IX
Kerga Tyarza
(Day 49 on Tashoo)
(Morning)
I am having another nightmare. I haven’t had one in several days. What's causing them? What do they mean? Why do they seem so real? They seem to be reminiscences of things I've experienced, but they are too fantastic to be real.
*****
Once again, my nightmare begins with a wonderful dream. As is the norm with my wonderful dream, I am in the company of a beautiful woman, the woman, the one that I had been dreaming about for over two years before I arrived in Talo-Vy, although I couldn’t remember them. She was in the first dream/nightmare I had on the first night I was here. Beautiful and exotic-looking she is. Physiologically, she looks exactly like any human female I ever remember seeing, but she is equally different at the same time. She has blue-blond hair, yellow-in-blue eyes, and lion yellow skin making her the most exotic, strangely alluring woman I have ever seen, but who is she? Where is she? Is she even real? I want to meet her. I want to know her. But, I have no idea where she could possibly be, except in my dreams.
As I look at the woman, I see she is wearing a dark blue button-up short sleeve shirt with thin yellow stripes. The shirt is tied below her modest breasts into a knot that exposes her flat abdomen. She is also wearing black jeans that show beyond a doubt that she is all woman. On her smallish feet, which look to be about 15 cm, are a pair of Circe Grecian-style sandals.
I am wearing a light green polo shirt with a dark blue collar and matching sleeves, blue jeans and athletic socks and shoes.
We are walking along a tree-lined sidewalk next to a slow-moving stream or creek. It is about five to ten degrees cooler than the city I can see through the trees, the name San Antonio, Texas, comes to mind. The temperature tells me that, besides the shade from the trees, we must be several feet lower than the surrounding area. I can see small shops lining the sidewalk and creek. I look toward the creek and see small fish moving rapidly through the water as a larger predator fish chases them. The woman has her soft hand in mine as we walk along. She is so full of wonder that her eyes seem to be looking everywhere at once. Finally, we stop at one of the numerous park benches along the river walk and sit down. She looks into my eyes, almost as if she wants to see directly into my soul. She smiles at me, eases into my lap, and puts her arms around my neck. She draws my face closer to hers, an action I am not even remotely opposed to, and finally kisses me. Her brown lips are soft, warm, and extremely inviting, intoxicating even. I want to experience these kisses always, but she is just a dream. Isn’t she? But, if she is a dream, why do I recall seeing her somewhere before.
All of a sudden, we are surrounded by a mist that quickly turns into fog. The fog becomes thicker and thicker. The woman is more enveloped in the fog than should be natural. She is fading. I see her smiling at me, not fearfully, but happily. I see her lips, soft and pink, forming words. “Mvilu, thank you for saving me from my attacker the other day. So, come to me. You can find me if you look because you know where I am. I love you; I want to be yours. I will be waiting for you.”
I don't know how I would know where she is. I don't even know if she's real nor how she'd know it was me that had rescued her. But, I hope she is real. I truly want her to be.
*****
Now the fog starts to clear. As the fog clears, I am confused. I am wearing a helmet and flexible space suit, similar to an old-style flight suit, and sitting in the cockpit of a starfighter trainer. Behind me is a man who is also wearing a helmet and an identical flexible spacesuit. The name Eric Conried comes to my mind. He is buckling his seat belt.
*****
As Commander Conried buckles into his seat, I commence the engine ignition sequence. After receiving the go-ahead from the Commander, I fire off the repulsors and start “taxiing” to the launch tube. When the fighter arrives at the launch tube, the ship's computer takes over the launch sequencing and orders the trainer to slowly retract its landing struts as the launch tube's floor slowly moves upward to seal the launch tube. When the launch tube is completely sealed, it is decompressed. As the launch tube is decompressed, the decompression light on the control panel of the trainer flashes yellow, then red. When the light becomes steady red, indicating a total lack of atmosphere surrounding the trainer, the outer door of the launch tube opens and I give the trainer full throttle and, in 0.1 of a second, the trainer travels the 100 meters of the launch tube and shoots out of the side of the TSS (Terran Star Ship) Jutland like a proverbial cannonball, only immensely faster. The destination of the training flight was Zotaben (Zoh-tah-behn), Tonojen's sixth planet.
“Damn, Ensign. Do you have to launch like that? I swear my eyeballs are going to come out of the back of my head one of these days.”
I laugh lightly at Commander Conried's consternation. “I am sorry, sir. You know how much I enjoy flying, especially in zero-g.”
As we fly toward Zotaben, I say, “Commander, I had the strangest dream last night.”
“Really?” He says while studying the instruments in his cockpit. “What about?”
“I was on a planet I've never seen before.”
