by Thomas Stone
Out of the side of his mouth, Harry spoke to Kathleen, "I don't remember the tail signs so well..."
The one who had produced the high-pitched whistle stepped forward and flashed a greeting with its tail. Delivered entirely by tail signs, it was more elaborate than Harry's and delivered much quicker. Harry remembered the Bedorans as being big on rituals, greeting rituals especially.
In order to keep his language skills sharp, Harry practiced dozens of languages, among them the Bedoran language. Making the Bedoran tail signs offered a different problem. There was no way to completely mimic the movements of a tail without having one. It was like knowing how to talk but unable to make the sounds. To the Bedorans, it was similar to hearing someone speak with a lisp.
When it was time to speak again, Harry cleared his throat and introduced himself. As was the custom, he gave his lineage by speaking the names of his parents and his grandparents. As he turned to introduce Kathleen, he saw that some of the Bedorans nervously whispered among themselves, tails twitching.
Upon introducing Kathleen, the sense that something was happening among the Bedorans grew stronger. They became even more animated and jabbered to one another.
Harry could see that they were dressed in bulky skins and coarse woven skirts. The clothes were old and tattered and couldn't conceal the fact that the Bedorans were all under-nourished. Victims of the climate, Harry concluded.
After more discussion among the Bedorans, the leader turned back to Harry. He made an elaborate series of signs in the air over his head and, using Bedoran whistles and pops, he bestowed numerous epithets on both Harry and Kathleen. Behind him, the others fell to their knees.
"What's going on?" asked Kathleen.
"Shh, I'm listening."
The leader droned on, "...walks in the stars, brother-carrier, most-valued..."
Harry missed some of it, then picked it up again at the ending.
"...friend to Fagen." The leader looked Harry directly in the eye, a move that was used only when passing something of direct import. "I am Japar, son of Kretin."
The memory of Kretin sprang to Harry's mind. Kretin and his younger brother Arai.
Harry smiled and covered his mouth. Showing teeth among the Bedorans was an invitation to fight.
"Is Kretin here?" asked Harry.
Japar shook his head. "Kretin passed beyond this life eight seasons ago. Arai is shaman, but his joints are old and he can no longer hunt in the long winter." The Bedoran paused and looked at the gray skies. Snow still fell. "Do you know?" he suddenly asked Harry.
"Do I know what?"
"Do you know when the long winter will be over? Many of us have died. There are few left. Are the gods appeased yet?"
"I don't know, but I may be able to help. Where is your fire? Where is your camp?" The questions didn't follow proper etiquette. Harry knew as soon as the words left his mouth.
Japar waved his tail in the general direction behind him. "Not far," he said. He pointed at the sky. "More snow coming. Our eyes will see tomorrow but only after the light dies. Go now, in peace. We must return and consult with the elders." With that, Japar turned and walked away. The others joined him and together they vanished behind the falling snow.
*
Harry spent a restless night aboard the shuttle. Outside, the snow continued to fall. Inside, it was comfortable. Kathleen came to him in the dark and they made love. As always, it was wholly satisfying. Afterwards, they talked about the Bedorans and for the first time in a long time, they talked openly about Mia Culpa. The conversation eventually led to Harry's health.
"Tell me something," Kathleen asked. "How are you feeling?"
"Why? Something wrong with my technique?"
"Are you kidding? No, it's not that. I'm worried about what may be going on with your head."
"I told you. I'm fine."
"How did you know the Bedorans were here? You flew straight to them. What are the chances of that happening without knowing beforehand? How did you know?"
"Intuition."
"Oh, that's so corny. Please, give me more credit than that."
"I don't know what to tell you. Somehow, I just knew it. I know that sounds pretty faint..."
"Pretty faint? I'd say totally unclear."
"Well, I'm sorry, but it's the truth." Harry was telling the truth; he just wasn't telling the whole truth. Mainly because he didn't know the whole truth. There was a good chance he would go insane from his encounter with the kitzloc. If he did, would he know it?
