John reached his hand across the table and wrapped it around Sara’s. “There are faults on both sides. I cannot be induced to become best friends with Edofine, though.”
Edofine started combing his hair with his fingers. “I am distressed at your ill-will, but you have every right to feel about me however you wish. I, too, apologize; especially for the mistake I made that you took to be a racial slur. I really had never seen someone with skin that dark before.”
“It’s okay,” John said. “I’m sure you’re a nice guy if Sara likes you. Give me time.”
Christine pulled out a sheet of paper and two pens. “What would you like John to do?” she asked Sara.
“I want him to visit Krith and give me time to explain things before he jumps to conclusions. I also wish we could somehow see each other more. Once the baby’s here I’ll have company, but for now Edofine is pretty much the only choice.”
John replied, “Could you join some club or something, or maybe work part-time? I feel uncomfortable with the thought of Sara being alone in an apartment with another male our age. I’ll do the things she wants me to do if she lets me sleep in her bed again.”
“All right, I agree to that.”
Lira speedily wrote down all the requests. “Sign here, both of you. I advise that you put it up on your wall; somewhere you can both see it. If further negotiations are required, Christine and I will mediate again.”
“Thank you, everyone,” Sara said. “John promises to be non-abusive, right?”
“I told you, baby, I’m sorry.” John kissed her on the tip of the nose. On their way out, John appeared to accidentally elbow Edofine in the ribs. Edofine knew it wasn’t an accident, but he remained silent. Kryvek opened his apartment door for the Tufts, and John walked in and peered in the oven.
Krith, currently one foot tall, red as a hot gridiron, and eyes blasting orange with their own fire, swung the door entirely open, rubbing himself and shivering in what everyone else perceived as a blast of heat. “You’re the guy that won’t believe in me. I’d shake hands, but that might not turn out too good. You got a cigarette? Edofine won’t buy me any.” He grinned a wide, white, demonic grin.
John furrowed his eyebrows and put his chin in his hand. “Wow,” he said.
“I think I could make some money showing myself to an audience, but that would kinda betray all my people, which wouldn’t bother me much because they don’t want me anymore. My mom’d melt a city, though, if I did that. Your wife’s a prize, mister. Cute as a button.”
Lira cleared her throat. “Remember our talk?”
“Aw, hell, lady! Won’t you let me compliment anyone at all?”
Sara giggled. “I don’t mind.”
“I’m gonna close up now. I don’t wanna catch cold.” Krith pulled the door closed again and resumed playing solitaire.
“I’m a little dizzy,” John said. “I also feel like a total idiot. Do you people have any magical cures for that?”
“I’ve got one,” Sara said, pinching him and smiling. They left together.
“Nice to see that resolved,” Christine said, with a touch of wistfulness.
“Stop making Bambi eyes at me, Edofine. We can go now.” Lira pulled lipstick out of her pocket—she wore a smart crimson blazer for the evening’s cool, gray slacks, and makeup in silver and purple—and adjusted her appearance in the mirror.
Edofine tried to wear a necktie when Kryvek told him it was the norm for formal occasions, but he felt like he was wearing a noose and had to go without it. He had to be satisfied with a collared, long-sleeved green shirt with a print of fern sprigs, plus black trousers. He did his odd little turtle-pulling-in-his-neck trick to show how pleased he was, and picked up the plastic cooler and rolled-up blanket.
“Farewell, friends and kin,” he said, following Lira out the door. “What is Bambi?” he asked as they went down the stairs.
“A creature that is sickeningly cute.”
“I do not sicken you, though.”
Lira turned around and flashed an enigmatic smile at him. “No, Edofine, you don’t. What’s in the basket?”
“Pieces of bread with vegetables or cheese in layers, sometimes with some sort of flavored paste, with other pieces of bread on top. Kryvek helped me make them.”
They reached the ground floor.
“Sandwiches?”
“Ah, yes, sand-wishes, that is what they are called. Where are we going?”
