the other demons.’

His wife accepted his judgment following her own study of the thing.

Neither had dared touch it when the discussion turned to the possibility it was warm. And alive. Instead, they had resumed their trek home, both wondering if, and hoping, it was edible.

On entering their grubby block of flats, the usual howling of children, shouting of men and screaming of women, carried all the way up the steps. With each turn at each level they both glanced at the closed doors of the long-since broken lift.

Only a little quieter inside their flat, they ate their meagre meal, drank some doubtful-tasting water from the tap, went to bed and made love listlessly. Finally, as much from exhaustion as satisfaction, they fell asleep, each dreaming about what might emerge from the giant cocoon.

When they set out in the morning, again before anyone else would be tempted to test their short-cut, they shared some night-time thoughts and dreams. Jack drew images ranging from a variety of dreams depicted in old books, along with reminders of the demons they had survived in reality, all the while assuring his wife they were now free of such invaders. Having no desire to undo the good of yesterday he cut off fearful ramblings abruptly, by asking Penny to describe her thoughts. Like a breath of fresh air, her dreams brought both of them hope. She described glorious visions of angels that would save them from any future demons as well as the misery of their daily lives.

No matter the extremes of ambition and fear, both were eager to reach the only fascination in their lives. Again, they sat on the grass watching it, but this time a little closer. Within arm’s reach.

‘Looks warm,’ Penny whispered.

Jack slowly nodded agreement. His jaw dropped as Penny began stretching a hand tentatively towards the cocoon. He reached across to hold her back.

‘It’s changing.’

‘It won’t bite to me.’

‘Pen, let’s just watch for the five minutes we’ve got.’

‘OK,’ brushed through her lips on softly exhaled breath. ‘Maybe on the way home.’

As they studied it they noted a mild change in colour in the wider section, hanging down from the branch. The grey had become lighter. Suddenly, it twitched.

Chapter 1

They gasped in unison.

‘Bloody hell!’ Jack stood.

Penny also rose to her feet, though slowly and with unwavering eyes.

‘Come on, Pen.’

‘But…’

‘No.’ He took a step back to the thorny, overgrown footpath. ‘No Pen, we need our jobs. They’re good jobs. Steven does everything he can for us.’

Tears welled in her eyes, ‘It’s so bloody unfair!’

‘Yeah,’ he took a step towards the job he hated. That he loathed watching his wife struggling with. ‘Yeah, and we agreed to keep going until things change.’

She followed listlessly, one step behind him, but at least on the path now, ‘There are other alternatives.’

He did not turn. ‘We’ve talked about that.’ They had. All land was owned. There was no rough sleeping. No food to be had from foraging. Nothing for the likes of them. But they could work. Plenty didn’t even have that option.

Alongside their fellows, they completed another day of back-breaking labour. They desperately gobbled down the filling, unidentifiable stew provided by the company, at lunchtime, and following the final hours of toil, they talked another couple out of joining them for their short-cut home.

Each conjured up frightening images of the possibility of some demons surviving and hiding in the woods in the dark shadows. Or there could be rough sleepers escaping the law and desperate for anything at all to eat. Jack had once hinted at the possibility of cannibalism being the only option for such fugitives.

Thus, they thought then they had the rough path and fresh spring woodland to themselves again. The person they did not see skilfully keeping a distance, also following the path in the dimness of the evening sun, sheltered by silver birch trees, was Steven Banks.

When Jack and Penny again saw movement in the cocoon they drew back in shock. It had split along the length of the entire outer curve, and now was writhing as opposed to merely twitching, which they had at least, mentally prepared for.

Realising they had a major secret, Steven Banks stopped at the edge of the track before painstakingly picking out silent steps into the thicker hazel trees, where he could hide for a better view. What he saw set his heart into overdrive. Had he been required to describe it he’d have said his heart pulsed like the drilling rig at its top speed.

He had seen caterpillar chrysalises breaking open and marvelled at the sight of beautiful Red Admiral butterflies emerging, only recently. The difference in scale could hardly seem real to him. He’d planned to find a reason to name Jack and Penny as untrustworthy: a sure way of making up the numbers required by the company, for sacking. The fact was, distasteful though it was, and survival being paramount, he had more young healthy adults in the quarry than the company wanted to employ. It was not remnants of laws against unfair dismissal that had the foreman seeking reasons for a sacking. It was, though he didn’t analyse it, his own conscience.

The foreman’s attention once more was captivated by the object this couple clearly wanted to have sole knowledge of. Perhaps, rather than naming these two redundant, he should consider making use of them. Their adventure here, was an indication of courage, ingenuity and resilience: qualities most people now had lost.

