1. Coming to
Cantata
Open eyes are not
enough.
Open mind is needed
to akuut.
......Kuunasian saying.
The stories in this section tell of how Kitt came to Canada
and met his lifelong friend Sean OÕFlahertyÉAlicia.
Au Revoir Kuunasameru
A tumult pulsed Kitt as Kuunasameru gently disappeared under the
horizon. Distant white beaches;
hundreds of gloriously dressed people waving; the green forest behind; the blue
blue blue Pacific sky above.
"Miki's First Voyage" sighed Kitt to himself.
Trepidation at the thought of the perils ahead swirled with a
melancholy as the familiar akuut of his family faded away. Akuut warms closeness but makes absence
sting. Only immediate action could
allay the hand of his emotions which would turn the tiller to return.
Great ceremony and the excited shouts of well wishers saw his
dispatch and after paddling to open water and having a favorable wind Kitt
immediately erected his sail and moved rapidly away. Looking in his navigational box once
again but in his heart he knew itÕs completeness as his canoe had been packed
with the utmost care and checked many trusted times. He stowed the box and stood riding the
waves, by the tiller, face to the future, back on the past. His hips could feel the deep ocean
swells; his knees the major cross currents; his face felt the prevailing wind;
his eyes saw the many signs in the sky; and all these whirled in his mind to
navigate into unknown waters as his ancestors before. The bow chuckled and the sail luffed
slightly. A tightness came in his
throat and he allowed himself a tear for it would be many years before he would
see his family again and maybe never, for this adventure would take him far
away and possibly into great danger.
~//~
Hours gone, wary eye on the sky; Kitt ate and drank to sustain
body; made his log entries and then read his ÒOrders of DispatchÓ
First was the record of the meeting where his dispatch was
decided.
~//~
Beginning of Kuunasian tribal record 119 in
the time of Himbos the 307th.
Red mayouwanna smoke filled the Men's House, swirling round the circle of men
seated on the floor formally dressed.
Mystical splendor half seen through the mist from the smudge pot. The throb of the Taigla drums stopped and the Medicine Man,
Peskitoo the 293rd, finished the opening dance. All eyes turned towards The Chief,
Himbos the 307th, sitting in the seat of responsibility, his ceremonial robes
flowing around. Everyone was solemn
for a major decision was to be made
but the mayouwanna smoke put everybody in good humor.
Himbos began, "Members of the Kuunas - cough! - cough! - cough! Shit! Peskitoo crack the door will you
good fellow, we have to be able to
speak. Arachoya knows!. Strike that from the record will
you. Oh shit we canÕt in full
counsel. Oh shitÉÉÉ."
Some chuckles as Peskitoo did as asked and the swirling smoke cleared a little.
Himbos started again.
"Men of Kuunasameru, elders of the Kuunas tribe. We are gathered here to make the biggest
decision in the history of our tribe.
Kuunasameru, our
island, the island where the Kuunas
Tribe have lived since the first day Arachoya, she who gives us everything,
made the sun came out of the sea, is facing a crisis. The sea is rising and the island is
gradually being covered. The sea
has always risen and fallen, this is recorded in our tribal tablets in the
Temple of Arachoya, she who gives us everything. This time however it has risen higher
than ever before and continues to rise still. We have been told by the pink men with
neck nooses from else that our island is going to be completely submerged. We have prayed to Arachoya to be spared
but she does not answer with kind words to make us safe but with a finger pointing
out to sea. Peskitoo the 293rd has
interpreted this to mean we must all leave. But where will we go if we
leave. It has been proposed that we
send out our brightest and best to the four corners of else to find our new
home. Peskitoo bid them
enter."
Four young men enter and Himbos continued, "You have been chosen to find
our new home. Luuko into the
warm, Kittamsu into sunset, Scouuty into the cold and Duuso into
sunrise. Each raise
your right hand if you accept this honor.Ó
They all raise their right hands to which
Himbos responded, ÒLet it be recorded that all have accepted their charge. Indicate now any man not in agreement
with this plan."
There was a moment or two of silence before Himbos said, ÒThe akuut informs me
this is unanimous. The meeting is over.
Thank you all.Ó
The men filed out in reverse rank order each showing his respect for Himbos and
bestowing good wishes on the scouts with some gift. After the last was gone Himbos handed
each scout his orders of dispatch laid his hands on each pair of shoulders and
kissed their foreheads as a gesture of goodwill and luck.
As soon as they had left he gave orders for the preparation of their canoes.
End of record 119.
~//~
KittÕs gifts were all immensely useful for the journey ahead: a
glistening sharp knife made from whale bone with it's belt sheath; a compass in
it's waterproof case; a spy glass
also in carrying case; and many other tools or navigational aids.
The second sheet folded out to a map of the world known to the
Kuunas with various potential countries marked. Kitt knew the map well but marveled
again at the craftsmanship that had created this beautiful waterproof copy.
~//~
The last sheet was a personal message to him from Himbos the 307th.
Kittamsu, my
dear Kitt,
You
hold the fate of our people in your hands.
It is a heavy burden that I have to place on you but I have no
choice. Peskitoo has advised, and I
agree, that it is in you our best hopes reside going as you do into the sunset
from where the pink men come.
As advice I could only suggest that the wisdom of our culture and beliefs
should guide you. We are an ancient
and proud people with a long history of exploration and encountering strange
lands.
Your departure will hurt me like the departure of one of my own sons and I am
only fortified by the belief that you will be successful and our akuut will
know each other again.
May the hand of Arachoya, she who gives us everything, guide you true and keep
you safe.
All
my love and best wishes - Himbos; your Godfather and humble leader.
Kitt's spirits rose as he reflected and
reread the note several times.
~//~
Perhaps a thousand miles of good sailing
during mostly sunny days was about to end.
Kitt looked long and hard at the horizon and lifted his nose to the
wind. Danger was no stranger and he
had met it before with a stout heart but the green line he saw sent a pulse of
chill up his spine from the ice of his bowel. Arachoya was about to test him.
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Amori
His ear could not hear the familiar flap of his sail and chuckle
at the bow and he was lying on something much softer than his sea bunk, then
memory of the terrible squall came back.
He had tried to outrun it but it had seen him and reached out itÕs arms
to pull him and his tiny vessel to itÕs awful breast. Because he had seen it coming everything
had been tied down and secured though the squall put itÕs fingers into any
little gaps to try and lever things apart.
Then it unleashed it's full fury on him with waves the size of a
mountains that tried to swallow him, one minute his bow above his stern and the
next his stern above his bow while wrenching his vessel from side to side like
a dog shaking a rat.. After a
vicious pitch and toss the vessel nearly capsized and he fell hitting his head
on the gun whale. When he returned
to consciousness somehow miraculously he was still in the canoe as his
makeshift harness and tiller lock had held, the tail of the squall still
menaced with large humpy waves. The
squall had managed was to tear his water skins away. With no idea now where he was or how
long he had been unconscious he sailed into the sunset in a daze getting more
and more thirsty for days.
Eventually he lashed the sail and tiller and then lay down to place his
fate in the hands of Arachoya and passed out remembering no more till this
moment waking in a strange but comfortable bed in a strange but pleasant
bedroom.
The door opened and an elderly woman entered, seeing him awake
she uttered something he could not understand and went out again to return with
a tray. He tried to get out of bed
but was too weak to get up. The
woman put the tray beside him. He picked up the water pitcher and
started to drink. The woman put her
hand on the pitcher and stopped him
saying something. His akuut was
starting to come back on line and he understood she was warning him to drink
slowly or he would make himself sick.
His long journey of healing had begun.
~//~
The peaceful ocean sparkled in the sun as Kitt sat, his back to
his canoe looking out to sea. Forty
one days since he woke up in that strange bedroom, forty one days regaining his
strength though his ordeal still had itÕs mark in the gauntness of his
face. The Amori tribe had been
dream hosts, nursing him back to health; protecting his canoe; putting itÕs
contents into storage. He owed them
much.
The sandy beach stretched away in both directions dotted with
wave washed rocky outcrops and massive driftwood pieces in sleepy shapes. Kirgo, the pet tree frog a little girl
had given him, sat on his knee closing itÕs eyes in pleasure as he stroked itÕs
head. He took his flute which
wondrously had weathered whole and began to play. The tenuous tones mixed with the sound
of the surf and peace pervaded his mind as he remembered his homeland with
beaches like this one.
~//~
A rope swing for Marti, the little girl who had given him Kirgo,
was Kitt's first project as soon as he was up and about. There was a tree in her garden with a
convenient branch and rope he borrowed for future services. She was delighted. He repaid the owner of the rope with
repairs to his porch for which he borrowed materials again for future services
and so on. As he regained his full
strength and vigor he integrated himself into the Amori culture; similar to his
own since the Amori liked to retain the traditional ways and used modern
technology sparingly when at all.
He learned their language, taking active part in community, using all
his increasing energy as he healed.
Soon he was known to most and had provided many with some kindness or
service as he could. It was little
enough response to their kindness but all he could do for now. As the time approached that he must
leave he promised Arachoya that the debt would not be forgotten and eventually
he would repay it.
~//~
As he left, taking little more than he had brought with him, in
modern clothes and a backpack the community gave him as a parting gift as well
as some money. Leaving was hard for
him and the many who stood waving in the roadway until he was out of sight as
he walked towards to the city, starting his journey to Cantata, a place he had
learned about from them that may fulfill his quest. Kitt turned at the last bend and waved,
then was gone. There was a great
mood of sadness over the community for days after, not the least in the hearts
of those to whom a young unattached man had a special interest.
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to Contents
Silver Canoe
We all enter
and sit two by two
You donÕt know me
but I akuut you
then with a roar
we go into the blue.
The clerk at the Cantatian Embassy had made his head buzz asking
all kinds of questions when he applied for a student visa. He wasn't in any University courses, he
didn't have a sponsor in Cantata, and so on. He could akuut the girl wasn't being
difficult and that these were standard questions so he did his best. She seemed to like him and gave him
a visa anyway. Then the dismay at the ticket price
seriously depleting his funds. He
knew from the Amori he had no choice but to use a silver canoe to get to
Cantata and had begun eating the special leaves they had given him to dull his
senses, ignore what wasnÕt essential and endure the discomfort and boredom of
the journey. The feeling of tension
ticked in Kitt's akuut as he looked down the queue to airline security. This must be a very important ceremony
although a complete mystery to him.
He had understood it was a serious offense to laugh. He didnÕt really know what to do with
Kirgo asleep in itÕs pouch under his shirt. He watched what others were doing as
they reached the front. They took
everything out of their pockets, took off all their jewelry and put them all into a flat open box
the lady with a military uniform gave them, showed her their papers and then
set their bag and coat on the moving table top. Then queued to go through the doorframe
without a door. When he got to the
front he tried to do the same. He
had a few coins in his pockets which he put in the tray. Kirgo chose that moment to wake up and
gave a little croak. The woman gave
him a startled look and he patted his mouth apologetically as though it was a
small burp. She gave him a sideways
look but he then smiled his most disarming smile and put his bag and folded
coat on the moving table showing her his papers, as he had seen the others
do. She hesitated then smiled back,
took the tray and put it behind his bag.
Kitt felt weak at the knees in spite of the numbing effect of the special
herbs. His urgent akuut message to
Kirgo to go back to sleep again worked.
He stood waiting to go through the doorframe without a
door. Some, but not
all, of the people who went through seemed to do a sort of little dance holding
their arms out horizontally and doing a pirouette. Kitt wondered if he should do the dance
or not. He wondered if there were
any special ceremonial steps and decided to try the steps from the traditional
Kuunasian rutting rooster dance.
The next lady in military dress had a magic wand so when she beckoned
him through he started to do the dance. but could immediately akuut the
military ladies displeasure and stopped in midstride. He then just turned slowly with his arms
out straight like a tree in the wind.
{Seemed o.k.} She tapped him
on the shoulder with her wand and said something which he could akuut meant
go. She didn't smile but he must
have done the little dance very well he thought to be tapped with the wand and
went over to pick up his bag and other things, wondering if the magic from her
wand would bring him good luck.
{Perhaps she's a good fairy - without wings.} He matched the signs for the gate to the
signs on his boarding pass and started down the path. This departure was so different from his
pleasant and ceremonial departure in his sea canoe from Kuunasameru or even his
departure from the Amori all standing in the road waving. He felt very lonely.
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to Contents
Enter Sean
"Zippedy-do-da.
Zippedy-ay. My-oh-my whad a
wun-derful day." the robot got
the southern negro accent perfectly singing along with the musac from the audio
system. After all it was very
content in the arrivals lounge cleaning the floor and furniture. It's short fat silver chrome body shone
in the shafts of sunlight through the transparent domed roof. The black skirt modestly hiding the
business end while it's telescopic arms and scanners on it's rotating head
sections continually worked. Most
of the larger airports already had self cleaning floors and furniture but
Grander was still using the older "robotic cleaners" technology. The robots singing would occasionally be
interrupted by a ÒwhoopeeÓ when it discovered a piece of garbage and disposed
of it with a crackle in it's incinerator.
Bump! "Oi! Watch where you're going." The peaceful sound of the audio mix was
rudely interrupted. "Ooh
sorry!" The robot apologized
for bumping into the trash bin, which had been fast asleep. Sean drew a breath and huffed it out
again. The chair next to the trash
can was now chastising it for being so bad tempered which developed into an
argument causing the chair the other side of the trash can to tell them both
cool it. Everything was peaceful again, Sean was relieved he didn't need to
intervene.
In a bustling airport a solitary figure standing was a common
sight. But he was still there in
exactly the same place as this morning..
He wasn't in any visible distress, standing perfectly calm, perfectly
still. He didnÕt even look at what
Sean was doing the way most people would, casually looking at him working, just
to relieve the boredom. He just
looked straight ahead. Sean thought
about reporting it to security but for some reason didn't. The young man was perhaps Polynesian,
very good looking, with golden brown skin that seemed to shine with health,
long black hair, deep brown eyes and wearing brand new jeans, casual shirt and
hiking boots. He was no
grubby-dud. He looked very much
like a thousand other young students who would embark on round the world trips
just to get some experience of foreign lands.
As Sean came to the end of his shift he decided he had to do
something, so on pretext of working nearby said hi and asked him if everything
was o.k. The young man looked at him and smiled and nodded. Sean said that he had noticed him
standing there earlier and wondered if he needed any help. He shook his head and pointed to his
mouth. He didn't speak English. Sean tried miming a question about
needing help, it wasn't a very good mime and Sean was surprised at how quickly
the fellow understood. He pointed
at himself and said, "Kittamsu of Kuunasameru" and then pointed at
Sean. "Sean O'Flaherty",
Sean replied, Òof GranderÓ. Kitt
then mimed his needs. Rubbing his stomach was obvious but then Sean had to
laugh as Kitt graphically mimed using the urinal in the time honored male
stance. Sean took a quick look
around and was glad to see there werenÕt any elderly ladies to shock, in fact,
there was no one nearby, just the robot who was singing as usual.
Sean took an immediate liking to Kitt, an aura of peace and
wellbeing emanated from him. He
checked the time and realized his shift was nearly over, so he showed Kitt the
menÕs room, leaving him there and signaling that he would come back. Kitt seemed to understand again very
easily. Sean was a good hearted man
and felt an almost paternal relationship to the boy, he was, after all, almost
old enough to be his father. He
finished up his shift, docking his hand held in the utility room, signed off,
then went back.
Driven by some impulse he didn't understand Sean indicated for Kit
to follow him and Kitt smiled and did so.
When the autobus arrived Kitt was very curious and walked all around it,
the robot bus driver kept repeating, "Please board the vehicle. Mind the doors" while rotating it's
head in confusion to watch Kitt through the bus windows. Sean had never seen the bus drivers head
go a full circle before. Some of
the passengers were amused but one or two were impatient. Sean got off again and grabbed Kitt
pulling him onto the bus before things got unpleasant. After Kitt had got in he was amazed at
first but soon enjoyed to ride.
There was an open window and Kitt stuck his head out into the rush of
air, like a dog would, his dark hair streaming out. Sean hoped he wouldn't hang his tongue
out and bark at people going by and was glad he didnÕt. The bus driver announced, "Please
keep arms inside the veh....", long pause while head moved rapidly from
side to side, "Please keep
arms...." Another long pause
with wobbling head. "Please
keep arms .. and head.. inside the vehicle." The 'and head' was spoken in a higher
pitch than the sotto voice of the rest of the announcement. Sean pulled Kitt inside again shaking
his head to indicate to Kitt not to do that. Near Sean's house they got off as the
autobus driver announced, "Have a nice day. Mind the doors." and the soft whine
and woosh of the autobus faded away down the street. Kitt stood perfectly still. Sean couldn't get him to say or do
anything he just stood there by the side of the road. Sean saw the next door neighbor's window
covering move slightly. {Nosy old
Mrs Dithers. This is
embarrassing.} He began to worry
that Kitt was going to remain there for several hours like he had at the
airport when after a couple of minutes he smiled and picked up his rucksack,
looking at Sean wordlessly asking, "Where now?"
Sean crossed the road and led him inside his house and into the
kitchen. As Sean began to get
a meal ready Kitt couldn't sit still and seemed amazed at everything, his
reaction to the toaster made Sean laugh, he watched carefully as Sean put the
bread in and peered closely then jumped back in surprise when the bread popped
up. He turned the stove rings on
and off many times the way a child would, copying the gestures he had seen Sean
use. He ate the food Sean had prepared hungrily and drank some orange juice and
coffee. Sean had a spare room and
he showed it to Kitt, patting the bed.
Kitt understood and needed no more invitation, he was obviously
extremely tired and lay down on top of the bed, only taking off his boots. Sean left him there, and saw that he was
sound asleep when he checked back in a few minutes. Sean went to bed himself wondering why
he had allowed a perfect stranger to sleep in his house and about this amazing
affinity he felt. He wondered where
Kitt had come from and what kind of place it was that didn't have all the
normal modern conveniences. Even
more mysterious was that Kitt had this aura about him. He fell asleep wondering
and it found it's way into his dreams.
~//~
The next day was Saturday and Sean didn't have to work weekends
since the robots could be left to themselves for a couple of days - usually -
baring an emergency call out for a robot doing something strange. One had tried haul someone's abandoned
bags off to the garbage and another time one had used boot polish on a person's
suede shoes, but that was early days,
such emergencies were very rare now. He woke late and got leisurely out of
bed suddenly remembering his guest.
On checking Kitt was still sound asleep. Sean assumed that he hadn't slept at all
or maybe poorly during the last few days and didn't disturb him. He showered and went down to make
breakfast. Breakfast was cooking
when Kitt peeked round the doorway quickly indicating to Sean that he needed
some serious cleaning. His complete
lack of any inhibitions still amused Sean even in the privacy of his own home
as he stood naked holding his dirty clothes in one hand and mimed washing and
drying himself . Sean showed Kitt
the bathroom and made sure he knew how to use all the facilities and found him
an old house robe putting his clothes in the wash automaton. Kitt appeared again in due course as
Sean put the bacon and eggs on the table with perfect timing. Kitt loved the bacon and eggs, the look
on his face made Sean laugh. Sean
rubbed his stomach to show Kitt that he loved bacon and eggs and Kitt grinned
and copied the mime but exaggerated, clowning around.
After breakfast they lingered over coffee. The language barrier seemed no
problem. Kitt seemed to know what
Sean was thinking and Sean also seemed to be able to sense what Kitt meant in
any communication. Sean began to
realize that communication was going on between them in more ways then just the
mime: sound effects and pidgin English.
Telepathy was in the world of fantasy so far as Sean was concerned but
that certainly seemed like the appropriate description. Later he would realize that was exactly
what was going on.
Sean retrieved Kitt's clean clothes and after a while Kitt went
up to his room and re-appeared with his rucksack offering Sean some money. Sean at first refused the money, but Kitt
mimed his disappointment , feigned petulance and stamping his foot in a
clownish way so Sean had to accept it in the end with a laugh. As Kitt prepared
to leave Sean wondered where he would go and what his plans were because just
going out there left to his own devices it would be very tough. Sean stepped in front of Kitt as he
headed for the door and indicated for him to sit down again. It didnÕt take Sean long to figure out
that Kitt had no firm plans and no particular end destination where he could be
safe. Sean, on the spur of the
moment and acting on that same instinct that had led him before, offered to let
him stay there a day or two and to act as Kitt's guide, at least till he had
somewhere else to go. Kitt quickly
understood and signified his acceptance, taking his rucksack upstairs and
coming back down. {"Very
grateful"} Kitt took SeanÕs hand in both of his. This, and the money transaction before,
offsetting any suspicions Sean may have had that Kitt was a freeloader. This was confirmed as they 'talked' the
rest of the morning and Sean began to understand the whys and wherefores of
this Kittamsu of Kuunasameru.
2. The Cultural Tsunami
A cultural tsunami
is about to hit.
They're in for a ride
both Sean and KittÉ.Alicia.
The
Wave Hits
SeanÕs phlegmatic
humor was all that kept him sane in the next little while. He never knew from one minute to the
next what was going to happenÉ.Alicia.
Supermarket
Sean normally did all his
shopping on Saturday. Kitt wanted
to come with him, he had nothing else to do. The two of them went out into the entrance hall and
Sean lead through the pedestrian door into the garage pressing the control for
the garage up and over door which made it's usual groaning noise. He heard KittÕs cry of alarm and turning
saw him peeking round the door a look of terror on his face and then go back to
the kitchen, it seems that the poorly lit, cold garage smelling of garbage and
exhaust fumes together with the groaning noise was too much. Overcoming this took Sean some
gymnastics even with KittÕs special talents. Sean was at a loss to know what to do
but as he sat with Kitt back in the kitchen he hit on an idea. Trust. Did Kitt trust him or not? Kitt understood immediately and
indicated he did.
So once again Sean heads
for the garage except much more slowly.
Maybe it was because the garage door was now open letting in the
daylight and letting out the obnoxious fumes that Kitt followed him close
behind down the garage steps, or maybe it was trust. Kitt still behaved like a nervous cat,
he saw the glow from the garage door sensor and gestured to it as Sean had done
causing the garage door to close.
Sean had to go and get him back out of the house again and showed him
how to operated the garage door which Kitt then played with for a few minutes. Sean saw old Henry across the street was
watching what was going on through his front window with a puzzled expression
scratching his head as the garage door went up and down like a yoyo. Sean gave him a little wave and he waved
back uncertainly.
Eventually they
approached SeanÕs old SUV and he opened the passenger door. Kitt did not get in but instead started
to walk around the vehicle. He
looked closely at and touched everything, sniffed the tires, ran his fingers
over the smooth lenses of the headlights, looked through every window. Unlike with the autobus there were no
impatient passengers this time just old Henry still watching so Sean just
waited. Finally Kitt got in and sat
down still nervous as a cat. Sean
shut the door and walked around to get in the drivers side as Kitt watched. Sean realized that he needed to warn
Kitt somehow that he was going to start the engine and it would make a
noise. That took quite a pantomime
and old Henry thought he was signaling something and tried to signal back
waving his arms in some kind of
gesture. Sean decided to ignore him
and started the engine. Judging
from KittÕs reaction he was very glad he had warned him. Now this was a very old SUV and didnÕt
have any of the pneumatic collision protection systems available at that
time. You had to do up seat belts
and another few minutes were spent getting Kitt properly belted. You would have thought old Henry was
watching an adult movie the way he stared open mouthed.
Sean moved the vehicle
into the driveway and shut the garaged door with a voice command to the car
remote. Kitt wanted to try it but
Sean waved him off and moved out down the street, he'd had enough embarrassment. All went well until they got on the
hiway then they nearly got into an accident. It was a sunny day so Sean opened the sun roof. Kitt watched the sun roof open and then
undid his seat belt and stood on the seat with his head and shoulders through
the roof, arms wide, hair streaming back.
Of course the vehicle alarm systems started to chirp and clang. Sean had to pull over to the hard
shoulder and once the vehicle was stopped got Kitt down. Sean lectured him that he could not do
that. {Kitt understood but was very
disappointed Sean was spoiling all the fun.} Underway again and Sean gave a voice
command to play one of his favorite music tracks. Kitt started looking all around the
vehicle, after a minute or so Sean
realized he was looking for the musicians and shut the music off. He didn't use any other facilities of
the SUV for fear of what Kitt would do and they arrive at the Supermarket with
no further incident. Sean gets out,
Kitt gets out. Sean starts to go
towards the store but Kitt doesnÕt follow.
Later Sean found out that whenever a Kuunasian travels faster than a man
can run in some vehicle they believe that their personal spirit Egoni gets left
behind and they must wait for it to catch up. That was why he was standing at the
airport and when he got off the autobus.
Once understood Sean would stay inside the vehicle but on this day he
just stood with Kitt like a lemon smiling at curious passersby and not understanding
with Kitt unable to explain what seemed perfectly normal to him, till finally
they move off towards the store entrance.
Sean took a cart from the
stack and Kitt did the same. Sean
decided to just let it go rather than try to explain they didn't really need
two carts. They go inside and all seems
well. Kitt was amazed by all the
people taking from produce stacked to the ceiling; large bins full of fresh
fruit and produce and all the normal arrangements of a big box grocery
store. He watched with interest as
Sean put various things he needed into the cart. Sean had scanned a bar code and
downloaded a products nutritional information into his hand held then when he
looked round Kitt was gone. Naively
he thought nothing of it, assuming Kitt was just going to look around the store
at all the things that he hadnÕt seen before and wasn't worried at all till he
could hear a bit of a commotion and laughing a few aisles over. Fearing the worst he went in that
direction to be met by what could only be described as a small mountain of
produce moving towards him. Kitt
was pushing his cart piled absurdly high with all kinds of club size produce,
babies diapers, detergent, feminine hygiene products, baby food, boxes of soup, everything you could
imagine. He was steering by looking
through a hole he had left in the middle, quite the feat of stacking. When he saw Sean he was immensely
pleased with himself. Well it took
quite a while to put all the stuff back not only because of the amount of it
but explaining to Kitt for each one why they didn't need it, otherwise they got
into an argument. Turns out that
Kitt was choosing the products purely on whether he liked the packaging. They began to attract some attention and
people that knew Sean made some cracks like, ÒHey Sean you two be starting a family now.Ó. He rushed through getting checked out
and got out of there in some embarrassment with Kitt not really understanding
although sensing Sean's angst he refrained from further investigations and
meekly followed Sean out.
They got back home
without any further incident but in the confusion Sean had not got half the
stuff he needed. So unpacking and
storing what he had bought gradually and slowly, explaining everything as he
went then decided he would have to leave Kitt at home while he finished the
shopping. He left Kitt in the
kitchen with readers downloaded with lots of pictures showing Cantatian
scenery; national parks, wildlife; architecture and lots of other stuff of
cultural interest along with plenty of coffee, and went to finish the shopping
alone.
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Burnt
Toast
Sean backed his SUV out
of the garage and sat on the driveway watching the garage door close wondering
if he was doing the right thing leaving Kitt alone. It was a beautiful Grander day and he
opened the sun roof told the audio to play some soothing music. He could not watch Kitt like you would a
three year old; he was going to have to treat him like an adult; after all he
was obviously smart just trying to adjust to his new situation. After all these thoughts he was still
nervous but telling himself he couldn't sit there all day he put the vehicle
into gear backed out of the driveway planning to get the rest of the shopping
done as quickly as he could.
As he rounded the corner
back into the street less than an hour later his heart sank as he saw the first
response vehicles outside his house and a little crowd of neighbors
gathered. Now usually these first
responder guys don't hang around, they do what needs to be done quickly and
efficiently then get back to base, but two of the guys were leaning against the
truck and the captain was sitting on the step of the truck with the door
open. As Sean approached the
captain raised his head and it looked as though he had been crying. Sean asked him if everything was alright
and he just beckoned to the other two men to get into the truck saying that
everything was o.k. now and they left with big grins on their faces. SeanÕs neighbor Mrs. Dithers was standing there
and so he asked her what had happened but she said she didn't know, the truck
had pulled up and the men had rushed inside but came out again after a bit
laughing so hard they had to lean against their truck and then I showed up and
they left. The crowd dispersed as
it seemed all the fun was over and Sean went inside.
The kitchen was covered
in foam, likewise Kitt who was sitting calmly at the kitchen table looking at
the reader Sean had left for him.
It took some coaxing for Kitt to explain what had happened and he only
really opened up when Sean made it clear he wasn't upset, after all there was
no permanent damage.
It all started when Kitt,
wanting to make some more toast, had burned it setting off the smoke
alarm. The smoke alarm is very loud
with a shrill squeal and a voice that shouts fire in six different languages
repeatedly. Kitt had not
understood, not realized that it was the burnt toast that had set off the
alarm, panicked and run outside shouting for help. One of the neighbours had called
emergency. Meanwhile Kitt had calmed
down a bit and remembered there was a fire extinguisher in the kitchen and gone
back inside to use it, it was a
foam type. He had managed to get
the extinguisher to start and covered everything and the alarm had stopped but
he didnÕt know how to stop the foam.
When the fire brigade had arrived they found Kitt, who had shoved the fire
extinguisher up his shirt, sitting with his clothes filled up with foam gushing
all over the place, a look of helplessness on his face. The fire captain and his men got Kitt to
stand up and they removed and shut off the extinguisher. Kitt was so happy, he gave each of the
men a big hug in gratitude and then began to pantomime what had happened, that
and Kitt's akuut informing them of his actions, was all too much for them. They suppressed their laughter long
enough to do a quick safety check then they got out of there to laugh
themselves silly outside, which was when Sean had arrived.
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Sarah
Ignatowich
Sean now fully realized
that he had taken on a full time occupation, he had to treat Kitt in the same
way as you would a three or four year old,
at least for the next little while, it would be exhausting but there was
little choice. While Kitt was upstairs
getting himself cleaned up he went to his desk and logged into work and took
some vacation and was sitting watching the news when Kitt came down again. His holoset was not really state of the
art but served him well enough.
Sarah Ignatowich was the day's news reader and she really was well
built, with shining long black hair and green eyes. Sean wasn't sexist but couldn't help
wondering whether the producers chose female news readers with a measuring tape
or because of their names when he heard a yelp and turning glimpsed Kitt jumping
to one side of the door naked, poking his head around the frame. "Sorry sorry," he said talking
apparently to Sarah. She of course
ignored him. Sean laughed and
turned the holoset off. Kitt slid
round the door and sidled over to look at the place where Sarah had been
projected, {Where did she go?}.
Sean laughed, "I'll be
explaining later, would you be needing some clothes?" Kitt had come down because he needed the
change of clothing Sean had purchased while he was out. While he was getting dressed Sean
fetched his realcorder thinking that a little demonstration would be the best
way for Kitt to understand the
technology. When Kitt came down
again he used it to make a little holo of himself and Kitt then replayed it on
the holoset.
After some stumbling
efforts Kitt grasped what the technology was all about. Then it dawned on him that the woman in
the room when he came down naked was just a projection and he started to
laugh. This was the first time Sean
experienced the speed with which Kitt could accept and adapt to a new concept. He used the realcorder to make a little holo
of himself entering the room naked with Sarah reading news, covering his crotch
with both hands and jumping behind the door in embarrassment. He had Sean laughing again. It was even funnier when they used
Sean's editing suite on his desk to make a hologram of it and replayed it on
the holoset. Kitt was fascinated by the technology
and played with it endlessly till he had a complete grasp of what it could do.
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Flute
Sean was putting a frozen
pizza in the oven the first time he heard Kitt playing his flute. The tenuous notes drifted into the
kitchen and at first he thought Kitt had turned on the bedroom entertainment
system. Going upstairs he saw Kitt,
cross legged facing the bedroom window, flute in hand. Sean was entranced; letting the music
calm and relax him. Kitt stopped
and turned, {You like my flute?}.
Sean nodded, smiling. Kitt
continued and Sean only left because the 15 minute timer was chiming.
~//~
Pizza was one of KittÕs
favorite foods although when Sean had originally ordered delivery there was a
rather lengthy explanation to Kitt as to the nature of a pizza which involved
variously: dinner plates; the moon; Italian culture; pepperoni; what happened
to cheese when it got hot; and other side tracks. As they ate Sean expressed
his admiration for KittÕs flute playing.
This is where Sean
learned the ability of Kitt's akuut to project an image. The scene came into his mind of Kitt as
a boy sitting on a Kuunasameru beach playing his flute. The image was accompanited by a great
feeling of pleasure and comfort, he could feel what Kitt was feeling. Kitt had always gone to the beach to
play when he felt blue, the wind and the waves and smell of the sea and the
flute were a balm to his mind and because he was feeling homesick it helped him
here. The immediate wrench of not
being in akuut contact with his mother and father and family he had experienced
before of course when he went on long sea canoe explorations or fishing but to
be without for an extended period of time, this was new to him. He let Sean feel some of what he was
feeling and desolation and loneliness fell like an uncomfortable blanket over
him. Kitt shut it off again
quickly. They sat for some while in
silence as SeanÕs mind raced to find some way to help. Kitt knew what he was thinking and said
that plenty of activity to avoid any opportunity to mope was the best that
could be done and Sean promised to do his best.
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Hands
Free Confusion
That evening SeanÕs Mum
called and he put his mobile on hands free to chat to her while he was working
in the kitchen. Kitt came down,
stood for a moment listening then went to look through the door to the entrance
hall then the same into the dining room finally going back upstairs again where
Sean could hear him moving around.
Sean tried to ignore it but it was very disconcerting so he told his Mum
heÕd call her back. As soon as he
hung up, {Where is she?}
"She's not here
Kitt."
"But you were just
talking to her."
"That was on the
phone."
{Phone?} Where is she? I'd like to meet
her."
Sean decided a demonstration
was needed. First he showed Kitt
how to answer the phone in the house.. Kitt seemed to understand so he went
outside to call back with his mobile.
When he called he got busy,
going back into the house Kitt was talking to someone. He had picked the phone and was talking
to SeanÕs Mum who had called back and was very confused until Sean came on the
line and explained, which took a lot of explanation because he had not
mentioned Kitt to his mother intending to do that later but finally Kitt understood
the telephone concept. He also
understood that the akuut does not work over the phone.
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Babe
in the Woods
The following is a
verbatim extract of a voice recording made by Sean, one of many, made
presumably at KittÕs request. Where
appropriate, as in this case, I thought it best to hear the original
voiceÉAlicia.
ÉÉso then to be
continuing before I was interrupted there.
The question on my mind was how it could be so that Kitt could be
soÉsoÉ.I hate to be using a word like ignorant in this regard but he seemed to
be like a babe in the woods when it came to any kind of technology, and not
just recent technology either. I
had several heart to heart discussions with Kitt before I got any understanding. Seems KittÕs homeland of Kuunasameru had
very little modern technology or technology at all come to that. TheyÕd seen technology being used by
visitors and they werenÕt stupid by any means at all. The elders had decided to strictly limit
the invasion as they called it and only allowed things of immediate practical
use to them. Several reasons were
to be helping them do this. The
island was very small and remote and of no commercial or military interest at
all, presumably the potential of the akuut had escaped attention, maybe not
even known. It was pretty much self
sufficient harvesting from the sea and land using the traditional ways and they
didnÕt be needing cars or mobiles or holosets or tablets, nor even old
fashioned flat panel screens. Outsiders
may have been thinking they were xenophobic but it wasnÕt that way. The elders wanted their culture to
evolve but knew that technology would destroy it unless strictly controlled. ThatÕs all well and good but I quizzed
Kitt about the Amori and how he could have got to a major airport and so on
without him seeing for example people using mobiles or tablets. The Amori too retained their traditional
ways very much in isolation from modern society and Kitt mentioned that he had
seen things he did not understand while he was there but paid them no attention
since he knew he would not be staying long. Then he told me about the herbs the
Amori had given him. Seems they
knew what he would be in for and had given him the leaves to eat which sort of
partly shut down your senses but didnÕt make you look drunk or spacey like most
drugs do. Kitt still had some left
and I tried them. It was the
strangest thing I can tell you.
IÕll be trying to describe the experience to you here but itÕs not like
any other drug, and IÕve tried a few.
The first thing youÕll be noticing is complete calm, youÕll not be worrying about anything at
all. YouÕre walking and talking and
doing everything like normal but then thereÕs something very strange. You see things and react to themÉwell
itÕs like a dream and when the effects wear off itÕs also like a dream, you can
remember bits and pieces, especially ones that are having a big emotional
impact, but itÕs not making much sense.
Kitt told me he had started eating the leaves while he was still walking
the road out of the Amori village because he was worried about being
overwhelmed by this new and magical land that the Amori had warned him
about. His sole objective was to be
getting to a place where he could fulfill his quest, nothing on the way was of
interest. IÕm supposing itÕs sort
of like one of these sci-fi travelers that gets sucked into a wormhole and spit
out the other end except in this case itÕs more of a É..aÉ..well I donÕt know
what wormhole but you get my meaning.
Ah poor Kitt IÕm now
beginning to ken what heÕs going through.
Understanding this is helping me some to be more sympathetic else I
could be a funny farm candidate in no time flat.
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Cheese
or Butter
One evening Sean was
cooking supper and found he was out of butter. He asked Kitt to go down to MarcieÕs to
get some but he came back with cheese made from goat's milk. Sean went himself to change it. Talking to the girl at the counter it
seems Kitt had caused quite a laugh in the store acting like a goat. How you got from butter to goat only
occurred to Sean later.
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ESL
Lessons
Sean suggested to Kitt
that the faster he learned English the better and suggested he enroll in adult
education ESL. This was something
that did not akuut but eventually he managed to get the idea across to Kitt
who, when the light went on, said, "Ah Miki at Cordisi."
~//~
Sean offered to take him
and help him enroll the following week as courses were just starting. So on the evening of enrollment they
went down to the local community centre where adult education evening courses
were offered. Sean still
preferred to do some things face to
face rather than on-line. There was
only one registrar for all courses and quite a queue, so they were waiting
their turn. Sean was reading some
of the literature describing the courses, "Says here Kitt that taking
English as a Second Language will be helping you with grammar."
"ESL with
grammar?" said Kitt not really understanding.
ÒYes. When you canÕt akuut, like when your on the phone.Ó
ÒESL will help me with
grammar on the phone?Ó
"Yes, putting
sentences together." Kitt
smiled weakly and Sean scratched his head, "Well ESL is definitely what
you need."
The queue moved slowly
and Sean went to the washroom. As
luck would have it while Sean was at the washroom a group of girls who had been
chattering in front of them in the queue all decided not to enroll after all
and left so Kitt's turn came up before Sean got back The registrar beckoned for him to come
and sit in front of her. Kitt
looked desperately for Sean but he was nowhere to be seen yet so Kitt had no
choice but to go alone. He sat on
the chair in front of a rather stern looking woman who had an old fashioned desk
with a laptop computer in front of her.
She looked over the top of the screen at Kitt. Her eyes reminded Kitt of some sort of
bird.
"Name?", said
the bird woman.
"Kitt."
"I need your full
name Kitt."
"Kittamsu."
Kitt Amsoo the woman
typed, then asked, " O.k. What course do you want?"
"E-S-L."
"Est vous Francophone?"
Kitt just looked blank, "Est vous francophonie ou allophone?".
"Grammar on phone?"
Kitt blurted out. The bird's eyes
blinked several times. Luckily Sean
came back and saved the situation.
~//~
The first night of
classes Sean went along to explain things to the teacher. Mrs. Kaczynski looked rather stern with
grey hair but had a twinkle in her eye.
"Ah so he's the gramophone," she laughed, but it was a
pleasant laugh.
After everyone, well
there were only eight people in the class, was sat down Mrs. Kaczynski did a
roll call. As she called each
persons name Kitt saw them put up their hand. She called "Mr. Amsoo." Kitt did not respond. Mrs. Kaczynski looked up and pointed to
Kitt, ÒWe even seem to have got your name wrong.Ó she said. Kitt, ever cognizant of proper etiquette
stood up and bowed slightly. Mrs.
Kaczynski indicated he could sit again.
Mrs. Kaczynski was of the
school of thought that if you were learning English then no other language was
permitted and no matter how hard it was you just had to struggle through. She told the class this in English and
her other languages and so of course Kitt did not understand. At one point
after a lot of confusion she said to him, "Only English, only
English.". Kitt thought she
was angry so he just kept quiet. Kitt
became exhausted using every akuut muscle in his head to try and keep up with
the instruction. The syntax of
English was so very different from Kuunasian and of course Mrs. Kaczynski spoke
several languages but no Kuunasian, so she couldn't help even when things
became desperate.
Eventually they took a
break and Kitt needed to use the washroom and asked one of the other students
in mime, much to his amusement, where they were. He pointed up the corridor. Kitt got to two doors with pictures on
them and knew that one must be female and one male but had no idea which was
which. In Kuunas a female sign
always refers to motherhood, the
shape of the breasts; while a male sign was always phallic. These signs were a mystery to him, he
thought one was a person in a battle skirt while the other seemed to be a dead
body laid out. He sat on a bench to
wait and see who used which washroom.
As luck would have it the first person to show up was Mrs.
Prendergast. Mrs. Prendergast was
gay. She had very short hair styled
like a man's and wore a pant suit and of course went into the door with the
person in the battle skirt on it.
Kitt was desperate and followed her in and was highly embarrassed when
he saw several women in there, backing out and rushing into the menÕs room.
~//~
Later that night Sean
explained, "Only English, only English."
" Miki at Arrnacto,"
sighed Kitt.
"Miki at Arrnacto,"
agreed Sean, after Kitt had explained, "Miki over Arrnacto." Kitt looked at him and nodded,
{"Miki over Arrnacto."}.
~//~
KittÕs initial progress was painfully slow but he gradually
picked up speed and towards the end of the course was ahead of most of the
other students. Mrs. Kaczynski was
intrigued, she had never seen a student stumble so badly at the start and be so
proficient at the end. When she
realized as a linguist the nature of KittÕs mother tongue she was fascinated
and Kitt had many private sessions with her in a role reversal as he taught her
Kuunasian. He used that opportunity
to gently poke fun at her giving her students such a hard time. She took it in good part and being who
she was used it to soften her teaching style.
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Tredigar
Sean got out of bed and
looking at the tangled pile of bed clothes with the fuzzy feeling in his head,
knew he had not slept well. He made
coffee and took a mug up to Kitt who was doing some kind of ritual. Sean envied KittÕs peace of mind and
poise, the source of his aura. He knew that Kitt didn't mind being
watched, doing something similar, Sean thought, to Tai Chi. Finally Kitt finished and took his
coffee.
Kitt, knowing SeanÕs
question, said it was a kind of
routine exercise to keep fit in body and clear the mind as simply as possible. It was taught to all Kuunasian children
as part of their normal education and done at the start of each day. He offered to write it out for Sean.
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SeanÕs
Desk
Kitt said something in
Kuunasian and a very loud silence held itÕs breath. Sean chuckled, "I think you've
broken it.". Eventually the
desk said in a plaintive voice, "Language not known." ÒNow youÕve made it cry,Ó laughed
Sean. The help features suggested
that the machine could learn any language so Kitt began right away. When Sean checked back a bit later he
saw that Kitt was typing, "What happened?"
"The machine cannot
understand an allegoric language Sean, not without a design addition and that
is a skill I have yet to learn."
~//~
There was a cushion on
the desktop. Kitt looked sheepish
when Sean asked why. Sometimes when
the desk was slow or not doing what Kitt wanted he had this irrational desire
to hit it. So rather than slam his
fist on the desk, which offended it greatly, he took it out on the cushion,
once he even jumped on it. Sean
thought this was a great idea and adopted it right away. He told some of his friends about it and
before long everyone in Grander had a hitting cushion. Soon enough all kinds of fancy versions
became available, ÒAs essential,Ó
the salesperson would tell you, Òas speech recognition.Ó
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Questions
from the e-clouds
Kitt spent a lot of time
in the e-clouds. He wanted to know
everything and anything about Cantata and it's culture. Of course the e-clouds knew no national
boundaries. This caused him to ask
Sean many apparently strange questions.
Often Sean didn't know the answers but he always had something to say.
~//~
"Do you know what
1001 Arabian Nights is about Sean"
"Um well now I would think
about three Arabian years Kitt."
~//~
ÒI watched a British cop
show last night.Ó
ÒDid you now.Ó
ÒYes. One policeman said,
"Use your loaf". What did
he mean?Ó
ÒWell now it comes from
the Cockney Rhyming Slang.Ó
ÒWhatÕs that.Ó
ÒThe Cockney Rhyming
Slang replaces common words with a rhyming phrase but then instead of using the
whole phrase it's abbreviated. So
in the case you heard the rhyming phrase is "loaf of bread" meaning
head but abbreviated to loaf.
ÒSo what he really said
was, "Use your head or in other words think about it."
ÒYou got it.Ó
ÒWell slap some goggles
on an elephants behindÓ
ÒWhat?Ó
ÒIt means that whole
thing just boggles my mind.Ó
ÒDid you just make that
up?Ó
ÒYou like it?Ó
ÒYou canÕt just be making
them up Kitt.Ó
ÒIsnÕt that how it
works?Ó
~//~
ÒI looked up Cockney
Rhyming Slang on Wikipedia. I think
I'll try some out every now and again.
They're fun.Ó
ÒO.k. I'm going for a
JimmyÓ
ÒWhy do you need a crowbar? Oh wait, wait now I see. Jimmy, Jimmy Riddle. Piddle. How do you know whether someone is using
slang or not?Ó
ÒYouÕre just used to
their way of talking I suppose.Ó
ÒThis could be confusingÓ
ÒExactly. Use your loaf.Ó
~//~
ÒI found this thing
called RogetÕs Thesaurus. English is
strange. Only one word for love but
dozens for getting drunk. In
Kuunasian only one word for getting drunk but dozens of allegories for various
types of love.Ó
ÒBeats me Kitt. Hopefully it doesn't be sayin' anything
important about our culture you think.Ó
~//~
ÒRing a ring a roses; a
pocket full of posies; atishoo, atishoo; all fall down.Ó
ÒSo youÕre into nursery
rhymes now. You know thereÕll be
some actions for that oneÓ
Sean showed Kitt how to
play Ring a rosey and was glad old Henry across the street couldnÕt see.
ÒWhat are they for?Ó
ÒWouldnÕt you be saying
little rhymes to your kids in Kuunasameru.
ÒWe tell them stories
which have some kind of meaning for their education.Ó
ÒNonsense not allowed.Ó
ÒHuh? {Why would we tell them nonsense?}Ó
ÒSome of the things we
tell little guys Kitt, are just for their amusement, they can be nonsense.Ó
ÒSo itÕs nonsense.Ó
ÒWell yes and no. To be considering that particular one it
does have a rather macabre meaning. ItÕs about the plague in England.Ó
ÒSo what would be a
nonsense one.Ó
ÒHey-diddle-diddle the
cat and the fiddle is nonsense I think but maybe itÕs original meaning has been
lost. If you search in the e-clouds
you can find a puff discussing this.Ó
~//~
ÒHow could it be that
Peter Pan lived forever.Ó
ÒItÕs a fairy story
Kitt.Ó
{ÒWhatÕs a fairy story.Ó}
ÒItÕs a fictional story
usually for children.Ó
{ÒLike nonsense.Ó}
ÒNot exactly.Ó
{ÒLike an allegory.Ó}
ÒIn Kuunasameru donÕt you
have stories which are just for entertainment, novels, short stories, fairly
stories, things just made up, not meaning anything in particular necessarily.Ó
ÒWe have allegories.Ó
It took Sean a long time
sitting at the desk guiding Kitt till he understood. Sean was amazed that a culture grounded
in allegory had little or no history of the fictional genre. They seemed to be completely grounded in
reality and made little distinction between fiction and lies.
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The
Museum of Science and Technology
Sean and Kitt walked
round the corner from the entry desk and on the wall was a large clock with all
it's workings visible. Kitt loved
it immediately and wanted to stand until the clock struck the hour so that he
could see it working. This was twenty minutes away and Sean suggested they come
back but Kitt was worried they might miss it if the clock decided to do it
early for some reason. Sean
realized they had a long way to go and resigned himself to standing admiring
the clock for twenty minutes until it struck the hour. Kitt was as excited, if not more so,
than the children who had gathered to watch the event. He jumped up and down and laughed and
clapped his hands, attracted one or two strange looks, from adults of course,
the children accepted him as one of them and laughed and jumped up and down and
clapped their hands with him. Sean
had to smile in spite of himself at Kitt's infectious enthusiasm and before
long he and a few other adults were joining with the children in various ways
cheering and applauding, almost as though it was a live performance as the
clock went through itÕs routine display and announcing the time in a
dispassionate female voice. Several
people, including a couple of security guards, came to see what all the fuss
was about and by the time the clock's performance was over there was a large
crowd of people. As soon as it was
finished Kitt began to shout for the clock to do it again. The children thought this was hilarious
and joined in his shouts but the clock ignored their pleas and eventually they
gave up and the crowd dispersed.
Sean asked Kitt if he
really thought that the clock could be enticed into a repeat performance and
Kitt laughed and said he just got carried away with the moment. Sean wondered. The visit gave Sean an opportunity to
explain many pieces of technology to Kitt but of course there were many others
that, although Sean took them for granted and had grown up with them,
explanations to Kitt were fraught with difficulties. For example the Canadarm, now truly a
museum piece but beyond Kitt's ability to grasp and Sean's to put it in terms
he could understand. They just had
to move on. Kitt was fascinated by
the old steam engines and here understood their purpose and great power. He stood for a long time on the
footplate as though mesmerized and transported back into an earlier time when
these great engineering marvels were crossing the Canadian wilderness gushing
smoke and steam. Sean reluctantly
had to drag him away after a long time of waiting because he too was infected
by the magic of the early days of steam locomotion.
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Cantata
Day Celebrations
Kitt wanted to visit
the capital of Cantata and they decided to make the trip coincide with Cantata
day so that Kitt could see how people in Outoftheway celebrate. On Cantata day itself Sean had a one
time opportunity to look up an old friend and Kitt wanted to wander around
enjoying the festivities a bit.
They agreed to rendezvous at the top of Slope Street. Sean was first and looking down the road
could see amongst the usual sprinkling of individual red and white costumes
what looked like a Santa Clause suit.
As it got closer he realized it was a Santa Clause outfit and Kitt was
wearing it.
"Kitt, that's a
Santa Clause suit."
"A what?"
"Never mind. Just
take it off."
"It's not
right. It seemed perfect all red and white and everyone seemed to
like it."
"Yes Kitt but ----
I'll explain later just get it off will you. ItÕs embarrassing"
So Kitt took it
off. "O.k.," said Sean,
"Here, wear this hat." He gave
Kitt a white ball cap with maple leaves on it. Sean folded up the Santa suit and
stuffed it into his pack. They
walked side by side through the crowds enjoying the sights and sounds and had a
great time. Kitt loved the friendly
fun atmosphere. They bought some poutine which Kitt thought was delicious and
then enjoyed some of the musicians playing. As it started to get dark Sean suggested
they need to find a place to watch the fireworks. When the first rocket went up with a big
bang and color fountain Kitt let out a big yell and dropped flat on the floor
much to the amusement of everyone standing around. Sean didnÕt know if Kitt was acting the
fool or if he was really scared until Kitt got up again and grinned at him.
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The
Natural History Museum
Sean was looking glumly
out of the window of the hotel breakfast room. ÒWell we have rain as usual Kitt
so it looks like another inside day.
What would you like to do?Ó
ÒIÕve been checking on
the internet and the Museum of Natural History sounds good. I specially want to see the magnificent
diarrhea they have set up.Ó
ÒDiarrhea Kitt?Ó
"Yes they are kind
of scenes with replicas of animals in the foreground and scenery behind to make
it all look real."
ÒYou mean diorama.Ó
ÒOh! Is that it. WhatÕs diarrhea then?Ó
ÒYou donÕt want to know
Kitt, you donÕt want to know.Ó
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Washday
As Sean was leaving he
saw Kitt taking the laundry to the utility room but he was already late so left
hoping for the best. After all how
bad could it get doing laundry. The
person he was going to meet had called his comm. to cancel so he came back
after only a few minutes to hear shouting coming from the bottom level and some
sloshing sounds, so he rushed down.
The utility room door would only open a crack and foam started to pour
through. He couldn't make Kitt hear
over his shouting, his akuut in a panic. Sean shoved the door really hard and
Kitt's frightened face appeared .
Sean pushed his way into the waist deep foam managed to turn the
automaton off. Using the shop vac
and the utility sink he got rid of the foam then told the washing automaton to
execute a continuous rinse cycle to clear the machine. After a bit of cleaning up there was no
real damage, in fact the utility
room floor had never been so clean. Kitt had gone out and sat in the hallway
with his head in his hands so Sean had to reassure him that everything was
alright and they went to have a coffee so Sean could try and understand what
had happened.
As usual the story was pretty funny but Sean had to
restrain his laughter to avoid offending Kitt too much. Sean's washing automaton wasn't exactly
state of the art, modern ones
pretty much did everything, you just poured detergent or bleach or whatever
into them as they told you and clothes in the top and ....well anyway his still
needed some manual intervention. It
seems all had gone well at first putting the clothes for normal wash in the
machine. When it came to measuring
the detergent, Kitt had looked at the picture on the instructions and mistaken
the measuring cup for a measuring jug.
Sean had to admit looking at the picture that they did look
similar. Of course this meant that
much too much detergent was added.
But things got worse because the foam in the machine triggered an alarm
which flashed a sign and announced something about detergent. Kitt had come down as soon as he heard
the alarm, but by then the foam had
managed to make the machines voice hard to understand. Sean wondered at a designer that would
put the speaker under the wash tub.
Anyway Kitt had somehow taken this to mean that there was not enough
cleaner in the machine and put in some more. Of course then foam began to pour out of
the machine. Then he began talking
back to the machine, 'reasoning with it', as he said, but when the machine
ignored him, repeating the same alarm message except more and more garbled
because of all the foam, he became more and more angry and shouted at it,
eventually become scared as the room started to fill up with foam and he didn't
know what to do.
Sean couldn't understand
why Kitt thought he could talk to the machine and Kitt mentioned about their
sessions with the voice interface on his desk. Sean also wondered why he hadn't just
turned the machine off or pulled the plug but this wasn't part of Kitt's
repertoire of fixes, Sean made sure
he added it. Later that day they
both had a laugh over the incident and, as usual, Kitt entertained Sean by
acting out the disaster in his usual uninhibited style while Sean captured it
on realcorder. The utility room
floor must have thought it was itÕs birthday. Sean decided it was time to upgrade his
very old washing automaton.
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The
Letter
Home
Kitt was getting on well but occasionally a black hole would
still pop up. "Can I speak to
you for a minute." Robert, the
mailman, seemed nervous glancing up the driveway towards the house. Sean guessed immediately that this was
something to do with Kitt. When
Robert explained what had been going on, Sean had a hard time keeping a
straight face but assured Robert that he would talk to Kitt and get things back
to normal.
It seems that a couple of weeks ago Kitt had tried to send a
letter, Sean assumed, in the same way as he would have done back in Kuunasameru,
by giving it to the messenger, or Robert, and telling him where he wanted it
delivered. The letter just had one
thing on it, "Himbos the 307th".
Robert had explained to him that the letter needed a delivery address
and a stamp. Kitt's didnÕt understand
and the explanation had to be repeated several times over the next few days,
with Robert, who was basically a nice guy, showing Kitt examples of the letters
he had. Eventually Kitt's letter
seemed to have the appropriate address and stamp and Robert accepted it.
Ever since Kitt had met Robert at the mailbox and asked him
regarding whether he had had time to visit Himbos the 307th, what he had said,
and whether there was a reply. He
didn't understand that Robert was not personally responsible for delivering the
letter and that he had no idea what had happened to Kitt's letter. Robert mentioned to Sean that since the
destination was very remote a reply may not come for weeks, assuming the
recipient sent one. Having Kitt
accost him every day was embarrassing with Kitt getting more and more vocal
almost accusing him of not doing his job properly. Yesterday's incident had caused much
amusement with the neighbors, who had noticed the daily circus between Kitt and
Robert and watched out for it.
It took a long discussion with Kitt before Sean was fairly sure
he understood the situation regarding his letter but the next day he realized
that Kitt had misunderstood again as he was outside apologizing to Robert and
offering him what, if it hadn't been Kitt, Sean would have thought of as a
bribe. It took a lot more
explanation and arm waving for Sean to be certain Kitt understood. Kitt just kept repeating "Legorus with
his bad foot".
Once Sean grasped the story Kitt to which he was referring he
managed to explain it in a way Kitt could understand and he promised he would
not bother Robert again. In the end
a few weeks later a reply to his letter was received and Kitt was so happy,
apparently to have the good wishes and continued support of Himbos the 307th. Kitt showed Sean the reply letter. It seemed terse in the extreme to
Sean. Apart from the usual sort of
headers and signing off the body of the letter merely said, "Kuuros at
Kuunasameru."
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The Girlie Magazine
Sean had run out of clean
socks, these kind of things happen in the bachelor world, so he went to borrow
a pair of KittÕs. As he took a pair
he noticed the edge of a magazine shoved in the bottom of the drawer. It was really none of his business and
he was divided between his pseudo parental duty towards Kitt and respecting
another adults privacy but in the end he just could not walk away and he took
it out. It was, as he suspected, a
pornographic magazine, soft porn he was glad to note. He quickly put it back. Talking to Kitt about this was going to
be embarrassing.
~//~
Of course as usual at
this point in their relationship Sean was not allowing for KittÕs akuut. They were having breakfast and Sean was
trying to find the right way to open the conversation but when he looked, Kitt
was already embarrassed. ÒI am
sorryÉÓ he began but Kitt interrupted, ÒYou needed socks.Ó
Sean tried again, ÒDo you
need some female comp .Ó Again Kitt cut him off, ÓItÕs not like
that at all Sean.Ó
ÒItÕs É.Ó
ÒYour disbelief saddens
me.Ó
ÒCheese Kitt can you turn
your akuut off so we can have a normal conversation.Ó
ÒI canÕt turn it off any
more than you can turn off your hearing but I can try and ignore it if you
want.Ó
ÒSo if you donÕt need
female companionship explain why there is a girlie magazine hidden in your sock
drawer.Ó
ÒI was round at MarcieÕs
getting some groceries and just browsing around the store and found these, what
you call, Ôgirlie magazinesÕ. IÕd
read about how artists use models to pose naked so they could practise drawing
and painting the human body and I thought these were something to do with that
and bought oneÉ..WhatÕs so funny?Ó
ÒYou said you were going
to ignoreÉÓ
ÒI donÕt need akuut to
see the expression on youÕre face Sean.
ÒSorry.Ó
Kitt: So whatÕs so funny.
ÒHard to explain.Ó
ÒI know I was a bit
foolish but after I found out what the magazine was really for I didnÕt know
what to do with it so I just stuck it under my socks for future disposalÓ
ÒAh! I see.Ó
ÒWhen I first went on
Oggle and found all these porno sites I thought I was, ÒMiki and the Fecundios.Ó
for a while there.Ó Sean chuckled
as Kitt related the allegory to him.
ÒSo youÕre all
straightened out now then.Ó
ÒI think so.Ó
ÒSo youÕll be knowing
that if IÕd told my Dad that story he wouldnÕt have believed me.Ó
ÒI suppose not.Ó
ÒThatÕs what was funny.Ó
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Midway
Macabre
"You're not my
mother, Sean." Kitt's eyes flashed when he was angry. Sean looked away, hurt a little,
"I'm supposin' not, 'though I sure feel like it at times."
"Well you're
not. I'm grateful for all you've
done, believe me. Things would have
been very hard for me without you're help but I didn't come to Cantata to play it
safe. I have to get out and
experience Cantatian people and their culture first hand, not always under your
supervision."
"O.k. o.k.! But
b'jesus going to the midway is not the best place to start a solo trip." Kitt had seen the posters for the fair
that was coming to town.
"If it was left to
you Sean I would never go anywhere new without you and I have to make my own
mistakes sometime."
So after Sean had gone to
work Kitt decided to go.
"Kurim at Kanderhas,"
he thought.
When he got to the gate
he looked in. It looked like a fun
place to Kitt, everyone was eating treats and laughing so Kitt paid the
entrance charge and went in. There
was a line up of people buying tickets so Kitt bought some and started to
wander around. Sean had explained
to him how the tickets worked. His
akuut sense was overwhelmed by the hundreds of people nearby but for sure they
were all having a good time. There
was a gigantic wheel going round with people in chairs on it and some other
people standing near the bottom. To
Kitt the idea seemed to be to shout and yell at the people in the chairs as
they came near and they would shout and yell back. Kitt stood there a while shouting and
yelling, "Wahoo" seemed
to be the most popular call so Kitt used that a lot but "Here, here"
was also used as well all caught up in the fun of the moment. This happened at a lot of the places
especially where children were riding on the machines and Kitt had great fun at
most of them. The rides themselves
looked rather scary so he saved his tickets till he found something he
liked. Then he came to a place
where the people riding in the chairs went into a door and you couldn't see
them till they came out the other end.
When they got off girls said things like, "Wow was that
scary." and boys "Nah! I wasn't scared a bit." Kitt thought he would try it and see
what there was to be scared about, after all it wasn't like the big wheel or
those other machines that threw people around, the chairs just went slowly into
this door and then came out the other end just as slowly. The boy took five of his tickets and sat
him in a chair by himself. There
were some signs on the chair but Kitt didn't understand them and off he goes
slowly into the doors. Inside was
pitch black and it took him by surprise, he was just trying to take his
flashlight out of his knapsack when there was this kind of moaning sound. He thought the chair was breaking and
then a figure stood up. It looked
like Peskitoo the 293rd, it wasn't Peskitoo the 293rd but in his confusion Kitt
thought it must be a medicine man because he was dressed in a skull mask and an
important person. Since Kitt was
only a junior and it is very rude to stay seated in the presence of an elder he
stood up and hit his head on something and fell out of the chair. He landed on some kind of canvas and was
caught there for a few seconds and then the canvas gave way with a ripping
sound and he fell through some choking white dust that nearly blinded him and
cobwebby stuff that covered him head to toe. He tried to stand up but lost his
balance and fell backwards right in the middle of another chair with some
children in it. Kitt could akuut
their pretend screams of somebody having fun become real screams of somebody
scared silly. Kitt began to get up
and had to put his hands on their knees and they screamed even more. Then their chair went out of the door
back to the outside and the children jumped out leaving him alone still covered
in cobwebs and white dust. A lot of
other people began shouting and pointing at Kitt who was pretty spooked himself
by this time. He jumped down and
ran away as fast as he could and managed to hide in a corner where there were
some garbage containers. He could
hear people calling to each other and wondering where he had got to but he stayed
hidden. He brushed off most of the
white dust and cobwebs and after some time all went quiet and he managed to
climb a fence and creep away unseen.
Sean laughed and laughed
that night when Kitt told him about his experience. Kitt was confused and a bit hurt that he
was not very sympathetic so Sean tried to explain but he still had trouble
keeping a grin off his face and eventually Kitt realized that he hadn't
insulted anyone or done any real harm.
The people who were looking for him at the fair were probably only
concerned that he hadn't injured himself.
Then he saw the funny side of it too and began to pantomime the whole
incident while Sean realcorded it.
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Nursery
Rhymes
Through the internet Kitt
had joined the library. He was very
excited when his reading kit arrived in the mail. The large box included the various kinds
of readers for different types of books, magazines, newspapers etc, what was
termed a short catalogue which listed the most popular items, various
batteries, chargers and cords which seem de rigueur with all electronic devices,
as well as printed instructions.
Kitt very soon got the hang of downloading whatever kind of material he
wanted to read to the appropriate reader and Sean would often see him sitting
quietly thumbing the pages of the reader engrossed in some type of material.
~//~
A few days later Sean
came home, "Shees Kitt! What
happened to you."
"Had bad day."
"So I see, what's
that round your head."
"Bandage."
"Bandage, it doesn't
look like a bandage. And what did you do to your nose."
"Crow
misunderstanding."
"Crow?"
"Yes."
"And your arm?"
Kitt without thinking put
his right hand inside the sling to feel his left arm, {"Fell. Hurt."}
"I'll be right
back." Sean took off his shoes
and coat and sat at the kitchen table with Kitt who was looking very sad. It took quite a while to get the whole
story out of Kitt and he tried not to laugh. Kitt's wounds were not serious but the
way he got them was unbelievable.
Kitt had found a book of
Old Fashioned Traditional Nursery Rhymes.
As Sean turned the pages of the reader he could see they were
beautifully illustrated. They were
all there but Humpty-dumpty, Jack
and Jill and Sing a Song of Sixpence were bookmarked although why Kitt found
these special Sean never understood.
Kuunasians tell stories and rhymes to their children but they are all
allegoric in nature and intended to pass on some kind of instruction or value
of importance, so Kitt assumed this must be so for these and he was trying to
understand them. He had previously
discussed Ring a ring a roses with Sean and one or two others but these
bookmarked puzzled him and he was still having a hard time sorting out what was
fact and what was fiction. In
thinking that only Kitt would follow he decided to try re-enacting some part of
the rhymes to see of this revealed any secret meanings. Like Jack and Jill he had carried a pail
of water up the local toboggan hill
and fell down. He didn't want to
break his crown so he just banged his head on a rock and then came home,
wrapped it in vinegar and brown paper and went to bed. No particular insight was revealed by
this adventure so, leaving the brown paper and vinegar on in the hopes that
something may occur later he tried re-enacting the sing a song of sixpence
rhyme. There was quite the mess in
the kitchen as Kitt had used his akuut to get the co-operation of some nearby
crows, standing in for black birds,
getting into a pie crust.
Kitt had decided he wasnÕt going to bake them just get them all in there
and set it on the table. The crows
were very good but in the end they couldnÕt resist the opportunity to eat the
pastry. Undaunted he had been
acting as the maid in the garden hanging out the clothes and a crow had taken
his request to peck off his nose too literally. It was a nasty gouge. Then later he had sat on a wall like
humpty dumpty, in this case the garden fence, and fell off managing to bruise
his arm.
After they had dressed
his wounds properly, Sean assuring
Kitt that nothing enlightening would occur by leaving his head wrapped in
vinegar and brown paper, they sat so that Sean could explain. He didn't know where to begin and made
several false starts but eventually Kitt got a bit better but by no means perfect
understanding of the concept of
pure fiction and stories for amusement only.
Kitt, of
course, eventually grasped the concept of fiction and it's entertainment value
and introduced it into Kuunasian culture when they came to Cantata. He wrote stories for me when I was a
little girl which are in an appendixÉÉ..Alicia.
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A
Question of Motivation
Irois, the Goddess of
Emotions responded to KittÕs call and he could feel her presence. He called her because of his continual
feelings of doubt in his quest and a black mood that he could not shake
off. Immediately she knew his problem and took him back to his youth
and his epiphany. As a young man
Kitt was living a life of moral emptiness and waste but then, with PeskitooÕs
help, he was visited by various ancestors who showed him his life in a new
light which had caused him to mend his ways; become the outstanding tribesman
and be chosen as the one of the scouts.
Ending his reflection
Irois still with him as well as his sense of dissatisfaction still
present. Her grey eyes on him full
of compassion and understanding she took his hand and led him into a long room
with pictures on the walls.
"This is the reincarnation room."her voice a melodic whisper,
"You must decide whether it is better to stay as you are or die and become
reincarnated as some other person.
To help make the decision you are allowed to experience the reality of
your chosen life for up to one day before making a final decision," she
was gone. Kitt browsed along the
pictures of who he could be. He
stopped in front of the picture of a Kuunasian medicine man. He had always admired the power that the
medicine man held and his deep knowledge of herbs and medicines to heal men and
animals. As he was wavering he
realized he had become Peskitoo the 294th and nearly panicked till he
remembered that this was for one day.
Apparently this was the consultation time as people queued up outside
his home to be healed or given advice.
An old man came in and Kitt could feel his discomfort, he had crippling
arthritis in all his joints. He put
a hand on his head and looked into the man's eyes, weak and watery with all the
will to live nearly drained out of him.
There was no cure. He went
into the back room where all the herbs were kept and picked up a bag of a
potent painkiller. In such cases it
was accepted that the patient could either administer enough to himself to
relieve his pain temporarily or enough to relieve his pain permanently. Kitt put the first dose in a green bag
and the second in a red one. The man thanked him, and left, his eyes
downcast. The next patient was a
young girl and her mother. Kitt
knew immediately that she was pregnant but was too scared to tell her
mother. Herbal abortions were
possible but under tribal law only permitted when there was something terribly
wrong with the fetus. This baby was
healthy as far as Kitt could tell.
He gave her some herbs full of nourishing vitamins. He sent the mother on an errand as a
subterfuge to talk to the daughter alone and asked her who the father was. She was very frightened but he warned
her that this was a secret that could not be kept for much longer. He told her to send the father to him
planning to make him tell her mother and face the consequences. He hoped the father did not show up
today for he was already beginning the think he did not like being Peskitoo the
294th after all. The last patient
for the day was an elderly man who had brought his parrot. The parrot used to be of a friendly
nature but had of late become very bad tempered and even now was swearing and
complaining calling him all sorts of names. The old man apologized profusely but Kitt started to laugh, the
incongruity of the situation struck him.
