The Visitor (14 page)

*

Etos slowly awoke thinking of Mahisa. He had a confused memory of having had a horrible nightmare. Eventually his multiple aches woke him up completely. He sat gritting his teeth and examined himself. To his great surprise, he discovered that his left leg and his right arm were inside something that was as stiff as wood. Those somethings were hurting him. After a few seconds, he became more finely aware that apparently the pain wasn’t caused by these envelopes, but pain was coming from somewhere within his limbs. But that didn’t make them any more to his liking. As he tried to remove them, he saw that Gentle Lightning was observing him. She immediately began whistling, like she usually did. Then she quickly thrust both arms through the smooth and upright branches forming his prison to take hold of his left hand. His amazement was such that at first he forgot to be afraid and thus to dodge this contact. The three seconds that followed gave no more room for fear in his mind because he was captivated by the fondling made by ten nimble and very soft fingers. He had, for now, none of the necessary concentration and motivation to engage in the difficult exercise of counting them, but he saw at a glance that lightning-slayers had many more fingers on each hand that he and his kind. This fact hadn’t really eluded him previously, but he had almost forgotten. It was only one more oddity among many others in these creatures that imprisoned the sun at night. It continued to whistle softly. He decided that it wasn’t urgent to remove his hand that was still being caressed. The silent words of this universal language appeased him. Diffuse pain in his leg and his arm brought him back to what he still believed to be a dreadful nightmare, because the vague memory of a fall and a brutal shock could be associated with it. Doubt then began to tickle his mind: was it really a dream? Looking around himself, he found that the floor that he thought he had broken was in perfect condition. Despite the grass that had been littered in his cage for his comfort, he saw it was now whole. This made him all the more puzzled that memories of his escape started to take consistency in his mind. When the infinite sea of suffering came forth again before him, on the screen of his memory, he made a long moan and began to shiver. His stiff leg made sitting uncomfortable and painful. He lay down. His eyes sought out those of Gentle Lightning who was still stroking his hand and whistling.

“
Etos would like so much be with Mahisa,” he said. “What happenned to Etos? What are these things around Etos’ leg and arm? Etos has pain... Etos has seen so much and so much suffering inside the flat hill. Why does your kind imprison the sun? Why does your kind throw lightning at us?”
 

*

Akkaliza was experiencing an unforgettable moment. She was sure that Sneaky was speaking to her. She saw it in the depths of his eyes. She had kept silent as soon as he began to bovgrunt. It was such an exhilarating experience to have managed to get this willingness to communicate, but so frustrating at not being able to decode the language. Fortunately, everything was recorded; the camera hadn’t lost any part of this moment. She planned to study these images with her aunt; both would try to find a link between the movements of his mouth, and even of his face, and the sounds that he produced. This wouldn’t mean that expressed thoughts could be read, but to contribute to making a little more progress in this direction would make her proud.

When Sneaky ceased his bovgrunting, she said:

“
I hope that you’ll speak to me again often like that. And also I hope that you’ll tell me how you discovered that horrible place where you fell hurting yourself so badly. Listen, Ikkillu will be arriving any minute now. It’ll only be to see if you're doing well. I’m honored that you ended up getting used to me, but I know that, not without reason, you’re suspicious of other umas. Also, I’m afraid that you’ll be scared of Ikkillu and that you won’t let her examine you.”
 

Although her left lower arm was still bandaged and a bit painful, Akkaliza was only slightly handicapped. Discreetly, with her lower right hand, she grabbed a syringe from a bag carried slung over her shoulder.

“
I must make you sleep a little,” she said making an injection while caressing his arm.
 

Umas could easily do a lot of things at once with their four hands each having slender and flexible fingers that were all opposable to each other and that could bend in all directions, because they had no more joints than an octopus’ tentacle.

*

Ikkarix was a large mixed-race individual, more green than blue, lanky-looking. A brilliant mathematician who developed a passion for everything to do with orbits. The kind of person who mechanically calculated Hohmann transfers, just for his pleasure, as easily as others could whistle. Suffice to say that Ekklamisa had complete confidence in his predictions. Yet, this was the third time that she was asking him if he was certain of what he posited.

“
I’m confirming it,” he repeated. “And I’m reconfirming it over and over again. From the astronomical data provided, I’m able to say that it’ll pass by at less than twenty thousand kilometers away from us. If the Observatory hasn’t made an
error, if their numbers are right... What I’ve found is a certainty. Our space visitor won’t pass any further away from Teruma. It’ll skim us!”
 

Ekklamisa was rubbing nervously her upper arm scales with her lower hands. The stirrings of her crest displayed her excitement.

“
I've never felt as tense,” she said.
 

“
I can see that. Relax a little.”
 

They were both at her home, sitting in front of a coffee table. She put her four hands on her knees:

“
And to think how few people are aware of what’s happening and measuring what’s at stake.”
 

With a discreet finger, he polished his beak’s right side while answering:

“
At the same time... If they aren’t aware, how do you want them to measure the stakes, as you say. We must make more statements, keep the public informed.”
 

“
It doesn't interest the networks any more than that. And on the internet, we’re only able to capture the attention of two to three percent of the population.”
 

“
Anyway, what would that change if everyone was interested? Nothing... Isn’t that so?”
 

“
You're right.”
 

In full concentration, Ikkarix generated a small "tip, tip, tip" by tapping a claw on his beak. After a moment, he exclaimed.

“
It’s up to us to do everything in our power to capture this, this contraption! So, let’s do an inventory of all the means at our disposal. Suppose that we have incredible luck and it passes in the right plane and on the right side. What spacecraft do we have ready to launch?”
 

