If hes not nervous, maybe we ought to be. Kaliq looked around warily, peered through the open doorway of a house. Oankali did this. They must have.
Put the kid down, Galt repeated. He had ignored Akin for most of Akins captivity, but seemed to forget or deny Akins precocity. Now he seemed to want something.
Iriarte put Akin down, though Akin would have been content to stay in the mans arms. But Galt seemed to expect something. Best to give him something and keep him quiet. Akin turned slowly, drawing breaths over his tongue. Something unusual but not likely to stimulate fear or anger.
Blood in one direction. Old human blood, dry on dead wood. No. It would do no good to show them that.
An agouti nearby. Most of these had goneapparently either carried away by the villagers or released into the forest. This one was still in the village, eating the seedpods that had fallen from one of the few remaining trees. Best not to make the men notice it. They might shoot it. They craved meat. Within the last few days, they had caught, cooked, and eaten several fish, but they talked a great deal about real meatsteaks and chops and roasts and burgers
A faint smell of the kind of vegetable dye Humans at Lo used to write with. Writing. Books. Perhaps the people of Hillmann had left some record of the reason for their leaving.
Without speaking, the men followed Akin to the house that smelled strongest of the dye, the ink, Lilith called it. She used it so often that the smell of it made Akin see her in his mind and almost cry with wanting her.
Just like a bloodhound, Damek said. He doesnt waste a step.
He eats mushrooms and flowers and leaves, Kaliq said inconsequentially. Its a wonder he hasnt poisoned himself.
Whats that got to do with anything? Whats he found? Iriarte picked up a large book that Akin had been trying to reach. The paper, Akin could see, was heavy and smooth. The cover was of polished, dark-stained wood.
Shit, Iriarte muttered. Its in German. He passed the book to Damek.
Damek rested the book on the little table and turned pages slowly. Ananas
bohnen
bananen
mangos
. This is just stuff about crops. I cant read most of it, but its
records. Crop yields, farming methods
He turned several more pages to the end of the book. Heres some Spanish, I think.
Iriarte came back to look. Yeah. It says
shit. Ah, shit!
Kaliq pushed forward to look. I dont believe this, he said after a moment. Someone was forced to write this!
Damek, Iriarte said, gesturing. Look at this German shit up here. The Spanish says they gave it up. The Oankali invited them again to join the trade villages, and they voted to do it. To have Oankali mates and kids. They say, Part of what we are will continue. Part of what we are will go to the stars someday. That seems better than sitting here, rotting alive or dying and leaving nothing. How can it be a sin for the people to continue? Iriarte looked at Damek. Does it say anything like that in German?
Damek studied the book for so long that Akin sat down on the floor to wait. Finally Damek faced the others, frowning. It says just about that, he told them. But there are two writers. One says Were joining the Oankali. Our blood will continue. But the other one says the Oankali should be killedthat to join with them is against God. Im not sure, but I think one group went to join the Oankali and another went to kill the Oankali. God knows what happened.
They just walked away, Galt said. Left their homes, their crops
He began looking through the house to see what else had been left. Trade goods.
The other men scattered through the village to carry on their own searches. Akin looked around to be certain he was unobserved, then went out to watch the agouti. He had not seen one close up before. Lilith claimed they looked like a cross between deer and rats. Nikanj said they were larger now than they had been before the war, and they were more inclined now to seek out insects. They had lived mainly on fruits and seeds before, though even then they took insects as well. This agouti was clearly more interested in the insect larvae that infested the seedpods than in the pods themselves. Its forelegs ended in tiny hands, and it sat back on its haunches and used the hands to pluck out the white larvae. Akin watched it, fascinated. It looked at him, tensed for a moment, then selected another seedpod. Akin was smaller than it was. Apparently it did not see him as a threat. He stooped near it and watched it. He inched closer, wanting to touch it, see how the furred body felt.
To his amazement, the animal let him touch it, let him stroke the short fur. He was surprised to find that the fur did not feel like hair. It was smooth and slightly stiff in one direction and rough in the other. The animal moved away when he rubbed its fur against the grain. It sniffed his hand and stared at him for a moment. It clutched a large, half-eaten larva in its hands.
An instant later the agouti flew sideways in a roar of Human-made thunder. It landed on its side some distance from Akin, and it made small, useless running motions with its feet. It could not get up.
Akin saw at once that it was Galt who had shot the animal. The man looked at Akin and smiled. Akin understood then that the man had shot the inoffensive animal not because he was hungry for its meat, but because he wanted to hurt and frighten Akin.
Akin went to the agouti, saw that it was still alive, still struggling to run. Its hind feet did not work, but its forefeet made small running steps through the air. There was a gaping hole in its side.
Akin bent to its neck and tasted it, then, for the first time, deliberately injected his poison. A few seconds later, the agouti stopped struggling and died.
Galt stepped up and nudged the animal with his foot.
It was beginning to feel terrible pain, Akin said. I helped it die. He swayed slightly, even though he was seated on the ground. He had tasted the agoutis life and its pain, but all he could give it was death. If he had not gone near it, Galt might never have noticed it. It might have lived.
He hugged himself, trembling, feeling sick.
Galt nudged him with a foot, and he fell over. He picked himself up and stared at the man, wanting desperately to be away from him.
How come you only talk to me? Galt asked.
First because I wanted to help Tilden, Akin whispered quickly. The others were coming. Now because I have to
have to help you. You shouldnt eat the agouti. The poison I gave it would kill you.
Akin managed to dodge the vicious kick Galt aimed at his head. Iriarte picked Akin up and held him protectively.
You fool, youll kill him! Iriarte shouted.
Good riddance, Galt yelled back. Shit, theres plenty of trade goods here. We dont need that mongrel bastard!
Kaliq had come up to stand beside Iriarte. What have you found here that we could trade for a woman? he demanded.
Silence.
That boy is to us what gold used to be, Kaliq spoke softly now.
In fact, Iriarte said, hes more valuable to us than you are.
He can talk! Galt shouted.
Kaliq took a step closer to him. Man, I dont care if he can fly! There are people wholl pay anything for him. He looks okay, thats whats important.
Iriarte looked at Akin. Well, he always knew he could understand us better than any normal kid his age. What did he say?
Galt drew his mouth into a thin smile. After I shot the agouti, he bit it on the neck, and it died. He told me not to eat it because he had poisoned it.
Yeah? Iriarte held Akin away from him and stared. Say something, kid.
Akin was afraid the man would drop him if he spoke. He was also afraid he would lose Iriarte as a protectoras he had lost Galt. He tried to look as frightened as he felt, but he said nothing.
Give him to me, Galt said. Ill make him talk.