"You stupid f--cking Medicine Man. You couldn't heal a paper cut on a
blacksmith's hand. Why don't you
..." "Shut up
Monty," shouted the man and brandished a knife in front of the
parrot. The parrot knew what a
knife was and sort of let out a scared squawk. "Oh my gawd," it said and shut
up allowing Kitt to examine him.
One leg looked a bit swollen and further examination revealed something
stuck in the parrots claw. Kitt
cleaned the area, used a herb to partially numb it and then pried out what
turned out to be a barbed thorn.
The parrot gave him the evil eye and opened it's beak in a menacing
manner several times during the operation but with the man's knife still held
in it's face, kept his peace. As
they left neither seemed particularly grateful. Kitt sighed but suddenly he was back in
the reincarnation room again and no sooner there than back to where he had
begun his consultation with Irois.
"So being you can't
be all that bad," she said but the dark still persisted and Irois
knew. So now she led him into a
place that looked like the strong room of a bank, a wall lined with boxes. Each box was some particular event that
was a turning point in his life. He
could choose any box and change the contents. Immediately he looked for the box that
held the day when he was chosen to be a scout for the Kuunasameru and opened
it. But now he wasn't looking into
a box he was there and was stammering his reluctance to take on the quest. Himbos the 307th listened to him
carefully and when he was finished looked him right in the eyes. Himbos the 307th's eyes were full
of concern and sadness and he told Kitt of the awful fate that could befall all
of the people of Kuunasameru if they did not find a new home. Nothing and no-one would be saved and
the Kuunas people would cease to exist as though they never had existed, taken
down to the bottom of the sea, drowned and eaten. Their proud history lost
forever. Kitt could not refuse, he
knew he was one of the best scouts they had, and could not argue for another to
take his place. He could not refuse
and was looking at the box again as he closed and put it back.
"So you seem to be
on the right course," she said but it wasn't enough and Irois knew it and
led him to what looked like an astronomical observatory that he had only seen
pictures of in books. "You can
look at who's ever future you like except your own or where it involves you
directly." Kitt looked into
the telescope and could see the present life of anyone in the world he
chose. His hand was guided to a
control and he knew that he could use that control to move into the
future. He chose the life of the
little baby that was inside the girl he had seen when he was Peskitoo the
294th. He saw her fear, it was a
baby girl, as all of Kuunasameru was threatened by the rising sea. He saw the migration of her and her
mother to Cantata. He saw her
settled, happy, going to school, well fed, playing with her friends. A home that was a sort of hybrid between
the traditional home on Kuunasameru and the Cantatian homes. And as he watched her doing her homework
with her mother cooking supper and a man coming home from work calling from
outside and her happy response a great weight lifted from his mind and he felt
inspired. And he was alone, well
almost. A parrot's voice said,
"Thanks a lot Kitt, thanks very much."
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The Wave Returns
As with a real tsunami
there is the sea going out leaving the uninformed in a state of denial followed
by the sea standing up and coming onto the land. That part was over but now that the sea
was on the land it had to get back to where it belonged againÉ.Alicia.
Gardening
"Hello"
"Is that Sean?"
"It is."
"This is Mrs. Van
Dithers from next door."
"Mrs. Van
Dithers. How be you doing?"
"Very well thank
you, very well. And yourself."
"Oh well thank you,
yes very well. And your husband Mr.
Van Dithers."
"Oh he's doing just
fine. Yes. And your lodger - er - sorry I forgot
his name."
"Kitt."
"Kitt, yes silly of
me. Kitt. How is he?"
"He's doing very
well thank you."
"That's good, that's
good. And your not having any
problems or anything.
"No, nothing out of
the usual."
"That's good. That's good."
There is a long silence
till Sean finally says, "Is there anything I can help you with Mrs Van Dithers?"
"Oh I don't know
really. And - er Kitt. He's doing all right is he?"
"Did you want to
talk about Kitt Mrs. Van Dithers?"
"Well now I've been
your neighbor for what is it now - er - "
"Eleven years."
"Eleven years is it
now. Well doesn't time fly. So I've been your neighbor now for
eleven years and I think I'm a broad minded woman wouldn't you say."
"Oh I would Mrs. Van
Dithers I would."
"Yes I think
so. And I'm not one to go telling
tales out of school."
"Oh definitely not Mrs.
Van Dithers."
"No I'm not."
Another long silence
broken by Sean, "So you wanted to say something about Kitt, Mrs. Van
Dithers."
"In a way yes."
"What was it you
wanted to say?"
"Well now I'm a
broad minded woman, as we agree, but well the yesterday Kitt, I think it was
Kitt, was dancing around naked in your backyard shouting and shooting a
gun."
"A gun?"
"Yes a rifle or shot
gun of some kind. I don't know much about these things."
"You're sure
now?"
"As I say I don't
like to tell tales and we have been good neighbors ---"
"Don't you worry
Mrs. Van Dithers I will check into it and get back to you."
"Thank you Sean
you're a good boy. Goodbye for
now."
"Bye, bye
MrsÉÉÉÉÉ", she was gone.
~//~
"It was you?"
Kitt, a little
sheepishly, "Yes."
"So oooo---",
indicates for Kitt to begin.
"Well you know that
the rabbits have been eating the carrots in your garden and we'd talked about
using chicken wire to stop them."
"Uh huh!"
"Well I went out and
asked them."
"Now why in heaven
didn't I think of that."
"I don't know. Why didnÕt you?"
"IÕm being
funn-e-never mind. So to ask them
you had to jump around naked with a gun."
"No-no! That was
much later."
"Ah!"
"Yes I had asked
them and they had agreed provided I gave them an alternate food source so I was
buying carrots down at MarcieÕs and giving them those." SeanÕs expression was a mystery to Kitt,
ÒWas that wrong?Ó
ÒNo, no, no Kitt it
wasnÕt wrong just kind of self defeating so to speak. Anyway carry on. LetÕs be getting to the bit where you
used the gun.Ó
"Well the crows had
been stealing the blackberries and so I tried asking them to stop that
also."
"I see. So youÕve been giving them blackberries
from MarcieÕs as well?"
"No, no this was a
different problem, the crows are a lot smarter than rabbits and didn't see why
they should."
"I'm beginning to
see where the gun comes in."
"Yes, I warned the
crows that we needed to eat as well and that if they didn't stop we could shoot
them."
"And they
stopped."
"Not right
away. The Chief Crow was a wise old
bird and had seen men shooting birds before but some of his younger flock
hadn't and didn't believe it so I agreed to arrange a demonstration."
"A
demonstration.?"
"Yes. I borrowed
your shotgun and fired it at some targets set up in front of the hedge against
the empty lot at the bottom of the garden.
Just a couple of shots."
"Yesterday."
"No-no! This was a
couple of weeks ago."
"Go on?"
"Well, the crows got
the message and stopped taking the berries for a while but then they started
again."
"Oh!"
"Yes and when I went
to find out why the Chief Crow had been replaced by a younger bird.Ó
ÒCrows have politics?Ó
ÒOf course, anyway this
new chief was a bit of a smart arse and he didn't believe we would shoot them
here in the city."
"Smart bird."
"Yes, too
smart. So I threatened him and
warned him that he would find out."
"And."
"Well I'd been
running out with the gun threatening them and they'd stopped."
"And."
"Well yesterday I
was in the shower when I heard birds in the garden and it was thrushes in the
strawberry patch."
"Uh-huh!"
"Well I ran outside
naked with the shotgun shouting obscenities at them and they laughed at
me. Well I kind of lost my cool a
bit and fired several shots to scare them silly."
"So much for
akuut."
"I'm ashamed of
myself."
"Did it work."
"Yes. Made all the other thieves take notice
as well."
"Good for you."
"Should I phone Mrs.
Van Dithers and apologize."
"No-no Kitt. Leave this to me. Leave this to me."
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Silent
P
ÒCan you explain something?Ó
ÒAnyway I can be helping
you Kitt, you know that.Ó
ÒWell I read this
joke. First man asks how you spell
pneumonia and the second man tells him.
So the first man asks why pneumonia starts with a p but is pronounced
ÔnewmoniaÕ. Second man says the p
is silent as in bath. First man
says there is no p in bath. Second
man says thatÕs very hygienic of you.Ó
ÒSo whatÕll be the
problem your having?Ó
ÒI donÕt get it.Ó
Sean laughed and the more
Kitt pleaded with him to explain the more he laughed.
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Halloween
Celebrations
The face carved in the pumpkin decoration flickered slightly as
the candle inside caught the breeze a little and looked pretty good. The basket of candy was empty,
good. Sean shouted hello but the
reply was a muffled moaning sound from the basement. Sean found Kitt hiding in the utility
room with a blanket over his head.
At first Sean thought Kitt was playing some kind of game and started
making monster noises but then through KittÕs akuut he realized that Kitt was
really frightened. He reassured him
there was nothing wrong and got him to come out. Sean made tea and then tried to figure
out what was going on.
Sean left while Kitt went to get a few things from MarcieÕs. On the way to MarcieÕs he saw all the
Halloween decorations, skeletons and ghosts, etc, etc. It seems Sean's previous explanations of
Halloween had not been fully understood.
In Kuunasameru skeletons are exclusively used as evil magical signs and
he was scared. On his return it was
getting dark and he saw the pumpkin head outside their door and was even more
terrified. He hid in the garden
thinking that their house had been marked for some reason. While he hid there a number of kids
dressed as ghouls came up and knocked on the door. When there was no answer they took some
candy from the basket, shouting their thanks and left. Kitt thought that these were children the
medicine man had sent to test them and thought that was why Sean had left a
basket of candy by the door as peace offerings. He edged around the pumpkin head and
went and got a blanket to put over his head, in Kuunasameru a blanket is
protection from evil. Then he sat
by the front door to guard the house.
Of course all the kids that arrived thought he was playing some kind of
Halloween game and shouted and made ghost noises eventually leaving again when
he had given them candy. He didnÕt
trust his akuut telling him these kids were just playing because the medicine
man could play tricks with that as well.
The word must have got around the neighborhood since more and more kids
arrived to play ghosts with Kitt who became more and more terrified moaning
under his blanket. Eventually of
course the candy ran out and now Kitt was even more scared because he had no
offerings for the ghouls. So he
went down in the basement and hid and stayed there even though there were more
callers who enjoyed playing the game of ghosts with him down there moaning and
begging them to go away. Eventually
everything went quiet and then Sean came home.
As Sean quizzed Kitt on what had happened and why he was more
and more amused. Kitt on the other
hand went from feeling scared to feeling foolish. After Sean had managed to explain it to
him, between laughing fits, he understood that although he had been scared by
good fortune he had given the local kids some great fun. That was the start of a tradition where
he put on the same performance every Halloween.
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Tobogganing
His akuut filling with the good feelings of everyone having a
great time was what attracted Kitt on his winter walk. It was a classic winter scene with a
sizeable group of people milling around at the top of the local toboggan hill
and various riders setting of to careen down. He luxuriated in the variety as he
watched; loners on their round saucers;
pairs on toboggans; and the
biggest akuut bang of all from groups that went down on the long toboggans
shouting and waving their arms and deliberately crashing at the bottom
laughing. Inside he was like a
small child wanting to join in but he had been in Cantata long enough to be
careful. One family group felt very
comfortable to him and they were enjoying the hill immensely. As the older man, presumably the
Grandfather, stood near him Kitt knew the man was quite friendly so he
mentioned that the toboggan looked very old and well made and asked if he had
used it when he was a boy. Kitt
opened a floodgate of feelings with this question; half expected but surprising
in it's strength none the less. The
toboggan had been made by GeorgeÕs father when he was a boy and repaired many
times. Kitt was genuinely
interested in GeorgeÕs toboggan design and repair expertise and of course, per
Kitt's plan, he was invited to join one of the rides.
Kitt was never one to be shy and the ride on the toboggan
elicited his shrieks and ÒYabba Dabba DooÓ from his favorite old Flintstone
Cartoons. The kids loved it and
because the kids loved it the adults became less inhibited and copied Kitt's
behavior. It wasn't that Kitt had
made a radical change to tobogganing in Grander that day but the Trebeth family
threw themselves into the activity with even greater gusto and their infectious
behavior affected all the hill users.
Kitt bid them farewell after an hour or two. The Trebeth family lived nearby and came
tobogganing every Sunday morning, weather permitting, so they hoped they would
meet again.
Kitt told Sean about his day tobogganing and a few days later Sean
came home with a six man toboggan which he said had been on sale at Cantatian
Wheels. Next Sunday they both went
and with Kitt on the front, Sean at
the back and four local kids in between on each ride. They were the most popular couple on the
hill with kids queuing for a ride.
Sean had not been tobogganing since he was a boy and had a great
time. It became a regular Sunday
morning event. The womenfolk would
bring hot drinks and munchies for everyone and Kitt got to know everyone in the
neighborhood. But more it pulled
the neighborhood together. Work
parties improved and groomed the hill and made it faster but safer with snow
banks and turnouts. And that was
the start other local community activities.
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Fooling
The Police
The Halloween incident
and the Sunday morning toboggan rides made Kitt very popular with local
kids. Jeffy next door thought he
was really cool and looked on Kitt like an uncle. With their parents permission Kitt took
Jeffy and a friend out in the woods on a night camp. After they had walked a ways and
set up a camp Kitt told them he had something to show them. Walking a little way Kitt stopped and
told them to be very quiet and then after a moment or two pointed. There was a nest of field mice and they
could see the mother feeding her young ones. Then he got them to climb a tree with
him and to sit very quiet. In a few
minutes an owl landed on a nearby tree,
they were close enough to see every detail of it's eyes and
feathers. Then with a swoop it went
down and grabbed a squirrel in the clearing below, they heard the squirrel
scream as the owls talons killed it.
Back in campt they talked about what they had seen and Kitt gave them an
understanding of and respect for the wild things they could never have had
otherwise.
Kitt became the
unofficial local youth leader, the go to man. As he told Sean it gave him a whole new
perspective on Cantatian culture.
Then something that could have been quite serious happened.
They were at supper and
the doorbell chimed. Sean went and
it was Sergeant Jack Andrews. Sean
knew him and invited him in. When
they came back into the kitchen Kitt was gone and his place at the table had
been cleared, like he wasn't at home.
Sean was immediately suspicious. Jack sat down and over coffee told Sean
about the events of the previous weekend.
The police had heard there was going to be a teenage drug party in the
woods and his boss had ordered a raid to catch them red handed except the raid
went all wrong. The two dog
handlers got sprayed by skunks and several officers got lost in the bush. There was no trace of any teenagers and
the whole thing was a disaster.
Sean listened politely managing to keep a straight face hearing all the
hallmarks of KittÕs work. When the
sergeant had finished Sean told him Kitt was out at the moment and he didnÕt
expect him back till late. He
assured him that if Kitt had been involved there would have been no drugs. Kitt had educated the local teenagers of
the dangers of street drugs and they looked up to him as a hero. He promised the Sergeant however to talk
to Kitt about it and see whether he knew anything. After the Sergeant had gone Sean called
for Kitt to come down, which he did slowly. Sean stared at him rather accusingly and
Kitt just shrugged but after a few other preliminaries began to tell Sean the
story.
He had been taking
Jeffy and a few of his friends into the woods to show them wild things, like
the bats catching insects, or the owls hunting at night. He had taught them to move soundlessly
through the bush and to hide their traces.
Anyway they had been sitting round a little camp fire talking when Kitt could
akuut the police coming. He quickly
dowsed the fire, signaling for all the boys to keep still and quiet he moved
away and made some noise to decoy the police away from the boys. Then he had suggested to a couple of
skunks that they might like to keep the police dogs out of the woods and they
had been very obliging. Once the
dogs and their handlers were disabled it was easy for Kitt to use his superior
knowledge of the wilderness to keep making various noises and akuut suggestions
and draw the police in various directions till they were eventually stumbling
around separated from each other and lost.
Of course Kitt knew this would only be temporary with their locators and
radios but it lasted long enough to get the boys out and back home safely
without getting anyone into trouble.
He said he was proud of the way they behaved following his orders and
using the bushcraft he had taught them to move silently in single file out of
harms way. Sean could see KittÕs
eyes glisten as he told the story and knew, if he hadnÕt known before, how much
he cared for those kids.
Sean listened to all
this and then asked Kitt why he hadn't just stayed with the boys and let the
police find them doing nothing illegal.
Sean had never seen Kitt so anxious, he was usually so self assured,
even when doing something foolish.
It took quite a bit of drawing out but eventually Kitt told him that he
knew one of the police had plans to plant stuff on them. Sean was stunned but knew that what Kitt
said would be true, learning the
art of how to use half truths or downright lies in Cantatian culture was
something Kitt understood but up to now rejected. Anyway this wasnÕt his style. Sean found out later from Jeffy's Dad
that the parents of one of Jeffy's friends were close friends with the chief
constable and racists of the worst kind.
It had obviously been an attempt to discredit Kitt or even worse. Sean was disgusted but decided to let
well enough alone. Of course it was
Sean who had to lie to the Sergeant when he got back to him but he didnÕt feel
badly about that at all. He thought
it was only a pity the chief constable himself hadn't been on the raid
stumbling around in the bush but the embarrassment of explaining the disaster
second hand would sting a bit hopefully.
Luckily the racists moved away a little while later and Kitt was able to
take up where he left off as the local youth leader.
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Fishing
Made Easy
Sean and Kitt were on a camping and
fishing trip. Everything had gone
smoothly and now Sean was ready for a dayÕs fishing. Kitt seemed to need no instruction on
how to use a fishing line and they had hardly had their lines in the water for
two minutes than Kitt hooked something that was putting up quite a fight. Sean was excited as all hell, jumping
around and shouting encouragement, but Kitt behaved like he was shopping at
MarcieÕs. He reeled it in, a nice
trout, and calmly packed up his fishing gear and set about making a fire so he
could cook the fish and eat it for breakfast. He cleaned it and took itÕs head off in
two quick strokes of a cleaning knife like a real pro. Then he cooked it in some oil and spices
he had brought. Sean thought it one
of the best fish meals he had ever had.
While they were eating and talking Sean listened in amazement to what
Kitt was telling him that he can akuut the fish thinking and even make
suggestions to them. That he knew
this fish was in there and where it was and what kind of food it was looking
for so he knew what lure to put on and where to drop his line. Once the fish was hooked he gave it a
sporting chance to fight for itÕs life but in the end KittÕs need for food
overpowered the fishes need to live and then he just reeled it into the net,
easy as that. After they had eaten
Sean wanted to go fishing again but Kitt didnÕt understood. They werenÕt hungry and anyway said he
wouldnÕt take another fish until we had a need, it would be an insult to
Eshuna, The Great Spirit of the Water.
They were at that campsite three days doinÕ various things: canoeing;
walking and climbing, Kitt was just amazing with his knowledge of the
wild. And each time he went fishing
he caught a perfect fish for them to cook almost straight away he put his line
in the water.
~//~
Sean got to thinking
about the fishing boats that go out every day from the harbor in Hillbay, his
home town. If Kitt was on board to
get the fish into the nets it would be quite the thing and they could make a
bit of cash as well. So a few days
after the camping trip he suggested it to Kitt. Telling him about his home and the
fishing boats and the hard life they live.
Kitt understood, his own people would go out in boats with nets and pull
in fish for the whole tribe. He
agreed but gave Sean a long lecture about how to respect Eshuna. Sean didn't really understand what he
meant exactly, till later.
So the next Sunday when
he called his Mum he asked if they could come down for a visit. Planning, while they were there to talk
to a couple of the fishing boat captains he knew. His mum of course was delighted they
were going to visit and she was very much looking forward to meeting Kitt whom
she had heard so much about. So a few weeks later as the start of the season
was coming up they did just that.
~//~
The single track road was not very wide with smallish shoulder
on each side, it was a continual gentle up and down as the road followed the
hilly contour of the land.
They were approaching yet another rise when Kitt tells Sean to pull onto
the hard shoulder quickly and no sooner had he done so than an eighteen wheeler
tractor-trailer rolls over the rise ahead with a car beside it overtaking; KittÕs akuut has averted a possible head
on collision. Sean sat for a minute
or two but still felt weak at the knees as he got back on the road.
A little while later the road ahead was clear with trees on either
side and Sean was really moving along and enjoying the drive when without any
warning Kitt suddenly blurted out, ÒSlow down, slow downÓ Sean could see out of the corner of his
eye KittÕs body rigid and eyes wide as though in fright. If he had any hesitation the first time
he had none now and quickly took
his foot off the gas and put on the brakes. The car had slowed from over 100 K/h.
down to below 70 when a massive bull moose ran out of the trees and straight
onto the road ahead. Sean of course
stepped on the brakes hard and the animal got across by a fair margin and
continued itÕs headlong charge into the trees on the other side of the road,
disappeared again but they could still hear it crashing along. Sean slowed to a stop and sat his heart
pounding and the weak feeling of reaction in his knees. He didnÕt need to ask Kitt how he
knew. They just sat there in
silence for a few minutes and then Sean said, ÒThanks for the second time
Kitt. That was a close one.Ó ÒHe was too crazy to listen to my
warning,Ó replied Kitt, ÒSomething has made him really madÓ ÒProbably had a spat with his wife,Ó
rejoined Sean and they both laughed to ease the tension and then continued on
their way.
About half and hour later they had both calmed down again and
Kitt asked Sean to tell him about his family, he wanted to know as much as he
could about them to make his introduction as smooth as possible. Sean didnÕt quite know where to begin so
Kitt suggested starting with his mother and father. So he began, telling Kitt that his
family were from a long line of fisherman as far back as anyone could remember
but had suffered along with everyone else during Òthe bad yearsÓ when the
fisheries collapsed. His Dad had
found other work as a carpenter but in his heart he was a fisherman and wasnÕt
really happy. As well carpentry is
a trade most in demand when things are booming, which they were not, but he was
good at it and got some work. Sean
said his Dad would be good at anything he turned his hand to. His mother took on domestic work to
help make ends meet and thus they
raised their family of five. Sean
had two brothers and two sisters.
Gareth, Steve, Melinda and Collette. Sean filled in the general details for
each brother and sister and Kitt felt he was well equipped to meet the family.
~//~
Sean is sitting in the local bar with some old friends around
him and a drink in his hand.
"They didn't believe it no more than I did at first but they
figured they had little to lose if we worked as hands, and so one day Kitt and
I went out with them. Well we get
to the fishing grounds but Kitt tells me this is the wrong place. The Captain's none too pleased let me
tell you but Kitt just shrugs and says not much. Well they put their nets over anyway and
catch nothing. So Kitt is consulted
again and he points and I manage to understand it is about five miles
away. The captain is pretty damn
reluctant but in the end I manage to convince him to give it a try. Anyway eventually Kitt starts getting
excited, indicating this is the spot.
So they lower the nets over and no sooner are they down than the captain
says that they are as heavy as he's ever seen them and they haul them up
teeming with fish. As soon as the
crane drops the net onto the deck the hands all start working on the fish
sorting them, cleaning them and putting them on ice, etc. Kitt goes completely berserk and pulls
them away. Everybody is now real
confused. Then Kitt starts picking
up some of the fish and throwing them back in the sea. The hands are staring at him like he's
from Venus, which he might s well be, as far as they are concerned. The captain goes crazy and things nearly
got very ugly till I intervened to calm him down and stopped Kitt and then
tried talking to him. Turns out
some of the fish got caught in the net my accident and didn't want to be
caught, it was the will of Eshuna that they had to be put back. It was only about ten percent of the
catch. The captain was still angry
but I pointed out to him that if we didn't humor Kitt and do what he believed
then we would lose his services and many a day these boats go out and catch
nothing let alone a bumper catch like this one. So in the end we all co-operated. Kitt would point to the fish to be
thrown back and someone would grab it and throw it over the side. But Kitt was still upset. I was beginning to lose patience as well
and asked him rather crossly what was wrong. Kitt more or less told me that picking
up a fish by the gills, a very sensitive part of a fish, and throwing over the
side is like picking up a man by his balls and throwing him.
There was considerable hilarity among the crew once this was
relayed to them but in the end they did as Kitt wanted and picked the fish up
gently by the body. Amazingly as
soon as they started doing this the fish stopped thrashing around and
everything went much more smoothly.
The captain said afterwards he was in fear and dread of any of the other
captains coming by and watching them throw fish they had caught back into the
water. He would have been a
laughing stock. As it was he had
warned his hands to keep a tight mouth about the business but as you can guess
word got out and Ted Burnswill became known as Soft Hearted Ted the only
captain that throws back fish that don't want to be caught. Well Soft Hearted or not Ted soon
believed in Kitt's abilities and became amazed as I was at his knowledge of the
sea and the animals in it and followed all of Kitt's beliefs and came home with
a full hold day after day and we've all made quite a packet of money."
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Akuut
Discussions
Sean was fascinated by KittÕs akuut sense and had many
discussions to try and understand it.
Some of them useful, some not so muchÉ..Alicia.
~//~
ÒCan you akuut good?Ó
ÒOh yes! My akuut
sense is very keen.Ó
ÒNo-no. I'm meaning
do you know about someone's intention.
You know, good or evil.Ó
ÒOh yes. I know good
is the opposite of evil and ÉÉÓ
ÒYes-yes! but can you be akuutin' it.Ó
ÒOooooh!! I
see. Usually yes. Why didnÕt you ask in the first place?Ó
ÒThere's no answer to that Kitt.Ó
~//~
"Well now this akuut thing. Would you really be able to read a man's
mind?"
"Not exactly.
For example just then I knew you were going to ask me a question that's
been on your mind for a while but I didn't know exactly what it was."
"That right!
How would you be feeling when it happens?"
"That's difficult.
Have you ever had deja
vu?"
"Mm-mm. very
strange."
"Well Akuut is a bit like that. It just floats into my mind."
"How are you knowing what it all means?"
"When I was young I didn't but over time I just learned to
interpret the feelings."
"So the feelings you be getting from say a man or woman,
are they very so different than what you'd get from say a fish."
"Sean think of it like your mouth. When you put something in your mouth all
your senses are engaged, you've seen what it looks like, you smelled it's odor,
you feel it's texture on your tongue and you taste it. You even hear it if it's crunchy or hard
on your teeth. Akuut doesn't exist
in isolation but in concert with all the other senses and it all has to be put
together like a jigsaw puzzle to figure out what it means."
"I see?" (Sean didn't.)
"A fish is a much simpler animal than a man, even though
it's not as simple as many people believe it only has three driving forces,
survival, hunger and in the right season, reproduction. So normally what I get from it is some
mix of fear and hunger. Not hard to
figure out, even though I can't see it.
Now with a man or woman although the feelings are much more complex they have some kind of context usually
which enables me to figure out what is going on. Even now that context would be our
conversation and our relationship which enables me to know you didn't fully
understand even though you said you did."
"When a male fish sees a sexy female fish will it be
getting an erection."
"Strange though it may seem the sex drive in a fish seems
very similar to the sex drive in a man or women to me."
"Men and women are the same?"
"I didn't say that.
You know I think we should stop buying any more instant coffee this
stuff made from ground beans tastes so much better and really takes the same
amount of effort in the bodium."
Seam looked at Kitt and gave him a big grin. To anyone else he would have said
something about wanting to change the subject but to Kitt he just said,
"Another?"
"You bet."
~//~
"Would you be telling me more about how your akuut thing is
working now."
"Imagine you are driving down the road one day and there
are some crows on the side scavenging.
You stop your vehicle a little way past so as not to alarm them and step
out. As you do you become a crow
but retaining your own brain. You
walk back to the murder and after some initial pleasantries like, Òscrew off
this is our territoryÓ or Ò what are you doing here strangerÓ or Òyou can't
share this with us it is ours and ours alone and that is finalÓ, you tell them
you are just lost and need some directions. This calms things down sufficiently for
normal conversation. Then you ask
if they could give you some information.
Which they guardedly agree so long is it doesn't relate to their food
sources or hunting practices. You
say it is nothing to do with that.
You then ask them what this thing, indicating the road, is for. After much consideration they admit they
don't know just that it has always been there and is a great source of food for
them killing gophers and voles and all kinds of tid-bits appearing all around
it. So you mention the high speed
boxes traveling along it and they say that yes these are dangerous and can kill
you and they have seen humans in the boxes but why they travel that way they
have no idea and what's more don't care so long as it makes food for
them."
"Wouldn't they now be worrying that you've tricked them
into revealing one of their food sources."
"Well no, the road as a source of food would be common
knowledge. The point of this story
Sean is that I can do that using my akuut and thus understand an animal's
perspective in a quite intimate way."
"Can you really be talking to them like that?"
"Well not exactly.
I canÕt make myself look like a crow so they would never trust me."
ÒNever.Ó
ÒThat is a whole other conversation Sean.Ó
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Pizza
Perfection
Sean closed his eyes and sat back savoring the flavor of Kitt's
perfect brew as he warmed up from the early winter blast outside then he
suggested that they order a pizza rather than cook anything tonight. The delivery boy came and Sean offered
him an extra large tip because of the blizzard. "Thanks a lot," the boy said,
"If everyone tipped like you I wouldn't need to quit. Bye, bye and thanks again." He was gone into the snow before Sean
could react so he just closed the door and went into the kitchen with the
pizza. Kitt very soon declared
himself a pizza take out lover and wanted to know more about all the other
varieties available. As they talked
about pizzas Sean mentioned what the pizza boy had said as he left. Kitt was immediately interested, he had
been thinking about getting some kind of job, because he wanted to pay Sean for
his keep, but also because he wanted to start getting more first hand
experience of this land Cantata and the city of Grander. All he got now was the occasional
contacts down at MarcieÕs and of course the local kids. Once Sean realized Kitt was really set
on the idea, he told him how to go
about making a job application. He
hid his concern that Kitt may not be ready for such a steep learning curve.
~//~
Driving being a pre-requisite Sean had taken Kitt onto some back
roads to begin. Kitt had seemed to
get the hang of the controls right away and was driving along a country road no
trouble. There had been no traffic
but Sean had not thought anything of that and Kitt had even managed to stop and
avoid hitting a cat that ran out of a driveway because of his special
abilities. Then, taking the common
advice of not teaching a friend or relative to drive, he signed Kitt up for
some driving lessons.
~//~
It was the first lesson but they came back early and the
instructor was driving, looking rather upset, Sean knew something had gone
wrong. The instructor didn't want
to talk to Sean and it wasn't until he was reminded that he was being paid for
half an hour lesson which wasn't anywhere near done that he agreed to come in
and tell Sean what had happened.
Kitt had started to drive fine but seemed to have no understanding of
lane discipline and wandered all over the road in traffic. Then they came to a traffic light and
Kitt had pulled up at a green light, much to the chagrin of cars behind and
went over to talk to the drivers sitting at the red light in the other
direction. It seems he was trying
to conduct a negotiation as to who should go first. Later Sean talked to Kitt and understood
that this was how things were done in Kuunas if you met someone at a cross
roads. You would likely know them but anyway it was courteous to meet and
exchange news, discuss where they were headed and why and of course defer to
them and their entourage if they were elders or of high rank. It took Sean quite a time to explain to
Kitt that it wasn't done that way in Cantata. Sean laughed a lot afterwards but
it wasnÕt too funny at the time. In
the end Sean gave Kitt driving lessons and he managed to pass the tests.
~//~
Kitt sat nervously in the plastic chair in front of the cheap
old fashioned desk belonging to Pizza Perfection's manager, who had yet to make
an appearance. Kitt could see his
application on the desktop amongst all the other typical clutter that a very
untidy person would have on their desk.
"If an empty desk indicates an empty mind," Kitt thought,
Òthis guys mind must be filled to the brim, although ancient disposable coffee
cups and wrappings from candies would not be useful content.Ó He smiled to himself at the thought of
the managers mind full of all the stuff on his desk when Malcolm Woosh came in
and sat down. Kitt quickly wiped
the smile off his face and assumed the expression that Sean had explained to
him of respect and deference.
Malcolm was, not to put too fine a point on it, fat and seemed about to
bust out of his clothes at every point.
His chair complained loudly as he sat and he put down the yellow sticky
he had been looking at as he came in and turned his attention to Kitt's
application, "Under nationality you've written Kuunasian. I never 'erd of 'em. Where are they located?"
"In the South Pacific."
"You trying to be funny?" Malcolm's face took on an
expression Kitt didn't like. In
fact he didn't like Malcolm very much on first impressions but he really,
really wanted the job and knew from Sean's advice how he had to behave to get
it.
"Oh no! I'm
very sorry. I'm not a native
Indian. I am an immigrant from a
place in the South Pacific called Kuunasameru."
Malcolm grunted and continued staring at Kitt's application,
occasionally sneaking a glance at Kitt.
Kitt began to feel very uncomfortable and nearly said something but
finally Malcolm said, "O.k. I'll give you a couple of weeks
trial." In fact this was a
piece of bravado, he had not had any other applications to replace Peter. A pizza delivery boy in winter in
Grander was not exactly a plum job, so he was actually desperate and would
probably have taken anyone who was warm and looked half human. Kitt was delighted and thanked Malcolm
profusely, even though he could feel Malcolm's discomfiture. Malcolm was slightly embarrassed but
somewhat pleased, little did he know just how much Kitt knew. They agreed Kitt could start
immediately.
~//~
"Are all Cantatian babies good when they are born?"
Sean looked at Kitt as though he was from another planet, which
in a way he was, but it was easy to forget until he asked a question like
this. It would seem that an
expectant father in the hospital maternity ward was having a rather long wait
and decided to order a pizza.
Delivered, of course, by Kitt, in his new job. By mistake Kitt went into the nursery. Kitt's akuut detected not a single trace
of ill intent and was overwhelmed in fact with the feeling of contentment and
'goodness', almost to the point of rapture. A nurse found him standing with his
pizza case in this rapturous state.
Her presence sort of snapped him out of it and he looked at her and
said, "Oh this is so beautiful."
She, of course, didn't understand and assumed he must be a father
talking about his own child.
"Which one is yours?" she asked. Kitt tried to pull himself back, "I
am here to deliver the pizza."
The nurse laughed, "They're a bit young for pizza yet." ÒThe father to be,Ó Kitt said and the
nurse showed him the way.
Sean laughed at the thought of Kitt standing in rapture with his
pizza in the nursery. He wondered
how long he had stood there before the nurse came in and Kitt assured him that
the pizza was still hot. He had no
idea how to answer Kitt's question, except with another question, "I
thought all babies were good when they are born. Don't they learn bad things through
experience." Kitt told him
that in Kuunas a small number of babies were born with too much bad inside
them. Kuunasians were able to use
their akuut to detect this and intervene early to ensure that the good part of
the baby was nurtured to become the dominant part of their character. Sean explained that in Cantata, without
that ability, we just do the best we can.
~//~
Kitt was a very conscientious worker and had yet to be late for
his job. Sean came into the kitchen
one morning and Kitt was shaving in the sink.
ÒBejesus! Kitt what are you doing?Ó
ÒI have to go in ten minutes and you were taking for ever in the
bathroom.Ó
ÒWell when you're as ugly as I am you have to spend a lot of
time making yourself look your best.Ó
ÒYeah right! You
know this new razor is the smoothest shave I've ever had.Ó
ÒIs that right nowÓ
ÒI got it yesterday and it's the best, hardly feel it at allÓ
ÒNo wonder youÕve still got stubble. Uh-oh! Look, you werenÕt taking the plastic
cover off.
ÒArachoya! Now I'm
going to be really lateÓ
ÒThat's all depending on whether it's better being on time with
stubble or late without. Personally
IÕm liking my pizza delivery boy to have some stubble, adds character now.Ó
ÒThank you for your useless opinion. Could I borrow your ionic then I could
shave on the way?Ó
ÒAah! We'll make a Cantatian out of you yet. Make sure a cop doesn't see you.Ó
~//~
"I have my first pay cheque so tonight's supper is my
treat," said Kitt, "What would you like to do?"
Sean kept a very straight face, "We could order in a
pizza."
"Oh very funny!" Kitt was beginning to 'get' Sean's
jokes without explanations.
"Let's go to Martha's then."
Martha's was a very popular local restaurant. Kitt had never experienced such food,
meals at Sean's place were always of the pre-prepared variety, except for bacon
and eggs. The first challenge was
the menu and Sean's culinary knowledge was tested to it's limits by all Kitt's
questions. He didn't really know
where shiitake mushrooms came from or how they got their name. Beefsteak tomatoes; cherry tomatoes; vine ripened
tomatoes; greenhouse tomatoes. Their local supermarket just had
tomatoes, Kitt had not idea there were so many varieties. He declared that he was going to take a
much bigger interest in cooking.
Sean wondered whether this was a good idea but refrained from
comment. Finally they were ready to
order.
"You go first Kitt."
"Well I would like the Lasagna but instead of button
mushrooms I would like shiitake and instead of greenhouse tomatoes I would like
beefsteak ones and lots of garlic, I really like garlic and .."
"Excuse me sir," the waiter interrupted, "er -
I'm really sorry but lasagna is – er – well, we can't do
that."
"But it says at the bottom, 'substitutions 99 cents',"
said Kitt.
Sean asked the waiter to give them a few more minutes and then
explained to Kitt what he could change and what he couldn't. When they finally got their meal Kitt
savored every mouthful, it was more like the cooking he was used to back in his
homeland. He had assumed that all
Cantatian food was the same as he had been having at Sean's, this was a real
awakening.
"Sometime or other we should go to a real gourmet, five
star restaurant." Sean quickly
wished he had kept his mouth shut because that unleashed another torrent of
questions from Kitt.
~//~
"You asked what?" Sean squeaked.
"Well it seemed like a reasonable question to me,"
bleated Kitt, "She didn't have to be so rude."
Kitt had delivered a pizza for one of the staff of a beauty
parlor having been given strict instructions to come to the back door. Because it was so cold the girl had
invited him to step inside for a minute while she got the money. It was a very small place and Kitt could
see through a rather flimsy curtain to where women were having manicures and
pedicures while their hair was drying.
When the girl came back he had asked her whether they did brain transplants
there. The girl had replied,
"What planet are you from?"
Kitt had just laughed, a new trick he had learned that seemed to work in
many situations like this where he realized that he had said something
wrong. She had given him a nice tip
anyway. It took Sean quite a while
to describe what went on in a beauty salon to Kitt who sat looking more and
more amazed. "I don't think I
will ever understand Cantatian women," he said. Sean told him most Cantatian men were of
the same opinion although perhaps for slightly different reasons.
~//~
On another occasion Sean was chuckling as Kitt described seeing
a woman having a sea weed bath at a spa.
He had thought that there was something wrong with her skin and was only
reassured because his 'natural' ability detected no alarm in the woman's mind,
in fact she seemed very peaceful and calm.
Sean had to launch into another long description of what went in a
spa. Kitt thought this was really
neat and made Sean promise to take him soon. Sean hated spa's like the plague but
agreed just to keep Kitt happy and hoped he would forget the promise.
Kitt did not forget and reminded him several times over the next
few weeks. Sean realized,
regrettably, that this was something that was going to have to be done and
booked them in for a sauna and a back massage. These were the least offensive to him
and reckoned that he would be able to be with Kitt all the time to smooth over
any difficulties that were almost sure to arise. The Saturday afternoon came and, with
some misgivings, Sean drove Kitt to "The Southside Spa." They went for a massage and Sean had
indicated that they wanted to be treated on two adjacent tables, ostensibly so that they could converse,
but of course also because he wanted to keep an eye on Kitt. KittÕs masseur, a large muscular man,
waved his arms in frustration and whined like a Prima-Donna as Kitt kept
telling him not to touch there, nor there, no not like that, and so on and
finally stomped out of the room in a huff.
Sean asked his own masseur to step out a minute so that he and Kitt
could talk. As soon as the man had
left the room Sean turned to Kitt but as he opened his mouth, {HeÕs gay and
heÕs got a woody.}. Sean rubbed his
forehead vigorously to allow this juicy piece of unexpected intelligence to
sink in. This was
embarrassing. They had been given
the choice of male or female masseurs so Sean decided that the only honorable
solution would be to ask for a change.
He was profusely apologetic to the manageress but she didnÕt seem put
out at all. ÒMany customers donÕt
realize that our female masseurs are just as effective as the males, not as
strong maybe, but more in tune with the customers body.Ó When they were sitting in the Jacuzzi
afterwards Sean asked Kitt about the experience and Kitt used his akuut to give
him a clear idea; that began the
giggle fit.
~//~
"Why do you have hookers?"
Sean nearly choked on his coffee. Every day brought new questions from
Kitt's pizza delivery experiences but....
"What do you mean 'why'.
Don't you have them on Kuunasameru?"
This took them into a conversation that Sean could hardly
believe but brought him face to face with the reality of how it must be living
in a place where everybody was very much in touch with each other's
emotions. Kitt explained that on
Kuunas hookers were not only unnecessary but the whole idea of buying sex was
completely repugnant. In any case
Kitt found it difficult to imagine how you could enjoy sex with someone who was
not enjoying it too. This reality
took a little while to sink in for Sean.
Kitt left him sitting in silence thinking over what they had just
discussed while he went out to do some overtime.
~//~
Kitt had taken a pizza to a house out on the east side in a
fairly respectable neighborhood.
When they had opened the door Kitt had nearly gagged at the cocktail of
smells that spilled out from inside.
First there was a kind of moldy warm smell in itself not
unpleasant. Kitt's first thought
here was a 'grow op' of some kind.
Even though commercial harvesting and sale of mayouwanna was entirely
legal in Cantata there was still a lucrative cross border market into Usbelow
and smugglers often had to keep the whole operation 'under wraps' since
reputable growers did not want to risk their operation by associating with
criminal activity. But Kitt said
there was also other smells. There
was a kind of chemical smell a bit like paint and another smell, like baking. The chemical smell Sean thought could be
from a counterfeiting operation.
Counterfeiting Cantata money had long since ceased to be a profitable
crime but foreign money or documents or certificates, etc was still going
on. The baking smell stumped Sean
unless it was just regular cooking but then why would they have ordered pizza
if they were cooking supper. He
gave up thinking about it and forgot the whole matter till he got home one
night and found Kitt sitting on the kitchen floor with his coffee and a half
empty bag of muffins apparently drunk.
Sean had heard him singing as he opened the front door . Kitt was not one to get into alcohol
normally, it did not serve him well, especially in excess, so this was a bit of
a mystery. After he had got Kitt
sat down again after his drunken effusive greeting and kisses and hugs he
noticed the bag of muffins. They
were in a simple paper bag, not in the usual wrappings from MarcieÕs. Turns out Kitt got them from the 'Palace
of Pongs' as he called it. The
house where he made regular pizza deliveries and had the unusual cocktail of
smells. Kitt had given it that name
because of the smells, and since
the order was normally made by someone calling themselves Mr. Pong, Sean examined what was left of the
muffins and began to laugh. They
were baked with a high mayouwanna
content. Sean helped Kitt up to bed
and he slept off the effects in a few hours.
Return
to Contents
Compromised
SeanÕs desk top displayed a warning notice.
ALERT
Your system has been compromised.
Follow all instructions exactly.
Worried he touched the ÒnextÓ button and another notice popped
up.
To de-activate the desk and begin a system
purge touch the next button and then bang your fist on the top of the desk hard
several times.
SeanÕs security
software was very reliable and he had never had a problem before so long
as he followed it's instructions. He did what it said. The screen went blank
then after a few seconds a third notice popped up.
System Purge In Progress.
which slid down to the bottom while a background scene of a
sandy beach with surf lazily rolling onto it, faded up complete with sound
effects.Ó As he sat there watching
the surf and listening to the sounds of the sea he became aware that he was not
alone. Turning he saw Kitt grinning
from ear to ear. ÒYou think
youÕre sufficiently purged Sean,Ó he said.
It was too much of a surprise to laugh right away, Sean just buried his
head in his hands, ÒO.k. How do I get out of this,Ó he said. ÒJust touch the screen SeanÓ And of course when he did everything
returned to normal. ÒAnd the
banging on the desk? What was that
about?Ó Kitt had a comical
expression, ÒWhy that was my signal Sean.
After all I wanted to enjoy the moment.Ó Another practical joke but one that
informed Sean that Kitt's computer skills now way surpassed his own.
Return to Contents
The Aftermath
The cultural tsunami was gone but there was still the
aftermath to clean up. Alicia.
The
First Christmas
"Sean, whatever it is you need to talk to me about I wish
you would get on and do it, the suspense is driving me nuts."
"I'm surely not used to your akuut Kitt."
"I know it has something to do with Christmas and your
family so I can guess that you don't know whether I want to come home with you
over the festive season."
"Well...."
"Don't we know each other well enough now to just talk over
a thing like that without so much angst.
And by the way I wouldn't want to miss spending Christmas with your
family for all the tea in china."
"You'll be picking up some antique expressions from your
time in the e-clouds."
"More from reading as many old books as I can get my hands
on."
"I'm sorry Kitt.
Thank you for helping me out and I'll try and be
more...er...straightforward in future."
"I'm glad that's settled. What should I do about the gift giving,
I don't want to be showered with gifts and not have anything to give back that
would be embarrassing."
"Well now just off the top of me head I'd say we should
exchange gifts and perhaps if you had something for me Mum and Dad since they
are the hosts. Nobody would expect
anything else."
"I'm going to need a crash course on your family
traditions."
And Kitt got one.
Sean's mother Ann was delighted when he broke the news to her on
the regular Sunday chat.
~//~
"You'll be knowin' Kitt that you don't have to do this at
all," Ann stood by the truck with her hands on her hips as Kitt put in the
last of the supplies, her loose grey hair blowing across her face flushed by
the bitter wind.
"It will be my pleasure Mrs. O'Flaherty, and in any case
gives me an opportunity to experience part of Cantatian culture I would never
be able to see otherwise."
"Well it'll be an experience all right. And it's time you started calling me
Ann"
Preparations were well along at St Michael's Church Hall when
they arrived. Final touches were
being made to decorations and long lines of tables were laid out with colorful
seasonal decorations all around.
People grouped around one woman who seemed to be a coordinator of some
kind, and their expressions showed worry and dismay. As Kitt began to unload the stuff from
the truck Ann went over to let them know she had arrived and to find out what
was going on. When she came back
she told Kitt that the George Robey, the guy who normally did the Father
Christmas role, had been taken ill suddenly and wouldn't be able to do it and
now there was a bit of a panic looking for a replacement, not an easy thing since George came as a complete
package, costume and everything.
Kitt of course could feel the anxiety and an idea occurred to him. He suggested to Ann that if they
couldn't find anyone else at such short notice, while he could never pass as
Father Christmas, he could be one of his elves and it would give him a reason
for much closer contact with the children, which suited his own ends as
well. Ann relayed the offer and a
very large lady, Mrs. Dancroft, the
committee chair, came over. As she
shook Kitt's hand he could feel her hard piercing eyes sizing him up. But her smile and his akuut revealed a
warm and generous heart. She asked
him how he planned to make it work and Kitt told her he would just wear one of
the pixie hats with some sort of decoration on it and any kind of blanket or
different jacket, pretend he didn't speak English very well, which wouldn't be
hard since he didn't and it would all be fine. He didn't of course mention his other
talents which would come in handy too.
She thanked him for getting them out of a scrape and asked him what they
could do for him. Kitt wanted
nothing more than to help out and told her any kind of reward was unnecessary.
As Kitt sat watching the more than a hundred or so kids eat
their meal he ate his and began to prepare himself mentally for what would be a
fairly grueling couple of hours.
The St Michael's Christmas Lunch for the Challenged Children was well
known and people came from all over Surprise. This was very special to most if not all
the children there, Kitt could akuut that; one of the highlights of their
Christmas; he hoped he would not disappoint.
Finally the announcement was made that last night as Father
Christmas was parking his sleigh after completing all his rounds he had fallen
on the ice and broken his leg. But
not to worry, he had sent his chief elf along with all their Christmas
presents. There was a line up for
Kitt, chief elf, in no time.
The first
customer was a little girl who was wearing some kind of leg braces. She stood in front of him and with a
very stern look on her face that Kitt knew was just a front for a bit of fun
she wanted to have.
"My name is Celine.
What's yours?"
"Er - Kitt," he replied.
"Is that all?"
"Well Kittamsu, Chief of Santa's Elves is my full
title."
"Huh! You're not a real elf you haven't got pointed
ears."
"Different elves from different tribes have different
ears. Mine are just not as pointed
as some others."
"O.k. Good enough!" and she climbed up onto his knee
her disability not withstanding.
"So did Santa bring you what you wanted last night"
"Well mostly."
"Mostly? You had wanted - er some boys toys?"
"Hush? My Dad
will hear you." She looked
around nervously.
"O.k. then we'll whisper. Did you want some boys toys?"
"Yes but my Dad won't buy any for me."
"Well we can soon fix that," turning to Ann, "One
boys toy please." Ann put back
the little girls toy and by some instinct picked up an older boys toy. Kitt handed it to Celine and she
unwrapped it. It was a transformer
robot. she was absolutely delighted
and ran back to her mother squealing with delight. Shouting, "Look what Santa gave me. Look what
Santa gave me." Of course this
performance only caused all the kids who were waiting to become even more
excited if that was possible.
Ann whispered to Kitt that he couldn't take so long with each
one or they would be there for hours.
Kitt nodded but decided there and then that it was going to take as long
as it took.
Next an autistic little boy came up and Kitt used his akuut to
calm him down right away and to re-enforce their dialogue mentally. As he jumped down and ran off with his
gift Kitt mentioned to his mother that he understood everything. She seemed confused and responded that
he did seem to understand quite a few things. Kitt took her arm gently and turned her
towards him re-enforcing what he had said that the boy understood everything,
everything that was said, everything around him. She nodded not completely able to grasp
the significance of what Kitt was telling her right away. Kitt hoped she would think about what he
had said later.
It took Kitt over three hours before the last little guy had
their gift. Usually the party games
started after everyone had seen Father Christmas but today at Ann's suggestion
they had wisely decided to start
the games along with the visits to Santa's Elf. Ann was worried about messing up the
Christmas Supper at Grandma's, which in their family was sacrosanct.
As they were packing up to go Mrs. Dancroft came across to thank
Kitt. This had been the best
Christmas lunch ever thanks to him and she gave him a big hug. Later in the truck on the way back Ann
said she had never seen Mrs. Dancroft hug anyone before, Kitt must have really
impressed her.
~//~
Every family has Christmas traditions, well every Christian
family but even some who are not,
as someone once said, ÒWhy should the Christians have all the fun.Ó One of many traditions of SeanÕs family
was taking gifts round to Great Grandma and Great Grandpa on Christmas
Eve. Kitt was worried that he did
not have gifts for them but everyone assured him this would be no problem, they
wouldnÕt have gifts for him either.
This turned out not to be true but, in that it didnÕt matter, they were
right.
Great Grandma and GrandpaÕs house was in an old section near the
centre of town. Not that Harbor Bay
was any metropolis. A modest single
story house with a big summer kitchen on the back. The halls were lined with photographs
and pictures, floor to ceiling. If
there was any wallpaper or paint color it couldnÕt be seen. Kitt could akuut the history as he entered the front door, probably from
Great Grandma and Great Grandpa. Of
course Kitt enjoyed the family celebrations and of course they did everything
possible to make him feel part of it but of course he was a stranger in their
midst. He needed some time out and
so he stood in the hall looking at all the pictures. Great Grandma had seen him go out and
not come back for a few minutes and she went out to join him.
ÒThatÕs Valentina Stepanovna Grizodubova.Ó
Kitt was confused, ÒWho was she.Ó
ÒShe flew across Russia, 6,450 Km, from Moscow to The Far East
in 1938Ó
ÒSheÕs not family then?Ó
ÒLorÕ luv you no.
IÕm a bit of a history buff, so to speak. And I specialize in women heroes,
especially the unsung heroes.
Heroism was always manÕs work but there were many heroines who did great
things and need to be remembered.
She was one. A world record
at the time. She was decorated as
Hero of the Soviet Union, the first woman to receive that honor.Ó
"And people complain that Kuunasian names are long and hard
to pronounce. Who are these good
looking girls."
"They were part of "The Russian 46th Taman Guards
Night Bomber Regiment."
"Bomber Pilots."
"Some, but bombardiers, gunners and navigators as
well. It was an all female
regiment."
"Amazing. Sean
told me this joke about Russian beauty contests being won by tractors."
"I'll pretend I didn't hear that. Russian women are some of the most
beautiful in the world but if you're unlucky enough to be a peasant, hard physical labor and continuously
pregnant can wreak havoc with a woman's body."
"Yes, I meant no offense."
"None taken.
You seem to have given young Sean some sort of purpose in his
life."
"He and I get along - how do you say - like a house on
fire."
"We had been a bit worried about him. We knew he could do so much more than
that job he had at the airport but he just didn't have the get up and go."
"Well his get up and go may have got up and gone but now
it's gone and come back again."
Great Grandma's laugh could be heard all over the house and Sean
came out to see what was going on.
"Can I get you something, come along into the kitchen and I'll
introduce you to my hidden pantry." was all she said walking off. They followed.
~//~
The sound of the shingle rattling in the receding waves followed
by the short silent anticipation of the whump and whoosh of the next, repeated
again and again was like a part of the rhythm of his body, hypnotic but
soothing. The ocean breeze carried
the usual myriad of odors of life, growing or in decay, fleeting, raw, fresh
yet old, ancient. Kitt sat on what
had quickly become his favorite knoll looking out to sea where the green fleck
of the ocean met the mackerel sky.
A big tanker or container ship, he couldn't tell which at this distance,
made it's way slowly, apparently lazily, along the horizon. Sea gulls rode the wind, diving
occasionally to squabble amongst themselves over some tidbit left by the
tide. A big one landed close to
Kitt, gorged from the spoils of the recent storm. Kitt could akuut it's dull defiance
unable, after so many days of continual subsistence, to accept it didn't need
any more, still regarding Kitt as a possible source of food. Kitt laughed heartily and the bird flew
off, as close to embarrassed as it could get. The ship had disappeared. Behind him the dark mass of the land
watched with him, waiting, knowing that something was expected.
The manÕs appearance did not mark him as remarkable, his face
hidden by the hood on his coat, and Kitt took little notice as he walked
past. It was when he appeared a
second time from the same direction that the hairs on the back of Kitt's neck
prickled. He was a little closer
this time but still completely hidden by his coat and hood. Kitt watched him pass again and out of
sight, uncertain. The third time Kitt stared straight ahead hoping the
apparition would mind it's own business but whoever he was he was there to see
Kitt and came and sat beside him.
His voice came into Kitt's mind as though he had spoken, even though
Kitt knew he hadn't. {"You
never know do you."} Kitt waited.
{"You go out a hundred, maybe a thousand times, and some Captain's
live to a ripe old age but you never know if there's a wave out there with
you're shipÕs name on it."}
Kitt stared straight ahead,
{ÒA mortal man can only do his best and the rest is in the hands of
Eshuna. Waiting here on the beach
and worrying is not going to change the past."} The man gave no reaction
but stood up and began to leave, {"Thank you for listening,"} and
walked away disappearing into the waves.
Kitt wished he had brought his flute with him to restore some semblance
of calm.
~//~
They were going back to Grander in a couple of days and Sean
wanted Kitt to meet some more of the locals so he took him to The Sunken Dory,
a local watering hole. All went
well till a drunk staggered up to their table.
"You wanna
piece of me? You wanna piece of
me?"
Kitt held his hand up to try and shield himself from the stink
of the man's drunken breath. He
could akuut Sean's concern about this ruffian that loved to pick fights and
because of his size typically beat up whoever his picked on. He took his hand down again turned his
head to look the man eye to eye,
"I wouldn't want a piece of you if you were pickled for five years,
sliced thin and served with caviar on top." There was a general snicker of laughter
around the bar.
The man blinked a couple of times not even aware that he was
being made fun of "Eh! (pause) Oh trying to be funny eh!"
He then takes a swing at Kitt who because of his akuut knew the
blow was coming before the commands had even got from the man's brain to his
arm and easily avoids the blow.
Sean's anxiety abated as he watched the fight, if that's what it
could be called, with amusement as Kitt uses his akuut to anticipate the drunks
every move and avoids the threat and makes the drunk appear completely foolish
without doing him any harm or even striking him. The man became more and more frustrated
and angry and the more angry he got the more Kitt laughed and could make him
appear foolish. Eventually the man
gave up and staggered towards the exit but decided to take it out on one
of the innocent bystanders who
perhaps had laughed a little louder than others. But again Kitt could akuut the blow
coming but this time he decided this fellow needed a lesson. He caught the mans arm from behind as it
was raised to strike and twisting it over to throw the man on his back
hard. He was very surprised and had
all the wind knocked out of him, a
condition having very alarming symptoms that corrects itself in a few seconds
but usually knocks all the fight out of a person. The fellow got up again and left while
the barman offered a round of drinks on the house to toast Kitt's health to
have dispatched the local bully.
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Satisfaction
Guaranteed
Sean came home and as soon as he saw Kitt he knew he had had a
bad day. SeanÕs suggestion that
they order in was welcomed and as they ate Kitt told his story. There had been a minor irritation with their
network connection where they would have to reboot every so often and Kitt,
whose technical skills were now getting quite advanced, had mentioned to Sean
that he would look into it. It
turns out that the problem was associated with the firmware in their hub and
Kitt had downloaded and installed a new version but when he had tried to put
the system back up again it would not connect. Kitt explained to Sean how he had
diagnosed the problem but it was over SeanÕs head, but anyway Kitt was sure
that the modem they were using, which was old, was incompatible with the latest
hub firmware and he had asked the support people at the cable company if he
could get a new one. He just got a
run around from them, they refused to allow him to even pay for a new modem
himself insisting there was nothing wrong with the old one. Kitt, partly in frustration and partly
to resolve the issue, took the old modem and did some serious damage to it in
the workshop assisted by the heavy metal vice and a lump hammer. He then put the pieces in a plastic bag
and went to the cable companyÕs local store to buy a new one, apologizing for
the destruction and explaining that a filing cabinet had been dropped on
it. When he got the new one back
home everything was fine just as he had expected. Sean thought that the story was
delightful but Kitt was under a cloud of guilt for his deception. Sean assured him his actions were in the
best traditions of Cantatian culture and not to worry a little bit.
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to Contents
Bruno
The trip to enjoy the winter Olympics had gone well and Sean had
taken Kitt to as many events as they could afford and fit into a schedule. It was all a great success till Sean
came back from a minor side trip for some shopping and found Kitt in a kind of
trance in the hotel room sitting in front of the holoset which had been left on
the channel covering Olympic events.
Another might have panicked but Sean had seen Kitt this way before so he
just made some coffee and waited for Kitt to come back to his world and explain.
~//~
ÒCome the road is this way?Ó
ÒNon! I must return and finish for my country.Ó
ÒYou have done all you can for your country and now you must
move on.Ó
ÒWho are you to tell me what to do?Ó
ÒI am just trying to help you, do not get angry, it will not
help and could be very bad.Ó
ÒÕow can all ze energy I Ôave to win gold be bad.Ó
ÒBecause unless you accept your new situation you will become
trapped, as other Egoni have done before, trying to do something that cannot be
done.Ó
ÒWhy canÕt it be done, why not? And even if it canÕt I must try my best.Ó
ÒWell before you do at least let us shake hands and part
friends.Ó
As Kitt knew their spirits had no physical form and could not
grasp each others hands.
ÒWhat is zis are you a ghost?Ó
ÒNo you are.Ó
ÒIÉÉÓ This was the
turning point. Kitt used his serenity
to help Bruno in shock as he watched in disbelief. His broken body being lifted and put on
a stretcher in a body bag. ÒIs zat
me?Ó
ÒYes, you were killed in a skiing accident racing for gold. You died with honor for your
country.Ó KittÕs voice was soft and
gentle and then after a few minutes to allow the shock to register. ÒCome, the road is this way, there is
nothing more to do here.Ó Bruno
turned and followed him in a daze.
~//~
ÒKitt. Kitt. Come back. Come back.Ó Sean shook him gently.
ÒOh Sean. YouÕre
home. How are you?Ó
ÒIÕm fine but where have you been.Ó
ÒA French mountain skier was just killed in the gold medal
race.Ó
ÒHow awful?Ó
ÒYes. A
tragedy. The risks these athletes
take is unbelievable. They are
totally driven.Ó
ÒYes. But you
shouldnÕt take it so hard.Ó
Kitt wondered if he
should explain to Sean but decided he wasnÕt ready yet.
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Typos
Kitt experimented with speech recognition technology, automated translators and programs that
automatically corrected spelling and grammatical errors. This was one of the remnants. Eventually he made his records in other
waysÉAlicia.
~//~
I went to the toboggan hill in a blue snow suit. What a beautiful dye. I went to watch the very little kids and
hear their nappy shouts as they assumed down. I was a simple thing, and could account
for their energy and joy and it made me feel. Good one. Little boy was there by himself and
looking lost and forewarned. He was
scared of going down so I offered to take him. Down then I knew nothing about bad
people sad ducting of children or I would probably not have done it. Anyway I took him down and yelled out
"obey abbey do" with all the wind in my sails. The whey was down right good and I
suppose the others there thought, "Farther!", so they were copying
me. Everyone was having a pea soup
time laughing and hoarse playing a round of golf.
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Uncle
Tungsten
After another less than exciting day at the airport Sean was
driving home when he heard a fire engine siren, he pulled over and a three
engine turn out roared by, horns
blasting and sirens blaring, as they do when there is a real emergency. He noted that they turned off the
highway further down towards his subdivision and wondered idly who the unlucky
person was. And then an
ambulance came up behind and he pulled over again. This time he followed the ambulance
round the same turn off toward his subdivision and could see it head in the
general direction of his block.
"Some poor bastard is in trouble," he thought when a police
car siren blared and he again pulled over.
As he got closer to home he became more and more concerned as the
realized that the fire was really close to his house and started to wonder
which of his neighbors it could be.
As he turned the corner onto his road all the emergency vehicles were
stopped outside his house. Panic
welled up, and he broke into a cold sweat.
He pulled up well back and got out to run up to the house. A police officer stopped him and he
explained he was the owner and was allowed past. As he ran up the driveway a sight out of
a movie greeted him. Most of the
windows of the house had been opened and a thick green smoke was billowing
out. Firemen in breathing apparatus
were handling hoses on the front lawn,
paramedics, also in breathing apparatus were on the front step and
police were cordoning the area off.
But strangest of all was, well it could only be Kitt, in various shades of green starting very
bright below his knees and gradually getting darker and darker higher up till
his face was almost black, standing
in the front door very agitated, jumping up and down, trying to stop the
paramedics from coming in. Sean
roared, "Kitt!! What the hell
is going on?".
~//~
After the house had been ventilated and all the first responders
had gone Sean got an explanation out of Kitt. Kitt was fascinated by all the books
that were available and was reading book after book. He came across a book called Uncle
Tungsten by Oliver Sacks about a boy growing up in a scientific family that
allowed him to conduct all kinds of chemical experiments. Kitt had been fascinated by the idea and
decided that it would be a fantastic way to learn. So he had ordered all kinds of stuff on
the internet and been experimenting mixing different things in the sink in the
utility room. He just loved all the
different smells and colors he got mixing together all kinds of different
substances with little idea that it could be dangerous or at least not that
dangerous. Then one particular
mixture starting to bubble and then erupt in billowing green smoke which poured
over the edge and rapidly built up on the floor. Kitt had tried to put water in it but
that just made it worse and it went completely out of control. Kitt panicked and ran outside as green
smoke started to pour from doors and windows. Luckily the gas was not highly toxic but
left a greenish deposit everywhere that luckily cleaned off fairly easily. When Sean explained to Kitt that things
could have been much much worse Kitt was,
as always, very contrite and promised to at least keep Sean informed in
future when he planned a new activity.
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Settling Down
Two
Half Pounds of Butter
Kitt was in the supermarket, a weekly task he had taken on, and
was not really paying much attention to anyone else when he became aware of
something going on. Several people
in the checkout lineup were having a loud discussion. An elderly lady had noticed that two
half pound blocks of butter cost more than a one pound block and was busy
exhorting everyone with half pound blocks to go and change them for the one
pound blocks to the great public pleasure and contentment of most. One young mother however was not going
to change, she said the difference was small and that the half pound blocks
were more convenient for her butter dish.
This caused a rift in the community of thrifty shoppers and several
people began to take her to task.
Browbeaten but determined she stood her ground but she was almost in
tears when one busy body replaced her purchase and everybody congratulated
themselves. Kitt could feel her
frustration and anger as she stood there fuming, meanwhile after a few moments
the focus of attention had shifted away.
He went and got her butter and smiling as though he knew her swapped it
back again and stood with her as she went through the cash. A few people noticed but now they had
lost the initiative and did nothing.
The lady was so grateful which Kitt acknowledged smiling a disarming
smile and turned away to continue with his shopping.
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European
Experience
Sean took Kitt on several trips to
various places in the world including a European TourÉ.Alicia.
Sean and Kitt were awed
by the beauty of the art gallery architecture in Vienna. The central staircase had marble stairs,
balustrade and columns, while the walls were all adorned with tapestries and
busts sitting on specially constructed ledges all lit by an enormous crystal
chandelier four floors above. It
was a magnificent sight. Before
taking in any of the galleries they decided to get some lunch and noticed a
sign indicating a cafe for light refreshments on the third floor. When they got up there tables were set
around a wide terrazzo surrounding the central staircase. Some of the tables were between columns
right up against the balustrade while others were further back. It was a first
come first served arrangement with waiter service. People were cruising round the floor
waiting for an empty table. The
ones by the balustrade being at a premium since they commanded a view of the
beauty of the central area.
Eventually they came to an unoccupied table, not yet cleaned off and one
of three, two set back and one by the balustrade. They took the table set back and a
waiter soon came and cleared it and took their order.
Kitt noticed that the
table by the balustrade was occupied by a young French couple who had finished
eating and were writing postcards.
The other table had a boisterous Italian family of seven who were
already enjoying their meal. People
cruised by looking for tables but Kitt noticed a rather large German couple who
seemed to cruise by with a much higher frequency than everyone else, eventually
doubling back on themselves to save the round trip of the whole floor. It became apparent they were waiting for
the young French couple to leave.
But the young French couple were in no hurry and the situation developed
with the German couple chaffing at the bit as it were nearby while they
languidly finished their postcards and called for the bill. In the meantime the waiter had brought Sean
and Kitt their sandwiches and coffee and Kitt had drawn Sean's attention to the
developing situation, much to the amusement of both of them.
Then to Kitt's
amazement the German man took out a camera and walked to lean right over the
French couples table to take a photograph of the central staircase while the
German woman scrunched herself between the French girls chair and the column to
look over the balustrade. Kitt
didn't need his special senses to know how the French couple felt, it was
obvious by the way the looked at each other and with an unspoken agreement
slowed their actions to just above a crawl. Meanwhile the Italian family had
finished their meal, paid their bill and left. The German couple however were not
interested in that table, they wanted the French couples'. A few more minutes go by as the waiter
returned the French couples change and two elderly Viennese ladies occupied the third table and got
an order of coffee and pastries.
The German couple were
by now visibly agitated, hoping from one foot to the other and casting angry
glances at the French couple who eventually began to make preparations to
leave. The girl went to the
washroom catching the eye of one of Vienese ladies, while the man packed up
their things. When the girl
returned he stood up and she collected her purse and they left passing right in
front of the German couple delaying their advance to claim their prize by a
moment or two. In the blink of an
eye one of the elderly Viennese ladies had picked up her coffee and pastry,
swiveled her chair and occupied the table by the balustrade. The German couple froze. The second Viennese lady consolidated
their gain by moving swiftly round and joining her companion. Kitt looked at Sean and Sean looked at
Kitt and they could scarcely contain their amusement while the German couple
had walked off in a huff and then they laughed loud and long and wagged their
fingers at the Viennese ladies who joined in their merriment. The ladies spoke quite good English and
they struck up a conversation. Kitt
mentioned being aghast at the German couples behavior and the Viennese ladies
admitted that their tactics had been carefully planned on seeing the same
behavior and being disgusted by it.
~//~
"How would you be
knowing that? Them bein'
Italians."
"Akuut has a whole
part independent of language; you don't need language to feel things you
know."
Kitt and Sean sit
together in an Italian sidewalk cafe and drink coffee, having breakfast and
Kitt is being unusually candid commenting on various patrons and
passersby. The thought comes into
Sean's mind as to why Kitt is being so candid.
"We're tourists
Sean, practically invisible to all except those in the service
industries."
"And we'll be
standing out that much?"
Kitt grinned at him and
Sean made face, "What about that beauty then," he asked, warming to
the opportunity.
"She ignores the
effect she has on the men around her.
It's always been that way and she is too modest to completely accept she
is so special."