With quick, smooth, almost fluid steps Lira led Edofine down the street, taking two left turns. She offered to carry the cooler, but he refused. They reached a creek and a stone bridge, with metal guards to keep children from falling in. Trees lined both sides of the water. There wasn’t enough vegetation to make this qualify as a park, but it was a pleasant grove and easily accessible. Lira sat on the bridge, dangling her sandal-clad feet above the water. “I come here to unwind when I can’t make it to my studio,” she said.
“Should we sit on the blanket?” Edofine looked around cautiously to make sure it was safe to eat. It was a habit born of frequently being attacked by Eudemons without warning. Eventually he sat down with a pleased sigh, taking his loafers off and kicking his dark feet like a young child.
“We don’t need the blanket now. You can just keep it to the side.” She maneuvered the cooler so it was between the two of them, partially to be fair and partially to impose some distance. She wasn’t used to males being interested in her as a person, though she was used to males being interested in her as something to look at. Her earrings touched her collarbone; chains of amethysts set in silver. “Is this the same container we kept Krith in?”
“Yes,” Edofine replied, opening it up, “but worry not. Archaedemons may be sooty when they dig themselves out of the underground caverns, but their surface temperature is so high it kills all the bacteria. Their skin is very sanitary and I washed it. Does that satisfy you? Are you comfortable? Happy? At ease?”
Lira squeezed Edofine’s shoulder. “No need to be nervous; you’re not being tested.”
“I feel like I am.”
“You’ll do fine if you don’t mention marriage.”
“Just know it remains an open offer, fine lady, and you may answer whenever you wish.” Edofine pulled out a hot grilled cheddar sandwich, pulled off a corner, and dropped it into the water. “Nature feeds me, so I shall feed her,” he said, in Elvish. An orange carp swam to the surface and ate the morsel.
Lira did the same with her bell-pepper submarine. “And I return a token in my gratitude,” she said in a brief Elf grace.
“I am glad you uphold the old ways despite your tribulations,” Edofine said.
“I do it for my mother. Most things I do for my mother, or I do them for Christine. She was my first true friend.”
“Why did I never meet you in the Clan gatherings?”
Shifting her shoulders and frowning, Lira replied, “Those around me made me feel ostracized for what I was, and I kept away from other Elves for fear they would do the same.”
“I must admit were the Dance Clan still alive, I would stay away from you.”
“Thank you for your honesty. Oh dear, someone put in mayonnaise.” She stared at her sandwich and lifted up a piece of bread to examine the filling, also noticing that it was getting dark. “I hate mayonnaise.”
“You do? I never had any in my life, but Kryvek said people put it on sand-wishes.”
“Not on peppers.”
“Oh. Forgive me.” They ate in silence for a while. Edofine sensed a disturbing emotion. “Why are you worried? Is it the OMHI?”
“Yes. There is simply no way we can hide what we are from close inspection, but if we don’t convince the government we are doing something important, we won’t have enough money to keep the threats to the species at bay.”
“So what you are in need of is a method of letting the authorities know people care about the OMHI, and people are helped by the OMHI.”
“Exactly.”
“Could the Elves of the human towns not somehow communicate this importance? What of the Arrows Clan, too? They are the nearest Elf clan and they have interacted with the OMHI. Some of them must realize if humans and demons conflicted, or if humans took over even more Elf territory, the Elves would suffer. They could write letters, perhaps, or sign their names on some sort of list.”
Lira pondered this. “Like a petition?” It sounded ridiculously simple. But maybe that’s why it could work.
“What is a petition?”
“When many individuals write their names down confirming them as people who care about something. The last time I visited, there were five hundred Elves in the Arrows Clan. It may not be enough to make an effect.”
“The OMHI knows where all the city Elves and half-Elves are, correct? There are humans, too, who care about the OMHI. You could tell all the others who work with you to contact everyone they can, and collect signatures. At least it might accomplish something.”
