“Here,” said Allor as he put the bracelet on Ova’s wrist.
“What is this?” Ova asked him as she looked at the golden metal on her wrist.
“Touch it here,” he said, and pressed a red stone in the bracelet. “Now say my name.”
“Lord God Allor,” she replied. Nothing happened.
“No. Just Allor,” he replied.
“Allor,” she said, and a holocomm started between them. It was of Allor and it was real time. He walked away from her so she could see that it continued even over distance.
“Now we can be together always,” he said. “Now say END.”
“End,” she said, and the image disappeared.
She walked over to him and gave him a long kiss.
“This is the best present I have ever received,” she said, and kissed him on the lips again.
A woman walked over to them. She was carrying two pieces of cloth. Ova looked at them and then pointed to the red and orange plaid pattern. The woman nodded her head and left.
“There is another,” he said.
“I like gifts,” said Ova, smiling.
He put the medallion around her neck.
“It matches yours,” she said. “It is beautiful. I will cherish it forever.”
A man came to them carrying three glasses with wine in them. He stood and waited as Ova tasted each of them then chose the first one.
“And make sure we have more than enough on hand. Plan for a two-day festival and we should have enough for one day. My brother and his men drink more than most.”
“Yes, Princess Ova,” replied the man. He bowed and left.
“Put your finger on the medallion like this for a moment,” Allor said, and then he disappeared.
“Where did you go?” she asked. A moment later Allor reappeared.
“I am still here, it just made me invisible,” he said. “Try it.”
And she did. She disappeared then reappeared then disappeared again then reappeared.
“This is remarkable,” she said. Then she stopped for a minute. A look of disappointment crept upon her face.
“Yes, now you understand. I am not a god,” Allor said.
“But how did you make these things?”
“I didn’t. I found them. There was a ship from out in the stars that crashed near where I lived many years ago. I salvaged these from the wreckage.”
“But if you are not a god, then who should I worship?” she asked.
“No one. There are no gods, only things we don’t understand. To worship the unknown makes no sense. Stand very still. I have something that may help you understand.”
Allor took the remedium from his robe. He ran it over his bride. He corrected some cancerous tissue in her stomach and a weak heart valve. When he held the remedium to her head, he could see the expression on her face change as the knowledge flooded into her brain. When it was finished, Ova sat down quickly on the floor.
“I never knew,” she said over and over.
Allor sat down beside her and put his arm around her. He pulled her close to him. She leaned her head on his shoulder.
“Prisoners. Those are our ancestors.”
“I know,” he said, and hugged her tight. “The people from the stars have returned,” he said.
“And there are really no gods?” she asked him with residual disbelief.
“Only incredible machines.”