Part 42 (1/2)

I thanked him and put them in the bedroom.

The apartment, if you could call it that, was spare. But it beat living in the woods. We had thick curtains to maintain some privacy. Carpets in both rooms. The walls could have used a restorative, but they were okay. There was a sketch near the door, of an angel, or a G.o.ddess, a woman with spreading wings, clothed in a flowing garment, one breast exposed.

Turam came by to see how we were doing. He brought with him a tall, thin, scholarly woman with intense eyes. Her name was Viscenda, and it was fairly clear that she was the person in charge. The director or mayor of the community. Or maybe the queen. I could also see that she wasn't excited about having people from outside interrupting the routine. She went through the motions of making us feel welcome. Then she left.

Turam stayed behind to try to determine how we were doing. He asked about Alex's leg. Alex was explaining it was coming along nicely when Belle became active. ”I need direct interaction with these people,” ”I need direct interaction with these people,” she said, she said, ”if you expect me to become conversant.” ”if you expect me to become conversant.”

”Not right now, Belle,” Alex said. ”Let's give it a little time.”

We indicated to Turam, as best we could, that we wanted to learn the names of things. I pointed at the river. What do you call it? And what were those that hung on the windows and kept the sun out?

He understood, and seemed anxious to help. He pointed out objects in the room, the windows and curtains and books. We figured out how to ask for a book, how to describe the act of either opening or reading it (we couldn't be sure which), and how to ask for a pen. The only writing instruments they had were long, metal-tipped instruments that had to be dipped into a bottle of ink. But that gave us translations for ”ink” and ”bottle.” When Belle pa.s.sed out of range, it didn't matter. We kept going.

In the midst of the conversation, a woman arrived, carrying a tray with cups and bowls, something that looked like bread, a pitcher filled with a cherry-colored liquid, and a covered tureen trailing a wisp of steam.

There were utensils for each of us, a spoon, a knife, and something I can only describe as a set of needles.

Alex's eyes caught mine. Was the food safe?

It smelled good. Like beef stew. With lots of onions.

”It's probably okay,” I said. Turam looked at us, trying to figure out why we were hesitating. ”Let's not offend the host,” I added.

The woman filled two bowls with the stew and showed us the accompanying condiments. I nodded. This one, please. It looked like pepper.

She set Alex's food on a tray, and Turam helped him sit up. Alex tried his before mine arrived. ”Only thinking of your safety,” he said with a smile.

There were several types of meat in the mix. I had to a.s.sume it was real off-the-bone animal meat, but I put that out of my mind. Alex was thinking the same thing, and we exchanged shrugs. Any port in a storm.

I tried the gravy first. It didn't taste like anything I'd had before. Closest I could come would be pork with maybe a twist of lemon brewed in. It was good. The liquid in the cup was brewed, but it also had a unique flavor. A tea with some sort of fruit additive? And the bread had a rye flavoring.

It was good.

”Chase.” Belle was overhead again. Belle was overhead again. ”How are you doing?” ”How are you doing?”

”We're fine, thanks,” I said.

”I'm glad to hear it. Can we conduct some conversations with the natives?”

”There's no one here at the moment except Alex.”

”Okay. May I suggest that, on the next pa.s.s, you arrange to be out in some public area? I'll be content just to listen, if you prefer. But the more exposure I have, the quicker I'll be able to grasp the language.”

THIRTY-EIGHT.

The real threat implied by the arrival of a visitor from, say, Andromeda, is not that he might be the point man for an invading force. Rather, it is that he might embody a new perspective. We feel secure with viewpoints that have been around awhile. We like them, and we don't want anybody messing with them. Most of us are still trying to hang on to the sixty-seventh century.

-Arkham of Chao Cyra, from an address to the graduates at Korva University, cla.s.s of 6703 Alex had a bad first night. He didn't complain, but he was hurting. I tried sitting with him until he told me I was making him nervous, and I should please go to sleep. He seemed to be running a slight fever, so I kept a damp cloth on his forehead.

Seepah came during the night, administered medication for both of us, more of the stuff that had knocked me out earlier, except probably in a diminished dose. He drew the curtains while he was there, shutting out the moonlight. He checked Alex's pulse again. Shook his head. Looked puzzled.

In the morning, they brought us a pitcher of water and a plate of hard bread, with a jar of the local subst.i.tute for grape jelly to smear on it.

We were still munching when Turam showed up.

He made himself comfortable, watched curiously while we ate, and managed to ask questions that did not require a knowledge of the language. For example, he waved his hands and imitated something going down and cras.h.i.+ng. Then a quizzical look.

I did an impression of a guy with a rifle. He nodded.

Okay. What about that thing we'd ridden down out of the sky? What was that?

Where were we from?

We'd put together a schedule of times when Belle would be available. She was, at that moment, almost directly overhead. I looked at Alex.

”Go ahead,” he said. ”See what happens.”

So I showed Turam my bracelet and asked Belle to say h.e.l.lo. He was looking at it, puzzled, when it spoke to him. ”Faloon, Turam.” ”Faloon, Turam.”

I thought he was going to fall off his chair. But he got the message. We came from very far away.

”I've been listening,” she said to Alex and me. she said to Alex and me. ”And watching. I believe I have acquired some facility with the language.” ”And watching. I believe I have acquired some facility with the language.” So they went back and forth, Turam and the bracelet, in the local language. Turam's eyes jumped back and forth between me and the link. He looked stunned. He smiled. He made faces. He squeezed his temples with his fingertips. So they went back and forth, Turam and the bracelet, in the local language. Turam's eyes jumped back and forth between me and the link. He looked stunned. He smiled. He made faces. He squeezed his temples with his fingertips.

”What are you telling him?” I asked.

”Just that we appreciate their help. I'm beginning to pa.s.s out of range.”

”Tell him you won't be able to speak to him for a while.”

”I already have. Unfortunately, I don't have the capability to tell him why, or how long it will take before we can resume the conversation, because I have no idea yet how these people measure time. By the way, you should be aware that it was a productive session.”

Moments later, she faded out. Turam stared at the bracelet. He looked like a guy who'd just experienced a divine visitation.

Seepah returned a few hours later to examine Alex again. The first thing he did was to take his pulse. He still didn't like the result. Then he checked the leg. Finally, he produced a thermometer and waited for him to open his mouth.

Alex hesitated. Looked toward me. ”You think they sterilize these things?”

”Sure,” I said.

He opened up, and Seepah inserted the device. After a minute or so, the doctor-he was clearly the local medical pract.i.tioner-produced a notebook and recorded the result. I don't think he liked that either. They brought more food and liquids, hot and cold. And another pitcher of water.

When they were gone, Alex felt his forehead, frowned, and asked me to try. ”Feels okay,” I said.

”I hope he knows what he's doing,” Alex said. ”He seems worried about something.”

On her next orbit, Belle, speaking only to me, reiterated that her time with Turam had been fruitful. ”We should not waste opportunities. I should talk with him some more, or with someone, every time we can. And there's something else: We've received transmissions from Audree and Robin, which I've downloaded to your respective links.” ”We should not waste opportunities. I should talk with him some more, or with someone, every time we can. And there's something else: We've received transmissions from Audree and Robin, which I've downloaded to your respective links.”