[This chapter is presented in its entirety. The footnotes came out properly, marked in the text with bracketed numerals. They show up at the end of this page. However, they are not linked.]
Chapter 3
The Adventurers Arrive at To'wak
At sunset we again stopped to rest, then continued
our journey at the midpoint of the darktime.
It was my first experience of traveling at night and it made me instantly
aware that Alates really are inferior to the other Castes in certain
respects. An Alate’s reliance on
eyesight seems to have weakened those additional sensory faculties that are so
acute in the blind Warriors and Workers.
We see well enough by our own wing-light in the walled spaces of the
fortress, but in the open and insecure darkness of the outdoors, I felt
sightless and vulnerable. I almost wore
out my wing joints fanning and pumping up light, and even so I could illuminate
no more than a tiny circle around my body.
The night seemed very vast and mysterious, with the stars shining cold
and distant and the two moons watching.
Some call them the eyes of the Nameless One.
So I blundered along in some panic while Ki’shto’ba
and the Workers trotted with their customary surefootedness, oblivious to the
gloom pressing on all sides. Toward dawn
we took another rest, donning our magic skins to warm us against an increasing
chill. With the skin covering them, my
wings were darkened, and then I truly knew what it was like to be eyeless.
There are in fact dangers in the darktime that do not
exist by day. Certain predatory birds
and reptiles hunt at night, and one might encounter venomous insects of both
the crawling and flying varieties. The
thought of those made me uneasy, since they are said to climb into one’s
orifices or into the crevices between body segments and sting one’s soft inner
parts. But most of the large, aggressive
reptiles are active only in the daytime, and it was the wrong season for many
insects to be prowling about.
I continued footsore and Wei’tu’s salve was diminishing
fast. At one point, I remarked that I
wished Ru’a’ma’na’ta had given us foot covers as well as the magic skins. This led to a discussion about the nature of
the Star-Beings. The Workers were
astonished when I related how Ru’a’ma’na’ta had once removed the coverings from
her rear feet and I had seen what they looked like – strangely white and soft,
and tipped by five short, flexible pegs of graduated size, with broad, useless
claws upon them like the inefficient claws on her front leg palps. They are somewhat comparable to the feet of
some swimming birds or reptiles, and yet quite different, really. Most bizarre and ugly. No wonder they cover them.
Twa’sei was surprised to learn that Ru’a’ma’na’ta’s
feet had no hair on them; it was much taken by the small, hairy-footed wanderer
in the tale about the magic ring object.
Twa’sei was itself small and powerless and saw in that Champion what it
would like to become.
Then we got into a discussion of how all the
Star-Beings, no matter how much their varieties differed from one another, were
more similar to the birds and even to the reptiles than to the insects or to
the Shshi. Some of the Star-Beings
actually are birds, and all of them have their soft flesh on the outside,
enclosing their sclerites. They all
stand upright like birds, without resting their bellies on the ground, and have
four limbs of whatever type, whereas insects and Shshi consistently have six
limbs and carry their support structures on the outside where they can function
sensibly as a protection for the inner parts.
We call ourselves the First Created and look upon the
speechless birds and reptiles and insects as beings of a secondary order, and
yet Ru’a’ma’na’ta once showed Kwi’ga’ga’tei and later myself images that
somewhat shook my conviction of our superiority. These images were of insect creatures from
her world that were no bigger than a bush louse and yet had the form and
behavior of a Shi. These tiny things
were building and maintaining and defending fortresses and caring for their
Mother, all without intelligence or power of speech. If we have anything like that on this world,
it is not in any place I ever journeyed.
And yet if one considers the shza’zei|, one can see that they are not unlike the Shshi in form
and behavior; and the tiniest of insects have body parts similar to ours. This intimation that we could somehow be
related to these small verminous creatures that have always discomfited me is
something that even today gives me an uneasy feeling in my gut. It puts in question that superior
separateness that we have always so smugly asserted and even throws doubt on
the accuracy of the myths that give us our identity.
But then, I have always viewed myths as metaphor
rather than literal truth, and the fact that we are here as more important than
how we came to be.
