While the Jamila broadcast captivated the whole of the Arrhazon populace, those who knew either llhaesa or Jahrae took special interest in the unfolding events of another world.

M’sela J’serhn taught music theory at N’rellia Conservatory, and began her 25^th year at the prestigious institution weeks before. Through those 25 years of teaching the best and brightest of Arrhazonan students, none ever performed in class and in application quite like llhaesa ahrella t’yaeli.

M’sela thought back to her first encounter with llhaesa. Every year, students are lost and roam the halls looking for their proper class, and usually the lost students are in a state of near panic, fearful of making an initial bad impression with the instructor.

On the first day of llhaesa’s freshman year, she failed to locate M’sela class. M’sela ran through her attendance sheet, and found all present except for one wayward student.

Stepping out the door and into the corridor, M’sela looked toward the right, the shorter expanse, with only a few class doors beyond her own. Seeing nothing, she turned left, and approximately fifty meters in the other direction, she saw a solitary student in one of the glass music booths, happily playing piano, oblivious to the world around her.

M’sela walked to the music booth and rapped upon the glass door, loud enough to draw the student’s attention. Hearing the knock, the student turned her attention outward, and seeing M’sela, a bright smile formed upon her face.

The student – llhaesa – stepped out, and asked how she might help M’sela, prompting a query from M’sela. “Are you llhaesa t’yaeli?” was her simple question.

“Yes, yes I am,” was llhaesa’s simple and casual answer.

“Aren’t you scheduled for class this period, llhaesa?”

“Yes, but the class number on my sheet is incorrect – none of the numbers match the classes on this floor. Rather than disturb each class, I need piano practice time, and endeavoured to make use of my lost time by doing something productive.”

M’sela squelched her inner laughter; she even suppressed a corresponding budding urge to smile, instead pulled on her best teacher-face. “Ms t’yaeli,” M’sela sternly began, “I am the professor of the class you are currently scheduled to be in. And while I appreciate your industriousness, I think your time would best be served making your way four doors down and to your right; you will find a seat in there anxious for you to set upon it for ninety minutes.”

“My apologies, Dr. J’serhn, I shall comply with your request.” Llhaesa turned and proceeded toward the class, then stopped. Turning back toward M’sela she added, “By the way, just before you knocked – my vocal range extended to nine octaves for the first time.” With that comment, llhaesa walked off toward class, leaving M’sela standing there simultaneously mystified and incredulous, not knowing whether llhaesa spoke truth, was being sarcastic, or simply laying claim to being the class exaggerator.

What M’sela learned was that llhaesa was all about the truth, and all about loving music. Where another might retrench and brag, llhaesa simply pushed herself to the limits of achievement, and to this day M’sela was unsure if llhaesa could ever reach a limit on potential.

While that day llhaesa’s comment had to do with vocal range, M’sela – and all of her colleagues – would think up reasons to watch llhaesa practise, such was her level of talent. Even llhaesa’s practise time was worthy spectatorship.

When the faculty advisor list posted, M’sela held her breath, hoping that one on her assignment list was llhaesa. She never told anyone that upon seeing ‘llhaesa t’yaeli on her list, she jumped out of her chair, pumped her arm and fist, whilst screaming ‘yessss!”

That assignment came six weeks into the fall term, and in retrospect, it amazed M’sela that any student could leave an indelible a mark in six weeks.

Not long after, she met with Aalon, N’rellia’s revered and long time Curator, and mentioned llhaesa in the course of their conversation. Curious as a result of M’sela’s high praise, Aalon went out of his way to quietly observe the student, and the next time Aalon and M’sela crossed paths on campus, he called out “you were wrong – she is better than you claim!” and continued walking toward whatever was his destination on that particular day.

Knowing Aalon was the toughest sell on campus in terms of exuberant claims, M’sela knew she would need to work beyond all expectations in order she might sufficiently challenge her young protégé. Hers was not an easy task, for the person she mentored possessed talent that dwarfed her own.

No matter all the superlatives she might toss at llhaesa, all of which she deserved, she also happened to be one of the most willing students in terms of accepting advice and direction, which is probably how she became so damn good.

Not that llhaesa was ready for sainthood during her N’rellia days. M’sela chuckled at the memory of a very drunk llhaesa showing up at her door after she had an argument – more like a minor disagreement – with M’traliel. Lovers at the time, llhaesa felt awful for disagreeing with her friend, and so she made her way to M’sela’s on campus home.

Opening the door and finding llhaesa waiting outside, M’sela invited the student in, and watched her wobble in. Sensing a need for a hot and sobering drink, M’sela put a pot on to boil, while llhaesa made her way to the grand piano that is the focal point of M’sela’s great room.

Llhaesa sat down to play – and promptly fell off the stool, out cold, and not from the fall. M’sela mustered all the strength she possessed to get llhaesa off the floor and into a bed to sleep it off. Twenty centimetres taller, llhaesa was not easy to roust and move, but M’sela managed to accomplish the feat.

The next morning llhaesa became intimate with the bath facilities, emptying out the contents of her stomach in a most unpleasant manner – quite a contrast from the enjoyment gained whilst filling it up the night previous.

In another incident, llhaesa, upset with continuing government sexism and discrimination, engaged in graffiti scrolling with M’traliel, the two marking an equal’s sign on every traffic sign within a kilometre of the N’rellia Campus, front and back. She was fortunate M’sela was the one who spotted her engaged in this handiwork, for had it been most any other, the consequences would have proven most severe.

With llhaesa, M’sela could discuss the matter, explain why she should not engage in these tactics, and llhaesa would take it to heart, learn from her mistake, and move on. In that case, learning meant an unofficial one hundred extra hours of practise, which for llhaesa was no punishment at all.

The funniest incident involved llhaesa’s tormentor throughout college, Sk’vra Kjurha. Envious of llhaesa’s talent, Sk’vra channelled his energy towards sabotage and insults, rather than working toward improving his own ability. M’sela looked back in hindsight, for she knew Sk’vra redeemed himself by giving his life to save Jahrae during the revolution, but back in their college days…

Llhaesa tired of the harassment, and spotted an opportunity to get even in some small measure, with Sk’vra. Taking an examination in writing music, llhaesa knew Sk’vra would glance at her work and copy her answers. So she devised a plan, and wrote everything one note off. At the bottom, she added a key to solve the exam-puzzle by shifting by that one note.

Llhaesa would not explain why, though the answer was apparent in viewing Sk’vra’s entire one note off exam – llhaesa had the explanation key, while Sk’vra listed no such key on his paper. One received a perfect score – and added points for creativity, the other scored nil, along with a stern warning expulsion loomed perilously near.

Now her former student – who in fact could spend the rest of her life teaching M’sela, their roles now reversed – was in trouble so very far away from home. Surely, this Arrkarharan world would learn and understand how precious llhaesa was to all who knew her, to this entire world?

M’sela yearned for the day when Arrkarharan students exchanged with Arrhazon counterparts and sat in her classroom. She would make it a point for them to learn the history of this person and all she had done – the good, the great, and the mischievous.