Chapter 77: Year Four

Bilal was reading the journal that Carmella kept on Raj's progress. Under the heading YEAR FOUR she had just completed an entry. It was these entries that he reported back to his parents' once yearly and today was his final report before he would be summoned back to the Centaurians.

Bilal was quite a different being than he had been when he first appeared in human form. His beard was thick and his dreadlocks nearly as long as Carmella's although he mainly kept them knotted at the back of his head. He was tall and broad, no longer lanky and wiry.

His skin was brown from the sun and his slanted eyes scanned the world around him alert to any trouble.

Carmella paced as he read. She always became anxious when it was time for him to go into the field to connect to the post. He had refused to return to the ship as expected for his annual report.

It had not sat well with Mama Baba although the others were satisfied with just receiving his reports.