GROUND / CH. 18:RESPECT

LITTLE YASFORT, TEN DAYS LATER.

“Kalak? My sister-in-law has sent a telegram. Lak has been arrested.”

“On what grounds?”

“His sermon. She writes 'Lak preached about the importance of truth and grace, and that he himself had discussed grace with an alien. He said the law that declared aliens a falsehood and talk of aliens to be a political conspiracy was denying the fulfilment of prophecy, denying truth, and in violation of the constitution. Arrested soon after.'”

“They have passed such a stupid law? With the ship sitting there so plainly?”

“Yes.”

“They show disrespect to the constitution, to my friend Kovan's life-work.”

“They abolish themselves and will face the consequences, Kalak. I will talk to Magdalena, to ask if she will consider proving their lies false.”

“You will not go to the city, please?”

“I have no desire to go into danger, nor to take you where you will be tempted to take direct action, but... will you come with me to Old Yasfort, to talk to Mick and Magdalena? I do not know how long I will be, and I see your distress.”

“With this news... I do not trust myself away from your side, Lana, wherever you go.”

“Wherever I go?”

“I find I have grown quite used to your company, these past three weeks. You have recovered from your podding well, very well indeed.”

“That's got a lot to do with how much I'm eating, I expect,” Lana said, laughing.

“And I find I am curious.”

“You're always curious, my gentle friend.”

“True, but there is one aspect of my curiosity that has never been satisfied, which I have pushed away. I find my resolve breaking in the presence of your youthful enzymes. Kind Lana, this truth-denying law from the tradition party might separate us, and I do not wish us to be separated. It brings risks of rage and even war, and I do not want to face those alone, without your calming presence. Before we go to talk of intervention and action, of strategy and tactics, will you come with me to talk to the pastor? I am selfish to ask thus, I know, but I would be happier to face this crisis if I held the coveted title of your husband.”

“You wish us to marry? Immediately?”

“I am sorry, I said it was a selfish desire. I should not have asked.”

“Yes, you most certainly should have; I have been ready to say yes for the last two weeks and was beginning to worry you might resist my pheromones forever. I am just surprised at the immediacy. Let us talk to the pastor, Kalak, by all means. But... can we delay the ceremony until evening? I don't want to attract more gossip.”

“You are wise, Lana. I don't want to encourage disrespect. I wonder though... would it be wiser if I married you as Takan? I laid that name aside a long time ago, but this house, old Yasfort, and some other property are still in it. My secret is out, and it might be... better, strategically, if I no longer wear the names of the dead.”

“Can I ask... Why have you worn the names of the dead?”

“I felt it... appropriate to wear the names of those who had been my colleagues, almost friends, even some of them, before I destroyed them for the sake of peace and truth. I became convinced that given time, I could have convinced them what I convinced the others of. But they did not listen, not one of them, when I first spoke, and they did not have a second chance.”

“Will you tell me more, or is it too painful?”

“I will not keep secrets from you, Lana. I told them the war was based on lies, and must stop. Some said we could win and ransack the city, take power and treasure, and slaves, why stop now? I said shame on them, were we fighting for principles or for greed? One made a joke at my expense, called me gullible, feeble-minded. The others laughed. He was a poor thinker, but a good fighter normally, only he had just changed, not just out of war-form, but also shedding his armour for wings, and was slow, very slow. I had been resting from my injuries, but I had not changed for a long time. He did not recognise his danger, even though I demanded an apology, from him, from all of them, for all had laughed. In my just-healed state, my war-form came on me quickly. I had no weapon, none of us had weapons, but my claws grew faster and longer.”

“You struck him down?”

“I did. And the one who had suggested ransacking the city for fun and treasure, and the one who had spoken of taking slaves. Then the others: Thamek, Win, Unf, Kev, and Kalak, whose names I have worn, said I was insane and tried to overpower me. Perhaps I was insane, but to attack one in full war-form when you are not, and have no weapons, no net, no ropes? That is also a form of insanity. In my war-form, I took their saying what they said and their attack as further disrespect; and I stopped it. They were brave men, and not greedy or lovers of war. I could have convinced them I am sure, but they did not think to tell me I was showing disrespect to the council, they did not think to tell me they would listen to me, and stop the war.”

“Takan is the name by which I will marry you,” Lana said, “gentle stopper of war. But I ask that as we bind ourselves together, you swear to always give me the right to tell your war-form it is not the time to destroy, to demand time to find other ways to restore respect. I ask that we make that part of our marriage contract.”

“You wish to balance the power of my war-thought with it not being respectful to our marriage contract?” Takan was shocked.

“I do. I won't demand you never enter war-form, Takan. I know that is too much to ask, but I do ask that if I say hold, give time for other solutions, you will back down. Speak to your bone organisms, please, see if they can understand what I ask.”

