22: Diversions and Ambuscades

It turned out that Oromë was thinking of creating a tri-planetary system. Not a system of one large planet and two satellites, but a system of three dwarf planets all orbiting along a single barycenter. There were also two smaller satellites as well, making for a complicated celestial dance. Námo was impressed with Oromë’s vision but had his doubts about the feasibility.

"I was thinking of placing it in the farthest regions of the system," Oromë said as the two surveyed what that Vala had accomplished to date.

"An ambitious project," Námo opined. "So what is it you want me to help you with?"

Oromë pointed to the two smaller dwarf planets. "I can’t seem to get them to cooperate and orbit along a common barycenter with this larger planet."

Námo examined the system with a critical eye. "I think your problem lies in where you want these two smaller worlds to orbit the larger. Look here," he exerted his will upon the three worlds, moving the two smaller ones a further distance away from the larger planet. "Let these two orbit around their own barycenter and then have their combined gravitation attraction be used to create a secondary barycenter with the larger world. You were placing them in different orbits and I think that’s where you were having trouble."

Oromë stood beside Námo and watched the younger Ayanuz manipulate the worlds, moving the two smaller dwarf planets, now orbiting each other, just far enough out from the third world so that a second stable barycenter was created. Námo was so intent on his task that he didn’t notice the change in Oromë’s aura which indicated pleased amusement.

"There," Námo said with a look of satisfaction. "Now, where were you thinking of putting these two worldlets?"

Oromë pointed. "I was thinking of having them orbit the larger world. What do you think?"

Námo spent some time contemplating the worlds. "It would be rather interesting to see if we couldn’t get at least one to orbit all three worlds." He gave Oromë a brilliant smile and the older Ayanuz laughed.

"That’s more celestial engineering than I care to contemplate. Aulë or Ulmo might be able to figure out the calculus for such an orbit, but I think I’ll just stick to having them orbit one or the other of the worlds."

"Well, then, let them orbit the larger planetoid," Námo said and that’s what they did.

When they were finished, the two Ayanumuz stepped back to examine their handiwork. Oromë nodded, pleased with what they had wrought. "It’s beautiful, don’t you think?" he asked.

Námo turned to Oromë, his aura a steady violet. "You really didn’t need my help, did you?"

Oromë’s own orange hue darkened somewhat in embarrassment. "I just thought if you were occupied with something it would take your mind off... things."

For a long time Námo said nothing, simply watching the five globes create a stately pavane between them. When he spoke he refused to look at Oromë. "Manwë means to put me among your Máyar, doesn’t he?" His tone was expressionless, void of any emotion, and Oromë grieved at it.

"I don’t know, Námo," he answered truthfully. "I do not know what the Eldest has planned for you."

"If he does," Námo whispered, his attention solely on the worlds before them, "wh-what will you do to me?"

"I won’t do anything to you, Námo," Oromë replied, stressing the word ‘to’. "I will do something with you, but just what, I do not know. I suggest you not borrow trouble. Manwë hasn’t decided anything yet. Until he does, you are still an Ayanuz and a Máhanuz. Try to remember that and act accordingly."

"What would happen to my own People if Manwë decides to... to punish me?" Námo asked, fearing the answer yet needing to know. He loved his Máyar even more since returning to Eä, for they had given him back what he had most needed at the time: self-respect and unconditional love.

Oromë wrapped himself around Námo and sent him thoughts of comfort. "I think Manwë would hold their oaths himself until such time as you were ready to receive them back. Yet, none of this has happened, Námo. Do not fret over what is only a possibility, not a probability. You are still Lord to your People."

Námo leaned into Oromë’s embrace. "I was so terrified," he whispered, "but I didn’t know why. Do you think Atar is... is disappointed in me?"

"Nay, Little Brother," Oromë responded, giving Námo a tight squeeze and a kiss. "You can never disappoint Atar, you know that. Now come, let us hence. Why don’t we find Vairë and you two can show me what you’ve been working on together."

Námo allowed himself to be led away and soon the two were seeking Vairë across the cosmos.

****

Manwë and Varda met with Irmo and Nienna to discuss their brother. They gathered inside a nebula of rising gas pillars in shades of ochre, salmon and umber backlit by bluish-green dust clouds. The pillars appeared to spread out as if a creature were rising on wings and Manwë always enjoyed coming here to ruminate and reflect. Now it was a place of deep discussion about a single subject: Námo. For a time the four of them idly watched as young stars burst from the molecular clouds surrounding them to join their fellows in the cosmos.

Finally, Irmo broke the silence. "So, what are you going to do?"