*
* *
Ki’shto’ba said we would arrive at To’wak about
midday. It beat a path to the river for
us through the dense bu’re| so we
could search for a ford. The central
channel was deeper and narrower here, and the terrain was rising as we
scrambled along the steep bank. We came
to a short waterfall, negotiated the rocky rise over which it cascaded, and
found the riverbed broadening once again.
Ki’shto’ba waded out to check the depth, then beckoned us on, and we all
plunged in. That was the first time I
ever waded across an expanse of water, but it was hardly the last. The water came only halfway up my belly, but
the flow pushed at me, and the oozy, invisible stones of the riverbed gave my
claws a quite insecure purchase. I was
not sorry to reach the other side.
I raised my foreparts off the ground, peering
ahead. “There!” I said. “I see a hill, with a great fortress on it!”
“To’wak!” cried the Workers gleefully, but of a
sudden Ki’shto’ba leaped toward a cluster of tall rocks, posturing in
formidable threat.
Several equally threatening Warriors emerged from
among the rocks, all Da’no’no Shshi. But
the smallest of them bounded toward us.
“Ki’shto’ba!
It is Ki’shto’ba! Do you not
recognize it? Stand down!”
“A’zhu’lo! ni’a’zei|!” exclaimed the Huge Head,
rushing forward.
The twins met with forelegs raised, coming together
as if they would fight or wrestle, dancing about with legs locked and heads
elevated, mandible pressed to mandible.
Then they lost their balances and toppled, rolling over and over
together with such abandon that I feared they would wound each another. But their pleasure in meeting again was
moving to behold.
In the background, the march guards scented the air
to make sure that the Workers and I presented no danger and then stood down
from their posturing, although they continued to shift about uneasily, cocking
antennae at one another so I could not make out what they were saying. Twa’sei pressed itself against my right side
in some fear, and although Wei’tu possessed quite real courage, it also sidled
up to me. Few Warriors would dare to
attack an Alate.
Presently, Ki’shto’ba and A’zhu’lo stopped rolling
about and scrambled to their feet, standing back from each other.
“A’zhu’lo, you seem to be flourishing! What a coincidence that you should be on
march duty on this day!”
“Not really!” said A’zhu’lo. “Holy Thru’tei’ga’ma … ”
“Thru’tei’ga’ma is still alive?”
“Barely. He is
quite pitiable, Ki’shto’ba. Too much bir’zha|, you know. They help him to the Councils and into the
presence of the Holy One … ”
“Lo’zoi’ma’na’ta is well?”
“Oh, she flourishes still. But she is sad. She misses you, Ki’shto’ba.”
“Well, I have come, at least for a while.”
“For a while only?”
A’zhu’lo hesitated, seeming to remember that others were present. It bobbled its antennae uncertainly at the
group of Warriors.
“You are the Lieutenant of these march guards, A’zhu’lo?”
“Oh, no, no, only a simple Warrior still. It suits me best. Lieutenant Gwo’ju’ka, you remember … ”
One of the Warriors stepped forward. “How could anyone forget? Welcome home, Ki’shto’ba Huge-Head. It has been so long that many have believed
you to be dead.”
“I did not!” exclaimed A’zhu’lo. “Not after the refugees came! They spoke about the battle – how you fought
the rebel Commander and killed … ”
I stepped forward then. “Refugees?
What do you mean?”
There was hesitation, and much twiddling of feet.
Ki’shto’ba
said, “Lieutenant Gwo’ju’ka – honored Warriors – my twin A’zhu’lo – this is Di’fa’kro’mi
the Remembrancer of Lo’ro’ra, and two little Workers, Wei’tu and Twa’sei, who
accompany us. And what do you mean, ‘refugees’?”
Gwo’ju’ka spoke.
“After your battle a year ago, some Workers and Warriors from Lo’ro’ra
were found wandering in the marches, half dead of hunger and terror. Commander Bai’go’tha took pity on them and
gave them shelter.”
“They are still here in To’wak?” I asked.
“Indeed, they are honored guests,” said the
Lieutenant, prancing nervously. Next to
me, Wei’tu pointed its antennae backward and sizzled skeptically. I hoped it would keep its opinions to itself.[1]
“They could have returned home had they wished to do
so,” I said. “The Holy One and the King
of Lo’ro’ra forgave all who wished forgiveness after the rebels were
overthrown. Perhaps when I tell them
that, they will want to return.”