“They are not good at understanding, Lana, but I will try.”

“Thank you, Takan.” Lana said, and gently taking his head in her hands, she kissed him. It wasn't the first time they'd touched — as Kalak, he had courteously helped steady her on occasions — but it was the first time that the only reason for touching was intimacy, their first touch as himself, Takan — and the effect on his skin organisms was electric. [Lana touches us! Female skin organisms greet us! This will happen again?]

His other organisms responded too, so that Takan's mind was filled with a mixture of joyous and curious thoughts about this new experience. [Bones,] he thought. [Do you understand? Lana will be wife if you understand this. If Lana can stop the disrespect, there is no need for warform.]

[Disrespect?]

[Bones will not show disrespect to Lana. Bones will cherish Lana, bones will listen to Lana, Lana will be wife.]

[Lana-wife bones will explain, yes. Bone to bone, flesh to flesh, mind to mind. Good to have wife. Bones respect, cherish, protect Lana-wife; nurture, protect Lana-mixlings and Lana-podlings. Good plan.]

The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

“My bones said they'd let urm, you explain,” Takan said.

“You are embarrassed about something.”

“Your kiss got all my organisms attention, actually.”

“That's nice. Let's do it again sometime.”

“But my bones actually said bone to bone, flesh to flesh, mind to mind.”

“Bone to bone, eh? What have you been reading?”

“They came up with the idea themselves. My bones also said it's good to have a wife and they'd respect, cherish and protect Lana-wife, and nurture and protect Lana-mixlings and Lana-podlings.”

“Is that your preference, both, and in that order?”

“Pardon?”

“Mixlings first, podlings later?”

“I hadn't given it much thought at all, Lana.”

“Perhaps we should discuss it this evening? While our bones are getting to know each other?”

“We can't do that, can we?”

“Of course we can, Takan. It's not a necessary part of podding or mixing, it's not even helpful, in terms of deciding which organisms to put together, but it's certainly possible for us to embrace each other that comprehensively. We just ask flesh to part as well as skin.” She thought for a moment, “If they're willing to talk to me, and it sounds like they are, then I do want to talk to your bones, so I'm happy to do it. Just let's make sure we've eaten enough protein and are not going to be disturbed.” With a shy giggle, she added “Now, do you want to talk about podding and family planning some more, or shall we go and talk to the pastor first?”

“Let's talk to the pastor, my beloved.”

That endearment earned him another kiss.

----------------------------------------

GROUND, OLD YASFORT

“So, dad, grandma, any ideas?” Mick asked, after translating what Lana and Takan had said.

“Yes, it sounds like you've got two weddings to go to, how about asking everyone if it could be a double wedding?”

“Dad!”

“Oh, about the Lana's brother, you mean? Well, it would have been nice to head it off before people went around passing laws that say we don't exist, wouldn't it? Perhaps before asking what you ought to do now, you ought to be asking if there's anything you ought to have done, and if there's some way that you can persuade the government to change their minds without exposing them to public ridicule. Opening official lines of communication might have been a good thing, for instance.”

“It's too late for that now,” Mick replied. Fortunately, Lana had taken over translating for Takan.

“Not necessarily. And if you want a calm response, don't rub people's noses in their mistakes, accept some blame, and so on.”

“Wise words,” Lana acknowledged, “thank you. I feared the government's reaction to me hosting Mick, Magdalena feared a panic, and now we have what might have turn into another war.”

“Which we can assume no one wants. Unless I'm wrong? Would anyone wish for war?”

“No. Political advantage, more authority, more respect, less changes in society, a change of the system perhaps; but war? Surely not!” Lana said.

“You say less changes in society?”

“Disrespect for elders has become normal,” Takan said, “Adults consider careers more important than their families, morality is slipping, scientists are pushing beyond ethical and safe boundaries. Yes I know that assessment hurts, Lana, but you also know it's true; things are done because they're possible, or to see if they're possible, without thinking of the consequences. Not just in biology, but in physics and chemistry too. Pride in accomplishment, or in point-scoring, has become the norm. A complicated hoax to make fun of the party which thinks they stand for tradition, but more accurately stand for disapproving of change? What a great point-score that would be!”

Mick added, “Jakav's report on Maggie's first visit was dismissed as unbelievable fiction. I expect the Tradition party saw that dismissal, and decided that all alien sightings were equally laughable, because scientists said interstellar travel was impossible. And having heard that interstellar travel is scientifically impossible, they have no doubt decided that the lab is actually a helium balloon rigged up by some pranksters.”

“I see two problems,” Sathie said, “Convincing them that we're not pranksters, and also convincing them that we're not part of a conspiracy against them.”

“You left out convincing them not to arrest and/or execute you or your messenger,” Lana said.

