“All right,” Richard said. “Give me a hand.”
Together they got Mura wedged into place. She was taller and heavier than Sart, so she was a tighter fit. In the end, they had to leave a few containers out.
Richard straightened up after finally managing to get the door to shut. “This has got to stop,” he said.
“What?” Michael asked.
“Knocking off these Interterrans,” Richard said. “We’re out of refrigerators.”
“Very funny,” Michael said. “How come I’m not laughing?”
“Don’t make me answer that, birdbrain,” Richard said.
“I’ll tell you what it really means,” Michael said. “We gotta get our asses out of Interterra! With two bodies, the chances of someone stumbling across one has just doubled.”
“You should have thought of that before you knocked her off,” Richard said.
“I’m telling you, I didn’t have any choice!” Michael yelled. “I didn’t want to ice her, but she wouldn’t shut up.”
“Don’t shout!” Richard said. “You’re right. We got to get the hell out of here. The only good news is that it seems the straightlaced admiral is thinking the same way we are.”
Suzanne couldn’t remember the last time she’d swum in the nude, and she was pleasantly shocked by the sensation as she struck out across the pool. And although she was mildly self-conscious about being naked, especially given Garona’s perfect form, she wasn’t as uptight as she had imagined she’d be. It was probably because Garona made her feel so accepted the way she was despite her physical imperfections.
Reaching the far end of the pool, Suzanne flipped over and, with a burst of speed, swam back to where Garona was contentedly sitting at the edge with just his feet in the water. She grasped one of his ankles and succeeded in pulling him into the water. They ducked under the water and embraced.
Eventually tiring of their underwater play, they swam to the side, and hauled themselves out of the water. With the slight breeze wafting in from the open end of the room, Suzanne felt gooseflesh pop out along the backs of her arms and the sides of her thighs. “I’m glad you came back tonight,” she said. She was genuinely glad to see him.
“I’m glad, too,” Garona said. “I was anticipating it all day.”
“I wasn’t sure if you would come back,” Suzanne said. “To be honest, I was worried you wouldn’t. I’m afraid I acted immaturely last night.”
“What do you mean?”
“I should have made a clearer choice,” Suzanne said. “Either I should not have allowed you to stay or, having done so, I should have acted more appropriately. What I did was somewhere in between.”
“I enjoyed every minute,” Garona said. “Our interaction was not goal-oriented. The idea was just to spend time together, which we did.”
Suzanne gazed at Garona appreciatively, silently lamenting that it required a trip to a surreal, mythic world to find such a sensitive, giving, and handsome man. As her mind naturally drifted to the idea of taking him back with her, the thought yanked her back to the reality of whether she was ever going to be able to go back herself. It also brought up the other, major unanswered question. “Garona, can you tell me why we’ve been brought to Interterra?” Suzanne asked suddenly.
Garona sighed. “I am sorry,” he said. “I cannot interfere with Arak. You and your group are his charges.”
“Just telling me why we’re here would be interfering?”
“Yes,” Garona said without hesitation. “Please don’t put me in that position. I want so much to be open and honest with you, but in that sphere I cannot, and it distresses me to have to deny you anything.”
Suzanne stared into her new friend’s face and could see his sincerity. “I’m sorry for asking,” she said. She lifted her hand and he lifted his. They slowly pressed palms. Suzanne smiled with contentment; she was becoming pleasantly acclimated to the Interterran embrace.
“Perhaps I should ask how Arak is doing with his orientation?” Garona said.
“I’d say very well,” Suzanne commented. “He and Sufa are such gracious hosts.”
“But of course,” Garona said. “They were lucky to get such an interesting group. I heard that they have already taken you out into the city. Did you enjoy that?”
“It was fascinating,” Suzanne said. “We visited the death center and the spawning center as well as Arak and Sufa’s home.”
“Such rapid progress,” Garona commented. “I’m impressed indeed. I’ve never heard of second-generation humans progressing so quickly. What is your reaction to what you have seen and heard? I can hardly imagine how extraordinary it must be for you.”
“The expression beyond belief has never been so appropriate.”
“Have you found anything disturbing?”
Suzanne tried to figure out if Garona wanted the truth or platitudes.
“There was one thing that bothered me,” Suzanne began, deciding to give Garona honesty. She went on to explain her negative reaction to the implant process.
Garona nodded. “I can appreciate your point of view,” he said. “It is a natural consequence of your Judeo-Christian roots, which puts such high value on the individual. But I assure you we do as well. The child’s essence is not ignored but rather added to the implanted essence. It is a mutually beneficial process, a true symbiosis.”
“But how can an unborn’s essence compete with that of a learned adult?”
“It is not a competition,” Garona said. “Both benefit, although obviously the child benefits the most. I can tell you, as someone who has gone through the process countless times, I have been strongly influenced by each essence from each body. It is definitely an additive process.”
“It seems like a rationalization,” Suzanne said. “But I’ll try to keep an open mind.”
“I hope you do,” Garona said. “I’m sure Arak plans to return to this issue in the didactic sessions. Remember, today’s outing was not to explain things thoroughly but rather to help overcome the usual disbelief with which our visitors initially struggle.”
“I’m aware of that,” Suzanne said. “But it is true I tend to forget. So thank you for reminding me.”
“My pleasure,” Garona said.
“You’re a sensitive, beautiful man, Garona,” Suzanne said with all sincerity. “It is a delight to be with you.” She found herself wondering what it would be like to walk with him on the beach at Malibu or to drive on Route 1 around Big Sur. One thing that Interterra lacked was an ocean, and as an oceanographer, the ocean was central to Suzanne’s universe.
“You are a beautiful woman. You’re extraordinarily entertaining.”
“Thanks to my alluring primitiveness,” Suzanne said. She guessed Garona imagined he was complimenting her, but she would have preferred a word other than entertaining, especially after Donald’s complaint.
“Your primitiveness is endearing,” Garona agreed.
Briefly Suzanne entertained the idea of letting Garona know her response to being called primitive, but she resisted. At this stage of their relationship she wanted to be positive. Instead she said, “Garona, there’s something I want you to know about me.”
Garona pricked his ears.
“I want you to know I don’t have another lover. I did, but that ended.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Garona said. “The only thing that matters is that you are here this moment.”
“It matters to me,” Suzanne said mildly hurt. “It matters to me a lot.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
The morning of the secondary humans’ second full day in Interterra began similarly to the first day. Suzanne and Perry were offhand with each other about their previous evening’s experiences and eager for what the day was to bring. Donald was less enthusiastic and a touch morose. Richard and Michael were tense and silent, and when they did talk, it was only about leaving. Donald had to shut them up when Arak made his entrance.