Stephanie nodded, thought about risks, then she reached up-Anders was really very tall-and kissed him. It was only on the cheek, but it was a kiss, a real one. The first she’d ever given to someone other than family.
Anders looked surprised for a minute, then smiled. The shadow that had haunted his features since the rescue lifted.
“Thanks, Steph.” He squeezed her hand. “You know, when we were out there, after the car went down, I had this impulse to just curl up, let the adults take charge, since they’d messed everything up by not being willing to challenge Dad. Then I remembered you, how you took risks for Climbs Quickly and all, not bothering to worry about whose fault it was, just because it was right. That reminded me that one person really can make a difference.”
Stephanie felt embarrassed, but really happy, too. “I’m glad. From what everyone says, you were the one who got them going, who pretty much saved the day.”
“Ah, they’re exaggerating. If Langston hadn’t gotten the gear…” Anders trailed off and squeezed her hand again. Stephanie had been acutely aware that he hadn’t let go. “I’m looking forward to seeing more of you…”
Anders paused and she waited for the inevitable, “And Karl,” but instead he grinned again, “A whole lot more.”
He pulled her close for a moment into a sort of half-hug. Then, with a return of his usual energy, he ran for Dr. Hobbard’s van.
As she walked back to the house, Stephanie glanced at her counter-grav unit. She discovered that-as was pretty usual when at home-she wasn’t wearing it. How odd. For some reason she felt as if she were walking on air.
Climbs Quickly sat up near the top of his favorite crown oak. The two-legs had long gone home or to sleep, but he had invited visitors of his own. They had been long coming, for they did not have vehicles that ate distance, but now they were here.
Right-Striped and Left-Striped arrived with Brilliant Images, the memory singer of the Damp Ground Clan. Slightly after, Twig Weaver and Stone Biter joined them, escorting Sings Truly. Ever since the day when she had led the Bright Water Clan to rescue Climbs Quickly and Death Fang’s Bane, Sings Truly had continued to challenge the convention that females, especially the highly-valued memory singers, remained where their clans could keep them safe.
As was evident from Brilliant Images’ presence at this meeting, Sings Truly’s influence was spreading.
The People had already shared images of what had happened over the last several days. Investigation on the part of several clans who lived near the big fires had confirmed that these fires were natural in origin, the result of lightning strikes on crown oaks.
‹ Everyone agrees,› Brilliant Images said, ‹ that the two-legs worked hard to stop the fires, even before the winds shifted and the flames threatened where they have their dwellings. This-and also how Death Fang’s Bane and her young band came to our aid-show that two-legs are not as uniformly dangerous as the fate of the Moonlight Dancing Clan or those preyed upon by Speaks Falsely would have us believe.›
‹ Yes,› Stone Biter said. He was a clan elder of Bright Water, not as conservative as, say, Broken Tooth, who still occasionally lamented the day Climbs Quickly had first been spotted by Death Fang’s Bane, but still not certain whether this young two-leg and a few others were exceptions to a generally depraved species. ‹ But the People have dealt with wildfires before. You yourself admit that the two-legs’ arrival in their flying things caused panic that delayed your retreat.›
Brilliant Images retorted tartly. ‹ We still might have been too late. Certainly elders and kittens-even plump matriarchs like myself-might not have been able to run fast enough to escape the fire after that near-pine crashed down over the stream. I am glad Climbs Quickly heard our confusion and brought help-even strange help.›
Discussion followed as to where the Damp Ground Clan might relocate until their favored area near the bog had an opportunity to recover. The net-wood grove they had chosen was burned beyond use for a year or so, but other well-watered areas not currently in use were suggested.
The debate continued for a long while, weighing this point, contrasting it with that. Climbs Quickly participated, but he was careful not to over-state his thoughts. His opinion-bonded as he was to a two-leg-was considered by many to be radical and suspect. Even so, although the People were not quick to change their minds on important matters, they were also not so foolish as to refuse to see a flood when their feet were already wet.
Or a fire, Climbs Quickly thought to himself with amusement, once their fur has been singed.
Still, he thought that the others had not yet realized what the presence of two-legs meant to the People.
Even today, as they have discarded a few areas as unsuitable because they are too near to settlements of the two-legs, they do not seem to have realized that our world has become a bit smaller. Now we need share it not only with each other, but with these strangers as well.
Then Climbs Quickly looked up through the leaves to the stars, thinking of things he had seen, of how these two-legs had apparently come from beyond the sky.
Or maybe the world has not gotten smaller. Maybe it is simply that my world has grown much, much larger.
