Chapter 16
Abe headed down the hallway to his rooms. He found a change of clothes and noticed someone had left him a quilted jacket, he supposed because the weather had turned. Without speaking to anyone, he headed straight for the horse pasture. There he found the horses milling around.
In a storeroom that was located near the trunk of the tree he found a saddle, chose a halter and blanket. He made his way through the group of horses who were standing very close together. They watched in curiously as he walked up to B’rofi, who recognized him and walked forward eagerly. Abraham was not in the mood for niceties. He put the halter on the horse’s head and did his best to get the saddle on the way Terren had showed him. He wasn't sure if it was exactly right but he did the best he could.
He rolled his clothing up in a blanket that he had brought from his bed and tied it to the back of the saddle. He quickly mounted the horse and a set off into the rain. The wind had calmed down somewhat but it was still raining steadily. They headed out on the road back in the direction of the open plains. Abraham struggled with the realities of riding a horse in the rain. He was uncomfortable, chilled and wet through in the first ten minutes. He pulled the hood of his jacket down lower over his face and just let the horse make its way up the steep canyon road.
When they got to the top of the ridge the wind was blowing strongly and rather than spend much time looking out over the plain, he immediately headed down the other side. His mind was numb and he couldn't put his thoughts in order. He felt abandoned and alone and not only that, he felt like he was imprisoned in a place that would never hold anything for him, filled with people he had nothing in common with. They road on in silence and misery into the afternoon.
After a time the rain let up somewhat and slowed to a light drizzle. They were making their way along the foothills with the plains to their right. There was a protected area of rather large bushes nearby and he directed the horse over to it and hunkered down underneath to rest. B’rofi began to nibble at the leaves on the shrub. Abraham lay down with his head on his arm and fell asleep.
His only real possession besides his ruined space clothes, was the Transhuman Project logo from the ship, he had tied it to a string and kept it around his neck. He had never let off his person. As he slept, the piece of string-wrapped metal slid out of his shirt and onto the ground.
The roots emerged from the damp soil and reached for it.
* * * *
Abraham awoke to the wind blowing and rain slashing at him. The sky had darkened. He sat up and found the frayed ends of the string that had bound the logo around his neck dangling outside his jacket. And there on the ground near him, was the little area of disturbed soil.
It was too much. Something in him that had been strained to the breaking point already, snapped. He stood up waving his arms wildly and screamed into the wind, "Do you have to take everything? Can you leave me nothing of my world? You call this compassion? What kind of inhuman thing are you? I hate you. Do you hear me? And I hate your god-damned high and mighty world!"
At this the wind seemed to strengthen and the storm was truly upon them now. He mounted the horse, gathered up the reins and going against what he had been told by Terren, he kicked the horse in the sides hard and whistled. B’rofi grunted with a high pitched squeal in surprise, but leapt onto the road and broke into a hard gallop. The wind gusted in their faces and the rain lashed at them. B’rofi’s ears were laid flat against his head. Abraham urged him on faster and faster, and when he could feel the horse begin to tire, kicked him yet again. The horse renewed his gallop, swerving slightly in confusion. Abraham closed his eyes, gripped its mane in his fists, lowered his head near the horse’s neck and a growling scream escaped his throat.
They rode on. He could hear the labored breeding of his horse but urged him on again and again. At last B’rofi stumbled badly, almost unseating Abraham. He pulled up hard on the reins and the horse skittered to a stop and stood unsteadily with his head low in the middle of the road, steam rising from his back, and his sides heaving. Startled by the close call, Abraham sat quietly while the horse caught his breath. The rain continued to pour down in an unrelenting deluge.
It was getting darker, this time the dark of sundown. He looked around trying to see a place to shelter for the night. There was a gully just ahead to the left with a thicket of brush. He urged the horse toward it. He dismounted and pushed himself as far into the bushes as he could. The plants were tall enough to protect him somewhat but B’rofi stood shivering and steaming in the pouring rain, tossing his head and shifting his weight. Abraham was beyond caring. He curled himself into a ball and fell into a dreamless miserable sleep.