Distractedly, he replies, “Ensign, you're in the ITN now. You're going to be visiting a lot of planets you've never seen before.”
“I understand that, sir. But, this planet is almost totally undeveloped. It's covered by trees that are humongous. I mean the trees in my dream were an average of twenty-five meters in diameter.”
“You mean twenty-five meters in circumference.”
“No sir. I mean in diameter.”
Chuckling, Commander Conried says, “You sure do have a strange imagination, Ensign.”
“If you think that's strange, all the foliage on the plants was a shade of red. As a matter of fact, it seemed to me that all of the plant life on the entire planet was a chromatic opposite to Terra.”
“Son, you shouldn't say things like that to your trainer. I could easily use it as a way to remove you from fighter training, you know.”
“I know, sir. But, I believe you know me as well as anyone else and better than most. Because of this, I believe you'll keep what I just revealed under wraps until I complete my training. Besides, you know that my mind is anything but out of whack.”
“You know me too well, Ensign.”
“That's not all, sir. There was a woman in the dream as well.”
“Now, why doesn't that surprise me? You are one of the more notorious skirt chasers on the Jutland.”
I laugh as I say, “This woman was different. She was about 165 cm tall and weighed about 55 kg. She had long bluish-blond hair and yellow-in-blue eyes. She had golden, almost honey-brown, skin. She had a smallish nose, smallish mouth with lips slightly darker than her skin, and straight snow-white teeth. Even though her nose and mouth seemed small, they weren't disproportionate to her face. She was wearing a one-piece leather dress that started just below her arms and ended just above her knees. The sides of the dress were open and held together by a leather string making the dress form-fitting, but not obscenely so. She had modest breasts, between, I don't know, perhaps 81 cm and 86 cm and probably a B cub in size. Her thighs and calves were very shapely and strong-looking, but not overly muscular. Her feet were small, perhaps no longer than fifteen centimeters. She wore brown sandals that were held to her feet and lower calves by leather straps similar to the way Roman sandals were held on.”
“Now I know you have a strange imagination, Ensign. But, I wouldn't worry about it. After all, it was just a dream and we know about dreams.”
“The strangest part of the dream, Sir, was that I couldn't see myself in the dream and the woman was talking to me. She was looking at me and she called me by a name, but it wasn't my name. It was another name.”
Still not overly interested in what I was saying, Commander Conried replied, “Really? What did she call you?”
“She called me something that sounded like Mvila or Mvilu. I don't know how it would be spelled, either m-v-i-l-a or m-v-i-l-u. All I know is, she said, 'I am waiting for you, Mvilu. Please hurry to me. I will be waiting for you to come to me.' Then she faded away in a gray fog. I wonder what that means.”
“It means you had best not let anyone else know about your dreams.”
“Yes, sir. I agree wholeheartedly.”
*****
I lay in my bed moaning. I know I'm moaning because I can hear myself. But, I can’t understand why I'm moaning. I know that I'm having one of my nightmares, but this one isn't frightful like the others I've had. Perhaps it's because of the reality of this dream that I think of it as a nightmare and it induces the distress that's causing me to moan so badly. The reality of these nightmares is causing me no end of headaches. I can’t sleep at night because of the nightmares and I can’t sleep during the day because of the necessity of assisting Ara.
Once again, I hear a gentle scratching on my bedroom door. The scratching slowly brings me out of my nightmare. I hear the click of the door handle turning. I hear the quiet squeaking of the hinges as the door opens. A voice is softly calling me.
“Mvilu? Mvilu, are you awake? Please wake up, Mvilu. You scare me when you have these nightmares. Please wake up.”
Groggily, I respond, “I am awake, Ara. Do not worry about me. Just give me a thalloo and I will be fine.”
“Was it another nightmare, Mvilu?”
“Yes, Ara, it was another one. But, this was not the same kind of nightmare that I normally have. It was a pleasant dream, but it was so realistic that it scared me.”
“I heard you moaning again. Are you all right?”
“Yes, I believe I am, Ara. Are you going to the kitchen to prepare the nakyvy?”
“Yes. Rora will be ready to arise by the time I am finished.”
“Then, I will get up and assist. Today is Rora’s day off, is it not?”
“Yes, why do you ask?”
“I was just wondering if he might be going for his normal walk today.”
“I do not know. You can ask him when he wakes up.”
I really looked forward to Rora’s walks through the village. Not just because he always took me along, but because the change of atmosphere was welcome. I know that Ara would take me along with her whenever she would go to visit friends, or to the market, but, the walks that Rora went on were . . . different. His walks, although seemingly random, had a definite purpose. I will explain this in due time.