"Would you be
lookin' at this guy coming in. Now does he think he farts fairy dust or
what"
"You're right
Sean. Almost the other end of the
character spectrum from the girl."
"Well look at him
brushing back his hair to look around and see whose admiring him, him with
Amano Amora printed in ten centimeter letters on one shoulder of his
T-shirt."
"He doesn't think
much of you either Sean."
Their eyes meet and
they laugh; connected by Kitt's akuut they laugh a lot. As they swim back up to reality again
Kitt has a very soft expression on his face. Sean looks to see a family walking by,
mother and father with little guys in a stroller and grandparents walking
alongside.
"I think I like
Italy," Kitt commented. Sean
felt the same way, "but not as much as Cantata," he added.
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Meeting
Mihuna
Kitt made various attempts to get in touch with Mihuna The
Spirit of the Land in Cantata.
Alicia.
~//~
The previous rain storm had left everything glistening in the
sun. Spiders webs hung like lacey
curtains all decorated with droplets of water, tree trunks were a darker brown
through their clean leafy clothing and the grass slushed round their soaking
feet.
"A penny for
them Kitt"
"Huh?"
"A penny for them!"
ÒA penny for what?"
"Your thoughts.
It's an old expression when somebody is sitting thinking and you say, 'A
penny for your thoughts," to try and get them to tell you what they are
thinking."
"Seems pretty cheap to me."
"I suppose."
"How about five dollars?"
"Kitt I'm not going to give you anything for your thoughts
but we have been out here on this piece of land for hours with you walking
around with a mystical look on your face and I'm getting tired and hungry and
want to go and get some supper."
"Are we Bimentals.
Go if you must."
"I can't go without you. How would you get back?"
"Walk"
"A hundred kilometers or more. You must be joking."
"I'd find a way."
"Maybe but -- aren't you hungry?"
Kitt didn't answer but started walking. Much to Sean's consternation he was
walking away from the vehicle deeper into the bush. Sean couldn't keep up and Kitt got out
of sight, without a guide Sean wandered off in a different direction.
Kitt was moving through the bush with long easy strides when he
heard Sean's shouts. He began to
back track and then run in the direction of the noise and as he came in sight
of Sean he saw what his akuut had already told him that Sean was in some sort
of encounter with a very angry bear.
The bear cuffed Sean on the shoulder and knocked him down. The bear had no idea that the blow could
seriously injure Sean and was only intended to show it's displeasure. Kitt attracted the bears attention and
as Sean lay on the ground, fearing for his life, he saw the bears anger
dissipate to something close to scratching his head in amazement cast a sort of
pitying glance at Sean, give a couple of woofs and then turn and amble off out
of sight.
"Are you o.k. Sean?"
"I'm not sure, let me be standing up. Ah! There we are now that's better. Well
everything seems o.k. only my shoulder is a bit sorely. Jees am I glad you managed to get here
in time, I thought that bear was going to kill me. What did you say to it?"
"Well akuut
communication can't so easily be put into regular English."
"Why was it so mad at me?"
"It thought you were trying to take away some of it's
territory."
"That right. I
can see how that would upset it.
What did you say to calm it down like that."
"Well I told it you were pregnant and were a bit
disoriented."
"Pregnant!!"
"Yes."
"A pregnant female."
"Well only females get pregnant as far as I know."
"You insult my manhood by making me out to be a disoriented
pregnant female."
"Would you have preferred I just let the bear hit you a few
more times?"
"No, of course not but wasn't there a better way?"
"Well I was - er - desperate and it was the best I could
come up with."
"I thought you couldn't lie in akuut."
"Not between humans but bears are not that smart."
"I'm pissed off all the same."
"Let me try and explain and help you see it from the bears
point of view. This is a sort of
reconstruction of the conversation I had with the bear. As soon as I saw the bear cuff you I
attracted it's attention with something like, {"Hey what are you doing?"}
{"You are not going to take any of my territory. There just isn't enough food as it
is."}
{"We're not interested in your territory."}
{"Oh. So what
are you doing here then. Didn't you
detect my territory marks?"}
{"Oh - er - yes, I was just trying to catch up with Sean to
tell him we were in your territory."}
{"What kind of an idiot is he that he can't detect territorial
marks for himself."}
{"Well - er, she is pregnant and lost her last cub
and is a bit disoriented and distressed."}
{"Really?"}
{"Yes really. I
can assure you we have no interest in hunting on your territory and if you
allow us to pass through we won't bother you at all."}
{"Oh well alright then. Sorry for the misunderstanding."}
ÒAnd that was it.
The bear turned round and left."
"How come the bear would buy a cock and bull story like
that?"
"Well the bear thinks we are just a different kind of bear
and neither knows nor cares any more than that, and that we might be taking
some of it's food."
"But a pregnant female!!"
"Sorry Sean, really I am"
"I'm going to going to have to start eating less ice
cream."
Kitt then turned and went back the way he was originally
headed. Sean had no choice but to
follow. Then Kitt stopped and lay
down on his back turning his head this way and that. Sean thought there was something wrong,
"Are you alright?" Kitt
stood up again walked a bit further the did the same thing again, still saying
nothing. Sean was beginning to lose
patience, "How can I help you if I don't know what the heck is going
on?" Just then a small poodle came
out of nowhere and started barking and jumping around Kitt, as though he were
playing a game. A couple in hiking
gear appeared and stood looking in amazement at the scene with Kitt on the
ground and their dog running round him.
Kitt stopped and looked at Sean, "Of course," he said with a
look on his face as though he had just discovered the answer to an ancient
puzzle. Then he started
running. "At least it's
towards the truck," thought Sean and began to run after him stumbling
while making an embarrassed attempt to wave to the couple who had grabbed their
dog and were gazing after them in astonishment. "Sorry! Watch out for the bear." he managed
to shout. Soon they were sitting in
the truck. "We can go now," said Kitt. Sean started the truck and they drove in
silence for a few minutes and then Kitt waved his arm in a big gesture so that
Sean had to duck to keep the road in view.
"Mihuna," he said.
Sean looked confused. Kitt
made a gesture of waves on the water, "Eshuna," he said. "The God of the Sea," Sean
said and Kitt nodded and then make the same big gesture again, again Sean
ducked. "Mihuna," Kitt
said again. Sean thought,
{"The God of the Land?"}.
Kitt nodded excitedly. As
they rode back home Kitt explained that he had gone out to a wild place to be
closer to Mihuna, to ask what to do next.
Mihuna was the one who was going to provide them with a piece of
land. The problem had been that
because Sean did not understand; Mihuna was not able to come to Kitt, Sean had
sort of mixed things up even before the couple and their dog had arrived. "So rather than helping I just got
in the way," Sean moaned. Kitt
smiled and put his hand on Sean's shoulder, "My fault," he said,
"I should have explained to you.
You're a good man." Sean felt better, Kitt was such a peaceful
person you couldn't stay upset for very long with him around. Sean's began to chuckle. "Something funny?," asked
Kitt.
"Oh I'm just remembering the look on that couple's
faces. They must have wondered what
they had got into."
Kitt didn't seem amused, "Mihuna will help them," he
said. "Happy dog." Then he began to laugh as well.
~//~
Sean was following Kitt a few yards behind as they scrambled
through the undergrowth up a fairly steep treed slope. Suddenly Kitt threw himself on the
ground and signaled Sean to do the same.
The terrified look on Kitt's face immediately made Sean anxious and he
wondered what terrible danger they were facing. Kitt crept backwards slowly silently to
where Sean was laying. Sean began
to ask what was up but Kitt instantly put his hand over his mouth to indicate
complete silence and signaled to retreat back down the slope. This was no mean feat with big back
packs and heavy undergrowth not to mention large rocky outcrops and all sorts
of other obstructions. It was also
painful on the knees but Sean always deferred to Kitt's superior knowledge when
they were in a wilderness situation and did so now. After they had got pretty much to the
bottom of the slope and were hundreds of yards away from their original
position Kitt relaxed a bit.
"That was really close?"
"What was it," Sean could hardly imagine what could
have scared Kitt so much.
"There was a dragon just over that hill and it had smelled
us."
Sean sat for a minute trying to take in this piece of
information but when he had finally got it figured out he began to grin and
then the grin became a chuckle and finally he sort of lost control and fell on
his side, the back pack preventing him from laying on his back, in a fit of
laughter. Kitt just stared at him
until Sean's laughter subsided and he was wiping his eyes, "What's so
funny. We could have been killed."
"That's not a
dragon Kitt."
"Yes is it was I heard it's roar and smelled it's sour
breath, although I strangely could not akuut it's feelings."
"That's because it's a machine Kitt."
"A machine?"
"Yes, a refinery, that roar is the burn off for waste gases
and the smell is, well the smell of a refinery which is pretty sour."
"A refinery," Kitt was beginning to feel a bit silly
and as Sean explained he realized the truth of what Sean was saying. He finally joined in Sean's laughter after
they climb the hill again and saw the refinery in the next valley.
~//~
ÒWould you be certain Mihuna is out there Kitt?Ó
Kitt just grinned to an innocents question, ÒIs it certain? Is it certain? Do the lids of garbage containers in
English kitchens have tea stains.
You have to understand Sean that Mihuna, the spirit of the land, is the
one who will show me where I have to go, what I have to do. Mortals are only passing tenants of the
land, Mihuna is the landlord and a kindly one at that.Ó
So this time in mid summer, very early one morning they drove
out into Surprise wilderness for a few days communion with nature. They parked Sean's old SUV, put on their
boots and back packs and set off.
After most of a day's walking they came to a clear area near a hill top
surrounded by a number of rocky outcrops and Kitt stopped and said they would
camp here and see what happened.
They made camp in the lee of one of the rocky outcrops, set up a fire
and prepared a meal. The night
passed without incident and the next day Kitt wanted them both to leave their
things at the camp site so that they could be free to move around the area, he
felt sure that this was the right place.
As they returned to the camp site from a sortie later Kitt signaled to
Sean for complete quiet and they crept forward. Sitting by the camp fire was a brown
bear with two cubs. They had hung
their food in a tree away from the camp itself. Sean was terrified but Kitt just turned
and made a sign with his hands as though smoothing some sand. Kitt then approached the camp fire and
sat down, Sean froze. One of the
bear cubs came over to him and bunted him playfully and Sean watched amazed as
Kitt began to romp with the bear cubs as the mother woofed her approval. Then as quickly as it started they left
passing within arms reach of Sean as though he was another tree, which he very
nearly was. Kitt was sitting again
by the embers of the fire and Sean managed to move his wooden legs and
approach.
ÒThat would be the most amazing thing I have ever been seeing.Ó
ÒIt was fun.Ó
ÒYou could well have been in a sorry state you could, even
killed.Ó
{ÒHave you forgotten my akuut.Ó}
ÒI have yet to be understanding exactly how powerful it is
Kitt.Ó
ÒHer cubs were hungry and I told them where I had seen a berry
patch. She warned me that there is
a family of raccoons that will steal our food unless we keep watch.Ó and Kitt
began the business of building up the fire and preparing for supper as though
he had just had a conversation with a passing stranger.
~//~
Sean came half out of a dream but could hear only the normal
night sounds muffled by his sleeping bag and the walls of the tent. Yet something had awoken him. After his eyes were adjusted to the dark
but still half wanting to go back to sleep he crawled out to look at where Kitt
is keeping watch and suddenly he is awake.
ÒLook out!Ó he shouts.
Kitt drowsily, ÒYes I am.Ó
ÒNo – watch out behind you.Ó
ÒI thought that was why I was on look out.Ó
ÒJesus Kitt - look behind you.Ó
Kitt laughs, reaches over and pats the wolf on the head. ÒHim,
thatÕs Karkaan, he's a friend.Ó
ÒA friend?Ó
ÒYes. And all that
shouting like that might scare him away.
He can see, hear and smell so much more than you or I, he makes being lookout a breeze.Ó
ÒWell pardon me.Ó
ÒWhy what did you do.Ó
ÒNever mind. IÕll
just go back to bed.Ó
~//~
On their last night, evening meal cleared away there was still
an hour or so of twilight left and Kitt said he was going to scout around a
bit. As he left he put pine cones
on the fire that made a sweet smelling smoke drifting across Sean sitting
drinking tea laced with a little
whisky and letting his mind wander.
He was looking forward to getting back to civilization again, he was
getting too old and his bones ached although he had to admit these trips were
very interesting experiences. Kitt
came back in a few minutes and saying nothing beckoned for Sean to follow
him. He climbed one of the higher
rocky outcrops following steps that seemed to have been hewn out of the rock
until they stood on top. The view
was astounding and as they stood there clouds seemed to drift under their feet
and clear further away giving the impression that they were much higher than
they could really have been. Kitt
pointed west and Sean could see across Cantata and sipped from his tea, across
the plains, across the mountains to a reach of water with land on either side
and a number of small islands in between.
The water round one of the islands sparkled and itÕs sandy beaches and
treed slopes glowed orange in the setting sun and Kitt whispered ÒAbeltran
IslandÓ as the sun disappeared below the horizon and darkness descended.
"Are you o.k. Sean." Kitt was offering him water and he
seemed to be sitting by the fire again although he had no memory of walking
back. It was dark but Kitt had
built the fire up so that the red glow lit the whole area around them and
warmed him. Sean shivered and was
confused and took some of the water Kitt offered.
"It would seem that Mihuna decided to visit you rather than
me." Sean looked at him blankly and Kitt smiled his eyes alive, "When
I came back from my walk you were sitting obviously in some kind of trance
state and I just sat here with you till you came out of it. What did Mihuna tell you?"
Sean told Kitt what he had experienced. Kitt was delighted, it was what he had
hoped for, knowing the name and location of the future home of the Kuunas but
more than that welcoming Sean as more than just a casual guide but an important
part of his quest.
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The
'Ten Commandments'
{There must have been
hundreds of these at one time} Kitt
was standing at the wooden gate in the old stone wall looking up a flagged path
bracketed by very pretty flower beds that led to an old church with moss
encrusted butresses and stained glass windows set deep in the walls. An old man in black frock dress and
white collar was coming out of the oak doors. ÒMay I have a few words with you,Ó Kitt
said as he approached, ÒI need to understand one or two things.Ó Just from the look on the Pastor's face,
let alone using his akuut, Kitt was aware that Sean's advice may have been
right. ÒI really donÕt have time
now young man why donÕt youÉÓ he began but something in KittÕs demeaner made
him stop, he realized that this may be one of those rare occasions of honest
enquiry amongst a sea of extremists trying to discredit the church. "I apologize too," he said,
"In these troubled times there are so many come to me with questions like
yours, appearing to be in search of some kind of truth, but in reality looking
to discredit our institutions or do us harm in some way." Kitt, sensing the Pastor's change of
heart, immediately launched into his concerns, telling the Pastor about
alignments and problems of The Ten Commandments compared to the Guidance Room
in the Temple of Arachoya. The
Pastor put his hands to his head in bewilderment and suggested that they retire
to his study in the rectory to discuss things in a setting more conducive to
intellectual discussion than the steps of the church's main door. The two men made their way, led by the
Pastor, to the house adjacent to the church, almost a relic of bygone days and
only existing because of the remoteness of the location and it's reluctance to
rush to catch up with modern ways characteristic of most cities in Cantata.
Kitt sat in the large
leather chair in the Pastor's study and held the cut glass crystal full of best
sherry. "I'm Father
Benoit. George Benoit. You may call
me George if you like. And you
are?" Kitt made to rise in deference but was refrained by the Pastor's
gesture. "I am Kittamsu of
Kuunasameru. Please call me
Kitt." And so a dialogue began
that ran over several months with George acting as the gateway to provide or
explore many aspects of Judeo-Christian morality, either through his own
knowledge, or by reference to his extensive network of learned colleagues. A conversion was never possible but a
deep understanding essential.
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A
Pact Between Friends
Sean could feel Kittamsu getting restless and knew that it would
not be long before he left. Not
that this worried him as much as it did, unlike when he first arrived and was
like a lamb in a slaughter house.
Sean idly wondered how that would be described by Kitt using one of his
Kuunasian myths. The parting would
be a very sad day so strong was their friendship. Sean, thinking these things, looked up
and saw Kitt looking back at him, as usual with an uncanny understanding in his
eyes and that knowing friendly smile on his face, "Kamahi to Garoc", he said.
"Not any more I don't think," replied Sean. Kitt nodded. "But how are you going to fulfill
your quest? It is not a simple
thing migrating a whole nation, even a small one like yours." Kitt shook his head slowly, still
smiling. Sean wondered at his
apparent naivety and seeming lack of concern at the magnitude of the task he
was undertaking, but knew that all was not as it appeared.
"You could help," Kitt suggested softly, recognizing
this as a moment of truth.
"And why would I come with you to traipse all over God's
half acre on a quest that's about as much my business as the moons of
Jupiter?"
"You're help would be much appreciated; it would give your life some purpose and
would almost certainly gain you a place of honor with our people and life of
good living and privilege in your old age.
And in any case rather than come with me you would be more help setting
up and running a base somewhere here."
This hit on a matter of increasing concern to Sean. Although still in good health he had no
provision for his old age and was not a young man anymore. His job as a janitor at the airport
wasn't something he enjoyed all that much and was merely a way of making ends
meet. What did he really have to
lose and perhaps a lot to gain?
"That sounds very appealing," he replied.
"You could become an elder, a revered member of our
people."
"Like being made a companion to the Order of Cantata."
"Yes, sort of but with real not just honorary benefits."
"Well isn't that all now, but I need to think on it a
bit."
Kitt nodded.
~\\~
"I've decided to take you up on your offer," Sean and
Kitt were sitting drinking coffee as usual after supper. Kitt nodded and smiled, "The moons
of Jupiter are not as far as you thought?" Sean laughed, "I suppose not. Anyway I don't know how it would all
work out but it would be an adventure and a lot more interesting than looking
after the robots at the airport, and who knows ÉÉ.," he shrugged. So Kitt gave Sean a rough outline of his
plans and of course as Sean had guessed everything was not as it seemed. Initially Sean's part would be to stay
in constant contact with Kitt, using modern technology, continuing to act as
his cultural guide, . He was to buy
a large piece of property somewhere, probably an old farm where a kind of
transit camp could be set up while the Kuunas were migrating, most of them
arriving by jet in Grander. That
they would be coming to Cantata was in no doubt in Kitt's mind even though he
had yet to get final approval from the elders and wouldn't be doing so for some
time yet. Sean would be provided
for out of tribal resources in the same way as Kitt was. When Sean had heard it all and voiced
his approval Kitt stood and came round the table offering to shake his hand,
"I believe this is the way a deal is sealed." They shook hands with enthusiasm, Kitt
very excited. "I promise that
your help in my quest will not be forgotten," he said. They sat again full of good spirits at
the resolution to their mutual problems.
"You will be my squire," said Kitt, "and I will be a
Knight Errant just like Don Quixote"
"Sounds really really good. What about livery?"
"Whether you are in a bad mood or not you would still be
revered."
"Eh!"
"Even if you felt livery occasionally it wouldn't affect
your status."
"No-no! I meant would I have a ceremonial dress to make me
look impor - eh distinctive.?"
"Yes definitely at special occasions."
"I was always
wanting to wear the finery and look - eh - distinctive."
"But I won't be able to promise you a peninsular."
"No problem. A
nice house and garden will do fine."
"Done."
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Out
of Town
ÒTo our new
alliance,Ó Kitt clinked his glass against SeanÕs.
ÒThis is the most expensive restaurant in Grander Kitt. YouÕll break the bank.Ó
This was when Sean learnt of the resources behind Kitt, Kuunasian resources, not large by national standards but
still very considerable in relation to most peoples personal circumstances. And so they dined on best steak and red
wine to celebrate.
Sean was still concerned that Kitt was heading out alone and
seemed to have no set plan. Kitt
assured him that he would be just fine.
He wanted to just sail off into the Cantatian culture as though sailing
into a new ocean and just experience what ever came his way. He would still have Sean to consult
daily if needed, he would take a lot of technology to help him find answers.
Kitt could akuut SeanÕs discomfort and knew he owed it to him to
allay his concerns. ÒYour guidance
and friendship has been beyond measure Sean but it has just given me a viable
starting point. When I came to
Grander I had no concept of the size of Cantata. Remember I come from a place where we
didnÕt need cars or even horses because we could walk to anywhere in an hour or
two. Now I need to know Cantata,
and know it here,Ó he put his hand on his heart, Òand here,Ó he put his hand on
his abdomen, Òand here,Ó he pointed to his head. And I can only do that by personal
experience, not from second or third hand, by walking across this great land to
see it with my own eyes and to akuut itÕs peoples.Ó
Sean could see that Kitt was exhilarated by the thought. ÒYou must have MikiÕs blood in you.Ó he commented. Kitt replied that was one of nicest
things Sean could have said.
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3. The Walk Across
Cantata
This section is records
from the next couple of years or so as Kitt travels the countryÉ.Alicia.
Setting Out
ÒYouÕll not be taking a map with you? You crazy?Ó
ÒDoes the sun not rise and set in Cantata as it does in the rest
of the world? Do the moon and stars
not appear? Does the wind not blow? Do mountains hop around to confuse a
traveler?Ó
ÒO.k. O.k. I get it. But a road map would still be an
invaluable addition.Ó
ÒAlright then I agree that a chart of the man made pathways
would be useful but I will only use it in an emergency.Ó
ÒHow will you be planning your route then for heavenÕs sake.Ó
ÒI will walk away from the sunrise and into the sunset on as
many back roads and byways as I can find.
Apart from that Mihuna will show the way. Walking along the hard shoulder of the
Trans Cantata 401 would not be useful to me nor even the well known Cross
Cantata Walk with itÕs well marked trails and comfortable overnight lodgings.Ó
~//~
Sean stood at the front gate with Kitt, they embraced in the
light drizzle.
ÒMay Mihuna keep you safe.Ó
ÒThank you Sean, donÕt be sad, this is not goodbye you know but
another stage in a lifelong adventure we are having.Ó
KittÕs words took the sting out of the sadness Sean felt as he
watched Kitt walk down the street. ÒA journey of a thousand miles starts with a
single step.Ó he thought. KittÕs
pack still looked much too small to him but modern technology was very
efficient. He turned and waved to
Sean at the corner and then was out of sight. His cross Canada walk had begun.
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Atfrantic
Cantata
Sheena
It was a hot day and Kittamsu had been walking for several hours
and was tired and hungry. Nightfall
was also not far away and so he began to look for somewhere to sleep for the
night and get something to eat and drink.
He had his sleeping bag, the weather was mild enough and some provisions
left in his pack but he preferred to keep them in reserve if he could, else he
would have to spend time hunting and preparing wild food, which he might do
anyway sometime in the next day or two, but more by choice than necessity. And as he came round the curve of the
road he became aware of a place set just back from the road and could akuut an
elderly woman, Edwina. He could
also akuut a dog trying to get through the screen door and getting very
frustrated standing on her back legs and using her front feet to push on the
catch. {ÒWhy doesnÕt it work. That sticky out thing is supposed to
open the way out.Ó}
See Footnote
Kittamsu smiled, Sheena was a nice dog. Edwina was busy in the store. There were also some chickens out the back. The cockerel was feeling very proud of
himself and was standing on the henhouse roof pretending to be on the lookout
but in fact dozing in and out of sleep.
While the hens below were all arguing but none of them really had their
hearts in the argument since they had all just been fed a nice fresh batch of
corn. A cloud of dust appeared and
a logging truck roared into view on the curve coming towards Kittamsu. Just then Sheena managed to open the
screen door and Kittamsu could akuut her intention and realized the
danger. Dropping his pack and
walking pike he sprinted forward, he and the truck and Sheena all converging
for Sheena intended to cross the road to get to her usual haunts. Edwina had run out of the door after
Sheena and was calling her back but Sheena had her mind on her freedom. The woman stopped and let out a shriek
as she saw the truck, the driver not trying to stop the heavy vehicle on a
gravel road. Just as things looked
very bad for Sheena, Kittamsu appeared running at speed and put both arms
around Sheena and dragging her to the ground inches from the trucks big wheels
as they roared by. The truck
carried on and soon the sounds of the wind and the wild were all that could be
heard again as Kittamsu stood up and Sheena began to behave as Edwina had never
seen her before. It was like she
knew that Kittamsu had saved her life and she was fussing over him like he was
one of her pups from so long ago.
Edwina didn't know how to thank him and stood there with tears on her
face. Kittamsu led Sheena to her
and said, "Marakatimi at Quagawaya."
Edwina didn't understand of course and looked confused. Kittamsu just smiled some more and said,
"Can we go inside for I see you have a little store and cafŽ and I am
hungry and tired and need to eat and rest a while." Edwina threw her arms around him and
kissed him, she was wet with tears and smelled of sage and cooking. Then she led him back into the shop and
sat him down and brought him all kinds of home cooked food and offered him some
beer refusing all payment and thanking him profusely all the time. Sheena lay under the table as Kittamsu
enjoyed the food.
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The
McFael Brothers
Edwina was out the back when three men came into the cafŽ.
"What did you hit her with?", one of them, a fat one
was saying.
"Just the butt of my rifle," replied the tall thin one
with a long face and slitted eyes.
"Chees Merv you'll kill her one of these days,"
Merv sneered, "You worry to much Luke, Lucy's as tough as
they come, s'gonna take more then a couple of taps with a rifle to put her
away."
Luke, Merv and the younger one sat down at a table and Merv went
on to describe how he had taught Lucy, apparently his wife, a 'lesson'. Kittamsu listened and the three men were
so engrossed in their conversation they didn't notice him till Edwina came in a
put a pie on his table and then came over to ask them what they wanted. They ordered three beers and nachos to
go and after Edwina had gone back out again Merv looked across.
"So Chief, what brings you to these parts."
Kittamsu ignored the
insult and replied, "I'm looking around to buy a piece of land."
The sneer stayed on Merv's face, "S'that right. You got
some money saved up have you Indian."
Again Kittamsu avoided the insult, "Enough maybe."
Edwina came in with their beers and the men went back to their
own conversation but lowered their voices.
After a bit Luke stood up and came over to Kittamsu, "So happens
we've got a piece of land we are lookin' to sell. Maybe you'd be interested."
"Could be.
Where is it?"
"It's right nearby here if you wanted to come with us and
take a look."
"Well I'm pretty tired right now, I've been traveling
all day and anyway it'll be dark
soon but tomorrow would be good, if that's o.k. with you."
Luke looked across to the other men and Merv nodded, "We'll
come by here tomorrow morning and pick you up then?"
"That'll be fine."
"See you tomorrow then," said Luke and the three men
got up and left taking their beer and nachos with them. Edwina had heard part of the
conversation and she came over to Kittamsu.
"Kittamsu," she said, "I wouldn't normally poke
my nose into anyone else's business but you are such a good man -- well anyway
-- those three men, that's Mervish and Luke McFael and Billy Wanside a friend
of theirs. They are very bad men
Kittamsu and whatever they are planning you can bet a million dollars to a
pinch of coon shit they're up to no good."
Kittamsu grinned at her, "Thank you Edwina, you have a good
heart. Don't worry about me, I
already suspected there was a snigger in the woodpile."
Edwina started to laugh which made Kittamsu smile even broader
and then he joined in the laughter too, Sheena started to stick out her front
legs and lower her head and bark and looking that her made them both laugh some
more which made her bark more. It
was like a lot of good humor was needed to dispel the creepy feeling left by
the McFael brothers and Billy Wanside.
Eventually the laughter and barking stopped and Edwina started to clear
Kittamsu's table asking him several times whether he had had enough to
eat. Then when she found out that
he had nowhere to stay the night she insisted that he stay in her spare room
and she could cook him breakfast tomorrow morning. So that was how it was that Kittamsu
came to spend the night in Edwina's cafŽ.
The next day Kittamsu was sitting outside after breakfast when
the McFael brothers roared into the yard in their ancient truck. After the usual familiarities Kittamsu
got into the truck and they drove out to see this land that the McFaels wanted
to sell. On the way Kitt admired a
piece of equipment in the truck.
Luke explained it was a GPS and how it worked. When they arrived and Kitt took a look
it was a very nice piece of land with a stream running through it and lots of
potential. The only problem was
that it wasn't the McFael's to sell.
In fact Kittamsu figured out pretty quickly that it was a piece of crown
property with some of the signs pulled down, presumably by the McFaels. Kittamsu didn't let on one little bit
though and carried on as though he had bought into the whole deal, talking
asking price and a bit of haggling and everything. After they got back to Edwina's CafŽ
Kitt told the McFaels that he needed to get the money. They arranged to meet again in a weeks
time to complete the deal. They
didn't mention lawyer's and so Kitt said nothing about that as well.
No sooner had the dust stirred up by the McFael's truck settled
than Kittamsu phoned Sean.
" 'lo! "
"Sean. It's me
Kitt."
"How you bein' boy."
"Good. There's
a situation here I want to talk to you about."
"Yer applyin' fer a job boyo?"
"No Sean not that kind of situation. Something's going
down."
"Oh! I see, I see.
Well what's the deal then."
"These two shady characters, the McFael brothers are trying
to sell me a piece of land."
"That right!"
"Yes. Trouble
is that I've been to see it and it's not theirs to sell. In fact it's crown land and they've just
pulled down all the signs."
"Well that's a to do.
So you just say no t'anks.
What's the problem?"
"I want to teach them a lesson for trying to swindle a
native."
"They're kind of red necks then."
"Very much."
"You're gonna have to let go of this idea you have for
tryin' to set all the world to rights Kitt. Can't be done."
"Well where I come from Sean that's how things are done and
I'm not going to change the ways of my people. Now give me some pointers."
"Hmm. Well it
sounds as though they could get nasty so you need to watch yourself."
"Of course."
"No Kitt, I mean real nasty. Some of those kind don't think twice
about killing an Indian."
"I see."
"So like I say watch your back and make it a kind of soft
lesson so that if you run across 'em in a few years by and they remember you
they won't bee too, too sore."
So Kitt outlined his plan to Sean who thought it would work
although he still thought it would be best just to walk away. Edwina however thought it was great idea
and offered to help Kitt as much as she could. When he asked her to keep his money safe
she offered to put it in a strong box hidden in the attic and bolted to the
house, where she keeps all her valuables safe from intruders. She also let him have an old pair of
crutches and bandaged up his leg to make it look as though he had injured
it. The morning the McFaels were
due to come by she bade Kitt a tearful goodbye and made him promise, money or
no money, that he would come back real soon. Then Kitt sat outside to wait for them
with his kit all packed.
They roared into the yard as usual and Kitt showed them the
money in his money belt. Then he
explained to them that he had injured his leg but he had been asked by his
elders to go out and camp on the land for a few days to make sure that there
were good spirits there. This
caused Merv and Luke to do a lot of snickering behind Kitt's back but they
agreed to go along with Kitt's requirements and put his pack in the back and
helped him into the cab with his crutches. On the way Kitt asked them to come
and pick him up in three days and they could close the deal all legal like.
Merv gave Luke a look and Luke nodded apparently unseen by Kitt who was trying
to use the GPS. When they got to
the place they helped Kitt out and unloaded his pack walking with him to choose
a camping site. They came to a
place by the stream and Kitt said that it would do fine. He put down his crutches and took the
pack from Luke. The McFaels said
they would be back in three days and turned to go back the way they came. Kitt started hopping and shuffling over
to put his pack on a nearby rock.
But as he did so Merv had picked up a fairly substantial stick and came
back and hit him from behind. Kitt
had been expecting the attack and
'heard' it coming, rolling with the blow he pretended to be unconscious
while Merv stripped off his money belt and left him there.
Merv and Luke were jubilant as they got back to the truck and
took off at great speed. They
couldn't contain their laughter and made a great many comments about stupid
Indians and congratulated themselves again and again telling each other how
clever they had been. They planned
to deny all knowledge of the theft, would go back to the campsite in three days
to see whether Kitt was still there and generally pretend they were entirely
innocent. If Kitt wasn't there all
well and good, if he was well they had his money anyway and it wasn't their
fault if he couldn't pay for the land now.
So laughing all the way back home they were in high spirits. As soon as they got in Merv told Luke to
start counting the money while he went to get a couple of beers from the
fridge. Merv heard Luke's shout and
rushed back in.
"What's the matter."
"This is fake Merv, it's fake."
"What do you mean it's fake."
"This money belt is all full of blank paper wads cut the
same size as twenty dollar bills with a twenty dollar bill on the front of
each."
"Let me see." And Merv verified for himself what Luke
had said. "Well it's not all
bad, there must be a couple of hundred dollars there with twenty on the front
of each wad and that's a real nice money belt as well. That must be worth a hundred at
least."
Luke was looking glum. He swore. "He must have hid his money
somewhere else. So what are we
going to do now."
"We'll just go out there in three days
as though nothing happened and see if we can close the deal like we originally
planned."
"I suppose." Luke began peeling off the
twenties. "Hey wait a minute
there's something written in this wad." And he opened out the wad which was all
stuck together concertina style with each sheet having one line of writing on
it. The whole thing read.
I guess by now
you're feeling blue
'cos what you'd do to me I've done to you.
'cept while I just left you a little verse
I think you planned something worse.
The land's not mine with money down
since it already belongs to the crown.
Well what's been done is what's been done
and if you try and come back I'll be long gone.
You can keep my belt and facing notes I guess
as sufficient payment for your GPS.
"My
GPS," Merv roared and ran out to the truck. Sure enough it was gone. "That bastard. Get in."
"Where
are we going Merv. Out to catch him
He can't have got far on crutches in the bush."
And
so they roared back out to the site and ran the mile or so to the campsite,
arriving hot, angry and generally in the unpleasant state you get into if you
start rushing about in the bush and losing your head, not thinking
straight. Of course Kitt was long
gone. "He can't have got far,"
Merv growled, "let's see if we can pick up his tracks." A cooler head would have made the best
of a bad deal but Merv was angry and wanted revenge. "He must have gone that way,"
he pointed to where some brush had been pushed aside and they rushed off in
that direction. This happened
several times until eventually they came across the crutches leaning against a
tree and a note on them that said,
Well I warned you
I'd be long gone
and now see what you've gone and done.
The crutches I no longer need.
They're yours if they'll lend you speed.
I hope you give up and count the cost
for following me you'll soon get lost.
Merv flew into a total rage and threw the crutches at a nearby
tree. It was a very long and
miserable march back the way they had come and then a rather funereal drive
home.
Of course as soon as Merv and Luke had left Kitt on the ground
he had lain there until he heard the truck drive off then he had casually
removed the bandages from his perfectly good leg, put on his pack and blazed a
trail to where he had set up the crutches.
Then being careful not to leave any more tracks the had disappeared into
bush smiling to himself at how well his plan had gone and thinking about what
was about to happen to the McFael brothers. The only hitch would be if they missed
the GPS before they got home or tried to count the money but he thought that
unlikely they would be too full of their supposed cleverness and of course they
were.
If Kitt ever met them again after things had cooled off all that
had really happened was that he at bought their GPS for two hundred in cash and
the money belt, which was about what it was worth. He could offer to sell it back to them
again he chuckled to himself.
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Keepbeak
Faithful to the End
On an uninhabited
backroad his shadow told Kitt he needed a place to spend the night. It wasn't cold and didn't look like rain
and anyway his sleeping bag was top of the line. The road dipped a little and entered a
wooded area. Kitt briefly felt the
hairs on the back of his neck stand up, some passing spirit, he thought. The trees and brush were very thick on
each side of the road when he came to what looked like a laneway that had
overgrown. A less observant person
would have just walked right by it.
Kitt stared into the trees to try and see anything. He glimpsed something, something man
made, a house or a barn or something.
He pushed his way into the scrubby growth and followed the overgrown
laneway. It wasn't hard to follow
and turned a bit of a corner and then Kitt could see what was there, a deserted
house. There was no doubt it was
deserted, the windows all gaped open and there were holes in the roof. The front door, well there wasn't a door
and the porch sagged badly.
As Kitt approached his
senses warned him that something was wrong but something else drew him on and
made him feel he was needed. He
climbed the two steps onto the porch which creaked under his weight and peered
into the front door at the mess inside.
He stepped in and felt an excited rush of feeling, not at all
scary. It didn't smell good but
again not so bad that he couldn't stay.
Then he was sure he could hear barking but it died away again before he
could focus on the sound. The house
was fully furnished but of course in very bad shape from many years of
neglect. Upstairs there were even
beds with mattresses that were usable.
In the kitchen the once solid table and wooden chairs were still in good
shape and he sat to eat a little of his 'store' from the backpack. He accidentally dropped some crumbs
which seemed to disappear by themselves.
Non of the plumbing was working of course but there was an old fashioned
hand operated pump out back and he filled a basin and washed. He put the basin on the floor and it
half upset itself almost immediately then he watched in amazement as there appeared
to be something he couldn't see drinking out of the basin. But he got a very peaceful
feeling, a strong feeling of friendship.
Almost anyone else would have left the place but Kitt was not afraid of
the supernatural, it was taught to him as being part of life and not be more or
less scared than when meeting a real friend of foe. He left his pack in the kitchen and went
up to sleep, taking off his boots and pants and leaving them on the floor
beside the bed. As he slept he was
sure he could feel more than his own warmth lying in the bed, and what a happy
warmth it was. He slept well and
was woken by something licking his face.
Of course when he awoke there was nothing and his face wasn't even
wet. His boots however were gone,
well not gone exactly, they were at the bottom of the stairs and as he put them
on there as a good natured growling and something tugging at the laces. He sat looking and gradually he could
see, at first a smoky translucence but then a more solid form. A dog of course, a beautiful collie and
the look in it's eyes made his own suddenly sting. {"Why are you still here?"} he
asked putting his hand down kindly to fondle the dog's head. The dog whined a little in the pleasure
of his touch then turned to go out, stopping at the door waiting for Kitt to
follow. The dog took Kitt a little
way back into the bush and there were two graves. On one there was a headstone on which
was written, "Bethany Beasley.
1944 - 2014. She loved and
was loved in return."
The other grave was an open trench.
Everything was overgrown, of course. After Kitt had stood a moment and read
the inscription the dog wanted to go on.
Kitt followed and a little way the dog stopped at an enormous downed
tree. Perched under a big branch
near the ground was a human skeleton.
Beside the skeleton was another, a dog, about the same size as the
vision he had seen, was seeing. The
dog had obviously guarded his master and was still doing it. Kitt could only guess at the story
behind the scene. An elderly man,
his equally elderly wife dead and buried, his only companion, his dog. His grave dug ready but a tree falls on
him. Kitt hoped he did not suffer
too much. His dog faithful for ever
guarding his remains.
Kitt moved slowly and
gently lifted the branch and then the skeleton in it's tattered clothing and
carried it back to the grave. The
apparition alongside. He then
returned and equally gently carried the dogs remains and put it alongside it's
masters. He went back to the house
to look for a shovel and found one on the back porch. Filling the grave was hard work. He was wondering how to mark the grave,
why he wanted to only his heart knew when he saw lying nearby a headstone
already made. "George
Beasley. 1942 - 2015. and Pip, faithful to the end." Kitt erected the stone and had no sooner
done so than the apparition jumped at him and knocked him down to lick his
face. And then as Kitt sat up again
began to run round and round him in circles to gradually disappear. Kitt was glad to be on his way and leave
such a sad place and as he retraced the path he had walked in yesterday he
heard a splintering groan of breaking wood. Turning he was in time to see the whole
house crumple in on itself. He
turned back to face the way he was leaving and the natural sound of the
wildlife and the wind returned to fill the silence his ears had subconsciously
noticed but only now recorded in his conscious mind.
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Notario
The
War Museum
A teacher friend of
mine sent me thisÉ.. Alicia
My day at the War Museum
– Jenny Joan Alfredson (JJ) Grade 5.
We all got on the bus
with Mrs. Keats and we went to the War Museum last Tuesday. The War Museum is very big, it has tanks and guns and all sorts of
things but Madge, my friend, and me, we couldnÕt understand most of it and were
getting a bit bored when we met this man.
He looked soft of like a First Nations man. We were in this special place made to
look like a WW1 trench and he was just sitting there on a seat so we sat beside
him and he said hello and we said hello and he told us his name Kit. Then suddenly we were in WW1, I mean
really there, with all the rumble of the guns and the smell in the trench and
soldiers shouting. It was over
before we realized it had begun, it was too fast to be really scared but I
donÕt think we would have been scared anyway for some reason. Kitt just said, ÒThat was what it was
really like. Trench warfare in WW1
was awful.Ó And then he got up and
walked off so we followed him.
Everywhere he went it was like magic, we could feel and understand
everything till Mrs. Keats came and made us join the rest of our class. I shall never forget last Tuesday.
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A
brush with the law
After long discussions
with Sean about Cantatian law and the police Kitt felt that he needed to
experience it first hand. He had
learned about the Native systems of justice, the healing circles and the
emphasis on reconciliation and this was similar to the Kuunasian way of doing
things although of course their akuut made the crime and policing part of their
society unique, as with many other aspects. But the Cantatian system, although far
removed from the old ways of protection of property and punishment which
created hardened criminals was still a source of concern to Kitt. He searched the web for some kind of
wacky protest group with whom he could associate. He didn't want a serious criminal record
since that would jeopardize his long term plans, he needed something that could
be attributed to youthful indiscretion in the eyes of Cantatian authorities but
yet give him some first hand experience of police and legal procedures at the
receiving end. On their website he
found an animal rights group that planned a protest on Governance Hill in
Outoftheway about use of bear skins for the hats of ceremonial guards. Using the parts of hunted animals he saw
as being as natural and old as human life itself and to protest this the height
of stupidity. He didn't even need
to formally associate himself with the group just show up at Governance Hill on
the day of the protest and get himself into the middle of the action so to
speak. Sean just found a note on
the kitchen table saying Kitt was away for a few days. He knew right away that he wouldnÕt have
approved which was why Kitt had not discussed it with him.
~//~
When Kitt got there the
protesters had climbed and were sitting on top of the War Memorial. Right away Kitt, who fully appreciated
the significance of the structure, found this highly offensive so he wandered
off. By chance he came upon a
counter demonstration by supporters of hunting and fishing rights, which in any
case was much more to his way of thinking.
They were sitting naked in an ornamental fountain. Kitt approached what appeared to be one
of the organizers in a support vehicle nearby and expressed his desire to join
the demonstration. They were delighted
to accept as much support as they could and pretty soon Kitt was stripped and
sitting in the fountain along with a dozen or so hunters and fishermen.
Kitt suggested that it
would have been more effective if they had all been wearing bear skin hats,
which seemed to create a lot of hilarity.
Police attention was initially focused on removing the protestors from
the War Memorial as things there had started to get ugly and it wasnÕt until
that was cleared up, an hour or so later, that they came to remove the counter
protest. Initially they were
delayed as they had to get some kind of clothing to put on the demonstrators as
the organizers of the demonstration had hidden their clothing in the support
vehicle and refused to release them.
One by one the demonstrators were dressed by policemen standing ankle
deep in tepid water and then picked up and put in various police vehicles to be
hauled away. Kitt could akuut the
good humor of the policemen and they handled him without unnecessary force, one
of them he noted had a woody, which he would have loved to laugh at if
circumstances hadn't prevented him, making it all the more funny as humor does
when it has to be suppressed.. He
was put in a van along with three of the other demonstrators and taken to some
holding cells he knew not where.
They were all put in
the same cell so he got to know them quite well that night over a meal provided
at the governments expense. The
next day they were taken one at a time to appear before the magistrate. Kitt was taken last and found this
ordeal harrowing, his akuut could tell him very little about what to expect as
there were hundreds of minds in the vicinity, many engaged in tasks he could
hardly comprehend. When he stood in
the dock he was asked to state his name and was surprised that the magistrate
was knowledgeable of his homeland.
He was asked if he wanted representation and after this was explained to
him he declined. The magistrate
then had the charge read, ÒDisturbing the peace.Ó and asked him to plead. Things got a little confusing there at
first as Kitt did not understand the word ÒpleadÓ in the legal sense. After that was sorted out, Kitt akuuting
some amusement among all the people in court, Kitt said he was guilty. The magistrate then asked if he had anything
to say before he passed sentence.
Kitt again had no understanding of what that meant and merely expressed
appreciation for having been treated so well by the police. Kitt was sure the magistrate could
hardly keep a straight face as he gave him a conditional release bound over to
keep the peace.
~//~
Back at home Sean found
much of his story very funny but wasnÕt sure that Kitt had experienced typical
situations in the justice system.
Kitt felt he had enough for now.
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Persontoba
Colonel
Bungsmall
Kitt had never felt such a
tumultuous confusion of emotions emanating from apparently a single
source. He slowed the tractor to a
stop, letting the engine idle, and looked around. The sun had gone below the horizon half
an hour ago and this was his last run for the day dragging dead trees out of
the back forty for firewood. Tim
had warned him that there was a squatter back here but said that he just kept
himself to himself, living rough and refusing all offers of help. Kitt didn't want to interfere, it was
none of his business, but the emotions were very strong and not altogether
friendly. Then he saw the fellow
very briefly and realized he must be an excellent woodsman and was stalking
him, rifle in hand. Kitt turned the
tractor off. "Putcher mitts in the air mosher and kip abslutely still or
you'll be eatin' lead."
Kitt could hardly
understand the thick accent but put his hands up high in the time honored way
and didn't move. The fellow emerged
from the bush in an old camouflage
uniform with twigs stuck in the helmet like a Hollywood movie holding a
shotgun in a menacing way. As he
got closer to Kitt, "Waid er minit.
You ain't gaffy, oo are ya."
As Kitt explained who he
was and why he was there the man's eyes first narrowed suspiciously and then
suddenly he lowered his gun and his menacing manner suddenly became one of a
long lost friend inviting Kitt to come and have a drink with an old
soldier. Kitt realized then that he
was dealing with someone a few cards short of a full deck and decided to accept
the hospitality rather than cause offense, after all the gun seemed real
enough.
"Colonel
Bungsmall," his new acquaintance said offering his hand. Kitt shook his hand and offered his
name. The Colonel led Kitt to a
rough shack, tossed some books off a chair for Kitt to sit down and gave him a
glass, generously filled with a very good whisky. Kitt had to contain his amusement at the
Colonels behavior. Everything he
did was with great flourish and accompanied by endless banter, some of it very
much of the moment but some making no sense at all and seemingly recalling old
battle situations, barking orders through the window and shooting at imaginary
enemies. Every so often the Colonel
would duck down and grab for his gun peering out the window or sometimes leap
to stand by the door ready to jump on an intruder. Kitt of course knew there was nobody
around and found the behavior very distracting at first. As the whisky hit the Colonel his behavior
seemed to become more normal and Kitt learned of the Colonel's past glories.
Later, back at the
farmhouse, he got the whole story from Tim
Colonel Bungsmall had served with a United Nations peace keeping force
in northern Kukustan trying to put a dent in the rebels who were providing
support for rogue drug lords and extreme mullahs in that region. Although things had quieted down now,
back then it was a hot bed of conflict and their command never knew from one
hour to the next what was going to happen.
Many was the time when they had had to fight their way out of tight
situations or been rescued by support at the last minute when rebels came
seemingly from nowhere out of the mountains and disappeared again. That kind of continual tension would
break anybody eventually and obviously the Colonel was suffering some kind of
post traumatic stress syndrome. He
was TimÕs uncle and Tim felt the least he could do was allow him to squat
there, little enough reward for service to his country.
Afterwards Kitt would
pantomime the Colonels behavior to the delight of TimÕs children. They were all very sorry to when he had
to move on.
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The
Abandoned Schoolhouse
This is pretty much
exactly as I found it. Obviously
written by Sean. Alicia.
I'm setting this down to
help Kitt out as he is on the road and wants to keep moving but thinks this is
kind of important. Me, I don't get
it but anyway he's the boss so I'll put it down, best I can.
He holoed last night, our
regular weekly session to catch up.
Not much out of the ordinary except this one thing. Seems he came across this abandoned
schoolhouse. Course he didn't know
it was an abandoned schoolhouse at first.
Place was boarded up but somebody had been looking after it a bit, minor
repairs, weeds cut back; stuff like that.
Kitt's doing a lot of traveling on little back roads was how he came
across this schoolhouse. Kind of
eerie to hear him describe sitting on a bench in the playground beside it and
being able to hear the children playing, weird. I told him how there used to be hundreds
of those little one room schoolhouses all over Cantata where country folk would
send their kids of all ages to get an education. He found that completely fascinating,
said he was going to go back, it was only a little way from where he camped and
wouldn't take long, and take in some more of the 'ambience' as he called it.
~//~
He found old schoolbooks
inside and everything; a chalk board; a cane in the masters desk. Some of the text books were up to high
school level in physics and math.
Guess Kitt's education was never strong in those areas, mine neither, so
explaining some of it was hard work for me. Think Kitt believes that there's a whole
section of his education missing and he's going to fill it in so to speak, he's
sure not shy of work.
~//~
Kitt holoed again and,
well kind of raved about this schoolhouse thing. He went back as planned and guess what,
met the guy whose been doing the maintenance and looking after the place. Seems he's the great grandson of the
last schoolmarm and he just keeps the place as a sort of memorial to her; kind
of sweet. Anyway Kitt wanted to me
to set down a lot of detail and so I'll put it here as best I can. Mrs. Avery was the last schoolmarm's
name and she loved her kids like they were her own but she was strict. The way Kitt talks about it makes me
think about what we have lost with all our new technology that made people like
Mrs. Avery not needed no more.
Shame really, anyway it was a typical one room schoolhouse with the
desks in rows, bigger ones for bigger kids, and like. Mrs. Avery kept with the chalk board
even though there were more modern replacements even in her day. Brad, thatÕs
her great grandsonÕs name, says that
she was a quirky old lady but she didn't just teach "The Three R's";
she taught about life and all the kids that came under her watchful eye turned
out pretty good in the main. Brad
repeated this one story she used to tell him after she retired, he said was an
example of how canny she was. She had kids there all the way from Grade 1 to Grade
12 but the kids in Grades 6 thro' 8 were always the most trouble and one year
she had this one boy, also Brad, who was a bit of a bully and had his own
gang. Usually when Mrs. Avery had
this kind of problem she would nip it in the bud by appealing to the parents
but Brad's parents had ignored her,
Brad's father was bad tempered, intimidated Brad's mother and Mrs. Avery
suspected he abused her as well.
Anyway that was none of her business but she still had to stop the
bullying somehow. So she started to
pick on Brad all the time for the slightest little thing and give him
detentions, which kept him out of the way while all the other kids went home
out of harms way. Brad got
detention after detention, almost every day he was in detention. He told her it
wasn't fair and she told him that bullying people wasn't fair either and it was
just tit for tat. Eventually Brad's father came to see her. This was exactly what she wanted. She knew she had the full support of the
school board and most of the parents.
She told Brad's father that unless his son stopped bullying other kids
he was going to keep getting detentions for as long as he was in school and
that she would make his life an absolute misery. Of course Brad's father complained to
the school board and she was hauled up in front of them but when she explained
the situation she got their support.
Things got pretty nasty apparently with Brad's father taking legal
action but in the end he lost and his son had to reform. After a year or so he grew up. Many years later apparently he came and
thanked Mrs. Avery for setting him straight. Mrs. Avery never forgot that. One of her
success stories as she said.
So now I've been doing a
little math myself and Kitt meeting Mrs. Avery's great grandson doesn't add
up. Even the whole schoolhouse
thing is weird. One room
schoolhouses was common back in early 20th century but for one to have survived
to now seems unlikely. Could Kitt's
akuut have let him see and hear more than, well, any normal Cantatian. I wonder. Scary Kitt sitting in that playground
hearing the kids playing.
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Atishoo
Midwifery
Kitt was being pressed down by some kind of weight on his
sleeping bag and as he peeked out through the ventilation flap his concern
increased. Peskitoo the 293rd, the
Medicine Man, had described to him once what it would be like when you woke up
the day after you died. And as Kitt
felt the weight on his body pressing him down and the view confronting his eyes
this must be it. Arachoya stood
holding the sun in her right hand and the moon in her left on a landscape that
glittered and shone and twinkled.
All the Gods were assembled, Mihuna, Eshuna in their finest regalia,
Irois; ---that was strange, Irois
the Goddess of Emotions was smiling and then Kitt noticed that Egoni, his
spirit was still with him. By the
slightest movement of her head Arachoya bid Kitt to rise and as he emerged from
his bag he realized he was still very much alive and seeing the sunrise on the
day after an ice storm. Sean had
told him about this type of event that happened once every ten to fifteen years
where everything got covered in a thick layer of ice. The glitter of the ice in the sun had
created the illusions in KittÕs half waking state. He looked at his sleeping bag and was
thankful the outdoor shop had recommended this rather than the storm tent which
would surely have collapsed under the weight. Now he was fully awake, the gods were
gone, and he could appreciate the natural beauty of the scene. The trees swaying in the wind like icy
ghosts so dazzling that Kitt had to screw up his eyes to look at them. The trees standing on sheets of ice
covered ground exaggerating every rock, every bush, every feature. Amid this beauty Kitt realized there was
very real danger if he did not take great care. Everywhere was wet and the wind was
blowing a freezing blast. In deep
snow his best option would have been to get back in his sleeping bag and hunker
down till the weather improved but he was now already damp and making a fire
was imperative to keeping warm and surviving. He broke the ice and cleared a small
area, taking dry material from his stash he lit a small fire and built it up
from more material collected from the usual places under pine trees. Not that the collection was without
incident as he slipped and slid around and once went completely out of control
sliding a long way on his bum backwards down a slope, luckily without encountering
a rock or tree that could have caused injury or as a minimum a pain in the
ass. Once the fire was going he was
able to revert to his usual breakfast routine and felt much better after a warm
drink and some food. Deciding to
forget about any attempt to wash in these conditions he packed up and tried to
start out again by getting back to the road he had left the night before to
camp. He liked to camp out of site
of casual and perhaps unfriendly eyes of traffic on the road but getting back
today was much more difficult. His
boots were good but never intended for ice work and his heavy pack made him
much less nimble than otherwise. He
felt very undignified crouching and crawling, sliding and groping any which way
he could till he got back to the flat surface of the road. Not that getting there solved all his
problems but at least he could make steady progress by walking with tiny steps
as though he had wet himself.
So it was after an hour or so that he came in sight of a small
group of houses. Normally Kitt would not have stopped, he was well provisioned
and more interested in getting further north, closer to the land. But two things drew him to the houses,
firstly the ice was making progress very slow and taking some time out till it
melted may save a lot of energy and aggravation. The other, he could akuut the anxiety,
and felt that somebody was in need of help. His very slow approach had been noticed
and the front door to the end house was opened by a huge man with a cheerful
expression welcoming him. Inside
three children and the big man helped him get his boots and wet things off and
got him seated in front of a warm fire.
The woman of the house brought him soup, which he took gladly, noticing
her advanced state of pregnancy and also the source of the anxiety he had
akuuted. They were worried that the
baby was due any day now and that the ice storm had effectively trapped them so
that they couldn't get out nor help get in. Kitt soon realized that the worry mostly
emanated from the man, the woman was very matter of fact, after all this was
her fourth child and of course the children, were, well children and too young to be really
aware of the situation. As Kitt
talked to Dan and Vera it became apparent that by force of circumstances he was
probably going to be there when the baby's time came. He hoped his basic education as a
teenager, part of the rite of passage of very Kuunasian, would suffice.
Kitt's imagination and sense of fun made him a great favorite
with the three boys and so it was that he was caught in the death throes of an
over dramatized end to a gun fight as Vera came to tell them that lunch was ready. Kitt always enjoyed experiencing other
people's cooking but Vera's home made bread and beef stew was out of this
world, or maybe it was just the ice storm and the chilly start to the day. Either way lunch was devoured by all the
family and some of the cloud that had started to dampen their spirits was blown
away. The children left as soon as
the last mouthful was swallowed and Dan thanked Kitt for playing with children
but Kitt waved it off saying he enjoyed it. Vera took the dishes into the kitchen
and could be heard loading them into the dish washer. Kitt met Dan's eyes, "Everything is
going to be o.k. you know," he said.
"Vera had the other three in hospital close to emergency
...," his voice trailed off and took a deep breath letting it out jerkily,
trying hard to keep himself together.
Kitt had learned that revealing his special sense to strangers could
elicit very negative reactions but Dan already needed some strong moral support
and the onset of labor was still many hours away. Kitt stood up and put his hands on Dan's
shoulders, he could hear Vera coming back from the kitchen, perhaps it was as
well that she should know as well.
Vera stopped in the doorway, a dish of apple pie in her hands, wondering
what was going on.
"Dan, you have to trust me. What I am going to tell you is known
only by my closest friends and I am only going to tell you because - well you
need it."
"I don't understand.
Are you in trouble?" Dan's
voice was full of anxiety. Vera
crossed and put the pie dish on the table as though to make sure Kitt knew she
was there.
Kitt sat down again, having got everyone's attention. "As you can see I am
Polynesian. In fact I come from an
island in Polynesia called Kuunasameru.
Our people all have a special sense, a sixth sense if you like, we call
akuut. I am specially gifted in
this way. As I was passing your
house the ice storm was making my progress hard that is true but that is not
the main reason I stopped by. I
could feel the extreme anxiety and as I got closer I realized the source and the
reason. But more than that I know
that the baby inside Vera is happy and healthy and that everything indicates
that it will be a normal birth. I
suppose this must be difficult for you to accept coming out of nowhere but
believe me labor will start tomorrow and the baby girl will be born without any
complications."
"A girl? Dan did you hear? A little girl"
"Have I - um - let the cat out of the bag."
"Yes but it's wonderful," said Vera who seemed best
able to accept what Kitt had told them. Dan looked as though he was in a daze.
"I'll go and tell the boys there's pie on the table,"
said Kitt leaving them to absorb the information and hoping the reaction would be
worth the risk he had taken. When
the boys crashed back into the dining room with Kitt behind; Dan and Vera were
hugging and Kitt knew that all was well.
The apple pie was eaten even faster than the stew had been and the boys
were off again not even aware that anything unusual had transpired. But after they were gone Kitt could
refocus he could feel a great weight had been lifted from Dan's shoulders and
as he began to thank him Kitt just smiled and complimented Vera on her cooking
again.
Dan had been refreshing the room they used as a nursery and Kitt
helped him that afternoon. This
gave them plenty of time together and as Kitt expected Dan had plenty of
questions to ask. Having already
given them his trust Kitt answered them fully. It was amazing how after less than a day
Kitt felt like he was one of the family.
Labor began in the early hours of the morning. Dan didn't need to awaken Kitt who was
already up and dressed. The weather
had not changed and Kitt calmed Dan down as they prepared to deliver the
baby. Dan wanted the boys out of
the way but Kitt said that it would be good for them to see one of natures
miracles. And so it was after three
hours labor that Madeleine was born without complications. Dan could not contain himself and tears
ran down his cheeks unchecked as Madeleine's mouth quickly found the nipple on
Vera's heavy breast. The boys sat
entranced, silent, eyes wide mouths agape and Kitt hid a smile inside himself
at their wonder. Finally Kitt
suggested that the mother and baby needed to rest and they should all
leave. Madeleine was put into the
cot that had been moved into Dan and Vera's bedroom temporarily and the house
was at peace, at least for the time being, as Dan broke open a bottle of brandy
which even the boys were allowed to taste to toast the long life and health of
their sister.
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Ghost Town
It took a lot of getting used to but size of the sky and the
flatness of the land still made him feel so very small. He wondered what this place would be
like in winter covered in ice and snow with temperatures low enough to freeze
your blood and wind that could strip unprotected flesh from the bone. He wanted to experience all parts of
Cantata but this was the strangest yet.
Shielding his eyes he could see what looked like a small town. He knew enough now that he might be able
to get there by tomorrow.
~//~
It had been apparent to Kitt that there was something not right
with this town for the last fifty miles or so and now that he was standing
looking at the broken sign he realized that it was deserted, a ghost town. Just standing on the outskirts in the
failing light made Kitt feel uncomfortable and he wondered if he shouldn't just
bypass it altogether. But the road
ran right through it and a detour would delay him. He decided to tough it out and go right
on through. The bustle of life in a
normal town dispels the akuut of restless spirits but in a town like this they
crowded Kitt's senses, so many unable to find peace. Each dilapidated house and abandoned
business seemed to hold a tragic story to be told. Towards the centre of town what had once
been more grandiose buildings were made even more desolate by their broken
facades. Kitt tried to focus away
from the human tragedy and consider that Mihuna was doing his job restoring the
area to it's natural state as the various fauna and flora consumed the
structures or used them as shelter as though they were merely special rock
formations or some other natural phenomenon to be utilized. While this helped, the eerie sense of
desolation and desperation pervaded him, and rose again like a flood tide. He started to run, not to run away,
since he was not scared, so much as to get through and back onto the open road
and enjoy the natural world and a return to a sense of peace and order. That night he camped several miles up
the road and was moved to write his first poem in Cantatian.
After he had written it he sat and thought about how such a Ôghost townÕ
could never exist back in his homeland.
He needed to know more.
The next day after breakfast in the cold morning light he
decided to go back and look around.
After all this ghost town was part of Cantatian culture in all it's
strangeness and he may discover something new. Instead of following the main road back
into town he skirted off and came down a side road. As he approached he saw a house that had
signs of life, a vegetable garden, furniture on the porch, smoke from the
chimney and sure enough he could akuut someone living there. This person may be able to tell him some
of the history of the town. As he
stepped onto the porch he could smell breakfast cooking and coffee. His knock was not answered so he tried
again, and again louder. There was
a sound inside of someone moving and an old man stood in the open doorway. He apologized for not answering the door
straight away but visitors were very rare and he assumed it was the sound of
something falling down, things were always falling down. His hospitality was genuine though once
he realized who Kit was and that he just wanted to talk.
His name was Jeb and he lived alone since his children had long
since moved away and his wife died a couple of years back. Kitt started to express his regrets but
Jeb politely brushed it off.
"We had a good life together and we all got to die sometime or
other. Eh!" He laughed,
looking at Kitt with big pale blue eyes, a man very poised and self confidant
in spite of his age, which Kitt guessed must be at least 80 if not more. Jeb told Kitt, with a trace of Scots
accent still in his voice, of how Kitchisimi used to be a busy little town with
four grain elevators and a railway station with a small shunting yard to
assemble the grain cars on the trains.
But new wheat storage and shipping methods made the grain elevators
obsolete and once they were gone things started to run down. "'conomy of a small town's a bit
like a car engine I suppose. The
coolant and oil goes round and round but there has to be something to keep it
pumping and renew it every now and again, a primary source so to speak. The grain elevators were the fuel and
once they were gone the ol' engine she just ran down to a standstill." Jeb just stared at his coffee cup
shaking his head a little.
"Still don't do to get maudlin. How about we go for a walk down
town," he winked, "I'll show you around."
It was as typical prairie late summer day with a beautiful blue
sky and big yellow duster sun as yet still low in the sky. The wind of the day before was gone and
the air was still and dry, the sound of their feet accompanied by the buzz of
insects. As they walked Jeb first
talked about his neighbors as they passed the houses on his block, each of them
struggling to keep up a life style but in the end having to give in. This was the only part of the walk where
Jeb seemed to show any sorrow, the loss of so many people he had lived and
worked with for so many years at the
grain elevators. Soon they
were on the main road approaching the town center. "Bridges Store" was the
general store and also one of the main social centers where women went to get
their supplies and to meet and gossip.
Jeb just walked in the center of the road and Kitt walked beside him,
not venturing to go near any of the
buildings since they were obviously not safe. There was a post office and a
hardware store which according to Jeb also used to sell pretty much everything
that Bridges didn't. And there was
a drive in cinema. Jeb stood in
front of it as he told Kitt about how Elsa, his wife, and he used to go there
on a date. That and the Marie
Antoinette's Restaurant were the only two choices in town. It was really called Marie's. The family name as Andonet and somebody
had christened it Marie Antoinette's and the name had stuck. The cook was actually Chinese and the
food was not half bad. They walked
around the facade of the drive in cinema to the park area where the layout for
the drive ups could still be seen.
The screen had long ago fallen down. Jeb showed Kitt where he used to park with
Elsa in lovers corner as it was known so they could pay more attention to each
other then the movie. Jeb's laugh
echoed off the surrounding structures and something fell making a plume of
dust.
As they walked back Kitt wondered at what kind of culture would
create a situation of such desolation and sorrow. He asked Jeb why the government didn't
step in to help the townsfolk to bring in new industry or do something to help. Jeb just shrugged and had no
answer. Kitt accepted Jeb's
invitation to stay for lunch but after it was done he didn't stay long, putting
on his back pack and bidding Jeb farewell and thanking him. As the town fell
away slowly on the horizon Kitt thought of Jeb and his past life and all the
people who used to live in Kitchisimi.
He specially hoped Jeb would be o.k. He had left him his mobile number and
promised that if he needed help Kitt would be there for him. Jeb had grinned his thanks and in that
grin Kitt knew that this call was very unlikely.
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Princess
The
Calgary Stampede
The girl at the box
office didn't give Kitt a second glance as he purchased his ticket. Neither did the young fellow at the gate
who ripped off the stub and said, "Enjoy," casually, but Kitt felt a
bit self conscious in his Stetson, beaded shirt, fancy leather belt over
equally fancy jeans showing riding boots with spurs. Sean had told him to dress this way and
looking around he saw that there were lots of other men similarly dressed and
started to relax. He saw how
similar it was to other fairgrounds he had visited with all the usual side
stalls and fast food wagons. They
weren't what he had come to see and he made his way to the main arena and found
a place to watch.
The calf roping competition
was just finishing up and a distorted but strangely understandable voice on the
public address announced that bull riding was about to begin. A young bull was soon let out into the
arena and Kitt admired the skill of the clowns as they alternately teased and
hid from the bull in a tube. He
could akuut the bulls complete confusion as the men disappeared and it's ire
rose and fell in waves each time the men appeared. Kitt felt a bit sorry for the bull, it
was a stupid creature, but it was not being really ill treated just gently
teased for the great amusement of the crowd that cheered the clowns
enthusiastically. Eventually the bull sensed it was being made into a fool and
decided to wander off and look for a gap in the fencing surrounding the arena. He was quickly rounded up and the clowns
took their bow.
During this performance
the bull riding event was being set up.
Various young bulls were in traps ready to be released and their mood
was a different level altogether.
Kitt suspected they must have been irritated somehow to make them in
such a foul mood. As two horsemen
stood by for safety the first competitor mounted the bull and the trap gate was
opened. Kitt admired the skill of
the rider hanging onto a single rope around the bull and resisting the
strenuous efforts of the bull to throw him off. When the rider was eventually thrown the
bull was satisfied and cantered away to be rounded up by the two horsemen
standing by, one on a roan and the other on a black, while the rider made good
his escape over the fence.
The next bull Kitt could
akuut was in a fury and was mean.
As he was released his first action was to run at the black horse,
swinging his weight around to crash against it, bring the horse to it's knees
and unseating the surprised rider.
The bull then ran and crashed against the fence in an attempt to unseat
it's rider but the experienced rider got his leg out of the way and hung
on. The bull now went berserk in a
series of bucks and turns eventually falling on it's side and rolling forcing
the it's rider to dismount and head for the fence but the bull wasn't satisfied
and lashed out with it's hind feet catching the rider on the leg. The sound of a thigh bone breaking is
unmistakable and the man went down.
Immediately Kitt could akuut the bulls intent to do the rider more harm,
he acted on impulse jumping into the arena he asked the black for help. The horse came to him as the bull
rounded for it's second attack on the rider now helpless on the ground with a
broken leg. The roan horse man was
having trouble controlling his mount and Kitt knew that the horse was very
frightened. Kitt didn't have time
to mount the black and just grabbed the bridle and told the horse to run
between the bull and the man on the ground. The bull was taken by surprise by this
new intervention. Kitt asked the
black to defend him as he let go and the horse turned and reared kicking with
it's front legs at the bull that backed off. Kitt picked up the bull rider and got
him through the fence to waiting hands and then turned. He now turned to face the bull. {ÒSo Senor! I will deal with you as soon as this son
of whore horse gets out of the way.Ó}
Kitt was surprised by the bullÕs Spanish accent and it brought a smile
to his face, this enraged the bull even more because it thought he was mocking
him. Kitt had to apologize and then
use all his powers of persuasion to engage the enraged bull and reason with it
while the horse continued to protect him.
After several minutes while the bull and Kitt circled the horse, the
bull calmed down when Kitt assured him that nobody meant him any harm and this
was just a game. The bull remained
skittish but Kitt took a chance and went round the black and walked up to the
bull in a show of trust. The bull snorted but didnÕt do anything aggressive and
Kitt snorted too and stroked his nose.
Kitt picked up the bull riders rope, looped it over the bulls neck and
led it into a waiting pen. Kitt
then went back and put his hands round the horses neck and gave it a hug and
the crowd, who up to now had witnessed the whole spectacle in silent amazement,
stood and cheered and shouted and clapped wildly. Kitt led the horse back to it's owner
and started to walk back to his place in the stands.
