“Tanny—”
“Yes?”
“Tanny—”
“You said that.”
“My E’lika…I love you.”
Tanny kissed him this time and said, “My darling, I love you too, and yes, I will.”
“You will? You will what?”
“Marry you, of course. You’re not going to tell me you don’t remember you proposed to me right up there in the master bedroom?”
Out in the hallway, Lent fought to suppress a sound of surprised laughter, but Nash heard him.
Nash looked to the door and shouted, “It wasn’t a bedroom at the time, Lent!”
Tanny just then noticed the two standing out in the hall. “Nash, please let your friends in…into our home.”
○O○
Tanny was surprised to see Nista, another oxygen breathing E’meset and the woman who had applied the mysterious paste to her wrists. Tanny knew Nista was a truly remarkable woman—and a woman whose love had been killed in the war.
Tanny went to her with her arms extended. “Oh, honey, I am so sorry for your loss.” Tanny put her arms around her and Nista slowly brought her arms up to return the hug. As she did, Nista, at last, allowed her emotions to flow. Like a cataract, her tears cascaded down her face. Her eyes shut and she began the most pitiable wail any in the room had ever heard. She tried to pull her hair but Tanny stopped her. Nista could not support her own weight and fell to her knees, still in Tanny’s embrace.
Tanny looked up at Nash.
Nash suggested they move Nista to the sofa. Instantly, Lent sprang forward and scooped her up into his arms. She wrapped her arms around Lent’s neck and sobbed, inconsolable, onto his shoulder.
Slowly, he carried her to the sofa and sat her down, but she would not let go of him. So, he sat next to her and she continued to exhaust herself on his shoulder. Lent looked up into everyone’s eyes. He, too, was affected by Nista’s powerful grief.
It was Day’Ka who first placed a hand on Nista’s shoulder and said in E’meset, “Sena evatola E’lacaus san.”
Then Nash placed a hand on Nista’s other shoulder and said, “You are not alone.”
Next, Tanny touched her, saying, “Poor thing, all your friends join you in your grief.”
At that instant, Nista stopped crying and looked up at Tanny.
“Tuva?” she asked.
Tanny looked at Nash, who had taken hold of her hand. “She asks if you are her friend.”
“Yes, tell her yes.”
“She knows.”
Nista reached up and laid her hand atop Tanny’s hand. “Key’Etos A’ta’nil.”
Nash’s eyes lit up. “Eltanie. A’ta’nil. Now, I get it. How does she know you?”
“We met several weeks ago. She was a great help to me. She told me that…she said—” Tanny’s voice became quite small, and she spoke only just above a whisper. Her eyes transfixed on some unseen point in space. “She said to me, Keyrow han… Darveatsand han dulevisonten. She will need me in the future.”
“Coola,” Nista said, and then, in her broken English she went on. “Now time comes. A small happiness from you to me will I have please.”
“What?” Tanny asked confused.
“She asks for a small piece of happiness from you, Eya’Etee,” Day’Ka said.
“How do I give her that?”
“It is very complicated magic. You smile on her and wish her happiness.”
Tanny bent down and cupped Nista’s face in her hands saying, “I wish you all the happiness in the world, I truly do.”
Nista smiled up at Tanny, then took Tanny’s hands in hers and kissed her palms. Nista let go of Tanny with a broad smile, then put her arms back around Lent’s neck, and put her head back on his shoulder.
Day’ka put his arms around the shoulders of Nash and Tanny and said, “We should give them some time and space now.”
They withdrew to the kitchen where Tanny and Nash sat at the table as Day’Ka turned to make coffee. Outside, the sun was well up and the world beyond the glass was coming alive.
“Wait a minute,” Nash sat up bolt straight. “Twice I’ve heard you call Tanny, Eya’Etee—mother. Is there something I should know?”
“Dad,” Day’Ka said, “I worried that I might become an orphan. I said so to Tanny and, well, she is going to adopt me.”
“I submitted the paperwork, on line, two days ago, Nash. I expect Dave and Kathy will approve it this morning. I hope that’s all right with you?”
