Elvene

by P. P. Mealing

  So with Roger and his entourage in tow, she walked over to the group and called to him in the Kiri tongue. ‘Myka, there’s someone I want you to meet.’

  Myka turned towards her and saw the outworlders in their strange dress with the group of Elders following. He identified Roger straightaway by the way he carried himself and his proximity to Elvene. He looked to be about the same age as Elvene or slightly older. But more significantly, he saw that Elvene’s face was devoid of expression. He walked towards them to meet them halfway.

  She spoke to him in Kiri. ‘Myka, this is my chief, Roger.’ Then in her own language, known as Universal. ‘Roger, this is Myka.’

  Roger extended his hand. ‘Pleased to meet you.’

  Myka looked at the hand and guessed that this was a standard method of greeting in Elvene’s world. He took Roger’s hand. ‘Hello Roger, I am Myka,’ he replied in Universal.

  Elvene couldn’t suppress a smile, and Myka looked at her with a devilish smile of his own.

  Roger was surprised and looked from Myka to Elvene. ‘He understands Universal?’

  ‘Yes, he’s the only one in the tribe who does. I taught him.’

  Roger looked at both of them and was about to say something, then thought better of it.

  Elvene introduced Myka to the other two members of Roger’s party, then spoke to him casually in Kiri.

  ‘What will you do with that?’ she asked, gesturing to the kingfish.

  ‘We will cut him up on the beach and take home the meat. It will be shared with everyone, of course. Will I see you tonight?’ he asked while looking at the group working on his fish.

  ‘No. Stay with your family. Don’t worry Myka, we will spend time together before I leave, I promise.’

  He looked at her, and she tried to reassure him with her eyes, then he turned and walked back to his fish without saying any more.

  ‘What was that about?’ Roger asked as they watched him walk away.

  ‘I asked him what would happen with the fish. He said they will butcher it on the beach. They may cook some of it for us tonight, I don’t know; they share everything they catch, especially large game like this.’

  Elvene knew that Myka would have trouble with the idea of keeping their liaison secret from Roger; it went against Kiri culture entirely, but she had explained it to him in advance and she knew he’d respect her wishes even if he disagreed.

  Everyone else now departed, the Elders leading, followed by Elvene and Roger with his entourage, then the rest of the tribe, making their way back to the village. Myka and some helpers, Sefta and Rafta included, stayed behind to butcher his catch.

  Elvene, Roger and his crew were given special places amongst the Elders for the evening’s banquet. There was also drumming and dancing, which even Elvene had never seen previously. She was unaware that the Kiri knew how to put on a show. Both men and women used body paint as well as clothing for decoration, as they had no dyes to speak of with which to colour their clothes. There was not a lot of conversation; mainly, they were just an audience for the entertainment, and then they were served the food. It started with a watery soup, which one tended to drink, followed by meat and fish dishes served with cooked root vegetables. There was also a milk-like drink that Elvene had never encountered before, but it seemed to be alcoholic given the effect it had on her. As the evening wore on she noticed that some people literally passed out and others simply became happy.

  Along with Roger and the crew, she was asked to dance, which she did. The only untoward aspect of the evening for her was that she didn’t see Myka the whole night. They all retired very late, and Roger said that he would come and visit her in the morning, which is what she expected.

  Well after the sun had risen, Roger requested through Alfa that he would like to come aboard, and Elvene responded that she was expecting him. She had already eaten but she offered him some food, which he declined. She expected he had a lot of questions. After they were both comfortably seated, he started with the most obvious.

  ‘Why did you send a distress signal?’

  ‘Not long after I warped into this zone I was pursued by marauders, a group of six according to Alfa.’

  ‘So you broke the quantum distress signal. What happened after that?’

  ‘I sent the escape module out as a decoy and went into hibernation.’

  ‘And that worked?’ Roger was genuinely surprised.

  ‘Well, I’m still here, so it must have. The marauders interrogated Alfa; do you want to hear the transcript?’

