Unforgettable journey to other planets

“Um… Yes,” David grinned, “it’s always been called that.”

“Always?” Van snorted. “Just because you call your home by that name, it doesn’t mean that everyone else does. All right, Earth. Then the answer is this,” he paused for greater effect. “You’re on the Sun.”

Dr Capri, Yulia, and David began to ask other questions in rapid succession.

“How is it possible?”

“How can we be here if we have to burn?”

Van looked up at them with annoyance and shook his little head negatively.

“You said you would leave!” he said grudgingly and sharply.

“Wait,” Dr Capri tried to exhale. “We received a signal on Earth from our spacecraft. That’s why we’re here. Do you know anything about it?”

Van took small steps closer to the doctor.

“What kind of signal?” he looked at him questioningly.

“The signal from the Voyager,” the doctor was confused, unable to find the words in front of the unusual creature.

“It records the sounds of our planet, music and…” Yulia didn’t finish.

“Music?” Van smiled.

“Yes!” cried Dr Capri. “Did you send it? Did you want us to come here?”

“What?” said Van in surprise. “No. I mean, I’m not sure, but…” he hesitated again. “No, that can’t be right.”

Van turned away from the group of people who were grasping at the thin straw of understanding in this unusual and strange situation. He took a few steps and rubbed his forehead thoughtfully with a small hand.

“Okay,” Van concluded, “we’ll go to the palace and see if you should be here. But…” he turned sharply to the group, “you won’t ask any more questions, or…” the little Sun-dweller pondered.

“Or what?” Yulia asked.

“Ah!” shouted Van irritably. “That’s what I’m talking about. You’d better not say anything. Don’t say anything, or,” he thought up, “I won’t take you anywhere.”

Debby pointed with her finger that she was silent.

“Don’t do that,” Van said, mocking Debby. “Let’s go to the palace.”

“Wait a minute!” Jean-Pierre stopped him. “We have many questions, and we would like to understand how we got here and how it is possible that we are still alive.”

Little Van stopped for a second and turned to Jean-Pierre in surprise.

“How should I know exactly how you got here? You tell me.”

“We crashed in a plane and ended up in a cave somewhere in the Himalayas. And an old man, his name was Bhrigu, he…” Jean-Pierre saw Van’s little face change.

The little creature’s eyes rounded, and for the first time a sincere rather than sarcastic smile shone on his face, then he closed his eyes and bowed his head.

“Ha-ha-ha,” Van laughed in his squeaky voice. “The old man?! He is a great rishi. A sage who can travel from one planet to another. The keeper of the path between the worlds.”

“Oh crap,” Jean-Pierre whispered.

“Do you think he sent us here on purpose?” David asked Jean-Pierre quietly.

“How should I know? If he is so great, he might have.”

“Yes,” Yulia shook her head. “He probably didn’t like it very much when you grabbed him by his clothes and shook him.”

“Is he a great sage?” Dr Capri clarified. “Could he have sent us here?”

“Apparently, yes,” Van said uncertainly. “We should ask Dandin. He is the king’s assistant. And the sage Bhrigu is a great soul. Come, we can’t stand still for long.”

Little Van walked in small steps ahead.

“We have to find out everything,” Dr Capri said, warning Jean-Pierre’s words. “We must follow him.”

“Em, doctor, I wouldn’t be so sure,” replied the Frenchman. “Look, Tulu-Manchi…” Jean-Pierre began to speak.

“Yes, look, we’re on the Sun,” smiled the doctor, “we have to find out what all this means.”

Everyone smiled and got up to follow Van.

“Van,” Debby called out, “why can’t we stand for a long time?”

Van answered without turning around:

“Drown.”

“Well,” Jean-Pierre grudgingly agreed and started walking with the others, “then at least we won’t have to drag,” and he tried to lift Van into his arms.

It turned out that the little creature was very heavy. Van slapped Jean-Pierre on the fingers and jumped away from him.

“Don’t you dare touch me!” Van squeaked.

“I just wanted to speed up our walk,” Jean-Pierre said, continuing to be surprised by Van’s weight.

“Speed up?” Van shook his head. “Well,” he said, and rose above the surface, he floated through the air with increasing speed.

Part 3 – Chapter 29

The cell phone began buzzing on the table beside the bed. Bernard Bajolet opened his eyes, looked up at the ceiling for a second, and tried to guess what the call might be about. He held the phone to his ear.

“Monsieur, I’m sorry to call you at this hour,” the temporary assistant named Desiree began to justify herself.

“It is your job,” said Bernard, without much ado. “To the point.”