“You know, that is a good idea. The Clan may not listen to me, though, because of my demonic side.”
“I would go with you. I am as Elven as an Elf can be. I am even the three-years-running archery champion.” Tears stung Edofine’s eyes. “I am the only Dance Clan member left, not counting Kryvek because he defected to humanity. We had such wonderful times when there was peace, with a festival day every month with competitions of all kinds—fighting, shooting, hunting, cooking, sewing. Every night we came together around five or six campfires, singing and dancing. Do they do such things in the Arrows Clan?” His breaths grew shuddering, and his shoulders sank.
Lira put an arm around Edofine’s shoulder, which she noted was a very comfortable feeling. “Yes. You might be able to convince them to join if you tell your story. It would be against tradition, but I am sure the clan leader would be reasonable.”
“The problem is...”
“There must be some provision for survivors of villages.”
“No. One is expected to die with one’s family and friends. Tradition dictates I should have avenged them, and I did not.”
“Do not think like that.” Lira pulled him closer, wanting to protect him from his guilt, just as she used to hold her mother when she cried of loneliness and shame. “You would have likely been killed, and your blood used to further harm Elfkind. Tradition is beautiful in many ways, but we should not let it torture us. Change is important as well. Besides, you have brought joy to Sara and Kryvek.”
“Kryvek? I do not. I am a burden to him. I know it.”
“He sang the Elven songs this morning. I followed him on my way to work. He hasn’t sung the old songs for years, Christine says. His bedroom used to be plain, but now it is full of greenery.”
“I thought the plants had always grown there.”
“No, they hadn’t. He sang them into being the night you came. I was awake and heard him. Well, you have brought joy to me.”
Edofine put her hand to his lips and kissed it. “Thank you. I should not have dared to think I was worthy of you. I am an incomplete, impotent male, for I let my village die.”
“That does not make you impotent. Besides, I am an incomplete female.” They were closer, closer now. Lira put the cooler on her other side. “It is possible for a Eudemon and an Elf to have a child, but since they are different species...”
“Oh.” Edofine put his arms around Lira’s waist. “It is not your fault, though. Should you find someone to share your life with, you could adopt.”
“It is hard for a male to understand, but the capacity to have children is a great sweetness. It is a kind of immortality, knowing some of your blood will live on. Sara glows with her pregnancy, have you noticed?”
“Speaking of glowing, I see a firefly.” The colors of the landscape had darkened to indigoes and purples, with tiny specks of golden light. Nothing was so magical to Edofine as fireflies. We all had a flame within us, he believed, but it was more difficult to spark.
“Edofine, you’re lighting up!” Lira let go and leaned back, eyes wide with amazement.
Edofine examined his arms, torso, and legs. Indeed, a faint yellow haze emanated from his body, as if there were a candle inside him. “Are you so surprised?”
“I didn’t know Elves could do that.”
“Clearly you have never seen Elves in love before.”
Lira wondered if she would start glowing too if she kissed him. There was only one way to find out.
She did.
Chapter Twelve
Speakers and Singers and Dancers
Kryvek took a deep breath, wiped his forehead with his sleeve, and addressed the crowd.
“You are criticizing something you barely know. Who do you think between us is in a better position to judge humanity? Yes, I agree humans have done horrible things to one another and to our blessed Earth. Yes, they have made careless mistakes and cruel decisions. Yes, there are evil ones. No, they are not all the poisonous idiots that you think they are.
“Consider this. All life we know of has one motivation: to survive. When the first ancient humans began to burn parts of the land to grow crops, they were simply following Nature’s command. The destruction of forests, the pollution of rivers, the slaughter of species—these were all from a desire to assist themselves and their loved ones. Should not a creature’s highest responsibility be to its own species? The purpose of every piece of technology is to improve or lengthen their lives, though sometimes through destroying the lives of others. Is this fully evil?