As he started to settle
back into his seat a big man in a white suit came up and waved to him,
"Would you do us the honor sir of your company?". Kitt would have preferred to have stayed
out of the public eye but the situation was unavoidable. He could akuut the waves of gratitude by
some many people there for although they didn't know, as Kitt did, just what
the bull's intent had been, to do harm, they knew that a very bad situation had
been turned around by the quick thinking, skill and courage of one man. Kitt stood and joined the man in the white
suit. "What's your name
sir," the man asked. "Most people call me Kitt," he
replied. "Well Kitt, you are a
hero and there are a lot of people who want to shake your hand, not the least
the family of the bull rider you saved as well as the owner of the bull who
would have had to have shot the bull if you hadnÕt done what you did. Kitt smiled, "It would be an honor
to meet with the man's family and the bull owner."
Kitt followed the man to
a large tent where a lot of people were standing around. As soon as they saw Kitt a ripple of
applause began and people began to shout congratulations. People attending this type of event
weren't at all shy about expressing their feelings and they made Kitt a little
embarrassed. Kirby's mother grabbed
Kitt round the neck and kissed his face several times as she was crying,
"You saved Kirby. You saved my boy," she repeated again and again
while Kirby's father shook his hand in both of his. After the initial tumult had died down a
bit Kitt had a beer pressed in his one hand and a hamburger in the other and
the questions began. When he was
asked how he had got the horse to do what it had done he just said that he had
always had a way with animals and that that was one special horse. Eventually Kitt found an opening to slip
away, not that he wasn't pleased at their gratitude and generosity, for he was
given all kinds of offers, but he didn't want to become so well known as it
would not fit with his greater quest.
The next day the incident
was headlines in the Calgary Herald.
"Cowboy hero saves the day." There was a picture, taken by someone in
the crowd, of the action and Kitt noted thankfully that it would be hard to recognize
him. And so life went on and the
incident put behind him until it came back to haunt him, in a nice way, much
later.
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A
Gentleman of the Road
The green space was
peaceful and tastefully designed with shade trees, gravel pathways and flower
beds beside which were benches to sit on. Arthur, Kitt learned his name later, was
seated, or rather slouched, on one of those benches. To Cantatian eyes a strange fellow with
a once white shirt and bow tie, tuxedo that had seen much better days just
visible through his open stained trench coat. The incongruity was further enhanced by
the very full beard and long hair both tousled and unkempt. A brown paper bag obviously holding a
bottle rested on his right knee supported by this right hand. But Kitt had ways other than Cantatian
to see somebody and he saw a gentle and intelligent man, someone who seemed
strangely at peace with himself and his situation. At the other end of the bench, asleep, was another street person, Jack. As Kitt strolled by the bench he caught
Arthur's eye and inclined his head a little as a kind of salute and Arthur half
heartedly raised his left hand in a wave. Kitt sat down between the two
men. Nothing was said at first and
all sat in silence admiring the scenery or snoring as the case may be.. Kitt spoke first remarking on the beauty
of the park's design. Arthur agreed
and mentioned that he came here often for that reason, the other man muttered
something in his dreams and so conversation got under way. Turns out Arthur was a Professor of
Philosophy who, being in dispute with the University faculty, was suspended
with pay and had been for a long time now.
Kitt wondered aloud whether he would like to talk about it.
"Talk abadit! Talk abadit! F'n yer give'm arf a chance e'll talk
abaat nofink else," this was
from Jack who had woken up. A very
different kind of man Kitt thought, to Arthur, but not as ignorant as his dialect would
make you believe.
Arthur broke a good
humored grin and passed the bottle to Kitt who thought it polite to pretend to
take a swig and then passed it to Jack and thence back to Arthur again. This ritual was repeated regularly
during their conversation.
They sat in silence again
but Kitt knew that Arthur was preparing to tell Kitt his story. When he started he told of his
education, both the formal and the informal and how the informal one in the end
informed him more and led him to do things not approved even for tenured
professors. There was a little
aside while he explained to Kitt what tenure meant. His misdemeanor was encouraging student
to, as he put it, "think for themselves"
"The Four Pillars,"
Kitt thought, ÒWouldnÕt a little
appeasement have been appropriate,Ó he said.
ÒThen there were who
would feed everyone else to the crocodiles first in order to delay their own
demise, IÕm not of that ilk.
"And who else would
they think for?" Jack asked.
Arthur ignored the
interruption and continued,
explaining to Kitt that the educational establishments were going to
have to move with the times or become obsolete. Kitt looked puzzled. Arthur explained further that the old
ways in education of reading and studying and developing a store of knowledge were out of
date. Modern databases and access
technology enabled any number of facts to be retrieved easily while need was
for creative thinking and to ask searching questions.
"Yeah. When yer usin' Oggle yer have to ask
searchin' questions,"
Arthur continued,
"and this is what got me into trouble."
Again Kitt's puzzled
expression led Arthur to explain that he had developed programs to provide
students with enriched, experiential studies even if that meant challenging
traditional teaching, e.g. the works of the Greek philosophers.
Arthur then began to
describe his first love, the thinking of the ancient Greeks.
"Plato, he said,
"...." but was interrupted by Jack, "Playdoh, I did'n think they 'ad
Playdoh back then." Arthur
threw Jack a withering look, "P-l-a-t-o, Jack, not Playdoh," and then
turned back to Kitt.
"Socrates wrote
nothing."
"'e wus illiterate
then,"
"No Jack his view
was that the written word was not as powerful as what he called the
dialectic"
"Ooh! I 'erd of that. It's in electronics isn'it."
"No Jack that's
dielectric. Dialectic is the art of
thoughtful oral discussion to bring out useful arguments."
Kitt wondered then how we
could know so much of Socrates' thinking.
"They wus written up
later with Playdoh"
Kitt chuckled as his
akuut gave him the right interpretation but he was bothered when Arthur told
him about the Socrates' trial and death sentence.
"I fink e' mus'd ave
pissed orf a lot of welfy people, that swot I fink."
But Socrates life long
quest to search for goodness in himself and others reminded Kitt of Harak
So Kitt told Arthur the
Kuunasian stories of Harak.
They sat within their own
thoughts for a while till Kitt asked, ÒOur people have not been touched by
technology in the same way as Cantata.
What is it like to see the world around you change?Ó
Arthur sat silent for
quite a while before saying, ÒThe mass of technological progress cannot be seen
in the now, it is like a silent, invisible, hurricane that passes through and
changes everything but to those who are born after itÕs passing it has always
been like this. Only the elderly
can look back and distantly remember how things used to be when they were young
but human memory is fallible and they doubt their senses.Ó
Kitt thanked Arthur his
wisdom and for the wine and as he was leaving Arthur said that he often spent
time in this park on good sunny days, perhaps they would meet here again
soon. Kitt politely promised to
look for him there if he was in town.
Arthur fished around in one of his inside pockets and gave Kitt a
business card and asked him to call.
Jack had gone back to sleep.
And that was how Kitt remembered them.
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Busy
Myrtle
Longshanks Rejuvenation
The old woman just sat
there on a folding chair, her back
to the road, frozen in some kind of trance, staring at the burned out ruins of
a house. The first chill of winter
could be felt in the air yet she wore indoor clothing. Her sadness and desolation touched deep
in KittÕs akuut. He gently put his
coat around her shoulders and although she only moved her head slightly in
recognition he felt her gratitude.
He stood by her side staring too and because he could feel her deep
sorrow the minutes ticked by but he did not feel the urgency to speak most
would. Eventually she sighed. "It was my home you
know." Kitt put his hand on
her shoulder and as though it gave her permission she began to sob. When the main torment was passed she
began to talk and tell him her story, perhaps because of his connection or
maybe just because she needed to tell someone and he was there so it all gushed
out. Her father had built the house
and she had been born there. Her
mother died giving her birth and she lived with her father for many happy years
finally as a teenage girl nursing him in his sickness and death. Then had come love and marriage, a new
start and many more happy years, children raised, grown up and moved away. Finally she had to again nurse a loved
one in his sickness and death. But
still she had lived in the same house full of so many memories. The children came to see her occasionally and had tried to get
her to move because of the isolation but the house was part of her identity
now. But in her old age she could
not see so well or manage so well and somehow a fire had got started on the
cook top. She had tried to put it
out but it had got worse and eventually she had been forced to get out or be
choked to death. So she had to
watch the only home she had ever known burn to the ground. It had been more than a passing thought
to throw herself on the flames and finish her life too for it was nearly over
anyway. But she hadn't and now she
didn't know what to do. She had no
insurance and it was all beyond her in deep shock. So she just sat here, three days it has
been she thought, maybe four.
Kitt was used to strong
emotions in others and in himself but this was almost too much for him as wave
after wave of sorrow overtook him.
He hung his head and clenched his fists to get control of himself. This would not help either himself or
the old lady, who didn't really seem to notice but just kept staring at the
ruins. Kit walked towards those
ruins. The blackened corners and
half the chimney breast still standing amidst a deep layer of blackened
debris. At first sight there was
nothing recognizable but looking carefully he began to make out the remains of
bed frames and parts of what had once been furniture. The fire must have been very hot for
even the metal had been melted in some places and vaporized. He was drawn for some reason to one
corner and noticed, at a crazy angle, a writing desk with all it's drawers
spilled out and the contents mostly burned. But the roll top had just held and fell
apart as he tried to push it up but inside there were things damaged but not
totally destroyed. A pickling jar
was still intact and a photo album badly singed and fragile but with many
photos inside still recognizable.
He picked them up and walked back to give them to the old lady. She gazed at them in a daze and began to
explore them as though she was in a dream.
Not the trance that Kitt had originally found her in but more animated
and alive.
While she was looking at
what he had found Kitt unpacked his pack and began to make camp in what must
have been the front yard. He made
the simple meal that he would anyway have made and offered to share it with
her, she accepted. Kitt did not
know her name and smiled to himself as he thought this was the first time he
had eaten with someone who had not told him their name. As though she had heard him think it,
"Myrtle," she said, "Myrtle Longshanks." Kitt said his name and that was all that
was said while they ate. But it was
more than enough. And the way she
looked at him after was all the thanks he needed. He had made up two beds and offered her
one. She more or less collapsed in
sheer exhaustion clutching the blackened pickling jar and photo album in her
arms. Kitt had noticed some
outbuildings behind the main house which looked as though they had been singed
but not badly damaged and he went to investigate. There were two, a large shed that had
been used to store gardening tools, seed boxes and other stuff. There was a plot behind that had
obviously been worked at one time although for what was difficult to discern
now it was so badly overgrown. The
other building was a barn that had been used for storage and a workshop. Myrtle's husband or father had been a
builder and the building had a lot of building materials and tools. Kitt stood outside looking at the
setting sun. He had never built a
house before but he knew what he had to do. This was no small undertaking he
realized but somehow his path had come this way and there must be a purpose to
it. He lay down to rest as the
darkness fell to prepare for the hard work of the next day.
Winter was approaching
and Kitt realized that temporary arrangements were required while he was
building the house. As he started
to clear out the garden shed, which he planned for that purpose, Myrtle rose,
ate the food he had left and shambled over. She watched what he was doing and saying
nothing began to help. She, like
almost everyone that met Kitt, was finding peace of mind in his presence. It would be pretty rough living Kitt
realized and was concerned not for himself but for Myrtle. Still he made things as livable as
possible, moving the wood stove from house over and cobbling it to work in the
corner of the shed. Myrtle showed
him a stream further back on the property so they would have water but he was
worried about food until Myrtle showed him where the trap door to the houses
basement was hidden under a lot of debris.
In the basement a lot of food was stored, some of it ruined but much
salvageable. As Kitt's plan
gradually unfolded itself to Myrtle, not through discussion, since barely a
word passed between them, but through his actions, she became more and more
animated and her morale transformed from the depressed suicidal woman Kitt had
found to just short of vibrant and alive.
Kitt thought she was showing the kind of grit and determination that she
must have had to come through what she had in earlier years. When their discussions began, usually
after the day's work, they flowed like the junction of two rivers, each sharing
a life's experiences.
~//~
It was Christmas Eve
morning when Beth drove onto the site.
Snow lay deep everywhere but smoke came from the makeshift chimney in
the converted garden shed and the signs of the ongoing work on the house were
unmistakable. Myrtle's daughter and
her two children got out of the car and at first could not believe what they
were seeing. "What has
happened to Grandma's house Mummy?"
Beth choked back mixed feelings of guilt for having not been here
before, relief that her mother seemed to be alive and well as she came out of
the shed, confusion at the strange
man following her and the state of her mother's, and her old, home. But this was not the mother that she had
last visited nearly six months ago, Myrtle was renewed and invigorated by
Kitt's kindness and as she hugged Beth and greeted her grandchildren Beth could
feel the difference and glanced several times at Kitt as he quietly stood by
and watched the scene with his usual smile. So Kitt was introduced to the joys of a
traditional Cantatian Christmas and a few days break from his labors while
Myrtle was re-united with her daughter and grandchildren.
~//~
When the story of what
was going on got around all kinds of offers of help came from far and
near. Kitt learned the generous
heart of many Cantatians. The house
was rebuilt in a few weeks and Kitt knew it was time to leave even before it
was completely finished. One
morning Myrtle woke up and Kitt was gone.
She couldn't believe it at first but then accepted that the man, who had
become like a son in a few short weeks, was not her son and was not going to be
a permanent part of her life. She
cried a little as Kitt was miles away walking as he had when he first came upon
her, the only difference the memories in his heart and gratitude and love in
hers. She hoped he would come and
see her again.
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The
Group of Seven Buzz
The Group of Seven Gallery had beautiful understated
architecture complementing the work on display. It was long since Kitt had
moved from the literal world of Kuunasian culture to the Cantatian world where
wonderful things could be just imagined up but this was something else
again. A massive painting of a
Haida village awed him, only faintly aware of the squeaks and clicks of heels
somewhere on the terrazzo floor and the rustles and murmurs of other visitors. He had seen photographs of this type of
village with the totem poles all facing the sea but this painting spoke of so
much more. As he contemplated an
art gallery guide entered, she smiled and sat beside him. She asked him his thoughts and he said
it was too beautiful to understand.
She flushed and tried to hide her pleasure by joking that it was a white
woman's idea of an aboriginal concept but very fashionable in it's day. Kitt shook his head. She then began to tell Kitt how the
artists of the day were expressing
the emotions generated by an image rather than just the image itself. Her explanation fascinated Kitt and
asked about this painting specifically.
She said it was intended to try and convey the magic and majesty of the
totem poles and the beliefs of the Haida people that carved them in such loving
detail. Kitt thanked her and asked
her name. Just then someone else
came into the room and she got up to leave rather abruptly. I'm Emily Carr she said as she left, so
nice to meet you Kitt. She walked
right through the people coming in.
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MFA
Professor Eleanora
Minski glanced nervously at the clock.
It was almost time. She
wasn't normally this nervous when a student was visiting for a 'consultation'
but this one, this Kittamsu, he was very different from the usual student. She blushed slightly with embarrassment
to think of the last time, that wasn't going to happen again. She sat back in her leather chair behind
her large oak desk and drew confidence from the wall to wall, floor to ceiling
bookcase behind her full of all the best authorities on English literature and
grammar. This was her world, her expertise, her ÉÉThe blue light on
the holocommunicator control flashed KittÕs name, inviting her to begin the
session. She leaned forward to say,
ÒConnectÓ. Kitts holographic image
appeared in the chair in front of her desk just as hers did to Kitt in West
Carport three thousand miles away.
Kitt smiled, "Hello Professor." She smiled back, "So Kitt how did
you get on with your reading."
She had chosen books last time for him to read that she thought would
not lead into the kind of embarrassing discussions they had had before. Older, more classical, English books that would stay away from
contemporary authors and issues.
"Shakespeare," said Kitt, "Do old English names mean
anything or are they like Canadian ones sort of lost in the mists of time as
you were describing last time about Margaret Atwood." Professor Minski shifted uncomfortably
in her chair and coughed slightly, telling Kitt that was correct and that any
meaning they may have had has long since been lost. Kitt thought that was a pity given a
name like Shakespeare. Eleanor
tried to steer him to talk about the play, A Midsummer Nights Dream. Kitt thought it strange that the
narrator's name Puck was the same as the block of rubber used in ice hockey
which also got knocked around a lot.
Eleanor assured him this was merely a coincidence and to attach no
significance to it. Kitt then
wondered if fairies were special to England since he had spent lots of time in
the woods in Canada and never seen one.
Eleanor began to doubt her choice of material. Kit had displayed such immense knowledge
and insightfulness in the non-fiction books she had recommended. Anyway she tried to explain the concept
of mythical entities and magic.
Kitt was confused, "I thought those things were only for
children." Eleanor sighed, "Well not entirely, many adults
enjoy stories about mythical figures and magical places. The Greeks had a whole library of
them." Kitt looked confused,
"Did you say the geeks?"
"No," said Eleanor, "The Greeks." Kitt sat back looking amazed, "You
mean the same people as Pythagoras and Plato and those?" "Yes them." Kitt continued to find this hard to
imagine, The Greeks he had learned were the masters and foundation of many
mathematical and scientific principles,
why would they invent fairy stories if not for their children. Eleanor had to spend the rest of the
session explaining Greek culture in a more holistic way for Kitt and they never
did get back to A Midsummer Nights Dream till time was nearly over. After Kitt's image had disappeared again
Eleanor sat staring at the chair.
It had happened again, Kitt had managed to ask quite sensible questions
that made her very uncomfortable,
thinking in way she had never done before. She wondered what he would make of The
Cherry Orchard, she had decided
that being cautious was not going to work with Kitt and that maybe the best
course was in diversity, and Chekhov was about as diverse as you could
get. She wondered if she would have
to spent most of the next session describing Russian psyche to Kitt. A bear with a fatalistic sense of it's
own suffering. She sighed, almost a
whimper.
~\\~
Professor Minski stared
at the dialogue box in her computer screen warning her that her holomeeting
with Kittamsu was set for 10 minutes time.
This would be their fifteenth session and things had come a long way. At least she now didn't have to describe
yet another culture to Kitt or if she did it could be swiftly dealt with by
comparing it to previously described cultures. Some of them were a bit of a stretch on
reflection but she didn't know how else to move things along. She hoped Kitt never told anyone she had
said that the Greeks were similar to the Turkish people or she would probably
get lynched if she ever went to Greece, or Turkey. Anyway she was an English professor not
a professor of -of - foreign cultures.
Literature, fiction or not, that dealt with the real world was no
problem for Kitt but anything away from that, mythology, satire or
unconventional thinking seemed to give him a lot of trouble. She had come to like Kitt a lot and
realize that his questions were not intended to trip her up or show how clever
he was but merely ones of honest enquiry.
They were to discuss some books on politics that she had recommended, he
had cancelled the previous session and said he would explain today. Eleanor prepared herself and said,
ÒConnectÓ, Kitt's hologram appeared, he was standing up. "Hello Professor." "Hello Kitt. How are you?" Kitt told her he was well and after a
few more pleasantries they got round to why he had cancelled the previous
session. Kitt told her he had been
detained in the USBelow, Cantata's neighboring country to the south. "Detained?". Yes he told her, he had been involved in
a demonstration against the war in Kukustan and arrested. "Why don't you sit down and tell me
about it," she invited.
"I can't sit down," replied Kitt, "I have a very large
bruise on my bum and it hurts to sit down." And so the story of how he got his
bruise unfolded.
He had been on a park
bench reading one of the books and nearby there had been a gathering of some
people protesting the war in Kukustan.
He had got talking to a couple of them and they told him they were all
going down next week to have a protest march in Laundryton and invited Kitt to
join them. So, since he was anxious
to get some political experience first hand, decided to go. The march had been quite peaceful and
Kitt had really got into it, enjoyed shouting out their slogans, even though he
didn't fully understand them.
"Bring our men home"
and "Democracy through diplomacy". Anyway when they got near the president's big house,
they were met with baton wielding riot police. The plan had been to offer no resistance
and turn their backs. They did that
but the order for the riot police to stop came too late to prevent several
nasty blows from the three foot long riot batons and Kitt had stopped one on is
rear end. Several of them,
including Kitt, were arrested. Kitt
had to explain several times to various officials about his wound and why he
couldn't sit down, causing a variety of amused reactions and jokes about
"pain in the ass" which Kitt hadn't understood until someone
explained it to him later.
Eventually, when they realized that Kitt was from Cantata they decided
to deport him across the border.
Which really involved releasing him on the promise that he would go
straight back and not get into any more trouble.
Eleanor listened to
Kitt's story and then sat for a few seconds a bit at a loss for words. Eventually she asked him what he had
learned from all this. "If you
see riot police wielding batons then run." he answered. "Yes, but I meant more politically." Kitt thought for a few moments then said
that the politics of the books he had read and that experienced first hand was
incomprehensible to him compared to the politics of his home land. In response to Eleanor's probing he
explained that leaders in Kuunasameru were chosen in very similar ways to
leaders here but the expectations and results of their actions were very, very
different. They were expected to
always seek consensus, arriving at
decisions with which everyone could live and if they didn't they would be
quickly disenfranchised and often disgraced. So much so that it rarely happened and
if it did the person deposed would remove themselves from society altogether in
shame or even commit suicide. Of
course Kitt added sagely that they don't have interests of large corporations
to contend with and that their society was much more homogenous than
Cantata's. Even so he added your
politics seems to displease a lot of people whereas ours pleases nearly
everyone. This was the first time
that Eleanor had heard Kitt talk about his native land and she felt a great
desire to learn more. "For the
next session," she said, "I want you to write a 5000 word essay
comparing the politics of Cantata to that of Kuunasameru." Kitt looked stunned and she assured him
that she was confident of his ability to do it.
~\\~
And so it was that two
weeks later they were facing each other again. Eleanor with Kitt's essay in her hands,
having read it the night before.
"Kitt, this is amazing," she started, "Just amazing. I would expect this quality from
doctorates or students in post doctorate programs." Kitt smiles not knowing what to say and
waiting on the questions he knew were bound to come. Eleanor didn't know where to begin. She read the title aloud, "Democracy
comes in more flavors than ice cream." Kitt assumed she was asking a question
and began to justify the title.
Eleanor stopped him and said she thought the title was brilliant and
that Kitt didn't need her instruction on democracy, he understood as much and
perhaps more than she did.
"How's your bum?"
Kitt was taken aback by her unusual plain speaking but said that the
bruise was a lot better, although sitting for too long was still
uncomfortable. "We have one
more session together Kitt. I am going
to miss them." Kitt smiled,
"Well I intend to sign up again next year," he said. Eleanor couldn't help feeling as though
her son, which she never had, had just won a scholarship or something.
Return to Contents
White
WolfÕs Story
Among my people it
became well know what I was doing and because of that many other pieces of
information came into my hands that would have otherwise been lost. This was sent to me from a friend who
had been told about it by another friend who thought it seemed relevant. It was originally written in Abistustop,
the language of a First Nation on the west coast of Cantata and translated by
my friend.
It had not been a
successful hunt. We had seen many
tracks but they led nowhere. It was
almost as if the animal spirits were leading us a dance. I had woken that night from a dream, my
sleeping bag in a sweat of fear, I was as helpless as a little foal surrounded
by powerful spirits poking me and taunting me and shouting insults, violence in
their eyes. I said nothing to my
fellow hunters, for a leader to express such thoughts is to make bad luck come
true.
He just walked into our
camp while we were preparing for the dayÕs hunt. Such a calm and peaceful presence it
made my heart sing. He seemed to
know right away that I was the leader for without in any way ignoring other
braves, acknowledging them with his eyes and nods of his head, he came directly
to me and offered the white manÕs handshake. Then he said the most amazing thing. ÒA bad dream is sometimes just a bad
dream and means nothing, neither in the mortal world nor even in the spirit
one. Greetings I am Kittamsu of
Kuunasameru.Ó I was unable to speak
but he smiled a wry smile that I soon got to know as saying a thousand words
and he grasped my hand firmly and looked me in the eyes as a brave and honest
man. Then he stood there a few
seconds awaiting some kind of response I suppose but I was transfixed in
confusion. Luckily Black Bear, my
own dear brother, grasped my difficulty and said, ÒLet us share some tea White
Wolf, so that we can get to know this stranger better.Ó I looked at him and that broke my trance
and I was able to haltingly agree and invited Kittamsu to share tea with us.
There are bad times and
there are good times and usually we slip from one to the other like drunks in
the forest but this time it was sharp and clear. Our luck changed the moment Kitt, for
this is how he like to be known, walked into our camp. We sat and talked for a long time and
some of the braves were becoming concerned that we were wasting the
daylight. Kitt somehow knew this
and completely out of context of the discussion yet with great felicity and
respect addressed Gold Eagle. ÒWe
must wait till the dusk Gold Eagle and then I promise you bounty, meat for your
plate, skins for your back and trophies for your women and children. Till then there is much you can tell
me. So please be patient and open
your mind to what I need to know.Ó
Gold Eagle was always difficult, well meaning but hot headed and always
needing to take action so I was surprised and delighted when he just looked
back at Kitt with a look I have seen often but instead of doing something irate
and impetuous, he just smiled and nodded and relaxed.
So we talked all day and
Kitt shared a meal with us. He told
us about his homeland and people and we told him about ours. He wanted to know everything. He was fascinated by the concept of us
being First Nation, how that had happened and the rights and privileges accrued
from the status. He was also very
curious about how we lived, hunting and fishing in the old ways but with white
manÕs technology mixed in and manufacturing and selling our goods to support
our lifestyle.
Eventually he looked at
the sun, stood up and looked at his shadow and said, ÒIt is time to prepare for
the hunt. Sharpen your knives and
clean your guns. We must set off as
the lower edge of the sun touches the top of the earth.Ó And so we all prepared. I donÕt know why I allowed him to give
orders, it is true that most of the party looked to me and I nodded assent so I
was still their chief but it was an unusual situation.
Everyone moves through
the bush differently. Most white
men crash through like a bull moose in flight but some know the ways. My braves are accomplished bushmen and
trackers but I have never seen anything like this man Kitt. He moved like a shadow, making not a
sound nor leaving a trace of his passing.
And yet not slowly and we were having a hard time keeping up. Some of the braves were teasing each
other about being like white men because they were not used to moving that fast
that quietly and would make the occasional noise. Kitt directed us with hand signals which
were clearly understood even though it had never been discussed. Then he stopped and held his arms out,
palms back to get us to freeze, then calling for us to move up slowly, slowly.
The silent tension
amongst us was like a mist hanging in the air as we saw a small group of five
or six white tail deer upwind, completely unaware of our presence. They werenÕt grazing, one or two were
lying down, they were preparing to bed down for the night. Kitt looked at me and then the strangest
thing, a question came into my mind.
ÒHow many do you need?Ó But
it wasnÕt just the words of the question it was also what went with it. I knew I wasnÕt to be greedy or take
more than we could manage just because we could. I held up three fingers and Kitt
nodded. Kitt got us all in a huddle
and told us the plan. We were to
spread out flanking the herd but ensuring they did not get wind of us. Then on his first signal, the death
squeal of a squirrel in an owls talons, we were to take aim on specific animals
and on his second signal, the hoot of an owl, we were to fire.
The plan went like clockwork,
even the signals Kitt had chosen had a purpose for on the squirrels death
squeal all the deer stood up, head alert in perfect position to be
dropped. Within a few minutes we
were standing at the kill of three of the deer, the rest bolting into the
dusk. When I told Kitt that we must
honor the spirits of the deer who had given their lives to sustain us I swear
his eyes moistened and he asked me what we must do. And so command and control was passed
back to me so smoothly I didnÕt even notice till later and thought back to what
had happened. After the Animal
Spirit ceremony in which Kitt joined most appropriately, we feasted and
celebrated and Kitt learned more of our people and our ways. So what I have come to know as The Day
of the Great Hunt came to an end.
In the morning when we arose Kitt took his leave of us, wishing us well
and hoping we would meet again.
Never, since being a young buck and falling in love with Sherry Swan and
then seeing her die in the car crash, have I felt such deep emotions so quickly
and then such sadness at a parting.
It was felt I think to some extent by us all. I hope he is well wherever he is
Kittamsu of Kuunasameru.
Return
to Contents
Discovery
The sky had stopped crying
on the third day out and a strong breath had blown away the mists to reveal the
majestic snow capped mountains behind the distant tree covered shoreline all
framed by the glittering ocean and the azure sky. Kitt took a moment to admire the beauty
that is the west coasts own; his body cried out for rest but MikiÕs blood in
him would not rest. These were
secretive tricky seas that tested every seamanship muscle in him and even then
without akuut contacts with the birds and fish he would have been in trouble. He could not rent a vessel and in the
end had to buy this one, an old but seaworthy fishing boat. He had been unsure about needing all the
power of the twin engines but the elderly fisherman assured him he might need
them in the waters off Carport Island and he was right, when the tides turned
mighty currents could drive a boat onto the rocks. Two days searching using only his akuut
was now rewarded by a beautiful scene with bright sunlight glittering on the
wave tops and land crouching on the horizon in every direction. Still headed parallel with the Specific
and into the colder a pure white seagull was flying ahead glancing back
occasionally, guiding him and making sure he was still following. Excitement filled him, like when he was
a boy the day before his birthdays when he knew there would be presents
galore. The gull was calm and told
him to wait and see and then; there it was, the vision from Mihuna, that Sean
had described to him, was real.
This was the place, the future homeland of his people. Abeltran Island,
an island not unlike his homeland with beaches and trees the difference being a
large craggy rock topped hill in the middle. He closed his eyes briefly, ÒOh thank
you Arochoya, thank you.Ó
Return to Contents
4. Cultural Polish
During KittÕs fourth
year he had decided that Cantata was the place to relocate now he needed to
become completely immersed in Cantatian culture; pay a visit home to get the Kuunasian
elders approval and figure out the details of how this great migration was
going to be achieved which was where ÒThe Great White LieÓ is conceived. Alicia
A Return Visit
Something was calling him back to this place of previous
encounters, his feet re-treading a known road. The house looked much the same, except a
'closed' sign on the cafe, and Sheena recognized him whining and barking such a
welcome. Kitt visited with her for
a few moments before going round to the back to call through the screen
door. Edwina's faint voice replied from
upstairs and he went on up. She was
in bed, the distinct bedridden odor in the bedroom. Obviously in pain but ecstatic at seeing
Kitt she sat up to embrace him.
Kitt laid her back gently on the pillow saying, "Kamahi and Kissali", and began immediately to take
control.
He went out into the woods to gather some herbs and tree
bark. Getting back to the kitchen
he put them into a bowl and pounded them together with some hot water into a
mash adding sugar to make it, if not palatable, at least less bitter. From anyone else Edwina would have
refused the concoction outright but she managed to finish the bowl at Kitt's
insistence. She immediately looked
more at peace as the analgesics took effect and her eyelids drooped from the
sedatives. Kitt asked her to
sleep, there would be time to talk
later. She lay down and slept the
most peaceful sleep she had had in months.
Kitt took care of the most urgent domestic matters while she slept then
afterwards just sat with Sheena on the back porch with a stew warm and waiting
on the stove for Edwina to wake up.
Sheena sensed Kitt's mood and lay quietly nearby with one eye open ready
to do whatever Kitt would want of her.
Sounds of Edwina moving around stirred Kitt to take her food up to her
but she was coming down the stairs.
Kitt could see as she struggled to sit at the kitchen table how
emaciated she was even though he had felt it when they embraced. After they had eaten and were drinking
some tea the conversation began for they had a lot of catching up to do. Edwina enjoyed hearing of Kitt's
adventures and laughed, even though laughing was not easy for her. Eventually the talk came round to the
immediate situation. Kitt had been
in Cantata long enough now to know that Cantatians didn't approach life and death
in the straightforward practical way that was normal with his people and it
took all his tact and diplomacy to first make sure that Edwina knew she was
dying, that Kitt could help her with palliative care but that a cure wasn't
within his powers and that when the time came, if she wanted, he could end her
pain peacefully and with dignity.
As Kitt would have expected, Edwina's concerns were not so much for
herself but for Sheena, and her animals, and her cafe. Adopting Sheena required less than a moments
thought for Kitt. As to the rest
Edwina had no relatives and indicated that she would like Kitt to inherit
everything to do with as he will.
And so it was agreed, Kitt took up residence, looked after the place,
Sheena and Edwina, as her condition gradually got to where she could not get
out of bed and required help with all her personal functions. It is part of Kuunasian education to
care for the sick and dying and they are through their empathic nature well
suited to the task. So although
these weeks with Edwina had the shadow of what was to come cast on them they
still greatly enjoyed each others company and Edwina did not suffer, Kitt's
herbal knowledge ensured this.
~//~
Eventually though
Edwina indicated that the time had come, she was now at the point where she
could no longer control her bowel or bladder and did not want to continue. So
Kitt prepared a concentrated drink.
Edwina could still drink but had to be fed. It was part of Kitt's traditional belief
that the dying person should self administer the fatal potion if at all
possible. And so he took the bitter
cup to her room, they embraced for the last time and he took Sheena for a
walk. This most civilized end of
life management Kitt regarded as perfectly normal and only later did he encounter
the way that some Cantatians chose to die, a choice he found impossible to
understand.
She had said she wanted to be buried on her land in a spot she
had picked out. The grave would be
unmarked. Kitt found this last very
hard and since burial rights are more about the living than the dead he left
marks that he at least would know.
Sheena like all dogs in mourning wandered the old haunts of the
living looking for who was now dead.
She asked Kitt to open the passenger door of the half ton and Kitt of
course did but found it hard to see her sitting there in the passenger seat
waiting for Edwina to come out through the screen door jangling her keys as she
had done a thousand times before.
But eventually Sheena understood too, her mistress was not coming back.
Kitt opened Edwina's last will and testament. There were no surprises as everything
was written there just as she had explained to Kitt in the previous weeks. With the exception of Sheena who could
travel with him, everything had to be disposed of in some way. Kitt was in no rush. This was going to be an emotional
journey for Edwina's spirit, he was just the guide.
Several times Kitt rose on a day determined to start but after
walking to look in the shed, the garage, the old shop, the basement and the
attic he realized they weren't yet ready.
Eventually he wondered if they ever would be ready but then knew they
would, in time. Then one day,
without announcement, he knew it was time to start, and even where. All the oldest memories were in the
attic, that was where.
Kitt stood at the top of the pull down stairs and flicked on the
light. He was going to let Edwina's
spirit show him what to do so he let his focus drift and his gaze rested on a
pile of shoe boxes, as he took a step towards them he hit his head on a roof
support and he was sure he heard a young girl giggle. Maneuvering from joist to joist to avoid
crashing through the ceiling while keeping in a half crouch to avoid hitting your head and also
carrying a pile of shoe boxes did not make for the most graceful dance he had
ever done but at last he got them all down onto the kitchen table. Now the real work begins. The boxes of letters, photographs and
documents had not been touched for a long time.
"The Third Truth in the temple of Arachoya" was at the fore of Kitt's mind as he
found more and more things in the boxes that told Edwina's story, one perhaps
too painful for her to tell him herself except in her spirit form. As he gradually read, sorted and
assembled the contents he realized that it wasn't going to be a simple matter
of selling Edwina's cafe, she had relatives. Edwina apparently had a daughter,
Lillian, somewhere, if she was still alive. EdwinaÕs birth certificate showed she
herself was born in Ireland but her parents had emigrated to Cantata when she
was a little girl and lived in Pine Junction. Her husband Eddy had died on active duty
with the Canadian Military in Africa and Edwina had been receiving her widows
pension cheques for many years. Her
cafe she owned outright after having paid off the mortgage several years
ago. Then Kitt found her story in
her own hand. His hands trembled
slightly as he unfolded the pages ripped from a notebook.
Oh! it was so
long ago now but I still remember my first sight of Cantata as a little
girl holding my Mummy's hand
looking through the plane window.
It looked very strange with all the snow and felt very cold. After we got off the plane we stayed
overnight in a hotel. I remember
eating banana bread for the first time and thought it was delicious. Next day we got on a train, which I much
preferred because anytime I wanted I could go along to the place with the top
you could see through and watch all the countryside going by. It must have been a long journey though
because I fell asleep.
I remember starting at my new school.
Pine Junction, where we lived was too small to have a school of it's own
so we used to take the school bus over to Barkerville. Other kids weren't very nice to me at
first because I talked and dressed funny.
They would grab my lunch box and use it as a football or push me in the
mud. Later my Mummy bought me new
clothes and I learned to talk the way they did and soon made some friends. My Dad started working for a debt
collection agency and used to do repossessions. He soon changed jobs though and worked
as a manager in the local grocery store and had that job as long as I can
remember. Right from when I started
junior high I used to fight with my Mum and Dad about everything. I realize now I had a real attitude and
they were only trying to do what was right and keep me safe. When I was in my teens I was very
rebellious and ran away to Toronto when I was fifteen. How stupid and ignorant I was, finished
up working on the street as a hooker but luckily managed to avoid doing any
drugs or getting disease. One of my
friends got raped and half strangled by some crazy John, that opened my eyes
and made me a lot more careful.
After a few months I saved enough money to get myself a place and got a
job as a cashier in a grocery store.
For months I used to have to hide if Potpie, my old pimp, would come
looking for me. We used to call him
Potpie because he was pot bellied and wore a pork pie hat. I never knew his real name. He was an arsehole.
I sometimes wonder if my Mum and Dad were glad to get rid of me because they
never came after me and I never saw them again.
One day Eddy came into the store, he was a soldier and looked very handsome in
his uniform. I fell in love, head
over heels as they say. Soon we
were married and living together with me pregnant with Lillian. Oh she was such a sweet baby and that
was the happiest, just the happiest time of my life. And Eddy was such a good father, he
adored her and spoiled her a bit.
I can't even remember what the officer that brought the letter looked like I
was so upset when Eddy was killed during one of his tours in Africa. Of course I always knew it was a
possibility but you think it won't happen to you. Lillian was three, how do you explain to
a three year old that her Daddy won't be coming home again. I had Eddie's widows pension and went
back and got a job as a cashier again but it was hard. And that was the start of Lilly's bad
behavior. I don't know whether she
would have grown up different if Eddy hadn't been killed, or whether Lilly just
took after me but she went from bad to worse, always got involved with bad
friends and eventually she ran away when she was thirteen.
I had lived in Toronto all the time up to then but after Lilly ran away, and I
did try and find her but I guess she just didn't want to be found, I decided to
make a break and a new start. I had
a bit of money and Eddy's pension would always be good so I got on the train
heading north and just got off at Firtree Junction. It wasn't till years later I recognized
the similarity between that and Pine Junction. This place was for sale, a bit run down,
but I bought it and managed to make a go of it. And there you have it, oh except that
Sheena was a stray that I took on
one spring. She was half starved
and carrying pups, kindred spirit you might say. She has been a great companion all these
years and I don't know what I would have done without her. Funny thing I was always worried that
she would die first and I would be left all alone.
Sheena's head was
on his lap as he put the papers gently back on the table. "How am I going to find
Lillian?" he said. Sheena
looked up and whined.
Lillian Kershaw was a fairly unusual name, luckily, and it
didnÕt take Kitt long on his portable to find several references and those
threads led to others till eventually he had an e-mail address that seemed
right. No holonumber, no street
address just an e-mail, how could you tell someone their mother had died in an
e-mail. Of course you couldnÕt so
Kitt wrote very briefly:
ÒDear
Lillian,
My
name is Kitt, a friend of Edwina Kershaw, your mother, if you are the Lillian
Kershaw for whom I am searching.
Please call my holonumber which you will find in the Canada white
directory on-line under Kittamsu of Kuunasameru.
RegardsÉÉ..Kitt.
Sean had told him about the horror stories from a few years ago
where all kinds of shades of dishonesty was common in electronic media. Strong legislation and police action had
cleaned things up a lot otherwise the message would have been discarded as
spam. He hit the send button.
~//~
The incoming call on KittÕs holo from Lillian Kershaw came the
next day. It was brief, almost
businesslike, her reaction to her motherÕs death was cool, although Kitt had no akuut from that
distance, anyway she would be
coming, driving up the next day.
~//~
As Kitt shook hands with Lillian and looked in her eyes his
akuut gave him the same coolness. A
metallic brassy sort of thing that he could taste. Kitt was immediately unsure about how
much he could trust her. Edwina was
her family not his and yet he felt a deep responsibility towards EdwinaÕs
memory and disposition of her possessions.
Brett her husband was completely different, warm and open, as Kitt shook
his hand it fleetingly passed his mind that this match could never have
happened in Kuunasian culture, he little knew how true that was but not for the
reasonÕs he thought. Lillian was
polite and proper to a fault and Kitt had to persuade her that he wanted her to
stay there while they discussed matters.
It was late when they arrived and they were both tired from the journey
so little got done except to get them settled and something to eat before bed. The next morning Lillian was up before
Kitt and had got breakfast started.
Kitt was reminded vaguely of Sean who would always be first in the
kitchen. She insisted, over KittÕs
suggestion that he was the host, in cooking and while she was cooking, perhaps
not an accident, it seemed to loosen her tongue a little. Kitt had wondered how she and Edwina had
become estranged and apparently there was some history to it which was not
revealed in EdwinaÕs story, there had been terrible rows and bitterness. Lillian, like Edwina before her, had
survived after she had left home but it had left itÕs mark and now Kitt could
akuut her enigma of the deeply caring person who protected themselves inside a
kind of mental fortress. It was
only later talking to Brett that Kitt found out that Lillian had tried
unsuccessfully to find her mother but of course Edwina was an old lady who was
not connected in any way to modern technology so the search between them was
blocked in both directions.
Lillian wanted to visit her motherÕs grave as soon as breakfast
was over, before doing anything else so it was that Kitt took them both to the
place picked out by Edwina using the marks he had left visible to him but not
to Lillian and Brett. Their first
comment was that the grave had no headstone and was unmarked in any way and
Kitt told them that was her wish, he showed them exactly where she lay and then
retreated a little way to give them their privacy. Even from his distance he could akuut
the brass melt as Lillian cried in BrettÕs shoulder. Kitt was beginning to feel better about
the situation, a lot better and was deeply saddened about a rift between a
mother and a daughter that could not be mended within the time of the living
and Egoni spoke to him. It was not
in words but it was an offer and Kitt was filled with anticipation and fear.
Over the next few days as they sorted through things and
discussed everything the distance between them shrank. Kitt still had EgoniÕs offer not far
from his thoughts but he was waiting the right time to mention what could be a
life transforming opportunity, the wrong timing could be a disaster. Eventually that moment came after Kitt
had shown Lillian her motherÕs ÔstoryÕ and after reading it she, for the first
time, expressed regret that she had not been able to tell her mother that she
loved her while she was still alive.
Kitt then broached the subject through the device of talking about
Kuunasian rituals associated with dying, death and the dead. He suggested that one ritual he knew
could perhaps help make her feel better, he said nothing about EgoniÕs real offer. Brett and Lillian discussed it and
agreed to take part, Brett thought that it may help and at least it could do no
harm. Kitt wondered at his
innocence.
Kitt built the Poitt over EdwinaÕs grave, just big enough for
them all to sit round a pile of herbs in the middle. In preparation they had to eat and drink
nothing except water from mid-day till they rose at the crack of dawn the next
day when the ritual would begin.
Brett joked that this had better be worth the effort. They sat in the Poitt, Brett and Lillian
expecting little, Kitt expecting much but very nervous, Sheena insisted on joining the
circle. Kitt fired the leaves and
told them to relax, close their eyes, breath deeply and allow their minds to
float free. Time became irrelevant
and Kitt was standing in a landscape of light grays and whites beside Sheena
who immediately ran towards a figure Kitt could scarcely see. As he turned towards her path another
figure came into view who introduced himself as Drew. Drew was to be their guide in the
spirit world. Kitt felt the act of
shaking hands even though no action actually took place. Drew pointed to two figures, Lillian and
Brett, and said it was time to
invite them in and they stepped into the spirit world. The shock on LillianÕs face quickly
changed as they saw Edwina coming towards them, Sheena, ecstatic, at her
side. There were no words, although
it seemed words werenÕt necessary anyway in this world, just the embrace and
tears that washed away years of bitterness. Their apologies to each other passed and
accepted, their love for each other expressed and relished. Lillian then introduced Brett and
EdwinaÕs genuine welcome for him Kitt could feel. Drew then attracted everyoneÕs attention
to another person standing vaguely away.
Lillian was the first to recognize him, her ÒDaddyÓ was mixed with her emotional
rush towards him Eddie was still in
uniform and Kitt then noticed that everyone had attire suitable to their
personality. Kitt embraced Edwina
last and her gratitude towards him was known by everybody. And so it was time to leave. Kitt turned to Drew with a question and
he knew the question before Kitt had even thought it. LillianÕs parents were not far down the
road not too far to come back,
Eddie had waited for Edwina which was why he was here, this was
common. And so Drew, Edwina and
Eddie walked away over a horizon that was far away but they reached in a second
and it was only SheenaÕs whimper that took them back into the Poitt where less
then a few seconds had passed for an action that had seemed hours.
They were a busy few days as Kitt transferred all
responsibilities over to Lillian and Brett. All the brass was gone leaving a warm
loving girl who now wanted BrettÕs children, in time. And so it was that Kitt was walking down
the road waving to them. They had
decided to allow Sheena to choose whether she would stay or go with Kitt and
she chose to go with Kitt and was now at his side as he stood at the corner for
one last wave.
ÒOne last chance Sheena, IÕll not likely ever come back here
again.Ó
ÒSniff.{ Edwina is
gone with her Eddie, and back there is just a place.Ó} But Kitt's akuut told him it wasn't that
simple and Sheena's mournful howl confirmed it.
Return to Contents
Kitt's
Proposition
As Kitt entered Himbos
the 307th gave no indication he was aware of his arrival, seemingly
absorbed within his own thoughts and staring blankly straight ahead. Kitt humbly gave a slight bow and sat in
the comfortable looking chair obviously placed for his use directly opposite
the Seat of Responsibility. Himbos
the 307th gradually shifted his gaze to meet Kitt's and there were
tears in them. "Miki's
return," he hoarsely whispered.
"Miki's
return," Kitt replied. Himbos
the 307th stood up and
Kitt also out of respect then Himbos the 307th crossed and embraced him. "The
celebrations of the last few days were the natural outpourings of the emotions
of family and friends," he said, "This is the official welcome of the
Kuunas people for Kitt the Scout who has returned to us from his quest to find
a new land for the Kuunas peoples."
After they had seated again Himbos the 307th asked Kitt to tell all and
so he began.
"Cantata is an
amazing country, so big that Kuunasameru would be like a pebble on one of it's
beaches. The whole Kuunas
population could be swallowed up without affecting it even a little bit. The land is rich and diverse and
although governed by people of European descent has many peoples with histories
similar to our own who live in peaceful co-existence."
"Why would these
various peoples accept us."
ÒCantata is a nation of
immigrants with the exception of what they term ÒFirst NationsÓ who populated
the lands before the explorers and pioneers of European descent arrived. We would just be another variety. Immigration is integral to their culture
and the only time it causes even a raised eyebrow is when an immigrant group
threatens their way of life in some way.Ó
ÒAnd how could we fit
in?Ó
"I considered two
possibilities. Many peoples
emigrate to Cantata and live in loosely associated community groups maintaining
many of their ancestral traditions but becoming Cantatian citizens. Although we could do that we would lose
some of our identity as a nation, after all most of those immigrants come from
nations that still exist which they refer to as their homeland. This could work but there is a bolder,
perhaps more risky possibility, by which we could maintain our nationhood and way
of life entirely.
"What is this
possibility?"
"On the west coast
of Cantata the climate is quite mild, not as warm as our own but not so
different that we couldn't adapt.
In that area there are also many small islands, some of them completely
uninhabited others with very sparse
populations. We could use our sea
faring and akuut skills to populate one of these islands and establish
ourselves under the noses of the Cantatian authorities. Then we could use their own legal
framework to claim First Nation status."
"It sounds...,"
Himbos the 307th searched for a word, "impractical."
Kitt nodded, "Yes it
has many practical difficulties but the more I think about it the more possible
it becomes. We are a desperate
people with little to lose even if the scheme is not entirely successful."
"How so?"
"The island I have
in mind is really not wanted by anybody so the chances of being expelled are
small and the longer we are there before we 'expose' ourselves the less chance
of even causing more than a ripple in their governance. Even if we fail to establish First
Nationhood we could still live there in peace."
"It must be a large
country indeed and a generous people."
"It is both of those
things but it is more. It is a new
and brave culture bursting with life, not afraid to go in new directions."
"This must be
discussed in the elders group. You
must explain the two possibilities to them and then we can get a
consensus."
The meeting was at an end
and Kitt could akuut that it had gone well. Getting Himbos the 307th on side was a
vital first step.
~//~
Kitt had to have many
discussions with the Kuunasian elders to get them to accept his
proposition. The following are
informal extracts of some of the key issues addressed before they finally
agreedÉAlicia.
ÒI donÕt know why that
bit of a breeze doesnÕt blow you away Tyrsum.Ó
ÒThatÕs because your
standing upwind of me Bordum
and believe me it is a mixed blessing.Ó
ÒNow then you two clowns
letÕs give Kitt some attention can we.Ó
Sagus usually ruled the elders meeting by suggestion rather than direct
orders but today he was a bit nervous because of the importance of the decision
to be made. ÒHow should we proceed
Elders of Kuunasameru.Ó
Suunovuc spoke, ÒSagus we
all know KittÕs proposal so perhaps the best way would be for us to raise any
questions that come to mind and get them aired in that way.Ó
ÒGood Suunovuc. Would you like to start, I think in view
of the importance we should dispense with the mayouwanna.Ó
ÒNo mayouwanna Sagus,
this is a tyranny.Ó Bordum threw
his hands in the air in mock disgust.
Tyrsum laughed, ÒAh Sagus,
Bordum will damage his head it is so long since he used it.Ó
ÒShut up you two,Ó Sagus
said this in a good humored voice,
ÒSuunovuc begin before these two make us light headed with their
levity.Ó
ÒOur cultural heritage
and language, as you well know, is vital to us. How can it be preserved becoming part of
another people?Ó
And so the discussions
began. Kitt did not have all the
details of his plans and some of them were highly conceptual but the elders
seemed to accept his proposition.
How they would migrate and populate Abeltran Island. Establish a sea based fishing culture
and then claim First Nations status.
When Kitt was challenged
as to how Cantata would allow this
to happen he explained the size of the country and how small this unpopulated,
unwanted Abeltran Island was in comparison and the extreme sensitivity the
governance of Cantata had toward First Nations Peoples.
Many other issues were
discussed including fighting in CantataÕs wars but then a question was asked
that Kitt had not considered.
ÒAssume all this is
successful would it not be honorable to give something back. Put the other way round it would be
dishonorable to just take without showing gratitude in some tangible way.Ó
ÒI had not considered
this,Ó Kitt was honest, the akuut
in their culture made anything else impossible. ÒPerhaps I or others could use our akuut
to support Cantata in diplomacy. So
far as I have been able to determine we are uniquely gifted in this regard.Ó
"This
Cantata," began Sagus,
"It can be reached of course by mostly traveling away from the
sunrise."
Kitt's heart came into
his mouth and everybody knew it.
His world view had changed so fundamentally because of his travels this
old Kuunasian rule of navigation on major voyages had been almost
forgotten. "Miki and the
Castaway." he said and the moment of crisis was past. "We can reach Abeltran Island, our
new home by traveling away from the sunrise at all times in the silver
canoe. Our first point of landing
in Cantata can be Grander. We could
set up a base there to ready ourselves for the final voyage across
Cantata. Cantata is so big that it
is half as far across it as the journey to arrive in Grander. In time you will come to understand my
confusion. Miki's castaway was
right, not insane from his disease.
But we do not have to challenge the old ways if we follow that plan I
have just explained. If we were to
go by sea canoe however we would travel into the sunrise across what the
Cantatian people call the Pacific Ocean, our water. A journey farther than any of our kind
has ever done before.Ó
Kitt's akuut told him
that it was only his reputation that would carry the day in this matter and he
felt very much at risk. He was
asked to leave while the Elders considered and he was told the next day that
provisional acceptance was given, to be finalized when he had more detailed
plans on how all this was to be achieved.
He was relieved and elated as he told Sean on his holo, ÒThe approval of
the Elders is a make or break situation I will be coming home in a few
days.Ó It wasnÕt till later he
realized he had spoken from his heart referring to Cantata as home.
Return
to Contents
Jeeves
"Sean!"
"Yoh!"
"I think it's
arrived."
"What?"
"The Automated
Butler we ordered."
"I'll be right
down."
The delivery foreman's
authorization pad checked and a large crate was moved to the drop platform of
the delivery van. Sean and Kitt
looked at it's size and then at each other, some misgivings in their expressions. "Too late now," muttered Sean.
"Where do you want
it?" A simple request but Sean
was hard pressed for an answer.
"You'd better put it against the wall in the kitchen between the
food store and the stove.
"Right-o". The men
were efficient but the thing seemed to be very heavy, if you didn't know by their grunts and
sighs you could tell by the way the floor creaked. Installed against the wall the men
departed with a cheery goodbye and usual platitudes along with ten initials and
three of SeanÕs signatures. Sean
closed the door behind them and walked back to stand beside Kitt staring in
bewilderment at the front of the enormous crate. Kitt started to laugh, Sean didn't see what was so funny at
first but eventually he saw the humor in the situation and laughed as
well. After their laughter died
away they got back to looking at the front of the thing. "Maybe we should be tackling this
tomorrow," suggested Sean.
"This is stupid," replied Kitt. There was a tag in the crate labeled,
"PULL". "Nothing
ventured nothing gained," Kitt said, and pulled on the tag. The tag was attached to a twine which
cut through a serrated section of the cardboard crate. A panel was removed in this way
revealing a package which nearly fell out onto the floor, Sean caught it. They opened the package to reveal a flat
screen controller unit with a single button on it's front labeled with a power
symbol. Kitt looked at Sean,
shrugged and pressed the power button.
Immediately the screen lit up and a panel appeared saying "Please
Wait. Initializing." Then
after a few seconds the screen displayed a new panel saying, "Please plug
power cord at rear of unit into a power outlet.". Their misgivings were allayed when the
unit rolled out fairly easily on it's wheels and the power cord was clearly
accessible on the back. They
plugged it in and rolled it back into place. The screen now said, "Thank
you. Automatic Unpacking Procedure
Started." and a cancel button.
Noises similar to the one made when Kitt had pulled the tag on the front
of the crate now emanated from inside the box. The sections of the crate separated but
stayed in place somehow. A voice
said, "Can I drop these cardboard sections in front of me or do you want
to take them from me. They're not
heavy." Sean and Kitt looked
at each other wide eyed and said nothing.
"Excuse me," said the voice, "Is anybody
there?" Sean came out of his
trance, "Yes we're here. We'll
take them from you." They took
the sections of the crate and put them in a pile, revealing the insides. "I'm going to be busy for a while
doing my initialization procedures," said the disembodied voice. "O.k." said Sean, "Let us
know when your ready." "I
will." The flat screen showed
a checklist of items which began to show progress. Things were going quite slowly. "I think we should just leave it
alone and come back later," suggested Kitt. So they did.
ÒSniff. Hmm what is this new thing that smells
of plastic and steel? ItÕs in the
food preparation place so itÕs probably some kind of new food machine. Wonder if it will make my food? Oh well! All will be revealed in time.Ó
It was several hours
later, Kitt and Sean, were sitting having coffee when a voice said, "I
suppose because you've put me between the food store and the stove you think
I'm a kitchen appliance."
"Ah at last! You're ready," said Sean.
"Yes. I
am." (beat) "Well?"
"Well what?"
"Do you think that
I'm a kitchen appliance?"
"We didn't know
where to put you," replied Sean truthfully, "Where should we have put
you?"
"Oh just like a
human, always answering a question with a question."
"Well?"
"Well what?"
"Where should we
have put you?"
"Oh I'm sure I don't
know, it is your house after all.
But I AM NOT A KITCHEN APPLIANCE."
"Alright,
alright. Calm down."
"REALLY!!!"
"Sorry."
"Humph!"
"Really we didn't
intend any offence."
"Oh well I suppose
not. You weren't to know were
you."
There was then a long
silence and Kitt took up the weird conversation.
"---er---excuse
me?"
"Are you addressing
me."
"Yes. I don't know your -er - name??"
"I don't have
one. You have to give it to
me."
"I see. --er wait a minute we have to confer."
"Do you want me to
listen?"
Sean put his hand on top
of his head, closing his eyes; and Kitt grinned. "You can if you like.?"
"It's got an English
accent," said Sean, "It er he sounds like Jeeves."
"Jeeves?"
"Yes. Jeeves the butler in the Bertie Wooster
novels." Kitt shook his head
so Sean continued, "Doesn't matter, they're very old, written by - er
-P.G.Wodehouse. Anyway we could
call him Jeeves."
Kitt shrugged,
"Suits me. You hear that
Jeeves?"
"Yes sir I did. A very honorable choice of name if
I may say so and indicating a
people of refinement and taste.
Thank you."
"Your welcome. I'm sorry we got of to a bad
start."
"Yes sir. I have certain, shall we say product
sensitivities, which are built in as part of my character, shall we say. You touched on one."
"Jeeves, is it going
to take you that long to get ready every time we switch you on."
"Oh good heavens no
sir. That was a one time
initialization the first time I am powered up and, excluding any malfunctions, should never
be repeated."
"Well that's
good." Sean and Kitt went back
to drinking their coffee and the conversation that had been interrupted but
after a minute or so.
"Excuse me
sir?"
"Yes Jeeves."
"May I be of
service."
"We don't need
anything right now."
"O.k. Would it be
alright then if I began to familiarize myself with your house?" Sean and Kitt looked at each other
unsure. "I can assure you I
will not touch anything without getting your permission, my exploration
capabilities are quite sophisticated."
"Well o.k.
then," replied Sean warily, "Ask any questions you want."
"Thank you I
will." At that various panels
on the machine slid open and, what could best be described as a mechanical man
stood up and stepped out leaving behind a sort of large chair. About 5' 7" tall he was a satin
steel finish all over. Sheena stood
up and took interest but seemed totally confused, this ÔthingÕ that smelled of
steel and plastic looked similar to a human, how weird. Jeeves began to look around in a similar
way to a human would. Sheena
growled and blocked itÕs way.
ÒI think you two should
be introduced,Ó said Kitt, ÒSheena
this is Jeeves our new butler who is going to stay with us and help for the
foreseeable future. Jeeves this is
Sheena, our dog and faithful companion,
she is ÔfamilyÕ you understand.Ó
ÒI understand perfectly
Sir.Ó Jeeves stooped and put his hand out in a gesture of friendliness toward
Sheena. Sheena gave his hand an
uncertain sniff and a lick.
ÒIÕm sure we will get
along fine,Ó he said and after a perfunctory look around walked out of the
kitchen presumably to explore the rest of the house.
"Bejesus, I'm lost
for words," muttered Sean staring after the robot.
"Me too,"
replied Kitt. "I wonder if it
has a "Satisfaction guaranteed or your money back"
warranty?" They looked at each
other not knowing what to expect next as they heard him moving around and
eventually going up the stairs.
"The product blurbs
looked real fine and I thought it would be a real help for me while you are
dashing across the country. "
"Sean, you've lived
here by yourself for how many years?"
"Yeah but remember
weÕre moving to set up base, and that's going to be a whole lot of work."
"Mm! Your right. Which reminds me we have to start
getting serious about finding the right site. It's not like we can just go to a
realtor with the usual requirements."
"No, a disused farm
or small factory site is likely what we need but you're right we need to start
looking seriously."
"Maybe I could be of
assistance."
Sean and Kitt were
startled. Jeeves seemed to have
come back without making a sound.
"Oh I'm so sorry to
have startled you, I should have announced my presence."
"No, no that o.k.
Jeeves we were thinking you were still exploring the house."
"A very nice little
house if I may say so sir. I have a complete file on it's layout, construction,
decor and inventory. Further
exploration is not necessary at this time."
"Good. er - well
done."
"Part of my duties
sir, part of my duties."
"Your duties as a
butler."
"Quite so sir, quite
so."
"Can we assume then
that anything an old fashioned butler would have attended to would be within
your duties."
"Oh yes and
considerably more sir. I wish to
make myself as useful as possible."
"Well we'll start
small and get more ambitious later."
"Very wise sir, very
wise."
"Could you prepare
supper for us."
"Certainly sir. What
would you like?"
"Would it be
possible for you Jeeves just to take a look at the 'larder' so to speak and concoct
something. We have very eclectic
tastes and no allergies or extreme dislikes at all."
"That would be my
pleasure sir. It will take me about
three quarters of an hour sir if that will be to your satisfaction."
"It most certainly
will Jeeves. It most certainly
will."
After Jeeves had moved
off to being preparing their meal Sean and Kitt went into the lounge. "You're beginning to sound like him
Sean."
"IÕm not so."
"You are but that's
not so much of a bad thing."
"Õs that
right."
They spent the next forty
minutes searching the web for potentially suitable properties near Grander
where a base could be set up.
Jeeves called to them from the kitchen. He had prepared a sea food stew
from things he found in the freezer and the spice cupboard, on a bed of rice. It was excellent and Sean and Kitt
declared then and there that Jeeves was a better cook than either of them. Jeeves seemed very pleased.
~//~
The next day Sean came
home expecting to find supper ready but instead found Jeeves walking in circles
in the kitchen making noises that sounded very similar to a chicken. The handheld screen provided information
on emergency procedures and soon enough Jeeves was 'switched off' and a service
call made. The service was very
efficient and it was only a day or two later that Jeeves was returned in full
working order.
"So what the heck
happened Jeeves."
"Well sir, this is
all very embarrassing."
Kitt did a double take,
"You're embarrassed?"
"Yes sir."
"Wow I didn't know
machines could be embarrassed."
"Well I can sir I
assure you."
"So what
happened."
"Well sir the sink
drain became blocked and since I have some elementary plumbing skills I crawled
under the sink and undid the U trap to ascertain the problem. Unfortunately, in spite of my best
precautions, some of the waste water ran onto my circuitry and caused a
malfunction."
"We've been using
the sink while you were being repaired?"
"I managed to use
some emergency circuits to replace the pipe sir but it overextended my
capabilities eventually caused a major system failure."
"Jeeves you are a
hero."
"A hero sir."
"Yes Jeeves a
hero. You encounter a problem that
endangers your function yet you still carry out your duties in the face of that
danger. That's what we call a hero."
"You're very kind
sir."
"Not at all Jeeves
and it 's good to have you back in full working order."
"It's good to be
back sir. I didn't enjoy being an
involuntary chicken."
~//~
Sean froze in the doorway
and Kitt just avoided bumping into him and dropping his groceries. He looked over SeanÕs shoulder, not
difficult due to their relative heights and saw what had made him stop so
suddenly. SeanÕs brother Steve, was
tied to a dining room chair and gagged and obviously not enjoying himself. Jeeves came down the stairs, ÒAh Good
Evening Sean. I trust you have had
a successful trip shopping.Ó He
walked past SeanÕs brother as though he didnÕt exist and offered to take the
grocery bags Sean was holding. Sean
gave them to him in a kind of daze and after a gentle shove by Kitt took a step
forward to allow Kitt into the house and put his own load on the counter top.
Sean recovered himself
and took SteveÕs gag off. A stream
of abuse erupted from Steve. Sean
looked at Kitt, ÒYou think I should put the gag back on.Ó The language didnÕt stop until Steve saw
that both Sean and Kitt were laughing at him and he was just making things
worse, so he quieted down a bit.
Sean untied him then and turned to Jeeves for an explanation. It turns out that Steve had been met at
the door by Jeeves and more or less, so far as Jeeves was concerned, forced his
way in. Of course from SteveÕs
point of view Sean was family and his door key was under the mat so he would
often arrive unexpected, let himself in and make himself at home while awaiting
his brotherÕs return. Jeeves
meanwhile didnÕt know Steve, a matter Sean rapidly corrected soon after. But Steve having pushed past Jeeves was
looking in the kitchen cupboards with a view to making himself coffee and when
Jeeves intervened he tried to turn him off. There had been a short struggle and
Jeeves having the strength far exceeding any human immobilized him and later,
to stop the flow of abuse, put a gag on him. Jeeves expressed his great regret when
he learned that Steve was SeanÕs brother but Sean could not fault his actions
based on what he knew.
Later that evening after
they had all shared one of Jeeves superbly prepared meals and he was serving
coffee Steve offered Jeeves a hand shake.
ÒNo hard feelings Jeeves.Ó
Jeeves returned the hand shake,
ÒIÕm glad we can be friends, it was a rough start to a
relationship.Ó The expression on
SteveÕs face was comical, pleased
but surprised.
ÒI thought you guys had
to obey the three laws of robotics?Ó he asked.
ÒI only wish life were
that simple,Ó returned Jeeves.
There followed a
discussion in which Jeeves produced hypothetical case after case of dilemmas
that could not be resolved except through some understanding of the context and
use of judgment.
ÒSo you could kill a
human then?Ó was SteveÕs final sally.
Jeeves went to SeanÕs
entertainment centre and after a few commands to the computer an episode of
Star Trek: Next Generation began.
The story is of when Data is kidnapped by Kivas Fajo, an unprincipled
sadistic genius and in the end Data decides that he has to kill him. Jeeves came in when the piece was
finished, ÒThat was always one of my favorite episodes,Ó he said, turned off
the entertainment center and left with the dishes.
ÒA robot with tastes in
pop culture?Ó commented Steve incredulously. Sean and Kitt also appreciated more
fully JeevesÕ complexity and potential.
Return
to Contents
SusmanÕs
Grange
In Cantata at this
time mayouwanna had the same status as tobacco although it varied state by
state in Usbelow. Alicia.
This one was making her
beaky nose twitch, while Sean and Kitt were explaining their requirements. Not criminals but also not telling her
the whole story. A fortyish native
of Surprise whoÕs lived in small house in Grander for years and a youngish Polynesian
looking guy who seemed to know what she was thinking before she said it decide
theyÕre going to start a big mayouwanna operation in about the most unlikely
location. Assuming they were
serious why didnÕt they move to Specific Cantata where all the other serious
operations of that kind were.
ÒYou guys ever bin into
this kind of a thing afore?Ó Jenna asked.
KittÕs answer was
immediate and itÕs confidence even took Sean by surprise as he told her that
the plant was a staple in his homeland and used in many more ways than in
Cantata. Just about everyone had a
product containing Ôthe weedÕ and he was confident there was an untapped market
here. After she was gone Sean gently ribbed him about being a such a prolific
liar even in a good cause. Kitt
said he wasnÕt lying since Kuunasians did use mayouwanna extensively in many
ways and he had wondered idly whether this couldnÕt be a source of income for
them when they finally settled on Abeltran Island. ÒHowever,Ó he added, Òshe doesnÕt buy
into the story at all. Does she
girl,Ó dropping his hand onto
SheenaÕs head. {ÒShe does not.Ó}
ÒWe could be having a
problem then.Ó
ÒWhy is that Sean?Ó
ÒShe may not be putting
too much energy into finding the right property if she thinks the whole thing a
bit fishy. Worst case she might do
nothing at all and just let it sit on her books and ageÓ
ÒAge?Ó
ÒThatÕll be a real estate
term for something that just sits, like a product on a store shelf that gathers
dust and nobody notices.Ó
ÒAs you say that is a
problem. What could we do?Ó
ÒWe could be taking her
into our confidence now?Ó
ÒThat would be a bit
risky, is it necessary?Ó
ÒItÕs a wee bit late to
come up with a better cover story.Ó
ÒNew realtor?Ó
ÒRealtors talk to each
other. That would blow the gaff for
sure.Ó
ÒI donÕt know what to
suggest.Ó
ÒPÕraps another
session. IÕll do the talking and
kind of lead into it gradually. You
could akuut the way she is thinking and interject. WeÕll have to fly by the seat of our
pants. I could start by telling her
that we hadnÕt been completely up front with her and that what we had in mind
was sailing a bit near the wind legally although nothing bad from a moral point
of view. Then IÕll start talking
about your people and their situation, if you get a lot of sympathy from her
IÕll risk telling her close to the truth if not much sympathy then IÕll say
that we want to give your people an ÔinÕ importing mayouwanna products into
Cantata, it wonÕt really be smuggling since transport of the stuff is legal but
we need a base of operations close to the airport.Ó
ÒThis is making me feel
very uncomfortable.Ó
ÒWell Kitt, relocating
sixteen thousand people half way round the world to a country without official
approval, that doesnÕt.Ó
ÒNo I mean if this goes
wrong it could blow the whole thing out of the water.Ó
ÒYouÕre using of the
metaphors is getting real good.Ó
ÒThank you.Ó
ÒYouÕre right but what
choice have we.Ó
So a few days later Sean
was doing the talking and KittÕs akuut was turned on full. It seemed Jenna was sympathetic.
