The Black Devil's Cave, page 24
“What do you think it is?” she asked Sonia, pointing to a serving plate with what looked like purple meatballs.
“Wooly mammoth testicles served medium-rare,” Sonia suggested.
“You think they keep some wooly mammoths around?”
“Why not?” Sonia shrugged. “Denisovans are still around, aren’t they?”
“Good point. But why would these testicles be purple?”
“Let me think.” Sonia’s expression indicated that she was lost in deep thought. “Probably not from being cold because, as far as I know, they thrived during the Ice Age. But maybe male wooly mammoths were notoriously cheating on their females, and the females retaliated by kicking them in the balls until they turn purple?”
“It’s so reassuring to have you around with your in-depth scientific approach.” Jenny frowned at her friend but put the strange-looking purple meatball back on the serving plate and instead reached for something that looked like lettuce, only blue.
“You don’t want to try the b’aa?” Gideon approached Jenny and grabbed a couple of purple meatballs. “It’s one of my favorites—fish roe mixed with herbs that grow only in these parts. It’s then dipped in organic flour obtained by grinding several local grains. This is what gives this dish its purple color. Everything is then baked in a stone oven, similar to what they use in Italy for pizza. It’s like caviar on steroids.” Gideon shoveled a couple of purple meatballs into his mouth while closing his eyes in an expression of pure delight.
“Wooly mammoth testicles, my ass,” Jenny hissed at Sonia and put one purple meatball back on her plate.
“I’ll stick to this.” Sonia pointed to her plate. “Some kind of freshwater shrimp, I presume?”
“Shrimp?” Gideon raised a brow. “A long time ago, Denisovans used to hunt and fish, but they stopped. They’re mostly vegetarians, although they supply their diet with protein. What you eat is not shrimp. It’s maggots.”
“You’ve deserved it,” Jenny said after she stopped laughing when Sonia discreetly spat the contents of her mouth back to the plate.
The locals were not hostile but kept their distance. Still, Jenny and Sonia watched them with interest. After a while, it became evident that their hosts were different species. Their gestures, facial expressions, and how they interacted with one another seemed strange.
The day after the feast, Jenny and Sonia were invited to the chamber occupied by the Great Mother again. Gideon was already there, and this time, they were joined by Naneyu.
“Tell me, what does it mean to be human?” the Great Mother asked.
“Hmmm…. That’s a tough question, but after our previous conversation, I’ve given it some thought,” Jenny answered. “I think humanity is expressed through love. It’s caring about others.”
“Caring is a mammalian quality, not just human,” the Great Mother disagreed. “Would you say that a female cat does not love her offspring? Or that the orangutangs do not form strong bonds with each other?”
“But even if they experience something like love, they don’t mourn the loss of their loved ones,” Sonia suggested.
“Don’t be so sure,” Gideon protested. “It’s proven that African elephants mourn for their dead companions and even visit the location of their remains.”
“Complex planning?” Jenny offered.
“Oh, a gold medal in this category should be awarded to ants, maybe bees, or termites,” Gideon smiled.
“I’ve got it,” Jenny said. “It has to be our creativity! No other animal is capable of creating music, writing poetry, or painting pictures!”
“True,” the Great Mother agreed. “But not every human is creative, only some. Would you say that the ones who don’t create are less human than those who do?”
“No, of course not.” Jenny shook her head.
“Maybe we don’t need this precise definition of humanity,” Sonia suggested. “We just know it through our awareness.”
“But you do define it,” the Great Mother disagreed. “Think about your laws and ethics. For example, it’s acceptable for you to kill another mammal, even though you know that they can feel the pain and that others of their kind will mourn their loss. Yet, under most circumstances, it is morally and legally prohibited to kill another human. And think about the religious implications of being human. Did Lucy, that Australopithecus who lived over three million years ago possess an immortal soul? Did Homo erectus earn his place in your Heaven? Will the Neanderthals participate in your Judgement Day?”
“I’ve never thought about it,” Jenny admitted. Sonia just nodded.
“And yet, you have to agree that it’s crucial,” the Great Mother said. “I don’t think any of your major religions is ready to accept other hominins into their ranks.”
“Well, even religions evolve,” Jenny disagreed. “To give you the most obvious example, they had to come to terms with the fact that Earth was not in the center of the solar system.”
“But throughout our history,” Gideon disagreed, “humans killed or enslaved other humans and believed their actions to be justified because the ones whom they killed or put in chains worshipped a wrong god or were denied the right to possess a soul.”
“You also murder others by the thousands or inflict unspeakable pain and suffering in the name of your ideologies,” the Great Mother glanced over to Jenny and Sonia. “Remember that we’re in the place you call Siberia. We witnessed what happened here. And even now, you discriminate against many from your own race only because they look different. You show a clear preference for the pale people.”
“While, in fact, we’re all one race, and the differences in our skin color are only about sunlight and vitamin D,” Gideon said.
“How come?” Jenny gave him a questioning look.