"Is there anything you want to tell me?"
"Like what?"
"Like what's going on inside that head of yours. Hearing voices? Seeing visions? Trouble concentrating?"
"No more than usual."
"Come on, Harry, quit clowning around."
"All right, I'll tell you that I feel bad about Kretin, because it's true, I do. And I wonder about Arai. As far as any erratic thinking, or anything like that, no, I don't think so. But if I was to go crazy, I doubt if I would be the first to know it."
Another period of silence followed.
"What about the intuition? What's that like?"
"You know. It's like intuition. An idea comes to me out of nowhere."
"Since the contact with the kitzloc, right?"
"What are you trying to get me to say, Kath? I'm over the rainbow? One spoonful short of a full bowl? I'm sorry, but I'm not. At least, I don’t think so. I don't want to talk about this anymore." He got up and slipped on his pants.
"I'm sorry, Harry, I'm just trying to understand."
"Maybe there's nothing to understand. I'm going upstairs to check the monitors."
"If anything happened, the computer would alert us."
"I know, I just want to get up." Harry left the compartment.
He climbed to the shuttle cockpit. The snow was still coming down, although not as heavily as before. All systems functioned normally. He sat in the pilot's chair and contemplated what might be happening to him.
In the past hours, he'd had no more psychic occurrences. Perhaps the influence of the kitzloc was dying, maybe the worst was over. And why shouldn't it be? The creature that had infected him was dead, it couldn't influence his thoughts. It never really had the chance. That's what Harry tried to tell himself, but he couldn't deny that in those few moments when he was connected to the kitzloc, something passed between them, something Harry didn't understand.
By morning, the storm had passed. When sunlight broke through the cloud cover, the temperature rose steadily until it again hovered above freezing. Fresh snow covered the ground, except around the lake where it quickly melted and ran off. As a result, the ground was wet and muddy all around the shuttle .
Kathleen gazed out the cockpit window. "Do you think they'll come back?"
"No doubt about it. I'd guess there're not many of them left and they're surviving day to day. They'll be back."
By mid-day, the Bedorans hadn't returned and Harry began to wonder if he'd been right. Maybe they'd changed their minds. A lot could happen in fifteen years, especially when you were dealing with aliens.
To pass the time, Harry inventoried the food stores and tried to come up with ideas that would help the Bedorans survive the extreme weather. They weren't suited for cold weather. Their species had evolved in a tropical climate, that much was known about them. Still, they were a hardy lot and had managed to survive planetary transplantation.
He sat on the deck in the stores compartment and made a list of all the things the Bedorans might be able to use. First on the list was food. There was enough concentrated stuff to feed Kathleen and himself for several months. It wasn't tasty and, when prepared, it didn't look very appetizing, but it was all they had. Harry had already decided he'd take a chance and give the Bedorans a sizeable portion.
There was also quite a bit of survival gear; tents, tarps, sleeping bags, nylon ropes, lights with guaranteed lifetime batteries, and many other things Harry was sure he and Kathleen wouldn't ne
ed. Foremost among these was a portable atomic furnace that could provide heat for an indefinite period of time. This item, above all the others, would be most useful to the Bedorans.
The compartment intercom buzzed. "Yeah?" answered Harry.
Kathleen's voice floated through the speaker. "Harry, come on up. The Bedorans are coming back."
"Be right there."
Not bothering to put things away, Harry stood and went to join Kathleen in the airlock.
A group of Bedorans stood outside the shuttle and waited. They showed no fear as the hatch opened and Harry stepped out. One of them, feeble and stooped, shuffled forward a step. He issued a greeting, a greeting that was meant for a friend. The Bedorans were difficult to tell apart and Harry looked closer. It was Arai, the one who had saved Harry's life all those years ago.
Arai looked old, older than his twenty-eight years. His crippled limbs had a lot to do with it. He was terribly stooped and the furry skin, turned white with age, hung loose from his face. Still, his eyes danced as they had when he was a youth. He remembered how to smile and bared his teeth at Harry.
