"You are going to show the children this as well. We must have them come to us, and we can tell them. They are fully grown now, they are not as you saw them last."
The children aboard the Pegasus were not yet aware of Qblh's presence, and Isis made the decision to keep his presence secret. She did not want to let her people know that Qblh had rescued her. Jim knew better than to interfere. "Stay here!" she commanded, I shall fetch the children. "My watcher shall monitor you, be good." She placed a crystal on a table to keep an eye on Jim. "I hope you don't mind, my love."
Of course Jim minded, but he wasn't going to initiate any mistrust at the moment. He had come in peace and intended to fulfill his mission even if he had to be diplomatic. He was most eager to see Xuang again anyway. He also speculated as to how much like her mother Xiang would appear. Isis and Aphrodite could still be mistaken as twins, just as John and Jim could be mistaken. These creatures once mature aged very slowly.
Within minutes he heard their arrival. As she had not yet told the children he was there to hear her mention to the children the surprise as she instructed them to await outside her bedchamber. Returning to Jim she smiled, "Are you ready to see how your son has grown?"
Isis dressed Jim to her taste and then took him by the hand to meet the children.
"Guess who brought Genie back to us?"
"Father!" They both exclaimed together and rushed to greet him. Jim blushed slightly and seated himself on the sofa with them flanking him. Isis sat across from him now, smiling and awaiting to witness the results of the reunion.
"Your Father is taking us back to Artemis and then shall be leaving again."
Predictably Xuang reacted. "Take me we with you Father."
"Sorry son, it's not yet the time." Isis smiled realizing that Jim would allow him to stow away as she had asked.
Xuang was no longer a child but had aged to manhood. Jim was not yet aware of Xuang’s experience on Earth. However, Xuang had already experienced a thousand years of Earth history under his mother’s supervision and tutelage. Xiang had also experienced a similar education.
"But Father, I've waited all these years to experience Merkabah travel, I am well versed on the material. All I need now is practical experience. You and grandfather have the only working prototypes."
"You are supposed to build it yourself."
"Or make some other arrangement," he commented.
"What do you mean by that, son?"
"Never mind, Father. I apologize for being rude. I shall return to Artemis with mother as you have dictated."
"Your mother tells me that you were quite successful in China."
"That's not what we call it, but I suppose you mean the pleasant land of the yellow valley that mother gave us while we were marooned to sublight velocity. Yes, it is true that I was much respected as their Yellow Emperor. Xiang also had time to rule there as well. Her style was a little different than my own."
His sister Xiang interrupted, “Yes, Xuang, but your rule was made easier because of my prior rule where I started the foundations for your rule.”
“You only got to rule first because you are a ‘she’ and not a ‘he’, and mother trusts and prefers your kind to my kind. “
Isis frowned and interrupted. “Quit quarreling like children. You are both to be commended. Xiang was needed to coordinate air support to provide for your success manning your dragon, while he struggled to find us a way home. Unfortunately we could not find a way back to Artemis during that period After then, I gave you your opportunity to rule, Xiang. You must be commended for your period of rule and a successful reputation at making face to face contact with your subjects “.
Jim commented in surprise, "Marooned? Yellow Emperor?"
"Yes, Shaltain shot us through the black hole fully knowing that there was no way back for us with our existing knowledge and technology. Mother has shown us the best she can offer, but we need you to get us back. I even have a programmed solution and all I need is a Merkabah unit to implement it. I know how to program Genie to displace us back, Father. Would you like to see my solution."
Jim smiled being proud of his son’s accomplishments and efforts. "I'm sure you do know the fundamentals but I could hardly imagine that you would be so lucky. I'll let you propose the solution to Genie and it can correct your mistakes for you. I'll grant you that."
"And if my solution is correct?"
Jim admired his son's enthusiasm and did not wish to discourage him. "We'll see." Jim could not really answer that question because there was no way for him to anticipate his response if his son's solution was valid. He was intrigued though by his son's confidence. His son was certain that he was correct.