Deep in his plotting, with eyes but not thoughts on the odd phenomenon, he, along with them, watched, wide-mouthed, as a gleaming white-winged creature emerged from its cocoon.

Chapter 2

Mrs. Cudmore

Well, I am required to write a report for Mr. Edrich. I am told to use my own words and choose my subject. I have no need to ask why this is necessary. It is almost as though Mr. Edrich can read my mind. Answering all my unspoken queries obtusely settled my curiosity, at the time.

I have known people in the village to confess to being wary of the powerful build and piercing blue eyes of my boss. My daughter, the reader of slushy romances, refers to him as Mr. D’Arcy. She said something about the dark hair and blue eyes being ‘sexy’. I warned her off such talk. My boss is a kind man. A good man. In fact, in some circles a famous man. Certainly, one to treat with the utmost respect. If not a little fear also.

Personally, since I have become used to his imposing appearance, I find it somewhat reassuring. In fact, since the demon invasions and the terrible job losses, I can honestly say I am delighted to return to my old position even though my pay went into the bank every month, whether I worked or not.

My only sorrow here, is that Mrs. Edrich and the children have not returned with him. It seems an odd concept, even though it is my own, but I cannot imagine a man, including my dear husband, more devoted to his family than Mr. Edrich; a father who could love his children so dearly. It breaks my heart to see him alone in the house.

Mr. Edrich told me that nothing is too secret for me to put in this report. And so here I must include something I’d never guessed. He has an alias, as he calls it. Another name he goes by: Peter Jacob. He says it is possible, though extremely unlikely, that someone might telephone or even come to the door, asking for Peter Jacob. Should that happen I am to gather any information I can about the reason for the inquiry before admitting that I have no knowledge of anyone by that name.

I trust him completely. I believe he will not read this report but file it for his London-based organisation. He told me that these few lines of mine are purely there to be in a database should someone at some time need to know seemingly insignificant details of his life and character. Naturally, I fear that means he expects to be facing danger once more.

Guy

I have included the entirety of Mrs. Cudmore’s amateur account, in my records for the Guardians of Mankind. It will serve well enough as a report by someone knowing me on an entirely different level from any other members of the Credentes. Below is the first report I wrote when I embarked on my self-appointed mission.

Guy Edrich

The United Kingdom and American cabals remain firmly in place, as do Kalashnik and Heng. My newly developed Parfait senses are settled, and I am now aware of the power in them. I cannot detect any weaknesses in these politicians that I could make use of as yet, but I will continue to spend as much time as I can manage without damaging my psyche, studying them each day. Unelected cabals both in America and the United Kingdom are exercising their power over the armed services as well as the general populations. They increased their personal luxury as their people struggled to survive, by successfully spreading the propaganda of the troubles being imposed by what they refer to as ‘the two demon invasions’. It seems that the majority continue to believe those, admittedly terrifying incursions into this realm, as the sole cause of their misery, as opposed to advantage being taken by the unelected ruling groups.

I hope to find a mostly peaceful method of freeing the humans of this world. My findings thus far, suggest developing alternative economic models locally, and without the cabal becoming aware of this development too soon. By such means I expect to undermine the tyrants.

I must confess that at times I find life in my country house without my family, very difficult. It is a comfort to have Mrs. Cudmore during the day. She claims to have two little to do every day for the rise in her pay, but I think not. She carries out all the usual domestic work that I require, is a very good cook and keeps the entire house clean and dusted, even though I use few of the rooms. I need her to be here and can easily fabricate jobs to keep her from questioning my purpose, such as writing reports.

Mrs. Cudmore has little knowledge of the changes in me, but I can read in her mind that she is confused by some of my behaviour. I need to keep as much of this private as possible, for fear of frightening humans. I also am now aware of a number of fictional characters that come under the general heading of ‘Super Heroes’. I cannot risk being labelled in this way since such tales, however fanciful, would certainly spread and make my identity known to those I must defeat. There is more than enough fame associated with my name.

I am concerned for the entire planet and all those dwelling here. Humans are not earth’s masters, but they are a species that many organisms depend upon: part of the complex system of the biosphere.

I have a broad concept of the views of individual members of the cabals in the United Kingdom and in America as well as the dictators in Russia and China. They were aware of Autarkhos and the power they gained from it, and continue to believe that it served them well, rather than that it made use of them. They will have been aware that I sent it out of this realm. That of course, is part of the nature of humans with that particular personality type. Also, I note, Carter-Mellors and other members of the United Kingdom cabal, along with a number of wealth and power seekers working for them, continue to meet in the London club. That could become a necessary target for me.