In Bedoran, Arai said, "Hello Harry, hello Kathleen."
Kathleen moved past Harry, tears in her eyes, and stepped up to Arai. She hugged him and the others clicked their tongues in wonderment. With a humanlike gesture, Arai stuck out his crippled hand for Harry to shake. Harry took the hand and drew the smaller Bedoran into a hug.
Arai clapped Harry on the back and laughed. "I thought I would never see you again this side of life."
"We've looked for you and the others. It's been a long time."
"It is good you are here. Many things have happened since I saw you last. Kretin is gone, passed beyond the veil. Many others, as well." Arai paused and looked at the sky. "It is the unchanging season that has caused the deaths. Sometimes the cold is unbearable. You understand, Bedorans are not meant for the winter."
Harry remembered the furnace aboard the shuttle and told Arai about it. Arai turned and shouted excitedly to those who accompanied him. "They bring us heat!"
"Do they have any food?" one asked.
"That is not polite," chastised Arai.
"Never mind," said Harry. "We will share what we have and get more later."
"You are too good to us. We are the hosts here. Such as it is. You must come to our fire and accept our hospitality."
"Of course," said Harry with a click and a whistle.
Kathleen understood the exchange and tapped Harry on the shoulder. "We'll have to load the rover first."
"Yes, well, we have plenty of help."
The rest of the Bedoran party had crept forward. Some of them ran their hands over the metal and ceramic plating of the shuttle. Two stood in the warm air of the exhaust vents, obviously enjoying the heat.
After organizing themselves, they unloaded the rover from the shuttle, strapping the gear and the portable furnace inside. Arai sat in front with Kathleen and Harry. Harry couldn't get over how much Arai had changed. The Bedoran life span was considerably shorter than a human's, but Harry had seen forty-year-old Bedorans that looked younger than Arai.
"What has happened to you? You are old for your years."
Arai looked at his gnarled hands. "Too much time hunting in the snow. Five years ago, when the old shaman died, I quit hunting and took his position. I was already crippled, but not as badly as now. The cold did it to me. This winter that you feel in your bones, that you see in the sky, it has continued without summer for ten seasons. Each year it grew worse until all the land was covered with snow and everywhere, everything was dead. Except in this place. We knew of this place and, eventually, we came here seeking the heat. The lake water soothes my bones. Lately, it has been too cold."
"I thought the Bedorans didn't like water."
"I like the cold even less. It is strange talking to you again. Your tongue works well, but your signing is lacking."
"I'll work on it," replied Harry.
After loading the rover with supplies, they started toward the Bedoran camp.
The rover bounced along, cutting a path through the fresh snow. After less than two kilometers, they drove into a depression that soon became a ravine, just wide enough at the bottom to allow passage of the vehicle. At Arai's urging, they drove another minute and dead-ended at the base of a towering cliff. The rock was eroded by a long-vanished river, its ancient path now a cavernous tunnel leading underground.
Bedoran males, dressed in skins, stood guard at the entrance. When the rover came, one of them turned and ducked into the tunnel.
The opening was too small for the rover and they had to leave it outside. Arai led the way in past Bedoran children who stood agape in awe of the strangers.
Kathleen held her hand out to one child. "Come here, honey."
The child screamed and ran off down the tunnel. Arai laughed and shuffled along. Torches attached to the walls lit the way until the tunnel opened up into a huge cavern. Harry and Kathleen looked out over an underground panorama lit by luminescent minerals running in veins along the walls and ceiling. Below, members of the tribe gathered as they saw the newcomers. Word spread quickly, and soon the entire tribe stood by as Kathleen and Harry were led to the central fire.
Apart from Arai, the Bedorans were wary. As far as Harry could discern, out of the handful of Bedorans that were rescued from Mia Culpa fifteen years ago, only Arai survived. The others were unfamiliar and therefore suspicious of the strangers.