  ‘Yes, if you don’t mind.’

  Elvene asked Alfa to play the transcript, and they both listened to it in silence.

  ‘So you used an “Abandon Ship” instruction as a code for Alfa.’

  ‘That’s correct.’

  ‘That was very clever, Elvene. You were very lucky.’

  ‘Yes sir, don’t I know it.’

  ‘So you were in hibernation when Alfa found this planet.’

  ‘That’s right.’

  ‘But how did you find the Kiri?’

  ‘Alfa picked up their fire when we were orbiting the night side of the planet.’

  ‘That’s amazing.’

  ‘Yes, it is.’

  ‘Do you know if there are other inhabitants on the planet?’

  ‘I haven’t done any further reconnaissance. I didn’t want to attract attention from any marauders by using the ship’s anti-gravity, which they’d pick up if they were nearby. You must realise, Roger, the only reason they’ve left the Kiri alone is because they have no technology.’

  ‘Yes, I came to that conclusion too. So you decided to sit tight until I or someone from the Corps turned up?’

  ‘That’s right. But getting back to your earlier question: is it possible that there are others on the planet? They have attempted migration, from what they’ve told me, but no one has ever returned.’

  Roger seemed to consider this for a moment, then proffered some news of his own. ‘I need to tell you that we did encounter marauders on our way here as well, but we managed to destroy them all.’

  ‘How many?’

  ‘I think there were sixty of them, all told.’

  Elvene let out a long breath. ‘Do you think they will come here?’

  ‘It’s possible, especially since we’ve landed here.’

  ‘So what do we do?’ she asked.

  ‘To be honest, I’m not sure. If we stay here with a Battle Class ship they will surely come in huge numbers. On the other hand, if we leave, we aren’t here to give the locals any protection.’

  ‘Whatever we do, we will need to tell them.’

  Roger looked at her oddly. ‘What can we tell them?’

  ‘Well, I know it’s going to be difficult to explain to them what marauders are, but if we’ve inadvertently brought something that could destroy them, we need to tell them.’

  ‘But what can they do, Elvene?’

  ‘For a start they could get off this island. There’s a huge continent to the east of here, and they would stand more chance of survival over there than here.

  ‘In fact that’s an excellent idea.’ She was almost talking to herself now. ‘If the marauders come we can divert them away. After all, marauders only go after us because of our technology.’

  Roger was not quite sure he followed her logic. ‘I think the best thing for the Kiri, would be for us to leave and not tell them anything.’

  ‘It’s a gamble, Roger. I’m not sure it’s one I want to take.’

  ‘We could leave a sentinel satellite.’

  ‘It wouldn’t do much good and it would only attract attention.’

  ‘So what would you suggest?’

  ‘Well, I’ve been here a while now and not a marauder in sight until you showed up. So what I suggest is that you leave and I stay here for another cycle of the planet say, and if nothing happens then I return.’

  Roger considered what she said carefully. He had to admit it actually made sense but he wasn’
t sure he was willing to concede.

  ‘Why would you volunteer to stay, Elvene?’

  ‘Why shouldn’t I? I’ve already been here a hundred days or whatever it is. I know the language and the people trust me.’

  ‘Let me think about it. I think we need to discuss this some more, but I need some time to adjust to the situation.’ Then he changed the subject completely. ‘How did you manage to teach that boy Universal?’

  ‘He was a very willing pupil, Roger. He volunteered, if you like. And while he learnt Universal from me, I learnt Kiri from him. It was a very beneficial arrangement.’

  Roger nodded his head then changed the subject again.

  ‘Is it possible to look over the island on foot?’

  ‘Not on your own, no. I’ve actually seen very little myself. The one time I went, which was just before I received your message, it was quite misty and you couldn’t see anything on the other side of the cliffs.’

  ‘You’ve never flown your ship over it.’

  ‘Believe it or not, Roger, the Kiri have never seen my ship fly, they think it’s a boat.’