“Let's go back a bit, like Dad said.” Mick said. “What should we have done as visiting aliens? Lana? Kalak, sorry, Takan?”

“The problem is...” Lana said “you do not seem so very alien, except for the fabric you cover yourselves in.”

“We could make a feature of that, I suppose.”

“But in plays sometimes actors wear fabric, to be other creatures,” Takan pointed out.

“So clothes just make us actors?” Sathie asked.

“Yes,”

“Technology?” Sathie asked.

“Maybe,” Mick agreed, “But what should a visitor to a village do? Send gifts? Knock on the gates and demand 'take me to your leader?' Sit outside and wait to be invited in? What did we get wrong?”

“Traditionally “, Takan said, “a wandering visitor or group of visitors waits at the edge of the village. If none come out to greet them for a whole day, then one visitor goes to the gate and asks if there is sickness or if he has offended, then the village head must issue a welcome.”

“Should we, then, go to the gates of the city and ask if we have given offence?”

Lana shook her head. “The city is not a village, the government is not a village head.”

“What happens if someone from the village goes out?”

Takan replied, “They find out about the visitors and their intentions and call a meeting and say, we have visitors, they are ten people from such and such town, they wish to stay for three nights, and so on, and then people make room.”

Lana added “Or like Takan did, say 'I ask for a house for my friend.'”

“And that was my right, but I cannot do that again the next month, or even the next year, except of course that by taking Lana as my wife that changes things and I could daask that the house she lived in be given to another visitor.”

“But someone can say, 'This is such and such family, whose village was destroyed by predators. I cannot ask for a house for so many, but I present their need.'”

“Does that happen often?” John asked, “A village destroyed by predators?”

“No.” Lana said, “Once in two generations, maybe. But people remember.”

“We have talked to you,” Takan said, “Lana has learned your speech, and what you plan. What would be appropriate now, is for us to return to the city, and call a meeting.”

Heather, who had been watching said, “Don't. That's a bad idea.”

“Traditionally, it's the right thing to do,” Lana said.

“I'm not talking of tradition or culture, Lana; I speak as a seer. The Lord God who made us and loves us says that is a bad idea. The person with the right idea is Sathie.”

“Me?”

“Yes, dear.”

“But I haven't said anything.”

“But you've been doodling.”

“This?” Sathie held up her pad.

“Yes.”

“But it's just a stupid idea.”

“Let's hear it, and let the others judge.”

“I was just thinking, about our technology proving we're aliens and the thing about locals coming to see visitors, and that Mick didn't manage to burn off all of the field generators from his ship...”

“So you're thinking fly the wreckage out?”

“Not all of it. But it'd be really quick to put up a forcefield around the crash site to keep out the dogs, and those bone-eaters Lana was telling us about, and then cutting away the useless bits of hull wouldn't take an hour, if there were some people to help move stuff. We could end up with a nice big open platform for guests and setting up the extruder to make a shelter for the flight controls and a couple of beds is easy. We could set up camp a few hundred meters up and see who got curious...”

“And how long would it take to get an unbalanced, battered, roasted and quite possibly fungus-laden bubble drive to emulate a Boris drive?” Heather asked.

“I've got my field calibrator, and a whole new mainboard if we really need it. Not very long. Probably less than a day.”

“Have I ever told you my wife's an engineering genius?” Mick asked the room in general, his voice filled with a mixture of love and pride in his beloved.

Sathie shrugged in embarrassment. “I'm a fabricator. Making things is what I do.”

“Takan? What do you think?”

“I think it depends on who was on this platform.”

“Mick and me, and some other relatives too, maybe,” Sathie said. “And when they ask why are we here, Mick explains that he crashed here by accident, and Lana saved him, and now his family and friends have come to rescue him, but he cannot leave yet, because your original cells regrow very slowly, and because so much human food and our cleaning chemicals are poisonous, leaving the planet would be betraying the organisms that he received from Lana to almost certain death.”

“Then I apologise for not speaking to the government earlier,” Mick added, “but it took me years of Lana's patient teaching to learn to speak to her and to understand how to ask muscle organisms to move and my stomach organisms to digest, and we've only just salvaged this sorry remnant of my beautiful ship....”

“It sounds like a reasonable plan to me,” Takan said. “As long as they do not try to arrest or destroy you.”

“If they try, they will find that it is hard to get through a forcefield,”

Sathie said, “And death to try to pass my knife or rock-cutter.”

“I thought you did not hunt, Sathzakara?” Karella asked, surprised to hear her so forceful.

“I prefer to create than destroy. But I can and will defend myself and others who depend on me. Mick's muscle-organisms are too slow. If a dangerous shark refuses to heed warnings, and mend its ways, it will not get a second chance...”