“Until very recently, they were having such a difficult time surviving they were fully occupied with it, and had no time or thought to worry about what damage they might be doing. By the time they did realize it, they had already been set in their ways. Yet they are slowly trying to change, some individuals more than others. Is this at all an evil?
“The entire society of the United States of America, and of all other free nations, is built upon the principle of allowing a happy, secure, long life for each member of that society. Remember, their lives are half as long as ours, so it is understandable they would be occupied with making the most of precious time. Is this not, for the most part, a good?
“Wars, Inquisitions, witch trials, genocides—all these were aimed to improve their survival. They were selfish, foolish, and utterly base, but could you honestly affirm that the Elves would do better if they were placed in their situation with no ability to hear the thought-music? We do not fear each other, for we know beyond a doubt who means us harm and who wishes us well. What if that sense were taken away, in an inhospitable world, where any misstep could mean death? In such an environment, the occasional reprobate Elf would certainly turn on his or her people, caught in a web of terror, misunderstanding, doubt, and deceit.
“Finally, my strongest argument for the human species is based upon individuals I have met. Christine and her parents adopted me without asking for anything in return. They did not condemn me for my mother and father’s mistakes, as an Elf would have done. Even with their lives of confusion and anxiety, they did all they could to take care of me without knowing if I was a threat or not.
“They love me, my brethren. They love someone who is not of their kind, who is a mystery to them, and who could have hurt them if he wanted. They love me so much they have transferred this love to all non-humans, which are usually frightening to their species. Are we any better than that? We hate the Eudemons, look down on Homo sapiens, and either dismiss or loathe the Archaedemons. Would we have taken in someone from outside our species—not the way we took changelings in the ancient days, or gently-treated prisoners who knew too much, but for their sakes, on their own terms? Any race, any nation, any group that can show such quality in any of its members deserves esteem and respect. Therefore, it distresses me to hear you patronizing them like this when you hardly know them.
“Now, with this great love and dedication, they have founded the Official Magics-Human Institute, dedicated to protecting the species from one another
and foster peace and tolerance between them. The foolishness of other humans threatens this organization. It could very easily save itself by telling the truth about the existence of non-human sentient species, but it does not. It is willing to pare itself down, fire its own workers, and go without heating or cooling in the entire building for your sake. Yes, your sake.
“What of my cousin, Edofine of the Dance Clan? Tradition has no space for him, for never in our history has one single Elf survived the termination of his clan. The OMHI is helping him find a place to live and a way to earn his keep.
“Some of you accuse the OMHI of wanting to do this to every Elf. Believe me, if it wanted to, it could have long ago. It could have exposed you. It could have told the U.S. government to haul you out of your homes and assimilate you or reduce your territory to reservations, a fraction of what it is now. Yet it has not. If the OMHI falls, this protection is gone. Now the OMHI needs you—and demands very little. It asks only that you sign your name, in English, within this book that Lira, a daughter of your clan, holds now. By all that we love, and by all that we sing for, I beseech you to help us.”
Kryvek climbed out of the tree his platform stood on, and he flopped onto the grass in exhaustion. Edofine hugged him and Lira stood displaying the empty book, chewing on her lip and holding her breath. They all were dressed in Elven clothing, though Kryvek had to borrow a gray outfit from Lira. Lira and Edofine wore plain green garments.
The Elves of the Arrows Clan, sitting in a semicircle on the grass or in the trees, were silent. They were Elves of all ages, some in gossamer gowns and cloaks, others in more simple homespun, earthy toned shirts and leggings. Every one of them heard Kryvek’s sincerity, Edofine’s passion, and Lira’s hope. Crickets chirped as they paused in thought. Their dark faces were quiet, and their deep brown eyes were reflective.
A short, gaunt female, who had been sitting a foot away from everyone else, and had been watching Lira during Kryvek’s speech, stood. She still held a skirt she was busy embroidering. Her face was lined with worry, but her inherent beauty and strength shone through. “I, Alarif, will sign my name.”
Humans and Demons and Elves Page 10