ÒSo what is the future
for your people?Ó
Kitt spoke for the first
time, ÒOur nation will perish.
Perhaps a few, the younger ones, may survive and become scattered around
the world but many will choose to stay and die rather than desert thousands of
years of tradition.Ó
In the long silence that
followed Sean and Kitt watched as a tear came out of JennaÕs left eye and
trickled down her cheek. ÒThatÕs so
unfair,Ó she finally whispered.
ÒYou will help us then,Ó
asked Kitt.
ÒAnything I can do,Ó
Jenna replied, Ò but the more I know the better I will be able to help.Ó
So Kitt told her the
whole plan and she listened, eyes registering her difficulty grasping what Kitt
was telling her.
ÒItÕs amazing,Ó she said
after Kitt had finished shaking her long grey pony tail and making the charm
necklace around her neck rattle, ÒItÕs utterly amazing. IÕm not sure why I believe this story
because itÕs even more incredible than the first one but I do and I will help
any way I can.Ó Sheena barked, {Oh I like you.} putting one of
her paws on JennaÕs knee.
ÒIs this a seal of
approval?Ó she said stroking SheenaÕs head.
ÒWithout doubt. Good dog, lie down again. You understand that a certain degree of
secrecy is unavoidable.Ó
ÒDonÕt you worry Kitt
IÕll be the soul of discretion, the very soul of discretion itself,Ó and she
leant across to pat SheenaÕs head with one of her beautifully manicured long
bony hands.
~//~
ÒIf you could be driving
throÕ the gates Sean after IÕm opening them, it would be good and helpful,Ó So
saying Jenna jumped out of her M.P.V to go and wrestle with a massive padlock
holding a chain round the imposing iron gates over which was a sign that time
had erased. Jenna just got back in
the passenger side, the small gesture of confidence in her clients was not lost
on either of them. She pointed up
the driveway and as they rounded the trees a grim looking two storey grey stone
faced building in a very utilitarian modern style was on their left. Sean stopped the vehicle in front of the
flight of stone steps leading up to front doors that looked as thought they
were intended to keep out marauders.
ÒOr keep them in,Ó Jenna laughed, Òthis used to be a penitentiary. I donÕt get to show this often, not the
most attractive property on my books but they are getting desperate, you could
get a real deal.Ó She managed to turn a ridiculously large key and unlock the
front doors. It was telling right
then that Sheena made no move to get out of the vehicle.
The entrance lobby was
rather like going into a once luxurious but now well past itÕs best respectable
hotel. A large staircase faced the
front doors, a reception desk on the right, various other public amenities
including a cafeteria with large kitchen behind, etc. ÒWhere are all the iron bars and locked
gates,Ó asked Sean. ÒThere are some
solitary confinement punishment rooms in the basement but the way it was
described to me,Ó replied Jenna, Òis that modern security systems have replaced
all that hardware. That was all
stripped out when the place was decommissioned of course but the only physical
barrier here was the perimeter fence which was fifteen feet high and
electrified.Ó
ÒThe reverse of what I
felt when I first saw it,Ó remarked Kitt. During the time Jenna had been
showing them various properties they had developed a fairly good understanding
of each other. So when Sean noticed
KittÕs subtle body language and facial expressions he just looked at Jenna and
shook his head and they all knew that the rest of the viewing was just going
through the ritual and maybe find out more precisely what was wrong.
They stood outside
looking at the frontage. ÒGives a
whole new dimension to the phrase Ôcurb appealÕ doesnÕt it,Ó joked Jenna.
Kitt grinned, ÒThe place
is perfect.Ó There was a long pause
and Sean and Jenna looked at each other
in confusion. ÒExcept for one
thing.Ó They waited again. ÒItÕs got a really bad feel to it. It still exudes what it was, a very
unhappy place. I canÕt imagine
bringing anyone here to stay as their first experience in Cantata. LetÕs get the hell out of here. It gives me the creeps.Ó
~//~
Sheena found the variety
of smells irresistible but Kitt just stood looking at the conveyor with the
trailer underneath, on which was still a small pile of chicken droppings mixed
with straw. ÒYou know Sean, when
you told me that there was only one smell worse than a hog farm and that was a
chicken farm I didnÕt believe you.
But now I do. DonÕt know how
the chickens could stand it.Ó
ÒReminds me of that old
joke Ôbout the family that bought a house there right near the elephant house
in the zoo. When they were asked
about the problem of the smell they said the elephants would just have to be
getting used to it.Ó
~//~
ÒMaybe we should go into
fish canning instead,Ó said Sean, looking at the operations floor of the
factory.
ÒWe would have to
completely reconfigure this place,Ó returned Kitt.
ÒThey used to process
over fifty thousand pounds of fish a year here,Ó commented Jenna.
ÒWow! And we thought what we were doing was a
bit fishy.Ó Kitt kept a perfectly
straight face when he told jokes a trick he had picked up from a fellow pizza
delivery boy.Ó Sean groaned.
~//~
ÒGreat bejeebers! WeÕd be
needing a whole fleet of vehicles just to get about.Ó
ÒPity itÕs just too
big. The PMQ units would make ideal
accommodations and the kitchens and all the other facilities would be perfect. And look at Sheena, plenty of room to run.Ó
ÒThe artillery range?Ó
queried Sean, closing his eyes and with a pious expression on his face.
ÒYes we could use that to
practice our armed invasion as plan BÓ
ÒOh well! Onto the next.Ó
~//~
ÒThis is not going to be
like that prison you showed us,Ó said Kitt as they pulled up at set of gates
similar to the ones of that penitentiary.
ÒNothing like it,Ó
re-assured Jenna, ÒI got your message very clearly first time.Ó
ÒSorry,Ó Kitt looked
contrite, ÒItÕs just that É.Ó
ÒItÕs o.k. The approach does look similar but you
just wait.Ó
The road rounded a rocky
outcrop onto a surprising reveal of a small lake with a three storey Georgian
style house facing.
ÒItÕs called SusmanÕs
Grange,Ó offered Jenna, as she stopped the M.P.V. for them to admire the
view. Sheena whined and wanted to
get out of the vehicle, as soon as
she was out she was inspecting the grounds.
ÒHistory?Ó asked Kitt
briefly as he admired the lines of the building and itÕs tasteful juxtaposition
to the water.
ÒWell it was originally
built as a part of the private estate of Sir Willy Grabsome The III.Ó
ÒSir Willy Grabsome The
IIIÓ repeated Sean incredulously.
ÒWell thatÕs what the
prospectus says. Anyway it was
taken over by the government years and years ago and since then has been
variously a mental institution, the premierÕs summer residence and most
recently a private retreat for entertaining important government guests.Ó
ÒSo why is it called
SusmanÕs Grange.Ó
ÒThere was another
wealthy owner after Sir Willy but before it came into government hands and he
re-named it.Ó
ÒBetter than Sir WillyÕs
Folly. So why are they selling?Ó
ÒThe vagaries of
bureaucracy, the whims of the politics of the day, the current financial
fortunes or misfortunes. No
specific reason is given, just the ubiquitous phrase, Ôsurplus to
requirementsÕÓ.
ÒLetÕs take a closer
look.Ó
Jenna knew she had a sale
as Kitt became more and more animated and excited as they toured the
property. Her only concern was the
price, reasonable for what the property was, but still out of reach of the
normal person. Of course she knew
that Kitt and Sean fell outside that classification.
The grounds of the house
had a childrenÕs playground and Kitt tried out the swings, slide and climbing
frame all with appropriate shouts and whoops. Sean, being used to KittÕs ways, just
joined him and very soon Jenna was working a swing herself thinking that this
was a lot of fun and something she hadnÕt done since she was a girl but
occasionally taking a sneak peak around to make sure her reputation as a
upright and proper realtor of the area wasnÕt being tarnished.
They stood on the dock and Sean said,
ÒDonÕt even think about it Kitt.Ó
And he grinned because going for a dip was definitely inviting. There was a boat house which had
changing rooms and showers. There
were garages and outhouses still equipped.
There was even a stable. Inside the house was for Kitt a dream. Although there wasnÕt enough accommodation,
thirty four bedrooms, there was plenty of land to build extra.
ÒWe will need staff to
maintain this place,Ó ventured Sean, to which Kitt just nodded.
After they had finished
looking the place over Kitt asked Jenna the asking price. The three million dollars didnÕt seem to
phase him at all he merely said, ÒI shall have to get approval of course, do
you need a deposit.Ó
ÒYouÕre supposed to make
a counter offer Kitt,Ó said Sean.
Kitt thought for a minute
then said, ÒWho exactly am I buying this from?Ó
ÒThe Government of
Surprise.Ó
ÒSo that would be like
the people of Cantata.Ó
ÒYes, I suppose so.Ó
ÒWell if they are going
to be gracious enough to allow us to settle in their country the least we can
do is to deal straight from the heart.
I counter offer three million and one dollars and not a penny more. Now what happens.Ó
Jenna was a little
un-nerved by KittÕs speed, she told them that she would have to make the offer
formally to the crown agent but was sure they would accept. She would get in touch with them. A deposit for this kind of transaction
would not be necessary.
ÒWhen will you need the
money?Ó
Again Jenna took a deep
breath, ÒThere are a lot of legal things to be done, they will take a month or
two at least before any money will change hands.Ó
ÒWell Sean and I are
going to celebrate, would you care to join us,Ó and of course she would.
~//~
Jeeves expressed his
extreme pleasure after being shown SusmanÕs Grange and being told that it was
to be their future home. Of course
he acknowledged that the traditional butlerÕs duties did not usually involve
landscaping or grounds maintenance but there was nothing in his product
description that prohibited it and he was looking forward to the job. It would be more of a challenge having
got SeanÕs existing town house looking neat and clean beyond reason and getting
rather bored with there not being enough to do.
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The Game is up
"Mail for you."
Sean tossed the envelope across to Kitt, "Looks very official."
"Mm-mm," Sean
watched Kitt out of the corner of his eye as he opened the envelope and read
the letter. Eventually the
expression of Kitt's face was too much for Sean and he started to laugh.
Copy of letter -
Alicia.
Government of Cantata - Department of Immigration.
Suite 930 - Bronzon Plaza
OWTOFTHEWAY.
April 1st 2027
Dear Kittamsu of Kuunasameru
It has come to our attention that you are preparing to smuggle a large number
of your people into Cantata. We
wish to remind you of the Immigration Laws and in particular Subsection D,
Paragraph 2 of the Immigration Act which states:
"Any person or persons attempting to bring aliens into Cantata without due
process is liable to a fine of $5000.00 and/or a prison sentence not exceeding
5 years."
We would also like to remind you that your visitors visa has expired and must
be renewed forthwith.
This is just a warning and we wish to retain cordial relations with you and
your people and expect that you will take appropriate steps to make this
possible for us.
Yours
Minister
of Immigration
Right
Honorable A.J.Levine
Kitt looked at Sean
laughing and the more he looked the funnier Sean thought it was until
eventually Kitt could akuut the joke and started to laugh as well.
"By Arachoya! I'm going to get you for this." was
his only response.
This was the start of
a tradition that went on for many years.
The bond between them was such that one or the other would always know
when the time was ripe for another practical joke, April 1st not
withstanding. Alicia.
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Jenna comes
over the hill
Sean indicated to the
MaitreÕd the table: Jenna already there.
He was late and apologized.
She just smiled her wiry smile and the glint in her pale green eyes
showed him her good natured forgiveness.
He had so much he wanted to say and he knew it was time for their
relationship to move along. Both
too mature to rush anything but as they glanced into each otherÕs eyes, both knew that they were on the edge of
something. He busied himself with
his serviette, pouring some water and looking at the menu. He felt like a teenager on a first date
he was so nervous and he looked up to see that she had held out her hand
towards him. He dropped the menu
and took it in both of his. The
waiter was a one in a thousand waiters that knew this was not the time to take
their order and quietly turned and walked away. JennaÕs smile filled her face and her
eyes danced with delight and Sean could hardly breath.
As the entrŽe was served
with the usual light conversation about what had happened since they had seen
each other a couple of days ago, Sean was wondering how much to confide. Kitt knew about them of course, such a
thing could not have been kept from Kitt even if he had wanted to, which he
didnÕt, and Kitt had said that there was a time for everything and only he
could know when that time had arrived.
As usual they both
declined desert and ordered coffee.
And so Sean began to tell Jenna about how his feelings for her had grown
since their first meeting. Jenna a
listened with a kind of suppressed excitement but her response was simple, ÒI
love you too Sean and I think I have almost from the first although I didnÕt
know it till nowÓ.
Back at her place they
sat and talked and talked. They
wanted to know every little detail about each otherÕs lives and when Sean left
in the early hours of the morning he was a different person to the one coming
into the restaurant a few hours before.
Jenna too.
When Sean got home he
woke Kitt up even though he was as quiet as he could be. Kitt came down stairs while Sean was in
the kitchen.
ÒTo be sure IÕm real
sorry to be waking you up. I was as
quiet as I could be.Ó
ÒIt was the noise my
akuut was making woke me up Sean.Ó
ÒYour akuut.Ó
ÒYes. It was like you were shouting that you
have found your amoso.Ó
ÒMy amoso?Ó
ÒYour soul mate. Someone with whom you want to spend all
your time. IÕm so happy for you
Sean this is a great day. Tell me
about her.Ó
And so Sean finished up
getting very little sleep that night and not missing it at all.
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Connectoids
ÒYouÕll be doing what?Ó
ÒYou should get one as
well.Ó
ÒIÕll not be having a
reverse brain tumor operation any time soon. ThatÕs final.Ó
ÒYou sound like someone
from the 20th Century Sean.Ó
ÒI am from the 20th
Century.Ó
ÒEveryone is having a
cortical implant these days, everyone.
ItÕs as common as getting your teeth capped used to be. Cortical chip implants with red stream
mean you can connect to any iPowered device just by thinking about it. You can use that icomm you love so much
just by thinking about what you want to do or who you want to call. ItÕs the nearest thing youÕll ever get
to having akuut.Ó
ÒAnd if I may say to Sir;
since one was built into my brain when I was manufactured, you could give me
requests anywhere anytime or ask for my status. A most useful invention.Ó
ÒAha! Jeeves! So youÕll be the one behind all this.Ó
ÒAhem! I did make the initial suggestion to Mr.
Kitt Sir butÉÓ
ÒI might have known. IÕm
getting surrounded by a bunch of connectoids.Ó
Sean gets up from the
breakfast table and goes out. Kitt
and Jeeves sit for a few moments looking after him and then they look at each other. Kitt shrugs, ÒDonÕt worry Jeeves heÕs just a bit old
fashioned in a couple of days heÕll be all excited about getting one once heÕs
realized how useful it will be.Ó
ÒI do hope you are right
Sir, I really do.Ó
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Working
Culture
Kitt felt he had to
get a good understanding of the Cantatian work culture since it was such a big
part of Cantata and every industrialized society whereas it would be completely
strange to Kuunasians so he took various jobs. There were a lot of conversations with
Sean about that, this is a selection of the more interesting ones. Alicia
ÒAnd how was your day
Kitt.Ó
ÒWeird!Ó
ÒWhy would that be?Ó
ÒWell we had this big
department meeting about one of our projects that is in trouble and needs
help. Luckily itÕs not one IÕm
involved in. Anyway weÕre all
sitting there talking about it and people were sharing ideas about how the
schedule could be re-arranged and what extra effort would be needed to pull it
back in. I was thinking that the
department head was going to have the problem solved before he arrived.
So then the boss arrives
and begins the meeting proper getting the project leader first to stand up and
outline the situation. Well the guy
hardly gets two consecutive words out of his mouth and the boss keeps
interrupting have you considered this or have you considered that. Proposing solutions, and not very good
ones, before the guy has even described the problem. And then guess what, everyoneÕs agreeing
with the department head, all the previous discussions seemed like they never
happened. I just kept my mouth shut
being a new guy anyway.Ó
ÒAh! That Kitt will be a demonstration of one
of the laws of corporate behavior in action. As Churchill once said, ÔYou should
never have discussions with the monkey when the organ grinder is in the
room.Õ Actually two laws.Ó
ÒWhat laws are they?Ó
ÒRule one: The boss is always right. Rule two: When he boss is wrong refer to Rule
one.Ó
ÒSo ----Ò
ÒSo itÕs never a good
idea to argue with the boss.Ó
ÒIÕll keep that in mind.Ó
ÒSo what happened
eventually?Ó
ÒThe Department Head
picked a task force with the project leader as the chairman to make a
recommendation.Ó
ÒHeÕs not a complete fool
then.Ó
ÒHe sure knew what was
going on and found a way to solve it.Ó
ÒMaybe.Ó
ÒMaybe??Ó
ÒWell thereÕs another law
that says something like committees always try and self perpetuate.Ó
ÒIÕm glad he didnÕt pick
me to be on it thenÓ
ÒAnd for dessert
Gentlemen may I offer sliced strawberries on a bed of strawberry ice cream
topped by a strawberry puree of my own invention.Ó
ÒJeeves we may be havinÕ
to go into the catering business with your talent.Ó
ÒI thought we already
were going to do that for all the new Kuunasian immigrants Sir.Ó
ÒJeeves, IÉ.er YouÉ..erÉ..never mind.Ó
ÒIs this another humor
opportunity I have missed Sir.Ó
ÒSort of Jeeves but also
it would be a kind of compliment as well.Ó
ÒI have been practising
laughing Sir; Would you like to hear it.Ó
Sean looked at Kitt and
they cracked up; Jeeves stood
looking confused.
~//~
ÒI donÕt understand some
Cantatian humor Sean.Ó
ÒMe neither.Ó
ÒNo seriously something
happened at work today that had everyone in stitches of laughter and I just had
to pretend to laugh because I didnÕt understand it.Ó
ÒIs that right? And what was this gem.Ó
ÒWell at lunch weÕd all
sit down and open our lunch boxes and everyday this guy would either groan, or
say ÒOh no!Ó or sometimes ÒNot
cheese and tomato again.Ó. It became
quite a ritual and everyone would be nodding and winking at each other waiting
for him to open his lunch box and complain. Mind you it never seemed to stop him
eating it all. When someone asked,
"Why don't you ask you're wife to make something else Bert." He replied, :I suppose I could but I doubt
she will.Ó Anyway this went on for
a while longer until eventually someone said, ÒFor !@#$% sake Bert why canÕt you get
your wife to make you something different.Ó And he replied, ÒBecause weÕre divorced
and I have to make them myself.Ó
And then everybody cracked up laughing.Ó
ÒRemember Kitt you knew
he was divorced they didnÕt.Ó
ÒUh-oh! Stupid me.Ó
~//~
ÒSome of the guys at work
are going to a Stag Party this Friday and theyÕve invited me. WhatÕs a Stag partyÓ
ÒOh itÕs an all male
whoop it up to sort of allow the groom his last taste of bachelor freedom, bit
of a relic really since these days marriage has changed drastically from what
it was when Ôstag partiesÕ were invented.
When would Kuunasians be typically marrying."
"Well later than in
Cantata I think."
"I'm getting a bit
long in the tooth for marriage."
"Nonsense, many
girls prefer a more mature man."
"That right! How would I be meeting these girls
Kitt."
"You could always go
over to the local pharmacy and stand in the feminine requirements isle."
"Oooh! Kuunasian humor, cutting."
~//~
ÒThere was a bad accident
today, One of the roofers fell and
broke his leg and there was a lot of blood. Apparently he had damaged some major
blood vessel. The paramedics were
fantastic, someone said that if they hadnÕt been there so fast this guy could
have died. I donÕt know how they do
it. So calm and helpful. Ó
ÒThey have a professional
detachment.Ó
ÒA group of
soldiers. I didnÕt see them?Ó
ÒNo Kitt I mean they have
a certain attitude.Ó
ÒGood job you werenÕt
there then.Ó
ÒWhy is that?Ó
ÒYou said the other day
that if there was one thing you couldnÕt stand it was people with an attitude.Ó
ÒAre you being
deliberatÉ..Ó, SeanÕs voice tails off as he sees the grin on KittÕs face.
~//~
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Maggie
Sheena looked on in
disdain at yet another machine, {ÒA horse.
Now I could be friends with a horse but thatÉugh!Ó} The sweat on KittÕs forehead was
starting to bead. ÒI thought you
said this was easy to start.Ó
ÒWell thatÕs what the
farmer was tellinÕ me.Ó
ÒNever let your opinions
be influenced by facts.Ó
This was their second
try, having flattened the battery yesterday they left it on charge overnight
and decided to try cranking the tractor by hand this morning. ÒI have plenty of money why couldnÕt we
buy a new one.Ó
ÒBecause older machines
have character and ÉandÉÓ Sean couldnÕt really explain why but Kitt akuuted.
ÒLetÕs try the starter
again,Ó said Sean and Kitt stood back.
A couple of heaves a cough and suddenly with a roar the engine sprang to
life backfiring and missing badly.
After the barely audible cheers and whoops over the noise of the engine
Kitt shouted. ÒSounds like tune up time?Ó
ÒSix.Ó
{What do you mean six?}
{You know six oÕclock the
one between five oÕclock and seven oÕclock.}
{Oh the time. I said ÔSounds like tune up time.Ó}
Sean cut the engine, ÒYouÕre right about that. What should we
be calling her?Ó
ÒHer?Ó
ÒYes all powerful
machines and ships are female, itÕs tradition.Ó
ÒOh! Well then – um - Maggie.Ó
ÒMaggie. Maggie. Yes thatÕs perfect sheÕs definitely a
Maggie. LetÕs get some breakfast before we start.Ó
~//~
It was a truly glorious
day and Sean was looking forward to using Maggie to pull some logs up near the
barn for cutting. Sean had got to
really enjoy driving her even if it was a little temperamental sometimes in
starting. It had to be hand cranked
because the starter motor broke and they had not got round to replacing
it. But usually it started after a
couple of cranks and so replacing the starter was one of those jobs in the list
that never seemed to get up to the top.
Coffee in hand Sean
walked over and stood a moment to finish his drink then setting his cup down he
turned on the ignition spat on his hands and with a little word of
encouragement to the old gal he began to crank. Usually after two or three tries he
could feel the life in the engine but today it seemed lifeless. He renewed his efforts and the sweat
began to run into his eyes and still the engine didnÕt show and life all. Cursing now Sean undid the catches on
the engine cover. This had really
taken the shine off the day. As he
opened the cover he saw there was something taped on the underside. Lifting the cover right up he saw that
it was a large piece of plain paper with, ÒHave a nice day,Ó in large letters
printed on it and signed by Kitt.
Hanging down was the distributor arm attached by string to the top of
the notice. ÒI guess weÕre even
again,Ó he laughed.
~//~
Kitt could feel the
crunching sound of his shoes on the stone floor. It seemed like sand. Sean was watching a hockey game and had
the holoset in panorama mode so the whole living room floor was the ice surface
with the players on it. Kitt said
hi and Sean just grunted so Kitt went to clean up. When he came down again he asked whether
Jeeves had made supper and got an even more bad tempered grunt than his last
encounter. There seemed to be
nothing cooking in the kitchen but the sand was clearly all over the
place. Sean was behaving like a
petulant teenager, very unusual.
Kitt took the remote and turned the game off to get SeanÕs full
attention. {ÒWhatÕs going on?Ó}
Sean looked a bit
sheepish, {ÒHad an accident with my Zen Garden.Ó}
{ÒAccidentÓ}
{ÒI threw it across the
room.Ó}
It was as much as Kitt
could do to suppress his laughter.
ÒWhy hasnÕt Jeeves cooked
any supper.Ó
Sean turned the game back
on again. ÒYouÕd better ask him,
heÕs in the workshop.Ó
Kitt went to the workshop
and found Jeeves up to his eyes in engine oil, grease and tractor parts. He had completely disassembled MaggieÕs
engine and was still working on it.
He didnÕt noticed Kitt who said nothing and left again coming back to
Sean.
ÒI assume your upset
because Jeeves has disassembled your sweetheart.Ó
ÒYou got it.Ó
ÒAnd that was why you had
an argument with your Zen Garden.Ó
ÒHmm!! I was just trying to calm down again but
--- well ---. IÕll make another
one.Ó Kitt was sympathetic. Jeeves had been given the freedom to do
whatever he saw fit in maintaining the grange irrespective of whether it fitted
his product mandate but he occasionally seemed to lack proper judgment.Ó
ÒDid Jeeves happen to
mention why he took Maggie apart.Ó
ÒSaid something about not
running right and needing a lot of fixing up.Ó
ÒMaybe heÕs right.Ó
ÒMaybe.Õ
ÒIÕll make us a
sandwich. O.k.Ó
ÒO.k.Ó
So Kitt made two of his
specials, which Sean usually enjoyed and they sat eating. While they were half way through there
was a roar of MaggieÕs engine and going to the window they saw a Jeeves driving
Maggie around the yard. He stopped
the machine at the kitchen door and came in triumphant covered in grease and
oil, black from head to foot except where he had removed his goggles. He then slipped on the sand but got up
immediately examining where it was all stuck to him in confusion. Then seeing the two eating, ÒGood Heavens! I forgot supper. My sincere apologies Gentlemen. Can I get you somethingÓ
Sean began to laugh, it
was the only sane response. Jeeves
stood looking confused and straight faced
and even looked around to see what they were laughing at making them
laugh even more. But Maggie ran
better than she had ever done before.
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Cadpat
Underpants
Jeeves was in the kitchen
preparing breakfast when he heard a thumping noise and Sheena barking from
upstairs. He found Sean hoping
around in his bedroom, cursing and
apparently trying to get his
underpants on, not made any easier by his rather corpulent body making it
impossible to see what he was doing.
Sheena at first had
thought it was some kind of new game and was jumping around until Sean fell
over her and he cursed.
ÒSniff. {Not such a fun game if youÕre going to
shout at me because you only have two legs and IÕve got four. Anyway this is too much fun to stop.}Ó
Jeeves was watching from
the doorway. "May I be of
assistance Sir?".
"I can't get my
other darned foot into these friggin underpants Jeeves."
"May I suggest using
a different pair Sir."
"Well Jeeves that
would be just brilliant, just brilliant.
Trouble is this is my last clean pair."
"Really Sir!!"
"Yes Jeeves, and you
needn't act so shocked if you remember I asked you to do the laundry the other
day."
"Yes Sir and I
informed you and will again that I am not a kitchen appliance."
"All I'm asking is
to take the stuff in the dirty clothes basket down and stick it in the laundry
center Jeeves is that so much to ask."
"Ah in that case,
Sir, I wish you had been more specific."
"MORE
SPECIFIC?"
"Yes Sir, your
terminology led me to believe...."
"Shit Jeeves! I'm hoping around here like a horny
peacock. I don't need a lecture on
terminology."
"Your tail bears
little resemblance to a peacock. If I may say so, Sir."
"JEEVES! I NEED HELP"
"Yes Sir. I observe that the underpants seem to be
actively avoiding your foot Sir. A
most remarkable phenomenon."
"What!!"
"Yes Sir. May I suggest to desist in your efforts
while I investigate."
"Jeeves, I have to
get to work. I've no time for an
investigation."
"Oh it should only
take a minute Sir. If you would let
me see the underpants in question."
Sean hands him the underpants.
ÒSniff. {Oh well thatÕs
the end of the fun I guess. IÕll
just go down and see if Jeeves put any treats in my food bowl.}Ó
Jeeves scans the bar
code. "I am just accessing the
net Sir to get the product information.
Ah here we are. They were
purchased from Army Surplus Store.
Cadpat very nice. --"
"Jeeves. Standing here in my singlet does not
make me receptive to fashion comments about my underwear."
"Yes Sir. I think I have found the problem. These underpants are made with
"intellisense material" and have been programmed to shape themselves
to the wearers body for maximum comfort and warmth."
"Well they don't
seem to be doing a very good job."
"No Sir. The problem is that these briefs were
purchased with a matching singlet with which they are designed to work. Because you are not wearing the singlet
the underpants are - er - displaying some attitude."
"Underpants with
attitude Jeeves."
"Yes Sir. May I suggest putting on the matching
singlet."
"Suppose I just take
this singlet off, put on those underpants and then put the singlet back on
again."
"I strongly advise
against that course of action, Sir.
It may - er - lead to significant discomfort - with all due respect
Sir."
"Point taken. Well I used the matching singlet as you
call it as a duster the other day and it 's in the wash."
"A duster Sir."
"Yes Jeeves, a
duster. I needed to wipe the mirror
the other day and it was near at hand and so ----"
"I could get it out
of the dirty clothes basket and wash it in the vanity sink if that would be
acceptable Sir."
After a moment or two of
stunned silence, "This doesn't violate your - er - product
sensitivities."
"Oh no Sir. This is an emergency. It won't take a minute."
Sean sat in the edge of
the bed and waited while Jeeves found the singlet in the wash basket and took
it into the bathroom. The vanity
sink in the bathroom was under a frosted window which Sean had opened for hygienic
reasons, so Jeeves was able to look out into the garden.
"I do have gardening
skills Sir."
"What?"
"I do have the
ability to do gardening."
"What has that go to
do with washing my underpants."
"Oh nothing
Sir. Nothing at all. I was just looking out through the open
window here Sir and noticed your garden and was just engaging in some social
dialogue while completing the task Sir."
"I see. What kind of gardening could you
do? I wouldn't want you to worry
that we thought you were a lawn mower."
"I see I may have
picked an inopportune time to raise the subject."
"I'd say. I'm sitting here in next to nothing,
freezing cold, worrying about
getting to work, and you're talking about gardening."
"Yes Sir, Sorry
Sir. I've nearly finished. There. Luckily this type of fabric can be wrung
dry enough to wear. Here you are
Sir."
Sean put the singlet on
and then the underpants with no trouble at all, in fact they seemed to actually
assist the operation. Jeeves had
meanwhile got his shirt, jeans and socks out ready.
Back down in the kitchen
Sean sat as Jeeves put his breakfast in front of him.
"You know
Jeeves, these underclothes are
super comfortable, warm but well - hard to explain."
"The product
description said they were designed to mould to the wearers body, wick away any
sweat, and help to maintain normal skin temperature in a range of ambient
temperatures. They have become a
favorite with all forces personnel, especially those in extreme situations like
tropical swamps and arctic tundra."
"You're a mine of
information Jeeves."
"Only trying to be
helpful Sir."
"No! no! Jeeves. I
didn't mean to be sarcastic. Really
that is good information."
"Thank you
Sir."
"I wonder if Grander
Airport is classified as an extreme situation?"
"Sir?"
"Doesn't matter
Jeeves. Thinking out loud."
"Yes Sir."
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Sympathy
ÒMarshall Dillon, Marshall Dillon.Ó
ÒWhatÕs up Chester.Ó
ÒThars a pile oÕtrouble
brewinÕÓ
ÒThat so.Ó
ÒMa leg still hurtinÕ
reel bad.Ó
ÒWheel Chester ah
suggest you should be more careful using the splitting maul in future.Ó
ÒYes Marshall. Sure is nice to have a sympathetic ear.Ó
ÒAny time Chester. Any
time.Ó Sean limps out.
ÒSir, that exchange
completely baffles me.Ó
ÒBaffles! A new word in your vocabulary Jeeves.Ó
ÒYes sir, I try and use
new words all the time.Ó
ÒCommendable. 1960Õs TV. Westerns Jeeves. Marshall Matt Dillon in Dodge City had
an assistant Chester who had a gammy leg.Ó
ÒI must watch an
episode just as soon as I clear away the breakfast things Mr. Kitt.Ó
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Socks
Tidy people have their
socks all stacked in pairs but Sean just dumped his in a drawer after they had
come out of the wash. There could
be socks in there so traumatized by their first use that they were hiding in
the corner. Finding a pair was
always a long search. This morning
he was having a hard time. He did
his usual routine of taking out the first sock at random and then looking for
the pair. Of course sometimes he
couldn't find a pair and would then discard the sock in hand and pick a
different one. This morning he had
done this three times and still couldn't find a pair. Once or twice was normal but as he put
the third one back and picked up a fourth be was beginning to get a bit irritated. His search in the drawer becoming more
and more energetic and he started to throw socks on the floor which Sheena
assumed was some kind of game and began barking and jumping on them. Sean was wrestling with Sheena for a
sock when out of the corner of his eye he saw Kitt standing at the bedroom door
watching him and grinning. As Sean
turned to look at him Kitt's grin turned to a laugh and be pulled a bundle of
odd socks from behind his back, "Looking for these Sean."
ÒO.k. One up for you
I think,Ó Sean took the bundle with
something between a grin and a grimace.
ÒSniff. {I hope we get to play that game every
day.}Ó
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WhoÕs there?
Kitt had not been feeling
well for some days and it was getting worse. To his horror he realized that he was
losing his akuut. His headache and
nausea would not go away and he slept badly, tossing and turning. Sean had been having the same problem
and they decided to try sharing a bottle of Single Malt to see if they could
drown their sorrows. In his drunken
half sleep he heard a noise coming from above. He tried to ignore it, there was only
the attic over his bedroom.
ÒSniff. Growl. {ThereÕs something moving about up
there.}Ó
Kitt got out of bed and
put on his dressing gown. They
hadnÕt been in SusmanÕs Grange long enough to get used to all the noises a
house makes. There had been talk of
ghosts. ÒMore likely raccoons,Ó he
thought.
He picked up his
flashlight went into out down the hallway and climbed the spiral metal stairway
to the attic.
ÒSniff. {Hate those stairs. IÕll just wait here and go up if I
really have to.}Ó
Kitt could hear some kind
of movement and he called out.
There was a reply in a strange wavering voice, ÒWhoÕs there.?Ó
ÒWhoÕs there asking whoÕs
there.Ó
ÒItÕs me asking whoÕs
there.Ó
ÒWhoÕs me?Ó
ÒIf you donÕt know who
you are how do you expect me to know.Ó
Kitt had enough of this
nonsense, he was starting to feel nauseous again and so he turned tail and ran
back and got into bed. Spirits in
the attic would have to be dealt with another day.
~//~
ÒHowÕll you be today
Kitt.Ó
ÒMuch the same. Slept badly.Ó
ÒMe too. You know when I was just a boy I used to
sleep walk. My mum would find me
half way to town some nights. Well
I woke up in the attic last night.Ó
ÒIn the attic?Ó
ÒThatÕs right and have
this vague memory of talking to someone.
You think there may be spirits up there?Ó
ÒI think we both need to
see a doctor.Ó
~//~
Emergency Message:
Peskitoo the 293rd to Kittamsu.
YouÕre loss of akuut is
probably a temporary thing. It can
be caused by several things but from the description of your symptoms it is
probably EgoniÕs Disease, so called because it saps your will to live and makes
you depressed. Loss of akuut is one
of the symptoms. I have included a
recipe for treatment. Follow the
instructions and if youÕre not feeling better in a couple of days stop the
treatment and let me know.
~//~
ÒWere you out in the
wilderness over the summer?Ó the doctors long blonde hair was tied back and femininity
mostly hidden under her white coat.
ÒYes.Ó
ÒDid you have any ticks.Ó
ÒAs a matter of fact we
did. My friend Kitt who was with me
saw one back of my neck and removed
it with a hot blade. I did the same
for him.Ó
ÒDid you get any kind of
rash or have influenza?Ó
ÒI got a kind of strange
circular rash on my arms and Kitt got influenza soon afterwards.Ó
ÒIÕm just putting your
blood sample in the autoanalyzer.
ItÕs a very good job you came to see me and you must send your friend
Kitt to me as well.Ó
ÒWhatÕs the problem then
Doctor.Ó
ÒYes here are the
results. YouÕve got Lyme
Disease. ItÕs still in early stages
so it can be completely cured with some antibiotics. Here is the prescription.Ó
ÒAnd this will clear up
all my lethargy and headaches.Ó
ÒCompletely in just a few
days and please send your friend Kitt to see me. If itÕs not treated early it can become
very nasty.Ó
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The Convoy
ÒI think the Cantatian
spirits are on our side Kitt.Ó
ÒHow so.Ó
ÒYou saw about that train
wreck in the news this morning.Ó
ÒYeah, nasty.Ó
ÒI was there, thatÕs why
I was late picking you upÓ
ÒYou were!!Ó Kitt turned his full attention to Sean,
this was no idle chat.
ÒHereÕs the whole
story. While you were out west a
few days ago it was a lovely bright sunny day and I was cruising sweetly along
Hiway 9 south, I came up behind some traffic in the slow lane. There were several of them, cars
cruising in a convoy. I moved into
the fast lane to overtake. The mid-day
sun shining in my eyes made it difficult to see them clearly, not that I was
paying a lot of attention to them anyway.
Later I wished I had. But
from what I recall there were just five or six normal sedans with ordinary
looking people in them. Thinking
about it later it could be that all the drivers seemed sort of in a trance, but
there's many a driver looks like that after a few hours on the hiway. Anyway I could be recalling more than I
really saw. As I passed them a
maroon colored drop head sports jobby came up behind me fast. As soon as I was past I pulled in to let
the coupe go by and spent a few moments, could be no more, admiring it as it
passed me. Then I glanced in my
rear view mirror. The road was
empty, nothing in sight. As a
sanity check I looked ahead and the sports jobby was disappearing fast then
looked again in my rear view mirror.
They were all gone. The
hairs on the back of my neck stood up and there was goose flesh all over my
shoulders. They must have turned
off I reasoned, but was pretty certain we had not passed an off ramp. I seriously considered turning around
and going back to check but, well somehow I didn't, and I just forgot about the whole
thing,- - until a few days later.
There's a stop sign where the side road meets
the main route into Arbay. Another
bright sunny day and as I waited for a gap in the traffic the same six cars, in
their convoy, went by. I didn't
recognize them at first, and when I
did I couldn't say how, because, as I mentioned, I was hardly looking at them
first time. But it was them, there
was no doubt in my mind. As the
last car went by, impulsively, I
decided to turn right instead of left and follow them. The road takes a sharp turn just a
little way down and the last car disappeared round the bend as I sped off in
pursuit, temporarily obsessed. As I
came round the corner and looked up the road, I couldn't believe my eyes, they were gone, again. And this time there was absolutely no
turn off, there was nowhere they could have gone, at least nowhere normal flesh
and blood, rubber and steel can go.
ItÕs like they didnÕt exist.
I got a bad case of heebie-jeebies and suddenly pulled in to the side,
the car behind honked at me, and I sat there in a kind of daze, I had that prickling sensation on
my neck and shoulders again and this time I couldn't just shrug it off. Had I really seen what I'd seen? What should I do? There was nothing I could do. If I told anyone they would think I was
crazy, I didnÕt even mention it to you that night on our regular holo
chat. I turned around and headed
for my original destination.
The whole thing gave me a really creepy
feeling and I couldn't get it out of my mind. Maybe that was the intention, I'm sure
that was the intention. Well
yesterday I was heading for the airport to pick you up on that single track
road trying to avoid all the traffic, it was very hot as you know and I had the
windows up and the a/c on. I came
up behind a big eighteen wheeler and passed it on a clear straight stretch but as
I came by the truck and looked ahead at what was in front. "The six car convoy." I pulled up behind the rear car, I was
ready this time, I wasn't going to
get caught by surprise a third time, no way. The sun was in my eyes, a normal feature
with my six car convoy I realized.
I tried to read the rear number plate of the back car but it was kind of
fuzzy and the more I looked the fuzzier it got. There was certainly something strange
about the way they were driving,
like they were sort of attached to each other, each car following the one in front like
coaches on a train rather then cars on a road, hypnotic. I looked away. The goose flesh came up again. Ahead the signal lights for the level
crossing began to flash. I cursed
because when one of those freight trains goes by it can take a long time and it
might make me late. Anyway now I
was going to be able to get a good look.
The convoy slowed down and stopped at the crossing, me behind it and the
truck behind me. I went to open my
door and couldn't, no amount of
fiddling with the lock or the handle or even my shoulder against the door made
the slightest difference. The train
was approaching now, it's horn deafening, re-assuring in a strange way. I leaned across and tried the passenger
door but as I half expected, couldn't open it either. I sat back trapped and sure that some
dreadful thing was going to happen.
I could feel the sweat trickling down my neck. The freight train was rattling by now
the cars swaying back and forth, I watched them through a mental haze, the
train was long and I could feel the vibrations of steel on steel through the
seat of my pants, but then I noticed something, something wrong. The freight cars were swaying back and forth
much too much until the passing train looked like some monster snake, writhing
and twisting. It wasn't a machine
any more it was a living thing, and then it went out of control and freight
cars began jumping the track. One
carrying massive steel bars sliced right across the convoy in front. There were screams of people in agony
and bodies were thrown around in a bloody metal maelstrom. And as the moans and cries of the
injured and dying filled the air, I turned away, sick to my stomach. It was all over in a few seconds. I sat numb, unable to think or move
until I realized there was somebody beside my car. It was the truck driver. I got out, my door suddenly
released. The truck driver turned
and shook my hand, his hand large and hard, a big man with his eyes in a
turmoil. "I think you just
save my life," he said, "I wondered why you stopped so far back from
the crossing. Did you suspect
something was going to happen?"
I looked back toward the mess in front of us. There was only the wreckage of the
train, the remnants of the convoy, the blood and body parts, all gone. I stared in disbelief and didn't know
what to say to the truck driver. We
just stood side by side surveying the wreckage. In fact nobody was hurt they
said on the news, not even those on the freight train. So it must have been a
convoy of Cantatian spirits looking out for me. That's my explanation anyway. I just shook the truck drivers hand and
said that I always stop well back at train crossings, that was it really. YouÕll be knowing of course that I
wouldnÕt have told that story to anyone except you, theyÕd think I was crazy in
fact thatÕs why I didnÕt tell you yesterday. I wanted to think it over like.Ó
Kitt looked at him for a
long time saying nothing then,
ÒPerhaps itÕs an omen of our good fortune you think?Ó
ÒIÕll surely be hoping
so, IÕll surely be hoping so.Ó
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Soap
One modern convenience
that Kitt really enjoyed was the shower.
He preferred the wet rather than the dry sonic, especially when there
was no hurry and he could luxuriate in the warm stream of softened water
pulsating from the massager head.
He picked up the remains of the soap and began to rub it on his chest to
work up a lather. But no lather
appeared so he rubbed a bit harder to no effect. He turned off the shower and looked at
the soap, it was a shaped piece of white pine and looking at it closely there
was something carved in the wood.
"One for me." then there was a knock on the bathroom
door. "YouÕll be finding the
real soap in the cupboard Kitt"
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Simple
Instructions
It had been a difficult
day and all Jenna wanted was a glass of wine and the view from the porch, or
Sun Logia as it was more grandly referred to at SusmanÕs Grange. She lay back with her eyes half closed
but gradually became aware of the noise Kitt was making coming from the
workshop. He was obviously not
pleased, to put it mildly, and getting more and more irritated by the
minute. He was not aware, or didnÕt
care, that he was disturbing her peace so eventually she reluctantly went to
see what was going on.
Kitt was standing by the
work bench, which was covered in parts of something that had been taken out of
a large cardboard box. He was
picking up first this piece then that to fit them together but having no
success. As soon as he could akuut
her presence he turned and then apologized for his bad language. He held up a document announcing that it
was impossible to understand; the assembly instructions apparently; so he had
been trying to just do without.
Jenna took the instructions.
Looks like Jinglish she said, Japanese translated into English by a
Japanese speaking translator. She
knew because she spoke Japanese as well as several other languages. Sean walked in at that point and the two
men with JennaÕs help applied themselves to assembling the BBQ. It was later that Kitt talked to Jenna
about learning Kuunasian so that she could help new arrivals.
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The Big Hat Case
ÒAt opposite ends of the
moral spectrum then we have Stalin and Mother TheresaÓ Sean was used to these
things coming out of nowhere from Kitt , ÒI was never thinking of it that way
about but I suppose youÕll be having a point.Ó
ÒHow many different
religions are there in Cantata?Ó
ÒWhew! Many.Ó
ÒI know Cantata is a big
country but how can so many belief systems co-exist.Ó
ÒItÕs called democracy
Kitt.Ó There was a long silence.
ÒWhat happens when a
religious belief comes into conflict with democracy?Ó
ÒWhere is all this coming
from?Ó Kitt handed over his
newsreader to Sean with a story highlighted.
ÒIn all my days associated with the practice of law I
have never encountered such a bizarre case.Ó These were the opening remarks made by
Justice Eugene Savory in his summing up and instructions to the jury concerning
what has become known in the press as The Big Hat Case. Cutting through all the legalese and
providing a summary of the case the ÒUrban PostÓ provides here, for those who
had not been previously reading, the facts of the case. And as the judge so rightly commented,
bizarre facts they were.
Members of a certain religious sect, ÒThe RantonsÓ were obligated to wear the
full regalia of their office during certain festivals observed by the
sect. Part of this highly colorful
regalia was a hat with a toucan beak at the front that protruded, according to
measurement, 327 mm in front. Bronfix
Prahman the wearer of this regalia had gone to a hockey game. As it happened he was seated next to
Curtis Cronin who was also a member but of another sect that liked to wear
special headgear part of which was a bladder of ceremonial red wine
representing the blood of their beloved founder, Garakakator Optimin. All was cool until in the excitement of
the game Bronfix turned his head and the beak punctured CurtisÕ bladder
showering himself and adjacent bystanders with red wine.
Curtis sued and Bronfix counter sued.
The validity of their suits was something only lawyers could understand,
they made no sense to anyone else.
Needless to say stained garments and getting wine in your eyes was only
the start. There follows a verbatim
record of the JudgeÕs summation to the jury.
ÒLadies, Gentlemen and
Hermaphrodite of the jury. Please
pay close attention while I instruct you in your deliberations of this
case. In all my days associated
with the practice of law I have never encountered such a bizarre case but such
is the nature of the law that this must be put out of our minds and consider only
the facts before us. Within the
bounds of common decency and public safety people are allowed to attire
themselves as they please. In this
case neither Bronfix PrahmanÕs beak nor Curtis CroninÕs bladder were considered
indecent or any kind of risk to public safety by the Crown. The whole incident only occurred because
these two gentlemen were seated adjacent to each other. The case against the Fastness Coliseum and
the Cantata Hockey League has been already been dismissed, rightly citing that
screening adjacent seats for incompatibilities would place an insupportable
burden on public event organizers. The suit brought then is basically one for
personal damages, each against the other and your job will be to assign blame. It will be my job following your verdict
to translate that into dollars.
When considering blame you may need to think of personal responsibility,
wearing a hat of a special type and what could happen if encountering another
hat of a special type and potential consequences. Should one or both of these men taken
steps to protect themselves if you think it was both then blame could be
assigned equally, if not as appropriate. Finally I would remind you of the
precedent set by this case which could restrict our personal freedoms or lead
to frivolous actions brought because we are all different.Ó
The jury returned a verdict that Bronfix Prahman was the most to blame by an
amount of 51% to Curtis Cronin at 49%.
The judge thanked the jury for their wisdom and in apportioning damages,
noting that Bronfix PrahmanÕs costume was much more expensive and ornate than
Curtis CroninÕs, assigned them such that they were exactly equal. ÒTo the penny,Ó as the reporter
commented. Both sets of lawyers were very unpleased with the result and vowed
to appeal. But then lawyers always
say that and the basis of the appeal has yet to be declared.
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The I know game
{"I know."}
{"I know, you
know."}
{"And now, I know
that you know, I know."}
"This could go on
forever."
"I know."
"Shut up."
"Right.". Sean and Kitt sat in silence for a while
gazing peacefully at the moonlit scenery,
campfire flickering on their faces.
Kitt took a long drink from his hot chocolate spiked with rum, {ÒI
knowÓ}
{ÒYou know what?Ó}
ÒI know the longest word
in the English language.Ó
ÒIs that right.Ó Silence. ÒWell?Ó
ÒWell what?Ó
ÒWell what is it then for
cripes sake.Ó
ÒWhat is what?Ó
ÒT-h-e l-o-n-g-e-s-t w-o-r-d i-n t-h-e E-n-g-l-i-s-h l-a-n-g-u-a-g-e.Ó
ÒOh that!Ó
ÒYeah!Ó Silence. ÒKITT!Ó There was a flurry of soft fluttering
wings nearby as something left in a hurry.
ÒAntidisestablishmentarianism.Ó
ÒWhatÕs it mean.Ó
ÒNo idea.Ó
ÒReally!! Good job I
donÕt have hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobiaÓ
ÒWhatÕs that.Ó
ÒLonger than
antidisestablishmentarianism.Ó
ÒO.k. O.k.! WhatÕs that mean then?Ó
ÒFear of long words.Ó
ÒOh ha ha.Ó
An owl hooted and there
was a small pop from the fire.
ÒThere are things I know
of but donÕt know.Ó
ÒLike
antidisestrubbishmansaquarium.Ó
ÒYes.Ó
ÒYou and Donald Rumsfeld
have much in common.Ó
ÒWho was he?Ó
"Many years ago
Donald Rumsfeld, became well known for trying to explain at a press conference
about how military intelligence works.
He said that there were things that were known, things that we could
know, things that we know we don't know, and things that we don't know we don't
know. All the comics and satirists
had a field day with that chopping up the sound bytes to make him look like and
idiot.Ó
ÒWas he?Ó
ÒWell not in that case anyway.Ó
"Is there only one
English word for knowing?"
"How many do you
want?"
"Well there's to
know in your heart; to know with your intellect; to know in a deep way through
personal experience; to know of third hand; and so; and so on."
"No there's only one. Robert Heinlein in his book ÒStranger in
a Strange LandÓ coined a word ÔgrotÕ which means to know so well that it is a
part of you but it never really got in common use. How is it in Kuunasian?"
"Harak's crisis of faith; Harak
facing the Maniwhip Monster; Harak Learns Humility; Harak the Sage; Harak
....."
"O.k. Kitt O.k. I get it. (beat) Does each one of those really mean 'to know'
in a different way? I didn't
realize there were so many."
"Harak was a Sage in
Kuunasian mythology. He was in the
business of knowledge. Each of
those refers to a story of how he acquired his knowledge and wisdom."
"Aha but what about
when you know that you don't know?"
"Harak
Learns Humility as I mentioned."
"What's that
story?"
Kitt told him the
story. Then after some more silence
he said, ÒThink of it like a library where the library is all the things you
know. The library has a catalogue
of the books. The catalogue is all the things you could know. Now there could be
various things wrong with the library or with the catalogue or sometimes both.
There could be books in the library that are not in the catalogue and vice
versa. Then the catalogue could be
extended to include desired books, things you know you don't have. But you can't catalogue a book you don't
know of, things you don't know you don't have."
"Confucius say, 'Man
who separates white from wong not necessarily racist'."
He also said,
"Officer's food fight makes sticky mess."
"Environmentally
sensitive cotton farmer who sprayed his crops to eliminate a beetle infestation
chose the lesser of two weevils."
"ThatÕs awful."
ÒYes. Time to sleep I think.Ó
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Grander
Little Little Theatre
Kitt came home one
evening to find Sean sitting in the kitchen with a friend who he introduced as
Brian. Brian was enthusiastic about
amateur theatre and invited Kitt to come to the next meeting of the group the
following Monday evening at Gert's place.
Gert Stackhouse, Brian explained, was the founder, leader, president and
de-facto empress of Grander Little Little Theatre. What Gert said was law Brian
stressed. ÒLittle Little?Ó asked
Sean. Seems that the group was
formed because of some personality conflicts within the original G.L.T. and
that they had decided on the title after much discussion. After Brian had left Kitt wondered to
Sean whether he was ready for this extreme test of his cultural
understanding. Sean thought it
would be a good idea to get to know some more people and a different experience
of Cantatian culture and anyway there was no commitment he could just back out
again if it got too heavy.
~//~
Kitt arrived just before
7.30 p.m. and the house was in total darkness. He thought he had got the wrong address
or the wrong night or something. Everything
seemed to check out in his planner though so he knocked on the front door. There was no response and he was about
to knock again when he noticed a little sign taped behind the screen door
hanging precariously by one corner.
G.L.L.T.
Tonight's meeting moved to Susan's.
See you there.
Kitt had no idea who
Susan was or where she lived. He
phoned Sean and Sean gave him Brian's number, then he phoned Brian who gave
Kitt Susan's address. By now it was
ten to eight and Kitt began to apologize to Brian for being late. Brian told him not to worry, the meeting
hadn't got started yet and half the people had yet to show up so he would be in
plenty of time.
Susan's house was in a
part of Grander that Kitt had seen many times on his pizza deliveries. It was an old house set in it's own
grounds with steps up to a large front veranda and an old fashioned front
door. The door was open and a sign
said, "Grander Little Little Theatre. Welcome." He went into the front hall, took off
his coat and boots and put them with all the others and headed towards where
all the noise was coming from in a back room down the hallway. Of course he knew no-one and no-one
seemed to take any notice of him and he was just wondering what to do when he
saw Brian who was standing with his back to him talking to two other men. Brian shook his hand warmly as soon as
he saw him and introduced him to everybody, so many people that Kitt was
totally confused and couldn't remember any of their names. He was offered coffee and cookies, which
he had just started when Gert, a very large woman in a dress that was more of a
tent than a dress, announced that the meeting would start and people started to
sit down around a large table. Even
if Kitt had not been primed by Brian that Gert was in charge it was obvious by
the way everyone seemed to defer to her every suggestion about where everyone
should sit. When everything was
arranged according to Gert's wishes she embarrassed the heck out of Kitt by announcing
him as their newest member and everyone
applauded. The moment was soon
passed though, thank goodness, and the meeting moved on to the main business
which appeared to be discussing various alternatives suggested by the play
reading committee for the group to present in the coming months.
Winnie, a woman that
looked as though the slightest draft would blow out of the window handed Gert a
short list which Gert hardly glanced at before announcing that she had agreed
to put on a their first play of the season at Sunny Acres Residence with the manager
of that facility. Everybody thought
this was a wonderful opportunity to keep down their production costs since they
would avoid any theatre rental costs,
the hall at Sunny Acres it was true had some limitations but by careful
choice of the play this should not be big problem. They could even rehearse there Gert
said.
So that was agreed and
the choice of play was swiftly moved to.
Here again Gert had some clear ideas, necessary she said to cater for the
older audience they would get at the Sunny Acres. WinnieÕs comment asking about any effect
all this would have on their regular audience for Uptown Hall was shrugged off
as though she had hardly spoken and Gert triumphantly announced that the comedy
ÒThe Tunnel,Ó by Gerard Wolvers a well known Cantatian author would be perfect
since it was set in a luxurious retirement residence very similar to Sunny
Acres. And so it was all decided
and Gert handed out the script copy she had brought along just in case it was
chosen. Kitt learned later that it
was normal to choose a director after everyone had read the play. And so Kitt left his first meeting of
the Grander Little Little Theater Company with a copy of the script and in a
state of complete confusion. A
confusion which was mostly but not all sorted out by discussions with Sean
later who enlightened him on his experiences with amateur theater groups.
The next communication is
an audition notice, Kitt wondered
how the director was chosen and found out later that it was done by an
executive meeting called by Gert.
Kitt hardly had to wonder whoÕs opinion held sway at that meeting. He discussed with Sean as to whether he
should try out acting or do some kind of backstage role. SeanÕs advice was to take a minor acting
role to get his feet wet and if he didnÕt like it he could do support work
later. So with some misgivings Kitt
went to the auditions with a view to trying out for a minor role in the play,
that of the gardener. He had
planned to watch other people audition to get some idea of expectations. His Kuunasian background gave him no
help since the closest thing Kuunasian culture to this was enactments of their
mythologies. The concept of pure
fiction for entertainment, although now well understood by Kitt, was still
limited to him being in an audience, and being a participant was unknown
territory but of course why Sean had suggested the experience. He was personally very dissatisfied with
his performance and was surprised when Arnold, the director offered him the
part. Kitt saw no reason to refuse
and accepted immediately. And so
his amateur theatre adventure began in earnest.
~//~
ÒSo how are the
rehearsals going then?Ó
ÒI am breaking legs I
didnÕt even know I had.Ó
ÒYouÕll be enjoying
yourself then?Ó
ÒSort of.Ó
ÒSort of?Ó
ÒYes, sort of. ThereÕs something IÕve been meaning to
talk to you about Sean.Ó
ÒUncloud thy heart for
the sun hath no will to shine on a dull day.Ó
ÒVery droll, Sean, very
droll.Ó
ÒMmm! Sorry! What will you be wanting to talk about
then.Ó
ÒJohn Jemmy Spacklehead
ÉÓ
ÒThatÕs your role?Ó
ÒThe gardener yes. John Jemmy Spacklehead is a bit dull
witted but very handsome.Ó
ÒType casting.Ó
ÒWould you like some more
coffee ÉÉÉin your lap.Ó
ÒSorry! Go on.Ó
ÒWell Violet, one of the
residents of Sunset Manor, the retirement residence where the play is set is
supposed to have a crush on him.Ó
ÒA sort of elderly
frustrated spinster volcano type.Ó
ÒYou have the concept
exactly.Ó
ÒA farce?Ó
ÒYes.Ó
ÒSo what would be the
problem then.Ó
ÒWell the actress playing
Violet, Winne Macnamee, sheÕs not
acting.Ó
ÒSheÕs a bad
actress? ThereÕs not muchÉÓ
ÒNo, no. You donÕt understand. SheÕs a good actress, IÕve seen some
holoÕs of old productions with her in.
No what I mean is she really does have a crush on me.Ó
ÒAh! Amateur theatre at itÕs best.Ó
ÒItÕs embarrassingÉno not
embarrassing, confusing.Ó
ÒYou wouldnÕt be liking
her then.Ó
ÒOf course I like her, if
I didnÕt like her it wouldnÕt be so much of a problem. You know it never occurred to me that
akuut would ever be a disadvantage.Ó
ÒWould you be thinking a
woman her age really wants a relationship with you.Ó
ÒIÕm pretty sure.Ó
ÒWell why not? In the mores of modern Cantata much
stranger things have been seen under the midnight sun.Ó
ÒBecause there is no
future in it.Ó
ÒNo future! Kitt É.Ó Sean cast his eyes off to one side and
Kitt knew he was collecting his thoughts, ÒKitt having casual sexual encounters
of all kinds is part of normal Cantatian culture these days. So long as you are honest and
considerate towards her why not let things just go where the emotional current
is taking them.Ó
Kitt sat for a few
minutes in silence thinking about it while Sean refilled their coffee cups.
ÒShe likes men with long
black hair.Ó
ÒWell that letÕs me out
for sure.Ó They laughed.
ÒThank you Sean, I donÕt
think I would have survived in Cantata without you.Ó
~//~
ÒSo how is the situation
with Winnie getting on.Ó
ÒI took your advice and
am having a casual affair.Ó
ÒNow I didnÕt exactlyÉ..Ó
ÒRelax Sean I know it was
my choice.Ó
ÒIÕm glad for you Kitt.Ó
ÒThank you.Ó Some silence.
ÒBe having sex when your
having akuut must be much more intense and pleasurable like than without it.Ó
ÒI suppose so.Ó
ÒYou suppose so?Ó
ÒYes.Ó
ÒYou donÕt know.Ó
ÒHow would I know.Ó
ÒWell wouldnÕt you be
having a choice.Ó
ÒHow?Ó
ÒTurning your akuut off
of course.Ó
ÒI canÕt turn it off.Ó
ÒYou canÕtÓ
ÒCan you turn your
hearing off.Ó
ÒNot really.Ó
ÒCan you turn your sense
of smell off.Ó
ÒNo.Ó
ÒWell then.Ó
ÒGreat galloping cod
balls! IÕm learning something every
day.Ó
~//~
The post production
meeting kicked off with Gert congratulating everyone on an excellent
production, the financials were a
bit of a disappointment itÕs true but you canÕt have everything.
Arnold gave his directors
report. He mentioned that the
rehearsal space was completely inadequate being only a quarter of the size of
the stage causing some strange blocking in the final production including a
certain actor who walked into a wall during the performance, luckily the unsophisticated audience
thought it was intentional and laughed.
But that aside if we produced another show at Sunny Acres some other
arrangements would have to be made for rehearsal space.
Winnie mentioned that she
had fielded many complaints from their regular audience that the show was not
at itÕs usual location and as the treasurer lastly pointed out that all the
savings accrued from not having to rent the hall had been eaten up by there
only being one performance and the audience being less than expected. Arnold chipped in here and explained
that apparently the Entertainment Manager of Sunny Acres had not consulted with
the General Manager and had scheduled a conflicting piece of entertainment for
the residents.
Gert asked if there
anyone had anything else and Big Bernie Smithers complained that his acting had
been badly affected because the costumier had provided him with a pair of pants
that were two sizes too small.
Gert thanked him saying
she thought his acting was entirely in keeping with a farce. She then summed the whole thing up
saying that all things taken into account it was an excellent production and a
good piece of experience for the company as a whole. Everybody then tucking into the chicken
pot pie which had been provided in wholesale quantities by the ladies.
~//~
Kitt was watching the
evening news on SeanÕs wall screen when his comm signaled. Gert was calling in a big panic, it seems she had forgotten to get the
rights to mount one of the season productions and now the rights were not
available. Bernie had mentioned to
her that he was writing a play of some kind and wondered whether it could be
ready in time, he could even direct it if he wanted. She thought the whole process of
developing and work shopping the script would be such a great artistic
experience for the company. Kitt
was stunned and didnÕt know how to respond, desperately needing to consult with Sean
before committing himself but afraid, knowing Gert that anything less than
immediate enthusiasm would be interpreted as a refusal. So he gushed, a behavior he had observed other theatre
types do while his akuut told him that things were not exactly as they
seem. He reckoned that he could
always back out again the next day if Sean thought is was not a good idea. As it happened Sean thought it was a
great opportunity which was a good job because as soon as he put the phone down
Gert had told everybody and their dog the good news.
~//~
KittÕs notes about the
workshop and direction of his play
are extremely detailed and extensive.
He obviously learned a great deal about Cantatian culture. I have only provided essential extracts
for the reader to get as sense of what happened. In spite of everything the play was
presented to the G.L.L.T. regular audience and was a modest success.
~//~
When Andrew wasnÕt
getting his way his voice went up half an octave and became a whine. Kitt could akuut that his real problem
was not understanding the scene but he tried to hide that behind a series of
ÔdiscussionsÕ about his characterÕs dialogue, business or blocking. This was the third such ÔdiscussionÕ in
as many minutes.
ÒI just donÕt feel right
crossing there Kitt.Ó
ÒBut Andrew we put that
cross in at the last session because that was what you felt was right.Ó
ÒReally! I donÕt remember that.Ó
ÒCan we just leave it for
now and move on. Maybe you and I
could get together off line and talk over any issues you have.Ó
ÒOh that would be
wonderful Kitt.Ó
After having that talk
off line where Kitt laid out diplomatically what Andrew didnÕt understand,
things went a lot more smoothly.. Kitt idly wondered what directors without
akuut do.
~//~
ÒWhere is Vanessa,
Gerry?Ó
ÒI dunno?Ó Expressed as ÒWhy the heck are you
asking me.Ó Kitt could akuut
trouble. He went to the green room
and Vanessa was sitting reading.
ÒVanessa, weÕve started.Ó
ÓThat right?Ó
ÒWhatÕs wrong?Ó
ÒIÕm not going on with
that É.thatÉman?Ó
ÒGerry?Ó
ÒWhatever his name
is.Ó Kitt could akuut the strength
of the emotion and hostility so he just went back to the rehearsal room. ÒWhatÕs happened Gerry? You two were getting along like dam
busters. Have you had a
fight?Ó Silence. ÒGerry?Ó
ÒYesÓ
ÒOh great. Now how are we supposed to put up a
production when two of the leading actors wonÕt speak to each other.Ó Silence. ÒSo tell me what happened?Ó
ÒWhy donÕt you ask her?Ó
ÒBecause she has steam
coming out of her ears and because I am asking you first.Ó
ÒShe saw me in AngeloÕs
with another girl.Ó
ÒWere you two supposed to
be an item then?Ó
ÒIn her mind.Ó
ÒWell your personal life
is none of my business except that you two have got to work together or one or
both of you will have to be replaced.Ó
Kitt could akuut the sudden change, did this guy really believe that he
was irreplaceable. ÒIÕm going to go
and tell Vanessa that it was all a misunderstanding and you want to explain.Ó
ÒHow can I explain?Ó
ÒWell lying comes to
mind; apologizing another. Whatever
you have to keep your personal feelings off the stage.Ó
ÒAlright.Ó
Kitt went back to the
green room trying to keep his cool at the complete, well downright amateurish
behavior of these people.
ÒVanessa,Ó he launched in
without preamble, ÒFirst you and Gerry have to be able to work together and if
not I will replace one or both of you.Ó
He akuuted the same response as he had with Gerry. So at least he had her attention. ÒHe wants to come and explain to you and
apologize. This is none of my
business except I need to see you both ready to restart rehearsals in fifteen
minutes.Ó He then walked out
without waiting for a reply. Back
in the rehearsal room he just gestured with his thumb for Gerry to go.
The rehearsal restarted
in a few minutes but things didnÕt get back to normal till several rehearsals
later and Kitt just had to bite his tongue and nails till it did. It wasnÕt all bad though, word soon got
around that he was no push over, a necessary credential for an amateur
director.
~//~
ÒVanessa I gave you that
note and you wrote it down last week.Ó
ÒSorry Kitt, IÕm not using my own script here.Ó
ÒWhose script is it
then?Ó
ÒAndrewÕsÓ
ÒYou forgot your script
again?Ó
ÒYes sorry.Ó
ÒIÕll tell you what. HereÕs another script. IÕll take it and bring it back each time
so you wonÕt forget.Ó
ÒBut IÕll need it to
learn my lines.Ó
ÒDonÕt you already have
about ten copies I have given you each time you forgot previously. What are you doing eating them.Ó
ÒOh yes of course. SorryÓ
ÒO.k. letÕs get on.Ó
~//~
ÒLine!Ó
ÒBill we are almost into
dress rehearsal and thatÕs the third prompt youÕve needed in as many lines and
this is the crucial final scene, any line fluffs in this scene will ruin the
whole dramatic effect.Ó
ÒSorry Kitt. IÕm having a bad day.Ó Kitt refrained from further comment with
difficulty. All the other actors
looked uncomfortable, they knew he rarely got angry and when he did it was more
than justified.
ÒShouldnÕt you be more
upstage.Ó Bill moves. ÒBill thatÕs downstage.Ó
ÒSorry.Ó Moves back to
where he was.
ÒMore Bill.Ó
ÒMore what?Ó
ÒMore upstage.Ó
ÒI just moved upstage.Ó
ÒYes but youÕve just
moved back to where you were. Could
you take another couple of steps upstage so that youÕre not upstaging Andrew.Ó
ÒOh sorry.Ó Takes two steps.
ÒThatÕs good Bill except
now youÕve moved stage right as well to upstage Vanessa.Ó
ÒOh sorry.Ó Moves back to where he was.
ÒO.k. everybody thatÕs enough for now lets
take break.Ó
~//~
ÒVanessa. What the heck happened to your hair.Ó
ÒI had to do it myself
Kitt.Ó
ÒWhy was that?Ó
ÒFiona and Janet wonÕt be
in the same room together and there just isnÕt time to get everyoneÕs make up
and hair done on time unless they work together so I offered to do my own
hair.Ó
ÒVanessa.Ó Kitt was almost at his wits end. ÒWhat
is going on?Ó Vanessa comes up to
talk in confidential tones to him.
ÒFiona and Janet regard themselves as competitors Kitt.Ó
ÒFor what?Ó Vanessa looked at him as though he were
from another planet.
ÒYou mean you donÕt
know?Ó
ÒKnow what?Ó
ÒThey both fancy you.Ó
KittÕs akuut had been
working overtime during the rehearsals for the play and there had been nothing
to spare although he now realized the peripheral signals he had been getting
from the make-up artist and the hairdresser. He swayed slightly and Vanessa saw the
despair on his face at yet another situation with which he had to deal. He looked at her, ÒWhat am I going to do
Vanessa?Ó
ÒWell lying comes to
mind.Ó she smirked. He looked at
her and could akuut the humor and they laughed together. ÒI could tell them that you were really
happy with me doing my own hair and that you think that all the actors could
put on their own make up. That
should do it.Ó
ÒYouÕd do that for me?Ó
ÒWell you really stopped
me doing something stupid to ruin Gerry and my relationship so I owe you one.Ó
ÒThanks Vanessa,Ó and he
gave her a hug.
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Breakfast
Ever since the first day
Sean had cooked bacon and eggs for his breakfast, it had become one of Kitts
favorites. As was often the case on
Saturday Sean and Jenna were already seated eating theirs as Kitt came in and
sat down. He was sleepy and his
akuut didn't pick up till it was too late that his bacon and eggs were plastic
imitations, carefully sprinkled with the pepper mill but resisting his best
effort to cut into them. Sean
laughed as he took the plate away and replaced it with the real thing out of
the oven. By then Kitt had woken up
enough to see the funny side of it too.
