To Share the Bond, page 22
“Assuming he’ll be willing.” I’d never been on good terms with the don, especially since the anti-human push I’d made.
“I think he will. He showed great interest in Opudon’s plan. Besides, it won’t hurt to ask.”
“You’re right. Let’s go tomorrow.”
**
I’d not been out of the mountains for fifty years; flying to Delt for three hours on Lillair was a nerve-wracking experience. I felt better when I recognized Sam’s nervousness. At least he’s comfortable flying with Coccyon. They’d been mind-melded since Sam’s childhood; I’d only known Lillair for days. If someone had predicted our adventure two weeks ago, I would not have believed him.
Here I am, on my way to Delt, reeth-back, to talk about humans. Nobody I know would imagine this!
Lillair and Coccyon kept asking questions, forcing me to focus on the project, not the ground streaming by below. When we finally arrived, I slid off and almost fell. Muscles screamed and I felt a bit dizzy. Sam steadied me. “You’ll feel better shortly,” he said. Weedon was waiting for us with cold glasses of Lareina. I drank mine thankfully and did, indeed, feel better.
Wee welcomed the sandy-colored reeth. “Coccyon I know, but who’s with you, Pildon?”
“This is Lillair, Lillyon’s younger brother.” I explained how we’d come to be partners and what we wanted to do.
“How interesting!”
I thought for a moment that Wee looked at me strangely, but then decided I might be overly sensitive. He was perfectly gracious as he ushered us into the enclosed patio. It was well shaded by Lareina trees which also blocked the view of the street in front of the home. We sat around a table, in comfortable woven-straw chairs in the center of the patio, rice cakes and more Lareina available on a tray. Coccyon and Lillair stood under the shady trees within easy earshot, buckets of water in reach.
“What can I do for you?” Wee asked.
I started bluntly. “Samdon and Coccyon suggested you might be able to help me get a human architect to make the plans and human builders to do the work like the committee is allowing Opudon to do.”
“Pildon doesn’t want to work through Joedon,” Sam explained, “so he and Lillair are asking your help.”
Wee leaned back in his chair and studied me thoughtfully. “Well, that’s a big question…” He ate a piece of rice cake and drank some Lareina before he answered. I nibbled on a cake, worried. Then, he asked, “Do you have the original floor plans for your house and greenhouses?”
I exhaled and relaxed. “I do. That should make it easier to plan the expansion, I’d think.”
“Yes, I’d think so, too.” Wee leaned forward, his hands on the table. “What about extra land? Is there room around your home to do what you want?”
“There’s enough room to put in a flower section, a small section for grains, and rooms for Lillair. The lot to the north of my house is empty and just north of that is the old Pam estate. I’ve already spoken with the Pam sisters, the only remaining Pam family members.” I lay a drawing on the table depicting my land and the other land available. Wee pulled it toward him to study as I continued.
“They’ve agreed to let me raze the old house to replace it with more greenhouse area. The place is in poor repair and none of them has lived there for over a hundred years. They’ve no particular emotional attachment and don’t care to fix it up.”
Lillair inserted a comment; I repeated it so both Sam and Wee could hear. “We also want to build a new facility out by the Lill family home for the major grains and grasses part of our operation which will entail an entirely new set of greenhouse buildings.” I unrolled a larger drawing and pointed at the parcel outlined in red. “The Lill have agreed to let us use this flat piece to the west of their home, between them and the forest.”
I nodded at my partner. “We don’t need a human designer. Lillair is excellent at that and we plan to consult with Veldon on some of the parts. We’ll need an architect, however, to make the building plans, the water plans, and the electrical plans, unless Quodon will work with us.”
Wee studied the two drawings, then turned a serious face to me. “This sounds like a major expansion. I don’t know if I’ll have that kind of time.”
Sam leaned forward. “I was thinking you could help get the project started.” He handed several papers to Wee, the drawings I’d made to Lillair’s specifications. “Take Lillair’s designs to an architect and get him started on blueprints, if I have the term correct.” Wee nodded and Sam added, “If the committee approves, of course.”