Gwo’ju’ka continued to prance and said nothing.
“So Bai’go’tha is still Commander,” remarked Ki’shto’ba.
“Certainly,” said the Lieutenant. “You forget, Huge-Head, no one is as powerful
as Bai’go’tha.”
There was a reflective moment. Then A’zhu’lo said, “But we must bring these
travelers to the fortress so they can refresh themselves. We can talk as we … ”
“In fact, I will take my phalanx ahead,” said Gwo’ju’ka
hastily. “We can move faster alone and
the fortress can be alerted to prepare …
A’zhu’lo, conduct our guests with all honor.” And the Lieutenant and its company turned their
tails on us and vanished among the rocks.
“I think it is a liar,” erupted Wei’tu.
“Hush,” said I.
“Of course it is a liar,” said A’zhu’lo, exuding
scorn. “My twin, your return has just
stabbed everyone to the gut with fear.”
Said Ki’shto’ba, “All this sounds ominous. What did you start to tell me awhile ago
about Holy Thru’tei’ga’ma?”
“Oh, he had a fit in the Holy Chamber yesterday –
flopped about and spewed froth at both ends.
Pitiable. But he still has the
gift, you know. He sent for the Chief of
my Cohort earlier today and told it to assign me to marcher duty – that the
Nameless One had ordered it. The Chief
was amused but indulgent. So you can see
that my being here is not a coincidence!”
I was impressed.
“Your homecoming must surely have significance, Ki’shto’ba,” I said, “if
the Highest-Mother-Who-Is-Nameless takes an interest in it.”
“What is this about Workers from Lo’ro’ra?” asked Wei’tu.
A’zhu’lo said, “Part of what my Lieutenant said is
true. lo’ro’ra’zei| were found wandering in the marches, but Bai’go’tha
hardly took pity on them.”
“It slaughtered them?” I said in horror.
“No, no. But
it kept them captive. It has forced them
to work for To’wak in the most menial manner, as befits, so our honored
Commander says, the inferior race of shlam’wei’zei|.[2] Some of the Workers were skilled builders and
several were Feeders of higher rank, but our Commander put all of them to servicing
the dung pit and cutting up corpses in the Charnel Hall. Several have died. The Warriors are kept in a guarded chamber
and forced to perform practice combat with young, unskilled Warriors. Two or three have been killed by accident.”
I was becoming highly incensed and alarmed, for
enslavement of that sort was a provocation to war and Lo’ro’ra was hardly ready
for that. Wei’tu continued to
sizzle. Twa’sei was scared. “I do not know if I want to go to To’wak,” it
said.
“Do not worry, little friend,” said Ki’shto’ba. “No one will dare to hurt anyone under my
protection. But, ni’a’zei|, what do the Holy One and the King think of all this?”
“Our Mother worries about the captives, but you know
how it is – a na’ta’zei| has no real
power except to withhold offspring, and that is extreme and sometimes
fatal. And the King – well, we still
have Yan’ut’na’sha’ma. At thirteen years
of age, he can produce egg-maker like a five-year-old. And he is as thick as ever with Bai’go’tha
and despises you and me. But … ” A’zhu’lo
rubbed up against its twin’s side.
“Everything will be better now that you are back. What did you mean, you have come at least for
a while? You certainly will stay this
time! You certainly mean to challenge
Bai’go’tha!”
I could see all our plans vanishing like mist in the
midday sun. Ki’shto’ba stomped along
ponderously. “I do not know,” it
said. “I had not intended to stay, A’zhu’lo.” And it told its twin of the adventure we were
proposing.
A’zhu’lo received its sibling’s words without
speaking. Then it said, “Do not tell anyone
of these plans. If it is known that you
do not intend to stay, Bai’go’tha and its supporters will simply put on a false
show of friendliness until you are gone.
Perhaps you can do something to help us before you leave.”
“I do not know if I will leave,” said Ki’shto’ba.
“I cannot
blame you for wanting an adventure,” said A’zhu’lo, “but what was it that
inspired you?”
