“Tell me again,” I said. “How did Severeid ever find you the second time?”
I didn’t mind the indulgent smile Valancy and Jemmy exchanged. I didn’t mind feeling like a child-if they were the measure of adults.
“The first time he ever saw us,” Jemmy said, “was when he those to sleep off his vino around a boulder from where we chose to picnic. He was so drunk, or so childlike, or both, that he wasn’t amazed or outraged by our lifting and tumbling all over the sky. He was intrigued and delighted. He thought he had died and by-passed purgatory, and we had to restrain him to keep him from taking off after us. Of course, before we let him go we blocked his memory of us so he couldn’t talk of us to anyone except others of the People.” He smiled at me.
“That’s why we got real shook when we found that he’d told you and that you’re not of the People. At least not of the Home. You’re the third blow to our provincialism. Peter and Bethie were the first, but at least they were half of the People, but you-” he waggled his head mournfully, “you just didn’t track.”
“Yes,” I shivered, remembering the long years I hadn’t tracked with anyone. “I just didn’t track-” And I relaxed under the triple reassurance that flooded in from Low and Jemmy and his wife Valancy.
“Well, when you told Severeid yon wanted to find us he stumbled as straight as a wino string back to our old picnic grounds. He must have huddled over that tiny fire of his for several days before we found him-parched with thirst and far past his last memory of food.” Jemmy drew a long breath.
“Well, when we found out that Severeid knew of what we thought were two more of us-we’ve been in- gathering ever since the ships first arrived-well! We slept him all the way back. He would have been most unhappy with the speed and altitude of that return trip, especially without a car or plane.
“I caught your struggle to save Lucine when we were still miles away, and, praise the Power, I got there in time.”
“Yes,” I breathed; taking warmth from Low’s hand to thaw my memory of that moment.
“That’s the quickest I ever platted anything,” Jemmy said.
“And the first time I ever did it on a scale like that. I wasn’t sure that the late sunlight, without the moonlight, was strong enough, so I was openmouthed myself at the way the mountain ripped open.” He smiled weakly. “Maybe it’s just as well that we curb our practice of some of our Persuasions. It was really shake-making!”
“That’s for sure!” I shivered. “I wonder what Severeid thought of the deal?”
“‘We gave Severeid forgetfulness of the whole mine episode,” Valancy said. “But, as Jemmy would say, the sheriff was considerably shook when he got back with the crew. His only articulate pronouncement was, ‘Gaw-dang! Cleo II’s finally gone!’ “
“And Lucine?” I asked, savoring the answer I already knew.
“And Lucine is learning,” Valancy said. “‘Bethie, our Sensitive, found what was wrong and it is mended now. She’ll be normal very shortly.”
“And-me?” I breathed, hoping I knew.
“One of us!” the three cried to me down under. “Earth born or not-one of us!”
“But what a problem!” Jemmy said. “We thought we had us all catalogued. There were those of us completely of the People and those who were half of the People and half of Earth like Bethie and Peter. And then you came along. Not one bit of the People!”
“No,” I said, comfortably leaning against my ancestral stone wall again. “Not one bit of the People.”
“You look like confirmation of something we’ve been wondering about, though,” Valancy said. “Perhaps after all this long time of detour the people of Earth are beginning to reach the Persuasions, too. We’ve had hints of such developments but in such little bits and snippets in these research deals. We had no idea that anyone was so far along the way. No telling how many others there are all over the world waiting to be found.”
“Hiding, you mean,” I said. “You don’t go around asking to be found. Not after the first few reactions you get. Oh, maybe in the first fine flush of discovery you hurry to share the wonder, but you learn quickly enough to hide.”
“But so like us!” Valancy cried. “Two worlds and yet you’re so like us.”
“But she can’t inanimate-lift,” Low teased.
“And you can’t glow,” I retorted.
“And you can’t sun-and-moonlight-platt,” Jemmy said.
“Nor you cloud-herd,” I said. “‘And if you don’t stop picking on me I’ll do just that right now and snatch that shower away from-from Morenci and drench you all!”
“And she could do it!” Valancy laughed. “And we can’t, so let’s leave her alone.”
We all fell silent, relaxing on the sun-warmed sand until Jemmy rolled over and opened one eye.
“You know, Valancy, Dita and Low can communicate more freely than you and I. With them it’s sometimes almost involuntary.”
Valancy rolled over, too. “Yes,” she said. “And Dita can block me out, too. Only a Sorter is supposed to be able to block a Sorter and she’s not a Sorter.”
Jemmy waggled his head. “Just like Earthlings! Always out of step. What a problem this gal’s going to be!”
“Yep,” Low cut in underneath. “A problem and a half, but I think I’I1 keep her anyway.” I could feel his tender laughter.
I closed my eyes against the sun, feeling it golden across my lids.
“I’m un-lost,” I thought incredulously, aching with the sudden joy of it. “I’m really un-lost!”
I took tight hold of the hem of my dream, knowing finally and surely that someday I would be able to wrap the
