Ito smiled. “I've raised three, and I can say with great confidence that I understand none of them.”
“Do they have your respect for tea?” She sipped the hot drink. It was pleasant even if the flavor lacked the intensity she preferred.
“My oldest does. The two younger are frustrated more often than not.”
“And humans have so few years in which to overcome that youth.” She watched to see if Ito would react. She was unsure how much Liam had told this human, but from his own description of their interactions, Liam had shared much in return for an introduction, no matter how interesting the trader. He must have seen some profit in such openness. She could only follow his lead and hope to see the colonel through his eyes. Liam was better at explaining himself than Zach, but sometimes words failed him. Despite that, experience showed that his instincts were those of a tuk-ranked trader, even if his words sometimes left a Grandmother confused.
“Yes, but I am not sure I would wish to have as many years as the Rownt,” Ito said. “There is a balance to life, we’re born, we live and we move on in our time.”
“I had understood that most humans would wish for longer lives.” She feared humans would demand such a trade as soon as they knew it existed, but all the Grandmothers agreed that their current population and the rate at which they reproduced made that an unprofitable trade for anyone.
“Perhaps they would. Perhaps not,” Ito said with a shrug. “When the world changed faster than their ability to change with it, they might suffer if they lived as long as the Rownt. Perhaps that is why the universe has given Rownt such long lives. Perhaps your inability to change and adapt requires more years for you to accomplish your tasks.”
The insult was subtle, and the Grandmother found that she appreciated it. She drank the tea and waited to see what this surprising human would offer next. Liam's introduction had been a proper Temple gift.
After a long silence, Ito continued. “I think perhaps my children do not feel as caught between cultures as I did. Both my parents were Japanese, so tea ceremonies and the idea of wa were instilled in me even as the culture of the States pushed me toward excelling and competing. The two cultures are difficult to merge. But my children had a more States upbringing. My wife is half-Chinese, and she was raised here as well.”
The Grandmother waited. She found such discussion of far more value than the production and manufacturing numbers the generals preferred. As she had hoped, the silence encouraged him to continue speaking.
“I find Liam reminds me of my father, which is surprising because Liam is American. That led me to suspect that the parts of him I recognize might be Rownt.”
“Do you believe the culture of your parents is more similar to my people?” Perhaps she had given too little attention to the concept of culture within human structures.
“I don’t think Rownt would relate to my parents’ belief in wa—the emphasis on group loyalty and harmony. At times my parents would decide that a less favorable decision was more favorable because it brought harmony within the family.” Ito’s smile suggested that even he did not respect such a belief.
“However, I do think Rownt would relate to my wife’s family and their concept of guanxi—the network of connections and favors and relationships that an individual maintains. When Tuk-palteia Liam suggested that an introduction was a good trade item, I believe he was suggesting that you could use a human trader of art in your network of personal acquaintances.”
Ito looked at the Grandmother. His voice was soft, but he had an air of confidence. “The American value on trade and money appears to match Rownt well, but I’m not sure our sense of exceptionalism does. I believe our similarities and differences are too complex to be easily understood. After speaking with Liam, I thought it wise to offer more words and hope we can reach a point where certain information is allowed to move freely so we do not have more confusion between us.”
She leaned back and studied this surprising human. He had offered a lot of information, and he had put it in a context that made her more confident in her ability to apply it to humans. Sometimes, the Grandmother who studied human psychology texts would bring some knowledge to the rest of them, and they were all confused by the way humans spoke of humans as though they had never met one. They discussed the function of human brains without ever considering the limitations or the benefits of working from within one. It left her uneasy with much of her understanding. But Ito stood firmly within his understanding of himself as he offered it to her.
“Do the generals agree?”
Ito smiled. “They respect that Tuk-palteia Liam offered information of great value. It made them willing to offer words in return. I’m not sure if they believe this will stabilize trade or not. I think they assume that if you take offense, they can blame my lack of status and ignorance.”
She leaned forward. “Do you fear giving offense?”
He laughed. “I watched Mr. Tsang insult Liam in terms that horrified me, and Liam was confident enough in himself that the insults didn’t bother him. I don’t believe I could insult you. If I knelt here and told you that I find your form aesthetically displeasing, that I am shocked at the way you preclude men from the upper levels of government and that I question the morality of allowing your own people to suffer without offering help, I assume you won’t care.”
“I would wonder why you feel it is necessary to help adults,” she said. Other than that, he was correct in his assessment. She would not have expected humans to find her physically attractive. She was starting to appreciate how Zach and Liam looked, but they both resembled angry children so much that she sometimes reacted to them illogically.
“That is my point,” Ito said. “The generals have worked hard to avoid giving offense. They have a staff member who tries to write insults that are less likely to cause real insult.”
She blinked at him, expecting him to provide some additional information that would make it clear this was a use of human humor using elements of surprise and exaggeration. Instead, he shrugged. “I’m trying to provide you more information so you can understand how different humans are from each other. Do Rownt have different cultures and nations on their home world?” The question was unartful, especially since humans understood that Rownt placed value on information.
She considered the value of what Liam had already offered against Ito’s words. His insights were valuable, but they did not match the value of Liam’s words. If she gave him more information, she would have to trust that he would act like a nutu trader and seek to balance her profits. She was silent so long that Ito tried to speak, but she interrupted him.
“We do not have nations as you might define them. Each town acts in its own best interest. The Grandmothers of one town might coordinate with another to better facilitate research, and sometimes those trade relationships grow long enough that they are seen as mutually beneficial without requiring specific items of trade. However, we do not cooperate outside agreements. If a town finds itself destroyed by a flood or storm, the assumption is that that town is poorly placed and should be moved. We do not assist each other in the same way we see humans rush to each other's aid.”
Ito nodded. “So it is not that different than guanxi.”
“Do not apply human words to Rownt behaviors,” she warned.
“Wise advice,” Ito said. She did not need his reassurance, but at least he didn’t offer her some insult prepared by someone else. That was insanity. “Do you consider the human tendency towards altruism irrational?” Ito asked.
“Not at all. Simply different.” Humans were fragile enough that she would expect evolution to favor cooperative behavior. Most prey animals on Prarownt cooperated, and sometimes she did see humans as creatures who had not established themselves as the dominant species on their planet. The fear of insects provided significant evidence to support that assumption.
“Given how many similarities our two species share, I find those differences reassuring.” She drank her tea and enjoyed the silence. Once her bowl was empty, she rested her elbows on her knees and watched Ito. He was an interesting human. “Liam said he explained the Imshee concerns about humans. How do humans see Imshee?” she asked.