I can sense what they discuss there. One topic that arises frequently, is their delight in the average person’s desperation for paid employment. The takoloshes, and the creatures that were in some way part of Autarkhos, have left the world in a state of disruption and unrest which a small elite exploit with low wages, poor housing tied to jobs, and no schooling to help them understand how they are being used. The wealthy and powerful in general, in whose interests it is to keep this cabal in power, are happy, yes it pleases them, to see so many workers die by the ‘demon invasions’ as the media call those disasters. They put out biased publicity, by various means, claiming to be ‘saving’ the workers from starvation.

I also am aware that the people of Turkey, Hungary and Poland, have elected what are effectively, dictators. I have no doubt that the cabals, Kalashnik and/or Heng aided those dictators by interfering directly with the ballot counting, by preventing voting in certain areas known to support the opposition and by propaganda through ownership of the media.

Chapter 3

Guy Edrich

The Guardians of Mankind

We will re-form quite soon and I anticipate recruiting more individuals. I have become aware of relatively large numbers of Credentes remaining in this realm and amongst them a number of Parfaits. They are in need of my leadership.

Steven

Jack and Penny found themselves being invited to shelter from torrential rain in my hut. I began what they could perceive as a discussion.

‘I saw it.’

Jack and Penny exchanged glances, blatantly revealing they knew what it was.

‘I followed you,’ I explained, smiling wryly at their confusion. Jack frowned while Penny squared her shoulders asking, ‘So, why are we here?’

Jack’s eyebrows rose with a meaning that supported his wife’s question but only the mouth belonging to power, mine, responded, ‘We are privileged.’

‘We?’

Jack kicked his wife’s booted foot reminding her that a shared sighting of a phenomenon did not catalyse social levelling, never mind familiarity. But I maintained the show of rank while holding a vision in my head which directed me along an irresistible life-path. And that life-path might now include Penny. Possibly Jack too. I had seen three of them now, as had Penny and Jack. And no one else. They appeared near the trail in the woods where I went alone to find more of the exotic newcomers.

It was Penny I spoke to; the one who understood. ‘They are beautiful.’ I pictured the small, naked women with their long, pure gold hair, gleaming silver skin and brilliant white wings. I continued, ‘I’ve never been religious but I could believe these are sent by God to help us recover from the demon invasions.’

Penny’s eyes glowed, ‘They called the last ones creatures, in the papers.’

Jack looked from the one he understood, to the boss with power who he was unsure of, ‘The creatures were demons?’

‘In a different form,’ I told him with supreme confidence.

Jack looked sceptical but took care to remind himself that I was his boss and he needed his job. He asked his question in straightforward wording but with a low voice and dipped head, ‘How can you know?’

I felt a thrill to be telling two people how I had been chosen by the angels to share their purpose here.

‘They speak to me. They chose me.’

Jack hesitated. ‘They spoke to you? Does that mean they saw you first, so spoke to you first?’

An expression flashed across his face. He was jealous. He did believe he should have some ownership of these angels that I knew to be far, far above anything he could even dream of.

I told him what they told me, ‘They promised me that all demons have left this realm and they, the angels, will protect us should any demons return.’

Jack’s mouth opened ready to question my claim but Penny displayed the confidence of one who had received a prophetic vision.

Recalling her dream with a show of awe, she breathed, ‘We’re saved.’

‘Yeah,’ I assured, with both relief and triumph, certain that my imagined conversation with the angels had been real, though not spoken aloud. Obviously, they could be telepathic. ‘Nothing can harm us now.’

Jack’s eyes narrowed, ‘You believe they are sent by God?’

I had plans of my own. A mission. Whether or not God was involved was not an aspect of the future revealed to me.

I assured him, ‘I know, without doubt, we can rely on them to protect us.’

Jack’s eyes slipped past mine, to take in the continuing rainstorm, as seen through the open door of my hut.

He said, ‘Don’t want you to think we’re anything less than immensely grateful, but why us? Because we’re the only other people who know about them?’

‘No…’ I hesitated, while I studied Penny’s warning glare. She could see an advantage, or at least hope, here, and she did not want her husband to ruin this.

‘You should note, the others are out there getting soaked but Steven invited us in here.’ She looked like she could kill him if he refused to take this once in a lifetime opportunity. It was clear then, who I should consider placing as my second in command.

I wanted Jack in my group. He was strong, with the kind of straight speaking that would have others joining us, in time. Time, I decided, that with the protection of the angels was something we had now. Time to build a new safe world.