So we spoke of the Star-Beings and A’zhu’lo appeared
shaken. “That explains much. It explains Holy Thru’tei’ga’ma’s visions
last season-cycle – he babbled of speaking beings with feathers, and giant
flying monsters that swooped down and scooped up Shshi and carried them
off. We all thought it was just the bir’zha| madness, until the refugees
from Lo’ro’ra arrived, and then everyone thought those ones were also mad, with
the talk of flying dwellings and strange-smelling deformed creatures from the
stars.”
“One should always pay attention to Thru’tei’ga’ma,”
said Ki’shto’ba, and I wondered a little at that, remembering how the Huge-Head
had previously dismissed the rantings of Seers.
We set out for the fortress, and as we scurried along
I said, “I counsel that we say nothing at the moment about the refugees. It is unfortunate that the Lieutenant knows
that we know they are here, but it may not tell its Commander for fear of
incurring displeasure. Let them wonder
whether A’zhu’lo told us about their mistreatment. Or, if the time seems appropriate, we can ask
to speak with these honored guests from Lo’ro’ra and perhaps gain some
advantage.”
Everyone agreed, but Wei’tu made a sly remark about
the subtlety of Alates that I found a trifle irritating.
*
* *
The wall surrounding To’wak was half again as high as
Lo’ro’ra’s; in fact there was a double ring of walls, one outside the other,
separated by the length of thirty Shshi.
The Warriors’ exercise yards were between these walls and each entrance
gate was guarded. I wondered why such
heavy protection was necessary in a fortress that I had believed was at
peace. Troops fell in before and behind
us as we passed through the fortifications.
I felt like a prisoner.
But Ki’shto’ba displayed no alarm, greeting many of
the Warriors as we moved along. Some
returned the greetings with genuine pleasure, some with stiff courtesy, and a
few dared to turn the posterior or simply ignore their returning sibling.
In the main
courtyard quite a contingent awaited us at the entrance to the principal
edifice – two phalanxes of guards, including the one we had encountered in the
marches, being commanded by a very nervous-seeming Gwo’ju’ka. There were also several Alates, but no
Workers. I thought about how No’kri the
Worker Chief always spoke for Lo’ro’ra in official situations; it seemed that
in To’wak Workers were accorded far less respect.
In the midst of the contingent stood a Warrior
rearing on its hind pairs of legs in a posture that bespoke both threat and
bravado. It apparently sought to appear
larger than it was, for while it was powerful enough, it was obviously not as
mighty as the Shi that now confronted it.
“Ki’shto’ba No’no Um’zi!” it said. “What a singular pleasure! To’wak had thought never to see you again!”
Ki’shto’ba stopped before it and formally abased,
briefly swishing its mandibles in the dirt.
“Commander Bai’go’tha! You smell
in fine condition.”
“Your senses have not failed you, Huge-Head. But we are somewhat puzzled. You come in the company of Shum’za, from Lo’ro’ra,
I have been informed. I understand that
the holy Alate is Lo’ro’ra’s Remembrancer.
Has the exalted fortress of Lo’ro’ra destroyed itself and these
individuals are all that is left? Or do
you seek a King? If so, let me correct
your ignorance. The Da’no’no Shshi and
the Shum’za cannot interbreed, I fear.”
I stepped forward.
“Neither guess is correct. I come
merely as a traveler eager to see the wonders of the regions adjacent to our
marches, and perhaps to offer tales that will give pleasure and even
edification to people of – dare I say? – a rougher culture?” It was perhaps an unwisely insolent beginning
on my part, but I was annoyed.
Bai’go’tha tossed its head, but the Da’no’no Alates
bounced and flourished their antennae in amusement. One of them said, “Di’fa’kro’mi, is it
not? Your reputation precedes you. I am Kru’bu’gli’sti the Keeper of the Holy
Chamber. This is Goi’o’na’tu, To’wak’s
own Remembrancer.”
“Indeed,” said Goi’o’na’tu, abasing, “I am honored to
meet you and look forward to your tales and to speech with you in the Alates’
Assembly. It seems that incredible
things have occurred at Lo’ro’ra.
Perhaps you can give us the truth about them.”
Everyone shifted toward and away from Goi’o’na’tu. But Bai’go’tha said, “So, Ki’shto’ba, I
believe I told you to return only when you had performed a dozen wonders. You have successfully accomplished that so
soon?”
