Elvene

by P. P. Mealing

  Afterwards they didn’t talk but fell asleep. When they awoke next morning, however, they couldn’t help but wish that the day hadn’t dawned.

  The Elders numbered about twenty and they assembled under a pavilion, roofed with broad leaves and supported by trunks. It was open and the rest of the tribe flocked about outside. Elvene had Myka with her to help with translations, as she knew it wasn’t going to be easy to explain in the Kiri tongue. Everyone waited expectantly and when she spoke she simply stated the bald facts.

  ‘I don’t have much to tell you but what I have to tell you is important.

  ‘Many of my people, as many as are here today, are in a ship in the sky.’ She paused to allow the significance and the strangeness of this news to sink in.

  ‘Some of them will come here, as I have done, and they will meet with you. They will not stay, but they will take me with them when they go.

  ‘They will arrive in two or three days time.

  ‘I called this assembly because I wanted everyone to know.’

  When it was apparent that that was all she intended to say, one of the Elders spoke to her very politely. ‘Ocean Woman, where are you from?’

  Elvene gave a gesture that expressed the impossibility of the answer.

  ‘I come from beyond the stars,’ and she looked to Myka to see if he could express it any more clearly, but he simply repeated what she had said.

  The same Elder asked, ‘Will your people want anything from us?’

  ‘I don’t think so. But they will want to talk to you and they can only do that through me or through Myka.’

  Then another Elder asked what may have been on many people’s minds. ‘What brought you to us?’

  Elvene considered the question carefully, though the answer was deceptively simple once she thought about it.

  ‘I was lost. From up in the sky I could see your fires and that is why I came here.’

  This evoked as much awe as anything she’d said so far. As unlikely as it was, it was the simple truth and the truth was all they expected to hear.

  The assembly closed and people simply drifted away. Elvene felt more of a stranger than she ever had, and she really didn’t know what else she could do. But one thing she did have to do was talk to Roger.

  She returned to her ship alone and she asked Alfa to contact Roger in person.

  Elvene sat at a console; she looked very casual and relaxed as she waited for the hologram of Roger to appear in front of her.

  ‘Hello Elvene, it’s good to see you.’ He sounded genuinely relieved and happy.

  She smiled at him, ‘Thank you, Roger, it’s good to see you as well.’

  ‘You’re on a life-bearing planet, is that correct?’

  ‘Yes, but even more strange than that, the planet has human habitants.’

  ‘What?’ Elvene carefully observed his look of disbelief.

  ‘It’s true. They call themselves the Kiri, and they appear to have no remnant culture from Old Earth and no remnant language.’

  ‘Are you sure?’

  ‘Well, according to Alfa’s database, which I assume is complete.’

  ‘This is amazing, in an uncharted sector.’

  ‘Yes, but what is even more surprising is that these people have no technology whatsoever.’

  For a moment Roger appeared lost for words, then he recovered. ‘How long have you been there?’

  ‘Um. Alfa can tell you in standard days. How many days Alfa?

  ‘105 standard days.’ Alfa chimed in.

  ‘What is your relationship with them?’

  ‘Actually it’s very good; they saved my life.’

  ‘How come?’

  ‘It’s a long story, I’d prefer not to go into it right now.’

  ‘Yes, sure.’

  ‘Um… I’ve told them that you are coming and that you will probably want to meet them.’

  ‘Okay, that’s a good idea.’

  ‘Roger, can I suggest that you only bring a small party? They’re not really a big tribe.’

  ‘Yes, that shouldn’t be a problem. I expect we will be there in two standard days.’

  ‘That’s what I told them.’

  ‘Sounds like you’ve learnt their language.’

  ‘Pretty much, yes.’

  ‘Okay, I will see you in two days. I will contact you before we land.’

  ‘Thanks, that would be good.’

  ‘I must say you look very good, Elvene; the stay there hasn’t hurt you.’

