The strength of that decision eased his guilt enough to let him work, reaching into the depths of Abel's need with the promise of life, drawing him back toward warmth and hope.
Finally, he felt a stirring of response. Awakening in need, Abel was hyperconscious, reaching automatically to the source of life before him, grasping Rimon's arms, pulling him into transfer position. Rimon did not resist, remaining in healing mode, projecting himself as a soothing Gen field to help Abel orient himself. Take as long as you want. Rest with me, Abel, until you have the strength to let go. You're safe.
But Abel could not do it. The shocks his system had just taken had weakened him so that if he were to survive, he had to have selyn now, and there was no one to give it except Rimon.
Braced for pain, ready to force himself to allow Abel to fulfill his need if it killed him, he remained in healing mode to be Gen for Abel—to entice the draw that would heal the older Sime—after all, he didn't require much selyn. The flow began, that momentary pleasant sensation, to be followed by—
Abel's draw increased, speeding, but not hurting. Compared to Rimon's draw, or lord's, it was slow—yet he sought something more than selyn. As they approached termination, with Abel still frantically unsatisfied, Rimon realized what was missing—the killbliss—the satisfaction that was equally pleasure and pain. As he thought of it, recalled it, the memory seemed to flow from him to Abel, satisfying the deepest need and at the same time whipping back into guilt—Abel's standard reaction to a kill.
But there should be no guilt. With a flick of his field like the fresh laughter of Hank and Uel, Rimon wiped out that emotion and drew Abel to hypoconsciousness. He broke contact, saying, "Abel! Come on! You're all right! Everything is all right!"
Abel opened his eyes, stared at Rimon, then down at his hands, still clasping Rimon's arms as if he feared to let go. "You—! Rimon—that was you? I didn't kill?"
"You didn't kill."
"A miracle! Another miracle—God be praised!" He burst into tears. "You have let me keep my vow!"
Kadi was kneeling by Jord, who was groggily awake now. Wide-eyed, she asked, "Rimon—what did you do?"
"I—" He paused to swallow as the enormity struck him. "I gave transfer to Abel."
"But how?"
They were interrupted as the door was flung open and Willa ran in, breathless. "Jord!" she cried, falling to her knees beside him.
"Don't touch me!" he said. "I don't deserve you, Willa– I've killed again."
By this time other people were entering—Uel, Hank, Zeth, Margid. Others were outside on the porch—everything had happened right here in the unshielded main room. Curious Simes were converging from every direction.
Margid, finding her husband in tears, asked in a panic, "Abel! What's happened?"
"When I least deserved it," he whispered, "when through my pride I had just provoked our son into killing—" Margid started, looking over to Jord and Willa in horror. Abel clutched her. "Margid! Jord killed—but I did not!"
"What?" Her attention focused on her husband, taking in the fact that he was high-field.
"I have sinned—pride, presumption, impatience. I goaded Jord into killing, and then would have murdered him in my despair—and at that moment God chose to show His infinite mercy. Rimon—"
All eyes fixed on him. Rimon said, "Abel, it's not a miracle. It's just—a logical extrapolation of all the other things I've done. I just couldn't see it!"
Just then Del Erick entered, grimly pushing his way through the crowd, trailed by Carlana. "Rimon—can I help?"
At Del's anxiety, Rimon realized that no one knew what had happened. It was a frightening scene; the dead Gen, Abel on the floor with Margid worriedly examining him, Abel's elation overshadowed by Jord's self-loathing as he tried to get to his feet, hampered by Willa. But Del had come to help—always he came back, no matter how it hurt him.
"Del, it's all right!" Rimon told him. "We've found the answer!"
"The… answer?"
"I should have known all along," Rimon said. "It's what my selyn reservoir is for—to give to others!"
Margid's head snapped up. "You—gave transfer to Abel?"
"Yes! And it didn't hurt!" Oh no, it didn't hurt—in fact, he was slowly becoming aware that he felt better than he had in months. He wasn't meant to store that overbalance of selyn in his system—it was there to be given!
As the slow surge of understanding in the other Simes bloomed into awe of Rimon, Jord's nager showed his desperate desire to escape. He tugged away from Willa as if to go out toward the kitchen, but Abel stopped him with a word. "Jord—my son, forgive me."
"Forgive you? Father, I'm the one who killed today, and I don't know why! I should have returned to Willa, but I couldn't—I couldn't!"
"God's ways are not always simple," said Abel, picking himself up off the floor to face his son. "Your failure provoked Rimon into his discovery. But now we know, Jord. There will be no more killing in Fort Freedom."
"And how will you stop me next time?" Jord asked bitterly.
"Rimon can stop you, as he stopped me—as you will stop others, Jord. God has blessed you with the same abilities Rimon has. Be thankful for the blessings God has granted to this community. Yes, be thankful even for your weakness, and mine, which forced Rimon Farris to discover the extent of his powers."
"Can you do it again, Rimon?" Kadi asked. "Do you know what you did?"
"Yes!" he said in elation, plucking Zeth up and holding him close. "It's healing mode, Kadi—the very first thing I learned after you freed me from killing. In healing mode, I can draw from Gens who are afraid without hurting them —and in healing mode, I can give that selyn to other Simes, and not be killed!"
"Then I can learn it, too!" said Uel Whelan. He turned to hug his father, then his mother. "I said I'd do it! I said I'd teach you not to kill. Now I can—in spite of being Sime —because I'm Sime—I can do it!"
Abel said, "Yes, Uel, you can do it. Jord can do it. And Rimon—Rimon Farris, you are a channel of God's grace from heaven."
"A channel of life!" said Del. He put his arm around Carlana and looked down at Owen and Jana, who had followed their parents in. When he looked back at Rimon, the pain was gone from his face, the wound of Billy's death healed at last. "I could never have brought myself to touch Hank or any of the Gens you're working with. Not after Billy. But if you can channel selyn to me, to all of us—then there's a future worth living for!"
"Pa—can I be a channel, too?" asked Owen.
"Me, too! Me, too!" chimed in Jana.
Del knelt to hug them both. "Maybe you will," he said, "but it doesn't matter. All that matters is that, Sime or Gen, you won't kill—and you won't be killed!"
"Our prayers have been answered," Abel agreed. "Come, let us go to the chapel. Someone ring the bell. We must tell everyone of this miracle, and give thanks to God, Who has forgiven all our sins, all our doubts. We must dedicate ourselves to the new way of life Rimon Farris has brought to us."
For the first time, Rimon was not even faintly embarrassed at the faith Abel placed in him. I can do it! Now I know I can do it! I'm in control of my own life at last– and I can teach others.
Kadi at his side, Zeth in his arms, he listened with equanimity to the vow that had so frightened him the first time Abel had made it contingent upon him. He would see that Abel's faith was 'not misplaced—teach the young people, like Uel, and Zeth one day, so that no Sime would ever be forsworn if he vowed as Abel Veritt did, "As God is my witness, I shall not die a killer!"