“Perhaps not,” said Ki’shto’ba, “although what I have
done and seen may equal twelve in its strangeness. But I have missed my twin and the Mother, and
so I have returned to visit them.”
There was a speculative pause. Then Bai’go’tha said, “Accommodations have
been arranged. Ki’shto’ba, A’zhu’lo will
conduct you to the Warriors’ Quarters.
The Remembrancer will want to take housing with the Alates, and as far
as the Workers go … ”
Wei’tu and Twa’sei cringed against me as Ki’shto’ba
said quickly, “With your indulgence, the four of us will all take quarters
together here in the main building. It
is more agreeable to us.”
Again, Bai’go’tha stood without words. Then the Chamberlain Kru’bu’gli’sti said, “By
all means! I will see to it! It will undoubtedly be more convenient for
everyone!”
Bai’go’tha said then, “When we have guests in To’wak,
it is customary for us to feed while we converse. In two turnings of the water vessel, the
assembly chamber will be ready. I
believe you know where it is, Ki’shto’ba!
Chamberlain, make the arrangements!”
And it flourished its mandibles and vanished into the fortress, with one
of the phalanxes trailing after it.
A’zhu’lo spoke gleefully for my private
reception. “It is flummoxed. This is the happiest day of my life, merely
to see Bai’go’tha discomfited.”
*
* *
Of all the varieties of Shshi I encountered on my
travels, the Da’no’no are really the least different from the Shum’za. Our languages are similar enough that no interpreters
are needed, and we keep many of the same rituals and customs and tell
comparable creation tales. I learned
during my sojourn at To’wak that, whereas we Shum’za have our origins in the
southeast, the Da’no’no Shshi believe that they arrived in the valley of the Ti’re’bu
from the northeast. They were here
before the Shum’za, as they tell it, although it is well known that
Remembrancers’ lore is notoriously inconsistent. They were settling the north bank of the Ti’re’bu
about the time the Shum’za arrived, so the Da’no’no Shshi never built
fortresses south of the river. To’wak,
Yak’ar, and the other fortresses on the north bank form a frontier defense for
the more northern settlements. Perhaps
that accounts for their uncommonly belligerent attitudes.
Certainly the Da’no’no Shshi are larger than the Shum’za. Even the Workers have heads that are rounder
and more domed, whereas the heads of the Shum’za are flattened and more
squared. The mandibles are of a
different shape, particularly in the Warriors.
A Da’no’no Shshi Warrior has a matching pair of barely curved blades
that are rather short and heavy, with sharply pointed and slightly hooked tips;
in the Shum’za one mandible is longer than the other, and the horizontally
crossing blades are thinner and more curved.
These differences make for distinct fighting styles; Da’no’no Shshi tend
to slash and stab, while the Shum’za hook the jaws into the opponent, snap them
shut, and then twist.
And of course the Warriors of Ki’shto’ba’s people
have rock-hard heads nearly as big as their bodies. I have always marveled that they are able to
lift them.
The Da’no’no
Shshi cultivate a type of plate fungus that is quite similar to ours and
perfectly agreeable to our digestion, and they are great husbanders of Little
Ones and consume vast quantities of honeydew.
They do not cultivate orchards, but instead forage for the leaves and
fruits of several wild shrubs and trees, some of which are totally inedible to
the Shum’za. Indeed, Ki’shto’ba took
great delight in one of these unfamiliar vegetable treats, whereas the taste of
it made me and our little helpers spew.
I find the custom of combining eating with
conversation to be quite odd. After all,
eating is not a social activity among comrades but, particularly for Warriors,
a messy necessity with many strangers present.
But perhaps the Da’no’no Shshi find it puts potential adversaries at a
disadvantage and gives an opportunity to send subtle signals of disrespect or
approbation. Our big relatives seem to
expect to find adversaries everywhere.
On that first day, Kru’bu’gli’sti, with much affected
abasing and scraping, installed the four of us in a rather cramped chamber
somewhere in the vicinity of the Alates’ Quarters, then at the proper time
conducted us to the Assembly Hall. Ki’shto’ba
insisted that Wei’tu and Twa’sei come with us, much to their relief. I took an instinctive dislike to Kru’bu’gli’sti;
I have never quite trusted Keepers of the Holy Chamber since my experiences
with the Unnatural Alate, who served Lo’ro’ra in that capacity. But Ki’shto’ba said that it was no secret Kru’bu’gli’sti
was an ally of Bai’go’tha and the King.