Rain turned to drizzle, and drizzle to clouds rolling overhead. I had a quota to fill, and for a short time longer I had to keep this job. I also had a plan. With the main body of work continuing at the quarry, I took Jack and Penny back into the woods.

I found the first angels sooner than expected. Penny’s wide-eyed awe was fitting. Jack’s shock would do. He was beginning to realise.

I took one step closer to the angel and addressed her, ‘You are here to help us.’

Her voice bubbled like a stream flowing over pebbles, ‘We can provide you with all that you desire.’

Loss, fear, horror and misery had made Jack bitter, ‘Can you fix the driller?’

She stepped close enough to lay a hand on his shoulder, smiling, saying softly, ‘Show me.’

He looked to Penny, who nodded, and then to me. I did the same. And so the three of us led our angel to the huge, broken and rusting machine standing in the scrub. I can’t imagine any of us genuinely expected a miracle.

The angel took to the air in a graceful arc, gliding across to the drilling rig. Tilly Rayne happened to have halted next to it. She had been daring to edge closer to us but now the angel settled on her feet opposite her, folding her wings across her naked silver body. Tilly hugged herself in fear, and scared of facing that glorious countenance, kept her face cast down.

I was mesmerised by our angel’s fascination with Tilly’s long hair: possibly because it seemed so dark and dirty in comparison to her gleaming golden tresses. I could make no confident assessment of the angel’s fascination.

Jack

Penny seemed besotted with Steven, as well as with what she also began calling ‘the angels’. We had observed the strange preoccupation of one of the peculiar beings, with Tilly’s hair. Maybe she was curious to see long brown hair. Perhaps it was because she had it tied back in a ponytail. Or, which seemed more likely at the time, she had been gripped by the sight of such personal filth. This ‘angel’ gleamed in spotless radiance. I questioned, back then, how she might view us: with sorrow, pity or disgust?

I suspect that almost all of the quarry workers would do anything Steven told them when they saw the drilling rig working again. They didn’t guess at something I had been certain of for some time. White Chalk Collieries had only one method remaining to increase that year’s profits: reducing the workforce. I watched Steven making a sweeping assessment. Penny’s job was definitely safe and mine could be, if I believed in ‘the angels’. A number of others would not be as fortunate.

For the first time in our relationship, Penny and I would not be sharing our hopes and fears. We hung around, seemingly finishing off the clearing of the crusher and the drilling rig, while the others gradually drifted away. None seemed as aware of the news they would be certain to hear at the end of the following day, as they should be. Once the area was clear and Steven had agreed we should take the short-cut home, we set off less companionably than ever before. I half expected Steven to follow us again but after checking visually and aurally for some time, I settled to knowing he came here when he wanted to. He no longer had any reason to follow us.

As we entered the woodland the presence of ‘angels’ was not obvious but I could sense them. It occurred to me that they might also sense my presence. My mood and thinking even. After all, ‘the creatures’ had known the deepest, darkest secrets of their victims. I clouded my thinking with old lessons from my mother: Gabriel and all the archangels were filling my thoughts with images created in a child’s mind.

It occurred to me that Penny could betray me now, so I took her hand, drawing it gently to my mouth and kissing with seeming faith. She drew close, sighing with relief. I allowed sexual desire to rise in my mind and body, whilst suppressing thoughts of having my emotions ‘read’ by beings I had no comprehension of.

I maintained the attentiveness as we walked, which pleased Penny. I could feel her mood lifting to greater happiness than she felt since the first days and nights of the euphoria of our new love. It grew with the sightings of two angels along the path: one floating in the darkness of the trees, the other flying close to the ground along the path ahead of us. When both were lost from sight, I could feel Penny’s secure physical relaxation in my arm. Later, our poor evening meal seemed, to both of us, to be more satisfying than ever before. I deliberately took time over lovemaking which, more so than the meal, brought us both considerable satisfaction. If the fear that they could know my thinking or feeling tried to rise to a conscious level, I squashed it with positive, grateful and happy feelings conjured up through recent as well as older memories. It wasn’t difficult, since I had loved my wife dearly.

We left our room early the following morning. Even so we saw Tilly along the corridor near the flat she occupied close to ours. She was waiting to share the walk to work with us. Fear was clear in her features. Penny feigned a need to use the shared bathroom. I reclined with my back against the wall. It took a long time but eventually Tilly set off for the longer route alone. When Penny emerged we made for the other staircase, checking no one else was trying to join us. I could be sure Tilly would not be walking our secret route alone. I realised she wouldn’t be the only one to decide that getting to the quarry early and safely, could be enough to save her job. To save her life ultimately.