Nash smiled a smile Tanny had only seen once before, in an old photograph.
“All right with me?” Nash gasped out the words. “We are becoming a family. Of course, it’s all right.”
Lent came to the kitchen door still carrying Nista. “It appears she wants me to carry her home to her mother,” he said. “Problem is I don’t think I can find her place again, and won’t be able to understand her instructions. Day’Ka, could you come with us?”
“Of course,” Day’Ka turned to Nash and Tanny. “If you don’t care, I will stay with Nista and her mother tonight. Her first night back in her own home…she might slip back into depression, and as I, like Mother, am genuinely happy because of our new family, I can share my happiness with her.”
“Of course, dear,” Tanny said and she and Nash escorted them to the door.
“Son,” Nash said, “if you want back in just enter one, seven, one, eight on the keypad.”
“Oh, come on Dad, you know about me and Earth locks,” Day’Ka replied.
“Yes, I do. That number is one, seven, one, eight,” Nash said, smiling.
They left, and the door closed. Nash and Tanny were alone.
“Nash,” Tanny said, “you’ve said nothing about Cindy, my roommate, Cindy Mira.”
Nash stood quite still for several seconds. “Honey, let’s sit down.”
“She didn’t make it, did she?”
“No, Tanny, I’m sorry.”
Tanny and Nash moved to the sofa. “How did she die?” Tanny asked.
“It was quick. Painless. That’s really all you should know.”
“Oh, my God.”
“Did she have family?”
“Elderly parents on Earth. Of course, it was years ago, that she left, despite the fact we don’t feel it. I don’t imagine—”
“Probably not. Is there no one who needs to be notified?”
“She has a sister. I’ll send a message through the DSN. She’ll get it in about three years.”
They sat quietly for a while, holding hands.
“Are you…all right?” Nash asked.
“Yeah. Somehow, I sort of expected—” She looked up at Nash and placed her palm on the side of his face. “We’ve been so lucky.”
“Yes,” Nash replied quietly.
“Nista would say it was the will of Lu’aya. Perhaps she’s right.”
Nash did not respond.
“You walked all the way here from the cave?” Tanny asked.
“Yes. And these last few kilometers that separated us were the hardest.”
“You must be exhausted.”
“No, we had the water, Eya’Etden Metoe’Ay, with us. It kept us alert and energized.”
“You’re wrong, Nash.”
Nash was confused. “What do you mean?”
“You’re very tired. And so am I. Let’s go to bed.” Tanny leaned in to kiss him. Centimeters from his lips, she whispered, “Do you have any of that water left?”
○O○
Two months later, Nash, Tanny, Lent, Nista, and Yalga sat in the wooden hut where Nista practiced her mysterious Poh’palm meas arts.
They sat around the fire pit in the glow of the Volessa stones, finalizing the plans for the pending nuptials between Nash and Tanny.
They had decided to mix the traditional ceremonies of both cultures, as well as conduct the event outside in Kulan Kaus, just as Dave, Kathy, Zolna and Le’ha had done. Several transparent emergency oxygen domes would be erected and, thu
s, all their E’meset neighbors as well as their O2 breathing friends could be included.
Yalga was translating for her daughter. “We E’meset have a wedding meal of special foods, and a wedding drink that will—” Nista seemed to freeze in the middle of her sentence. The expression on every face changed, this sort of thing was seldom a good sign. “Vooy Lu’aya!” Nista said as she leapt up and sprinted to the door, pausing only long enough to shout, “Ula lavat! Keer’ta!”
“She say to come, and to hurry,” Yalga explained.
Nash and the others jumped up and followed her out of the hut and down the long street toward the east gate. It was impossible to keep up with either Nista or her mother, but the Tuva kept running.
Upon reaching the gate, they found Nista standing in the center of the wide void in the wall and Yalga standing back several meters.
As they all arrived, Lent asked Yalga what this was all about.
“I do not know, Lent. Nista will have to tell us.”
In front of Nista, the eastward trail fell from view as it ran down the hill, away from the city, and was swallowed up by the forest. Ultimately, this trail would take the traveler to either the cave of hope, or to the great city of Vortain Val Leasa.