*****
About fifteen athalloo later, Rora awoke and, after preparing for the nakyvy, walked into the dining area. Even though he walked as nonchalantly as possible, I knew he was excited. I could almost hear his heart racing all the way from the door to his room. It was with great difficulty that I suppressed a smile, which I knew would give away my knowledge of what was on his mind.
After we sat down at the table and ladled out our nakyvy, once again a vegetable stew that somehow tasted differently from the other stews Ara made despite the redundancy of the vegetables, Rora spoke to his mother. “Norotha, do you have any plans for Mvilu and me today?”
I could almost see the smile forming on Ara’s face when she replied. “No, Rora, I do not. Why? Do you have anything you would like to do?”
Rora sat for a thata, as if in thought, before replying. “Nothing carved in rock, but, I thought I might take Mvilu and go for a walk through the village and show him the sights.”
“Rora, Mvilu has been here for Thua-ahoohacha-shoovatooja (1) days. This is the fourth time you have had free time and you have taken Mvilu for a tour of the village on each of those days. I do not think there is anything else you could show him that he has not already seen.” Ara said teasingly. “But, if you wish to take him for a walk, then, by all means, do so. I am certain he is tired of seeing my face all the time.”
I looked at Ara out of the corner of my eye and we both smiled. But, Rora had it so bad that he didn’t even notice the little joke that his mother and I shared. “In that case,” he said, “I shall take him for a walk as soon as we finish the nakyvy.”
“Of course, Rora, that is all right with me.”
I said, “Rora, if you do not mind, could it wait until I complete my daily exercise routine? It should take less than one hi’nu.”
“Very well, Mvilu.”
*****
After I completed my exercise routine, I bathed and dressed. As I was bathing, Rora donned his finest-looking vest and loincloth and we headed out the door. As I said earlier, this was a routine that Rora had started shortly after my arrival. I knew it quite well. He wasn’t really showing me the sights of Talo-Vy, although when we first started this small tradition he did; he was looking around and speaking very little the whole time. All of his actions told me he was searching for someone. But, we followed the same route every time we went on these walks, so I knew he was attempting to prevent anyone from knowing what he was doing. As we learned later, he should have changed his pattern every time we went on our little walks.
First, we would walk toward the garden, but we never actually got that far. I guess because the one that he was looking for wouldn’t be working there. However, about one hundred meters from the garden, and well within sight of it, we would turn toward the village center. Near the center of the village, which is about one and a half kilometers from our home, is the market I referred to earlier. This market is similar to a farmer’s market or flea market. Along the way to the market, we were stopped regularly by vendors on their way to their booths. To a person, or Mory rather, they would greet Rora, talk with him for a few athata, offer him, and me, some of their wares and ask for our opinion, although I always thought they weren't really interested in our opinion, and then they would be on their way, usually after leaving a few of their wares with us to take to Ara for her to give her opinion as well. Rora was always very cordial to these vendors, even to the point of being effluent with them, never braggadocios, just a bit talkative. Which rather shocked me, because he was never overly talkative otherwise. (I never once heard him complain about his lot in life; it always seemed to me that he accepted that things were the way they were and, if he could, he, and only he, could change it. It's too bad Terrans aren’t like that.)
When we arrived at the market, Rora would start looking around, always visiting each vendor and looking at what they had for sale. Occasionally, he would notice something that he particularly liked, especially one of the one-piece dresses that every female in Talo-Vy wears, and would comment to me how it would make his mother happy if he could afford to purchase it. His pay as a garden guard didn't even purchase our necessities, i. e. food, necessary clothing, etc., so extravagant purchases were out of the question. I don’t know how it happened, because even I, with my fighter pilot trained observational skills, never caught the vendor giving it to Rora, but these items almost always wound up in the bag, called an Etyma Jivekoo, that Mory achohachy perpetually carried with them and wore around their waist. The fact that the Etyma Jivekoo was around Rora's waist made it all the more amazing that these items would wind up in his Etyma Jivekoo without his knowledge. I thought that perhaps Rora wasn't very observant because Rora always seemed genuinely shocked to find the items and would invariably take them back to the vendor. After many, many athalloo of haggling, Rora would pay for the item with an offer of some service that the vendor needed, another reason he never really had time to go hunting, or they would request one of Ara's tapestries as payment. I never did find out if this was a normal business practice among the Mory, but, even though we never really had a lot for a long time after I arrived in Talo-Vy, we never were hungry nor naked.
Eventually, we would wind up at the booth of Zo-Joola, the mother of Rora’s closest friend, Zo-Kyna. I always enjoyed our time with her. She was an older female that enjoyed having Rora around. I later learned that Ara had been orphaned as a cub and TaJoola had raised her as her own; however, TaJoola never once even remotely implied that Ara was her cub. TaJoola didn't look longingly at Rora (I believed it was because she had other fish to fry as the saying goes.), but she always had a pleasant smile for him when he would arrive at her booth. Zo-Joola was the one that Rora was looking for. He always seemed surprised to find her where he did, even though, as long as I was in Talo-Vy, she always had her booth in the same location every time we went to the market.