Wee leaned back once more and sipped his drink. Then, “I do have an architect I’ve used to plan many of my buildings. Once the plans are done, however, I think it’ll take major interaction with contractors to come up with a bid for something of this size.” Worried eyes settled on Sam and my heart sank. “This isn’t quite like Opudon’s house at Labyrinth. The humans would have to come right into Center. How do you think the Council would handle that?”
Sam passed the question on to me. I shrugged. “Who knows. After what’s happened over the last year, I don’t intend to predict anything.” I felt my eyebrows shoot up as I grinned. “You have to admit you never thought you’d be talking with me about hiring humans, did you?” I extended both hands out. “And yet, here we are.” I leaned toward him, putting as much earnestness in my face as I could. “Lillair and I want to get things going, at least. At the next Council meeting, they may well decide to drop inhibitions towards humans altogether!”
I rose and walked to Lillair, placing my hand on his withers. Facing Wee, I said ruefully, “Myself, I’m still reeling from the shock of it all, but Lillair brought a new purpose into my life and I want to run with it.”
My developing passion surprised me, as it seemed to surprise Wee. Lillair and I waited tensely for his decision.
Finally, he smiled. “As a farmer, I’d like to investigate your plans. I might want to engage you and Lillair to research modifying our rice production. We make a good share of our profit producing rice crackers and rice bread for humans, you know. Maybe we could come up with new flavors or faster growing varieties or hardier plants.”
<Or something else entirely,> Lillair interjected the comment into Wee’s thoughts, then repeated for me.
“Exactly my thinking,” Wee replied.
The rest of the day, we toured the rice paddies and orchards with Wee and discussed building plans.
**
On the flight home, Lillair pulled me away from brooding over the meeting with Wee by sharing stories gleaned from his sister-in-law about the medical investigation. <Lillith says they’ve found something in fem blood that’s similar to a substance humans use for birth control. Some of the researchers want to investigate that as a possible cause.>
“Humans use birth control?” I felt surprised. “Why?”
<Evidently, they want to limit their population.>
“Do they require it?”
<Lillith doesn’t think so. Human women don’t always want children, I guess.>
I’d give anything for a child. “How could human birth control affect fem?”
<They just found something similar to what humans use. They’ve tested for all sorts of things according to Lillith, even smells.>
“Smells?” I snorted. “They should check out that odor that always wilts the lechuta.”
He swung his head around to look at me. <I’ll mention it to her.>
When we finally arrived back in Center late that night, I placed my palm against Coccyon’s neck and said, “Thank you, Coccyon, for your suggestion. I don’t believe I’ve enjoyed any day in my life as much as I enjoyed today.”
He looked at me, his eyes whirling between blue and green. <It was my pleasure, Pildon. I enjoyed myself, too, and I certainly learned more than I ever wanted to know about rice.>
Together, we laughed.
Chapter 44
Eledon
“I’m finding all kinds of interesting stuff in these University blood samples, but no blue tint.” I lifted my eyes from my plate at Isol’s complaint during lunch. He, Gina, and I had chosen to sit at one table, the others scattered at tables around us. “Of course, I’m working on the ones that are labeled ‘None’. I’ve found high blood sugar, low blood sugar, drugs, alcohol, and even progesterone. Some of those girls are going to find themselves in trouble before long, unless they don’t have sex.”
“What about mine?” Gina asked him.
Beth answered her. “Nothing. We’re about halfway through the ‘Progesterone’ bunch. I can spot progestin in my sleep now. Of course, I can spot blue tints in my sleep, too. I even dream about blue.”
Penn swiveled toward us on his stool at another table. “I can think of something better to dream about than that. I’ve been dreaming about falling off a reeth from a great height. I wake up sweating a lot.”
Maun walked over to stand next to him. “We need Tallith, the soother, back in here. You’re getting way too wrapped up in your work.”
