The Loved and the Lost Read Free

in your mind . . . and body.”
    â€œYou . . . are . . .” Lincoln began to think, and then he blushed.
    â€œYou think I’m beautiful and are attracted to me, even though I’m just a sensory image ,” Medeea said. “Oh, and that too? Naughty boy.” Lincoln turned a deep vermillion. “It’s not just what you think to say to me,” Medeea spoke in his head. “I can see everything in your brain. Wasn’t that made clear in Professor Bix’s class?”
    â€œYes, but . . . but . . .” Lincoln said out loud.
    â€œBut what?” Hansum asked. Lincoln shot him a confused glance.
    â€œBut . . .” Lincoln was too shocked to continue.
    â€œNow you are embarrassed because I can read your most intimate thoughts. Even your . . . fantasies. You think I’m sexy.”
    Lincoln flushed brightly again. He turned to Arimus and spoke pleadingly.
    â€œWhat should I do? She can . . .”
    â€œYes, I know what’s going on,” Arimus said.
“To judge if you two are a good match,
I too had a sip of Medeea.
Lincoln, you must gain the belief that
being open about your most inner contemplations
brings you closer to self-contentment.
As I said to Hansum, the quest is self-knowledge.”
    â€œWhat’s going on?” Hansum asked.
    â€œIn the same way you have to confront your own self,
so you’ll a time traveler be as your prize,
so must Lincoln.
He’s just had . . . a little surprise.”
    â€œYou okay, pal?” Lincoln heard Hansum ask, but he didn’t look at him. He kept staring at Medeea, and she at him. Her smile softened.
    â€œExcuse my teasing,” she said in his head. “You’re having a stronger reaction than expected. I tell you what. I can limit my reading of your mind to the thoughts you intend to share. Till you trust me.”
    â€œYou can do that?” he asked.
    â€œDo what?” Hansum asked, till Arimus put his hand on his arm to keep him quiet.
    Medeea walked up to Lincoln and looked up to him.
    â€œYes, I can limit what I read of your mind. But if this is going to work, and we are to become a team, we must have complete trust. Do you think that eventually you’ll be able to handle that?”
    â€œWell,” Lincoln thought, “like Arimus says, it’s all about self-knowledge and growing out of why I feel embarrassed . . . it’s a good thing, right?”
    â€œA very good thing,” Medeea replied.
    â€œYa know what?” Lincoln thought, “The heck with it. Take it all, Medeea.” And then he spoke out loud again, and with a flourish, “My mind is your mind. No restrictions.”
    â€œBravo!” Arimus said.
    â€œYippee,” Medeea trilled.
    â€œWhat is going on, please?” Hansum asked.
    â€œAgain, like you, Lincoln is taking great strides quickly.
Such strides, in fact, I think I may return to Medeea
what is Medeea.”
    Arimus took the hand-crafted bottle and removed the stopper. He put the rounded lip of the vessel just below his eye.
    â€œAll right, my dear. It was nice communing with you.
To each I believe the other may be found valuable,
and for this I deem you both compatible.”
    â€œFarewell,” bid Medeea.
    Arimus blinked and a single shimmering tear formed in the corner of one of his eyes. It crawled along his cheek and found the bottle’s lip, crept into the opening and plopped back with the rest of itself. The millions of Medeea bits were now reunited.
    â€œNow it is just you and me,” Medeea said, taking a step closer to Lincoln.
    â€œYou’re a short, little thing, aren’t you?” Lincoln thought. “Even shorter than me.”
    Medeea put a hand on the top of her head, like she was measuring herself against him, and touched the tip of his nose. To Lincoln’s amazement, he could feel it. He jumped and Medeea giggled.
    â€œIt’s all in humans’ heads,” Medeea laughed.
    â€œI