After a few athalloo of chatting with Zo-Joola, Rora and I would leave, usually with several of the fruits and vegetables that Zo-Joola sold, which she always said were about to go bad even though they looked fresh from the garden to me, and head in a different direction from the one we used when we came into the market. I knew where we were going every bit as well as Rora did. However, I always acted as if I didn’t know. Why you may ask? I really don’t know, unless I enjoyed the situation and I played with it like a cat playing with a mouse, a bit of a role reversal so to speak. I was the cat and Rora was the mouse.
I always acted surprised and would say, “Oh, look, Rora. Look where we are. We are outside Zo-Joola’s house.”
He always acted surprised, as if he didn’t know where we were going. He would say, “Oh, we are? How did we get here?”
“Do you think we should scratch on the door? Maybe Zo-Kyna is home. I am sure he would be happy to see us.”
I failed to mention earlier that Zo-Kyna, who happens to be Rora’s oldest friend and Zo-Joola's son, has a twin sister by the name of Zo-Kyta and she was the reason for our walks. I always played along with the situation because Zo-Kyta is a very fine cook and she always seemed to have just finished cooking a wonderful dish just before our arrival. Both Rora and Kyta knew the laws and requirements of the Mory society, but they didn’t seem to care much. Oh, they made a fine show of it, but I knew there was much more going on here than either of them let on. It really must be bad to live in a society where you are not certain of the parentage of someone you care deeply about. By that I mean, you don’t know whether or not they are possibly a half-sibling.
“What if he is not home?” Rora was saying. “It would not be appropriate for me to enter the house by myself if Kyta is home alone.”
“Rora, are you talking to the air? Are you alone and I am a figment of your imagination? Or, do Mory societal norms not count slaves as living beings?”
“Of course, slaves are living beings. Why do you ask such a silly question?”
“Do you not think that, with me being here, Mory law requiring a chaperon would be fulfilled?”
Rora thought for a moment before replying, “I suppose you are right, Mvilu. But, but, what if she has a visitor? I would not want to intrude. That would be awkward.” I rolled my eyes. I see the game starts anew.
“I doubt she will have a visitor. She has never had one when we have visited before. She knows when you are off guard duty as well as I do. But, I have heard from your norotha that she always rejects any chohachyny attempts at winning her affection. Your norotha thinks that she is interested in only one chohachy. I wonder who that chohachy might possibly be.”
“If she is interested in a chohachy, then I should leave. I would hate to intrude if he is inside visiting.” I love Rora like a brother, but sometimes he can be as dim as a blown-out light bulb.
“Did I not just say that I doubt that anyone is visiting?”
“I am sorry, Mvilu, but I do not want to do anything that is improper.”
Even though I was enjoying his moral dilemma, I knew that someone had to do something. Before he had a chance to react, I reached up and quickly knocked on the door. Too late, Rora jumped to stop me. (Was it intentionally too late?) Almost as quickly as I knocked, the door opened and we were face to face to Zo-Kyta.
She looked at us and smiled that menacingly friendly Mory smile. She said, “Chitekuro, Rora, Mvilu, what a pleasant surprise. Welcome to our humble home. Please enter and grace us with your presence.”
Since Rora wasn’t saying anything, I said, “Chitekuro, TaKyta. I wish our home was as luxurious as yours.”
I looked at Rora who stood there dumbfounded. Like any adolescent with a major crush on the head cheerleader, Rora could only look at Kyta with his mouth open. Kyta noticed this, smiled at him, and said, “Rora, please close your mouth. You look silly.”
Rora obediently did as Kyta told him and said, “Chi—Chitekuro TaKyta. I—I am sorry for bothering you. But, Mvilu got us lost and before I knew it, we were outside your door.” I couldn’t help laughing, disguising it as a cough, eliciting a dirty look from Rora. Rora’s lie surprised me because the Mory are notoriously honest.
Kyta smiled broadly, a somewhat menacing look with her large canines showing as they did. She knew he was making up a cover story for us being there, lying actually, but she played along. “Now, Mvilu,” she chastised, “How could you have done such a thing to your master? Well, the two of you are here now, so will you not come inside? I do not believe that anyone will get upset if you do, Rora, since Mvilu is here to be a chaperon.” I wondered how long Kyta had been standing inside the door waiting for us. “Besides, I have just taken some Koosha cakes (2) from the oven and have some freshly brewed Kacha tea. Perhaps you would like to try some.”