Penn grinned and shook his head. “Don’t get me wrong. I love the flying, but I have nightmares about it every night.”
“Well, I’m not finding anything in the ‘Estrogen’ samples.” Gina leaned back in her chair and sighed.
“How many samples have you tested?” Their complaints had caught Vyrl’s attention. He hadn’t joined us for lunch but had been reading close by. Now, he stood in the doorway, his lab coat askew, twirling his hemostat.
“Ele and I have done about sixty. Over half of the E group,” Gina answered.
“Nan and I have done seventy-five of the N group,” said Isol.
“Beth and I have done fifty-five of the P group,” said Penn.
“And no one is finding abnormalities similar to ours?” Vyrl looked at each of us and we shook our heads. “Let’s put the rest aside, then, and concentrate on don blood.” He turned hopeful eyes on Maun. “We haven’t received anything from Dr. Giles yet, have we?”
“No.”
We all heard Lillith’s mental interruption from outside. <I have permission to bring you to Pildon’s greenhouse. The odd smell he reported is starting to build. Your reeth will be here shortly to get you. Bring whatever you need to gather air.>
Maun started toward our storage room, motioning for Gina to accompany her. “We don’t have anything specific to gather air, do we?”
Vyrl went to the door to greet Lillith. “We need a break anyway,” he said. “We’re seeing blue in our dreams.”
When Maun and Gina returned, their arms were full of bottles. “Let’s all go,” Maun said. Faces lit. She handed her bottles to Isol, linked arms with Vyrl, and pulled him out into the cavern. Reeth arrived and we mounted, flying rapidly toward Center, a half hour away. We landed in a vacant lot and the humans goggled around, exclaiming at how green the walkways were.
“No roads,” Vyrl said. “I guess that makes sense. It’s not like you have cars and buses.”
“What’s the stone?” Gina ran her hand over the rough side of a gate pillar.
<Granite,> Lillith said, waving us forward. <Don families used to be very large, as Nan and Ele probably told you. And most of these homes have reeth quarters built on the sides. As you see places along the way, you can spot the reeth buildings: long and high roofed, usually without windows. Look at that house over there.> Her wing stretched out to the left. <See how there’s a roof cap all along that section to the right of the entrance? Those are reeth quarters with the ventilation under the cap. We prefer air flow from above rather than through open windows.>
She surveyed the group. <At one time, that family was numerous and it always had large reeth families connected to it. That’s why the quarters are so extensive.> Her voice dropped and her tone conveyed sadness. <Most of that particular building is empty now.>
Allowing no comment, she walked on. <The Joe family didn’t build huge reeth quarters as their reeth families usually lived out in the bowl. They’ve almost always melded with someone from the royal Lill family and it’s huge.> I felt Lillith’s grin even as she raised her upper lip. <We only have room in the Joe mansion for my husband and me. I always send the rest of the herd to the Lill family home when we stay in Center. More peaceful that way.>
She gestured to the trees, grass, and bushes along the pathway. <Don love vegetation, as you can probably tell. Two families take care of all of this greenery and flowers in the parks and along the walkways like this one—their contribution to the city.>
“Who did the carving?” Isol had stopped to examine a statue: a reeth in flight was surrounded by patches of grass and radial stone walkways leading to a star work of paths. A slight breeze blew in our faces and we heard a variety of bird tweets from the trees.
I answered his query, my voice grim. “We had a family of stonemasons who specialized in this type of carving. The last member died last year. He’d stopped working thirty years ago.” I ran my hand over the smooth stone hip. “We’ll have no new carvings for Center.”
Maun walked away from the fountain, drawing in a deep breath of the outdoor air. “Smells wonderful here, so clean and fresh,” she said. “There’s some type of flower scent I can’t identify. The lab has gotten stuffy, messed up my nose!”
“Feels good with the sun in my face.” Gina tipped her head back to let the sunshine bathe her. She flung out her arms and spun around. “I had no idea how shut in we’d become.”
