Herald the Healer's part in the resolution of the Amoeba-Cluster crisis served to abate the Curse of Llume on Sphere Slash. He remarried Psyche of Kade. It was not complete bliss, for he had a slightly wandering eye and she had a temper, so they did have their tiffs, but they always made up, and their underlying love was deep. They had a child named Pleasure, of course. But she had lost her body and home, and he his profession, for new means of healing and identification were provided by the Amoeba technology. Constitutionally unable to settle down, they remained active as Transfer agents, always operating as a pair, using multiple and diverse hosts to assist the processes of forming the new order. Both were effectively immortal, owing to continued enhancement of their auras. In fact, immortality was now available generally to those who desired it, provided they were willing to make their lives worthwhile for civilization.
Sixteen of Jet was pleased to serve as Psyche's base host; she had always craved high aura. But as the labors of the Cluster-Amoeba integration increased, Psyche was away from that host for longer periods. This was unfair to Sixteen, who had no local sire for her Kirlian family. Two Kirlian entities learned of this and were moved to act. Flame of Furnace and Hweeh of Weew visited the hosts Herald and Psyche had used. Their natural auras were not as high, but this hardly made a difference in these days of enhancement. When Flame met Hweeh, and their two potent auras interacted and their two fine minds took the measure of each other, something happened. In due course they married and disappeared into private life.
On Planet Keep of Sphere Sador, Segment Etamin, the Duke of Qaval emerged as the most powerful noble of that society. He arranged to be designated heir apparent to the Throne of Crown, and assumed effective political control of the planet. He promoted the Baron of Magnet to be the new Duke of Kade. Magnet was the only other survivor of the destruction of Kastle Kade, as he was being conducted under guard to his own castle when the nuclear detonation occurred, and had been tough enough to roll out of the mess that remained of his guards as the mushroom formed so close behind. He was slightly radioactive, however. He did his best to salvage what remained of the rich herds and pastures of that region, and to render aid to other sapients who had been near the holocaust. Prince Qaval, meanwhile, brought in sophisticated Kirlian equipment to ensure that never again could a sapient entity be burned at the stake for Possession—falsely.
So the Kirlian Quest was ended in the Cluster—and initiated in the Universe. The figure of Herald the Healer, savior of the cluster, became a part of history, joining those of Melody of Mintaka and Flint of Outworld. Only one more story remained to be told: that of the last— more correctly first—of the shapers. This was the founder of the Temple of Tarot, whose amazing private experience provided the philosophical grounding for all that followed. He was Brother Paul, an obscure novice in an obscure sect of pre-Spherical Planet Earth during its Fool period. His was the quest for the God of Tarot.
Cluster
Political Geography
Sphere or Segment
Symbol
Location
Character
Amoeba
|||
Deep space
& Coordinator
X Research Command
0 Action Command
Ast
*
Andromeda
Whorl of Precipice
Bhyo
Milky Way
Cloud 9
$
Large Magellanic Cloud
Cloud 6
¢
Small Magellanic Cloud
Dash
—
Andromeda
Duocirc
oo
Andromeda
Etamin
"
Milky Way
Duke of Kade
Lady Psyche
Earl of Dollar
Baron of Magnet
Caesar of Capella
Prince Circlet of Crown
Brother Paul of the Holy Order of Vision
Flint of Outworld
Melody of Mintaka
Fa¿
¿
Milky Way
Freng
Milky Way
Furnace
#
Flame
Jet
=
Globular Cluster NGC 6624
Sixteen
Knyfh
%
Milky Way
Lodo
ΞΆ
Milky Way
Moderns
+
NGC598 (Pinwheel)
Hellflower of the Kirlian Inn
Novagleam
σσ
Milky Way
Pin
^
NGC 598 (Pinwheel)
Prick
Qaval
δ
Milky Way
Duke of Qaval (Keep)
Quadpoint
::
Andromeda
Smallbore of Metamorphic
Sculp
§
Sculptor
Slash
/
Andromeda
Herald the Healer
Thousandstar
:::
Milky Way
Weew
@
Milky Way
Hweeh of Swees
Wheel
θ
NGC 598 (Pinwheel)