It seemed indeed that Xuang and Xiang had made a major mark in early earth history by essentially founding the Chinese empire. Their perfect complimentary nature had been used as a cornerstone to establish the nature of their rule, as they had used themselves as examples symbolize the dual nature of the laws of the universe. Xuang and Xiang had been somewhat prolific concerning the creation of children. He had no success with any ability to manufacture an antibody which allowed the ability of a female human partner to live and therefore be able to rear the children, be they male or female. His children both predynasty and during his reign were actually given first preference with respect to the selection of the leadership of all important royal enterprises, and acted as the local governors who reported to the emperor or the hidden empress.
The introduction of writing, navigation, mathematics, horticulture, civics, medical skills, astronomy, chemistry, music, and a few other arts and skills gave the twins enhanced ability to rule by gaining the respect if not reverence of those over whom they ruled. The ability to utilize the Pegasus to defeat, that is, vaporize, their enemies certainly played no small role in maintaining the security of the Yellow Empire.
The Pegasus doubled as a dragon image to the early Chinese people. At times the Starship would be made visible, but was camouflage to take form of a dragon so as to maintain the image of a dragon as a feared but very intelligent entity. The extra -terrestrial assistance provided by the starship Pegasus proved to always be wondrous to the earthly inhabitants and they assigned great wisdom to the ability of the dragon which could soar through the heavens which such ease and spit fire at those that pleased it not. The royal family was not shy about using the fear and love of their dragon to enhance the power and beauty of their long and prosperous realm. When they were finished with their business in China, both of the royal children simply relocated themselves to their quarters on the Pegasus as it relocated elsewhere under the command of their mother the Queen of Artemis and also therefore Earth.
At the time Xiang and Xuang were busy civilizing China, Isis was doing the same in the Nile Valley while Semiramis assisted Nimrod to establish rule in the ancient fertile crescent. Marine navigation was utilized to establish trade between these civilized regions, but the Pegasus was used by the royal family when they needed expedited delivery or to transport their own selves without taking too much time in between way points.
Earth had only been recently hit by a major asteroid impact that had caused massive destruction to the low lying lands adjacent to the Indian Ocean. The resulting impact not only created a massive and extremely destructive tsunami which obliterated all human communities that were too close to sea level in altitude, but also caused a massive weather disturbance which obliterated any effective local harvests which were not flooded out. Torrential rains and storms followed the event which prompted many a folk tale.
Isis, thanks to a hidden routine placed by the Genie, had conveniently arrived just after the impact of the disastrous event to resurrect life back to normal on the planet Earth and to take advantage of establishing dominion over Earth’s remarkable inhabitants.
"Xiang..., Dragon-lady, you are the spitting image of your mother. So how was it possible for you to maintain such a low profile? Genie thought that you were both brothers from the history records."
"We governed using our male children as my field ministers. I could trust them to make proper decisions. They each had a companion of s ranking officer of our race as an assistant. If I circulated among the people , it was easier to mask myself as a man, Father. Sometimes I needed to physically shred an opponent to pieces to gain the respect of the savages to establish rule and authority. Of course no man could ever be my better. My strength being easily greater than twenty men inspired my warriors to seek greater strength, because the barbarians admired greatly physical strength. To allow them to believe that a woman would have greater strength would have demoralized those that I had otherwise successfully inspired to be the greatest army of the greatest empire on Earth. Besides, no one would even think of attempting to gain my sexual favors as long as they thought I was a man. Yet at times, I would shed my disguise and entice certain powerful men to their doom to gain a child and also to my political advantage. I have conceded some of my gains to my brother only because mother insisted. He always would complain that I cheated only because I could do things that he couldn't. My part of the empire would have been at least ten times his portion if I hadn't given him my gains, but we were an equal partnership so I honored that principle."
"Don't apologize, Xiang, your father has zero territorial acquisitions to his record. Were it completely up to him, Venetia would deteriorate to anarchy."
Jim looked at Xiang and then Isis. She beamed with pride concurring her daughter's accomplishments. There could be no doubt that Xiang would be a formidable ruler.
"Your mother has advised me that we are to keep my presence here secret. Is that understood children?"
"Understood." Again they responded in unison. Xiang glared angrily at his sister for trying to upstage him.
"Don't be angry Xuang, your mother is equally annoying." Xuang's glare broke into embarrassment and then he laughed.