We laughed, murmuring agreement as we shed jackets. Lillith gave the humans a chance to enjoy the broad valley bowl: green with waving grasses, cut by squares of cultivated crops. One square was brightly colored. <Rose beds.> Lillith answered the unvoiced question. She pointed with a wing toward the river. <My family’s home, the Lill compound. I grew up there.>
“I don’t see buildings.” Beth put her hand up to shade her eyes as she stared at the river.
<We don’t always live in buildings,> Lillith said. <The Lill have shaped groves and covered areas among the trees there, where the river flows into the lake, and back up toward the mountains. No don live with the Lill. If family members meld, they live with the don family.>
“Really?” Vyrl’s attention was caught. “So, there are reeth families living independently of don?”
“Yes, many of them.”
“I thought you were dependent upon don.” Maun tugged on him, trying to stop him, but he asked anyway. “You know. Because you have no hands.”
<In some ways we are, but in many ways we aren’t.> Lillith shrugged her shoulders, causing her wing tips to flare. Maun and Vyrl stepped quickly out of the way. <There are don who help the Lill family do things, but they don’t live there. All don work with all reeth to get things done that need to be done.>
“How strange.” Vyrl shrugged away from Maun and turned toward the south, his brow creased in thought.
Maun changed the subject. “This is a very beautiful place.”
<Thank you.> Lillith bobbed her head. <We like it here.>
“I don’t understand how you’ve remained hidden so long,” Penn said. He was staring over the huge bowl, obviously estimating its size. “I grew up on stories of don and reeth, but we all thought they were fairy tales.” He pointed toward the lake and the mountains rising behind it. “This valley must be fifteen to twenty miles long. Why isn’t it easily visible from airplanes flying over?”
Lillith pinned him with a large eye and pointed ears. <That is something I will not explain. Until don finally decide to trust humans enough to allow them free access to this city, it will remain hidden from unwanted eyes.>
“Uh, sorry, Lillith,” Penn ducked his head in apology. “I didn’t mean to pry.”
Lillith looked away. <It’s alright. I know you’re curious. Someday, maybe you will know the answers to your wonderings.>
She continued north, leading us past another home toward an old building in advanced state of disrepair. <Pildon is preparing to expand his operation. He and my brother-in-law plan to raze that building, level the area, and erect a series of new greenhouses.> She flicked her ears around. <The odorous gases are the strongest here in this area.>
“It smells like sulfur to me.” Penn sniffed. “We have hot springs around my home in Tonk. They smell pretty much like this only not as strong.”
“This is more than sulfur,” Vyrl sniffed, too. “It fluctuates?”
<Here comes Pildon. He can tell you more.> Lillith pointed with her head to the right. <Pildon,> she said. <These are the research team members. Dr. Vyrl Pedson and Dr. Maun Alls are the leaders.>
Pildon actually shook their hands without any sign of disgust. I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it myself. I’d wondered about Pildon’s willingness to meet with the research group even though I’d heard stories of changes he was making. Although Fennyon had tried to explain the relationship between Pildon and Lillair, I hadn’t completely understood.
“What can you tell us about this odor?” Vyrl peered up into Pildon’s face while Maun whipped out her small recorder and started it.
“It comes through here about every three weeks,” Pildon said. “Sometimes it’s much stronger than today; sometimes I can barely detect it. But my lechuta plants always react. When it’s really strong, they wilt for a few days. Once it’s passed, they come back out of it. When it’s weak, they only wilt a few hours.”
“What’s lechuta?” Vyrl shifted uncomfortably. It must be hard to always look up like that, I thought, distinctly aware of Vyrl’s short stature. I always tried to sit when conversing with him, alleviating the height difference.
Pildon led us into the greenhouse, indicating a broad-leafed, light green plant growing a foot high along the wall. He had flats and flats of the stuff. Picking some leaves, he handed them around. “We use this in salads.”
Penn studied his leaf. “Looks like romaine lettuce to me.”