"What do you think I should do?" Manwë asked.

Brother and sister shared uneasy looks, unable to offer any suggestions. Manwë sighed and looked to Varda, who sent him a private thought of support and love through their bond.

"He needs to face what happened," Manwë finally said when no one else ventured to speak.

"But is forcing the issue helping any?" Irmo asked with no little anger. "He was terrified, Manwë, more terrified than I’ve ever seen him. Are you going to punish him for an inability to face his most horrendous memories? You saw what Melkor did to him and I suspect we will never fully learn the truth of that from either of them."

"Irmo is correct, Manwë," Nienna interjected. "Námo’s been through enough without us making it worse for him."

"Yet, Atar seems to think he needs to face these memories now," Varda stated with equanimity. "We cannot ignore his wishes in this."

"I’m not saying that," Irmo objected. "I’m saying we need to... to approach this in a different way. He needs to know that we do not condemn him for failing to remember when we want him to."

"Forcing him to confront his memories of Melkor will only drive him further away," Nienna said. She gave Manwë a piercing glance, her tone rising in anger. "Is that what you want, Manwë? Are you intent on seeing our brother humiliated further by demoting him to Máyar status while his own People are forced to watch, helpless to intervene? Is that what you wish for him, for all of them?"

Manwë’s aura never shifted, remaining the same steady blue hue it always was. If he was upset by Nienna’s accusation, he gave no sign. Irmo’s aura shifted, indicating deep distress, but he remained silent. "No, Nienna," Manwë finally said, "it is not what I want, what any of us want, but if necessary...."

"And who determines when it is necessary?" Irmo asked with a scowl. "He’s our brother. I think we should have some say as to how you intend to punish him."

Manwë gave them both a measuring look. "Is that how you see me, as someone who metes out punishment to wayward Ayanumuz and Máyar?"

Brother and sister looked distraught at that and their aurae darkened in denial. "No," Nienna finally said, her expression one of deep sorrow. "We know that is not who you are, but we just don’t want our brother to be hurt any more than he already is."

"Nor do I," Manwë replied gently. "Yet, I am the Eldest, appointed by Atar to be his vice-gerent in Eä. As much as I would like to do otherwise, I find myself forced to confront certain realities, one of which is your brother."

"Oromë may be the key," Varda interjected suddenly and the other three gave her their undivided attention. "Námo seems to accept Oromë in a way that he does no one else, even his own brother and sister. I do not know why, but perhaps we should exploit that."

"How?" Irmo asked.

"What if Oromë agrees to be the one to encourage Námo to confront his memories?" Varda explained. "Námo might feel more willing to do so without an audience."

"Oromë takes Námo under his governance without any formal oathgiving on Námo’s part," Manwë said, thinking aloud. He fell into contemplation and the other three watched several newborn stars emerge from the gas clouds while waiting for the Eldest to speak. "So be it," Manwë finally said. The others returned their attention to him. "We will let Oromë deal with this. Námo will continue to be counted among the Ayanuz and his People will remain with him... for now. I reserve the right to change my mind and Námo’s status if I feel it is warranted."

The other three indicated their consent. "Will you tell Oromë, then?" Nienna asked.

"There is no need," Manwë said with a brightening of his aura to indicate amusement. "I discussed all this with him some time ago. I anticipated Námo’s reaction when we attempted to force him to remember."

"If you already knew he would act that way..." Irmo started to say, then stopped, not sure how to respond to the implications of Manwë’s words.

"Only that there was a strong possibility that he would react as he did," Manwë said. "With that in mind, Oromë and I discussed our options and he agreed to take on the task of encouraging Námo to remember. I sincerely hope it works," he added with a sigh, "for time is short and I fear another confrontation with our Fallen Brother is imminent."

None of them looked at all comfortable with that notion.

****

The confrontation came sooner than any of them anticipated or hoped.

The stars in the Children’s galaxy had shifted several degrees when Námo and Oromë happened to be wandering through the cosmos checking on pockets of Chaos. Oromë was beginning to recognize when and where such pockets would develop and he became increasingly expert in hunting them out, even when Námo was sure that such pockets did not exist. The two of them had become even closer than before and their Máyar were beginning to learn to work together in fulfilling their Masters’ bidding. The two of them were re-entering the local group of galaxies centered around the Children’s galaxy and their own home galaxy when the attack came.

"So when are you and Vána going to espouse?" Námo asked Oromë as they skirted an area of dense dark matter illumined against the bright sea of stars that surrounded it.

"Why?" Oromë retorted in amusement. "Are you thinking of asking Vairë?"