  ‘Thanks, Roger, I’ve been well looked after.’

  ‘Okay, bye for now.’

  ‘Bye Roger,’ and she watched him disappear.

  Elvene should really have addressed him as ‘sir’ and at times she did, but Roger actually expected her to call him by his name and whether she did or not depended on the circumstances. He hadn’t asked her anything about the distress signal and nothing about marauders. But that was probably a good idea, for security reasons if nothing else.

  Elvene had two days to fill and she intended to spend as much time with the Kiri as she could. She felt that the bond that had been formed between her and them was going to be tested in some way, though she was unsure how. Also, if she was going to leave them shortly then they should have as much of her as she could give.

  So she returned to their camp, where Myka suggested that they should go fishing, but this time with his father and his brother. Elvene was unsure about this until she realised that it was probably their idea.

  She asked them, ‘What about Lenya?’

  But Lenya answered for herself, though she seemed almost embarrassed. ‘Thank you, but I don’t like to go on the water.’

  She seemed shy to Elvene, and it worried her that she’d never really made a strong attempt to form a relationship with Lenya.

  They spent most of the day out in the lagoon though this time it was different. Sefta and Rafta were very good-natured, even quieter than Myka, though Elvene suspected that they wouldn’t be so quiet if she wasn’t there. The whole emphasis on the day was to have fun and that they did. There was lots of laughter and cavorting in the water; fishing was actually a low priority.

  They returned mid-afternoon with the sun still above the cliff tops and they all ate together, Lenya included. They sat in a small circle, cross-legged on mats, and ate with their fingers as they always did.

  ‘Will you ever return here?’ Lenya asked.

  ‘I don’t think so.’ Elvene spoke like someone who couldn’t avoid disappointment.

  ‘I think you will.’ Lenya’s comment surprised everyone.

  ‘What makes you say that?’ Elvene asked.

  ‘You and Myka have a destiny; I have always known that. Either he will go with you or you will stay with him.’

  Everyone was surprised by her statement but no one knew what to say. It occurred to Elvene that it took a lot of courage on Lenya’s part to speak with such honesty. Sefta and Rafta simply looked from one face to another and made sure their mouths were full.

  Myka finally spoke. ‘Mother I will not leave the Kiri, my destiny is here.’

  ‘Then she will return.’ Lenya spoke as if her logic was infallible.

  Elvene felt that she had no response for her. It was sheer luck that she had found the island; her affair with Myka could possibly have been denied but it seemed inevitable. But she also knew that the Kiri had their own way of interpreting events and she could not argue with them.

  In the evening, Elvene and Myka went swimming before eating alone. When it started to rain they considered it an indulgence to get drenched before returning to the ship.

  They undressed each other and Elvene had soft synthetic towels to dry them. Myka found the material very sensuous to touch, almost like fur. Elvene massaged him all over and he did the same for her. He was so aroused that when they lay together she forced him to stay still. She lay on top of him so that she could manipulate his urge, and when she brought him to climax he felt it as a torrent that drowned him in
waves of sensory pleasure.

  He fell asleep in her arms, but before dawn she woke him with sensual kisses. It was obvious that this time she was more hungry than he, and he discovered that there were other ways of giving her pleasure. It was her turn to ride the wave. He felt her mounting pleasure as he worked between her thighs, and then she stretched and trembled and hissed through her teeth. In the end she simply embraced him, and he felt the frisson of their touch augmented by her sweat. When they lay together afterwards, he found himself more than content; what mattered most to him now was that they had each other to hold.

  They lay together in the dawn light. When he looked up, he did not understand how they could see the sky from inside, but from outside, the ship was opaque.

  ‘It’s magic,’ Elvene said with a mischievous smile. They lay together for a long time, both reluctant to break the spell.

  Elvene had not had word from Roger, but she expected him to land in the next twenty hours, and she was sure he would contact her prior to that.

  ‘What will you do today?’ she asked.

