Ponter took a deep breath of his own, and—
“Daddy, Daddy!” Little Megameg ran up to her father.
He bent down to be at her eye height. “Yes, sweetie?”
“Jasmel is going to take me home now.”
Ponter hugged his daughter. “I will miss you,” he said.
“I love you, Daddy.”
“I love you, too, Megameg.”
She put her little hands on her little hips.
“Sorry,” said Ponter, raising a hand. “I love you, too, Mega.”
The girl smiled. “When Two become One, can we go on another picnic with Daklar?”
Mary felt her heart jump.
Ponter looked up at Mary, then quickly lowered his head enough that his browridge concealed his eyes from her. “We will see about that,” he said.
Jasmel and Daklar came close. Ponter straightened up and turned to his elder daughter. “I am sure you and Tryon will be very happy.”
Again, Mary was somewhat taken aback by the phraseology. In her world, the word “together” would have been tacked on to that sentiment, but Jasmel and Tryon, although now bonded, were going to spend most of their lives apart. Indeed, Jasmel would presumably have another bonding ceremony in her future, when she chose her woman-mate.
Mary shook her head. Maybe she should just go back home.
“Come on,” said Daklar, stepping forward and speaking to Mary, “we can share a travel cube back into the Center. I assume you are staying at Lurt’s again?”
Mary looked for a moment at Ponter, but even the bride wasn’t getting to sleep with the groom tonight. “Yes,” she said.
“All right,” said Daklar. “Let us go.” She closed the distance between herself and Ponter, and after a moment of hesitation, Ponter drew her into a farewell hug. Mary looked away.
Mary and Daklar said little to each other during the trip back. Indeed, after some awkward silence, Daklar engaged the driver in conversation. Mary looked out at the landscape. There was virtually no old-growth forest left in her Ontario, but there was plenty here.
At last, she was deposited back at Lurt’s home. Lurt’s woman-mate, and Lurt herself, wanted to hear all about the bonding ceremony, and Mary tried to oblige. Young Dab seemed awfully well behaved, sitting silently in a corner—but Lurt eventually explained that he was engrossed in a story being read to him by his Companion.
Mary knew she needed advice, but—damn!—these family relationships were so complex. Lurt Fradlo was Adikor Huld’s woman-mate, and Adikor Huld was Ponter Boddit’s man-mate. But, if Mary understood things correctly, there was no special relationship between Lurt and Ponter, just as…
Just as there was supposed to be no special relationship between Ponter, whose woman-mate had been Klast Harbin, and Daklar Bolbay, who had been Klast’s woman-mate.
And yet clearly there was a special relationship between them. Ponter had made no mention of it to Mary during his first visit to her Earth, although he’d spoken often of what he felt he’d lost by being transported from his home world, apparently with no way ever to return. He’d talked repeatedly of Klast, whom he had already lost, and of Jasmel and Megameg and Adikor. But never Daklar—at least, not as someone he was missing.
Could the relationship between them be that new?
But, if it were, would Ponter have left his world for an extended time?
No, wait. Wait. It wasn’t really that extended a time; it was less than three weeks—three weeks that fell between two successive occurrences of Two becoming One. He couldn’t have seen Daklar during that period even if he had stayed home.
Mary shook her head. She needed not just advice—she needed answers.
And Lurt seemed the only person who could possibly provide them in the short time left between today and when Two next became One. But she’d have to get Lurt alone—and there would be no chance of that until the morning, at Lurt’s lab.
Ponter was lying on one of the couches extending from the wooden walls of his house, staring up at the painting on the ceiling. Pabo was stretched out on the mossy floor next to Ponter, sleeping.
The front door opened, and Adikor entered. Pabo roused and hurried over to meet him. “That’s a girl,” said Adikor, reaching down to scratch the dog’s head.
“Hey, Adikor,” said Ponter, not getting up.
“Hey, Ponter. How was the bonding ceremony?”
“Let me put it this way,” said Ponter. “What’s the worst thing that could have happened?”
Adikor frowned. “Tryon speared himself in the foot?”
“No, no. Tryon was fine; the actual ceremony was fine.”
“Then what?”
“Daklar Bolbay was there.”
“Gristle,” said Adikor, mounting a saddle-seat. “That must have been awkward.”
“You know,” said Ponter, “they say it’s only males who are territorial, but…”
“So what happened?”
“I don’t even know. It’s not like Mare and Daklar had an argument or anything, but…”
“But they both know about the other.”
Ponter’s voice sounded defensive, even to him. “I wasn’t keeping anything from either of them. You know that Daklar’s interest took me by surprise, and, well, I didn’t know then that I’d ever see Mare again. But now…”
“Two become One the day after tomorrow. You won’t be spending any time with Jasmel, I can guarantee that. I remember the first Two becoming One after my bonding to Lurt; we hardly came up for air.”
“I know,” said Ponter. “And although Mega will be around for some of it…”
“You’ll still have to determine who you’re going to spend your time with—and at whose home you are going to sleep.”
“This is ridiculous,” said Ponter. “I’ve no commitment to Daklar.”
“You have no commitment to Mare, either.”
“I know. But I cannot let her be abandoned during Two becoming One.” Ponter paused, hoping Adikor would not take offense at his next words. “Believe me, I know how lonely that can be.”
“Maybe she should go back to her world before then,” said Adikor.
“I don’t think she would like that.”
“Who do you want to be with?”
“Mare. But…”
“Yes?”
“But she has her world, and I have mine. The obstacles are formidable.”
“If I may be so bold, old boy, where do I fit in?”
Ponter sat up on the couch. “What do you mean? You’re my man-mate. I would never let that change.”
“Oh?”
“Of course not. I love you.”
“And I love you. But you told me about Gliksin ways. Mare isn’t looking for a man-mate that she might see for a few days out of each month, and I doubt she wants to find a woman-mate at all.”
“Well, yes, the customs of her people are different, but…”
“It’s like mammoths and mastodons,” said Adikor. “Sure, they look a lot alike, but try mixing a male mammoth with a female mastodon, and watch out!”
“I know,” said Ponter. “I know.”
“I don’t see how you can make it work.”
“I know, but…”
“May I say something?” It was Hak’s voice.
Ponter looked down at his left forearm. “Sure.”
“You know I usually stay out of these things,” said the Companion. “But there is a factor you are not considering.”
“Oh?”
Hak switched to Ponter’s cochlear implants. “You may wish me to say this in private.”
“Nonsense,” said Ponter. “I have no secrets from Adikor.”
“Very well,” said Hak, switching back to the external speaker. “Scholar Vaughan is recovering from a traumatic experience. Her emotions and behavior of late may be atypical.”
Adikor tipped his head. “What traumatic experience? I mean, I know that eating a meal Ponter has helped prepare can be pretty devastating, but…”
“Mare was raped,” said Ponter. “Back in her own world. Just before I came there.”
“Oh,” said Adikor, immediately sobering. “What did they do to the guy who raped her?”
“Nothing. He got away.”
“How could he possibly—”
Ponter raised his left arm. “No Companions. No justice.”
“Marrowless bone,” said Adikor. “What a world they must live in.”