“Why is the King your enemy?” I asked in considerable
perplexity, but Ki’shto’ba only shuffled and gave no satisfactory answer.
In the Assembly Hall we found Bai’go’tha ensconced on
a stone riser along with its three Cohort Chiefs, a couple of Lieutenants, the
Remembrancer Goi’o’na’tu, and a few other Alates. The Hall was high of ceiling and gloomy, very
poorly lighted by only two or three extra Alates. The Names had already been named when we
arrived, so, after we guests were introduced, we all settled down to be
fed. The Worker Chief itself, instead of
sitting on the dais with the leaders, was required to feed Bai’go’tha and the
Chiefs; the Feeder Chief fed the other Warriors and the Alates. We guests, even Ki’shto’ba and A’zhu’lo (who
stuck to its twin like a mortared stone), received our food from
subordinates. Personally, except in
cases of ritual – oath-sealing, that kind of thing – I prefer to feed myself,
or did when I was young and supple. But
I went along with the custom.
The little
Workers who carried out the feeding seemed nervous and Wei’tu said to one of
them, “You do not seem happy with your task, my friend.” But the Feeder only quivered its antennae,
rammed a gobbet of fungus-mash down Wei’tu’s throat, and scurried away.
Abruptly Bai’go’tha said, “So you have visited our ma’na’ta|, Ki’shto’ba?”
“I have not yet found the time, Commander. Does she know I have come back?”
Bai’go’tha slanted its antennae at Kru’bu’gli’sti,
who said, “I believe not, Huge-Head. I
will make sure to inform her when I return to the Holy Chamber.”
Goi’o’na’tu the Remembrancer said, “May we prevail
upon you, Holy Di’fa’kro’mi, to tell us about what has been happening in Lo’ro’ra? We understand that our Huge-Head acquitted
itself with honor, although some treachery prevented the outcome from being everything
one might desire.”
“Indeed,” I said, deciding to take the plunge, “you
must have learned all about that from the lo’ro’ra’zei|
who are residing here at To’wak.
Lieutenant Gwo’ju’ka mentioned that they are being treated as honored
guests. Yet I do not see them in this
hall. I would have thought, when their
fellow citizens arrive … ”
There was uneasy shifting, but Bai’go’tha crouched
rigid and said, “Oh, this is an occasion for the fortress leaders only. I assure you … ”
“I hope to greet those citizens of Lo’ro’ra soon,” I
said. “It is perfectly safe now for them
to return home. But perhaps they have
become so content here that they will wish to stay. We want to thank you for making them welcome
and caring for them so well. They were
rebels, after all, although only because their Commander led them astray.”
Nobody said anything.
I kept looking at Goi’o’na’tu, who put her mouth down between her claws
to avoid my stare. Then Kru’bu’gli’sti
began, “Give us the tale, honored Di’fa’kro’mi.
Let us receive your version of what … ”
He paused abruptly.
Everyone’s attention turned toward the entranceway, which was hung with
a weaving of bu’re| fiber. There was the definite sense of a presence
approaching, and a smell that was not particularly appealing.
Bai’go’tha began firing words at Kru’bu’gli’sti. “tha’sask|>||[3] Chamberlain, did I not order you … ?”
“Commander, you know I cannot control … ”
Ki’shto’ba rose up.
“Holy Thru’tei’ga’ma!”
Two Alates pushed under the curtain, supporting a
third between them. This Alate staggered
as he walked, keeping his head elevated in an unnatural posture and turning it
from side to side as if searching for something that eluded him. He appeared to be somewhat blind, with a
growth of some kind partially covering his right eye. Drops of whitish foam fell from his
labium.
Beside me our Workers’ antennae sizzled in
bewilderment. A’zhu’lo abased its
head. And I was much moved by the sight
of the old Alate, who was clearly fast approaching the World Beyond and surely
must suffer under many jests and much disrespect.
But Ki’shto’ba stepped forward.