  Roger laughed. ‘You’re kidding.’

  ‘No, in fact their name for me is Ocean Woman, because they think I came from the sea.’

  ‘So they know nothing about your origins?’

  ‘Well, we know absolutely nothing about theirs. But when I knew you were coming, I told them that I came from beyond the stars. It was the best explanation I could give that they would understand. I told them that I was lost, and when I saw their fires from the sky I came to them.’

  ‘They believed that?’

  ‘Why wouldn’t they? Not only is it the truth, but the Kiri would not expect me to tell them anything else.’

  ‘They sound very gullible.’

  ‘Possibly, but I wouldn’t tell them any lies; I’m not at all sure how they would react.’

  Roger gave her a look, as if she was giving him some sort of warning but he let it pass. ‘So you wouldn’t suggest looking over the island.’

  ‘On the contrary, I think it’s an excellent idea, but we would need to ask the Elders if they could give us guides. I made the mistake, Roger, after I’d been here a while, of doing a little exploring by myself, and it almost got me killed. In fact, I’m very lucky to be here talking to you.’

  ‘Yes, you mentioned that. The Kiri saved your life?’

  ‘Yes, that’s right.’ Elvene looked like she wanted to change the subject. ‘Do you want me to ask the Elders if they can organise something?’ she asked to keep the conversation moving.

  ‘Yes, that would be a good idea. You want to do that on your own?’

  ‘Okay. No need for you to come. If it can be organised today, I’ll come and tell you.’

  Roger was on his feet and they left her ship together. He went back to his ship and Elvene walked up the beach towards the village.

  On her way she met Myka; she was unsure if he had been waiting for her. She stopped while they talked.

  ‘I didn’t see you at the celebrations last night.’

  ‘I stayed away.’

  ‘Why? Because of me?’

  ‘It’s all right, Elvene; I understand you don’t want me around at the moment.’

  ‘Myka, it’s not like that.’

  ‘But you need to keep me secret from your chief.’

  Elvene let out a sigh. ‘You cannot stay with me while he is here, that is all.’

  ‘Elvene, what is he to you? We don’t hide anything from my family or the Elders; everyone accepts you and me together. Why can’t your people do the same?’

  It was hard to argue with his logic. Elvene’s eyes showed real empathy and concern, but when she spoke her tone was harsher. ‘Myka, if the only way you can deal with this is by avoiding me all the time, then so be it. I promise to spend time with you before I leave; that’s all I can do.’

  She waited for his response but he just looked away and said nothing. Eventually he nodded his head and then walked off. He looked to her a very forlorn figure but she felt there was nothing more she could do. She continued walking towards the village.

  When Elvene spoke to the Elders they agreed to form a party that could show her and her friends some of the island. If her friends could have lunch with them, then they would go after lunch.

  Elvene took this message back to Roger. He wasn’t available when she arrived at his ship, but Essayas and Lin were happy to talk to her. Obviously they were just as curious about her situation as Roger. The three of them sat around a small table.

  Essayas had a soft-spoken voice that was rare amongst black people she had known. ‘The Kiri people really like you,’ he said. ‘You must have really impressed them.’

  Elvene thought it was an astute observation after only one night. ‘The Kiri accept you exactly as you are,’ she said. ‘They are an extraordinarily generous and friendly people. They have treated me exceptionally well since I’ve been here.’

  Lin joined the conversation. ‘Roger told us that they saved your life.’

  Elvene gave a sort of laugh as if to downplay the incident. ‘Oh yes, well that was completely my own fault. There are many dangerous things on this island; it is very easy to get killed, and the Kiri do a good job of surviving, believe me.

  ‘But you may see some of this yourselves today. Trust me when I say: don’t venture about without a Kiri guide.’

  They both nodded, and the conversation seemed stalled so Elvene changed the subject. ‘Roger told me that you had an encounter with marauders on your way here.’

  Lin responded, ‘Yes, we were really surprised. Mind you, we were on alert because of your distress signal.’