He woke to the sound of light rain pattering onto leaves above him. To his utter amazement a shelter had grown while he was sleeping, very much like the one in horse pasture. There were several dozen saplings growing in a rough semi circle around him. They and grown up and curved over so that the leaves deflected most of the rain. B’rofi was standing very near completely dry now looking out into the distance. Abraham looked at the shelter and had the uncomfortable job of appreciating it and hating it at the same time.
The sky was growing lighter but still the storm hung threatening low in the sky. It seemed like it was only taking a breath, gathering its strength to begin again. He reached over sullenly and pulled a handful of leaves off a nearby bush and tossed them into his mouth. He ate automatically without tasting as a soldier might in the battlefield. He sat with his knees up, resting his elbows on them with his hands hanging loosely, looking at the ground.
B’rofi took a hesitant step toward him and lowered his nose down between Abraham feet. He nibbled hesitantly at the bottom of Abraham's pants. Abraham leaned his forehead over until it touched the white blaze on the horse’s face. And he heard these words:
"Man-child of Earth, what troubles you?"
Abraham leaped to his feet, and stumbled backwards into the branches of the shelter. B’rofi snorted and threw up his head in surprise. Abe’s mind reeled. Was he hallucinating? He looked over at the bush that he had just eaten from, but no it was the same one that Terren had shown him just days before. The nervous horse stood staring at him with his ears working back and forward. Abraham stood up, reached over and stroked the horse’s velvety nose, took a step closer and again laid his forehead on B’rofi’s.
“Have you heard my thoughts man-child?”
Abraham steadied himself and thought back as clearly as he knew how at the moment ... “Yes.”
The horse took a step back tossed is head and whinnied loudly, startling the already stunned Abraham. B’rofi moved closer again and lowered his head, touching the man. “Then I must call you man-child no more.”
And Abe was then treated to the confusion of receiving the full brunt of moheen horse joy. This imparted to him the overwhelmingly keen desire to let out a primal whoop of some sort, which Abe resisted. But just barely.
His mind became a blur of questions. A long string of impressions flooded his thoughts. He could barely separate those that came from his own mind and those that B’rofi sent. The horse stepped back shaking his head tossing it in the air and snorted once more. Abraham realized that his mind was not disciplined enough. But one thing he knew he must convey to this animal, and he needed to do it right now.
He stepped closer and leaned forward putting his hands gently on either side of B’rofi’s face, cleared his mind, and thought. . . ‘Please forgive me for hurting you and making you run. I have much to learn. I am still very much like a child and very little like a man.’ B’rofi lifted his nose and laid it on Abraham's shoulder and breathed gently into his ear. He nickered quietly, and if Abraham had known it, it was the sound that a mare might commonly make to its foal.
B’rofi abruptly wandered out of the shelter while the rain was light and began to browse on the bushes near by. After all, a horse had to eat. He seemed to have forgotten all about Abraham and busied himself with getting enough to sustain him, which took a little more work out here at the edge of the scrub.
Abe sat down and held his head in his hands. What an ass he had been. Okay fine, his life was going to be radically different. He was going to miss the paradigm shift of the ages on his home world. But there was absolutely nothing he could do about it. Nothing.
And look what he had turned into. An arrogant bastard who abused horses who could communicate telepathically. Hell, the horse was more evolved than he at the moment. Who did he think he was? He was supposed to be an explorer. An ambassador from Earth and look at how he had behaved so far. Like a spoiled brat, an arrogant prick who thought he was living among dolts and peasants just because they didn’t have toasters. The things he had said to Aeron came back to him and he ran his hands over his face. What an idiot he had been. What a fool.