“There you are!” said the Seer. “I see, but I do not always see. I saw you, child of Prai’mo’na’sha’ma,but I
could not find you.”
“Do not call me that, Holy Seer,” said Ki’shto’ba,
laying its enormous head at the old Alate’s feet.
Indeed, these words puzzled me, because I had thought
the King of To’wak and so Ki’shto’ba’s male parent was named Yan’ut’na’sha’ma. And among all the traditional King’s names
that I knew, I had never encountered Prai’mo’na’sha’ma.
“Why not?” responded Thru’tei’ga’ma. “It is the truth, no matter what others have
decided to believe. It is good to see
you again – I had thought once that your time had come. But lately I have learned that it is too
soon. Too soon … too soon … A-i-i … The
fire must come first, but no flames.”
This made me shiver, for it reminded me of Gri’a’vu’tei’s
vision.
But To’wak’s half-demented Seer had begun to babble,
emitting sendings without meaning, although one never knows with a Seer which
words have meaning and which do not. Bai’go’tha
bounced impatiently and turned to Kru’bu’gli’sti, who said, “Goi’o’na’tu and I
will conduct the Holy Seer … ”
But Thru’tei’ga’ma had recovered a modicum of
coherency. “The No-Wing … the
Wood-Cutter as well … a tricky little lizard, I fear … five, five … a good
Healer but so gullible … A Warrior named
for a dung bucket can hardly be good-natured!
But that is not of the twelve … They do not come all at the same time –
that explains much. You understand
now? Of course you do not … A-i-i-i …
A-i-i-i … ”
Wei’tu and Twa’sei were clearly astounded that he
knew their names. Even those who were
familiar with Thru’tei’ga’ma’s eccentricities displayed bewilderment. Yet the old Seer’s rantings held everyone
spellbound.
Recovering suddenly, Thru’tei’ga’ma came a step
closer to me. “fa’krovo| dit’il| ya| ku’a| mik’zi|
||. Can that be true? Who comes happily to To’wak? Besides, Di’fa’kro’mi Remembrancer of Lo’ro’ra,
you should be named ‘Di’ma’kro’mi.’ Are
you not an Alate and so have gender? Do
you not find some of our traditional names ridiculous?”
“In fact, honored Holy Seer, I do,” I responded.
“Now take ‘Thru’tei’ga’ma.’ That is a decent name for a Seer. But it is no longer a good fit. I no longer take delight in Seeing, nor even
in simple dreams. There is too much pain
in the reality of them. And Bai’go’tha –
it is not fated to force anyone back, only to send away, to eliminate … ” [4]
Bai’go’tha’s
fury had waxed until its pheromones were overcoming even the bir’zha| stench of the Seer. “Who told this old fool that these visitors
had come?” The Commander displayed its
threat stance to Kru’bu’gli’sti, who shrank nervously.
Thru’tei’ga’ma bounced as well as he was able and
rotated his antennae in glee. “The old
fool knew without being told, Bai. And
he has told the Mother, who should have been informed right away, and she
awaits with impatience her favorite offspring’s visit.”
“I also am impatient to visit her!” said Ki’shto’ba.
“Get this babbler out of here!” said Bai’go’tha.
Kru’bu’gli’sti scurried forward, but Ki’shto’ba
barred his way. “With your permission, I
will conduct the Holy Seer to his resting chambers. Come, Holy Thru’tei’ga’ma, I will help you
and then I will go to Lo’zoi’ma’na’ta. A’zhu’lo,
when this meeting is coincluded, will you escort the Remembrancer and our
little helpers back to our quarters?”
“I will indeed!” responded A’zhu’lo in great
satisfaction.
Ki’shto’ba gently enclosed the frail Seer’s neck in
its fearsome mandibles, even as I had seen it do for Kwi’ga’ga’tei in her times
of need, and almost carried him out of the hall. Over the top of his head, Thru’tei’ga’ma was
still talking. “When I speak with you,
Remembrancer of Lo’ro’ra, we will have a discussion of names. Goi’o’na’tu can join us. It will be amusing. There is not much left that can amuse
me. Mothers are dying everywhere, you
know. Not ours – not ours! And Kings refuse to die. The time is new. But perhaps you can change some of that, Ki’shto’ba
– I am never shown quite everything … I
am tired … I must eat bir’zha| so that I can sleep. Do you know that now when I eat bir’zha| I sleep deeply and do not
dream? The visions come only when I am
in this world … ” His word-sendings
faded from perception down the corridor.