  ‘Yes well, they surprised me too. I think I was wise to stay here and keep my ship silent.’

  ‘Yes, that was very wise, but what will we do now?’ Lin asked.

  ‘Well, I suggested to Roger that I should stay here another year as a sort of sentinel. But really what I’m thinking is that in that time I would like to see the Kiri move off the island to a larger land mass.’

  ‘Why is that?’ Essayas asked.

  ‘Because, if the marauders do come here, the Kiri would have a better chance of survival, no matter how slim, on a continent. On an island like this, I don’t believe they would have any chance at all.’

  Essayas nodded his head.

  ‘Has Roger spoken to you about this?’ Elvene asked.

  Lin spoke. ‘Yes he has, and to be honest, we’ve been talking about it.’

  Elvene started to wonder what role these two played in the scheme of things. Were they Roger’s entourage or were they the real decision makers?

  She decided the best way to find out was to ask. ‘What role in this mission do you two play?’

  They both smiled at her candour. Essayas answered. ‘We were sent to assess the situation independently of Roger. Obviously we didn’t know what the situation was, and this planet with these people changes the whole picture.’

  ‘What picture are you talking about?’

  Lin politely interjected, ‘There’s no political agenda here, Elvene, so don’t get too concerned. The picture that Essayas is referring to is what danger do the Kiri face from the marauders, and has our presence or your presence put them in jeopardy?’

  ‘Well, I would certainly agree with that being the key issue.’

  ‘Good,’ Lin replied. ‘Then I’m sure we can come up with an agreeable solution.’

  Elvene felt the conversation had ended, and wondered if she had just undergone some sort of assessment. She realised that she didn’t exactly feel comfortable in this company after the completely open intercourse she enjoyed with the Kiri.

  She stood up to leave. ‘I will come and get you when we need to go for lunch.’

  ‘Thank you,’ Lin said, and Essayas nodded to her with a smile.

  Later in the morning, when all four of them were walking to lunch together, it seemed to Elvene that all conversation had dried up between them. The
Kiri offered them fruit and fish for lunch and Elvene noticed that there were no alcoholic drinks, just plain water or pulped juice. There were women serving the meals but they didn’t eat with them; just the six Elders who were going to be their guides.

  Elvene had brought her rappelling gun with her, and before they set off she demonstrated it to the Elders, who were suitably impressed. The Elders carried spears and three of them had bows and arrows. She noticed that what impressed and puzzled the Kiri most, was not so much the hardware and gadgetry she possessed, but the fact that everything she owned, from her clothing to her ship, was made from some other-world, exotic material that they had never seen and could never imagine seeing.

  They set off along the same path that she had travelled with Myka only a few days previously, but this time there was no rain and no mist. When they broke through the pass, she finally saw the view of the grassland valley that Myka had described to her. Elvene realised that, geologically, this had once been a volcano but it had long since filled with silt which created the grassland in front of them. It was a contrast to the surrounding terrain. Knowing the dangers of igrams and snakes, not to mention presperas, she asked the Kiri Elders how far they intended to go.

  ‘We will go a little way into the valley depending on whether we see signs of igram,’ one of them said. Elvene nodded agreement, knowing they were the best to judge. Elvene asked Roger, Essayas and Lin to exercise restraint if anything untoward happened and to let the Kiri and herself take the lead.

  But the whole outing passed without incident. They reached the grassland but they didn’t venture out onto it. In the distance they saw a herd of antrops grazing but they appeared to be on the far side of the area. The ring of cliffs made the place quite daunting, although crossing the grassland plain would take almost half a day according to the Kiri. Very few of the Kiri had ventured to the other side, as no one liked to camp away from the safety of their homes. Elvene realised that the dangers on the island actually set limits on how far they travelled, yet the Kiri had assured her that over many generations the whole island had been explored.

  Roger expressed the view that he would like to survey the island from the air and, considering that he had a battleship in orbit around the planet, there was little point in remaining inconspicuous while he was here.