But what to do now? Should he head back? It made him squirm to think of the apology he was going to have to make to the elder. And still he felt confusion and disorienting anger. Perhaps, just maybe, humans on earth might be able to pull off what these people had failed at. It seemed possible…or it used to. After all, it was worth striving for wasn’t it? Wasn’t it?
But his last memento of home had been taken away. Not even that one small bit of aluminum and plastic was going to be allowed him. It still made the bile rise in his throat. But only fools fight against such overwhelming odds. He knew he had to summon up some kind of dignity and make the best of his situation.
Chapter 17
He threw his hood up over his head and walked out into the drizzle with B’rofi and joined him in making a meal. They stood shoulder to shoulder, silently feeding together. Man and Beast. It seemed that the leaves and small fruits were especially full of liquid after all the rain.
When they both had eaten their fill, he rolled up his meager belongings and tied them to the saddle. He felt like he should let the horse know what they were going to do, so he took a deep breath and narrowed down his thoughts as best he could, leaning into the horse and thought… We go on. And he heard a simple, Yes in reply. And he thought he might have sensed a certain solemn feeling, but it could have been his own emotion. He wasn’t sure where his thoughts ended and the horse’s began. This whole telepathy thing was disorienting and made his head hurt.
He mounted and they rode on keeping the foothills to their left. The road continued but was not as wide here. The mountain range curved around eventually to the right encompassing the high plateau and he decided to just follow it and see what there was to see.
Soon the rain worsened and settled into a steady monotonous drenching. He was thankful that the temperatures were fairly warm, and that the wind was gone. He let B’rofi find his own pace. He didn’t feel like making any demands on him at all. It was an odd feeling knowing that you had “spoken” to an animal and were now riding it. He felt like he needed to ask permission if he wanted anything. Left to his own preference, the horse alternately trotted and walked as they made their way around the wide valley.
They plodded on through the rain, neither one feeling like stopping to eat. At least the road was not muddy. He thought how much worse this would be if they were sloshing through that too. There was plenty of mud and little rivulets coming from the foothills and spilling out into the flats. But the road was solid not slippery.
As the sky began to darken late in the afternoon, Abe started scanning the terrain on their left for a likely spot to spend the night. There were small drainages where the undergrowth was thicker. They passed a few likely spots but he kept hoping for a better one. They came around one bend and to his astonishment ahead of them about two hundred yards, he saw a Tree in the twilight. He even thought he could see a phosphorescent light through the branches. But this tree was so much smaller. It reminded him of pictures he had seen on earth of Baobab trees. Only this one had an even larger trunk and certainly more branches and leaves.
B’rofi caught sight of the Tree also and snorted. He then startled Abe by neighing loudly and breaking into a gallop. Abe held on as best he could since he was caught off guard and didn’t have the best seat. He lost one of the stirrups but managed to hold on. The horse slowed to a trot when they got near the tree, and then walked right up to the opening archway.
Standing in the doorway was an old man dressed in a quilted coat much like the one Abe had on, with the hood up. He had a basket in his arms full of vegetables. Abe dismounted. B’rofi immediately walked over to the man lowering his head. The old man placed his basket on a bench nearby and touched his fingers lightly to the horse’s forehead for just a few seconds. The horse tossed his head a bit and the old man deftly had the saddle and halter off in a trice. B’rofi looked over his shoulder at Abe and moseyed off around the side of the Tree.
The old man spoke to Abe in the native language, motioning for him to come inside. He picked up his basket and walked into the archway.
This Tree actually had a door. The old man opened it and the glow of the lamps spilled out into the path. Abe followed and closed the door behind him. This place was very much like a scaled down version of the other Tree. The rooms off the great room in the center were smaller. There was a staircase and he could see a few balconies on the upper level. The old man took his basket into the kitchen off to the right. Here there was just one large table and two benches. Enough for about eight or ten people he guessed. He motioned for Abe to sit down. Then he pulled up a stool and sat down very close to Abe. He touched his own forehead, raised his eyebrows and nodded to Abe for permission.