There was a moment of no speech. Then Kru’bu’gli’sti slumped in the middle of
the floor, perhaps relieved that the Seer had revealed no secrets. Bai’go’tha heaved and danced. Goi’o’na’tu stared at me, as I had stared at
her earlier. Then abruptly the Commander
brought this peculiar council to an end, stomping out of the hall.
On the way back to our quarters, I said to A’zhu’lo,
“I am quite touched. How aged is Thru’tei’ga’ma?”
“Not so old – only fifteen,” replied A’zhu’lo
regretfully. “He was Seer when Ki’shto’ba
and I were hatched, but not long before that.
His condition is truly painful to behold, but yet his Seeings remain
meaningful. Bai’go’tha fears him more
than anybody, because nothing intimidates him and because most of the to’wak’zei| revere him and give credence
to what he says.”
This bir’zha|
madness destroyed the predecessor of Holy Kwi’ga’ga’tei. And it incenses me even now to think of how
the Unnatural Alate maligned Kwi’ga’ga’tei, suggesting that she was verging on
that same delusional condition.
“Why did the Holy Seer call me a tricky lizard?” said
Twa’sei plaintively. “I am not
that. It hurt my feelings.”
“Oh, I do not think he meant that for you,” I said,
watching A’zhu’lo posture in amusement.
“Seers are often not logical.
They string together words that have no common reference.”
“I am not a tricky lizard,” repeated Twa’sei, “nor am
I dishonest.”[5]
Wei’tu poked its belly affectionately and said, “We
know that. Do not be so sensitive, my
friend.”
I said to A’zhu’lo as we entered our chamber, “There
is one thing I do not understand. I
thought the King of To’wak was named Yan’ut’na’sha’ma.”
“He is,” said A’zhu’lo, shifting weight.
“Who is Prai’mo’na’sha’ma?”
“You do not know who Prai’mo’na’sha’ma is?”
“Would I ask if I did?” I retorted.
“You must have a different set of tales about the
Nameless One. Does your
Highest-Mother-Who-Has-No-Name not have a King?”
“Of course, or rather, she had one whom she ate so
that Creation could begin.”
“Does yours not have a name? We call the Highest King ‘Prai’mo’na’sha’ma.’”
“But in that case he is a worshipful being who
existed only briefly at some very ancient time.
How can Ki’shto’ba be called the ‘child of … ’?” I understood the name now, but I was still
thoroughly confused.
A’zhu’lo seemed discomfited. “I cannot talk much of these things. They are the province of the Remembrancer and
the Seer. Perhaps you should speak with
them.”
And I was determined to do so at the very first
chance.
[1]
The Shshi word consistently translated throughout these tales as “sizzle”
indicates a wordless biopulsive emission from
the antennae that is roughly equivalent to static; it conveys various emotions
– doubt, fear, frustration,
etc. It cannot be perceived as sound by
the human ear.
[2] A derogatory term that the
Da’no’no Shshi apply to Di’fa’kro’mi’s people, meaning “Tailless Ones”; the
Shum’za lack cerci.
[3] A common curse-word,
literally, “far-curse.” The word da’sask|,
which will be employed frequently throughout these tales, is the adjectival
form, meaning “cursed” or “damned.” sask’zei| is a personal noun meaning “cursed one.”
[4] The Seer’s initial Shshi
sentence means “It comes happily to this place” – an expansion or explanation
of Di’fa’kro’mi’s name, which is formed from the root words for “happy,” “it,” “come,”
and “place.”
Note that the Shshi consistently refer to the
sexless Workers and Warriors as “it” – fa|
– whereas the Alates, who still secrete some sex hormone even as neuter
imagines, are referred to as “he” and
“she” – ma| and ta|.
Thru’tei’ga’ma: “He delights in seeing and speaking”;
Bai’go’tha: “Forces far back.”
[5] The word dut’zei| has two meanings: “lizard” and “thief.”
Coming soon!
Chapter 4
The Tale of the Huge-Head's Hatching and Nymphhood
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