“I can explain,” Sonia offered. “The melanin pigment in the skin determines skin type that societies define as white, brown, or black. This pigment absorbs ultraviolet radiation and protects skin from damage. The human race started in Africa, where our ancestors were exposed to intense ultraviolet radiation coming from the Sun. To protect their skin from damage, they needed a lot of melanin, and therefore their skin was dark. The statement that all Nazis have had black ancestors is therefore true. However, people who migrated north—to northern Europe, especially Scandinavia, were exposed to little sunlight. While too much UV is bad, too little is also bad because you need that sunlight to synthesize vitamin D in your body. Therefore, their skin turned light to allow more UV penetrate it and, in turn, produce vitamin D.”
“All right, I’ve read about it, but it doesn’t make sense,” Jenny disagreed. “I’ve read that light skin, blond hair, and all that stuff is relatively recent. Like, only several thousand years. So how come Inuit people, who also live in the far north, still have darker skin and black hair, while Norwegians are light-skinned and blond?”
“Excellent question,” Sonia smiled. “However, it does not disprove the theory—just the opposite. The Innuits didn’t need more UV rays to penetrate their skin and produce vitamin D because they got vitamin D from their diet. However, even with their diet, many Inuit people suffer from vitamin D deficiency, which is really bad because it makes your bones soft and deformed. Therefore, if you lived in an area with limited sunlight, having your skin turn light was a useful adaptation.”
“All right, so we’ve confirmed that races, as defined by our species, are superficial. Which is what people should already know, unless they are complete morons,” Jenny grimaced. “However, it doesn’t explain why Homo sapiens are the only hominins left. I understand that in the past, we used to live alongside other species, right?”
“Oh, yes,” the Great Mother confirmed. “My race had inhabited this land, together with Neanderthals and Homo erectus, long before the first representatives of your race even came here. There were also Homo floresiensis, luzolensis, naledi, rudolfensis, and others that you don’t even know about.”
“So, what happened?” Jenny asked.
“As I said before, your species happened, and everyone else either disappeared or went into hiding.”
“But why?”
“Because your race, or—if you prefer—your species, came with traits there were never seen in nature. Nature can be brutal, but she’s not cruel. Your species is. You are smart, but so were other species. However, only Homo sapiens is capable of cunning and deceit. All other animal species kill to survive. You kill because you can, and sometimes you enjoy it. My species could share this planet with other hominins, and we did. But we would only take what we needed. You take everything.
“Like us, you used to be connected to nature, but you severed that connection because you didn’t want to hear what she was trying to tell you. Instead, you just kept taking, and killing, and destroying. I hear that now your race finally realizes that you may have gone too far. But even with this realization, you’re unable to change your ways, and you continue taking more than you need. You’re truly unique because nothing like this has ever been seen in the world. With you around, other human species never had a chance.”
The old woman spoke in a calm and monotonous voice, which did not sound accusatory. Her face expressed no emotions, yet her words were like piercing knives. Jenny and Sonia didn’t respond because what the Great Mother said was true, and there was nothing they could say to defend their species. Humans liked to think that they were the last hominins left on Earth because of their superior intelligence. But, in fact, the only thing Homo sapiens always had in excess was the capacity for cruelty and greed.
***
Later that evening, back in the small but comfortable quarters assigned to them, Jenny and Sonia tried to talk about what they had heard from the Great Mother, but neither knew what to say.
Jenny finally broke the silence. “So, what happens next?”
“With what?” Sonia asked.
“With them, and us, and the world?”
“I wish I knew….”
It had to be the middle of the night when a small shadow, barely visible in the greenish flicker still produced by the algae, sneaked into their quarters.
“Are you awake?” A quiet voice belonged to Naneyu.
“What is it?” Jenny asked, opening her eyes.
“Shh… Keep your voice down,” the boy whispered. “Get your things and follow me. We have to go. And try not to make noise.”
Maybe it was something in Naneyu’s voice, or perhaps because of everything they’d been through together, but Jenny and Sonia grabbed their bags and followed the boy.
Chapter 49
“Where are we going?” Jenny asked when they finally left the caves behind.
“We have to save the American woman who’s helped me escape,” Naneyu explained.
“What American woman?” Jenny raised a brow.
“The one who kept me in the hospital. She came here with those men.”
“Are you talking about Lisa Van Berg? She’s here?” Sonia looked shocked.
“Yes,” the boy confirmed.
“Wait a minute,” Jenny stopped. “Is she the same Lisa Van Berg who treated you like a lab rat, caused you a lot of pain and suffering, and—based on what you’re telling us—came to Siberia with those PharGen thugs to help them capture you? And put you back in the cage?”
“She’s changed,” Naneyu explained. “She’s risked everything to save me. And now, without our help, she’s going to die here. She doesn’t know the way of the forest.”
“Maybe that’s what she deserves,” Jenny mumbled to Sonia. “Karma’s a bitch.”
With Naneyu leading the way, they moved fast. The Sun was already high on the horizon when Sonia asked for a break.
“If we don’t stop for a while, I’m the one who’ll die,” she said, panting.