That seemed to satisfy Rora and we entered Kyta’s home. It looked very similar to Rora’s home, except that it had better furnishings. Kyta led us to the table and seated us. She then went into the kitchen and returned with a plate full of Koosha cakes.
*****
While the three of us were sitting at the table enjoying the cakes, joking and laughing, actually Kyta and I were doing most of the talking, Rora just stared at Kyta, when I heard what sounded like a snort of derision. I turned and stared open-mouthed. There standing in the doorway of one of the rooms I saw someone I knew, but didn’t know; someone I had seen before but had never met. It was a Uany female. She was about 165 cm tall and weighed about 55 kg. She had long straight bluish-blond hair that reached down to her small breasts and she had yellow-in-blue eyes. She had golden, almost honey-brown, skin. Her skin color could be described as properly, perfectly toasted bread. She had a small, but not disproportionately so, nose, a smallish mouth that fit her face almost perfectly with lips slightly darker in color than the rest of her skin and straight white teeth. She was wearing a one-piece leather dress that started just below her arms, exposing her perfectly shaped shoulders, and ended about one-half of the way down her thighs. The sides were open and held together by leather thongs pulled tightly enough to show off the fact that she was most definitely female, but not obscenely tight. Her arms were crossed just below her modest breasts making them look a little fuller than normal. Her thighs and calves were very shapely and strong-looking, but not overly muscular. She was wearing brown sandals on her small, no longer than fifteen centimeters, feet. I was immediately awestruck by her beauty.
I know I looked my shock because Kyta leaned over and said, “What is wrong with you, Mvilu? You look like you have seen a disembodied spirit. You also have your mouth open like Rora did just a few athalloo ago.”
When I didn't react or reply, she turned toward the female and said, “Tyarza, why do you make that noise?”
Tyarza said, somewhat derisively, “I am sorry, mistress. I just have a hard time accepting the situation that I am witnessing. The thought of a Uany associating with his Mory captors on a friendly basis is revolting to me.”
Kyta chose to ignore this jab and said, “Tyarza, may I introduce Mvilu Uatusun. He is the slave of my brother’s closest friend, My-Rora.” Turning to me, she said, “Mvilu, this is my brother’s slave, Kerga Tyarza. The two of you were captured on the same day.”
I said, “Chitekuro, TaTyarza? How are you?”
Tyarza replied, sarcastically, “Chitekuro. I am doing wonderfully, Uatusun. After all, what could I ask for that I do not already have? Perhaps not being a slave?”
Her sarcasm did not go unnoticed by Kyta. “Tyarza, please take care. Remember, these are our guests. Would you not want to be treated the same way if the roles were reversed?”
“Yes, mistress,” Tyarza replied. “You are quite right, mistress. I will treat our guests with respect, mistress. Perhaps, the Uany would like to assist me in the kitchen as a good slave should do.”
Kyta said, “I am sorry, Mvilu. For some reason, she treats everyone that she meets here with the same attitude.”
I replied with a smile in my voice, “That is all right, TaKyta. I can understand her attitude. After all, she probably does not realize how close she was to death that day.”
Tyarza said, “I may have been unconscious, but I know exactly how close I was to death that day. It would have been better for me if I had been killed.”
I smiled and said, “Perhaps she is right, TaKyta. I should help her in the kitchen as a good slave should. Can I trust the two of you to behave if I leave?”
Rora ducked his head and averted his eyes, the Mory sign of embarrassment. Kyta smiled that broad, and ferocious-looking, Mory smile and, cutting her eyes toward Rora, said teasingly, “You can trust me. But, I am not so sure about Rora.”
Rora said, quietly, “I will be as honorable as any Mory chohachy could possibly be. You know that, Kyta.”
Kyta and I both laughed out loud. I turned and followed Tyarza into the kitchen, but not before wagging my finger at Rora with the admonition, “Remember, Rora. Your best behavior.”
Rora shot me a glance that would scare the most stout-hearted of fighting men, and I as well had I not known Rora as well as I did. As I was entering the kitchen, I could hear Rora say, “I do not know why he does that to me. I treat him well.”
Just as I was closing the door, Kyta was saying, “It is because he likes you, Rora. That is all.”
After I closed the door, I turned and saw Tyarza staring at me. I wouldn’t say malevolently, but most assuredly not in a friendly manner. I returned her stare, but I hope mine was a lot friendlier than hers.
After a few athata, Tyarza asked me, “Why does Mistress Kyta call you by your family name?”
I answered, “I am sorry, Tyarza? I do not understand what you are asking.”
“Your family name is Mvilu, is it not?”
“No. In my village, we use our given name first and our family name last. In other nearby villages, they use their family name first as is done in this part of Tashoo.”
“So, your given name really is Mvilu, not Uatusun?”