Námo gave his companion a surprised look. "Vairë? Why would I ask Vairë?"

"Well you two seem to like one another and if you’re not with me you’re usually with her, so I just thought...."

"Well, we hardly know each other...." Námo started to explain but he never finished his thought.

Suddenly, out of the dark matter several figures emerged: flame-wreathed they were with whips of fire. Námo and Oromë both froze in shock as six of Melkor’s servants surrounded them. Námo shrank against Oromë with a whimper of dread. One of the fiery beings smiled evilly and came closer.

"Ah, little Námo," he said, his voice a dark velvety purr of anticipated delight at the pain he was about to inflict on his victims, "you left us so soon, and we never got to finish... playing our little game." The Dark Máya laughed and his fellows joined him. It was a sickening sound that left the two Ayanumuz feeling sullied to the core of their fëar.

Then Námo’s aura went completely into the ultraviolet when he saw Melkor emerging from the dark clouds to join them and now he and Oromë understood why they had been unable to flee the scene: Melkor’s own will was keeping them in place. The Fallen One motioned for two of his servants, including the one who had spoken, to grab Námo.

"Leave him be, Rushurithir," Oromë demanded, recognizing the one who had spoken, for he had once been of his own People before forswearing his oath to follow Melkor. The Ayanuz attempted to fight the Máyar off Námo but then three of them converged on him and held him down.

"Or what?" Rushurithir demanded with a sneer as he helped drag a petrified Námo before Melkor. "I don’t take orders from you any more Oromë so unless you want my Master to do to you what he intends to do to our little Ayanuz here, keep quiet." He reached out and caressed Námo, kissing him with a tenderness that was obscene in its travesty. "Come, Little One. It’s time to play."

"Rushurithir is correct, my lover," Melkor crooned darkly. "It is indeed time to play." He reached out to embrace his victim when Námo’s aura went suddenly incandescent.

"ATAR!" he screamed with all his might. "ATAR!"

Before anyone could react, several bright beings emerged in the space around the ambush. All of Námo’s and Oromë’s People as well as Manwë and Aulë and their People were there. Chaos ensued as the Dark Máyar attempted to fight or flee. Melkor screamed in rage at being thwarted of his prey and attempted to take Námo but Oromë had thrown off his own captors and was now wrestling with Melkor, his own aura a brilliant orange that blinded the Fallen One as he sought to protect his younger brother. Námo’s own aura remained nearly white and he was screaming.

"NEVER AGAIN, MELKOR! NEVER AGAIN!"

Melkor shrieked again, spewing hatred, before fleeing back into the dark matter along with his servants. The Máyar started to follow but Manwë recalled them even as he and Aulë converged on Oromë and Námo. Oromë’s aura had calmed to his usual steady orange but Námo was still incensed and his aura pulsated with white and violet hues, sometimes going dark altogether as he slipped towards the ultraviolet or going in the opposite direction towards the red as his anger consumed him. Oromë was holding him tightly, trying to soothe him.

"It’s all right, Námo," he said. "It’s all right. They’re gone. Calm down now, calm down... that’s it... all is well... there is naught to fear.... calmly, Little Brother."

Manwë took Námo in his own embrace and rocked him. "That’s it, Námo, all is well. They’re gone... Melkor’s gone. It’s over, child, it’s over."

It took some time before Námo calmed down but eventually he became quiescent and finally his aura’s pulsing slowed to more acceptable frequencies and his normal steady violet became predominate. When Manwë was sure that Námo was calm enough, he released his hold on him.

"Are you well now, Námo?" he asked solicitously.

"H-he was going t-to...." Námo stuttered. "I c-couldn’t let him do wh-what he wanted... n-not again... never again." He collapsed into Manwë’s embrace and wept. Oromë and Aulë gathered around the two of them and offered their own support to their brother while their Máyar ringed them, facing outward, as much to give them some semblance of privacy as to keep watch.

One by one the other Ayanumuz appeared within the ring of Máyar until all twelve were there to offer what comfort they could to their damaged brother. Oromë started humming the lullaby that Atar had sung to Námo in the tenth dimension. Soon they were all singing it as Manwë continued to hold Námo, who eventually succumbed to exhaustion and fell asleep.

****

Note: The nebula where Manwë and Varda meet with Irmo and Nienna is the Eagle Nebula (M16), an appropriate place considering Manwë’s eventual emblem. It is also a stellar nursery. You may see photos of this at http://hubblesite.org/gallery/album/entire_collection/pr1995044a/ and http://hubblesite.org/gallery/album/entire_collection/pr1995044b/.