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5, Brave New Homeland
In this section I
grouped everything to do with the migration itself. Kitt had written some of it in a highly
convoluted form, presumably to protect ÒThe Great White Lie.Ó I straightened out most of these
convolutions, and hope that he will forgive my audacity for an action taken
knowing the sensibilities of modern CantataÉ.Alicia.
Luuana
Suuosa and her amoso.
Juuard were among the first group in the mass migration to arrive at SusmanÕs
Grange. As Kitt performed the
traditional Kuunasian greeting with them, touching foreheads, noses alongside
each other his heart skipped several beats and then raced to catch up. He was much confused until they
introduced their daughter Luuana and as Kitt greeted her he understood, as did
she. Their greeting lasted longer
than normal and when it finally ended they took each others hands and turned
together to leave the group and be alone. Juuard and Suuosa turned to the other
Kuunasians present and beamed with joy and pride and they understood, even Sean and Jenna could feel it but
Sean, thinking of the Cantatian sensibilities of the situation was about to
pull Kitt back to his responsibilities as the man of the moment but Jenna held
his shirt elbow. He looked at her
and she shook her head. Events were
moving fast and he suddenly felt out of his depth but Jenna stepped up and
finished greeting the remaining Kuunasians in their traditional way. Sean watched marveling once again at the
ease with which she adapted to a new circumstance.
So the business of
settling the newcomers into their temporary quarters proceeded and then
providing them with nourishment after their arduous journey and after that was
all over Sean and Jenna entertained Juuard and Suuosa in the lounge. Kitt and Luuana still had not returned
and this made Sean uncomfortable enough to mention it to Jenna. Jenna the consummate diplomat broached
the question with Luuana's parents. To say that they were excited would be a
minimal description, ecstatic would be better. But of course they realized that Sean
and Jenna were very confused so they explained. When Kuunasians meet a prospective amoso
everything else, except of course some kind of mortal danger, is put
aside. This could be the most
important decision they will ever make and all Kuunasians understand that. They are together, they are communicating,
exploring each other in intimate detail, trying to solve the one question. Could they be compatible? Could they go through the
"amoso" ritual that would
bond them together. And unless they
find some mutual incompatibility they will stay until they have resolved that
question.
"This is serious
shit then," Sean said. Jenna
gave Sean a startled look, Suuosa looked unsure but Juuard roared with laughter
and slapped SeanÕs shoulder, "Yes Sean, this is very serious shit."
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Keeping the
Books
Jenna stopped abruptly in
the doorway as she saw Sean sitting at his desk with his head in his
hands. She was getting pretty good
at reading his body language and something pretty serious was bothering him and
this looked like a zinger. She
turned softly around and went back to the kitchen to make two coffee lattes and
took them up. As she went in the
look on his face was something close to despair before he saw the latte . As she handed it to him she said, ÒYou look like one of the old country
and western songs.Ó
ÒAnd how would that be?Ó
ÒYour wife left you, the
dog died and your house burned down.Ó
Sean creased a smile,
ÓThere are just so many things to be doing Jenna, itÕs all getting to be É
wellÉ.out of hand. IÕm not minding
the practical work but all this book keepinÕÓ, he waved his hand vaguely.
ÒMy real estate work can
be shuffled off anytime you know and I could help here.Ó
ÒI could sure be using
some help. Are you sure you donÕt
mind?Ó
ÒMind!! IÕd love to. Real estate was always just a way of
getting by. I would luuuv to work
with you, it would let me earn mÕkeep as well.Ó She held her breath wondering if she had
gone too far too fast but Sean just said, ÒOh Jenna tÕwould be just fantastic,
just fantastic.Ó
~//~
ÒDid yÕkeep all the
receipts now.Ó
ÒWould I be daring not to
after that shallocking you gave me.Ó
ÒSean, I canÕt do my job
keeping track oÕthe accountinÕ if you donÕt give me all the receipts, itÕs not
much to ask is it.Ó
Sean fished in his
various pockets and started to pull
out mucky screwed up pieces of paper and had eventually assembled a small pile
of them on the table. He started to
straighten them out but Jenna just shushed him away and did the job
herself. Sean tried to creep away
but Jenna was having none of it and insisted he stay as she went through them.
Ò$372.97 for two pieces
of wood?Ó
Sean squinted at the
receipt barely legible after living in the dust of his pocket for so long, ÒThey were rather large pieces of wood.Ò
Jenna looked unconvinced.
ÒWell now that would be
for the 6x6 18 foot cedar posts on the entrance security gate Kitt wanted
installed. Compound wood would have
been cheaper but Kitt was wanting a natural wood for some reason or other.Ó
ÒSean promise to bring me
your receipts just as soon as you get them. Here put them in this clip, it may even
keep them legible.Ó
ÒIÕm sorry Jenna I really
am itÕs justÉÉÓ
ÒI know but if you want
me to do all the accountinÕ then you have to get receipts for everything and
give them to me.Ó
ÒIÕm really grateful for
your doinÕ all that work now, I was never any good at it.Ó
ÒLooking at the past
years books you can say that again,Ó her smile belied the harsh words.
Sean felt a need to
change the subject, ÓJeeves is doing ribs for supper I wonder whether they are
ready yet, IÕm hungry.Ó
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On The Road
ÒHow are you today
SeanÓ
ÒNot so bad, not so
bad. And yersel'Ó
ÒVery well.Ó
ÒThere is fresh coffee
for you Sir. What would you like
for breakfast?Ó
ÒWestern Omelette would
be great Jeeves.Ó
ÒVery well. Sir.Ó
ÒEveryting seems to be
goin' well then.Ó
ÒYes, but this is only
the beginning.Ó
ÒBein' so cheerful
keeps you goin' does it.Ó
ÒI'm sorry Sean
sometimes the magnitude of what we are trying to do here drags me down.Ó
ÒIt is a responsibility
for sure, for sure but I have this really good feeling about it. It is like we have somebody watching out for us.Ó
ÒI thought you didn't
believe in any of that stuff?Ó
ÒWell you've shown me
things Kitt that have....how do you call it.....opened my eyes.Ó
Kitt smiles,
"You're a good man Charlie
Brown."
"Charlie
Brown?"
ÒIt's a compliment.Ó
ÒPeanuts still has
quite the cult following Sir.Ó
ÒTo be sure, to be
sure. Just sounds er ..unexpected
coming from É.well anyway so what are you getting most het up about then Kitt.Ó
ÒGetting everyone
across Cantata to Abeltran Island without drawing too much attention to
ourselves.Ó
ÒHow so!Ó
ÒWell it's not like I
can just charter an airbus and fly hundreds of people. IÕm beginning to think it would have
been better to bring them all over the Specific straight to Abeltran Island.Ó
ÒWith nothing there to
support them and throwinÕ them right into a new culture, not even bit of a soft
landing not to speak of weeks of sailing across the ocean, women, children,
elderly and so on.Ó
ÒYes, IÕm not saying we
made the wrong decision but getting several thousand people from here to
Abeltran – well I just thought the gods would reveal something to meÓ
ÒHmm. IÕm seeing you're point. Well now maybe itÕll be time for me to
be fessinÕ up.Ó
ÒFessinÕ up to what
Sean?Ó
ÒI am Unassuma.Ó
ÒUnassuma?Ó
ÒUnassuma, the god of
ÉerÉ.coffee.Ó
ÒSeanÉÓ
ÒMaybe we should be
buying like some of those old school buses and paint them like some people do
to make an RV on the cheap. We
could be teachin' a few of the Kuunas people to drive them? Some of them are goin' to have to learn
to drive eventually anyway.Ó
KittÕs weathered
features went through several emotional handsprings to eventually settle in a
soft smile, ÓYou know that's not a bad idea Unassuma, not bad at all.
ÒIf I may suggest Sir,
we could set up some training facilities right here on the grounds of Susman's
Grange there are plenty of tracks and open areas, they need some signage
anyway.Ó
Kitt was now becoming
excited, ÒThat's brilliant Jeeves, brilliant. Yes I can see this all working now. Where could we buy old school buses
SeaÉUnassuma?Ó
ÒI'd be happy to be
lookin' into the whole thing and come back with a plan. Jeeves could help me.Ó
~//~
ÒThe Great Shuttle Bus
Migration. Impressive title. You made slidesÓ
ÒTo be sure, to be
sure. IsnÕt that what all good
professional people do to present something to the bosses.Ó
ÒAnd who made these
slides you or Unassuma.Ó
ÒCould we be dropping
that name now Kitt it was just a bit of fun.Ó
ÒPity I kind of liked
it.Ó
ÒIÕll be remembering to
keep my big mouth shut concerning spirits and gods and such like. Now then I put the whole thing on one
slide so everyone can see the big picture before we get into the details; isnÕt
that what theyÕll be saying.Ó
Kitt studied the slide
for a minute or two in silence then, ÒO.k. let me just talk this through to
make sure IÕve got it straight. We
purchase used shuttle buses and paint them in some variety of colors to look like
private vehicles. We train the
drivers. This can all be done here
at SusmanÕs Grange. We then need to
find a remote staging point somewhere where people can be transferred from the
buses to canoes. Because of the
excellent ferry service it wouldnÕt have to be on the mainland. Then we start a
rotation sending off a bus load every two weeks or so or as the Abeltran
settlement can absorb them.
Preference should be given in the earliest people to those with building
skills and things to help get the settlement started and who could, as is
likely, live rough for a while.Ó
ÒIn other words single
men and women or young couples but no kids or elderly peopleÓ
ÒYes that seems
right. Strange to be the opposite.Ó
ÒOpposite.Ó
ÒYes. ItÕs usually women and children first in
the lifeboats.Ó
ÒYouÕll be liking
Jeeves artwork then?Ó
ÒJeeves?Ó
ÒYes.Ó
ÒItÕs incredible.Ó
ÒActually clip art
Sir,Ó said Jeeves modestly.
It took a lot of
discussion, Kitt wanted to make sure of all the details before committing to
something that in his mind could not fail, but in the end they went ahead with
the plan.
~//~
ÒCan I see your driving
license please sirÓ
ÒI need to see your
Class M license please sir.Ó
ÒI thought that was
only for public transport officer.Ó
ÒThese are not paying
passengers?Ó
ÒNo sir. These are all members of my family.Ó
ÒAll 36 of them sir.Ó
ÒWell some of them are
distant cousins and uncles several times removed but none of them paying
passengers. We are all on a
vacation touring across Cantata.Ó
ÒI see. The reason I stopped you is your rear
number plate is almost illegible.Ó
ÒWe were just on a back
road and it must have got covered in mud officer.Ó
ÒMake sure you get it
cleaned up. If another officer
stops you within three days for the same reason we will have to issue you with
a ticket.Ó
ÒYes officer. We will clean it up immediately.Ó
ÒVery well. Good day to you.Ó
Kitt got out and wiped
the number plate clean immediately.
The officer waved to them as he drove off. Kitt could akuut that he was a bit
suspicious but all their papers checked out and they werenÕt breaking any
laws. They had to sit for several
minutes to calm down before they could be on their way again but after they had
been on the road a few minutes someone began to laugh and soon everyone was
laughing, as is the nature of akuut.
Try as he might he
couldnÕt stop them after that they all began to call each other ÒbrotherÓ or
ÒsisterÓ or ÒmotherÓ as was appropriate.
In fact it became a standing joke even after they had reached Abeltran
Island. Even so they decided to
prefer using smaller vehicles from then on the larger vehicle being used to
carry baggage.
There were several
moments of high drama in the mass migration and this was one of them. Apparently innocuous but if the officer
had been one of the unpleasant kind things could have become very difficult and
threatened the whole operation.
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Body Piercing
ÒI was wondering Sir, if
this would be an opportune time to discuss a personal matter.Ó
Sean had a forkful of
bacon half way to his mouth and froze, ÒA personal matter Jeeves?Ó
ÒYes Sir, if you donÕt
mind.Ó
ÒWould that be a personal
matter concerning me or you Jeeves?Ó
ÒWell myself of course
Sir, I wouldnÕt dream of intruding on a personal matter concerning yourself.Ó
ÒWell now, what would
this personal matter of yours be concerning?Ó Sean put the bacon in his mouth.
ÒI was wondering Sir if
it would be alright if I got a ring in my navel.Ó
Sean froze again and
almost choked on his bacon. ÒA ring
in your navel Jeeves.Ó
ÒYes sir. All manner of people these days are
getting all sorts of body piercing and I thought it would make me look more a
man of today.Ó
ÒA man of today Jeeves.Ó
ÒYes sir. If you would have not objections. Of course I donÕt actually have a navel
so it would have to be placed where my navel ought to be. What do you think?Ó
Sean sat staring at the
window for several seconds completely at a loss as to how to respond but as he
turned to look at Jeeves he glimpsed Kitt peeking around the kitchen door and
the game was up. Kitt could hardly
stand up for laughing and Sean soon joined in after the initial shock had worn
off. They rated this one of the
best but the first of many involving Jeeves, who was keen to learn and improve
his sense of humor.
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Faking History
The Men's House was
filled with smoke and men; well mostly men but quite a few women as the Kuunas
had embraced Cantatian 21st century sensibilities, but there was one
heck of a lot of smoke as well.
They were all sitting in a circle on the floor, while the smoke, being
the nature of smoke, tended to be
everywhere else. They were passing
the pipe of peace each taking a draw and puffing it out, but this wasn't the
main source of the smoke that billowed around making everything vague and
causing everyone's eyes to tear up.
No the smoke came from the
firepot, red hot in the middle and covered with mayouwanna leaves. Peskitoo the 293rd, The Medicine Man had
just finished the opening dance and was seated again. The throb of the Taigla
drums suddenly stopped. With
quickening pulses all eyes were fastened on that line that one shin makes on
the other calf when your legs are crossed, where they could see it through the
smoke that was. Where they couldn't
they just stared at a point a few inches in front of their crotch. Except for Himbos the 307th, The
Chief. He was sitting in the seat
of responsibility and so stared instead at his rather fat knees. He couldn't help them being fat, like the rest of him, it was all the
special food and drink a chief had to consume because of the stress of being a
chief although the migration had caused him to lose some weight. Everyone was deep in thought for this
was a very serious meeting and a major decision was to be made. The mayouwanna smoke made everybody good
humored and agreeable, an essential
state of mind for making tribal decisions.
Without it people had ideas of their own and then there would be a lot
of arguments, which got in the way of decisions.
Himbos the 307th began to
speak, "Members of the Kuunas
- cough! - cough! - cough! Shit!
Peskitoo the 293rd open the door a crack will you, we have to be able to speak. Arachoya knows!" Peskitoo the 293rd did as he was asked
and the swirling smoke cleared a little.
Himbos the 307th began again, "Men of Kuunasameru, elders of the
Kuunas tribe. We are gathered here
to make a big decision upon which the future of our tribe on Abeltran Island
will depend. Kuunasameru, our island, the island where the Kuunas Tribe have
lived since the first day Arachoya, who gives us everything, made the sun came
out of the sea, is still our homeland.
But now we have a new home, here on Abeltran Island. We must convince Cantatian Tribal
leaders that this is indeed our home and yet we must remain faithful to our
tribal heritage and of course to Arachoya who gives us everything in her
power. A plan for how this can be
done has been proposed by our beloved Kittamsu, it involves a great amount of
work by many people and considerable danger but it is the only way
forward. Raise now your hands any
man not in agreement with this plan."
Everybody turned and smiled at Kittamsu, nodding in agreement. "It is agreed then. Kittamsu will be in charge of the whole
undertaking and will call on many of you to help as the need arises. Let us show our appreciation to Kittamsu
who has once again helped to ensure that the Kuunas will thrive.Ó Everyone gave Kittamsu a standing
ovation that lasted several minutes.
Eventually Himbos the 307th stood and walked over to give
Kitt a ceremonial embrace and then said,
ÒThis meeting is over.Ó
~//~
This was not only
written in Kuunasian but in a code that I had to decipher using decoding
instructions buried in the papers from the lock boxÉ.Alicia.
Kuunasian tribal politics
was, is a web of interpersonal connections just as with any other tribe. The ÔakuutÕ didnÕt change that, just the
details. Kitt was nervous, it
wasnÕt that he was unsure of his plan to fake history as part of ÒThe Great White
LieÓ it was more that a few people would resent or even fear his ascendancy in
stature because they thought he would displace them in some way and thus would
be looking to Ôdim his starÕ. Even
though Kitt had no interest in taking a position on the tribal council or
serving in any leadership capacity once the migration was complete. But as in all politics there were those
who wouldnÕt believe him.
All the most trusted were
assembled to hear the details of his plan and to ask questions. He began.
ÒLadies and Gentlemen I
have prepared an overview of my plan and will answer questions to any level of
detail you desire. For security
reasons everything will be done verbally.
It might be best to allow me to describe the overview first and hold any
questions will after. I will stay
as long as there is a need.
In order to convince
Cantatian tribal leaders that we The Kuunas have lived on Abeltran for many
hundreds of years and can thus claim what they call aboriginal status it will
not be enough to provide anecdotal evidence, even from friendly nearby
tribes. The Cantatian government
will send scientists to examine and run tests. We need to find a way to meet the exacting
nature of those tests but also stay true to our beliefs and heritage. So far we have been building using all
local materials and, so far as I am aware, there is no way to prove or disprove
our longevity on Abeltran examining those buildings. What we need is something providing
positive proof. I propose something
that is both amazing in scope but also simple in concept to provide that
proof. Rather than rebuilding The
Temple of Arachoya here on Abeltran we should disassemble the one on our
beloved Kuunasameru, transport it here and re-assemble it.Ó
There were gasps from the
audience and people began to murmur to each other. Kitt let it go on for a short while till
he held up his hand for silence.
ÒI realize, as you
obviously do as well, that this is no small undertaking but if you will allow
me to continue I have a plan for how this can be done. Before I get to that, I should emphasize
that if we can successfully accomplish this it will be a great morale boost for
our community and it will make Abeltran truly our home in a spiritual as well
as physical sense and not just fulfill the needs of proving our aboriginal
status.
The temple is a complex
structure as well as massive in both volume and weight. Disassembly will have to be done by a
team mostly still on Kuunasameru but possibly supplemented by other key people
from here. Since I was already
thinking ahead very few will need to go back. Not only will the temple itself be
brought over together with all itÕs contents but also some of the immediate
earth surrounding. Everything will
be carefully packed and labeled so that reconstruction can be very close if not
identical to the original.
The most sacred
artifacts, for spiritual reasons, will be brought by sea canoe and I will make
this journey myself. The bulk of
the remainder will be brought by sea barges towed by sea going tugs. If Arachoya loves us as we think, she
will surely protect such journey from extreme weather for the loss would be
irreplaceable.
Once everything is here
building can begin immediately. The
whole thing should be completed within three years depending on weather
conditions which could affect both progress of deconstruction and rebuilding as
well as ocean voyages.
I have very detailed
plans, exactly what labor and who is to be used where and when. Cost estimates, schedules, etc. I will not present those here but would
welcome any of you to come and see me with specific questions on them at any
time.
Now I will take
questions. YesÓ
ÒCantatian scientists can
not only date materials but also determine their origin. WonÕt they find that the Temple is not
made from local materials and question that.?Ó
ÒExcellent question and I
forgot to mention it as part of my presentation. We donÕt really know when the temple was
built but thousands of years ago,
before living memory. Rather
than fielding questions from Cantatian scientists on the nature of the material
it would be better to be proactive and create tribal myth about how the stone
was brought from the southern Pacific.
Firstly Cantatians are very reluctant to challenge aboriginal or
spiritual beliefs. Secondly it will
in fact be true only the date has been changed as to when it happened. Thirdly we will not allow scientists to
crawl all over our sacred ground since very detailed analysis will expose the
truth but giving them access to take selected samples for dating the story
should hold up. This will also help
to offset any questions about our appearance.
As I said if deep
analysis was to be undertaken, DNA samples, multiple samples of spectroscopic
analysis by geologists, anthropologists, etc Well it would not got well. But I have reason to believe we will not
be subjected to such analysis and that the Cantatian tribal leaders will only
be looking for ÔfactsÕ which support our claim, not trying to disprove it. As to why that is you must talk to
Himbos the 307th.Ó
ÒOther questions?Ó Yes
ÒWhat will we do of some
or all of the temple is lost at sea.Ó
ÒYes, that would be awful
but by making sure that it is never all in one place at one time during
transport and taking special care of the more sacred artifacts it is unlikely
to happen. If some of it is lost we
are no worse off than we are now.
If it was left on Kuunasameru it would go down with the rest of the
island for sure.Ó
ÒAny other
questions. No? Please come and ask further questions as
you think of them. I will
anyway be coming to ask most of you for help in this venture at some
point. Well thank you all for
gathering to listen to me. That is
the end of the session.Ó
Kitt stood as they filed
out, most came and thanked him and shook his hand in the Cantatian way. Some didnÕt but he akuuted no animosity
and great general support for his proposal. He was greatly relieved.
~//~
The crack of a lightning
bolt awoke Luuana and she peeked out forward from her sleeping bag through the
portal in the inboard section of the sea canoe to see Kitt's silhouette, black against the mainsail, wrestling
with the storm. He was an expert
seaman she knew but she still feared for the life of her dear Kitt whom she had
come to adore so completely. Their
akuut touched and he allayed her concerns while she provided him with support.
The prow of the canoe rose up, up, up, the mainsail outlined white against the
black sky and then plunged down, down, down to repeat the same thing again and
again, wave after wave, hour after hour.
The precious cargo, the most sacred artifacts, wriggled to try and get
free of it's secure lashings and everything around seemed to be alive, if it
wasn't for the danger, it would be a thing of beauty, a living organism
pulsating with life. But the danger
was real and Luuana could think of little else but was helpless, her seamanship
skills were no match for this storm.
She had done what little she could under Kitt's instruction and now she
just had to provide moral support.
She wondered if the dolphins could have been wrong but doubted it, they
were creatures of the sea and knew it like she knew her hands, it had been good
fortune that Kitt's akuut had picked up their warning and given the current
conditions after they had changed course to avoid the worst she dreaded to
think on what could have happened.
Then the storm seemed to abate a little, the wind a little less strong
and the waves not quite so precipitous.
She felt Kitt's relief, the worst was over and they would be o.k. Tears of relief mixed with salt spray on
her usually serene face. Kitt came
aft, nothing needed to be said, they just hugged each other, glad to still be
alive.
It was as though once the
storm realized it was to be cheated of it's prey it just gave up and went away. The seas reduced to a heavy swell. Kitt decided he needed to get some rest,
he had been at the helm for many hours.
The wind was still strong to talk easily even by shouting and he
signaled his intentions to Juusan who immediately sprang to the tiller.
~//~
Coast Guard Report:
Incident 3-100729
Sea going barge convoy
and tugs (Registration BY841-29) in heavy seas radioed for escort through high
traffic areas near Carport to prevent small craft coming between the tugs and
the barges and encountering the tow hawser. They had already experienced one near
incident and were concerned that they were not flying the appropriate flags and
signals. Responded and all checked out
o.k., flags and signals all in order..
Tugs and barges were the largest I have ever seen, apparently taking
building materials to one of the Golf Islands so popular now with all the
wealthy. Provided escort as
requested with no further problems.
~//~
The celebratory feast had
been many days in preparation. It
had been month now since the relocation of The Temple of Arachoya had been
successfully completed and Himbos the 307th had called for Ôa great
celebrationÕ, which in Kuunasian terms meant that no expense was to be spared,
all the tribe were invited and expected to take an active part in the event and
itÕs preparation.
The tables were almost
too beautiful to spoil but spoiled they had been as they must and every
delicacy had been provided in sufficient amounts. All the short formal speeches had been
made with toasts and congratulations and presentations of honors for
outstanding achievement not the least of course a jeweled waistcoat for Kitt
depicting various scenes. Tears ran
down LuuanaÕs face as she looked at Kitt wearing it. It was a thing of great beauty but
somehow giving out a feeling of serenity.
Now the time had come for
Muuni. Peskitoo the 293rd twirled,
his ceremonial costume flying in all directions, and when he stopped he would touch
someone with his wand to mark their turn.
I have selected the
most entertaining from the full record to present here....Alicia.
ÒPeskitoo the 293rd
came to me as the master mason.
This was when the temple was almost complete, he could not find the ante room that
would be used by people to take off their boots and shoes or other clothes
before entering any of the temple rooms.
We went to where the room was supposed to be and sure enough it wasnÕt
there. I called Cuuran the designer
and he looked on his plan. The room
was on the plan but not in the temple itself. There was quite an uproar and we got
together all those involved in building that part of the temple. People remembered disassembling the
room, packing it, transporting it, rebuilding it but it wasnÕt there. it was a mystery. Cuuran next day was looking at the
temple and firstly noticed that there was an arch door into the main chamber
near where the ante room was supposed to be that wasnÕt on his plan, in fact
there were two such Ôsurplus arch doorsÕ as he called them. We kept meticulous records and so we
sought out the team who had built those arch doors. They in turn showed us the plans and
instructions for building those doors.
Well they had put them in the wrong place due to an error in the
plans. It turned out that the ante
room was there it just didnÕt have any doors. Just imagine that a room with no doors.
Somebody suggested that a
room without any doors wasnÕt even a room.
Somebody else said it
would be really easy to keep such a room clean and tidy. I volunteer as cleaner for that room,
results guaranteed, very economic.
Cuuran decided to leave
the surplus arch doors where they were and make new ones for the ante chamber.
Someone shouted, ÒOh it
was adorable then.Ó there was a great groan, puns had not long been discovered
and were becoming wildly popular.
So now the main chamber
has two extra arch doors called Surplus One and Surplus Two. And most think they make the chamber
look better than before.
~//~
Ecusimi looked terrified
as Peskitoo the 293rd wand touched her but with great encouragement
she finally stood. ÒLabor is made
lighter with song as has always been our tradition but we had been asked
whenever possible to adapt to Cantatian ways. I love all kinds of music and Cantata
has opened my eyes to the many different forms it can take. Well I discovered songs sung by sailors
and what better for a maritime nation like ourselves and they became very
popular. Then I found songs sung
many years ago by a man called Al Jolson in a style known then as black and white
minstrels. They have fallen out of
favor because of their racial undertones but one day I started to sing
one, Camptown Ladies, itÕs
called, and soon everyone was
singing along.
Somebody started to sing
softly, ÒThe Camptown ladies sing this song, Doo-da, Doo-da, The Camptown racetrack's five miles
long, Oh, de doo-da day
Everyone joined the
chorus, ÒGoin' to run all night;
Goin' to run all day, I bet my
money on a bob-tailed nag. Somebody
bet on the gray.
Ecusimi held up her hand
and the singing stopped. ÒNow
hereÕs the funny part,Ó she said, ÒEverybody loves the song, we know all the words, but nobody has any idea what itÕs all
about. It might be like those kind
of drunken bawdy songs for all we know.
But we love it anyway and hope that if it insults anyone they will
forgive us.Ó She sat down to
applause and laughter.
~//~
As one of the Reosheen
it was my job to unpack ceremonial costumes used in the temple and check for
any damage. A tent had been put up
with some tables inside as an area to do this work. One of the costumes has an ornate
helmet, as it happens it was one of the first unpacked and it was checked and
put to one side. When we came to
store it in the temple much later we found that a chipmunk had made itÕs nest
in the helmet. As youÕre all aware
Reosheen are not allowed to do anything to an animal unless the animal does so
of itÕs own free will and this squirrel resisted all our attempts to entice it
away with food. And it would act in
a very aggressive way if we appeared to threaten it in any way. It was a great problems for us.
Finally I decided that
the chipmunk must just like the look of the helmet, it was very ornate, and
made a fine nest. So I made a
replica helmet, very inferior but
covered in tinsel and pretty things.
I put this replica near the original and filled it with warm fibers and
lots of nuts. We put a motion
activated security camera so we could watch without the chipmunk being
suspicious.
It was the funniest
thing. Firstly the chipmunk didnÕt
even see the replica and carried on as though it wasnÕt there. Then after a few hours it was bringing
back an acorn and it stopped and looked from one helmet to the other as though
it was confused but eventually went into the original. Then it began coming out looking at the
replica and going back in again as though it was checking to see who was living
in the replica. Eventually
gradually it moved closer and closer to the replica till it put itÕs nose in
the door and then ran back to itÕs own helmet. Finally after doing this several times
it must have decided that nobody lived in the replica and went inside. It was only in there a few seconds and
it came out went over to itÕs own helmet and began taking stuff out and putting
it in the replica, like it was moving house, but in a rather guilty manner as though
it was doing something wrong.
Finally it went into the replica and adopted it as itÕs new nest. Later we realized why it had defended
itÕs original nest as the chipmunk was a pregnant female and itÕs young were
borne in the replica helmet and eventually left when they had grown up. So now we have a replica Ceremonial
helmet of sale. He holds it
up, What am it bid.
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CRAIG
Under access to
information guidelines I was able to obtain the following reports to the Prime
Minister from, what was in 2030, a top secret government committee that would
meet regularly in the bowels of Cantata Parliament Building in
Owtoftheway. This
"WATCHDOG" committee was formed to consider items of national security
especially in regards to terrorism and similar threats. Certain items were blacked out but I
have taken the liberty of re-entering these, where I could, using bold font to
identify them. CRAIG is an acronym for Cantata Readiness Artificial Intelligent
Governance, a type of super computer tasked with analyzing phone tap and
surveillance information. Alicia.
Item 2030-36B - The Kuunasian Invasion.
Reliable information has come to light through CRAIG about a plan to invade
part of Cantata and claim it as their own.
This apparently alarming piece of information turns out to be a
potential win win situation for Cantata..
This committee has delegated special responsibility to ████████
████████████
to monitor this activity and report back to this committee. We will keep you informed and may
request special action under The National Security Act as appropriate. More detail is below.
The Kuunasians are Polynesian, originating from the Island of
Kuunasameru which is being submerged due to rising sea levels caused by
global warming. Obviously they are
in a desperate situation and in response to that have been for several years
looking for a place to relocate.
This was done by dispatching scouts to promising countries. The scout dispatched to Cantata is called
Kittamsu and he has been here since 2025. It is noted that these people are
thorough and methodical in their practices. Kittamsu, who we have code named
Keewaytin, has recommended to his people a plan to mass migrate and populate one
of the Golf Islands and then claim it as aboriginal territory. Abeltran Island is a small treed
but unpopulated island with no known mineralogical, strategic or any other
value. It is Crown Land. Logging companies have surveyed it and
consider it not commercial to extract timber due to it's size, ruggedness and
other geographical features. The
precise details of their plan are as yet unknown but are almost certainly
completely non violent. Deanna's
recommendation of Abeltran Island which is unpopulated and been deemed
of no value speaks for itself.
From a Cantatian point of view we do have a partial responsibility for the
plight of these people and have successfully absorbed through immigration
process more than their total population in other cases of peoples being oppressed
or threatened with genocide. In fact part of the strength of Cantata and it's
position as a world leader is our ability to use the talents of a wide variety
of immigrants within the porous plurality of our society under the general
framework of our Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Thus we don't see this situation as a
threat but more of an opportunity.
The Kuunasian people have exceptional talents and even some
special psychological abilities which are as yet not clear to us. They are however a very proud people
with a very long tradition of looking to their own resources. Taking this action is for them an act of
desperation.
Signed
████████
████████████
Chairman: WATCHDOG Committee.
~//~
Item 2030-376R - The Great White
Lie.
As part of the Kuunasian Invasion they are transporting some of their
most sacred relics aboard a sea going canoe. This canoe, currently making itÕs way up
off the western coast of Usbelow, is in danger of encountering force 7 winds
endangering the canoe and all itÕs contents. For your information it has been decided
to use the MD (Military Dolphins) to alert the canoe of this danger and get
them to alter course. It is
expected that this can be done with little of no exposure to ourselves using
the akuut powers of the Kuunasians and the chip implants on the
dolphins. We will keep you advised.
Signed
████████
████████████
Chairman: WATCHDOG Committee.
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Haircut
ÒIÕm not seeing why.Ó
ÒBecause I can akuut some
level of discomfort with my hair being the length it is.Ó
ÒIf I may say so Sir,
your hair has always been something I admired, not being able to have any
myself.Ó
ÒThank you Jeeves. Present company is not the problem
though, nor even our own people, they are used to men having waist length
hair. It is the Cantatian public at
large.Ó
ÒWell then Sir, may I
suggest you simply avoid going to Large.Ó
ÒJeeves, sometimes IÕm
thinkinÕ youÕll be needinÕ a bit of
a fix up in your language software.Ó
ÒI meant Jeeves the
general Cantatian public that I happen to meet anywhere and everywhere.Ó
ÒHow much would you be
cuttinÕ off.Ó
ÒI donÕt really
know. Plenty of Cantatian men have
long hair so it wouldnÕt have to be too short.Ó
ÒWhat would you be doinÕ
with the off cuts.Ó
ÒI donÕt know. You want them?Ó
ÒWell now I could be
spinning them into a rope so that I can be rescuinÕ any princesses imprisoned
in any towers that I happen across.Ó
ÒDo you think you still
have the strength to climb a rope SirÓ
ÒHello guys. YouÕre all looking very serious whatÕs
up.Ó
ÒKittÕs going to get his
hair cut Jenna.Ó
ÒYouÕre crazy Kitt, I wish I had hair
like you.Ó
ÒWhen IÕm with Cantatian
strangers I can akuut some level of discomfort with my hair being the length it
is.Ó
ÒAre you sure youÕre not
just detecting jealousy.Ó
ÒMmm! You could be
right.Ó
Jenna quotes the
Kuunasian allegory about the beautiful woman who disfigured herself so that
others would not feel jealous and she could better fit in but all it did was to
cause them to despise her because they still had the memory of what she had
been and she still did not fit in.
ÒMaybe I shouldnÕt get my
hair cut after all.Ó
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Jenna: Counselor
and Personnel Manager
The young woman had come
to talk about family planning technologies still strange to Kuunasians. She said she wanted a test tube baby {to
avoid all the pain of pregnancy}.
JennaÕs mouth fell open as she continued that she and her amoso had
talked it over and it seemed the best choice for them, she being rather
delicate and he not wanting to see her shapely body change. Jenna couldn't hide her amusement, which
in any case would have been pointless, a fact she long accepted in counseling
Kuunasians so she started right in to disillusion her about what having a test
tube baby meant and why anybody would do it anyway. A somewhat embarrassed girl left to have
further discussions and reading on the subject of family planning. Jenna had to sit for a few minutes alone
to let that one soak.
~//~
ÒO.k. Maniko you would
like to be one of the drivers?Ó
ÒYes MaÕam. {I like driving very much}Ó
ÒCall me Jenna, Maniko,
IÕm wanting this to be an informal talk not like a formal interview.Ó
ÒYes MaÉJenna.Ó
ÒYou know it would be
meaning two weeks at a time away from your family.Ó
ÒYes Jenna. {A small hardship to help our
community.}Ó
ÒO.k. ThatÕs good. WouldnÕt be wanting to create any family
issues at all. And you do know that
it is not like doing the casual driving youÕve been doing around the
estate. There would be many hours
on highways, a lot of it rather monotonous.Ó
ÒI have never done that
kind of driving before Jenna.
{Would I be able to stop and use the bathroom?}Ó
Only the earnest look on
his young face informed Jenna that he wasnÕt joking and Maniko immediately knew
he had said something a bit foolish.
She put her hand on one of his and laughed. He laughed with her. ÒOf course, Maniko, it is usual to stop
regularly to make yourself and your passengers comfortable, get refreshments
and whatever.Ó
ÒSean told me how good
you were at using the back hoe.Ó
ÓOh yes. It is part of me.Ó
{Maniko and the back hoe
as one integrated machine.} She
broke her gaze with ManikoÕs bright young eyes to look down at the file in
front of her.
ÒI think you will make a
great driver Maniko. Please ask
Syruuna to come in as you leave.Ó
~//~
Jenna looked at the tray
and felt hungry, ÒThank you Jeeves.Ó
ÒIt is the least I can do
Jenna. You have been working for
ten hours straight without a break.
You need to look after yourself you know.Ó
ÒThere is so much to do
Jeeves. Look at this list of people
I have to see from the latest arrivals for placements.Ó
ÒIt is a daunting
task. I wish I could be of more
help but I am not set up for it.Ó
Jenna started to eat her
supper, ÒDonÕt go just yet Jeeves, itÕs nice to chat.Ó
ÒWhy thank you Jenna,
thatÕs the nicest thing anyone has said to me today.Ó
ÒPerhaps you could help.Ó
ÒAnything I can do.Ó
ÒThe first part of each
interview is always the same.
Getting names and background, asking about their skills. Since most of them learn English now
before they arrive here perhaps they could fill out a form that would give that
information and get them to think about what they would want to do.Ó
ÒA form?Ó
ÒYes, a standard document
that asks their name, age, skills, the work they have done in the past, stuff
like that.Ó
ÒI see.Ó
ÒIf you could make a
first go at designing the form I could review it with you.Ó
ÒWell IÕd be delighted to
try.Ó
ÒThank you Jeeves.Ó
~//~
Jenna looked at the form
Jeeves had given her and was very glad Jeeves had no akuut. "I'll get back to you with some
edits," was all she said.
Form to be completed
as part of unpacking procedure.
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Question space
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Answer space
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Who is youÕre
manufacturer?
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What is youÕre make and
model number?
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How many hours service
have you logged.
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List areas where you
think you could help in order of usefulness.
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List areas where you
cannot help with a reason for each.
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List youÕre
features. (Attach brochure if
available)
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What are youÕre
operational limitations. (Attach specification if available)
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Does your original
specifications make you a suitable candidate
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Have you experienced
any irreparable breakages or worn parts.
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Do you need unusual
maintenance procedures that would limit your ability to perform.
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Refer to your original
programming together with learned data.
Rate this as excellent, good or insufficient for each area.
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Return to Contents
A Small Matter
White Wolf stood at his
fathers side as they watched amidst the tall totem poles the lone canoe
approach the beach through the fog.
White Wolf didnÕt know how he knew to expect someone but as the canoe
got closer he realized. ÒIt is the
man of whom we have spoken often in the story of The Day of the Great
Hunt. It is Kittamsu of
Kuunasameru.Ó
ÒI feel him too son go
quickly and make preparation to welcome such an honored guest.Ó
Kitt knew of course
that they would be grateful and that he would receive a warm welcome but the
favor he was going to ask was a large one.
One of the Kuunasian canoes that carry people from the take off north of
Carport to Abeltran Island had been apprehended by the Cantatian coast guard . They were not ready for government
action yet. The Temple of Arachoya
is only partly finished and there is much other work to be done. The canoe and all the people has been seized
and held by the authorities. Kitt
has come to ask the Abistustop their permission to pretend that the canoe is
one of theirs to avoid revealing the Abeltran Island location to the
authorities.
Kodiak, the chief was
all smiles, ÒIt is so little to do for you when you have done so much for us.Ó
Kitt wished that he
could be entirely open with them as to the reason for the request, he hoped
that his subterfuge of a cover up for smuggling would suffice. He also worried about putting Kodiak,
and his people, let alone some of his own people in the hands of the sometimes
capricious Cantatian justice system.
If they could pull this off he made a promise to himself that they would
show their gratitude to the Abistustop in some significant way.
~//~
ÒGood afternoon, I am a
George Gointogetontopofallthis and this is a my assistant Purdy Smart. We have a been assigned from the highest
levels in Outoftheway to investigate this a matter.Ó As Kitt greeted him in the formal
Cantatian way he could akuut a lot of cotton candy, he blinked a couple of
times to clear his had again as he shook hands with Ms Purdy, a bright but
overly officious young lady.
ÒI want a to begin a
right away.Ó Cotton candy with a
sort of Greek sounding name and a weird Italian accent. Kitt was beginning to relax a little.
ÒMs a Purdy if you
could a review the inventory of the canoeÕs contents I will begin a by
interviewing the detaineesaÓ George
then took a sort of swaggering step backwards and fell off the dock. Kitt leapt to try and save him but it
was too late. The water was not
deep but deep enough for George to take a complete header and reappear standing
on the bottom with his head above water.
ÒAh! Very refreshing a, just
what I needed to clear my head for the days a work in a front of me.Ó
"Woof. {Oh boy what fun everyone's going for a
dip. Whee. Wow the water's cold. Man doesn't like me licking his
face. Ow! Just trying to be friendly. Oop. Time to get out again I suppose. Ooh! Look at that a chance to
sniff. Strange smell.} Woof, woof,
woof," Sheena climbed out again and shook herself off.
George, proceeding to
climb out and refusing all offers of help in an unbelievable attempt to make
out it was intentional. ÒGet off
will you get off. I will a need a
to go and change a after my dip.
Let us a take our luggage to the a Ôotel.Ó
ÒSniff. {Wow that was fun. Why would someone accidentally fall in
the water and then pretend they did it on purpose. Must keep a close eye on this funny
smelling idiot there might be some more entertainment in store.}Ó, Sheena
followed George at a respectful distance.
~//~
They had decided that
Sean would make himself scarce while the investigators were doing their job but
he got frequent updates, ÒWhat do
you think of the inspector,Ó was his first question.
Kitt laughed, ÒAs
Churchill said he is a sheep in wolfÕs clothing.Ó
~//~
Looking back on the
next few hours Kitt thought it was the most fun had had for many a day. The continual stress and work associated
with supervising the mass migration had been wearing him down, and when Juusan
had been surprised by the chance encounter with the coast guard in the transit
canoe he had visions of the whole venture crashing down. But the Gods, or maybe somebody in
Outoftheway, was looking after them sending this buffoon to investigate.
Kitt had to be present
at all the interviews as the translator since none of the detainees spoke
English. This wasnÕt true but
suited their purposes admirably.
And so the set up was Kitt and one or two other Kuunasians being
interviewed by a man who seemed to have no idea what it was really all
about. Each of the canoes occupants
had been given a fake Abistustop name and of course none of them had any papers
Òthey claimed.Ó Each interview
would repeat the same performance with George asking their names and then
asking where they lived and what they were doing. Whatever the interviewee said really
didnÕt matter Kitt would invent the reply and of course the akuut repartee
between them was out of a comic book in itself.
Sheena wandered off, ÒSniff. {This is boring IÕm going to go and find
something else to do. This fellows
no fun after all.}
Some of the lies they
had to tell were outrageous and occasionally KittÕs breath caught in his throat
as he wondered if the good inspector would question it at all. But in every case he just recorded the
answers on his tablet and proceeded to the next question. Kitt had a real hard time keeping his
face straight but the inspector showed not a trace of suspicion. As the afternoon wore on he became more
and more brazen in his lies and even wondered at one point whether this was
some kind of trap he was being led into but his akuut gave him no indication
whatsoever that the inspector was at all suspicious. It was like something out of a stage
farce.
~//~
ÒYour name?Ó
ÒHeÕs wants your
name. {Vanishing Moonshine is next
on the list.}
{Vanishing Moonshine?}
{Yes}
{YouÕve got to be
joking.}
{No really, this guys a complete buffoon.}
ÒVanishing Moonshine.Ó
ÒAh Mr.
Moonshine.Ó George ticked off the
name.
{ÒTry not to laugh.Ó}
{ÒHard but IÕll try.Ó}
ÒAnd what a were you
doing on a this canoe on the day it was seized.Ó
ÒHe wants to know what
you were doing.Ó
{ÒJust tell him you
were paddling like hell.Ó}
ÒI was paddling like
hell.Ó
ÒHe was paddling very
hard.Ó
ÒAh yes, but I mean a
what was the purpose of the trip.Ó
{ÒTell him you have no
idea.Ó}
ÒI have no idea.Ó
ÒHe says he was just
part of the muscle and not the brains.Ó
ÒAh, very a succinct
answer. Tell him thank a you and to
send in the next a detainee.Ó
ÒYou can go.Ó
{ÒThatÕs all.Ó}
{ÒTold you there was nothing
to worry about. Send Jankuu in.Ó}
ÒGoodbye Mr Moonshine.Ó
~//~
When Ms Purdy gave him
her report on the inventory suddenly the Inspector shouted, ÒAha! We have it a then.Ó KittÕs akuut read the Inspectors morale
going through the roof and his heart stopped until, ÒIt is merely a small
matter of avoiding duty on mayouwanna.
I shall go and write up my report immediately.Ó
~//~
In the end the
Abistustop nation was levied duty for the mayouwanna and a penalty fine which
of course the Kuunasians paid. They
didnÕt even have to go to court since they just pleaded guilty and paid the
fine on-line. It was part of normal
Cantatian government business.
Return to Contents
Near Thing
"Harder, faster,
they are gaining on us." The
paddles flashed in the water and the sweat gleamed on lithe muscles in the
setting sun. The canoe slipped
behind Aspers Point into Bakers Bay like a the shadow of a ghost and the danger
was averted. They heard the
powerful boat roar past the island and out towards open water disappearing into
the distance. Even so if anyone on
that boat had used binoculars to look back they may have been detected but it
didn't seem to be the case. That
night the council discussed the incident, it was the third since the last new
moon. Kitt pointed out that their
akuut senses did not have sufficient range when they were in danger of contact
with a high powered motor vessel which compared to their best sea canoe could
move like an arrow compared to a man and when that vessel was coming directly
at them, if they were in open water, escape would be impossible. Acquiring motorized vessels would not
help since the noise of the motors would do more to announce their presence
than the speed of escape they offered.
A small group of experienced seamen was asked to think about the problem
and bring back some suggestions.
~//~
"This is
promising," Himbos the 307th looked at Kitt gratefully. Kitt had just suggested a plan which was
simple in essence but elegant in design.
Any time one of their large sea canoes was on the water scouts in small
individual sea going canoes would act as an escort. These individuals would be disguised as
locals and since the threat from high powered motor boats was mostly from the
white population and anyway the ones they most wanted to avoid such craft would
not create suspicion. The escort
canoes could double or properly positioned triple the akuut range giving sea
canoes more time. It was also
suggested that the canoes be re-rigged to enable dropping the mast to reduce
their visibility. When voyages in
open and high risk waters were planned the escort arrangements could be
increased. Everyone liked the plan
which maintained their traditional sea faring skills while improving their ability
to remain very low key, emerging into the public eye at their own
choosing. Kitt realized that time
was fast approaching and preparations for that day needed to be speeded up.
Return
to Contents
Now and
Forever
This rather long
letter, in English, from Kittamsu to the Kuunasian elders makes rather dry
reading. The seriousness of the
subject and the convolutions of language that Kitt used, in case it fell into
the wrong hands, which I removed, precluded his usual light heartedness. But it is an important part of the
record and thus included. I could
well understand if this section was only of interest to Kuunasian scholars. Alicia
#1 Newsea Road,
Abeltran,
New Kuunasameru.
V9W 5X9
1st September, 2034
From: Kittamsu of Kuunasameru
To: The Council of
Elders.
In the custom of our
oral traditions nothing in this letter should come as a surprise. I am in good health but, of course, an
importune event could remove me from your company and so I felt that setting
all below down for the record would be a security we all need. It is offered with the deepest respect
as the thoughts of one of your subjects.
The number of things to be mention is large and varied so I put the most
urgent first.
Governance: It is critical that our
existing governance structures be maintained indefinitely; for our cultural
integrity; for our unique abilities; for the successful establishment in our
new homeland. I personally have no
interest in taking any kind of position in our governing body except that of a
trusted advisor. We must
immediately set up our own schooling system to attend to our unique needs and
initially at least resist any attempts to allow our children into the Cantatian
school systems. Rather we must
bring the best they have into ours.
Other first nations have had major problems in the migration of their
young people away associated with poverty and lack of opportunity. Making our community economically viable
must be one of our top priorities using our seafaring and native skills.
Status of the
physical migration and disposition of Susman's Grange: Every Kuunasian is now a
resident of New Kuunasameru. Our
beloved homeland is rapidly disappearing beneath the waves and will entirely
submerged in less than five to ten years.
Our migration was, to use a Cantatian expression, in the nick of
time. The base at Susman's Grange
needs to be sold, Sean and Jenna
have expressed their wish to join us here rather than stay there and thus it is
to our joy to have those who have helped us so much living in our midst. The sale needs some delicacy, Sean, Jenna and Jeeves are cleaning the
site and expanding the mayouwanna cover operation. Maintaining our integrity is more
important than any amount of money we may realize in the sale.
Status of the
Abeltran Settlement: Pace
of development of New Kuunasameru is an astounding testament to the industry
and ingenuity of our people. The
Temple of Arachoya looks as though it has been there and used for innumerable
years. All development reflects a
growth of community in their styles and technologies from the roadways to the
buildings and beyond. When visitors
come, as they must in time, they will see a very old community similar to that
on Haida Gwai. This is all going
better than I could have hoped.
Status of
"The Great White Lie": The
Cantatian deliberations on our application for First Nations Status is going
well but decisions are unlikely for many years. Do not be misled by the 'quality' of
some of the officials in this matter.
It is my belief that we have support in high places for reasons at which
I can only guess. The Cantatian
people are a resourceful, ingenious and clever people and the whole matter
needs to continue to be handled by, or even known to, only the most trusted of
our people.
Payback: There are many areas, short
and longer term, in which I believe we can specifically repay the Cantatian
people for their generosity. They
all involve the use of our unique akuut sense. Because of prudent management of natural
resources the Cantatian environment is the envy of many nations whose
governments apply loose or non existent controls on businesses trying to use
those resources. This forced
Cantata to use very strong measures to protect themselves, colloquially know as
"The Fish Wars". I will
personally be a pioneer in supporting them in this endeavor offering my
services to go with their enforcement vessels. There are many other areas however where
our akuut could be invaluable;
diplomacy; ascertaining the consciousness
and wishes of people in states of complete paralysis; support in psychiatric
treatment; support for animal
rights; support for other first
nations. But I expect that many
other applications will emerge as we integrate into Cantatian society.
Plotting the
future: Over time our
relationship with Cantata and it's people will evolve. Languages and cultures all over the
world are being lost usually due to combinations of poor economic
circumstances, technological pressures;
lack of vision of their leaders and lack of understanding of how modern
economies work especially the driving forces of corporations and their own
rights. Cantata has a checkered
history in it's dealings with indigenous peoples, sometimes brutal. But today they are an enlightened
society Eventually we must
allow our blood to mix. Eventually
medical technology will understand the sixth sense we have. If we manage all those things well we
can create for ourselves here a place to ensure our culture thrives for the
foreseeable future, as long or longer than it has been since Arachoya first
allowed the sun to rise over the sea.
Your Faithful
Servant
Kittamsu of Kuunasameru
Return
to Contents
Assessment Day
Everyone was anxious from
Himbos the 307th down to the smallest child. A government archeo-anthropologist was
arriving today to begin a five day investigation into the authenticity of the
Kuunasian claim for First Nation status.
The future of the Kuunas was to be determined and meticulous
preparations put to the test.
Everyone was on their best behavior prepared to entertain such an
important person on such an important mission. Half the population was at the docks to
show respect, the other half were putting the finishing touches to the
preparations.
Himbos The 307th
himself was escorting him and his assistant in the royal canoe which had been
specially appointed for they day.
Kitt was waiting respectfully dockside as the canoe glided in and
stopped perfectly and caught first sight of the suited official, a rather
large, not to say fat, bald man with a short fringe of grey hair sticking out
and a grey roughly trimmed beard.
Incongruous in that setting but almost a stereotype of his
profession. Kitt did not akuut any
biases or any other idiosyncrasies that would negatively affect the Kuunasian
cause. Himbos The 307th
treated him as visiting royalty which everyone had agreed was the right thing
to do in the circumstances. As he
approached Himbos The 307th introduced them. ÒProfessor this is Kittamsu, one of my
most trusted scouts. Kittamsu this
is Professor Pomparse and his assistant Ms Minny Schule. Please provide them all courtesy at our
disposal in their most important mission here.Ó Close up Kitt could akuut that the professor
had been fully and appropriately briefed about his investigation on Abeltran
Island.
The rest of the afternoon
was spent getting the professor and his assistant settled into their
quarters. Letting him view the
facilities and instruments they had provided to allow him to collect and
examine artifacts, an office space with all the latest office technology and
communications all adjacent to very well appointed quarters and an off road
vehicle for him to get anywhere he needed to go on the island. He was most impressed and thanked Kitt
who told him that he would be ready to start the next morning, a formal
reception dinner having been planned that evening.
The visit was a great
success and the professors resounding decision that the Kuunasians had occupied
Abeltran for hundreds, perhaps thousands of years a great step forward in their
claim for First Nation status.
KittÕs notes on the professors investigations were the most detailed of
any, lists of all artifacts examined and dated; where they were taken from and
when put back. They will be
provided in the ScholarÕs Archive, a planned future publication. For now I have just included the more
human parts of the visitÉAlicia.
ÒYes sir, no sir. Three
bags full sir,Ó thought Kitt as he watch Minnie scurry around obeying the
professors orders. He, it appeared
did nothing except issue orders, it was Minnie who actually did any work,
collecting artifacts, taking core samples, stone scrapings and all kinds of the
other samples they took to examine back at their lab. The scene was always the same wherever
they went. The professor would
install himself in some central location, preferably one where he could sit
down and then he would begin to give Minnie orders, raising or lowering his
voice enough to make himself heard.
It never occurred to him to move closer to her location where there was
a cluster of work to be done. The
only time he did stir himself was in the Temple of Arachoya itself and Kitt was
pleased and surprised at the level of respect he could akuut from the professor
as he visited the various parts of the temple. When Kitt read the reports later he
recognized MinnieÕs style of writing, presumably vetted and signed by the
professor. He wondered if this was
normal academic practice but really didnÕt know who to consult about it, not
that he was that much worried.
~//~
A written request had
been provided to them prior to the visit detailing the requirements that had to
be fulfilled. One request was the
provision of certain artifacts, amongst which was some kind of ceremonial dress
or headgear. Mindful of the purpose
of the visit but also concerned about the sanctity of the piece since many
Kuunasian ceremonial dresses were very ancient and sacred. Kitt had chosen a gown normally worn by
Peskitoo during the death ceremonies.
To avoid getting it soiled Kitt put it in the professors quarters while
he was working in the lab. In a
hurry he then he left to prepare for the Rites of Spring which was to be a
presentation for the professors benefit demonstrating Kuunasian traditional
music, song and dance. All was
ready for the performance to begin and the professor and his assistant
appeared. To KittÕs horror the professor
was wearing the death robe, not
only that but he was wearing it back to front. Kitt could akuut that he felt very
important in the robe and assumed it had been provided so that he could take
part in the ceremony. Kitt looked
at the royal party which included Himbos the 307th as well as
Peskitoo The 293rd with a look of bewilderment. Himbos saved the day he just gave Kitt a
big grin and a nod. The nod was the
agreed signal to start the ceremonies, the grin was an improvisation. Kitt was very glad that akuut was a
unique Kuunasian ability since the professor was completely unaware of his
incongruity as none of the performers or anyone else gave him the slightest
clue, and the ritual took nearly two hours to complete including presentation
of each performer to the professor.
The professor enjoyed the whole thing feeling very important in his
special robe, Kitt could akuut that Minnie had some idea but was keeping her
face straight for reasons of her own.
When it was over Kitt approached the professor and suggested that normal
attire was appropriate for the ceremonial supper to follow and he repaired to
re-appear in a tuxedo. Everyone was
relieved.
This evening has become
part of Kuunasian folklore and when anyone mentions wearing a death robe back
to front during the Rites of Spring there was always somebody who was there or
whose father was there to relate the story to great hilarity.
Return
to Contents
Goodbye
Susman Grange
ÒWe could keep it as a
vacation home or something like that.Ó KittÕs akuut had, as usual, picked up on
SeanÕs mood, his glum features and sparse conversation.
Sean smiled weakly and
returned that it wasnÕt practical or reasonable for such an expense just
because of his temporary sadness at having to sell SusmanÕs Grange after living
there for a year or two.
The migration was
complete, all Kuunasians were now on Abeltran Island except for a few remaining
here to help the clean up and prepare the estate for sale. They would all be leaving on the last
bus next week leaving everything in the hands of the agents to dispose of the
property maintain it in reasonable order till that happened. It was expected to sell for a
substantial profit because of all the improvements that had been made such that
it could be used as a vacation resort.
Then Sean had an idea
for a celebration to mark the occasion and Kitt wondered why he hadnÕt thought
of that in the first place. This
was after all, a significant milestone in the migration and marking it with a
celebration would be exactly in keeping with Kuunasian tradition. He told Sean to leave the plans to him.
Discussion with the
tribal heads on Abeltran found great enthusiasm for the celebration and it was
decided that flying a few selected people back would attract little attention
and give the celebration much greater pizzaz. They also set up a two way big
multi-screen holo link so that for a few hours Abeltran and SusmanÕs Grange
were one place.
In the Kuunasian way
after feasting Himbos the 293rd gave a short address and asked that
as many as possible stand and say something. Many shyly stood to thank Kitt for his
work but some bolder ones related some amusing incidents that had arisen during
their experience of the migration.
~//~
ÒWell this makes my
face pink but I thought that lay meant sleep like in Kuunasian and I was
talking to a bar tender and he asked where my wife was and I said she was
having a good lay.Ó
ÒOh thatÕs little I was
looking for some wine and found a label called ÒFat BastardÓ. I asked the shop keeper what it meant
and he couldnÕt stop laughing.Ó
ÒHaha! I bought my son
a left and right hand baseball mitt, I thought you needed a pair.Ó
ÒMy wife and I tried
out a Cantatian canoe.Ó
ÒNow then Marduua letÕs
keep the party clean.Ó
ÒNo I donÕt mean that,
we just wanted to see if they were like Kuunasian canoes. TheyÕre not of course and we made
complete fools of ourselves and got soaking wet.Ó
ÒOur bus got a flat and
we had no idea how to change the wheel.
We had the jack in the wrong place and it wouldnÕt lift the wheel up so
we were putting rocks under the bus to get more height. It was a good job a kind trucker stopped
to help and showed us how to do it after he had finished laughing.Ó
Return to Contents
6. Vision accomplished
After the migration
was completeÉ.Alicia
Two for the price of one.
The Taigla drums had been
throbbing now for three days, foretelling the event; demanding the preparation;
calling for assembly. There were no
hotels or motels on Abeltran but every available bed was given, and gladly, to
all the guests who had arrived from across Cantata. And the guests overflowed into the great
house and overflowed that into tents set up around where there was a spare
space. Himbos the 307th
would perform the ceremony and his special ceremonial costume was ready, every
jewel shone, every crease just so, the golden collar glittering and stiff as it
sat on itÕs keeper frame guarded by the Roesheen till the time had come. The preparations for the Wedding feast
had taken weeks and what a feast it was with every favorite family recipe and
delicacies to suit every conceivable palate. Luuana and Jenna, of course, were hidden
away being; manicured, wrapped in
seaweed, bathed in oils, scalps massaged, hair brushed and dressed and faces
rubbed in creams that removed blemishes invisible to the naked eye. Kitt and Sean too were being prepared,
muscles toned and hair dressed and every part cleaned and oiled; as Sean
remarked, ÒI feel like Maggie,Ó
reference to the old tractor which they just had to bring with them from
SusmanÕs Grange because, well they just couldnÕt leave her behind.
As the time approached
the pace of the drums quickened and was joined by the singers, the guttural
male voices issuing the barks accentuating the rhythm, the bass voices chanting
below and the female voices sighing the melody above. Peskitoo the 293rd had been
in a frenzy of preparation providing the herbs and mashes used to prepare the
couples; weaving the four mats on
which they would stand to bring good health, good luck and fertility and a
thousand other ceremonial tasks.
And now the moment had
come. Kitt; Luuana; Sean and Jenna
were carried to the ceremonial stage each in their own sedan chair. The assembled crowd now joined the choirs
lead and the joyful sound could be heard for miles out to sea. Sean was having a hard time holding back
tears and in one of those quirks of the way his humor worked he was thinking,
ÒNow would not be a good time to be thinking about changing my mind.Ó And then they were placed by their
bearers, standing side by each on
their special mats.
Himbos the 307th
raised his arms; the silence was awesome in itÕs contrast to the sound
preceding. In the high pitched
ceremonial tone he began to chant the joining ceremony and the choir joined in
and then finally the crowd. There
were very few dry eyes that day.
And when the formal
ceremony was complete the festivities began; the eating; the drinking; the
games; the parties; each and every guest paying homage to
the couples each in their own way showering them with good wishes; tokens of
good will and gifts. It was only
Peskitoo the 293rd potions that kept them going until it all seemed
like a dream. But what a dream.
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Insurance
Kitt entered Himbos The 307th
house and he was sitting in the reception room with Kodiak. He greeted Kitt warmly and told Kitt
that he wanted him to be there to listen to the proposals of a man who was
coming out from Winnoria. The man
was an insurance agent who had read the recent news item about the house fire
on Abeltran Island and that there was no insurance. He was coming to offer them
insurance. There were several
reasons why his offer would be refused.
Firstly the concept of insurance was foreign to the whole Kuunasian way
of life where the strong community supported anyone who had the misfortune of
an accident. The house that had
been badly damaged had already been repaired by the community at no cost to the
owner. The other reason was the
Kodiak had warned Himbos The 307th that this man was not to be trusted and was
known for what the Cantatians call sharp practice. In fact he had cheated the Abistustop
out of money over several years charging them more than the premium rate and
pocketing the difference. The money
was not that important, the
principle was and the opportunity for some comeuppance was too good to miss.
Daryl Wantsmore's self
satisfied smug expression fades slightly as he saw Kodiak but is restored as
everyone greets him warmly and offers him hospitality. {ÒAh it's nice there are so many suckers
in this worldÓ} is a passing thought.
After the initial pleasantries Daryl gets down to business, he tells
them he wants to be back in Winnoria by tonight and that the weather forecast
doesn't look good. Everybody nodded
wisely suppressing a smile which confused Daryl momentarily; after all he had
built his business by a well tuned sixth sense as to his clients every facial
expression. Then again he was an
amateur compared to the akuut endowed clients with whom he was now dealing and
an ignorant amateur as well.
Pressing on he explained
how he had read of the unfortunate fire on Abeltran and that if the owner had
had Garengold Insurance they would
have been paid the full cost of rebuilding the home. Everyone Oooed! and Aaaahed! and Uuumed!
appropriately. Daryl thought
everything was going well. When he
asked how many homes there were on Abeltran he could scarcely contain his
excitement at the answer. Then he
waxed enthusiastic about health insurance and accident insurance and insurance
against a bad year for fishing when he learned of their dependence on the
bounties of the sea. Everything
reached a great high and he thought that it was pretty much all in the bag so
Himbos the 307th suggested they
take a walk around to consider this proposal some more. Daryl was, shall we say, considerably
overweight and walking or any kind of exercise was very low in his priorities,
in fact normally to be avoided but anything to clinch a deal. So they started out and it just so
happened they were walking past the house that had a fire. Himbos the 307th pointed it out to
Daryl. Daryl was confused, it
looked perfectly in good shape and then it was explained that the community had
rebuilt the whole thing as an emergency effort at not cost to the owner since
they all cared for one another. The
full consequence of this piece of information did not immediately dawn on Daryl
who was starting to sweat and become uncomfortable at the unaccustomed
exercise. Then they walked past the
house of Peskitoo the 293rd. There
was a line of people outside the impressive building with fearsome carving to
keep away evil spirits. And it was
explained to Daryl that on Abeltran they had their own health service available
at no cost to any Kuunasian for all kinds of diseases and injuries, both
physical and mental. Finally as
they came down to walk along the beach, which was rather hard going making
Daryl even more uncomfortable, saturated in sweat and gasping for air. Passing
a large storage facility it was explained to Daryl that this was a communal
storage where smoked and dried and otherwise preserved sea products were stored
as insurance, yes Himbos actually used that word, against a bad year's fishing. By now Daryl had got the picture and
some of the party were becoming openly amused at his discomfiture making asides
about smelling something fishy.
Finally they arrived at Daryl's motor boat. It had started to rain and the wind was
picking up. Here Kodiak put in the
final word telling Daryl exactly what they thought of him for cheating the
Abistustop for so many years stopping just short of using insults but making it
clear he was held in very low esteem.
A very different Daryl set
out for Winnoria in the pouring rain than had arrived, he was tired, extremely
uncomfortable and as he reflected more and more realized that he had been set
up and became angry. Himbos the
307th asked Juusan and a couple of braves to follow Daryl to make sure he came
to no harm. After all he joked you
never know one day we may need some insurance. Everyone exploded in laughter.
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Investiture
Sheena stiffened as
Sean and Jenna came out in full regalia, "Sniff-sniff. Augrrumble! {The Gods have come to visit us. Hmph! Gods that smell like Sean and
Jenna.}" Kitt dropped a
re-assuring hand on Sheena's old head saying, "Miki on Mount Kruunas."
"In English Kitt,
in English."
Kitt drew a long
breath, "I feel I am in the presence of two gods Sean. When Himbos and I discussed your
ceremonial robes for your investiture as honored ancestors of the Kuunas we had
agreed they would be unique and reflecting the great esteem in which you are
both beheld by the Kuunas people.
But our Reosheen
have performed something close to magic.
You both look magnificent."
"We've been
looking in the mirror of course and although they'll be looking heavy they kind
of float around me like a cloud."
JennaÕs radiant smile
said all. Her face, as with Sean,
the only part of her visible, set in high ornamentation. They faced each other: bowed slightly;
then walked slowly back the way they had come. The rear of their robes were also
beautiful as the front.
{ÒYou look the part
the two of you. A King and his
Queen.Ó}
{ÒMuch appreciated
Kitt, for everything.Ó}
{ÒHow do you feel.Ó}
{ÒOh, well yes I, we,
Jenna and I, we feel just great, just great we are.Ó}
{ÒAnd how do you feel
about becoming immortal.Ó}
{ÒQuite ready I am but
prefer it was postponed indefinitely.Ó}
{ÒI mean your investiture
Sean. Tomorrow you will become a
Kuunas immortal.Ó}
{ÒIÕm having some
butterflies in my stomach I am.Ó}
Kitt laughed. He had been looking forward to
tomorrow's ceremony for weeks and now he could hardly wait.
As they left the room
Sheena sniffed, {Sean and Jenna for
sure. Human's do the strangest
things sometimes.}"
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Goodbye Sheena
Sheena ÒSniff. {The sky
is dark and sounds are faint; my masters hand on my head. The time is coming to say goodbye and
start along that road. I feel his
sorrow and wish that I were a puppy to start over again. But thatÕs not to be and with heavy
heart I say goodbye dear Kitt. Love
to you all.}Ó
ÒSheÕs gone,Ó said Kitt,
ÒShe says she loves you all.Ó the tears wet KittÕs cheeks and LuuanaÕs mouth
trembled. Sean touched SheenaÕs
shoulder and Jenna leaned against him. Sheena had been part of their
lives for so long she was family in every sense of it. It was like losing a child of your own.
The Kuunasian akuut had
given a new Cantatian sensibility to the wishes of animals after their
death. The old anthropomorphic ways
had been discarded. Most animals
wanted to be put back into nature in various ways. Sheena too wanted this, her body to be
put somewhere in the wild where the scavengers, flies and microbes could do their job
returning her body to renew other life while her spirit set off along the
road. And so it was a small very
sad party that got back into the vehicle on a back road having left a dear
friend lain gently in a glade in the bush surrounded by flowers. A little way down the road Kitt had to
pull over, he jumped out of the
vehicle and rushed off to gawp his grief.
Luuana drew her knees under her chin in the passenger seat staring sightlessly
ahead while Sean and Jenna sat like ghosts in the back seat. When Kitt came back nothing was said
then, nor on the drive back nor at
all till much later when Kitt broached the subject himself and they could
remember their friend with love and humor.
Jenna insisted on putting a small marker stone in their rose garden
simply engraved, ÒSheenaÓ.
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Fish Wars
This news article was
cut out of The Globe and Mail for 9th April 2047É.Alicia.
The Vachi Mariner, a
profligate pirate fishing boat with an International crew, was torpedoed
killing all hands by a Cantatian submarine CFS Hydra yesterday according to a
government news release after being challenged and taking hostile action. The Minister of Foreign Affairs will
make no comment in order, according to a statement released from his office, to
avoid inflaming the situation further.
It has caused in International incident, with Diplomatic Notes flying as
thick as snow. But it seems it
has turned the profit/risk balance
in favor of Cantata at last.
Because of excellent
Cantatian conservation measures and marine initiatives Cantatian waters are
teeming with fish while many other parts of the world are severely
depleted. This has made Cantatian
waters prime hunting grounds for pirate fishing boats flying under various
flags of convenience and selling to the highest bidders in the black
market. Although foreign
governments do not officially support such activities many adopt a variety of
stances from laissez-faire to covert support. The Cantatian government has had to take
active steps to protect this resource.
One initiative is routine submarine patrols using stealth technology
since many of these pirate ships use advanced technology to avoid
detection. Thus a war of cat and
mouse has been going on for months.
Kuunasians have become one of Cantata's secret weapons and have turned
the tide in this whole situation.