“Yes, it is. I had to explain to my master and mistress on the day I arrived in their home. Your family name is Kerga, correct”
“Yes. Why would it not be?”
“As I said, it is not the way we introduce ourselves in my home village.”
Tyarza thought this over for several athata before changing the subject. In a very sarcastic voice, she asked, “Would you care for some Kacha tea and Koosha cakes, Mvilu Uatusun?”
“Yes. Thank you.” I decided to accept her hospitality. Maybe she wanted to have an attitude toward me, but I wasn't going to reply in kind. I decided to be as friendly to her as possible, the old flies and honey idea.
Earlier I had tried to not stare blatantly, but here in the kitchen, there was less room and, consequently, staring was harder to prevent. As she was preparing our tea and Koosha cakes, I could stand it no longer. I said to her, “If I said, or did, anything earlier to upset you, please accept my most heartfelt of apologies. I did not want to stare, but, you look so familiar to me, plus you are a very beautiful woman. I was trying to think of where I had seen you before. When Kyta told me who you were, then I knew where I had seen you. I saw Kyna carrying you over his shoulder on the morning I woke up on the outskirts of Talo-Vy. You have also been haunting my dreams since I arrived, possibly before.”
Her only reply was, “So, you are the one.”
“There’s that phrase again,” I said, in a somewhat disgusted voice.
“What phrase?”
“'The One’. I have heard that phrase used to describe me on numerous occasions. I do not know what it means, other than to describe a savior of some kind.”
“Do you mean, ‘The One Who Will Unify’?” She laughed uproariously at the thought. “If that is what you are referring to, I find it laughable. You do not impress me as him; but, I was referring to the fact that I had heard that another Uany had been captured the same day I was.”
“Why do you find it laughable that I might possibly be ‘The One’?”
“Because you do not look like a Uany that could remotely possibly kill a Mory rothoo, let alone a Ka’yno. Plus, you are much too friendly with those abominable Mory to impress me as someone who would even remotely consider killing one.”
“I have been told about that requirement of ‘The One’? But, I have no desire to kill anyone, let alone a Ka'yno. I do have a great dislike for him; he is a bully after all. However, I am a slave and I believe it would mean my death if I were to kill him. Maybe that prophecy explains why the Ka’yno hates me so badly. But, I do not believe in killing without a just reason. Since it is obvious that you think I am not ‘The One', tell me a little about yourself.”
Initially ignoring my request for information about her, she asked, “What do you mean, 'I have been haunting your dreams since you arrived, possibly before?'”
“I mean I have dreamed about you since the first night I was in Talo-Vy. I also seem to recall you being in my dreams for at least two years before I arrived here, although my memories prior to my arrival in Talo-Vy are hazy at best and completely blank at worst.”
“I see.” She seemed a bit uncomfortable with my revelation, so she changed the subject back to my previous request. “Why should I tell anything about me to one such as you? From the way you act around the Mory, you have obviously forgotten what you are.”
I smiled as I said, “You are quite right about that, Tyarza. As I said, I remember absolutely nothing about my life for two years or so prior to the day I woke up near the north garden over 30 days ago and I remember very little that happened prior to two years ago. As a matter of fact, I have had to learn your language.”
“Do you not mean remember our language?”
“No, I mean learn. When I first heard Rora speak to me, it did not register to me at all as something I should know. Later, when we were in the presence of the Ka’yno, I spoke and it was a language that neither of them understood, but I understood it as if it was my native language.”
“Mvilu Uatusun, everyone on Tashoo speaks the same language. You must have been making up words. But, be that as it may, why do you want to know about me? I am merely a Uany slave and nobody important.”
“Surely, you are important to somebody.”
Tyarza replied without thinking, “I am.” After saying this, she had a look on her face as if she had said something she shouldn’t have said. “Never mind about that! I am merely a Uany nojasa that was captured by one of those accursed Mory achohachy and that is all you need to know. Soon, I will do something about that.”
“What do you mean?”
“Soon, I will kill all of the Mory in this household. Then Tashoo will have three less Mory to dirty her.”
“Why would you want to kill Zo-Joola and her family? Have they ever offered to hurt you?”
“They have deprived me of my freedom. That is how they have hurt me.”
“Tyarza, I have been deprived of my freedom as well. But, I am thankful because I know that the Ka’yno wanted to have me killed. Given the option of death or slavery, I would always choose slavery. After all, alive I could always eventually win my freedom. Would you not agree?”
“NO! I do not agree! One of my stature would rather be dead than be a slave, especially to an accursed Mory. Therefore, I would rather be dead than a slave.”
“What do you mean by, ‘One of your stature’?”