“
I’ve four shuttles and three small-lift launchers. Delta v of twenty kilometers per second for the two shuttles, fifteen only for the other two. Small-lift launchers... it depends on the payload... I'll give you the specifications for your calculations. I’ve equipped the four shuttles with a telescopic arm fitted
with hooks and prehensile mechanisms. I'm about to give the order to launch them in orbits crossing at thirty or fifty degrees. Two in direct and two in retrograde orbits. Let’s hope that one of the four won’t be too far from the right place at the right time and on a near optimal capture plane. I don't know what to do with the three small-lift launchers.”
 

“
Okay... we'll see about that.”
 

*

An almost vertical ray of sun awoke Mahisa. She got up quickly to immediately move on, accusing herself of losing time while Etos was probably in danger. The presence of the three lightning slayers seen the day before was an encouraging sign indicating that she had probably entered their territory. Finally! In addition, the prisoner who gave her apples, as strange as he was, gave her hope that they had also kept Etos alive.

She walked towards the tree-hand, passed around it and continued in the same direction to find the edge. This done, she would only need to turn left to continue on her way hoping to soon be able to see Etos again. She repeated to herself that there were chances that he was still alive, held prisoner like the poor stranger who had apparently lost the use of speech. To free the one that she loved, she was ready to do anything. This time she wouldn’t flee the lightning-slayers, even if they were more numerous than all the fingers of both hands. Mentally making that promise, she bowed her head to cross over an area full of over-ground roots where she risked getting her foot caught.

When she lifted her eyes, just around a bush, she discovered many of these strange standing branches she had already seen before the one who threw her apples. Her eyes widened and her heart raced when she recognized Etos behind them.

*

Ykkypol opened the door to let Ikkillu enter into his office. After having closed it, he invited the head of the veterinary department to sit in a chair. Himself, he only half sat putting a leg on the edge of his desk and, crossing his four arms, he asked:

“
So? What’s the problem? I know that you've left a message with Akkal, but he prefers that I meet with you because he doesn't have a lot of time.”
 

She ignored the question for the moment to compliment him:

“
You have a very nice varnish.”
 

“
Thank you! That's kind...”
 

Ykkypol was a particularly coquettish uma who loved cover his beak with varnish to show off. It was a vividly bright red that contrasted strongly with his blue satin scales.

“
Yes,” she went on, “I know that the boss is very busy at the moment. I’ve just gone to see the wild bov that he keeps in a cage, that injured itself in a fall after entering the dairy bov building.”
 

She paused to give her interlocutor time to eventually provide her with some information about it, but he remained silent.

“
I wanted to talk about Toro,” she was forced to continue.
 

“
Ah good? I hope it’s doing well! We have enough problems as it is.”
 

“
Its life isn’t in danger, but we still have a problem.”
 

“…
?”
 

Ikkillu recounted what she had seen and done on the scene.

“
So? Your prognosis?”
 

“
From the analyses, nothing special to report, for the moment, but it is still too early to tell. On the other hand, I asked Ikklobar to view the camera recordings and thanks to that we know what got it all excited. It was a wild female, imagine.”
 

“
Indeed! Is it possible that it transmitted a germ?”
 

“
That’s entirely conceivable. Let’s wait for the lacrimal analyses, but even if they are negative... it’ll always be a valid hypothesis. One can still suspect a pathogen that escapes lab investigations.”
 

“
Okay, and then?”
 

“
So... First, I was asking myself if it’s a good idea to leave Toro outside. There would be less risk if it was kept locked up. Also it would be a good idea to regulate the population of these animals in the forest. They can be carriers of disease that may contaminate our livestock. You know, the wind carries everything.”
 

“
Yes, that's true. I’ve already requested security to track down this female and kill it. Then, I’ll ask the prefect to organize a search party.”
 

“
Okay... But think of what I told you about protecting Toro inside four walls.”
 

“
Very well! I don’t have to think. Do whatever you have to. You’re the head of the veterinarian department. Put in a request to maintenance on my behalf for a closed local.”
 

“
Sure! I'll take care of that.”
 

“
Would it be useful for your analysis to send you the female's carcass?”
 

“
Eventually, yes... “
 

“
Okay! And, how are we doing with respect to the modification of the dairy bovs?”
 

“
You mean about the amputation of their limbs... A team is already at work.”
 

“
Well, that's good! But I prefer that we use the term ‘modification’ rather than ‘amputation of limbs’. It’s less disturbing.”
 

“
Indeed, I understand. Then, modifications are currently underway.”
 

“
Good! Have you seen our latest commercial?”
 

“
No, not yet,” confessed Ikkillu.
 

“
It’s the communications agency that has proposed it to us. I find it okay. Tell me what you think. Watch!”
 

He started the video in question on his desktop. Dozens of bovs were having fun in a green and luscious prairie flooded with sun. These happy animals, very uman like, began to dance while singing that dairy products are your friends for life.

*

Mahisa’s eyes filled with tears of joy. Etos was sleeping lying on strange flat pieces of wood covered with grass. His arm and his leg abnormally large, rigid and surrounded by an unknown thing worried her. She went all around what held him prisoner without finding a way to join him. To touch him was impossible, because he was out of her reach.

“
Etos! Etos, darling!” she cried.
 

The effects of the narcotic were beginning to dissipate in Etos’ cerebral convolutions. In what he believed to be a dream, he heard his love to calling him and he replied:

“
Mahisa! The one that Etos loves! You are finally here! Mahisa! Mahisa! Mahisa!”
 

In his semi-consciousness, burning happiness took possession of him. He was so happy that his joy almost made his chest hurt.

Mahisa made a small cry of delight when she heard him answer. Although his words were pronounced in a slurred voice, they were the most beautiful in the world because they were his own and that he sent them to her to express his love.