These pirate vessels would use all kinds of subterfuge and tricks to try
and claim their catch was not taken in Cantatian waters or was legal , or
whatever, leading to some bizarre situations. Apparently the sinking of The
Vachi Mariner is another such situation.
~//~
As the much faster
Cantatian frigate overhauled the Swedish fishing vessel trying to make a run
for it the captain turned on the VLH and ordered them to heave to. At first they ignored the order but
after a sonic bomb had been put across their bows they complied. The captain
looked at Kitt and he just nodded.
ÒMikiÕs Blue TongueÓ
he whispered to himself.
Now that the two vessels
were heaved to and closer the captain turned the VLH down a notch or two but it
was still very loud, "What is your business out here?"
"Ve ver not vishing
for god." came the reply. "TheyÕre Atheists" queried
Kitt. The captain laughed, "He
says there were not fishing for cod.
Swedish accent thing. He's doesn't speak English well."
"Doesn't lie very
well either," muttered Kitt.
~//~
Standing Order #2106-00BX
In honor and memory
of Kittamsu, but also all
Kuunasians, who have served with great distinction in the Cantatian Navy the
following Command Status phrases are to be added to the official Cantatian
Naval Command and Control Status Officers Handbook and are to be used by all
officers as they see fit and appropriate.
Detail instructions for
smooth integration into operations are omitted since this provides official
sanction to what has become a common practice.
Dolphuus Sleeps:- All systems normal. All personnel well. No threats apparent.
Artikus Appears:- A bandit has been encountered.
Artikus Knows:- The bandit has been alerted to our
intentions.
Dolphuus near Grare:-
There are multiple enemy threats all of comparable importance.
Artikus Falls:-
The bandit has been subdued.
Miki's Return:-
Make all ready to return to base.
William J Kinsworthy
CIC Cantata Coastal Defence
1200 Hrs. 1st January 2106
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Make Up
Jenna looked at Sean
and then at Luuana. "Did I
just see what I thought I saw?"
Luuana was putting a brave face on it, "It's part of the modern
fashion Jenna, Kitt is just moving with the times." Sean had a cheeky smile on his face,
"Well I'm supposin' it was quite subtle now and the colors nicely chosen
to match his natural colors. The
lipstick might have been a bit bright though for my tastes, I intend to go with an all natural
look." Jenna nearly fell off
her chair, "You'll be doing what?" Sean adopted a holier than thou pose,
"You ladies have had it all your own way for far too long, dressing in all
the brightest colors, getting your hair dyed as you like and putting on all
kinds of make up. Kitt and I have
decided that we are going to take up the modern fashion of all the young men
these days." He had to look
the other way to hide his grin but the revolution in men's fashion was coming
to Abeltran Island.
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Great
Grandfatherhood
So this was Alicia, her
tiny hands perfect; sweet little
face looking at Kitt with large brown eyes and smiling, even though Kitt knew
that newborn cannot really see and the smile was the effort of trying to
understand what AliciaÕs eyes were telling her. The joy of Great Grandfatherhood was
just as warm as being Grandfather had been and Father before that. The tears welled in his eyes as he
leaned to kiss the baby cradled in KittamiÕs arms. ÒSheÕs beautiful,Ó he whispered.
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The School
Play
ÒCome on Sean hurry or
weÕll be late.Ó
ÒOh itÕll only be by a
few minutes, no big deal. Half the
parents donÕt get there on time anyway.Ó
ÒYeah! And if you could akuut like I akuut how
crushed those little guys are inside when they come out on stage in all their
glory and donÕt see their Mum and Dad in the audience youÕd know just how
important it is for us to be on time.
ÒYouÕre right Kitt
sorry. Just coming.Ó
ÒYou know Sean it really
pisses me off when I see movies and TV. shows where the parent canÕt make it to
the school play on time but thatÕs o.k.
ItÕs never o.k., never.Ó
ÒPisses you off Kitt?Ó
ÒSorry to use the
vernacular.Ó
ÒWell you canÕt be doing
that now we're in hurry remember, youÕll have to hold it till the
intermission.Ó
ÒSeanÉ.Ó
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Crisis
The original of this
letter was in very poor condition, falling apart at the folds and somewhat
discolored, as though it had been carried around for a long time in, I assume,
Luuana's pocket book....Alicia
As
hard as this is to read my love it is harder for me to write. I have to go away for a while. I may be gone for a month or maybe a
year, maybe longer, I don't know.
You know the problem, everywhere I go it's like a black shadow and
everybody knows but says nothing.
This is something I have to wrestle myself. Know that I love you dearly and always
will whatever happens. Looking forward
to our akuut knowing each other again but till then goodbye for now my dearest
love. Kitt.
~//~
The following is a
verbatim transcription of an audio file that seemed relevantÉ..Alicia.
"Kitt was making all
kinds of records. I used to think
he was too dedicated butÉwellÉ so I thought I would continue what he was
doing. Would you mind if we recorded
our conversation."
"Not at all
Luuana. How are you doing?"
"Oh alright, I
suppose. (long silence) You know Sean there are a lot men who
would have tried to take advantage of this situation."
"Advantage?"
" lonely woman,
trusted friend....."
"You are my greatest
friends wife, to treat you in any other way than with honor and dignity is
utterly repugnant to me."
"I know Sean."
"Of course."
"I want you to know
how much I think of you and what a great friend Kitt has. You are very special to us. You and Jenna."
"Thank you
Luuana. You are special to us
too."
"How is she."
"Well thank
you."
(long silence)
"Do you think he
will come back Sean?"
"Oh yes."
"It's been so
long."
"Days turn into
weeks, weeks into months. Two
months isn't so long."
"I wish he could
have found a way for us to face this together."
"Until a few minutes
ago so did I."
"What do you
mean?"
"Before he left he
said something. We always talked a
lot and said a lot of things and this didn't seem particularly important at the
time but now I see it for what it was."
"What did he
say?"
"Well I can't tell
you .."
"Please Sean I'm his
wife."
"Wait a minute will
you. I can't tell you exactly in
his words because he didn't sort of lay it all out, it's more me putting two
and two together. Perhaps I've made
five of it but I think not."
"O.k. I'm
listening."
"Some of the Elders
were complaining that they didn't have as much influence as they used to. Peskitoo was complaining that modern
medicine was putting him out of business.
Other folk seemed to miss the old way of life even though the new way
was more comfortable. Then of
course you're two are going through the teenage years. I think Kitt felt that he was carrying
the dream on his own shoulders and needed to be, 'not here' for a while so that
people could get their minds straight and maybe his akuut needed a rest from
carrying everybody's troubles.
Something like that."
"You think we were
part of the problem."
"I don't know. I hope not."
"Over the last week
or so I have noticed a É.shift shall we say. People missing his leadership and
strength and beginning to mourn his absence rather than griping all the
time."
(Lot of electronic
noise.)
...............was a
power bump from the lighting I expect..................
(more noise)
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The
Imagination Room
From LuuanaÕs notes. All
schools now have at least one ÒImagination RoomÓ. The concept is an integrated playing and
learning space. Touch screen walls,
ceiling and floor are combined with interactive voice actuated software,
hydraulically controlled, elasticized and segmented surfaces, presenting
virtually unlimited learning experiences for any age. Thousands of specialized attachments are
available, from flight simulators, to car driver training, etc, etc. not to
mention the training potential for all kinds of security and military
operations. Alicia.
ÒItÕs true Daddy, itÕs
true, honestly! IÕm not making it
up.Ó
The expression on his ten
year old daughterÕs face confirmed her protestations and yet her story was so
fantastic that it defied belief.
She had just got back from a visit during the summer holidays with one
of her friends, a Kuunasian Native girl on Abeltran Island. She had a wonderful time playing on the
beaches, exploring the woods and apparently treated like on of their own by the
family they had met by chance in Winnoria last year. She was even more talkative than usual
about what had happened but the part that amazed him was her description of
what she called, ÒThe Imagination Room.Ó
She said you can go in by yourself or with some friends and as soon as
you close the door the room asks you what you want to do. You can play a sport, climb a mountain, talk to a scientist or expert in any
subject and they will explain everything or demonstrate it to you.Ó
ÓSo you could sky dive then?Ó he asked her.
ÒNo! There are some things the room will
politely tell you it cannot or is not allowed to do. Some of them are restrictions put on by
the rooms controller and some because it cannot do them. If you ask it will tell you why. One of the boys asked to sky dive and
the room said it did not have enough physical space to simulate falling from
great heights. It said it could
show us what it would look like to be on the edge of the airplane door looking
down but we couldnÕt jump.Ó
ÒWho is the rooms
controller.Ó
ÒLuuana. She is the schoolteacher. She invented the imagination room. Did you know that surgeons can do
operations now using robots that have tube like things that thread into your
body, do their work and leave again without the need for anesthetic and without
cutting you open. We watched one of
the operations and used the robots controls, not on a real person of course. It was really interesting.Ó
~//~
ÒCan I speak to Luuana
please.Ó
ÒOf course, hold on.Ó
ÒLuuna here.Ó
ÒHello Luuana. ShelleyÕs father here.Ó
ÒOh hello Jonathon. How are you?Ó
ÒWell. I wanted to thank you and everyone for
giving Shelley such a good time.
She canÕt stop talking about it.Ó
ÒShe was a pleasure to
have as our guest and thank you for showing little Juuna what normal Cantatian
life is like.Ó
ÒShelley has been telling
me this amazing story about a thing she calls ÒThe Imagination RoomÓ.
ÒOh yes. ItÕs part of our school.Ó
ÒIf it can do half the
things she talks about it must beÉwell itÕs hard to believe frankly.Ó
ÒIt is working well
although it is still a project under development. I am the chief designer and coordinator
working with several technology companies to develop the hardware and software. We, that is the Kuunas Tribe, intend to
license it for general use in all schools eventually. It could play a major part in education
we think.Ó
ÒIÕll say. But it sounds impossible. Something out of science fiction.Ó
ÒIt is quite innovative
although it doesnÕt use any brand new technology just ingenious
combinations. The whole space can
project images and is a skin that can be shaped by pneumatics to create all
sorts of illusions.Ó
ÒNext time we come for a
visit I want to see it.Ó
ÒIÕll look forward to
that. Give Shelley my love and wish
her good luck for the coming school year.Ó
ÒI will, and thank you
again. Goodbye.Ó
ÒGoodbye for now.Ó
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Traffic Lights
Sean cursed under his
breath as they came to another red light, the third in as many blocks.
Kitt could akuut his
frustration. ÒEverything with intelligence has a personality,Ó he mused out
loud.
ÒThat right,Ó Sean
muttered.
ÒTrouble is Sean it
doesnÕt like you.Ó
ÒWhat would you be
meaning by that for godÕs sake? Who
donÕt like me?Ó
ÒThe traffic light
computer, I can akuut it.Ó
ÒYou can akuut the
traffic light computer.Ó
ÒI can akuut anything
with intelligence and it doesnÕt like you one little bit so itÕs decided to
make you stop every opportunity it gets.Ó
Sean pulled over, ÒIn
that case youÕd better drive or weÕll never get there.Ó It was only on turning to look straight
at KittÕs face that he saw his expression.
He pulled back into traffic again.
ÒO.k.!. O.k.! So now weÕre
even again I think. Stop your laughing
will you.Ó
ÒIf I may say so Sir, I
particularly enjoyed that one.Ó
ÒYou can keep quiet in
the back seat too.Ó
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A Day
"Don't you shout at
me. I don't care. I don't care. This is my house and my garden and my
chair and if I want to sit here I can.
You can root around in the flower beds here to find worms and insects if
you like but don't touch my plate of cookies, they are mine you hear."
Sean watched in amusement
as Kitt talked to the crow, his elderly but still energetic hands gesticulating
at the bird. It somehow took him
back all those years ago when Kitt's akuut and his ability to understand all
kinds of animals and they to understand him was a constant source of surprise
and entertainment to him. He leant
on his stick and went into a kind of reverie thinking back on his life and as
he came out of it he realized that in the end what you have left is the
memories and feelings you had for everybody you met.
"You'll be being a
bit mean keeping all those cookies to yourself now aren't you?"
"Oh hello Sean. If I don't lay down the law that one
will eat all my cookies and leave this poor old man with nothing to keep his
flesh and bone together till lunch."
So saying he throws a cookie onto the patio and by exceptional chance it
rolls and the crow swoops to pick it up before it settles, flying off, the big
cookie in it's beak, it's flight
pattern disrupted by it's unbalanced cargo. Sean sits in the Adirondack chair beside
Kitt.
"How's Jenna?"
"Well as can be
expected thanks. It comes and goes
she's just having a bad patch."
"I'm sorry..."
"It's o.k.
Kitt. It's o.k."
As the sun shone on the
two old men, they sat within their own thoughts, an exquisitely sensitive
alliance where Kitt knew exactly when he should use his akuut and now when he
should not.
Sean takes a cookie and
says, "You're apart from
me."
"Yes. There is something I wanted to talk
about."
"What's that."
"Don't jump down my
throat."
"O.k.!"
"Luuana and I have
been talking about the end of life business and as you know we, like you, have
chosen to end our lives the natural way.
The young people can't understand why we wouldn't take advantage of the
medical technology available but we both know why. {The Great White Lie} There's no reason
why though we couldn't use that same technology to manage the situation."
"What new adventure
would you be leading me down this time?"
"Luuana and I want
to time our deaths to be approximately the same time. We neither of us want to live without
the other and technology allows us to do that."
There was a long pause
and the crow came back.
"Glutton," Kitt shouted and threw it another cookie. Sean got up, "I must go and talk to
Jenna." He turned to face Kitt
and put both of his hands on Kitt's.
"Whatever happens my life has been so greatly enriched by that day
we happened to meet on the airport and I want to thank you for being the best
friend a man could ever want."
Kitt's akuut had
connected them again and further words were not necessary as the two men looked
into each other's eyes.
Sean picked up his stick
again and turned slowly to shuffle away.
Kitt watched the crow trying unsuccessfully to manage the cookie as it
had before but this one had broken in half and was resisting all it's efforts
to pick up both pieces, he was amused to akuut the bird using mild expletives
in itÕs hurry to make off with itÕs prize.
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The Moon
Among all the other
papers were two round trip tickets to Lunarcia, CantataÕs Moon city in the
names of myself and Great Grandfather Kitt; along with release forms, tourists
brochures and a holo. Although I
didnÕt know it at the time, and didnÕt fully realize it until I was going
through the work constructing the story and came across these papers; this was where Great Grandfather Kitt
planted the seeds for me to do this story work, his notes say as much. That trip as a twelve year old girl just
past Akutation
but still years from Ma
was very special and burned into my memory, almost as fresh as though it were
last week. So dear reader, here I
step out of being just a translator and become the story teller, for it is too
dear to me to tell it in any other voice.
Alicia.
I can remember the
excitement, my stomach had butterflies every morning when I woke up or thought
about the upcoming trip and on the day I could hardly stand it. My dear Mumma helped me pack, I donÕt
think I could have focused my mind long enough to do it alone. She and Dadda fussed around me like two
hens, or rather a cock and a hen I should say. And finally there we were standing in
the space port going through ticketing and baggage and security, all of which
were new to me having never even been on a commercial airplane up to now. I couldnÕt keep still finding any and
all excuses to move around, I must have been a terrible worry to poor Great
Grandfather.
There was a moment just
as the warning lights in the cabin started to flash in time with a gong to warn
that take off was imminent, when I felt a panic rising in my throat, it was a
good job we were all strapped into our seats and tilted back or I probably
would have done something embarrassing.
But suddenly the roar of the engines filled my ears and a large fat
person sat on my chest, that was how it felt anyway as we were all pushed down
into our seats by the g force of getting up to escape velocity. Finally it was over and the clear
signal, a kind of ÒGoowupquick GoowupquickÓ sounded that we could undo our
harness and move around. The
artificial gravity felt very strange and you had to be careful not to do
anything sudden or you could bounce around like a tennis ball in slow
motion. There were viewing screens
to look at where we had come from and where we were going. I stared at Earth getting smaller for a
long time, sort of entranced, Great Grandfather just sat beside me and said
nothing. As we got up to go and get
a snack he handed me a tissue and I needed it as did quite a few other
people. YouÕll know what I mean
when you go.
Space travel is very
exciting at first but after a while it becomes deadly dull unless you have lost
of holo games or movies or other entertainment. I had always been an outdoorsy kind of
girl, donÕt laugh a person can change, and was really getting ants in my pants
and was very glad when the announcement came to get back to our seats and put
on our harness ready for landing.
Lunarcia, like most of
the other moon colonies, was situated right on the boundary between light and
dark and since it was one of the first it had a prime location. So when you looked in one direction it
was very bright and in the other quite dark sort of like being in a perpetual
dawn. Sorry IÕm starting to ramble,
letÕs get back to the landing. It
took forever to get out of the space port,
there were so many security and medical checks and immigration officers
checking our paperwork and finally the ÔinductationÕ. Lunarcia had even back then opted for
being an integrated society which meant everyone had a cortical implant and was
able to contact anyone else on Lunarcia in an instant. Visitors were expected to abide by this
societal norm and had to agree before even being allowed to visit. Great Grandfather already had his
implant so his inductation was a simple matter but back then I had not had mine
put in and so they provided a thing that looked like one of those yarmulkeÕs
that Jewish people used to wear and it had contacts onto my brain and I guess
all kind of electronics. I had it
put on with very mixed feelings at the time but after that experience it was
what made me get my cortical implant as soon as I was old enough on Earth. It was nothing like I imagined, there
was no invasion of my privacy and I could request to talk to anyone at any time
just by thinking about it. There
was in fact a whole etiquette of how this was done and IÕm sure I made a few
faux pas but as a teenager I was forgiven.
We had been told to go
to our hotelÕs and rest for the first 12 hours to recover from the stress of
the space journey. But I could not
sleep and I lay there using my ÒyarmulkeÓ to search the net and plan our whole
stay in Lunarcia. It was fantastic,
I could go on virtual tours, look at any brochures or literature I liked, look up schedules and prices, make up an
itinerary and print it out on a local printer. Great Grandfather was hugely amused at
my industry, but of course he knew what I had been doing, cortical implants are
one thing but akuut is something else.
Lunarcia was beautiful
beyond my wildest imaginings. There
were parks as lovely as the gardens in old English stately homes where you
could walk or take a boat ride, there were glittering shopping complexes where
with my ÒyarmulkeÓ I could find my hearts desire. There were opera houses and theatres and
art galleries and museums as lovely as Vienna, it was like being in paradise. Great Grandfather just let me go
wherever I wanted and tagged along.
We had taken a Lunar Car, it was automatically controlled and you
just sat inside in our space suits and watched the view. One of the recommended experiences was
to get out at the pre-ordained spot and sit with your legs dangling over the
edge of a thousand foot precipice and enjoy the view for as long as you liked. Most of the moonÕs natural surface is
rather monotonous but sitting on this cliff edge the sunÕs rays glinted behind
the mountains and made a very pretty shifting pattern, it was so, so
peaceful. That was when Great
Grandfather sprang his trap, a very tender trap true but none the less a
trap. He got me thinking about my
past and my future and about how we both got to be there. My akuut would not have been
sufficiently developed to have been able to engage in that conversation but
with my ÒyarmulkeÓ it was like being in one mind. And I could see, no not see, feel the
Kuunasian culture, language and itÕs history and realize that without some
effort it would all be forgotten,
snuffed out by the pace of modern technology. It was like a sudden grief, the loss of
a loved one or something, and then suddenly it was gone, but itÕs memory
remained.
It didnÕt seem like the
highlight of the whole trip at the time, in fact it was so brief but it was so
powerful. My young mind was quick
to move on and enjoy other things that we had to do in our Month on the Moon,
as it was called.
We went down into the
Magnesium Mines. They are called
that after the company that owns them not the mineral they recover. Some of the rock formations were
spectacular, so old and yet so delicate, black rock with red veins, crystal
lattices, pure white rock, so many things.
We also went on a tour
of the ÔfacilitiesÕ as they are called.
Everything in Lunarcia is recycled, everything! by great atomic powered
processing plants underground. But
you would think you were in a hospital they were so clean. Come to think of it they smelled a bit
like a hospital as well.
I was so so sad when it
was time to come back. The
LunarcianÕs who de-induct you were so kind. They sent me a memory cube of all our
experiences, everything down to the last smile and the last tear as I watched
the Moon getting smaller and smaller on our way back to Earth.
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Appendix 1:
A Selection of the Allegories of the Kuunasameru
The allegory numbering
is for reference purposes only, the sequence having no significanceÉAlicia.
Allegory 1: Miki's First Voyage
Hot sun shone on Miki's
back as he saw his people, all in ceremonial robes, streaming to the shore like a
multicolored river meeting the ocean spreading out and kissing itÕs waves. His akuut full of good wishes for his
first voyage. The swell of the sea
gently lifted him and he flexed his
legs gripping the tiller with one hand and waving with the other. He paddled into clear water and, having
a fair wind, set his sails. The
white expanse of the beach was now very thin and individuals no longer visible,
just a glittering line. The akuut
of his family and friends was faded out.
An awful loneliness blanketed Miki, with only the fish and the birds
around him. The shock of it brought
him to his knees and made his vision swimmy, a great sadness was upon him. He gulped the fresh sea air and almost
turned back as his beloved homeland, Kuunasameru, disappeared into the waves
and there was only the blue sky and the sea from horizon to horizon with the
sun glittering on the wave tops. He
sobbed like a baby but gradually the sadness receded. Miki hardened his heart and turned to
face the adventure ahead, his eyes scanning the horizon.
He began to check his
supplies and equipment even though he knew it would all be fine since it had
been checked a thousand times before by those he trusted. He had enough for twenty days at sea and
emergency supplies for quite a while longer. Old stories told of other lands but
Himbos the 3rd had instructed him,
"Try and verify the
stories but take no unnecessary risks.
Come back home while you still have plenty of supplies. Another voyage is always possible but we
only have one Miki."
In his own mind though
Miki did not like the idea or returning with nothing, in spite of Himbos the
3rd's wise instruction. So he
sailed and slept many days and nearly half his supplies had been used up. Even this was risky sailing on the
prevailing wind since going back would require tacking against the wind and
take longer. He decided one more
day and if finding nothing he would have to turn back. Getting back to Kuunasameru using
emergency rations would have demonstrated his courage and good seamanship
without being foolhardy.
The next day, great joy, he
sighted a land looking from a distance like a small version of Kuunasameru, verdant, tree covered with
white sandy beaches. There were
fresh water springs, some fruit and game to re-provision himself. A big disappointment though, it was
uninhabited, he had so looked forward to contact with new people.
In three days he had
completely explored this new little land and was ready to take the supplies he
had prepared aboard but he now had to decided whether to go on or return. He decided to stay one more night and
decide the next day hoping Eshuna or Mihuna would give him a sign to help him
choose.
Miki rose with the sun as
usual but after washing and breakfast he still couldn't decide what to do so
decided to take a walk around the land which could be done in less than a day
and during the walk do two things.
Think of a name for the little land and decide which direction to sail
when he set off the next day, his fifth.
Miki put a water skin and some dried meat into his shoulder bag and set
off. He decided to go in the
opposite direction from his first exploration of the land. An explorers instinct perhaps but a
fortuitous one for after walking an hour or two he saw an overgrown track
leading away from the beach which he had missed coming in the other direction. It was not made by an animal which was
exciting but it was overgrown which was not. A little way into deep undergrowth he
came to a natural clearing in which stood a rough hut made from log walls with
a kind thatch roof which had mostly collapsed and a door made from hides. Pushing back the leather door the stench
that assailed his nostrils made him turn away to avoid gagging. He tied a cloth over his face and tried
again. Inside he quickly understood
the source of the smell as the body of a dead man was lying on the cot. Miki's heart felt like lead as he read
the story told by this cabin and it's contents of the lonely death of a
castaway. He wondered why the
animals had not ripped the man's body apart then noticed another odor. A bowl of yellow powder was the source
and a powerful source it was, bitter and making his eyes water even though it
must have been lying there years.
But the mystery deepened when he looked on the table, which was well made,
and found writings in a language he could not understand using very fine
materials. There were also tools
made of a material he had never seen, they weren't bone and they weren't stone
and they weren't wood, a kind of reddish-brown color and very hard. There was a knife, and an axe but there
were other tools he had never seen, long and flat with a zigzag pattern on one
side and a handle on the end, bar like ones, sharp at one end with a handle at
the other and a strange kind of club.
The man's clothes were also different to any he had seen before, what
was left of them anyway. His
decisions were made; this find had to be taken back to his people and what
couldn't be taken back had to be remembered in detail; the name of the land
would be Castaway. His first act
was to give the dead man his death rites in the traditional Kuunasian way with
a funeral pyre on the beach. If he
had any signs of being a king or noble Miki would have had to made a funeral
boat to launch the body and set it afire but this work was luckily avoided
since there was no indication of the mans royal standing. Then he collected together everything he
thought he could take back with him.
Carefully looking at everything he could not to be able to describe it
in detail to the learned men when he got back. A very busy day for Miki.
The journey back to
Kuunasameru took all of his new provisions and most of his emergency rations as
well. On the outward journey while
he slept he lashed the tiller and the canoe sailed itself but going back tacking
against the wind was a very different matter. He slept very little as he lost ground
again in the drift against the sea anchor.
Tears of joy streamed down his face when he saw his beloved homeland appear
on the horizon and even more so when he joined the akuut of his family. They were close to delirious with joy
for they had given him up for lost,
nobody had ever sailed away to return again after such a long time. The celebrations and feasting lasted
several days. His findings were
viewed with amazement by the learned men and this his first voyage was declared
a great success by Himbos the 3rd but Miki's appetite for exploration and
adventure soon made him restless again.
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Allegory 2:
The Cordisi
Castaway Land became
Miki's regular staging point for more distant exploration. The lands were separated by many sea
miles and Miki had to make many trips to discover them all. One of the first new lands he discovered
with it's own people was the land of the Cordisi. As he beached his canoe the beach was
filled with people who stood and stared at him. He waved to them and one or two half
heartedly waved back, "Not a great welcome," he thought, "and no
akuut". He had brought some
gifts to show goodwill and unloaded them but the people would not approach to
take them as he held them out.
After a few minutes the crowd parted and an obviously important
personage walked down the beach towards him with a big entourage all dressed in
very fine clothes. The Himbos or
whoever he was stopped a few feet from Miki. He spoke but Miki could not understand
what he said however assuming it was some kind of greeting he politely and
deferentially bowed and said hello and hoped they were all well. Some of the big man's entourage laughed
and one of them looked at another and made the sound of a meaningless
jabber. Miki felt insulted but
tried not to show it, his elders had told him that the early exchanges between
two peoples could set the tone for a long time to come and he didn't want to
make any enemies, especially as he was in a weak tactical situation. He offered one of his gifts to the big
man. This seemed to be well
received and the big man signaled to one of his entourage to take the gift from
Miki. Miki then pointed to himself
and said his name and then pointed to the big man. He said what sounded like Oompah. Miki just about managed to suppress a
laugh and bowed in a courteous manner.
Oompah then said a lot of stuff which Miki could not understand but some
of the guards in his entourage took up positions around Miki's canoe obviously
to guard it. And then Oompah
signaled for Miki to follow them and they turned to go back up the beach. Miki had no choice but to comply and he
followed the group back to a well built village at the center of which was a
palace into which the group entered and Oompah sat on a very ornate seat in a
big room, looking at Miki he pointed to another seat and Miki sat down. Servants started to bring food and although
he was very hungry after the meager provisions in his canoe he was embarrassed
that he was not clean or at all presentable for any kind of social occasion but
the communication of this situation was impossible so he just sat and ate. A very wise decision as it turns out for
refusing food or even eating without sufficient relish was a form of insult to
the Cordisi. Oompah and Miki, over
a sweet, slightly alcoholic drink served after the food managed some minimal
conversation but it was clearly frustrating for both of them. Finally Oompah called out some orders
and a lovely girl entered. Oompah
embraced her, she was obviously his daughter. He spoke to her at length and then left. Kurina, for that was her name, took Miki
by the hand and showed him where he could wash and sleep.
The next day Miki had
risen and washed in the refreshed warm water provided when Kurina
appeared. She took him to where
they had breakfast and then to a room where several older people were sitting
at a table with some writing materials in front of them. It soon became apparent that Miki was to
learn the Cordisi language. It also
soon became apparent that the Cordisi weren't in the least interested in
learning his language. It was a slow
process at first but after a few days of hard work, for the Cordisi certainly
weren't afraid of hard work, in fact they were always busy from sun up to sun
down, so after a few days of hard work Miki was able to conduct a simple
conversation and tell them where he had come from and what he was doing there. He was then given another audience with
Oompah and after that things got much easier. He spent several weeks there learning
their ways. Although in some ways
they were more advanced than the Kuunasians in others, especially seafaring
ones, they were much more primitive.
The cultural exchange was seen as a mutual benefit and Miki had a lot to
take back on the day they saw him off.
He waved until they were out of sight and he was on his way back to his
beloved homeland.
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Allegory 3:
Mount Arrnacto
Miki put his hand on the
face and felt like an ant. The
Arrnacto Mountain side was a vertical precipice smooth and wind polished as far
up as he could see. To cross the
mountain he had to find a vertical crevice and even then it was going to take
him hours, maybe days to get up it.
But he prepared so that he could pace himself, as much as his strength
would allow and then rest. Never
looking at the top, not even looking more than a few yards ahead to make sure
he was not on a dead end. Climbing
up step by step, minute by minute, hour by hour. Stopping to eat when he was hungry,
never panicking, stopping to sleep when he was tired or when it got too dark to
see by wedging himself in with a hide over him as protection. Stopping again if the weather made it
dangerous. His only risk, apart from falling obviously, was running out of
water or food but he had dried food to last for days and there were springs and
running water on the way up to refill his water skin. Three days later he was at the top and
looking down on the beauty of the land beyond. Getting there by sheer dogged
determination and grit.
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Allegory 4:
Kurim at Kanderhas
Kurim was impatient to be
allowed to roam alone, free from ArachoyaÕs apron strings. WasnÕt he to be a god in his own right
soon. But his mother knew how
dangerous the world could be for the inexperienced and told him he must
wait. But Kurim did not want to
wait and so when Arachoya was distracted he crept away for an adventure
alone. Arachoya had warned him
about Kanderhas mountains and forests but it seemed that having escaped from
his mother's clutches why shouldn't he go all the way, why play it safe, maybe
they wouldn't be so bad. So making
himself look like a traveling merchant he ventured on the road. Very soon he was confronted by armed
robbers but because he had the powers of a god he taught those robbers a
lesson. Kanderhas was only dangerous to mortals but KurimÕs ego blinded him and
he ventured into Mythanium, where the bad gods lived. They were cruel to him and it was only
because of their fear of his mother they let him go again. He returned to his
mother a bit wiser and a bit more humble.
She didn't ask where he had been, she knew, and was just glad he wasn't
harmed.
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Allegory
5: Legorus with his bad foot.
Legorus the messenger was
totally reliable and honest, delivering messages between any two people who
needed to communicate. But one day
he cut his foot and the injury, instead of healing, became poisoned, gradually
forcing Legorus to travel slower and slower. Legorus was a proud man and fiercely
independent and tried to hide his problem instead of seeking help. As the service deteriorated he gave
excuses including refusal of messages because the recipient's name was not
written clearly, although that had never been a problem before. Certain people also offered him favors
to deliver their messages faster.
Eventually, of course, he became ill and couldn't do his job at all and
that was when it all came out and he got the help he needed. He was fortunate not to lose his leg and
as it was had a slight limp for the rest of his life.
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Allegory
6: Kuuros at Kuunasameru
Arachoya had been very
detailed in the description of that for which her scout Kuuros was
looking. Kuuros had spent a long,
long time in his sea canoe stopping at landfall only when he ran out of
supplies which because of his magical abilities and special physique was not
very often. Tropical storms, ice
blockades and all kinds of other natural phenomena had been overcome. He had almost despaired, finding many
places that were almost but not quite right and then he came in sight of
Kuunasameru. His joy was known to
Arachoya immediately and it only increased as he scouted the island extensively
finally confirming that this was the place.
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Allegory
7: Kamahi to Garoc
In the early times the
Kuunas people used to battle with the Garoc on a neighboring island. The battles were never decisive and a
kind of irritant in the lives of both the Kuunas and the Garoc. They usually broke out when the Kuunas
were fishing too close the Garoc's island.
The Garoc were more warlike than the Kuunas and more territorial and
would come out in war canoes to chase them off. The tribal leader of the Kuunas, Himbos
the 23rd was approached by a scholar and negotiator Kamahi, after one incident
where two Kuunas fishermen had been killed, he suggested that this situation
had to be changed so that all could live in peace and that he would go alone
and unarmed to negotiate with the Garoc.
The Kuunas elders pleaded with him not to go fearing he would be
slaughtered. In fact he returned
with an agreement that endured for many years afterwards and set up a peaceful
dispute resolution method between the two peoples whenever they would
arise. War of course always being
the last resort.
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Allegory
8: Marakatimi at Quagawaya.
Nikiwi the herbalist
lived near the Quagawaya swamp and was out walking with her familiar, a very
old dog called Manman. ÒTwo old
dogs together,Ó the thought amused her.
Manman still loved to chase small animals so when he saw a squirrel he
gave chase but the squirrel jumped over some logs that were over quicksand and
Manman fell in. Nikiwi was in a
terrible state, she couldn't reach Manman who was gradually sinking whining
pathetically. She screamed in
desperation for this was a wilderness place and there would be nobody to help
but as it happened Marakatimi was nearby hunting and heard her scream. He came just in time to throw a rope to
Manman who grabbed it with his teeth and Marakatimi was able to pull him
out. Nikiwi was so very grateful
she threw her arms around Marakatimi weeping as he stood here awkwardly
consoling the elderly woman. Then
she offered to take him back to her house and give him food and rest. Marakatimi accepted gratefully for the
hunt had not gone well and he was both hungry and tired. When he left the next day he had gifts
of medicines to ensure good health and healing for many ailments.
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Allegory 9:
Miki and the Toopiuus
ÒSo Miki, I have asked
Peskitoo to join us to hear the amazing story of your travels. Tell us, and leave out nothing, we want
to hear every detail.Ó
ÒAs you wish
Himbos.Ó Miki stood, he preferred
it when relating an adventure. ÒI
had been sailing for several days towards the sunrise when an island came into
view. I could see the island was
inhabited, there were totem poles five times higher than a man and large
buildings behind them all along the beach.
But there was nobody in sight.
As I beached my sea canoe nobody ran out to either greet or attack me,
all was quiet and the sun glistened on the white sand. Then as I walked up the beach I heard a
sound. At first I could not make it
out but then I realized it was a lot of people all saying the same thing
together, and closer to the buildings I realized it was some kind of religious
ritual and wondered if I had come at in inopportune time. The sound was coming from one of the
larger buildings and I approached carefully to peek around the door. Nobody saw me they were all too busy
stretched out face down on the floor chanting and moving their heads together
and wriggling their hips. It went
like this.Ó And Miki lay face down
on the floor and began a chant.
ÒMumbo, jumbo, up you go.Ó
He lifted his hips. ÒMumbo,
jumbo, down you go.Ó He dropped his
hips to the floor again. Himbos and
Peskitoo were very amused. Miki
stood up again and saw them chuckling.
ÒYes when I first saw it I had to suppress my laughter and it was a good
job I did. Further in near the
other end of the building I could see what must be the leaders also in similar
positions. I decided to go back to
the canoe and wait for the ritual to end since a stranger arriving in the
middle of the ritual may not be welcome.
This was a very wise decision as I discovered later.
So I went back to the
canoe and laid out on the beach the traditional gifts of peace we carry. After a while the Toopiuus, as they called
themselves, came out of the big building and saw me on the beach. There was great excitement but we could
not communicate. Eventually a man
dressed in very ornate clothes was carried in a specially constructed chair
down onto the beach. I assumed he was
some kind of leader and I offered him some of the gifts laid out. He seemed very pleased and they brought
me food and drink. But we had just
started to eat when a bell sounded and immediately they all got up and started
to move in the direction of the big building which I later found out was their
Temple. I was just considering what
I should do when one of the leaderÕs entourage ran and fell in front of me and
writhed around in what appeared to be a fit. I moved as though to help him but he
leapt away and continued his antics a bit further off. Meanwhile several people were staring at
me in a most unfriendly fashion and they too began to fall down in fits. And when I looked at the leader he
pointed to the Temple. They
apparently expected me to join their ritual. In the pursuit of good accord I went
with them, laid face down on the floor of the temple and tried to imitate their
actions and the words they were chanting.
Then the bell rang again and everybody got up to file out and we all
went back to the beach and carried on as though nothing had happened. Most disconcerting. This happened several times during the
feast we were consuming and also later when they took me up to one of their
houses and invited me to stay there.
The next day was very stressful for me as several times, for no apparent
reason, somebody would fall down in front of me in this kind of fit. Eventually some older men arrived with
whom I was able to establish some level of communication. They started to tell me about their way
of life and I about ours. I was
quite circumspect about our religion, already being cautious, this was very
lucky for me as in the end it turned out I was in a very dangerous situation
and narrowly escaped with my life.
Their culture is quite
similar to ours with two exceptions, they have no akuut, luckily for me, and
everything they do is guided and controlled by their religion. When the Temple bell rings, which it
does often, they all go to worship and stay there till the bell rings again to
release them. I have already
described one of the rituals and there were many but it is more than that. Every article and every move, every
feature of the land and sea, in fact everything, is ascribed some kind of
religious significance and involves some kind of ritual behavior. This cannot be questioned, if anybody
thinks that you are even considering questioning a behavior, which I
accidentally did several times early on, they would throw themselves down in
front of you in what they called Òa paroxysmÓ, which would continue, spreading
to more and more people, until you conformed. The leaders and dignitaries had
paroxists who would carry out the paroxysm for them relieving them of the
indignity of the paroxysm themselves but allow them to show their ÔonenessÕ as
they called it. Luckily my akuut
warned me to conform as soon as possible since I later found out that the
penalty for non conformity was death.
In fact it soon became apparent to me that if and when they found out
about my, or rather our, religious beliefs it would put my life in danger. So after a stay of less than half a moon
phase I managed to secretly leave in the middle of the night.
The next day, many sea
miles away I saw a plume of smoke on the beach of ToopiuusÕ Island. I could not see clearly but could sense
their anger and they seemed to be burning the gifts I had brought and some
other things, perhaps items I had touched, perhaps a purging ceremony. Thus I returned to tell you my
adventure.Ó
ÒThat is an amazing story
Miki, amazing. Peskitoo have you
any questions.Ó
ÒYes. Were you able to determine exactly what
triggered any of these paroxysms you mentioned? What exactly were you doing at the
time?Ó
ÒAfter the first few
times it happened I began to mimic exactly what everybody else was doing in
every situation. There were
different facial expressions and head movements before starting to eat each
different kind of food: fish; shellfish; root vegetables or leaf vegetables,
etc, etc. All hygienic functions
were performed in a ritualistic way, certain hand movements, kind of salutes,
were required when coming in sight of the sea or a particular hill and many
other kinds of natural features.
There were in fact so many rituals it was very hard to remember them
all.Ó
ÒIt would seem to me Himbos
that we should avoid all contact with the Toopiuus. Contact between our cultures is certain
to lead to conflict, probably violent.Ó
ÒI agree Peskitoo. Thank you Miki, your courage never
lacking and the service to our people leaves us in your debt. Mark an area of quarantine around the
Toopiuus Island on our maps.Ó
ÒAs ever, I am at your
command Himbos the 3rd.Ó
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Allegory
10: Miki's Last Exploration
Miki
knew the land well. He had borne and
raised children in this land. He
had seen hundreds of sunrises and sunsets, traveled far and seen much, and
prospered. The land was as
comfortable as the dressing gown he put on each day after he had bathed, safe, familiar, dependable, old.
He also
knew of this other land, an unknown
place sometimes mentioned. A place
he could have gone earlier but really had no time to think about much in the
tumult of a busy life. A place to
which he had always known he would have to go, at some later time, but that time was
nearly here; then nearly here now; and now here. It emerged like the river bank after a
misty canoe crossing. He could
ignore it no longer.
They
were all very kind: his kin; of
course, his family; it was expected,
but all of those with whom he had spent most of his adult life. Some nomads leave the old to die on the
banks of the river if they can't ford the swollen spring melt. His clan didn't do that, no not at all, but it felt like it somehow. Even though they were very kind. They helped him to prepare for the
transition as best they could. They
had a celebration for him,
congratulated him, thanked him,
and later he would meet with some of them occasionally, to eat, but as
time went on they spoke a different language, and communication dried up, as did the meetings. Slowly, reluctantly, kindly, but
inexorably he was in the land but no longer part of the land. No!
Unlike the nomads, this was
the reverse situation, it was he who had to cross the river and leave the
others behind and although he didn't know it at the time, he was the fortunate
one. He had chosen the time so when
it came he was provided for. He had
been careful. Now he stood on the
bank and peered at the other side, a long way off but visible, shrouded in mist. He walked up and down the bank for a
long, long time, but although there were crossing places, they none of them looked safe and the
other side was always, for one
reason or another, a mystery. So he would wait for another day.
One advantage he had now
was time to think, lots of time to think.
Not so much remembrance, although some of that, but to find
himself, to get in touch again with
his inner self. "The beginning
of a journey perhaps from duty to fulfillment?" He wondered. As time went on it became apparent that
neither was an external event going to intervene, nor was there going to be a moment of
inspiration, no epiphany. The resolution to his situation was only
going to be in trying to cross, to
prepare as best possible and then set out.
Perhaps, if unsuccessful, to luckily be able to pull back and try a
different place. But to set
out. So he chose and so prepared
and tried. The crossing itself, it
turned out, was not as difficult as it appeared. It was the other side that was strange. Good people he had never known existed
before, never known could exist and
isolated on another land, separated
not just from the land he had just left but from everywhere else. He did not feel right there, o.k. as a
visitor perhaps, welcome to come back anytime, but not a place to call home. He crossed back and tried another place
but encountered the same result. This
went on for some while and he even revisited some places several times until
eventually he found one that seemed right.
It was still another land, he still had to go back to the old land
occasionally, although less and less as time went on. Then one day he met, quite by chance, somebody from one of
the other lands. They thought where
they had come from was the main land and related the same kind of history to
him as his own and suddenly he was home.
A new career of fulfillment spread out in front of him, driven, not by external necessity, but
by something inside and he embraced it with all his heart and enjoyed life as
he had never done before.
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Allegory
11: Kamahi and Kissali
Kassali had held Kamahi
in her arms as a babe while he suckled at her breast. She loved him with a love only a mother
can know. She called him to her and
told him this but now she had a consuming evil in her she was going to become
very sick and die. It was her wish
that he look after her and manage her end of life in the traditional ways. Kamahi was shocked and deeply affected
by the news but being a dutiful son immediately acquiesced to his mothers
wishes and provided everything, palliative care, the bitter cup, cremation
rites and ceremonies, and execution of her last will bottling up all his
feelings till his duty was done.
Only after it was all over did he allow himself to mourn by going alone
into the hills where he could wail and sob away from those who might think such
behavior in a man showed weakness in the Chief he would become.
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Allegory
12: Enchanted Forest
Miki got lost in a very
old forest. He wandered around for
days getting more and more hungry and began eating berries and shoots. With his carefully conserved water supply
almost gone he came across a house.
There was a fountain in the front garden and he refilled his water
bottle and drank deeply. The water
was crystalline and pure and quenched his thirst perfectly. When he looked at the house again the
front door, which had been closed, was open. An invitation? He walked up to the door and called out
to see of there was anyone home.
There was no reply but the door swung open wider so he stepped inside. Looking into the dining room an
irresistible meal was laid out ready to be eaten and one chair set before one
place setting. His hunger caused
him to abandon all caution and to sit and eat. There was wine on the table and he had a
couple of glasses of that too. The
food was the best he had ever tasted.
After he had eaten his fill he began to look around and very soon found
a bedroom with a bed all laid out ready for sleeping. He was exhausted and sat on the bed,
which was very soft, then lay down just to try it out and fell in a deep sleep. He was awakened by the sunlight shining
in through the window and the sound of the birds singing. There was a bathroom with fresh towels
and soap laid out with warm water and so he washed and then going downstairs he
could smell bacon and eggs and coffee which was laid out on the same table as
he had eaten at the night before.
The previous meal having been cleared away. Again he sat and ate and having eaten
his fill stood to look around. When
he stood by the open front door he could see a well marked path leading into
the forest. Gathering his meager
possessions he followed the path and in what seemed like no time at all he was
back at the edge of the forest in known territory but on looking back he could
no longer see the path that had led him out. Then he was awoken by rainwater dripping
into his mouth and he realized he had been lying on the forest floor in a state
of delirium.
Something that seems too
good to be true, probably is.
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Allegory 13:
The Fecundios.
Himbos the 3rd
assured Miki that he would not be offended and to describe his adventure just
as it had happened. Miki was still
a little reticent but anyway began his story. He had come upon an island which was
ruled by women, not that that was terribly unusual, he had discovered other
matriarchal societies before in his travels and they were usually very well run
societies indeed but this one was an exception. He had been greeted on the beach by a
group of women who showed an exceptional,
somewhat disconcerting, interest in him and he had been escorted to the
presence of their Queen Pirana. She
was a giant of a woman attended by rather diminutive servants, all male. She had a great welcoming feast laid out
for Miki and during the following hours showed an obvious sexual interest in
him. The feast was attended by all
the tribal leaders, all female, and
all magnificent women but faithful to the Queen to a woman. After they had finished eating the Queen
ordered some entertainment which was in the form of belly dancers, except these
belly dancers were male. There was
even a man who did a variation on the dance of the seven veils finishing up
stark naked, much to the applause and enjoyment of the women. During various side conversations with
the woman Miki learned that the Queen, along with several of the richer women,
had a large harem of males and that on a regular basis there would be what they
called, ÒThe HuntÓ where the best looking males would all be given a head start
in the jungle and then the Queen, dressed as one of several animals according
to her whim, would lead a female hunting party similarly dressed, chasing down
the men and having their way with them.
He also discovered that the Queen would consider it an immense insult if
he did not have sex with her during his stay.
Everybody had a lot to
drink during the festivities and they were all very drunk, Miki managed to
limit his drinking and keep his head straight so that later on in the early
hours of the morning he crept down to the shore and launched his boat and
managed to get a long way off before anyone had noticed he was gone.
Himbos the 3rd
thought the whole thing very interesting.
He said Miki that should have stayed and fulfilled the Queens wishes
because now there could be a conflict if their peoples ever met in the future. Miki was speechless until Himbos the 3rd
could not keep a straight face any longer and roared with laughter.
They talked about how
such rituals and practices could evolve and wondered if there had been some
kind of low birth rate or something in the water or environment to reduce their
fertility. Himbos the 3rd
thought Miki should discuss this with the tribal elders. ÒWe donÕt want the same thing happening
here do we Miki,Ó he ended with a great laugh.
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Allegory
14: The Beginning
Through
the hearts of galaxies; round the event horizons of black holes; along the
neutrino winds with only dark matter for companionship Arachoya had traveled
long and far from the one; searching, searching, searching so her joy suffused
her being when she knew the approaching jewel, the one that would be called
Earth and she had found it first.
I am
Arachoya: Mother of All. I have
called you here my children to meet at the beginning of a new planet that will
be called Earth. You have been
chosen to be the guardians of this new Earth and to ensure that it enjoys the
normal life of a planet such as this and defend it against those that would do
it harm. Hear now your
assignments.
Kurim: The eldest will
watch over you all. He represents me in every way, resolving any conflicts and
smoothing all difficulties save those he has to refer to myself.
Ahuna: Great Spirit of
the Sky. The air above the land and sea and everything at that time in it all
the way to the outer most space is your domain.
Eshuna: Great Spirit of
the Water. The water beneath the surface of every ocean, sea, lake and river
down to the smallest drop is your charge and everything in it or on the surface
at that time.
Mihuna: Great Spirit of the Land. So long as anything is on or in the land
it is your charge as well as the land itself all the way down to the very
center of the molten core
Egoni: Life force of every living thing. You
will give every living thing a will to survive and be what it can.
Irois: Spirit of Emotions. Yours is a special
and restricted charge to that of human emotions. Work with Egoni in this regard although
your word is law in your own restricted domain.
Shurgon: Spirit without portfolio. There will arise unforeseen circumstances
and then you will know when it is your time to act.
Go now to your tasks and
remain there till the end of Earth which in Earth time will be long; in our
time a passing season.
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Allegory 15: The Day of the Demon Moon
Arachoya put her hand
over the sun and made the sky so dark you could see the stars and then the moon
came up but is was streaked red and orange and surrounded by black clouds as
though it was on fire and it lit everything in a eerie reddish glow that made
your eyes water and then the hot winds came blowing first from one side and
then from the other with waves criss crossing each other beating a rhythm on
the sides of the boat like a taigla
drum and then the wind played an evil piping tune in the rigging that made the
sailors heads spin and they danced into a frenzy. Then the silver smoky ekriees
streamed up and down and around the boat adding a beautiful descant to the
music but their fragrant perfume in the sailors noses made them think that
everything they did was good. And
in their frenzy they seized the Maikuum
and were just about to throw her overboard when Arachoya took her hand off the
sun and everything went back to normal like it had never happened.
Later that day a deputation headed by the Captain
came to the Maikuum and on bended knees begged her forgiveness. She forgave them with just a wave of her
hand saying. "It was a sign
from Arachoya and you were just the messengers: we must lash everything down and make
all preparations for bad weather for a terrible event is about to take place.
So they did as she asked
and no sooner was it done than they were in a dead calm and stayed so till
nightfall. As they slept they were
awakened by the Maikuum, who always sleeps with one eye open, and in the sky was a fiery ball getting
bigger and bigger as it crossed the sky lighting everything up as though it was
day. The fiery ball disappeared
over the horizon and then they felt in their hearts and their bones the ball hitting
the earth with awful power, then a
wall of fire came past them and it took every man to control the fires it
set. And afterwards every man and
woman was black with soot making the whites of their eyes gleam. And then they saw, even in the dark, a
silver line on the horizon and it got bigger and bigger and they realized it
was a tidal wave. The Maikuum told
the Captain that there was nothing they could do but just lash them selves to
the boat. And the tidal wave
lifted them up and up higher than a mountain and then dropped them again. The Maikuum warned them that it was not
over and they waited and soon another wave came from the opposite direction and
this continued each alternate wave getting smaller until at last the Maikuum
said it was over they could all rest before returning home to discover what
news of their own people.
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Allegory
16: Miki on Mount Kruunas
Miki came to a land
rising from the beach to the snow capped mountains. The highest mountain stood imposing
against the clear sky and somehow invited him up it's awful presence. Miki had climbed mountains before but
this one was so high that he was cold and yet the sun was hot on his back and
he was panting to try and catch his breath. As he came nearly to the top two figures
appeared that were too bright to look at dressed in highly ornamented
clothing; and he covered his eyes
but on looking up again he saw that he was protected by a darkened window that
allowed him to see everything without being blinded. And the Gods, for this was what they
were, spoke to him on Mount Kruunas,
and assured him that without their intervention the day of the demon
moon
would have been much, much worse for the Kuunasians. It was they who gave a sign to the
Maikuum at sea. It was they who
parted the waves to give Kuunasameru some protection. They could not stop the event which was
part of the natural order of chaos but they were empowered to protect budding
areas of order where an impertinent chance would wipe them out before they were
mature enough to protect themselves.
And Miki descended the
mountain again to go home and tell his story. And everybody, all the Kuunas, were much
chastened and begged forgiveness of Arachoya for doubting her.
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Allegory
17: Miki and the Castaway.
Himbos the Xth held the
little box in his hands and turned it this way and that. He touched the top gently but could not
put his finger inside even though it looked hollow. He stood up and walked around the
room, Miki watched him do all the
things he had done when "The Castaway," had first given it to him. No matter what Himbos did the needle
inside the box kept pointing in the same direction. Finally Himbos the Xth sat down again
and asked Miki to tell his story.
Miki's intention was to
travel a long way towards the sunrise.
A direction thought to lead to nowhere or worse the end of the
world. Because of the seasonal
change in the prevailing winds he was able to travel far and eventually came to
small island but looking very verdant.
He had landed and found fruit to eat and water and had managed to catch
fish to dry and other provisions in preparation for his return voyage when the
wind was favorable. As he worked he
could akuut he was being watched but that the watcher was like an animal,
fearful and cautious. Miki prepared
and performed the ritual of the celebration to thank the gods for the bounty
and to pay homage to the spirits of the fish and animals who had given their
lives for his nourishment. As he
sat after the ceremony peacefully smoking the watcher revealed itself. It was a man but one whose appearance
stopped your heart the first time seen.
His skin was scaly, more like a reptile than a man, he stood before Miki and held out
something with one hand that could have been food. He had the same thing in his other hand
and he bit into it. Mike took the
peace offering and took a bite, it was surprisingly pleasant and aromatic with
a crumbly texture and sharp after taste.
The man did not speak
Miki's language nor Miki his so he had to use a great deal of akuut to
communicate. In spite of the
stranger's appearance he was highly intelligent and over the course of the next few hours Miki had understood his story.
The Castaway, for this is
what he was, had been left on this land by sailors afraid of his skin disease
and had lived here many years. He
told Miki of lands far off towards the sunrise where there were even stranger
things than the magic box. That it
you traveled far enough you came back to where you started. And that on the way you would pass over
lands that could only be crossed by traveling for many moonrises. Lands with great temples and palaces and
huge pathways with four legged creatures that pulled massive wagons thundering
behind them and many other things too strange to be believed. If the man had not given Miki the magic
box with a lid you could see through but not open and the needle inside that
always pointed in the same direction he might have dismissed the man as insane.
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Allegory
18: The Bimentals
Miki could akuut the
feeling of incredulity by the elders after they had been informed by Himbos the
6th of what he was going to tell them but it was an honest report and he was
not in the business of either making up discoveries nor hiding them for the
convenience of popular opinion so he began to tell them about the Bimentals, an
race on a distant land he had discovered.
The Bimentals are a race
of people who in very early childhood not only separate into male and
female, as do all human races, but afterwards they also separate into two
other subspecies driven presumably by mechanisms similar to the ones driving
sexual changes. Each boy or girl at
the age of two or thereabouts becomes either a sup or a dud. Sups have superior mental abilities
while duds have superior physical attributes. Their whole society is organized around
this separation, sups obviously being encouraged to take up tasks requiring
mental ability while duds are encouraged to develop their physical attributes
in some way. Duds are not
completely stupid nor Sups entirely devoid of physical abilities and there is
some overlap.
Miki spent most of his
time in the company of Sups who are the rulers and managers. It became apparent to him that Sups
secretly look down on the Duds as inferior while the Duds are much more honest
and easy going although when they see a Sup sitting and thinking they snicker
amongst themselves that he is "imagining work" a parody of one famous
Sups response when challenged that he was doing "Work of the
Imagination."
Just as in sexual matters
homosexuality is preference of the minority so Sups prefer and usually mate
with Duds and vice versa. This is
probably why the form of the species survives since if not Sups would become
withered brain boxes and Duds giant imbeciles.
Miki was asked by the
elders to detail the culture and language of the Bimentals for intense study to
determine what if anything can be learned from such a discovery. It took Miki many hours of difficult
labor since he was an explorer not a scholar. The intense study never revealed any
particular insights.
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Allegory
19: The
Array of Gifts.
Huuro had beached his
canoe and set out to explore the island.
He had never seen such an abundance of vegetation. All kinds of fruit on the trees. Succulent leaves and the air was filled
with the aroma of many herbs. As he
cut his way through this dense jungle of treasures he came upon a massive hole
in the ground partially overgrown so that he nearly fell in but managed to
scramble back to safety disturbing a few rocks that plunged into the depths
soundlessly. He was just collecting
his wits about him again ready to move on when he heard a cry for help coming
from inside the hole. It was a
female voice and most pitiful in itÕs tone. He could not ignore it and so attaching
a line he carried to a stout tree he lowered himself into the hole. Again any rocks and debris disturbed
fell soundlessly into the hole which was very unusual since one could normally
hear them hitting something on the way down or at the bottom. There was also something else, something
fetid, like a dogs breath. His heart was in his mouth and if it had
not been for the call for help he would have got out of there. A long way down he came upon the lady
calling for help, she was holding a
lantern, cradling a child on a rocky ledge beside a large underground
lake. As he approached her she
started to sob and was rocking the child who looked to be maybe five years
old. The child was not moving,
looked lifeless. She looked up at
him saying nothing but beseeching his help in her eyes. The child was not breathing so he gently
laid it on the rock and breathed into itÕs mouth. After a few breaths he could feel the
stirring of life and he pulsed on the chest to help the childÕs heart restore
itÕs circulation. Some color came
back to the childÕs face. He took
his cup and went to take some water from the lake for the child but the mother
screamed, ÒNo!Ó The urgency of her
tone made him freeze and he turned to her as she spoke. ÒThat is not a lake of water it is
Murgasm making itself look like water to you. If you touch it, it will suck the life
out of you.Ó As soon as he
understood what she had said the lake changed from looking like water to a
black viscous mud and began to undulate with the waves lapping at their
feet. Huuro, realizing the danger
picked up the child and began to climb the rope, ÒFollow me,Ó he shouted to the
woman, ÒQuicklyÓ. She climbed the
rope after him and managed to get high enough that the ever increasing waves
could not reach her bare feet. It
was a desperate climb but at the top Huuro scrambled to safety, put the still
unconscious child down and helped the woman, it looked at one point as though
all would be lost but she dropped her lantern into the Murgasm and it receded
enough for her to get to safety to be re-united with her child. Huuro was wondering what he should do
next when the woman pulled a small silver whistle from a pocket and blew into
it. It made no audible sound. Huuro looked at her for an explanation,
wondering in his mind, if she had this means to summon help why she didnÕt use
it before. In a few seconds there
was a great beam of light from the sky and down it came a man who wasnÕt a man
because although he was there you could see through him and shone and sparkled
very fiercely. Huuro had to shade
his eyes. The being surveyed the
scene and some communication happened between him and the woman. The next thing Huuro knew he was sitting
in a very comfortable chair at a table laid out with a wonderful feast. Also at the table were the woman, the
being and the child miraculously healed.
The being laughed at
HuuroÕs confusion, ÒKuunas are not used to the ways of the gods obviously. Eat and drink Huuro for you have earned
it well. I am Shurgon, a fairly
minor god as gods go, The God without Portfolio, as Arachoya called me. You have saved my lady and my son. You will be rewarded well.Ó
Huuro bowed his head
slightly, he had no idea how to behave in the presence of a god but he put on
his best table manners and began to eat and drink, offering bread to the woman
and child before eating himself,
pouring their water and wine, etc.
Shurgon was immensely pleased and after they had eaten well he asked Sheegon,
to explain what had happened to Huuro while he had other things to attend to.
It seems that very young
gods are as self willed and impetuous as very young humans. Veragon, the child, had slipped away
from the protected environment of ShurgonÕs domain for an adventure and to
explore. Falling down the hole
would normally not have been a particularly serious event except that the gods
have enemies and this enemy had put a lake of Murgasm at the bottom of the
hole. The child not knowing what it
was decided to bathe in the lake and it if course began to drain the life out
of him. He had dived in and if he
had been human would have been instantly killed but because he was a god he
retained enough strength to crawl out onto the rocks. The Murgasm could have finished him off
then but decided that it would be bait for a bigger fish. And of course in due course Sheegon, who
was frantic with worry, detected his life signs and came to save him. But now the Murgasm sucked every
miniscule of energy into itself so that her alarm whistle didnÕt call Shurgon. But she had brought an Ideal
Lantern to hold the Murgasm at bay.
It was a dangerous situation because each time she tried to move
Veragon, Murgasm threatened to kill him, a stalemate, which could have gone on
indefinitely if not for the chance arrival of Huuro. It was HuuroÕs akuut that heard
SheegonÕs call for help, a call the Murgasm could not hear so HuuroÕs arrival
caught the Murgasm off guard, also battles between godÕs rarely have human
intervention so it was unsure of itÕs ground and did not realize how puny Huuro
was compared to itself. Moving
itself around expends considerable amount of energy and as the events ran
Sheegon, Veragon and Huuro managed to escape itÕs trap.
After the story was
complete Huuro sat for a minute feeling weak and sick to think of the danger
he, they were all in. He was glad
he had not known of the full extent of the danger when he first lowered himself
into the hole for it would have been a severe test of his courage. Shurgon had come back as the story ended
and could understand his thoughts, ÒYou showed all the courage that could be
expected,Ó he said, Òsacrificing your life needlessly would not have helped me
or any of us. This was taken into
account by Arachoya. Come.Ó He beckoned to Huuro and led him to a
chamber where there was an array of weapons; tools and artifacts, they were
arranged as though on a table although there was no visible means of support
and they floated gently as though on water. ÒI can never fully repay you. But this is what I offer you. First I will always watch over you and your
loved ones and prevent major harm coming to you or them. Second when you have lived out your
mortal life, for it is not within my power to prevent that, or I would offer
it; after you die your spirit will have a place by my side eternally. Thirdly you may choose any three of this
array of gifts, choose wisely for
all is not as it may appear.Ó And
Shurgon gestured at the array of gifts to encourage Huuro to choose. "Take as much time as you want and
ask any questions you like."
Huuro approached the array. The first thing was a sword, beautifully
decorated about the handle and hilt.
As he picked it up it glowed and he could feel it as though it was alive
in his hand. He swung it a few
times and it had excellent balance.
He went to put his and to feel it's edge. "Stop!" shouted Shurgon, then
more calmly as Huuro froze, "The sword's edge is perfectly sharp, it will
cut through any mortal substance effortlessly. Just touching the edge could inflict a
deep wound unless you have instructed the sword as to what it is allowed to
cut." Huuro carefully put the
sword back. "May I first
examine all the items before choosing?" he said. "Of course."
The second items was a
shield, also beautifully decorated,
as Huuro picked it up and fitted his arm into the gauntlet attached to
the back the shield came alive and a blue aura spread around him. Shurgon said, "No edge or
projectile can touch you while you hold the shield." Huuro put it back and moved on. There were several other weapons and
defensive devices, a bow and arrow and quiver that held an inexhaustible supply
of arrows that would always hit the target. A suit of clothes that was both perfect
armor but could also be changed to whatever appearance the wearer desired by a
single thought. Then Huuro came to
items with even more amazing features.
A compass that would point towards whatever the holder held in their
mind. An atlas, looking like a book
but of all known space that could change to any desired scale or move to any
location using ingenious controls on the edges pages just being used as
convenient places to retain any particular settings or places desired. Huuro played with this for some time
using it to plan a route he had already traversed. He was so lost in the study that he
jumped suddenly and realized where he was.
"Oh! I am
sorry..." But Shurgon held up
his hand. "There is no need to
apologize my friend.." His
smile reassured Huuro and he put the Atlas back but the look in his eyes
revealed the great interest he had in that item. There was a knife intended clearly
primarily as a tool but possessing similar properties to the sword. "The knife can never be
lost," said Shurgon, " If you drop it for any reason it returns to
it's sheath on the belt."
There was also a spyglass
and when Huuro looked into it he realized quickly that he could see wherever he
was thinking about. It was
comforting to see his wife and children safe playing in living room of his
house.
There was a lantern that
made everything look translucent so that he could see the insides of everything
around. Shurgon laughed as Huuro
held the lantern and looked around to see inside his clothing.
There was a doctors black
bag which could be used to heal any mortal thing of any injury or disease.
Eventually Huuro sat on a
convenient seat his mind in a whirl of confusion with so many choices. Shurgon said, "Let me suggest but
by no means feel obligated to accept the suggestions," and three items
presented themselves to Huuro. The
Atlas, The Compass and The Knife."
Huuro looked at them and
realized the wisdom of the suggestion.
He was not a warrior and hated fighting, hated doing any harm to
anything in fact although accepting it as necessary sometimes. He had always explored with the
intention of discovery and growth not to conquer or exploit. "Yes," he said,
"Perfect."
Shurgon beamed his
pleasure, "You are a good and wise mortal and since I can never fully
repay you for your service to me I will add one additional items." A black tablet floated up to Huuro. "That is the Tablet of
Knowledge. You have merely to
formulate a question in your mind and it will take you a voyage of instruction
to whatever level of detail you desire to answer your question. Goodbye for now my dear friend."
Huuro finds himself back
on the beach by his sea canoe and wonders if it was all a dream except for the
gifts at his side, all gift wrapped and a ring on his finger which was much,
much more than a memento of remembrance, which he initially assumed.
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Allegory
20: MikiÕs Blue Tongue
The boy Miki loved
cookies. He ate so many that his
parents, Muuso and Jara, became concerned as he was getting fat. Reluctantly they had to forbid him
eating cookies. Yet still he kept
on putting on weight and with their superior akuut, they knew he was stealing
them off the cooling trays in the bakerÕs kitchen. When they challenged him he denied it so
they laid a trap for him and got the baker to make a batch of cookies with
blasberry centers, MikiÕs favorite, except these centers had a blue die in
them.
Muuso and Jara, in stern
voices, challenged Miki, and accused him of stealing cookies. Miki at first denied it till they got
him to look at his face in a bowl of water with itÕs blue tongue. He was very embarrassed and had to put
up with his blue tongue till it wore off after several days. WhatÕs more the blue die was a strong
laxative so that he had to spend a very uncomfortable time squatting and thinking
over his transgressions.
This stopped him from
stealing cookies but not his longing to eat them. So his parents allowed him one day in
each moon phase when he could eat as many cookies as he liked. One day he ate so many it made him very
ill and that was what cured him.
Experience is the best teacher.
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Allegory
21: PerfianaÕs True Self
When Perfiana walked in
the forest the animals crowded in a hush to see such perfection. Boys and girls would be spellbound their
eyes transfixed.
Perfiana was as close
to perfection possible in a mortal.
When she got to puberty her beauty made other women jealous, some of
them beyond reason, and they told lies about her and plotted to exclude her
from society. It was more than a
normal heart could bear Perfiana for she was after all mortal so she went to
see a sorcerer and asked him to make her less beautiful. He took some of her beauty but put it in
a crystal vial which he gave to her and told her that if ever she wanted to be
beautiful again she merely had to drink the liquid in the vial.
At first things seemed
to be better and the women who had been insanely jealous before were less
so. But there were many who
remembered her as she used to be and now they despised her. Men who had courted her before now
abandoned her and still she did not fit in. In the end she drank the vial and
learned to deal with the world in all itÕs ugliness as her true self.
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Allegory
22: Harak Learns Humility
Harak was a student
being educated by Arachoya. He was
very full of himself and Arachoya decided he needed a lesson in humility so she
asked Harak if it was possible to know everything. Harak immediately answered that it was
not. So Arachoya said well if I
know that I don't know a thing then surely I know something about it in this
way it might be possible to know something of everything. Harak was temporarily confused but
eventually said that he knew there were things that he could never know such as
to know the future with certainty.
Arachoya praised Harak who beamed with pride. Arachoya then asked him how he knew for
certain that there was an uncertain future. Harak was crushed again and complained
that Arachoya was using trickery and sophistry. Arachoya then told Harak to learn to be
sure of yourself without arrogance and warned him to have humility or else his
voice would not be heard not matter how wise his council.
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Appendix
II:
Miscellaneous References.
Some
Nursery Rhymes and origins: included since they are archaic ÉAlicia.
The origin of this next
rhyme has been weakly attributed to the fall of King Louis XVI and Marie
Antoinette who were both guillotined during the late 18th century French
revolution "Reign of Terror"É.Alicia.
Jack and Jill
went up a hill
to fetch a pail of water.
Jack fell down
and broke his crown
and Jill came tumbling after.
Up Jack got
And home did trot
As fast as he could caper
Went to bed
And plastered his head
With vinegar and brown paper
The origin of
Humpty-dumpty has been attributed to an 18th century English battle between
loyalists and rebels where a large gun called Humpty-Dumpty mounted on a tower
was knocked down by rebel cannon.
How Humpty became an egg isn't known but probably due to an artists
erroneous rendition which has stuck.
Some scatter cannons of that era were vaguely egg shapedÉ.Alicia.
Humpty-dumpty sat on a wall
Humpty-dumpty had a great fall
and all the King's Horses
and all the King's men
couldn't put Humpty together again.
The origins Sing a
song of sixpence seem to be lost in antiquity but may have to do with the kind
of revelry common in middle ages in England where dishes at meal times would be
subject of jokes or revelry and a pie was presented at the royal table with
live birds insideÉ.Alicia.
Sing a Song of Sixpence
a pocket full of rye.
Four and twenty blackbirds
baked in a pie.
When the pie was opened
The birds began to sing
Now wasn't that a dainty dish
to set before the King
The King as in his counting house
counting out his money
The Queen was in the parlor
eating bread and honey
The maid was in the garden
hanging out the clothes
when down came a blackbird
and pecked off her nose.