“Never mind!” She practically screamed as she realized she had almost revealed another secret. She was on the verge of tears as she spoke. The calmer I stayed, the closer she came to tears. It hurt me to see her starting to tear up. But, I couldn't help it. I wasn't going to allow her to goad me into making a rash statement. However, I decided then and there that I would do my best to never do that again. Of course, to quote Robert Burns, “The best laid schemes o' Mice an' Men, / Gang aft agley.”
Since she didn’t wish to talk about what she had just said, I shrugged and changed the subject. “Well, if you kill this family, you will get your wish.”
“Good. Then, I will be dead, along with these three.”
“But, what would you have accomplished? Three dead Mory and a dead beautiful Uany nojasa. That is all. What would that accomplish in the grand scheme of things? If you think it will be a major accomplishment, you are completely wrong. There are times for strength and times for subtlety. Personally, I believe this is a time for subtlety.”
Sarcastically, she replied, “What are you, a philosopher? You look like a chohachy, but you act and talk like a coward. Why do you not want to kill every Mory you see?”
“Perhaps I do not want to kill every Mory because I do not see how it will accomplish anything in my current situation. Plus, as I have already stated, I do not believe in killing without reason or just cause. And as for being a philosopher, maybe I am and maybe I am not, but I know that all achohachy have a bit of the philosopher in them and I know that what I said is true. Let me ask you a question, Tyarza.”
She rolled her eyes and asked, “What is it?”
“Have you ever seen a severe wind storm?”
“Of course, everybody has seen them. They happen regularly every year, during five months of late summer through the end of autumn. Why do you ask?”
“Have you ever noticed how the grass reacts to the wind?”
“Of course, it merely bends over until the storm has passed. Why?”
“Okay, have you ever seen how a strong tree reacts to the wind?”
Rolling her eyes, she replied, “Yes. Quite often the smaller ones get blown over or broken in half. I do not understand why you are asking me these silly questions.”
“Because I am hoping that perhaps you will learn something from my philosophy.”
“Such as?” Even her sarcasm did not detract from her beauty.
“Such as, you should bend during adversity and, when it is to your advantage, you should be strong. In other words, there are times when there is strength in what seems to be a weakness. Do you understand what I am saying? Besides, I have grown to care very deeply about this family. I would hate to see any harm come to them, or you. Besides, how would you feel if the roles were reversed and a slave wanted to kill you and your family?”
She sat there for a short while thinking, I hope. As I watched her, drinking my tea, I thought I saw her features soften, making her even more beautiful than I thought she could possibly be. Before I realized it, her face turned sad and she started to tear up. No tear fell, but they were there in her eyes. I found myself having to look away. To see this obviously strong woman on the verge of tears, was almost more than I could stand. I didn’t know what to do, as I, and most men, rarely do when a woman cries. I know she was on the verge of tears earlier, but those were tears of anger and these were of sadness.
Finally, she said, “Yes, Mvilu Uatusun. I think I do understand. I—I did not want to acknowledge it, but you are right. This family has treated me wonderfully. They have made no demands on me of any kind. I am not even required to do any kind of housework. The only time I am required to do anything is when TaJoola has me accompany her to the market, which normally is every day.”
“Then, why are you here today?”
“I was not feeling well when Zo-Joola came for me this morning. She sat on the side of my bed like my own norotha had done when I was a rothoo and, with the tenderness my norotha always used, checked me over to be sure I was not badly ill. After she assured herself that I was too ill to go with her, but not so ill as to be in danger of death, she wished me well and left me here. I have heard of many slaves that had to work even though they were almost dead from an illness.” Still on the verge of tears, she continued, “Mvilu Uatusun, I do not know what to do. I want to hate them, but they are so kind to me. Please help me.”
“Well, Tyarza, the first thing you can do is stop calling me Mvilu Uatusun. Just call me Mvilu. The only other thing I can tell you to do is think about what I have said. It may save your life. I would hate to know that you had done something rash and I would never have the chance to see you again.”
For some reason, this last thing I said triggered her anger anew. She virtually yelled at me, “SEE ME AGAIN!? DO YOU KNOW TO WHOM YOU ARE SPEAKING? IF I WAS NOT A SLAVE, YOU COULD NOT EVEN REMOTELY THINK TO BE ALLOWED TO SPEAK TO ME! NOT ONLY THAT, I AM PROMISED TO A CHOHACHY WHO IS A BETTER CHOHACHY BY ACCIDENT THAN YOU WILL EVER BE ON PURPOSE!”
I calmly replied, “I am sorry if I have offended you again, Tyarza; but, it is the truth. In these few athalloo that I have known you, I have come to like you—despite your original attitude toward me. I like Rora, Kyta, Kyna, and the others I know here, but you are Uany. I want, and need, a friend that is of my own kind. I know I have told you I thought you are beautiful, and that is part of my feelings for you, but, if the Great Being will allow it, I will help you to return to your people, somehow. I will assure that you are mated to your chohachy and, until then, I will be your personal protector and defender. Would that be acceptable to you?”
