Read Online Aliena Too by Piers Anthony - Free Book Online

on their separate ways before anyone else caught on. And of course Lida’s glasses had caught it all, recording everything she had looked at: boy, couple, song, kiss.
    Now Lida stood on the front step beside Brom. “This has been a spot presentation to raise funds for Jeb’s treatment,” Lida said, speaking for the record. “Proceeds will go to the family, so the boy can have required surgery. Bidding for exclusive broadcast may commence immediately, at the Starfish Website.”
    The two of them paused, waiting for confirmation. “So we meet at last,” Brom said. “The two humans married to the two starfish. I love her. Do you love him?”
    â€œYes. But it’s not always easy.”
    â€œI know. I had to give up my first love, as I think you did too.”
    â€œThat was Aliena?”
    â€œYes. If you are in touch with her, give her my regards.”
    â€œDo it yourself.” She handed him her glasses.
    He put them on, and his face went rapt. “Oh, Aliena,” he breathed. “I wish—”
    Suddenly she knew what Aliena was telling him. Lida stepped close to him, offering herself. He put his arms around her, closed his eyes, then kissed her on the lips. Now she heard the sound: Aliena was humming through the glasses, her Song of Joy, for him. He was kissing her, Aliena, in his mind. It was something he could not do directly any more.
    Then he drew back, returned the glasses, and walked swiftly to their car. There had been tears in his eyes; he was too choked up to speak.
    Lida put the glasses back on. “That was very nice of you,” Aliena said.
    â€œWell, I owed you.”
    â€œIt was nice regardless, for me as well as for him.”
    â€œYou’re welcome.”
    The bidding on the 35-second edited recording turned out to be fierce. It was the only instance of the two starfish coming together, and not only that, they had sang jointly, and kissed. It was absolutely beautiful. But little Jeb’s naughty foot-stomp stole the scene. It was settled within the hour: more than two million dollars for the first global broadcast rights. Little Jeb would have his treatment.
    â€œWe owe it to you,” Gloaming told Lida. “This was good positive publicity.”
    â€œIt’s empathy,” she said. “I hurt when I saw how Jeb was hurting. I had to try to help him.”
    â€œEmpathy,” he agreed. “The function of mirror neurons. We lack them.”
    â€œHow did you make a civilization without them? Without understanding the way others feel?”
    â€œWe do understand, intellectually, and act accordingly. We just don’t feel it. But I am learning. From you.”
    â€œIt is hard to imagine me teaching you anything. You have vastly more intellect and talent than I do.”
    â€œThese are mechanical things. They hardly relate to emotional feeling. In that you are the master.”
    She smiled. “Or the mistress.”
    â€œA female master, also a sexual partner,” he said, working it out. “This is humor?”
    â€œHumor,” she agreed. “I am your teacher in this respect, but also your sexual partner, so the two coincidental meanings overlap, making it amusing.”
    â€œHumor,” he repeated. “An illustration of a fundamental absurdity in a situation or in human nature.”
    â€œYou’ve got the dictionary in your head. But the essence of humor is something we can’t properly define. It’s what makes you laugh.”
    â€œLaughter. That is another thing we lack. But we are learning.”
    Lida had another revelation. “It’s like a hand of cards. Starfish have all aces and kings. They can memorize and perform perfectly in an instant, as you and Star do. But by the same token they are missing the sixes and sevens we call emotion. Love, hate, laughter. Geniuses without compassion.”
    â€œCompassion.”
    â€œThat is what I felt for