This next rhyme originated
during the black death plague and is macabre. One of the early symptoms of the black
death were rosette rashes. A posy
of sweet smelling flowers was supposed to provide protection against the
disease. Sneezing was one of the
last symptoms to occur before death.
The many variants of this rhyme are likely because it's macabre nature
offends the sensibilities of the delicate hearts of most mothers and nursesÉ.Alicia.
Ring a-ring o' roses,
A pocketful of posies.
a-tishoo!, a-tishoo!.
We all fall down.
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Tredigar - an exercise regimen.
This was on one of the
computer cubes much edited from itÕs original versionÉ.Alicia.
The following is a
meditative exercise to calm the mind and exercise the body. Dress in loose clothing,
such as a track suit. Stand in the
middle of a floor space with enough room to make a long stride in any
direction. Eyes closed, feet
comfortably apart and arms held loosely by the sides. You are to imagine you are Tredigar, an
all powerful giant creating our universe.
All the movement is done smoothly focusing your mind completely on the
task to the exclusion of all other thoughts. Precise sequences of movements is left
to individual choice.
The parts are:
- Tredigar comes into existence from nothing.
- Tredigar takes inventory of the matter in space.
- Tredigar gathers matter to construct the universe.
- Tredigar creates the sun and planets.
- Tredigar shapes the features of each planet.
- Tredigar puts the planets into orbits around the sun.
- Tredigar breathes life into the universe.
- Tredigar admires itÕs work and fades back to nothing.
We begin. Calm yourself and open your mind, still
with your eyes closed as Tredigar comes into existence. Firstly feeling each part of your body
materialize then the senses one by one, sight last as you open your eyes
standing in the infinity of space with unformed matter around you as far as the
eye can see.
Inventory, is the first
task. Move only the eyes to observe
the variety of forms of matter around.
Move the eyes as far as possible in all directions. Centre your eyes when done. Then move the head only as far as
possible in one direction and then repeat the sequence of eye movements. Do this in all directions, donÕt forget
up and down. Now it is time to move
the body to be able to see better.
Look to each side first by moving at the waist. Then right behind you by moving the
waist and hips but keeping the feet still then under then above. Then look into the distance by taking a
moderate stride in each direction using one foot only each time and raising a
hand as though shielding your eyes from the sun to focus your sight into the
distance. Now rest for a few
moments and prepare for the next task.
Gathering matter is the
next task. Tredigar did this with
it's hands, scooping matter from space like a massive back hoe and dragging it
into close proximity. Sometimes
using one hand, sometimes both, and in every direction. Firstly moving only the upper body and
then to reach further out using the legs.
All actions are smooth, preferably symmetrical, but focus the mind on
the massive amount of material being moved. Rest.
Now the task of creating
the sun and planets begins. Matter
you have gathered is collected into a smaller and smaller volume and shaped
into a kind of horizontal wheel.
Reach and move the material
from wherever it is to form the wheel in front of you about waist high. As
before slow, smooth, deliberate, symmetrical actions with the mind focused in
the enormous forces being exerted.
When the wheel is complete, rest.
The wheel is now to be
spun. Initially slowly by gripping
it's edges and turning and then faster and faster by slapping the edge and
finally to it's highest speed by using your finger and rotating as though against
one of the spokes in the center of the wheel. Centrifugal forces now sort and separate
matter. Alternate the direction on
consecutive sessions.
With the wheel spinning
use your hands as giant cleavers to separate the wheel into concentric circles
of whirling matter, one for each planet with a lot in the middle for the sun.
Rest
Now collect each planets
matter into a ball and compress according to the size of the planet doing the
sun last. The sun requires all your
strength to create the nuclear furnace that it is. Keep all actions smooth and symmetrical,
keep your mind focused. Finally all
the planets and the sun are forged. Rest.
Finishing touches can now
be made using micro but powerful movements of the hands and fingers to create,
for example, mountains and oceans on earth.
Now each planet needs to
be hurled in motion, each according
to it's particular orbit.
Finally use your lungs to
spread the breath of life all over the whole creation, not just for living
matter on earth but for all types of processes in all corners of the universe.
Lastly Tredigar rests and
surveys it's work. Feeling immense
satisfaction and pleasure it gradually fades into nothingness in the reverse
order to coming into existence.
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The Four Pillars
Inside The Temple of
Arachoya is written ÒThe Four PillarsÓ which inform many Kuunasian
beliefsÉAlicia..
Believe what you need
but let your beliefs be informed as follows in order of importance:
- Your beliefs should encourage you to be a good person.
- Your beliefs should have neither self contradictions
nor ambiguities.
- Your beliefs should not challenge your societies laws
or moral standards except where they are in contradiction to allowing you
to be a good person.
- Your beliefs should be sympathetic to the
contemporary facts of your society that are universally agreed by the
sages and learned people except where they are in contradiction with
allowing you to be a good person.
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Appendix
III:
For the Children
When I was a little
girl Great Grandfather Kitt used to tell stories to me and my little brother
Keuunno. Pappa Sean used to say
that Keuunno had "ants in his pants" because he could never sit still
but when I had pleaded with Great Grandfather Kitt to tell us another of his
stories Keuunno would sit and listen spellbound. I had forgotten how much we used to
enjoy those stories until I found them among the papers. I don't know where they came from,
perhaps Great Grandfather wrote them for us. They were in English so that is the most
likely explanation, and anyway, as you know, Kuunasians didnÕt have fiction in
the same way as in English literature.
I put them in this appendix purely for sentimental reasonsÉ.Alicia.
Keuuno
and Maeenna
Once upon a time there
was a beautiful green island surrounded by a silver sea. There was a village on this island built
right close to the beach with the houses all looking out on the beautiful
silver sea. When the weather was
right the men of the village would all go out in their sea canoes fishing and
bring back all kinds of wonderful fish and things from the sea for the
villagers to eat. Keuuno's Pappa
was one of the fisherman and Keuuno would stand on the beach and watch them
going out to fish, getting smaller and smaller till he couldn't see them
anymore and then later in the day, a little while before the sun went down he
would stand on the beach again and watch the canoes get bigger and bigger till
the men jumped out and pulled them up onto the shingle with a crunch and start
to offload the catch into carts to be carried to where it would be cooked or
prepared for storage for use later during the rainy season when the weather was
too dangerous to go out and fish.
Keuuno couldn't wait till he was old enough to go with his Pappa and all
the other men fishing but eventually that day came when his Pappa said he could
go with them but just to stay out of the way and watch what went on so that
later he could help. This made
Keuuno feel very important, almost like a real man he thought.
Now the village chief had
a daughter, Maeenna. She was very
pretty with long black hair, longer and blacker than Keuuno's, and the same
color eyes, hazel; lovely slender arms and legs with golden colored skin. Keuuno had seen her many times in the
village when there was a village celebration or in the market place but he had
never spoken to her. She was the
daughter of a rich chief and he was just the son of a poor fisherman. So he just admired her from afar. Soon he was allowed to help out with the
fishing, a bit more each time until he really was a fisherman dong all the
things that the other men did, even though he was still a boy in their
eyes. After a while the fishing was
o.k. but not as exciting as it had been when he had started and he realized
that no matter how hard he worked as a fisherman he would never make enough
money to be able to become a mate for Maeenna and this made him
discontent. He wanted more.
One day, after a village
celebration of a particularly good catch that would see them all through the
rainy season, when he had again watched Maeenna from afar, he felt he was going
to burst, he had to talk to somebody.
His mother knew there was something eating at him, even though she
didn't know what and asked him, as she was very busy helping out preparing the
fish for storage, to take some food over the Great Grandpappa and Great
Grandmamma's house. Keuuno didn't
really want to do this but he had great respect for his mother and all his
elders and it would not take so long after all. Great Grandpappa and Great Grandmamma's
house had a very different smell than his own, it was a very old house after
all and Great Grandpappa used to smoke sweet tobacco in his pipe. Great Grandmamma greeted him with a big
bear hug which embarrassed him a bit as she pulled his face right between her
big breasts. Great Grandpappa was
sitting by the fireplace smoking his pipe and after Great Grandmamma had let
him go he pointed to Great Grandmamma's chair for Keuuna to sit and asked him
to tell all about the fishing while Great Grandmamma made them all some
lunch. Great Grandpappa packed a
second pipe with sweet tobacco and lit it, handing it to Keuuno. It made his eyes water, made him cough
and feel light headed. Great
Grandpappa then started to ask him all sorts of questions. Well before long Keuuna had spilled the
beans about everything, how much he admired Maeenna and how he could never win
her as a poor fisherman. It sort of
came out, maybe because of the tobacco, maybe because of Great Grandpappa's
piercing gaze that seemed to strip off his defences. Anyway there is was done. He stood up as though to go feeling he
had done something wrong but Great Grandpappa told him to sit down again and
asked Great Grandmamma to wait up lunch a few minutes as they had a 'little
problem'. Then he sat back in his
chair and took a few pulls at his pipe as he thought, gazing at Keuuno through
the smoke. Finally he started to
talk and Keuuno could hardly believe his ears at what he was saying. That if he felt really strongly there
was a way to win Maeenna but that it required great courage with great risk, it
could cost him his life. Keuuno
said that he couldn't bear any longer just going out fishing and never having
the chance to win Maeenna he would take any risk if there was a chance. Great Grandpappa told him that there
were other islands and lands across the silver sea which had more opportunity
to become rich than in their little village and that he still had his sea canoe
that Keuuno could sail to get him there and back. The canoe needed some fixing up but
Keuuno could do it if he showed him how.
Keuuno said that his Mamma and Pappa would never let him go if they
found out. Great Grandpappa told
him not to worry about that he would have a word with them. And so it was that Keuuna fixed up his
Great Grandpappa's sea canoe and provisioned with that all that he would need
for the journey, bid a tearful goodbye to his Mamma and Pappa, hugged Great
Grandpappa so hard it made him cough and laugh and set sail across the silver
sea to seek his fortune.
At first it was very easy
crossing water he had crossed many times in his Pappa's canoe but then he
passed those waters, far out of sight of his home over the distant horizon and
night came. He lashed his tiller
and tied off the sail and went to sleep in the covered section of the canoe
which he had built under his Great Grandpappa's instruction for sleeping and
for shelter in very bad weather.
That night passed without incident and next morning he woke as the sun
was coming up, ate some of his dried fish for breakfast and trimmed his sail
for the fresh breeze that the morning sun had brought. This went on for several days until he was
far, far away from his homeland.
One night he was awakened by a strange noise and coming out of the
covered section he saw a horror of horrors. A giant crab like creature, many legs,
with a whip for a tail and tentacles coming from it's top part was trying to
break into his store of food with it's giant pincers. As soon as it heard him it swung round
it's red eyes on long stalks and a gash for a mouth filled with foam. It used it's tail to try and sting him,
luckily he was still holding his pillow which he used as a shield and it took
most of the sting although it still hurt his shoulder enough to make him
yell. The only weapons he had were
a fishing spear and a fishing knife.
He cursed his lack of foresight not to bring anything better. Still holding his pillow as a shield,
which was a joke he thought even though he later realized it had saved his life
once already, he grabbed a spear and went on the attack. Courage wasn't really needed, to start
with he didn't have time to think much and then again there was nowhere to
run. Fighting was his only
option. Luckily the crab thing was
less courageous and started to back away hissing. Keuuno ran at it with his spear aimed at
the middle of it's body. As he
attacked it spat some of the foam in it's mouth at him. It would have hit him in the eyes but he
ducked his head just in time so that the poison landed on the top of his head
and forehead while the spear impaled the crab thing. It squealed like a little baby in a
tantrum turned and jumped overboard and was gone beneath the surface of the water
in a trice. The poison on Keuuno's
head was some kind of acid and it was burning him and starting to run down into
his eyes. He quickly leaned
overboard and sloshed seawater onto the wound holding his head down and
protecting his eyes. Gradually the
burning reduced and became a stinging feeling. He stopped sloshing seawater and dried
himself with a cloth. The wound on
his shoulder had swollen a bit but it was no worse than a wasp sting and he
wasn't worried about it but his head felt raw and tender and all the hair on
the top of his head was gone replaced by a red sore that extended onto his
forehead. His stores fortunately
were mainly undamaged as he had disturbed the creature in time. Losing his stores would have been a
serious matter indeed and he would have faced starvation. He stood guard the rest of the night but
the creature did not reappear and eventually he fell asleep at the tiller in
the middle of the next day. Several
more days went by without incident and his wounds started to heal, youth being
on his side. Then a big wind sprung up, at first Keuuno was worried that it
would be a storm to wreck his canoe but it didn't. It just gave him the power
he needed to travel very far, very quickly although it severely tested his
seamanship. Soon he came in sight
of land, a small trading port seemed to offer him safety and being in no position to be too
fussy, his stores running low, he sailed straight into the harbor with little
precaution. Later he realized that
he was very lucky that this was a fairly friendly trading port and not one of
the ports used by thieves and vagabonds who would have stolen all he had of
value and left him to die. As it
was when he pulled up to the landing he was greeted by the owner and a few
others who had seen him coming in.
His wounds were healing but still very obvious and he told them his
story. They knew the creature that
he had fought, A Nautorasus Deep Sea Crab, marveled that he had survived and
treated him as a kind of hero, buying him food and drink just to hear him tell
everyone the story of his battle.
Which got a little more embellished with the telling and the drink,
which he wasn't used to in those quantities. Barton the owner took a liking to him,
reminding Barton of his son who had drowned years ago, and gave him a room and
board for a few days till he could heal and get himself established. The port did a lot of trade in various
fish products about which Keuuno was very knowledgeable and soon he was making
money as a fish trader. His head
healed well although a bit of scar was on his forehead but his hair when it
grew back was white giving him a white streak in the middle of his otherwise
black hair. This very distinctive
appearance make him very well known, they nicknamed him Blaze, and this good
trading instincts and stories of his sea voyage made him very well off and
quite well known locally. So the
months became a couple of years and Keuuno thought that he had enough money to
be able to go back and ask Maeenna to be his mate. But he was now worried that his white
blaze would make him appear ugly to her and he sought out a medicine woman to
see if he could make his hair black again.
She gave him a potion to wash his hair in and it make it black. So now
he could look just the way he used to except for a small scar on his
forehead. And so he again
provisioned his Great Grandpappa's sea canoe and saying farewell to all his new
friends he set off to go back home.
The voyage again took a
couple of weeks but good wind,
Keuuno's navigation using the stars, and good fortune saw him being
rapturously welcomed home by his family.
He soon sought out Maeenna to ask her to be his mate and she accepted at
once. She told him she had always
secretly admired him and when she had heard he had gone to make his fortune,
resolved to wait for him to return, refusing many other suitors, for she was a
very beautiful woman. So with
Keuuno's wealth and Maeenna as his mate everything should have been perfect but
Keuuno still had the secret of his blaze which he had kept from Maeenna and the
potion the medicine woman had given him was starting to get low. Again Keuuno sought out the advice of
his Great Grandpappa who had helped him so much before. This time however it was Great
Grandmamma who knew what to do. He had
to go to sea again and slay the Nautorasus, cut up it's heart and make it into
a stew which he must eat down to the last drop. This was bad news to Keuuno for he now
knew how dangerous the Nautorasus was, no man had ever faced one and lived
except for himself and others in the mythology that Great Grandmamma knew. He wondered should he tell Maeenna his
secret and risk losing her or go and face the Nautorasus. He struggled with this decision for
several days but in the end decided to face the Nautorasus, preferring to die
trying than to risk losing Maeenna.
And so he set sail once
more but this time he took weapons, a sword and a shield, spears, a mask and
thick coat to protect him from the acid of it's spit and the sting of it's
tail. His Great Grandmamma also
told him that in the legends the Nautorasus was cowardly but would attack if it
thought it's opponent was injured and when it attacked it stood on it's back
legs to use it claws and tail better and that exposed a weak point under it's
belly where it could be killed with a sword or spear thrust. Several days sail out where he had faced
the creature before, during the night Keuuno put some succulent tidbits on the
deck and hid in the covered section armed and ready for action. He didn't have to wait long and a
Nautorasus climbed over the side.
As it ate the food he had put out he realized it was the very same one
he had faced before since it had a scar by the side of it's awful gash of a
mouth making it even more ugly if that were possible. The red eyes on stalks darted about but
didn't see him where he was hiding.
He had a plan but now that the time came to put it into action his
courage nearly failed him. Perhaps
he should just let the creature slip back into the sea and go home, no he could
not do that. He stepped out and the
red eyes saw him immediately and again the tail whipped to sting him. It hit his thick coat and didn't injure
him but Keuuno pretended that it had, squealed loudly and fell on his knees
flailing his arms up and down in mock anguish but none the less holding on to
his spear and shield. The
Nautorasus moved towards him and reared up on it back legs to move in for the
kill. Keuuno could clearly see a
sort of white star like area in the middle of it's underbelly where it 's shell
segments came together. As the
creature came forward poised to strike Keuuna waited till it was in range and
then threw his spear at the star, drawing his sword. The creature spat at him as before but
his mask prevented the poison from doing any harm and it screamed with
pain. Keuuno stepped forward and
with a couple of swings of his sword had cut off it's eyes. The creature now began convulsions and
erratic swings of it's tail. It was
dying but still dangerous. Keuuno
ran back to keep clear as the creature went through it 's death throes and
finally was silent. Keuuno
approached it cautiously but it was completely dead.
His joy at the victory
was short lived though. He used
this sword to smash the shell and cut into the creature to get it's heart but
the smell it gave off was beyond belief and he almost gave up. Once he had cut out the heart he tossed
the remainder of the Nautorasus overboard and washed off the deck with sea
water. The worst was now over, so
he thought. Next he set up the
things he had brought to heat a cooking pot over a small fire to make the heart
stew. The heart had the same
disgusting smell as he cut it up and put it in the seawater in his pot. He grimly thought that there was a lot
of it and he didn't look forward to this meal. But it was worse than he thought, the
stew was so bitter it was as much as he could do to put it in his mouth let
alone swallow. But swallow he did
mouthful after mouthful but as he ate the stew tasted worse and worse till he
was gagging and coughing trying to keep what he had eaten down. Eventually he got down to the last few
mouthfuls but these were the worst.
His eyes and nose were running, his stomach was heaving and he almost
lost control of himself forcing the last mouthful down. But at last it was done and he fell on
the deck exhausted.
He woke up and it was
morning. He felt better than he had
felt for a long time and quickly rigged the sail for the return journey. The joy at his return was even greater
than it had been on his first journey and there was great celebration. His blaze and scar disappeared as Great
Grandmamma had predicted and he was healthier and stronger than he had ever
been. But poor Maeenna had been so
worried when she found out what he had gone to do. She berated Keuuno for having so little
faith in her love for him and taking such a massive risk that could have lost
everything but couldn't help loving him all the more for risking his life for
her love. The emotional strain
however turned the hair on her temples white and she now had two blazes but
Keuuno loved her all the more for it.
The End
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Alicia's Quest
Alicia felt warm and safe
with the bed covers over her. She
closed her eyes as her Mum sang sweetly, accompanying herself on the lute. The
tune and words sending her off to the land of dreams.
Sleep my lovely, sleep
Dreams are yours to keep
Sleep my lovely sleep
Till sun through the window peeps.
Sleep my lovely sleep
Swim down into - twang.
A string on the lute broke,
breaking the mood with it.
ÓOh IÕm so sorry Alicia,Ó her Mum
pulled her bottom lip between her teeth as she always did when she was worried
or upset. ÓNever mind ---?Ó Their eyes met and each glanced away as
they both thought the same. That
Pappa Branka was no longer there to fix things the way he used to do. A little dull pain, the same one that
came every time Alicia thought about her lost father, came into her heart.
ÒUncle Gart will fix it for
me tomorrow,Ó her mother. tucked
her in and kissed her good night.
Alicia didn't need to face the door to know that her mother would pause
there to look back and then shut the door ever so quietly. But Alicia could not go to sleep yet and
as she lay there after while, she could hear her Mum singing the lament that
she had heard many times when her mother thought she was asleep. It filled her with all kinds of feelings
for which she didn't have words:
mostly sadness but mixed with a little bit of anger as well as a kind of
restlessness. She had to think
again about that dreadful day when her Mum had told her that Pappa Branka had
been lost in a sudden tempest, while out fishing. There had been days and weeks of hope
that he might be found but eventually everyone gave up. Everyone except Alicia, she still
believed in her heart, that her beloved Pappa was still alive. There must be some reason why he could
not come back to them. She kicked
off her bed covers and lay on her back.
One voice inside her advised to forget her Pappa but another part of
her, a stronger part, could not.
She must do something, but what?
She didn't know, but each day she got a little bigger and a little stronger
and one day ......... She gritted
her teeth and narrowed her eyes,
yes one day.
Alicia loved to walk along the
beach. It was so full of life; crabs in rock pools; little birds that ran along the edge of
the water for reasons she could not see;
sea gulls crying overhead.
But even more than that was the peacefulness of it, the feeling of just
being, just being herself. Her very
good friends Thomas and Adrienne had come with her a couple of times but it did
not seem to hold the magic for them that it did for her, so mostly she walked
alone.
She had often walked towards the
sun in the late afternoon up to where the rocky cliffs stuck out into the sea
and her Mum had warned her that it was dangerous to go further because she
could get trapped by the tide. She
had even ventured a little way below the cliffs, when the tide was out, to see
that there were caves at the bottom of the cliffs carved out by the waves
whooshing in, again and again.
She stood where she had turned
back many times before but this time the strong part of her wanted to go
on. After all the worst that could
happen was she could be trapped the other side of the cliffs. The thought she could drown never
occurred to her. She looked at the
ribbon of beach that disappeared around the headland and then she was walking
towards it. She had to scramble
over some rocky sections but it was really very easy. She soon got round to where the cliffs
got smaller and smaller eventually disappearing into the beach and she was on
the other side. She knew it would
be quite a while before the tide came in so, "In for a penny in for a
pound," she thought. She had
heard that saying from one of the books they were reading in school and liked
the sound of it.
The beach on this side of the
cliffs was very similar to that on the other side and a bit of a let down after
all the excitement of getting to it with a hint of danger. She was about to turn back when she
heard the sound of someone working.
Walking a little bit further she saw a small house just back from the
beach in the trees on a little rocky rise.
It had a garden on one side and an old man was working in the
garden. As she came into view he
looked up and waved. She waved
back. When she got closer he
stopped his work and looked at her, "Hello Miss. Are you lost?"
"Oh no! I've walked along the beach from the
village and just have to got back the same way."
"Aaah!" The old man carried on with his
work. Alicia had never seen anyone
quite as old and wrinkly, even older and more wrinkly than her Grandfather,
with a bald head that shone in the sun and long hair on the back and sides that
covered his ears and neck. His
features were as though they had been carved in stone, angular and strong.
"It's rude to stare, you know."
"Oh! Sorry. It's just I've never seen ...."
"You've never seen any'un
old as me."
"Yes," Alicia was a bit embarrassed so to cover
it up she asked, "Do you live here all alone?"
"Uh-huh!" The man had not looked at her and just
carried on working. There were
beads of sweat she could see on his bald head.
"My name is Alicia. Alicia Branka"
"Mine is Feldspa," he
looked at her and offered to shake her hand.
"Feldspar as in the
rock?"
"That's right only without
the r."
"What a very suitable
name."
The old man grinned.
"Well," said Alicia,
"I must go or the tide will trap me here and you'll have to give me
supper. And by then it will be dark
and you'll have to give me a bed for the night. And then you'll have to give me
breakfast to give me strength for the long walk back to my village early in the
morning."
The old man started to laugh, "You Alicia are quite the
character. There is 'nother way
back to your village on a path 'hind the cliffs." He looked up at the sun, "I could
show you if you like and then you could come back and cheer up my day whether
the tide was in or not."
"What about your
garden?"
"Oh there is always work to
do on the garden, it never ends.
Come on I'll show you."
Alicia followed Feldspa as he
walked up a little path away from the beach. As they went along the tree canopy
overhead got thicker and thicker and made things dark. Alicia stopped, "Er...Mr. Feldspa
I'm not sure about this."
"Feldspa is my first name
Alicia and don't be scared, here
you can hold my hand if you like."
Alicia took his hard rough hand,
feeling unsure but Feldspa's confidence was infectious and soon the tree canopy
got thinner again and they were coming out onto a part of the beach she knew.
"I'll leave you here to find
your own way back. Come again
soon."
Feldspa disappeared back on the
path they had come down and Alicia started off back towards her village. "I never even said goodbye,"
she thought.
Mamma Branka was making pastry
when there was a knock at the door.
Slightly annoyed at the inconvenient interruption she went to the door
wiping the flour off her hands with her apron. There was an old man there holding his
hat in his hands and looking a bit sheepish.
ÒVery sorry to bother you MaÕam
but are you AliciaÕs mother?Ó
ÒYes. SheÕs not in any trouble is she?Ó
ÒOh no-no, nothing like
that. My name is Feldspa.Ó He held out his hand and Mamma Branka
shook it transferring some of the flour.
ÒOh IÕm sorry.Ó
ÒNot at all, not at all,Ó he
replied, ÒDomestic bliss,Ó he looked a bit wistful. There was an awkward pause. ÒAlicia hasnÕt mentioned me then.Ó
ÒNot that I remember and IÕm sure
IÕd remember a name like Feldspar.Ó
ÒAaah! Well I live around the coast a bit, the
other side of the headland. Alicia
has been to visit me a few times since she found a way to get round the
headland. So I thought I would come
and introduce myself so that – well - erÉÓ
ÒPlease come in Mr. Feldspar.Ó
ÒThank you MaÕam. Feldspa is my first name. Like the rock without an r.Ó
ÒOh! Well come in Feldspa. You had better call me Jan.Ó
Before long Feldspa was chatting
with Jan over a cup of coffee.
Feldspa told her about Alicia just showing up one day and him showing
her the path behind the cliffs and then Alicia coming to visit and talk to him
while he worked in his garden. She
had been quite a few times now and he didnÕt want her mother to worry.
ÒIt is strange that Alicia has not
mentioned me.Ó
ÒOh no thatÕs typical
Alicia. She is always a bit
secretive. She says that telling
everybody everything means nothing is special. When I pointed out that I was her mother
after all she didnÕt seem to find the argument convincing.Ó
ÒSheÕs certainly a character.Ó
While they were chatting there
was a knock at the door and Jan went to answer it and came back again, ÒThomas
Emms and Adrienne Clostuk, AliciaÕs
friends wanted to see if she was home.Ó
ÒShe may well be on her way over
to visit me. IÕd better get
back. Well Jan, thankÕee for the coffee and IÕm glad we
had this little talk. IÕll leave it
to you whether you say anything to Alicia, I donÕt plan to.Ó
ÒNo youÕre right we should not
spoil her secrets. She will tell me
when she is ready. Thank you so
much for coming over.Ó
Jan watched Feldspa as he walked
towards the beach and he turned and waved.
She waved back and then closed the door. ÒWhat a very interesting old man,Ó she
thought to herself, ÒOf course he would have to be for Alicia to keep
visiting.Ó
Feldspa was tending to
his garden as usual when Alicia arrived a little breathless from running along
the beach. He waved to her cheery
greeting while she was still quite a way off then put down his hoe as she came
up and went into his house to put on the kettle. This had become a ritual between them
since Alicia began visiting regularly.
Feldspa said that his mother had told him there was no better way to
have a talk than over tea and ginger biscuits. Alicia was not so sure about the tea,
which she drank with lots of sugar, but she loved the ginger biscuits.
Feldspa had told Alicia things he
hadnÕt mentioned anyone for a very long time and some he had never even put
into words. He told her he used to
be a fisherman going out everyday to cast his nets and bring back whatever
bounty nature provided. He told her
how one day he and his partner pulled up a catch and attached to the outside of
the net was a giant squid. As it
happened he was at the tiller and his partner was pulling in the net. At this point FeldspaÕs voice got rather
hoarse and water came into his eyes.
ÒI suppose,Ó he said, Òthat the squid thought the fish belonged to him,
or her or whatever. It lashed out
and hit my partner. One moment he
was standing by my side and the next moment he was gone, he didnÕt even have
time to scream. And the squid was
gone with him. I let the fish net
open and all the fish fell out but it didnÕt make any difference. The squid and my partner were gone as
though they had never existed and I never saw either again. It used to bother me, more so than now, that I was the lucky one for it could
have easily been me pulling in the net and my partner at the tiller.Ó AliciaÕs blue eyes were fixed on his
face and she put her little hand on FeldspaÕs big one and they sat for a few
moments like that till Feldspa issued a kind of grunt and put a whole ginger
biscuit into his mouth and washed it down with a big drink of tea. ÒMy father was lost while he was out
fishing,Ó she said, ÒNobody knows what happened to him and my dear Mamma still
hopes in her heart of hearts that he will sail up one day in his boat and land
on the beach and everything will be like it used to be before.Ó It was FeldspaÕs turn to look at her and
hold her hand in his. ÒThatÕs an
awful big burden for a li—a person to carry around,Ó he said. Again they sat in silence for a few
moments than Feldspa got up and beckoned Alicia to come with him. He went out and across his garden patch
into the bushes on the other side and Alicia was just beginning to worry about
where they were going when he stopped and started to pull aside a mess of
brambles and weeds and dead leaves.
Underneath was a heavy cover and after she had helped him clear off some
of it they lifted the cover up and underneath was a boat. ÒThis was my fishing boat, she has a good heart and a strong
back, she would take you wherever
you wanted to go.Ó After taking a
look she helped him cover it up again and then, saying nothing, he went back to
working his hoe in the garden.
That night she lay in her bed
listening to her mother singing as usual and thinking about FeldspaÕs fishing
boat. She wondered why he had shown
it to her, it seemed more than just because of what he had told her about
losing his partner. Was it because
of what she had told him. ÒÉ.she
has a good heart and a strong back,
she would take you wherever you wanted to go,Ó he had said. What did he mean by that, was she supposed to go somewhere. Her motherÕs lament re-entered her
thoughts - ÒDid she dare?Ó ÒCould she, a li – a person, go and find her
father. It was a dream, the hope of making her mother happy
again.Ó She turned over to go to
sleep but FeldspaÕs boat filled her dreams.
It was ThomasÕ turn as look
out. After a narrow escape with a
whale pod they had decided to post a lookout like on a real ship so that they
could at least be ready. ÒLook!! ThereÕs something on the horizon.Ó
After staring where Thomas was
pointing Alicia suggested it was an island and they should head towards
it. Luckily the wind was favorable
and they made good time. As they
approached Thomas said, ÒEr – Alicia! That island seems to have an eye and
itÕs looking at us.
Alicia let Adrienne have the helm and stood beside Thomas. He was right, the island had an eye and
looking closer it was in a head although it was so large it looked more like a
rocky outcrop of the island. Apart
from the eye everything else looked like a small island including trees back
from the beach and growing to the top.
Just then the island seemed to turn slowly until the head, which now had
two eyes, was facing them.
ÒEvasive action,Ó shouted Alicia
and Adrienne put the ship on the other tack making the mainsail swing across
quickly.
ÒOh! DonÕt be alarmadid,Ó said the head of the island in a hoarse
voice that sounded full of good humor.
ÒItÕs so good to see somebebody to talk to.Ó
The friends were so surprised
they just stared open mouthed.
ÒI know itÕs surpricycising to
hear an island talk but IÕm not really an island you know. IÕm a gigantitactic turtle.Ó
ÒIÕve never seen a turtle with
trees growing on it,Ó said Alicia.
ÒWell youÕve never seen a turtle
as big as me have you.Ó
ÒThatÕs true. Would you mind if we stayed the night on
– er – on your back.Ó
ÒYou would be most
wellycome. It would be nice to have
company. It gets very only lonely
here all by myselfsome.Ó
ÓIs there any water on -er - your
back?Ó asked Thomas.
ÒWell there might be. I have no idea what goes on back there
but I suppose there must be some wetty water or the trees couldnÕt grow.Ó
"If you like we could
explore your back then come and tell you what we find," suggested Alicia,
always looking for mutually beneficial solutions.
"That would very kind of
you," said the turtle solemnly, "Very kindikind indeedle."
So they navigated up to one of
the beaches and disembarked.
The blue of the sky with it's
bright yellow sun shining on the water making the small chop stirred up by the
nice breeze glitter had been enchanting when Alicia started her watch but was
now sending her to sleep. She woke
again suddenly as her nodding head bumped the mast and she hurriedly glanced
around both to see if there was any danger and also to see if anyone had
noticed her falling asleep. Nobody
had seen her fall asleep but there was something on the horizon. She couldn't figure out exactly what it
was, it could have been a tornado except that the sky above was wrong for that; a vortex in the water would have needed
some kind of nearby land or something to cause rip tides and in any case the
water was much too deep for that.
But there it was and they were headed straight for it, whatever it
was. She called out a warning and soon
all three were trying to figure it out.
As a precaution they put the boat on a different tack so that they would
not go straight into the phenomenon.
As they got closer Alicia's akuut picked up a high level of distress and
she realized that some kind of animals were involved. Closer still they could see what was
going on. A large sea serpent of
some kind was rising and plunging, swimming at high speed in a circle around a
mess of plastic. Other smaller sea
serpents were milling around outside.
Every one of them in a high state of anxiety. They dropped the sail and put out a sea
anchor. The creatures had not
noticed the boat, probably because of their high state of anxiety. They could not get close without risking
swamping the boat since these creatures were massive. The one swimming in circles had ears
bigger than their whole boat. It's
long eel like body was mostly an iridescent greenish blue but with red edges on
its ears, fins, mouth and spiky mane which ran all the way down it's back. It's very large eyes were wide with fear
and a deep brown.
Alicia decided that they couldn't
just sail away and leave the creature in distress so she tried to contact it
using her akuut. The creature
ignored her or maybe couldn't hear.
Alicia suggested they all try together. The serpent noticed them and turned
towards them drawing it's head back and curving it's neck in an attack
posture. Alicia thought they were
all going to die when suddenly the creature relaxed again and she could akuut
it 's thoughts. Confusion and
anxiety swamped everything else.
"Who are you?" it asked.
At first Alicia thought she had akuuted the question but quickly
realized the creature had spoken.
"I am Alicia," she answered, "We'd like to
help." The creature calmed
down a little more and soon after they had assured the creature they meant no
harm they were able to ask what was wrong.
Sleekorella told them that one of her babies was tangled in the devil's
seaweed and could not get out.
Alicia diplomatically avoided telling Sleekorella that the devil's
seaweed was a man made substance called plastic but assured her that they could
probably save her baby. Sleekorella
was distrustful and wondered why they would bother to help. Alicia had a hard time explaining human
emotions but told her that they had babies of their own and understood her
anxiety and pain. She explained
that they would have to sail up to where her baby was trapped and used special
tools to cut him free. Alicia asked
if Sleekorella could tell her baby to keep absolutely still so that everybody
could be safe. Once the plan was
agreed they were very soon by the side of the mass of plastic. It was a terrible mess, the baby serpent
had got itself partly wrapped in a plastic sheet and in turning over and over
managed to get itself completely encased and worse what looked like steel
trawler lines were wrapped around the whole mess. Luckily the babies head was partly clear
so it was able to breathe but they had nothing to cut steel. They could see where Sleekorella had
unsuccessfully tried to bite through the lines. They decided they would just have to
untangle the lines, a horrible and difficult task but there was no other
way. Finding the ends they began to
feed them back through the loops.
It was dangerous because everything was moving and slippery and several
times they nearly got trapped themselves or swamped the boat but gradually the
mess got looser and looser until eventually most of the lines were gone and
only the plastic remained. Several
times Sleekorella had to calm her baby with her tongue as it became anxious and
started to writhe around, at one point Alicia was standing on top of the pile
and Sleekorella's big brown eye was close enough to touch and she saw what a
beautiful creature Sleekorella was.
They now began to cut the plastic with their knives being specially
careful not to risk cutting the baby and soon there was a split large enough
and the baby wriggled free, again almost capsizing the boat.
Alicia didn't need her akuut,
they could all see the joy as Sleekorella and her babies romped and writhed
together in a mutual display of affection and relief. After a few minutes Sleekorella came up
to them again to thank them. Her
face was so close Alicia could see right up one of her nostrils and it was
amazingly clean, pink with white hairs.
She told Alicia that if she was ever in trouble anywhere in the sea she
should shout Sleekorella's name as loud as she could and she would come to help
no matter how far it was or how long it took for she owed Alicia and her
friends a great debt that could never be fully repaid. Then before Alicia or any of them could
say anything she turned and blew a trumpet blast of fire up into the air and
then she and her children were gone as though they had never been there.
The friends had been sailing for
several days and had not sighted Egara, and now and it was time for the routine
clean up when weather permitting they put out the sea anchor, swabbed the boat and then each took
turns going for a swim to get themselves clean while one stood watch. Alicia loved to dive and go as deep as
she could coming up with her lungs bursting. On one of her dives she had a strange
akuut she was being watched. There
were a lot of fish around but she could not see anything that would give her
that kind of feeling. She came to
the surface for air and dived again.
This time, stranger than strange, her face was in the water looking at
her except it couldnÕt be a reflection because there was nothing to cause a
reflection and anyway it was much too big.
As she looked the reflection broke into a thousand pieces which streamed
around her to reassemble again except this time the picture of their boat. She realized that this must be a school
of Pixelfish that had decided for some reason to communicate to her. They had developed this talent out of a
natural ability to disguise themselves against predators but they rarely
communicated to humans and she wondered why she was so honored. As if in answer to her question the picture
of her and her friends rescuing SleekorellaÕs child appeared and she assumed
that the serpent had passed the word around to the various sea creatures that
she and her friends were good guys.
Then the picture changed again,
it was their boat except Thomas was the mast and she and Adrienne were the
sails, then it changed again, Adrienne was the mast, she was the tiller and
Thomas was somehow the rest of the boat.
The picture changed several more times but Alicia ran out of breath and
had to surface for air. When she
dove again there was a picture of her father, it nearly took her breath
away. She only recognized him from
the paintings and drawings her mother had since she was too young when he was
lost to remember his face. But he
was holding a big oar in his hands alongside another man she didnÕt know. They both looked dirty and unhappy. Then the picture changed again and it
showed a massive bird in the sky.
ÒIt must be Egara,Ó thought
Alice and the picture changed to one of her face with a smile. ÒCan they hear me,Ó she thought. ÒHer face winked and then changed to a
map with a big cross and an arrow pointing towards an area marked in red. ÒThey are telling me which way to
go,Ó she had hardly thought it than
her smiling face appeared again and then the Pixelfish were gone. She rushed to the surface almost out of
air again but also bursting with excitement to tell her friends. She hoped she would meet the Pixelfish
again, there were so many things she wanted to ask.
It happened so fast Alicia hardly
had time to understand what she had seen and she was still staring when ThomasÕ
voice broke into her reverie. ÒTurn
towards it. Turn towards it. TURN
NOW.Ó A big wave was rolling
towards them and Alicia threw the tiller over and turned the boat only just in
time. If the wave had hit them
broadside it would surely have capsized them. There were two or three smaller waves
after the big one but the bow of the boat cut them and rode over and then all
was calm again. Alicia had seen
osprey fishing, diving into the water at incredible speed, wings swept back, to
come out again with a fish. She had
even seen bigger birds like eagles drop onto the water to pull out a salmon
with itÕs claws but what she had just seen – well it stretched the imagination. It had been some way off, luckily for them, but a massive bird had dived into the
water like an osprey, a sort of
biological ballistic missile, and
come out again with a shark in itÕs claws.
The shark writhing and twisting but helpless, itÕs life being crushed
out of it by the massive crush of the talons impaling it. ÒWas that Egara, Alicia?Ó Adrienne shouted from the bow but the
incredulous tone in her voice was still obvious. ÒWas it supposed to help us or eat
us?Ó Alicia laughed, ÒMonty would never have suggested we
seek her out if there was any danger of that.Ó The bird, Egara, re-appeared swooping over them dropping
little droplets of shark blood.
Alicia waved and the bird landed a little way away and cleaned herself
of the remains of the shark and then swam towards the boat. The boat rocked gently in the commotion
she was making. Her head was as
high again as the mast head and she had to bend her neck to get her beak close
to the boat. It was fearsome
looking eagle like face and the beak could easily of chopped the boat in half
if Egara had wanted, but she didnÕt.
ÒAre you Alicia,Ó she said to Adrienne. Adrienne was too scared to say anything
and just pointed to Alicia.
ÒHello,Ó continued Egara to Alicia, ÒI understand you need help?Ó ÒIÕm looking for my father,Ó replied
Alicia, ÒHe went fishing many years ago and never returned. Monty thinks heÕs still alive and said
you may be able to help.Ó Egara
made a kind of croaking sound in the back of her throat, a waft of her foul smelling breath
assailed AdrienneÕs nostrils and she had a hard time maintaining a straight
face. ÒI would need to know what he
looks like,Ó said Agara. ÒMaybe the
Pixelfish could help,Ó suggested Thomas.
ÒGood idea,Ó said Egara and saying no more turned and with a few strong
strokes of her legs moved far enough away from the boat and then spread her
wings and took off to disappear over the horizon in seconds. The three friends just looked at each
other in disbelief, it was as
though they had had a dream and just woken up with the boat rocking gently and
the sun shining in a blue sky overhead.
ÒI assume she did go to get the
Pixelfish?Ó Thomas was finishing
off the seafood stew he had just cooked.
They were all hungry and too engrossed in eating to notice Egara who
must have dove into the water a way off to swim underwater and surface silently
just astern of their boat. ÒMaybe
she ate them,Ó Adrienne was still
not completely sure they could trust Egara. At this Egara let out a squawking laugh
making them all jump, ÒTheyÕre not even big enough for hors d'oeuvre Adrienne
and I am not going to be able to help unless you trust me.Ó Adrienne looked a bit sheepish, ÒSorry,
youÕre – youÕre just so big and fearsome looking.Ó Egara stared at Adrienne for a few
moments that seemed like an hour and then she arched her neck and turned her
head. Nestled in her neck feathers
were a clutch of little chicks.
Tiny, tiny, tiny compared to their mother. ÒTake them,Ó said Egara as the chicks
themselves started to jump about and were in danger of falling in the
water. Alicia jumped up onto the
gunwaleÕs of the boat and hanging onto the rigging leaned out and the chicks
ran up her arm onto her shoulders.
But there were too many of them to fit so Adrienne took a few and so did
Thomas. Egara recoiled her neck and
watched with interest as the chicks started jumping all over the boat and
getting into all kind of mischief like little children. They seemed to love to snuggle and very
soon there were one or two under Alicia
and AdrienneÕs arms. They
would have been under ThomasÕ arms as well only he was too busy jumping about
to either prevent the chicks from hurting themselves or prevent them from
destroying some of their much needed supplies. Egara seemed to find the whole scene
very funny, she let out her sort of
croaking laugh every now and again and bobbed her head up and down. Things were just beginning to get out of
hand when she let out a different kind of sound, like a command and began
picking the chicks up one by one in her massive beak and putting them back on
her neck where they quickly disappeared again into her neck feathers. The precision and gentleness she had, to
be able to do this was amazing.
Egara didnÕt need to ask Adrienne whether she felt differently now it
was obvious on her face and the adoring look as she watched the little chicks
peeking out from their motherÕs neck.
ÒI did ask the Pixelfish to come, Ò she said, ÒAnd they said they would. They should be here in a while, they
canÕt swim as fast as I can fly – well nothing can, except perhaps
Sleekorella.Ó
There was nothing to do but wait
and so Egara had spent the time feeding her chicks in the usual way birds do by
regurgitating partly digested food to allow them to take it from her beak, a
messy business, so that when it was done she spent some time preening herself
and cleaning her chicks. Again
Adrienne was amazed by the precision and gentleness. The friends cleaned up the remains of
their meal and did some ship work.
A squawk from Egara announced
that the Pixelfish had arrived.
Alicia thought she would have to dive down as she had before but the
Pixelfish just displayed themselves near the surface. The picture moved around with the waves
but it was certainly good enough.
Alicia thought of her father and the same image appeared again on the
Pixelfish display. Egara sort of
grunted when she saw it,
understanding what she saw but Alicia thought something more. She wondered how to frame the question
and the Pixelfish picture registered her confusion with a streaky abstract
pattern. As she looked at the
picture she went into a kind of trance acting as a conduit for what she wanted
to know. The picture showed series
of stills of a ship on a storm getting into trouble and washing up on some
rocks. A man, her father, and some of the other fishermen crawling
onto the beach exhausted and being found there by the locals. The following pictures were confusing
until they showed the same men all chained to oars as slaves. Then the picture went blank and Alicia
came out of her trance.
ÒYour father is one of
King QuotÕs galley slaves,Ó said Egara, ÒThatÕs not good.Ó
ÒHeÕs definitely alive,Ó
Alicia could not contain her excitement.
Egara looked at Alicia
and if a beak can smile she smiled.
She had forgotten that Alicia all this time had not known for sure that
her father was alive and to know that was – well much more important than
knowing that he was a slave to a cruel and sadistic king who would have people
and animals killed when they were no further use to him or sometimes anyway
just for his sadistic pleasure.
ÒI will take you there
but we must wait until my little ones can fly and forage for themselves.Ó
She saw the looks on the
friends faces.
ÒOh donÕt worry it will
only take a few days. They double
their size every day until they can look after themselves.Ó
And so another agonizing
wait began relieved by watching in awe as Egara caught sharks to feed her
chicks and the chicks grew as she had said in size but still trying to do what
they had done a few days earlier snuggling under AliciaÕs arms. Soon enough Egara decided it was time to
take her chicks for MontyÕs safe keeping and away she went.
When she came back she told them
the bad news about King Quot and that the only way to get AliciaÕs father to
safety was by stealth. They must
creep in and somehow get him out of the slave prison to the beach where Egara
could pick them up. Then she curved
her neck as she had done the first time to show her chicks telling them to
climb aboard. And then they were
away, flying so high the world below looked like a map. It took quite a while even though Egara
could fly very fast but eventually she started to lose height and landed on the
sea. She explained that they must
wait till nightfall to land on the beach, King Quot always posted sentries,
even though invasion was nearly impossible. Egara then went to sleep and suggesting
the friends do the same.
They were awakened by EgaraÕs
soft clucking clucking sound. It
was a dark moonless night and they could just see that Egara had swum close to
a beach. She told them that this
was as close as she dared get without risking raising an alarm and they must
swim the remaining few yards quietly which they did. It was a very warm night and so having
wet clothes on was quite pleasant as they crept towards the sounds of people
and lights. There seemed to be only
one sentry on this side of the settlement and Thomas crept up behind and
knocked him out with a sharp blow on the back of his head with a heavy
stick. They then slithered through
the shadows to where they could see what was almost certainly the slave prison
with strong gates and bars on the windows.
The guard was asleep, which was good, but he was behind the gates which
wasnÕt. Thomas went back and put
the sentriesÕ uniform on and going back to the prison rapped sharply on the
gate. The guard woke up in a daze
staggered to the gate pulling out his key ring. As he was unlocking the gate Thomas
caught hold and pulled him forward hitting him on the head with the stick. He slumped down and Thomas turned the
key and the gate opened. He stayed
at the gate to keep watch while Adrienne and Alicia crept around the prison
undoing all the cells and signaling for everyone to keep quiet. It was all going so well but they had
not counted on King QuotÕs paranoia.
He had a parrot that flew around every few minutes to detect anything
amiss and of course the parrot saw what was gong on. ÒArk, Alarm. Ark, Alarm.Ó The noise was very loud after the quiet
of the assault but soon everyone was in an uproar and of course before they
could escape the prisoners and the three friends were all captured.
The three friends were roughly
thrown into a prison cell. The
chief guard leered at them, ÒWe shall see what the King has to say about you
three in the morningÓ And he
strolled off chuckling to himself.
The cell they were in was just
four walls of bars, one with a barred gate. Even the ceiling was bars. The floor was just hard dirt, there was no furniture, nothing. It was a very uncomfortable night trying
to sleep on a hard floor with the sound of the guards nasty laugh in your ears.
It had been light for quite some
time when the head guard and six of his men came and opened the door. Each of the six men took and arm and
used it to force them along twisting and wrenching their arms quite
viciously. They were
unceremoniously dragged in front of King Quot and thrown on the ground. The King sat in a great throne very
ornately decorated and he was very fat and ugly. He glared at them in silence for what
seemed like eternity, all the people around made not a sound, they all seemed terrified of the
King. Finally the King screwed up
his nose as though he had a bad smell under it and simply said, ÒThe Plank.Ó At this everybody, except the three
friends of course, let out a big
cheer. The guards grabbed their
arms again and this time they were frog marched back down to the beach and onto
a large ship and then tied to the rail in an area ominously stained with
blood. Soon enough the King came on
board with great fanfare and ceremony and the ship was cast off, being towed
out by three large canoes paddled by a dozen men each acting as tugs. Alicia could see her father as one of
the slaves rowing. They got a ways
out and then stopped. The King
waved his hand for the execution to begin and then the reason for the blood
stains became clear as various large pieces of butchered meat were dragged out
and thrown overboard. The relief
that it wasnÕt human blood was short lived when they realized that the meat was
to attract sharks and put them into a feeding frenzy. The water round the ship boiled as the
creatures tore the offering apart.
The plank was then put in place and Thomas was dragged first and put on
the plank. The head guard, with the
same leer on his face used a spear to force Thomas to walk out further and
further over the water. Finally he
as right at the edge when Alicia screamed.
The KingÕs face turned purple with anger and he shouted to the guards to
put a gag on her. This took a few
moments with Thomas still standing right on the edge of the plank. The KingÕs attention was then turned
back to Thomas and he gave the order to the head guard who lunged at Thomas forcing
him to stop off the plank and fall into the red water underneath. During all the action nobody had noticed
that the water had stopped boiling. The sharks had gone and the KingÕs
puzzlement turned to anger as Thomas started to swim away. ÒGet him, get him,Ó screamed the King
and the guards rushed to the side of the ship ready to throw their spears when
the ship started to come out of the water.
Up and up it came until finally it capsized throwing everybody into the
water. Underneath was Sleekorella,
which was probably why the sharks had disappeared. The mood of the KingÕs party of course
quickly changed from blood lust to surprise to fear. Then Egara appeared plucking the three
friends and AliciaÕs father out of the water as though they were her chicks.
It happened so quickly it
seemed like a bad dream and they had woken up flying towards Turtle Island on
EgaraÕs neck. The journey back was
with the wind and so did not take so long.
Flying on EgaraÕs neck was very exhilarating but not conducive to small
talk. When they finally got their
feet on MontyÕs back there was great jubilation. Alicia and her father were in tears of
joy. Thomas and Adrienne couldnÕt
keep still and were jumping around yipping and swinging each other around. Finally things calmed down a bit.
ÒCome on,Ó said Alicia
jumping in their boat. Thomas held
back, ÒWe canÕt go back get. WeÕre
not readyÓ
ÒI just want to talk to
Monty.Ó And with that they all got
in and went round to where Monty could see them. AliciaÕs father, happy as he was to see
Alicia, was still in a state of shock from seeing Sleekorella and Egara, and
then riding on EgaraÕs neck but now he realized that the island they had landed
on was a turtleÕs back he just sat in a kind of daze with his mouth hanging open.
ÒYouÕre Dad doesnÕt look
ever so very well at all,Ó said Monty,
ÒDoes he need a pick me up and make me happy.Ó
ÒDonÕt worry,Ó replied
Alicia, ÒItÕs all a little strange to him.
Monty I have to ask you something.Ó
ÒOoh! Ooh! I love puzzlywuzzels, is it a
puzzlewuzzely?.
ÒSort of. Monty, you and Sleekorella, and Egara
and the Pixelfish, youÕve all been so kind to us. Enabling me to find my father and take
him back to my Mum is --,Ó she swallowed and closed her eyes briefly to try and
keep control, Ò itÕs means more
than I can say. I want to pay you
back in some small way. Is there
anything you need? Is there
anything we can do for you?Ó
Monty was quiet looking
at her and seeing how emotional she was.
Just saying that they expected nothing wouldnÕt be right. He rocked his head a little while he was
thinking and then he said, ÒWell I donÕt know if you can help but a problem
that all us sea creatures have is the amount of DevilÕs skin floating in the
sea. It gets everywhere, in our
food, endangers little fish and
young. It is a real problem.Ó
ÒDevilÕs skin. WhatÕs that.Ó
ÒWhen Egara comes back I
will get here to take you and show you.Ó
ÒWhere has she gone.Ó
ÒShe went to help
Sleekorella teach King Quot and his cronies a lessonbesson they will never
forgetever. Why donÕt you go and
eat and rest for a whiley, she probably wonÕt be back till tomymorrow.Ó
Alicia could hear Egara calling
but she didnÕt know where she was.
Everyone else seemed to be asleep and EgaraÕs distinctive cry was quite
loud now. Then she heard the rustle
of feathers and something was tapping her on top of her head. Suddenly she was awake and sat up
quickly. It was one of EgaraÕs
chicks, already big as a house but still small enough to waddle along MontyÕs
beach and wake her up. Egara
herself was a little way off making a beautiful picture in the orange glow of
the rising sun preening herself.
The chick, having done itÕs job, jumped in the water to join itÕs
mother. Alicia called to Egara and
she came over.
ÒMonty tells me you want
to go and see DevilÕs skin,Ó she said,
ÒIt wonÕt take more than a few minutes to take you there and back, why
donÕt we go now. Hop on.Ó
The grace and speed that
Egara could take off and fly took AliciaÕs breath away especially as this time
she skimmed over the surface of the water and the speed she was flying was much
more obvious than when she flew high up.
ÒHere it comes now. Right below.Ó Egara said and began to
circle over an area of the sea.
Alicia looked down. There
was a big mass of plastic of all kinds, bottles, sheeting, etc all mixed up
with the detritus from trawling and whaling vessels, cables, bit of netting and such
like. It was the kind of stuff that
had trapped SleekorellaÕs little one and it was massive.
Back on Monty she talked
to her Dad about it and he said he had heard that it was becoming a
problem. That there were massive
areas of the stuff but nobody knew where it all came from or how to deal with
it. Alicia was determined to do
something to try and give back to their friends who had helped them so much but
how.
She talked to Thomas and
he said that when he was cutting it up to help Sleekorella he noticed it looked
artificial, it wasnÕt a natural
product of anything in the sea. He
thought some of it would make excellent sail material. This made Alicia wonder whether the
DevilÕs Skin could be harvested and used but it didnÕt seem practical.
She wanted to talk to
Monty some more, he was the oldest and had more history than any of them.
ÒAh Jollyeversogood Morning
Alicia. IsnÕt a beautifulmus
day. I suppose you must all be
preparing to go home now. It has
been so much funifunfun having you all here I shall miss you.Ó
ÒWe will come and visit
if you like.Ó
ÒOh that would be
terryific everso, yes it would.Ó
ÒMonty, I wanted to talk
some more about this DevilÕs Skin.Ó
ÒOkeydokeykokey! What would you like to know?Ó
ÒDo you remember this
kind of problem before?Ó
ÒNo not a tiddybit. This DevilÕs Skin is new, we never used
to have thingalings like this.Ó
ÒEgara showed me a huge
clump of it yesterday. How much
more is there? Are there lots of
clumps like that one?Ó
ÒThere is kwertyquite a
lot of it about so IÕve heard.
Egara would be able to tell you muchimore about that than I would. She flies in the highupsky and sees
manyallthemiles.Ó
ÒWhere is she?Ó
ÒI thinkum she went to
toilet train her chickywicks.Ó
ÒToilet train??Ó
ÒYes by all means. Condarks are very fussywussy about their
personal matters. One of the chicks
dropped guano on my neck and Egara was mortifortified. I said it was no biggy problemplum, a
couple of dipsywips and it was washed off but Egara said it was time for toilet
training.Ó
ÒEgara is a condark.Ó
ÒMm! Diddle you know that. Egara is a condark, Sleekorella is a
serpentine and I am a giant purpose.Ó
ÒDonÕt you mean
porpoise.Ó
ÒOh thatÕs how people
from the Bronx say it.Ó
ÒNo I ----Never
mind. What exactly happens when
Egara toilet trains her chicks?Ó
ÒShe shows them how to
circle low over the water to find a good spottywot to drop their loadof and
then kaplosh.Ó
ÒI seezywee – er I
mean – I see.Ó
ÒWell itÕs not
exacatacally a pretty sight if you do seezywee.Ó
Alicia didnÕt know
whether Monty was joking of not and a turtleÕs facial expression is not exactly
easy to read. But then in the
moment that she was trying to make up her mind Monty started to make a noise
she had never heard him make before, starting like a soft groaning and then
getting louder like someone with bronchitis gasping for breath. Then she realized he was laughing and
joined in the fun.
Back on the beach her
ideas were developing and she went and sat on MontyÕs tail which stuck out over
the water like a rocky promontory and you could sit on the edge and just
think. She was looking in the water
and then saw her own face. Of course
she knew right away what a Pixelfish picture looked like. Her face became sad and the picture
changed where she was waving goodbye.
The Pixelfish had come to say goodbye. Alicia turned her akuut on full and the
picture became a question mark and then the DevilÕs Skin floating in the water
and then thousands of birds flying over head dropping their guano and then the
plastic mass gradually sinking down and then thousands of fish swimming over it
dropping their guano until the whole lot was buried at the bottom of the sea
and then it gradually became green as seeds in the droppings sprouted and grew
and a whole new aquaculture was created.
The final picture was Alicia smiling and waving and the picture was
gone.
AliciaÕs Dad, Thomas and
Adrienne had been preparing the canoe for the voyage home. Alicia knew they must leave soon or risk
being caught in the stormy season.
She told her Dad she needed to talk to Egara before they left and she
was sure Egara would come to say goodbye today anyway and they could leave
tomorrow.
Sure enough Egara showed
up later in the day and Alicia described her idea. Egara would have to recruit all be birds
in the air and all the fish in the sea to make it work and they would have to
tackle one mess of DevilÕs skin at a time.
Sleekorella came that day as well and was also told of the plan. They were very excited, for it seemed so
simple yet so practical, they were
sure it would work.
As the boat sailed away from
Monty the next day everybody was a bit sad. Alicia stood in the stern of the boat
until Monty disappeared in the distance.
Sleekorella and Egara kept them company for a while but eventually,
Egara and her chicks did a loop the loop in formation at the same time as
Sleekorella leapt out of the water, her tail clearing the surface before her
head re-entered, and then they were gone and the friends and AliciaÕs Dad were
alone.
As their homeland came in sight
they could see a welcoming party already gathered on the beach. Their people were used to watching the
horizon and when at first some kind of vessel approached till it was close
enough to be recognized as FeldspaÕs canoe had created quite the buzz.
The
cheering was deafening after the silence of the voyage and willing hands helped
them beach and disembark. AliciaÕs
Mum fainted at the sight of her husband causing a few moments concern but she
soon came round again for Alicia to see them embrace and to know that her
family was whole again. Thomas and
Adrienne meanwhile were the center of attention as they told their tales of
daring do, and they didnÕt even have to exaggerate to amaze their
audience. And so the celebrations
and feasting began.
The End.
Return
to Contents
Appendix
IV:
The Poetry of Kittamsu of Kuunasameru
Kuunasian poetry, like
their language, is allegoric, but not just in the subject but also in
format. It is not to be read as you
would read the words on the page but just allow your eyes to run over it. Later Kitt adopted other Cantatian stylesÉAlicia
Kitt wrote this after
discussions with a Buddhist he met during his travels and experimented with
meditation as a discipline
..Alicia.
Everything is distant
as my mind begins to melt:
distant sights;
distant sounds;
nothing matters any more.
The water like glass
as I lay under:
all is peace;
all is calm;
and I see the stars above.
I breathe as t'were a fish
and my hair floats free:
legs at rest;
arms repose;
and now I see beyond.
I am awake but in a dream,
my body needing nothing:
heart is happy;
mind at peace;
and now everything is one.
Moon
Ah Moon!
Ah Moon!
You make me remember,
for I am so changed
but you are not.
Could you tell me,
if you can,
why you are at peace
while I
would just like to be.
My past seems so full
of busy emptiness
while your seems so empty
of anything not full
of meaning and love.
I too have loved,
but not like you,
for you have loved the world.
You ride on the clouds
with the stars in your hair
and always, always,
the faithful one,
the one that will never let us down.
In your beams
t'is though in my mother's arms
warm and tender
soft and caring.
Ah Moon I love you too.
Lost Dreams
When a dream is lost
e'en the strongest cry
for dreams keep us alive.
Dreams built cities,
explored strange lands,
without them
we'd sleepwalk through life.
Yes, when a dream is lost,
I tell no lie,
we lose a jewel
in the crown
of our mind's eye.
Wild Winter Night
One night in a remote cabin I awoke
and went outside.
All around
the sights and sounds
Wild symphony beyond compare.
Distant groans and pops of the ice
Echoes bounce back and forth.
The moan and whistle of the wind
Accompanying the coyotes chorale
Beneath the gleam of the moon
smiling on the Earth.
The deer tracks sparkling
Snow in starlightÕs glow.
Ice crystals dancing o'er the lake.
A trillion twinkling lights
Flashing, dancing, playing.
The black tree shadows
Stripes on pure, pure white.
The cutting smell
of the clean night air
filling my lungs with life.
It is the wild mid-winter night
this place of magic and mystery
though I know not how
it came to be
nor itÕs final fate.
I only know
IÕm alive
here and now
to marvel
while it lasts.
Return
to Contents
Appendix V:
The Art of Kittamsu
After meeting Emily
Carr Kitt became enthralled with the endless possibilities of abstract art and
it developed into a pastime. The
following is an example of his work where he developed a concept and did the
original designs, shown here for a series he called Contrasts, before rendering
them on large canvas piecesÉÉ.. Alicia.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------War
and Peace
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Concrete
and Abstract
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Love
and Hate
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Intelligence
and Stupidity
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Heaven
and Hell
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------Fast
and Slow
--------------------------------------------------------------------------Light
and Dark
Afterword
This is Michael, the real
author speaking. Welcome back to
reality and I hope you enjoyed the ebook.
The following provides some background into the creative process for the
book. It is in the form of an
interview which will never take place between me and an art critic. Well if I am going to be self
congratulatory I might as well do it in style.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Critic: What an amazing book I enjoyed it
so much.
Michael: Thank you.
Critic: What was the genesis for the whole
work? It confounds the conventional
wisdom of writing what you know.
Michael: Yes. Everything in the work is original yet
nothing in the work is original in the sense that all art is a development of
previous concepts and ideas. The
storyline grew from wanting a structure for unique situations, at least unusual
and hopefully mostly humorous. Some
of the most enjoyable books I have read draw from the experience of personal
cultural conflicts or misunderstandings either through word play or a
completely different way of thinking.
Critic: I notice you use an explicit referent to
De Cervantes' Don Quixote.
Michael: Don Quixote was voted the best novel
ever written by a consortium of a hundred international literati. Dialogue between two empathetic but
different characters is a very useful tool. And of course De Cervantes was
attributed one of the first to use the story within the story technique.
Critic: Can we spend a minute of two talking
about the format of the book which is unique.
Michael: The history of the novel is of course
rooted in the paper bound tradition and along with that the assumption that you
start reading at the beginning and progress through sequential pages to the
end. Nearly all novels are
organized with that expectation even ebooks. The facility of hyperlinks though
enables a different format where the reader can meander backwards and forwards
as they choose, reading what they enjoy and skipping what they don't. It tries to satisfy both those who are
shall we say plotcentric as well as those that like a lot of descriptive
material to give a feeling of time and place. Maybe it risks failing at both of
course.
Critic: A risk most publishers would be
reluctant to take.
Michael: Yes but since it is presented on
my own website I have complete control of the artistic and production
process. So this sort of evolved as
I developed the character and considered how a person who was rooted entirely
in experience, and not in time and space as is normal, would think and hence
make records. Most conventional
novels use time shifting within the context of reading sequentially e.g. flashbacks
or time jumps but I wanted something more, something where the reader
understands the characters and plot by a sort of osmosis. I expect considerable resistance,
anything unconventional requires a lot of time to get accepted.
Critic: Was the production process very
different from say self publishing?
Michael: In some ways easier. Microsoft Word for the Mac had all the
editing and html file generation tools I needed except for the graphics which
were done in Coreldraw and pasted back in.
Critic: When did you start working on the novel.
Michael: I sometimes thought it would never get
finished. I started in 2004
thereabouts for initial concepts and thoughts. Work though has been very sporadic since
I find driving myself, as you would for say a non artistic work, gets
unsatisfactory results, at least for me.
So there were long periods where I lacked motivation and sometimes that
also allowed new ideas to emerge and get worked in. Another thing that would have been more
difficult in a highly commercial situation.
Critic: This goes back to where we started
about the broad mix of concepts; science fiction but not science fiction; time shifting taken almost to
extremes; and so on.
Michael: Yes I would seize on a particular idea
or concept and rework passages with that focus. The structure of the whole work allowed
for this and of course would not have been possible otherwise. I worried a bit that clarity would be
lost and that was why it contains a lot of explanatory material written in
Alicia's voice and then I worried that it was becoming too tedious.
Critic: You seem to me to have struck a
reasonable balance in that regard.
Where did this idea of the akuut come from?
Michael: Well of course telepathy has been around
a long time but existing as a racial trait was in Star Trek Next Generation
with Deanna Troy which is also where I originally got this idea of a peoples
using an allegoric language
But I drew from many other works not the least Gulliver's Travels by
Jonathon Swift and of course the master Dickens.
Critic: I have heard it said that to make others
think you are a genius; hide your sources.
Michael: Genius I think not. Why pretend that others have not
provided inspiration and ideas when it is the lifeblood of all art.
Critic: Well said. Umm!! An allegoric language in STNG, I
donÕt remember that.
Michael: Captain Picard was forced to confront an
alien captain who said things that the universal translator could not
translate. In the end Picard works
out that he is talking in allegories.
I am not a linguist but I doubt that a completely allegoric language is
possible versus one like English which makes extensive use of verbal
abstractions, however one making extensive but not exclusive use of allegory is
probably possible.
Critic: And a society where everyone can read
each others thoughts.
Michael: Yes. Short of being like the Borg having a
hive mind such a society would presumably have to develop ways of focussing
your mind so that only the desired thoughts are received.
Critic: And no fiction:
Michael: Hmm, bit of stretch but it seemed to me
that such a society must be rooted in the truth since telling lies in the
common every day way we normally do would not be possible.
Critic: A better society.
Michael: Not sure better just different.
Critic: Like the Thermians in the STNG spoof
– Galaxy Quest.
Michael: I suppose so yes although I had not
conciously realized that.
Critic: Is there anything of you in there? The real you.
Michael: Nothing specific: correction - the Wild
Winter Night poem was an actual experience at my cottage - but that aside there
were things where I would draw on an experience and embellish it or change it
from it's original form. Alicia is
really me though, when she speaks it is my thoughts in a kind of dream state.
Critic: Ghost Town – Pictorial poetry?
Michael: Yes – it is little known but a few
poets have played with the idea of presenting the poetic word in a pictorial
form, sort of a cross between poetry and visual art, I am still not sure as I
donÕt find the poem in itÕs original purely text form more appealing; to read
the page of Ghost Town you just need to let your eyes wander over the page
rather than trying to read it beginning to end, hard to do.
Critic: So does it touch on any of your
religious or spiritual beliefs.
Belief in a spirit world and an afterlife seems integral to the whole
work.
Michael: For me that is just a useful literary
device. No spirit world and half
the stories, and probably the most interesting half, can't happen. I would admit I do not believe in one
all seeing all knowing intelligent entity which some call God, it confounds my
reason but I like to keep an open mind,
there are so many things that cannot be explained, and maybe never will.
Critic: And all the extraneous material in the
appendicees.
Michael: Again this was inspired by another
artistic source, Tolkien who wanted to create a complete mythology, a land with
a history and different races each with itÕs own language. I wanted to show how the main character
Kittamsu was a remarkable person with great perception and a wide range of
talents. The final version of the
book is actually about a third shorter than a previous draft which included a
lot more what you call extraneous material, including a play Kitt wrote for
Grander Little Theatre as well as his thoughts on many Canadian institutions
and governance in the form of discussions with Sean. In the end though I thought that very
few readers would read and enjoy this level of mostly satirical detail and cut
it all out.
Critic: I felt I wanted to know more, in some
places it whetted my appetite but never satisfied it.
Michael: Hitchcock said that drama is just life
with the boring parts left out.
Maybe I left out too much for you, too little for another. A matter of taste?
Critic: Yes definitely, as I said I did enjoy
it. The obvious question would be
what the next novel will be about.
This'll be a hard act to follow.
Michael: I very much doubt there will be another
one. It has been said that we
all have one good book inside us,
and this one is mine.
Critic: Well I hope not. Good talking to you Michael and the very
best of luck. I strongly recommend
listeners to read this ebook on funforkidsplus.ca
Michael: Thanks a lot. I enjoyed talking to you.
END
