Fifteen
Never,evervolunteer
I knewwhere this was going. I knew, but went ahead with it anyway. The Runams had won me over. I considered myself content with being defeated by their friendliness and by their view that I was nowtheir friend.
Pasek had mentioned in passing that lights were dimming in a section of the village. It was impacting Micher’s treatment space at inconvenient moments. I’d filed it and forgotten it until now. It wasn’t a complicated fix. An hour, maybe less, and a basic knowledge of electrical systems. For whatever reason, their people couldn’t figure it out. They were planning on pulling out the system and replacing it with something from the Durbok’s. I told Maive I’d fix it. While I was at it, I’d put in a short-range transmission setup so they could reach me without sending someone on foot. So, yes. I knew. And,fleckit, I considered them my friends, too.
So, on a morning five weeks past the festival, I walked north to the village with my tools in a satchel and a plan to fix their power issue.
Micher met me at the entrance to the communal hall and took me down to the relay room beneath it. I felt for him. I really did. He was a proud healer, reluctant to need outside help and fearful that his position in this little society was in jeopardy. It wasn’t. There were many ailments a portable field medic device didn’t fix.
We didn’t speak much while I worked. He stood with his arms crossed and watched, which was fine. I didn’t need conversation to work. The problem turned out to be a failing connector at the main junction—straightforward to find once you knew where to look, straightforward to replace with parts from theAndromeda’sstores.
When the lights came up steady above us, Micher went to the doorway of his treatment space and stood looking at them.
“My space needs consistent power,” he said, without looking at me. “Patients are often anxious enough when they see me, and random dimming lights don’t help.”
“Well, they’re fixed now,” I said.
He turned. His expression wasn’t warm, but it was less condemning than it had been. “Thank you,” he said. Precise, but genuine. He returned to his instruments.
I gathered my tools. That was that. I wouldn’t complain about the lack of chatter.
Maive stopped me on my way out. I wasn’t expecting to see her, but hearing her softly call my name was a pleasant sound. Seeing her cross the room toward me was also a pleasant sight. She wore a long, flowing dress today with no sleeves. It was a hot day. This attire looked cooling, but it made me feel the opposite.
“Hello, Maive.” I hooked a thumb toward the door that had led to the power connector. “Fixed the light problem. I’m on my way home.”
“Thank you.” She folded her hands in front of her. “The communal meal is held at midday. Why don’t you stay for it?”
I hesitated. Because I couldn’t produce a reasonable objection on short notice, I said, “Okay.”
It was a decision I’d come to regret, sort of.
An awful lot of people sat around tables set up near the docks. There were benches at odd angles, people standing at the ends, conversation running in four directions at once. Laughter, the sounds of serving, children at a smaller table nearby making their own noise. I sat down. I ate what was put in front of me, which was very good—Braija’s work, I suspected, or someone trained by her. I kept my eyes on my plate. Every time I looked up, I caught eyes looking back at me, which generated a question or a comment or an introduction to a person I’d already met twice.
Pasek was to my left. He was talking simultaneously to three people, eating everything within reach, and kept checking on me to see how I was managing.
“You’re doing fine,” he said, without turning.
“I’m not doing anything,” I said around a mouthful of food.
“Exactly.” He took more bread. “Relax.”
This was not useful advice. “You know, I have been to one of your people’s social gatherings before.”
“Sure,” he replied, reaching for more bread. “But you could escape that one. Here, you’re stuck in a chair.”
“I can leave anytime I want,” I muttered. But we both knew better. Across the table and down a ways sat the woman I struggled to keep my eyes off of. She smiled as she chatted with the man sitting beside her and I was able to observe her mostly without her noticing. Except when her gaze shifted and found mine. We’d share a little moment, then return to our meals and conversations. That dress she wore was very pretty, and lower cut than anything I’d seen her in previously.Andit didn’t even reveal anything but a little more skin than I’d seen previously. I was just that smitten with her.
Aila found me just after the meal.
She appeared at my elbow with a bearing that would have been at home on a battlefield commander. “Gilrox. My mother has things to do. You’re available.”
I looked down at her. “For what?”
“For minding us. We’re not supposed to go too far into the forest without a grown person.”
“Who is ‘we’?” But she had already turned and started for the forest path, entirely confident that I would follow.