Abe took a deep breath, rolled his eyes and braced himself. He hoped he didn’t pass out this time. The old man smiled and reached over to touch Abe’s forehead very lightly with his middle finger. No jackhammer this time thank god, but instead he felt like he was falling into a slow motion whirlpool. Again his arms reached out, to steady himself. One gripped the table and the other found the forearm of the old man. Then it was over. He opened his eyes to find the room spinning a bit and he felt a wave of nausea.
“Here my friend, have a drink of this tea, it should help.” He said and pressed a mug into his hand. Abe took a long draught of its warm contents. It was full of spice and sweet. He drained the thing. “Good, good, you will feel fine in a few minutes. My name is, Naphor. Come with me.” Abe followed him across the great room and upstairs to one of the rooms. There were dry clothes on a chair, and towels laying over the edge of the tub. The place was so familiar. A miniature version his own rooms at the other Tree.
“Get those wet clothes off and have a bath son, I will be in the kitchen when you are finished”
He did as he was told as the old man bustled off down the stairs.
He was grateful for the warm water and realized that he really was chilled from being wet all day long.
When he was bathed and clothed, he found Naphor in the kitchen where he was rumaging about gathering up plates and setting the table.
Abe watched as he took a copper pot off a smaller copy of Misha’s stove.
“Here we are. This should be just the thing you need.” He placed a large bowl of vegetable stew in front of Abe. He pushed a platter with some flat bread and cut up fruit toward Abe and poured him another mug of hot spicy tea, this time adding some warmed milk to it.
In his own tongue, the old man said the brief prayer. Abe out of sheer habit said, “Anay.” At which the old guy beamed and slapped Abe on the shoulder.
They didn’t speak much, instead they just ate in companionable silence. Abe found that he was famished and made a substantial dent in the bowl of stew. Finally he pushed the fruit bowl away and said, “That was delicious. Thank you.”
“Well, Abraham of Earth. How do you find our Dhriana hmmm?
“I find it confusing sir.”
“As well you should. It is very different from what you left behind.” He said with a knowing nod.
“You know, I mean no disrespect - - Naphor, but I am getting really tired of everyone feeling so sorry for my people. We have gone through a lot and accomplished a lot and overcome all kinds of adversities. We might not be able to read minds, but we have other things that you don’t . A simple telephone for one thing…. Computers, cars, stereos, automated machines of every kind. Factories that cook food, lots of things that help people live lives that are not filled with drudgery. We have come a long way since we crawled out of the ooze. And we have great things left to accomplish.”
“If I give you the impression that I think we are superior to you, I am truly sorry, said Naphor, What I am thinking of is our own past.”
“Are you sorry it’s gone?” Abe asked almost hopefully.
“Oh no my friend. Never sorry.” We may be moving at a slower pace, and have fewer personal possessions, and from your perspective live very simply. But we are rich in personal fulfillment, learning, and close relationships. We have the joy of pursuing creative things and at the same time working together for the good of all.”
“If those relationship things are so important, what are you doing out here all by yourself?”
“Well, he smiled, I am a bit of an exception.”
How convenient, thought Abe.
“Yes it is.” Said Naphor
Abe looked at him sharply…. “Are you reading my thoughts?”
“Yes.”
“That’s not fair! Besides you aren’t touching me.”
“I have no real need to touch you.”
“Can everybody do that here? Read minds without touching?” Abe’s mind raced trying to remember what he had been thinking while interacting with all the people he had so far in a mild panic. They would think him a swine!
“No, no. Only a very few have reached this level of moheen ability. I live here because practicing this skill requires distance from the minds of a crowd. I need the quiet in order to do what I do.”
“Then why did you touch my forehead earlier, couldn’t you have just read my mind without it?”
“For one thing, I wanted your permission. And for another there was much to transfer in order for me to understand not only your language, but other things about your planet and your life. It is more efficient if I make physical contact with you. But it is not absolutely necessary.”