“Chew on this.” Naneyu reached for the pouch he had attached to his belt and gave Sonia and Jenny something that looked like a root. “Trust me,” he added, seeing that women were reluctant. “And we can take a short break.”
“What is it?” Sonia asked. The plant tasted bitter, but it had an almost immediate effect, and the pain she felt in her muscles only minutes ago was gone.
“It doesn’t have a name in your language,” the boy responded. “It went extinct thousands of years ago, but we managed to preserve some, and it still grows in our gardens.”
“If a pharmaceutical company could put their hands on this, they’d make billions,” Sonia commented.
“For every malady that exists in nature, there is a remedy that nature can provide. Although nowadays, many are gone,” the boy said.
“What else do you have? Do you also keep a woolly mammoth, or two, hidden somewhere inside those caves?” Jenny smiled.
“No, they’re gone. The last ones disappeared not long ago when your people were already building cities.”
“You must be mistaken,” Sonia looked at Naneyu. “That would be just a few thousand years, and wooly mammoth went extinct over ten thousand years ago.”
“Actually, I’ve recently read somewhere that wooly mammoths were still around in some parts of Siberia after the Great Pyramid was built in Egypt, “Jenny said. “Your people are a goldmine of knowledge,” she added, facing the boy. “Do you know what other animals used to live in these parts?”
“I do, although some things don’t have names in your languages. Your people don’t know about these creatures yet. But Gideon has taught me the words for the ones you know. We used to have cave lions, cave bears, and cave hyenas. Also, dire wolves and elephants, but different from the ones that live today. Alongside the wooly mammoth, there were wooly rhinos, the steppe mammoths, and the steppe bison. And, of course, there was a Smilodon, the saber-toothed tiger, that had nothing to do with tigers. They were powerful and vicious. When you met one, the only thing you could do was climb a tree and hope the beast would walk away. They were poor climbers.”
“How old are you again?” Jenny shook her head. “I don’t believe that you can have all this sophisticated knowledge and be only six.”
“Remember that we are different species,” Naneyu reminded her. “We are born knowing, while you must learn almost everything from others. We also grow much, much faster. And on top of that, I guess I’m smart. Gideon says that I have what you call a photographic memory. I can remember everything I’ve seen and encountered through my other senses, like hearing, smell, and the ones you don’t have. That’s why I’ve been chosen to go to your people.”
“Fascinating.” Sonia looked at the boy with renewed interest. “Is this how you’ll find Lisa? You can read her mind or something?”
“No, of course not. We don’t read minds. Gideon would tell you that we’re Denisovans, not witches. We also don’t know the future, and we can’t bring back what’s dead. However, we’re connected to nature. We use that connection to heal or reach one another over a long distance, although it also has limitations. I don’t know the location of the woman, but I have some idea where to look for her.”
“How?” Jenny wanted to know.
“It’s hard to explain.” The boy looked for the right words. “She’s not one with the forest,” he finally said, “and when she moves through the forest, she causes disturbance that I can detect. To some extent. Are we ready to go?”
The Sun was almost down when they reached the river.
“If I’m not mistaken, she should be somewhere here,” Naneyu said.
“Let’s split,” Sonia suggested. “We’ll cover more ground. We can meet back here, by this large boulder. It would be hard to miss.”
***
It was twilight when Jenny almost tripped over a bundle lying on the ground. She looked closer—it was a woman wearing Western clothes. Her eyes were closed, and she didn’t move.
“Hey, I’ve found her!” Jenny yelled as loud as she could, hoping that her voice would reach her companions in the perfect silence of the forest.
Jenny kneeled down by the woman and checked her pulse but could feel nothing. Is she dead? Where’s Sonia when I need her? Jenny took out her cell phone and put it next to the woman’s mouth. The smooth, black surface fogged. She’s still alive! Jenny splashed some water on the woman’s face and gently shook her shoulders. “Hey, wake up. Can you hear me?” Nothing. “Sonia! Naneyu!” Jenny yelled again. She tried to lift the woman, but Lisa’s lifeless body was heavy and limp.
“Out of my way,” she heard Sonia’s voice and breathed a sigh of relief.
Sonia started CPR, but the woman was still unconscious. “She needs to go to a hospital, only I doubt we’ll find one in the area,” Sonia said while vigorously compressing Lisa’s chest and breathing into her mouth. “It doesn’t look good.”
“Let me try,” they heard the voice and saw a small shadow emerging from twilight.
Naneyu leaned over Lisa and touched her forehead. He stared at the unconscious woman with some fiery intensity. Although it was only an illusion, his eyes seemed to glow in the dark. Finally, Naneyu slowly moved one hand down, an inch over Lisa’s body.
Jenny and Sonia watched him mesmerized. They were afraid that if they flinched, everything would disappear, and they would wake up in some shabby Siberian hotel room. Instead, they gazed in astonishment at the child’s small hands performing a miracle. The boy acted like some sorcerer’s apprentice mysteriously transferred from a fairy tale.
The strange ritual lasted only a few minutes. Then, at last, Lisa twitched and slowly opened her eyes. Jenny and Sonia exhaled in unison.