As tribal chieftain, Japar initiated the welcoming ceremony. Arai sat to one side and murmured the names of Kathleen and Harry to Japar, as well as the names of their family members. Harry was amazed that Arai could remember such details after so many years. Japar repeated the names in the context of the ceremony while the tribe clicked their tongues in approval.
Kathleen leaned close to Harry. "I can't follow this."
"He's introducing us," Harry explained.
"So I gathered, I'm just not sure if we're welcome." She glanced at the Bedoran men. They stood in a semi-circle in front of the fire, spears in their hands.
"Well, Arai is the only one who knows us. From the looks of things, they've had a hard time. They're naturally suspicious."
The time came for Harry to speak. He stepped forward and, remembering not to smile, told the tribe how glad he was to see them. "We have food for you," Harry said, "and blankets, as well as a fire that will never go out."
That caused the Bedorans to murmur among themselves. Arai waved his tail for silence and reminded his people that Harry and Kathleen could be trusted and that they possessed powers of the gods. A scarred Bedoran turned to Arai and asked why gods would come to such a desolate place.
"Do they have the power to make the spring come again? Or are they only here to steal more of our children?"
Arai signaled negatively with his tail. "Can you not see that they are not like the others? I told you, they are friends of Fagen."
"Perhaps they have been sent by the True Ones to finish us off."
"No," Arai insisted, "they are friends." Arai looked at Harry. "Fagen said he would return, but said nothing about you or Kathleen. Will he be here soon as well?"
Somewhat confused, Harry shook his head.
"He said he would return," Arai continued, "and help us survive the long winter. Game is scarce and my people are starving. Fagen promised to return."
"When did you see Fagen last?"
Arai held up one slender finger.
"One year?" Harry exclaimed excitedly.
Arai shook his head and waved his tail in the negative. "One moon ago."
"What did he say?" asked Kathleen.
Harry scratched his head and hesitated. "If I understand correctly, he said Fagen was here a month ago."
Chapter 4
"Here?" repeated Kathleen, "A month ago?"
Harry nodded.
"What about Blane?"
Harry spoke to Arai. The Bedoran answered in a series of clicks and whistles.
"Blane too, and someone named Minerva."
A Bedoran woman brought water. Before drinking, Harry popped an immunity-enhancing capsule into his mouth and handed a dose to Kathleen. A chill wind blew through the catacombs, disturbing the fire and blowing up the embers.
"Let's get the furnace and the other things unloaded. It's cold in here." Harry faced Arai and chattered for a moment. Japar and Arai conferred, using their tails to do most of the talking. Harry couldn't pick up what passed between the two, but knew something wasn't right when Arai abruptly raised his voice. The hair around the Bedoran's face stood on end, showing his anger.
Japar moved away and squatted on his haunches.
"What's the problem?" Harry asked Arai.
Arai looked at Harry, the hair not yet settled. "Japar says he does not know you. He wants to perform the proper ritual before turning his back on you."
Harry was surprised but nonetheless understood. There were still certain social amenities that had to be observed before the Bedorans were willing to do anything. Even if it meant their lives were in danger.
"What do I have to do?"
Arai sized up his old friend. "The years have been kind to you. You should have no problem."
"What's that mean?"
"Do not worry, you will be all right." Arai signaled to Japar and the Bedoran stood. He looked up and Harry followed his gaze. Overhead, Harry had initially failed to see the rope stretching across the length of the catacomb. Like an athlete warming up, Japar swung his arms, stretched his back, and did a few deep knee bends. When he was ready, he threw aside the grass skirt and animal skins. He stepped before Harry and spread his palms, then his tail whipped over his head in a sign Harry didn't recognize. At that point, the Bedoran spoke a few words praising the accomplishments of Harry and the rest of the human race.
Kathleen was using the handheld translator, but she was just as confused as Harry about what was going on.
"This doesn't look too good," said Harry, "I think I'm supposed to fight this guy."
Japar stopped talking and climbed a nearby rock so he could reach the rope. The tail gripped it first, followed by a hand. The Bedoran hung without effort, so relaxed he looked as though he could hang there indefinitely.