“When Aeron read my thoughts, it was much more - - traumatic, I passed out and was sick for a day.”
“He is not as experienced as I, so at this point in his abilities he lacks - - Naphor paused searching for the word…. Ah, finesse, that’s it, finesse.”
“So what do you do out here?”
“I communicate with other communities, exchange information, keep everyone in touch with each other, facilitate council meetings when necessary, that sort of thing. There are others like me scattered throughout our world.”
Abe digested this bit of news half in awe and half in irritation.
“So YOU are the telephone network.” he said shaking his head.
“Yes, I’m afraid so.” He replied.
“Damn. I sure know how to put my foot in my mouth, and as you will discover, I do it regularly.”
Naphor laughed out loud. “What a wonderful expression! What an interesting language, so complex. Its origins seem to draw from many different places, cultures, philosophies even - - but very interesting.”
“So if I may be so bold, let us get to the crux of your unhappiness. You tell me if I have this right. You resent G’var Daath because you see it as invasive and coercive. You feel that we are so dependent on it, that makes us less than independent individuals responsible for making our own way in the world. Not to mention the feelings you have that we have taken a huge step backwards technologically.”
Abe looked at him with eyebrows raised- - “You got it right on the button.”
“It is true that we did not ASK for G’var Daath, and it did overturn our whole civilization, but it also saved us from what we believe was a genetic, ecological and moral disaster. I know that Aeron explained to you about our belief that this is an unfolding of a new level of awareness for us. An awareness of our Creator. He is no longer invisible in our world. A portion of the barrier that kept us from that awareness has been removed. And as Aeron said, we no longer question who is behind the forces that animate the Tree and the whole of the universe for that matter.”
And here, the old man paused - - “And as it happens you have arrived at a time when we feel it is possible that another of those barriers is soon to be removed and we will be able to be even more intimately aware of His presence in our world.”
“What do you think is going to happen?” Abe asked.
“We are not completely sure. We just feel that it is at hand.”
“Then you can see why I would want to be on my planet, to be there when the new thing that we expect takes place!” Abe said excitedly.
“But what if this event is not what you think it will be?” he asked quietly.
“How will I know if I’m not there to see it?” Abe got up and paced around the room, the old frustrations creeping upon him once more.
“Well, you never know why some things happen the way they do. In the meantime, you are here. What do you want to do?”
“That’s just it, I haven’t seen anything here that seems interesting to me. But it’s true, I haven’t seen it all. He said uncertain.
“That is true. There are people here who study the properties of the Tree and its workings. They study all the many plants that are its offshoots.
There are even those among us who delve into the workings of the heavens, who study space and time. Although, the way our ‘scientists’ study things is quite different than on Earth. In order to understand the inner workings of a thing, be it animal or plant or even world and universe, we are learning to delve into its essence with moheen. In this way, no harm comes to the thing studied.”
He stopped and looked at Abe with a question on his face…
“Ah! Yes, it just as your friend Marshall says- - ‘frog in the blender science’ Perfect! We don’t put frogs in blenders to understand them. We observe them and study them in a completely different way.
“Marshall is NOT my friend.”
“My mistake.” Naphor said, unperturbed.
He watched Abe pacing the floor, a barely perceptible smile playing at the corner of his mouth, “You could learn to do this.”
Abe looked at him like he was crazy. “Are you kidding, I can barely communicate with B’rofi without either getting a headache or barfing. You should have seen him when I tried. I’ll bet I gave him a headache! I could only get the most rudimentary thoughts across to him.”
“It is a skill that can be learned.” He repeated, “And you can learn it.”
Abe thought this over, with his usual skepticism. But then again, it would be a useful thing if he was going to be stuck here for the rest of his life. At least he wouldn’t be totally out of step with the locals. What the hell.
“You could teach me?”
“I think I can do that, yes.” Said Naphor. “And without too much - - um, barfing either I’ll wager.”