  ‘I will cross the reef in my canoe and bring back the biggest fish I can find.’

  She looked at him. ‘Is that dangerous?’

  ‘Yes, it is, but I need to do something bold today. It will take my mind off you.’ He responded to her silence. ‘It is okay. I’ve done it before.’

  Elvene wondered if he had a death wish, but she knew him better. She knew that men his age often felt the need to flirt with danger; still, she thought it was an unusual way of dealing with stress.

  When Roger called later that morning, he gave an exact time of arrival. It would be just before sunset. The first thing Elvene did was to go to the village and tell the Elders. She told them that it would only be a small party of two men and a woman. They told her that they would organise a welcoming party on the beach.

  Elvene hadn’t seen Myka since he’d left her that morning and she preferred not to think about what he was doing. She returned to her ship and spent the day talking with Alfa to ensure that her recorded knowledge of the Kiri and the island was as complete as it could be for Roger’s arrival.

  Myka found it hard to explain why he wanted to go outside today, which is the colloquialism his people used for crossing the reef and leaving the relative safety of the lagoon behind. It was like he wanted to stretch his horizons; it was the only thing he could think of that was comparable to spending his time with Elvene. He didn’t put it in those words to her of course, because he doubted that she’d appreciate the comparison.

  It was also partly to do with his desire to explore. He knew that other people, before his time, had attempted to cross the ocean to find other lands. Some had returned unsuccessful and some hadn’t returned at all. He had a deep-seated ambition to achieve what no one else had done. He couldn’t even understand why he felt so strongly about it, but it felt to him like his very survival depended on it. It wasn’t that he considered his home unsafe, but rather that he believed it to be something he was born to do. Now that Elvene was leaving, this inexplicable desire returned to him stronger than ever.

  His canoe had an outrigger that allowed him to brave the surf on his way out; he found that his whole perspective changed when he was outside the reef. It was like cutting an umbilical cord, and when he looked back the cliff tops already looked lower and hidden by the occasional swell. Out here even the animals could be more dangerous and he didn’t expect his empathy and rapport to extend to fish. Although he’d been evasive in his conversation with Elvene, he knew quite well why he kept his gift secret from the tribe.

  Logically they would expect him to use his ability for hunting, and he knew that was totally contrary to the whole nature of the gift. The communication or empathy that he experienced was one of mutual respect. If he betrayed that respect, then what he would be doing would be evil in his own eyes. It was why he couldn’t continue hunting after the incident with the presperas. But with fishing, he didn’t feel any such conflict. He had no empathy with fish, and likewise he expected nothing in return. Out here there were animals that could kill him as easily as an igram, especially if he capsized.

  The spear he’d brought with him was more like a harpoon, complete with line attached. It had small chips set in its head to act as barbs. Even though they were difficult to make, he had brought another two, as they were easily lost or broken. He also had a serrated bone knife that allowed him to cut the line if it became necessary. He also had thicker twine to tie his catch to the canoe, assuming he actually made a kill. He’d brought smaller fish to use as bait which he would throw over the side to bring something to the surface.

  It was a very dangerous way to fish, and not a method one usually practised alone. But there were times when he needed to test himself, and he preferred to do that in his own company. If he was going to die, he preferred not to have an audience. He’d told no one other than Elvene that he was even out here. What people didn’t know wouldn’t hurt them. If he brought back a kill, no one would punish him for it.

  Myka knew that the key to getting a kill was picking the right spot and this he did by pure instinct and nothing else. From his point of view it was a matter of judging when he was there, and it may have been just luck, as on some occasions he had no success. But today he was optimistic and when he made the decision to throw some of his bait overboard, he felt confident of a result.