As I reacted calmly to her outburst, I watched the anger in her eyes gradually die. It took several athata, but her anger was finally replaced by a calm respectful demeanor. Finally, she took a deep breath and said, “I am sorry for my outburst; you really do not know enough about me to speak to me in that manner. That is all I can say to you about it. One day, perhaps, I will tell you, but not now.” She paused in thought for a few athata before continuing, “I do not know how you will be able to protect or defend me. You are obviously in no situation to be able to defend yourself, let alone someone else; however, I will accept your kind offer. Thank you.”
While we were talking, there was a scratching on the kitchen door. I had to suppress a smile when I thought about how we were being given the respect that one wouldn't expect to be given to a pair of slaves. Almost immediately after the scratching, Kyta's face peered through the door at the two of us. She looked at us, gave us a smile and entered.
She said, “I hope you two do not mind my interrupting. Rora is talking about leaving, but I am hoping he would have some more tea. You do not mind my getting the pot, do you?”
I was surprised at the way that Tyarza responded. “Not at all, Mistress Kyta. I will retrieve it for you.” She was not surly nor sarcastic. She got up and walked over to get the teapot. After she returned with the pot, Tyarza gave it to Kyta saying, “I am sorry about my actions earlier, Mistress. As I told Mvilu after we were alone, I have not been feeling well today. I guess that I allowed my illness to control my emotions. Please accept my apologies.”
Kyta and I looked our surprise. I immediately thought of the name Ebenezer Scrooge and I was wondering which of the ghosts I would be. Still somewhat surprised, Kyta said, “That is all right, Tyarza. I can understand how illness can make one say things they regret at a later time. Your apology is not necessary but is greatly appreciated.”
I said, “Perhaps we should rejoin you and Rora. I would not want to tempt fate. Besides, what if someone happened to look through the window and see the two of you alone. I would not want to see either of you get into trouble.”
“All right, Mvilu. That is a good idea and observation.”
Tyarza and I walked back into the dining area and saw Rora sitting at the table. I couldn’t help but pick on him a little more. “Rora, were you and Kyta honorable while I was out of the room?”
Kyta said, “Rora and I were as honorable as you and Tyarza were.”
I winked at Kyta and said, “In that case, you two were very honorable. You know how Rora is when he is here.” Rora just glared at me, eliciting a smile from me, Kyta, and, to my surprise, Tyarza.
Rora nearly growled, “I have asked Kyta to have her chorothy come by our house as soon as he returns later today. Then you can ask him the questions you have about the Mory hunting practices.”
“Good. Thank you, Kyta, and Rora. I look forward to seeing you again soon, Kyta. You, too, Tyarza, if that is acceptable to you.”
Tyarza thought for a couple of athata and said, “Yes. I would like that, too. I would love to learn more about you, Mvilu. You seem to be an interesting chohachy. Once again, please accept my apologies for my outburst in the kitchen. I wish I could tell you more about me but I do not know you well enough to trust you with further information.”
“I understand, TaTyarza. I will do everything I can to earn your trust.”
With that said, as is the Mory custom, Rora stood, turned and we left. We walked home in virtual silence. I tried to draw Rora into a conversation, but he was as taciturn as he ever was, if not more so. I guess I had been a little too hard on him. He was, after all, an adolescent and as shy around girls as any teenaged boy ever was. I apologized as profusely as I could, to no avail. Finally, I gave up, accepted the situation, and walked home alongside Rora in silence. I knew that he would eventually forgive me because it was not in his nature to hold a grudge for any great length of time. Finally, we arrived home and I went to my room for a short while.
**********
(1)-literally two-twenties-five-four or 49
(2)-Koosha cakes are very similar to muffins with the exception that they are significantly larger, perhaps three times larger. Of course, the Mory are significantly larger than the Uany. There are numerous different types of “Koosha cakes”. Each has its own name depending on the extra ingredients used in the batter. Actual Koosha Cakes are made using three different kinds of nuts similar in taste to pecans, walnuts, and macadamia nuts. The cake itself has a lemon-poppy taste to it. This was the original Koosha cake, but experimentation led to the numerous different types of Koosha cakes that have become common. For example, Koosha cakes made with two different types of nuts have one name that is derived from which nuts are used, while another Koosha cake made with different nuts or fruits would have a different name. The three nut cakes are so popular that the name Koosha cake became generic in a manner similar to the way that in the 20th Century all corn chips became known as Fritos because Fritos were the most popular.
