?Years from now. Some of you will go early, though. Some of you must see and understand what I do so that you?ll understand from the beginning how your new world works.?
She sat watching him silently.
?And I need help with other resisters,? he said. He strained for a moment, trying to lift a hand, trying to unknot his body. It was as though he had forgotten how to move. Yet this did not concern him. He knew he was simply trying to rush things that could not be rushed. He could talk. That had to be enough.
?I probably look a lot less Human than I did,? he continued. ?I won?t be able to approach people who used to know me. I don?t like being shot or having to threaten people. I need Humans to talk to other Humans and gather them in.?
?You?re wrong.?
?What??
?You need mostly Oankali for that. Or adult constructs.?
?But??
?You need people who won?t be shot on sight. Sane people only shoot Oankali by accident. You need people who won?t be taken prisoner and everything they say ignored. That?s the way Human beings are now. Shoot the men. Steal the women. If you have nothing better to do, go raid your neighbors.?
?That bad??
?Worse.?
He sighed. ?Will you help me, Yori??
?What shall I do??
?Advise me. I?ll need Human advisors.?
?From what I?ve heard, your mother should be one of them.?
He tried to read her still face. ?I didn?t realize you knew who she was.?
?People tell me things.?
?I?ve chosen a good advisor, then.?
?I don?t know. I don?t think I can leave Phoenix except with the group that goes to Mars. I?ve trained others, but I?m the only formally trained doctor. That?s a joke, really. I was a psychiatrist. But at least I have formal training.?
?What?s a psychiatrist??
?A doctor who specializes in the treatment of mental illness.? She gave a bitter laugh. ?The Oankali say people like me dealt with far more physical disorders than we were capable of recognizing.?
Akin said nothing. He needed someone like Yori who knew the resisters and who seemed not to be afraid of the Oankali. But she must convince herself. She must see that helping Humanity move to its new world was more important than setting broken bones and treating bullet wounds. She probably already knew this, but it would take time for her to accept it. He changed the subject.
?How do I look, Yori? How much have I changed??
?Completely.?
?What??
?You look like an Oankali. You don?t sound like one, but if I didn?t know who you were, I would assume you were a small Oankali. Perhaps a child.?
?Shit!?
?Will you change any more??
?No.? He closed his eyes. ?My senses aren?t as sharp as they will be. But the shape I have is the shape I will have.?
?Do you mind, really??
?Of course I mind. Oh, god. How many resisters will trust me now? How many will even believe I?m a construct??
?It doesn?t matter. How many of them trust each other? And they know they?re Human.?
?It?s not like that everywhere. There are resister settlements close to Lo that don?t fight so much.?
?You might have to take them, then, and give up on some of the people here.?
?I don?t know if I can do that.?
?I can.?
He looked at her. She had placed herself so that he could see her with his eyes even though he could not move. She would go back to Lo with him. She would advise him and observe the metamorphosis of Mars.
?Do you need food yet?? she asked.
The idea disgusted him. ?No. Soon, perhaps, but not now.?
?Do you need anything??
?No. But thank you for seeing that I was never left alone.?
