Amy Thomson - The Color of Distance

Anitonen lifted her ears at this. He sounded like an enkar. Or was that merely Eerin’s translation? She glanced at the others. The villagers seemed impressed, but it was more difficult to tell with her fellow enkar.

Ukatonen saw her inquiring look. “I like this Dr. Wu. He seems wise and reasonable,” he told Anitonen in small, private signs. “Do you think he really is, or does Eerin just make him sound like he is?”

“I don’t know,” Anitonen replied. She turned back to Eerin and the other humans. “We will confer with Lalito and the village council and meet here again tomorrow.”

“One other thing,” Dr. Wu said. “Our people would like to come ashore and explore. Is that possible?”

Anitonen turned to Lalito. “Well?”

Lalito tucked her chin in thought for a few moments. “I don’t want them destroying any more of our forest,” she said, “or killing things like they did last time. I’d want one of the villagers along to keep an eye on them, and we’d need Eerin to come, too, and translate.”

“I want some of the enkar along as well,” Ukatonen said. “I suggest that they send out no more than eight people, and that one of them must be Eerin. We will send along eight Tendu to watch over them.”

The humans agreed to this, and the meeting broke up. Moki came over to Eerin and held his arms out, asking for a link. Eerin shook her head, glancing nervously at the other humans.

“I’m busy now, Moki. Perhaps later.”

“Could you ask to stay a little longer?” Ukatonen proposed. “We need to talk with you about the meeting. And Moki wants to see you. Even if you don’t link with him, a short visit would help him get used to your being away.”

Eerin nodded, then turned and spoke to her people.

“It’s all right,” she told Ukatonen. “They’ll send a boat to pick me up later on in the afternoon.”

Garitonen escorted the other humans to the beach. Anitonen could see him trying his human skin speech out on the humans as they walked off through the jungle.

The Tendu waited until they could no longer hear the humans crashing through the leaf litter, and then they followed Lalito back to the village. The villagers had a beautiful meal laid out for the enkar in Lalito’s room. After the ritual apologies and compliments, they sat down to eat. Eerin ate lightly, mostly fruits, greens, and a little raw fish.

“I ate a big meal just before I left,” she explained when Anitonen remarked on her lack of appetite.

When they were full, Lalito signaled, and the tinka came in and removed the leftovers.

“Do your people understand the problems they have caused the village?” Lalito asked.

Eerin flickered yes.

“Then why do they restrict what we can bargain for?”

“Kene,” Eerin said, “our people are very different. We wish to make restitution in a way that will best achieve harmony between my people and yours. This will take some time. Please be patient.”

“We’ve waited four years for your people to come back.”

“I know, kene, I know, and we are working hard to arrive at a solution. Tell me, what do you want from us?”

Lalito ducked her chin in thought. “Your people have many things that we could use: computers, rafts that move themselves, deathstone tools that don’t rot or break.”

“What would you use to pay back the obligations incurred to the other villagers and the sea people if a fire or storm had damaged the jungle?”

“For the sea people, we would give them fresh and preserved fruits, nets, ropes, twine, and fish spears made of bone and stonewood. We usually give the land Tendu yarram, fish paste, salt, seeds from our best plants, and greenstone and guano for fertilizer.”

“I see,” Eerin said. “I’ll talk to my people about what you have told me and see what we can do. It may take several months to bring us into harmony in this matter.”

She turned to Anitonen and the other enkar. “My people also want to negotiate an agreement with all of the Tendu. How should this be accomplished?”

Ukatonen thought for a moment. “First you must reach harmony with Lyanan. Then we will talk about another agreement.”

Eerin inclined her head. “I’ll tell my people.”

“Good,” Ukatonen said. “I think we’re through.” He looked around inquiringly; there was no disagreement. “Eerin should have some time with Moki before she goes back to her people. Why don’t you come to our room for a while?”

“Thank you. I’d like that.”

Anitonen followed them back to their room. As soon as they got there, Moki held out his arms, requesting a link.

Eerin hesitated.

“Go ahead,” Ukatonen urged. “It will make the separation easier if you link a bit from time to time.”

A ripple of uncertainty passed over Eerin, but she held out her hands and Moki eagerly reached out to link with her.

Intense relief flowed over Ukatonen’s body. “I was worried that Eerin wouldn’t link with him,” he told Anitonen. “Moki needs her so much, especially now, when everything is changing. I don’t think this is going to work out.” A ripple of regret clouded his skin for a moment.

Anitonen touched his shoulder in sympathy. “Things are just starting. I’m sure we’ll find a solution to this problem.”

Ukatonen shook his head. “These new people are so strange,” he said. “How can we ever reach harmony with them?”

“We managed with Eerin.”

“She was only one person. These others, in their suits, they seem much stranger and more remote. I don’t understand them.”

“Don’t worry,” Anitonen said. “They’re new and strange, yes, but inside those suits, they’re like Eerin. I already like Dr. Wu. He thinks like an enkar.” It felt strange, reassuring Ukatonen, who had always reassured her, but Anitonen looked forward to getting to know these new humans. Her life with Eerin, Moki, and Ukatonen had become routine. She was ready for a new challenge.

“I just wish I could see them without their suits. I want to visit that floating island of theirs, and see how they live,” Ukatonen said.

“Why don’t we ask if we can visit their island? After all, if we’re letting them come here, we should be able to go there,” Anitonen replied.

Juna slid out of the link, feeling calm and happy. So much had happened since the Survey returned. It seemed like a whole month had passed since she had last seen Moki, instead of only a day. It was good to feel his familiar presence again. Leaving him behind would be like tearing off an arm. She loved Moki as much as she loved her father and brother. As her adopted child, he was part of her family. She felt as though she were being split in two by the people she loved the most.

“Oh, Moki,” she whispered. “What am I going to do?”

Moki’s ears lifted inquisitively at the sound of her voice.

“I missed you so much,” Juna told him in skin speech. “I don’t want to leave you behind.”

“Then stay,” Moki said.

“I can’t. My brother’s been hurt. They need me at home.”

“Someone else can heal him, can’t they?”

Juna shook her head. “They can’t heal him. He can’t walk; he needs a special machine to help him get around.”

“Why hasn’t he chosen to die?”

Juna closed her eyes, fighting back a sudden flash of anger. “That’s not how our people behave, Moki. There’s still a lot that he can do. He wants to live.” She looked away, remembering Toivo’s obsession with learning to use an exoskeleton in zero-g. Perhaps Toivo didn’t really want to live.

“It doesn’t matter why, Moki. I need to go home.”

“Then take me with you!” he pleaded. “I can help you heal your brother.”

“You wouldn’t like it where I live. It’s too dry, and there aren’t any trees to climb in. This is your home.”