Everyone stood silently as the minutes ticked by. The first movement anyone saw was the tops of ceremonial spears adorned with huge colorful feathers. There were perhaps eight of them. Then the heads of some two dozen E’meset appeared over the rise. They were dressed quite differently from the E’meset they saw every day in Kulan Kaus. These were Keheber Das E’meset, the tree dwellers from the east. Walking center among them strode Isso Tekkmah.
Nista ran to him with all her might and leapt into his arms.
Nash looked over at Lent and watched as his face drained of color and lost all expression. Slowly, a profound sadness filled his eyes. Lent took several steps backward then turned and headed back to New Roanoke with long, determined strides.
Nash understood Lent’s pain. Lent was very much halo vat of Nista and in the last two months, he thought their friendship was blossoming into something more. Just yesterday, he had asked Nash to show him where the Condress trees grew.
Now, the man Nista had been promised to had returned, very much alive.
As everyone ran forward to greet Isso, Nash stood watching Lent, now running away.
When Nash turned back to the reception, he saw that an eastern E’meset woman had taken a knee before Nista and they were exchanging the sign of friendship.
Yalga was now running toward him. He bid her stop.
“What’s happening?” he asked.
“The Keheber Das saved Isso’s life and have come with him to speak with Le’ha about the Tuva and to learn. This is powerful good thing. The Cea Ahnato and the Keheber Das E’meset have not traded in many many rains! I go now to find Le’ha.”
“Wait!” He stopped her before she ran off. “Who is the woman Nista is speaking with?”
“She is Sairan Hoitaya. She is Isso’s ulhaskene. You say fee ounce’ay.”
“His fiancée?”
Just then, Nista’s voice came from behind him, “Me ah’kaw meer kitsay fiancée?”
“It means…it means ulhaskene,” Nash reverted to E’meset, “Nista, Lent thinks you are going to Ilannan Isso now that he has returned.”
Nista’s face expressed her shock at this news. ”Where is he?” she asked.
○O○
Now that he was out of sight of the others, Lent ran for all he was worth toward the airlock. He just wanted to get inside, go to his Q, and hide. He considered fighting Isso for Nista, as Joe had done. The big E’meset warrior would undoubtedly kill him. That just might be better, he thought.
Lent was about fifty meters away from the airlock when his tears obscured his vision. He would not be able to see to press the buttons on the keypad on the airlock, so he stopped and held his breath. He pulled the respirator from his face to wipe his eyes. He would replace it, clear it, and proceed inside.
He had just pulled the mask off when it was violently ripped from his hands and shoved onto his face.
Another hand grabbed him and with great strength turned him around. There stood Nista pressing the respirator to his face.
She appeared quite angry as she looked through her fingers into Lent’s shocked face.
“Me ah’kaw una say et!” she demanded.
“Huh?” was all Lent could say.
“What tiz it you do?” she was still angry.
“I was, ah—”
“Torairus!”
“She calls you a fool.” It was Yalga standing to his right.
As Nista adjusted the straps around Lent’s head, she asked again, “Me ah’kaw una say et? Miksa poista tonene kosy vote?”
“She wants to know what you do, why you remove your second face?”
“I—uh…needed to clear my eyes,” Lent said.
Nista spoke very rapidly to her mother, who then unscrambled the words. ”Nista wishes to know if you kept a breath inside you?”
“Yes, Coola,” Lent said.
“Tay da aset uhdestan,” Nista said.
Yalga translated, “She wants you to do it again.”
Lent nodded and took a deep breath. Nista then gently removed his mask. She leaned in and kissed his forehead, his chin and then, slowly, his lips, and replaced his respirator.
Again, Yalga translated as Nista spoke. “I will not suffer your loss as well, Lent. You will be more careful…for me.”
Lent was stunned, and could only nod.
Yalga leaned in and asked Lent, “Do those who fly not like sweet fruit?”
“Well, sure, I guess so—”
Nista tapped on the visor of his respirator with the index finger of her right hand, and looked wide-eyed at him.