  All of Myka’s senses were heightened, and he found himself more conscious of everything: the swell of the ocean, the clouds on the horizon, and, especially, the sound of the sea. He was looking down into the water and he saw a shadow emerge, then it grew at an alarming rate until it emerged right under his boat and lifted him out of the water. It was only the outrigger that stopped him from capsizing, and in fact if the animal had arisen on the other side he would have been in the water. He recognised it as a kingfish, huge, grey-coloured with a dorsal fin, two pectorals and a tail. It was longer than his canoe and certainly wider, and Myka momentarily considered leaving the animal be. But he hadn’t come this far for nothing and he raised his harpoon. He knew that if he got a good strike, the animal would run rather than fight.

  He watched the giant fish swim about under him and waited for it to come up again. This time he threw the harpoon down with a slight inward angle, just in front of its fin, and it immediately dived out of sight. Now everything depended on how much line he had as he let it run out of the boat. He had the line tied off, but if the fish took it completely and started to pull the boat over he was ready to cut it. The line ran taut and Myka’s first move was to align the front of the boat with the line, so that the fish would be forced to pull him through the water. Now a number of things could happen: the line could break or the harpoon could dislodge or the animal could tire or the animal could die.

  He felt his canoe being pulled through the water and Myka sat as far back as possible using his paddle as a rudder. He went up over waves like hillocks with wash spraying him all over. He allowed the animal to run and waited for the line to go slack. Then he started to pull it in, but it would run out on him again and they would start over. This happened a number of times but eventually Myka won and he pulled the fish to the surface. It was lying on its side but it wasn’t yet dead. Myka had to get close and then he launched another harpoon straight through its eye.

  Myka felt a small pang of remorse for killing something so grand; it was king of the sea, and his people had enormous respect for the aptly-named fish. He tied it to the side of his canoe, opposite the outrigger, so that he could bring it home.

  The sun was very low by the time he crossed the reef and when he entered the lagoon, he saw a ship similar to Elvene’s. His heart seemed to stop momentarily but he continued on. He was going to have a bigger audience than he intended.

  A large group of people had congregated on the beach, not just Elders; it seemed to Elvene like the whole tribe, including women and children. The only person who was missing, as far as she could tell, was My
ka. It reminded her of the time she’d brought them all to the beach to see her ship, Alfa. And like that occasion, Roger’s landing vessel came in across the lagoon and landed at the beach right at her feet. The hatch opened and three people emerged, Roger followed by another man and a woman.

  Elvene didn’t know the other two and the first thing Roger did was to introduce them to her. ‘Elvene, this is Essayas and Lin.’ Essayas was the man, black skinned, darker than the Kiri, and Lin, the woman, was oriental looking.

  There was a group of Elders lined up, twelve in number, and Elvene introduced every single one. Women from the tribe came forward and gave flowers to Roger and his two colleagues. Then Elvene informed them that a large feast was being prepared in their honour and that they would now all go to the village which was a short walk away.

  It was at this point that Elvene and everyone else became aware of a distraction further along the beach. Someone had just come to shore and there was both a murmur and a movement in the crowd towards that direction. Elvene knew straightaway who it was, and she had to resist a momentary impulse to run ahead and make sure he was okay.

  ‘What’s happening?’ Roger asked.

  ‘One of the tribe went fishing beyond the reef, and he has just returned. If you’ll just wait here I’ll go and check.’

  ‘It’s all right, we’ll come with you,’ Roger volunteered.

  So they all walked down to where Myka was, Elders included, to find him with his outrigger in the surf, untying a fish that was bigger than the canoe itself. In fact, the sheer size of his catch was generating a lot of excitement. Other people were soon in the surf, helping him haul the fish up the beach.

  Roger seemed quite astonished, and somewhat impressed, that someone so young could have brought home such a fish single-handed. ‘Did he catch that by himself?’

  ‘Yes, he did.’ Elvene’s tone gave the impression of detachment, as if this was a normal occurrence, and Roger gave her a quick glance. ‘Let me introduce you to him.’ Elvene realised that she couldn’t ignore Myka in his moment of triumph, no matter what else was happening.