It wasn’t until we were close to the end of the path this time, as my mind, distantly enjoying the fresh spring air, was distracted by a lovely bumble bee, then we saw an angel.

We left that woodland with our eyes turning up to where the angel flew serenely above us. Only I kept my wits well enough to know the other workers would see our new saviour. When she landed at a distance from the path’s exit, again she seemed to be watching Tilly, who stood at a short distance with Steven. The gorgeous being moved closer and Steven took a step away from Tilly, keeping her back to the new arrival by pointing to something in the quarry.

I could barely see how the angel floated closer to Tilly’s back. Both Penny and I cried out when suddenly, the winged creature pounced on Tilly and bit off her hair. We gaped. Naturally.

Tilly screamed and ripped at the short, scrappy strands that had previously been combed and tied around her head, uncomprehending of the rest of it. The absence of the ponytail. And there was a definite expression of satisfaction in the beautiful face of the angel soaring overhead, with a few strands of brown hair hanging from her mouth.

Guy

It was with a refreshing sense of freedom that I recalled the long, painful, unsettled months in which my Parfait psyche was forming. The floundering between this reality and others, at one time the need to physically touch a person to know their loyalty, or otherwise, the development into knowing their minds and eventually growth into reading minds, and later an awareness of a presence in the world which, frustratingly I could not locate. I confess, there was a time following my dealing with Cacodaemus after our elite fled, that I felt more powerful than all other Credentes, including Parfaits. Even including the Elect. Perhaps it was that experience that had Celeste labelling me ‘arrogant’. Oh, how I missed my lover.

My new, extraordinary, mental abilities settled to becoming a comfortable part of me. For example, in the past it was through a state of heightened emotions caused by great distress, that I scanned Jerome’s cardio-vascular and other systems, following Autarkhos’ use of his body. I can now scan all systems in a person’s body without effort or heightened emotions. In fact, I have developed the ability to block such scanning from my conscious mind. Thus, I no longer spend my days aware of whenever Mrs. Cudmore is worried, who she worries about and why, when she is developing a cold and even the pleasure of knowing she is in excellent health, both physically and mentally.

Interestingly, I focus on the banal by choice. Thus, I became aware that my gardener was delighted with my, his, roses and the state of my favourite willow trees. This, not because it could please me, but simply because he loved those trees. It was this line of thinking that had me recalling Lorna’s belief that despite being half-breed I could become Parfait. Until I rose to the challenge of dealing with the takoloshe infestation in this realm, I had a poor concept of the state of Parfait. No Credentes did. It amuses me now, to realise that my wife, a normal Credentes, believed she understood the Parfait state well enough to anticipate my development.

Oh, how I missed my wife and children. Could a man, of any kind, have loved his family more? No. I am quite certain I would have died before leaving her for the safety of Empyrea, or in fact for Celeste, had she demanded it. Lorna felt compelled to take our children to a realm known to be secure but neither of us realised the state of life they would inhabit there: the realisation that broke my heart. If they returned, if they could return which was unlikely as they once had twenty-five per cent human genes, my children would not be remotely the same people that left.

Had Lorna been the one developing the talents that could defeat Cacodaemus and the takoloshes would I, if I could, have taken our children to Empyrea? I think not, but how can I know in hindsight? It was a split-second decision made for the very survival of our darling little ones.

I chose not to follow that miserable line of analysis when there was still much work to do here. This world was entering very dark days: the conclusion of human greed. Not all was lost though. I had seen in the media which I no longer avoided entirely, campaigns for better health care for all, higher living standards, a clean environment and even a call, by some, to fight climate change. People generally, disliked the tax breaks enjoyed by heirs of the wealthy, wanted organization of labour including reasonable pay and conditions, a minimum wage and an end to zero-hours contracts. At that time any job was in jeopardy and with the loss of a job came the loss of accommodation. Above all, food could not be readily obtained without proof of a home address.

Chapter 4

Guy Edrich

For the Guardians of Mankind

I sense one of the Parfaits remaining in this realm, with her younger son, is travelling towards me. She has no knowledge of my ability to track her but even if her talents are not well developed, I believe she will be an asset to the team when I begin re-establishing it.

Guy

I was close to finishing the excellent breakfast Mrs. Cudmore placed in front of me, after insisting that she and her family ate equally well. It was a well-intentioned lie. They were satisfied with the food they had. Their own hens produced enough eggs, and they had a productive allotment. I had my own sources for quality foods and Mrs. Cudmore, never wanting to take advantage of her position in my house, maintained her assurance that she and her family had no need of anything I