“Huh? Oh! Oh! Uh, yeah. Wait here—I’ll be right back!” And Lent took off as fast as he could run to the place where the condress trees grew.
○O○
Nista and Yalga stood and watched as Lent ran toward the east gate through which he could access the forest and all its vegetation.
Yalga shook her head and crossed her arms. “Oly, oly, oly,” she said.
Nista looked up. “Mother,” she said in the most disapproving manner available in the E’meset language.
“Are you sure about this one, daughter?” Yalga asked.
“Yes, Mother. He is good, he has a kind heart that is easily injured, and Lu’aya says to me that he is of the same spirit vessel as was Joe.”
“He is not very smart,” Yalga said.
“Mother, he can fly. Can you fly?”
“He has gone for a condress fruit, daughter.”
“You sent him.”
“You are speaking better Tuva these days I see,” Yalga changed the subject.
“Lent struggles to learn E’meset. I am learning Tuva from Cassie O’Connell. And mother…I like condress fruit.”
○O○
With the wedding all planned out, and Nista and Lent’s halo vat now a matter of public record, Nista had to make time for a last obligation. She had to go to Onellametsa Porr tie, the door to the next world, and say goodbye to Joe.
For this journey, Nista asked Isso and Sairan Hoitaya, as well as Nash and Tanny, to join her. And of course, Lent would be by her side.
Yalga explained to the Tuva that this trip must be made on foot and would take all of two days voyage through the blue of Antyllus.
The six set out well before dawn a few days later. They followed the Vortan Val leasa trail to the southeast.
At the end of the first day’s march, as they approached the cliffs, they saw a large T’Pu Iya, the great whale-like creature that Nista and Joe had encountered that day at the Suden ohna meer, the red stone called the heart of dreams.
“Do not fear him,” Nista said through Nash. “He will not trouble us. Lu’aya has said so.”
With all eyes but Nista’s on the creature, they walked right past it, and the beas
t did not show the least bit of interest in them.
They were close enough to the cataracts now that their roar could be easily heard. In a small clearing, Nista stopped. “Here, rest, eat, sleep,” she announced.
An uncharacteristically small fire was built and a meal prepared. The Tuva brought with them a liquid nutrient that they could suck through a straw so the respirators did not have to be removed.
Nista told everyone to rest, as the next day they faced a hard climb.
“Nista,” Nash said, “I think we better establish a guard roster and keep a watch—”
“There will be no need, Nash. Trust in Lu’aya.”
Nash’s trust in Nista was such that he grudgingly acquiesced.
That night, he, and all, slept like innocents.
The next morning at dawn, they set off again. Nista seemed to know exactly where she was going. When they encountered the river Kau’Etay, which flowed east and plummeted over the cliffs at four separate points, she had them follow the bank west several kilometers and eventually encountered a bridge. It was one of many built by the E’meset armies in order to reach the factory.
Now, on the south side of the river, they headed southeast. At mid-day, they reached the cliff; from here, they would descend by the stairs down to the first ledge where the Fish lay marooned. From the Fish, they climbed down to the river Hau.
Here, a huge suspension bridge made from living vines spanned the river.
From the bridge, they went east about a kilometer until they entered a clearing in the forest. There, before them, stood the remains of several buildings, but it was the large one on the hill that looked like a monastery with a bell tower that was their destination.
This monastery was built into and made part of the hill; it was sixty-one meters long, almost seventy meters wide, standing on a pyramid whose east extant ended in the hillside.
In the southwestern courtyard, there stood a square tower twenty-two meters above the floor of the courtyard. It had three stories with large windows looking toward the four cardinal points. The structure looked to have been the recipient of some recent restoration.
This, then, was Onellametsa Porr tie, the gate to the forest of great joy. To all the E’meset on the planet this was a most sacred place.
Everyone followed Nista into the structure and into a sunken courtyard. Looking around, Nash saw the enormous skull of an U’won Kowana which the E’meset had sat on an altar of stones and decorated with flowers.
The Blue of Antyllus Page 21
