had to survive.
—Thank God I found you—Harel was thinking.—I felt something, it seemed like another mind, but so weak I thought it was one of the children, someone who wandered away from the village and got lost. So I looked, and found you here—He paused.—Maybe it was the Merged One who brought me here, maybe it's a sign. We'll go through our ordeal and we'll have our home—His mind bristled with certainty, tickling hers.
She removed part of her wall and touched him. The clarity and warmth of his mind dispelled her sadness. She could almost believe that the dark places in her mind were only clouds, easily dispersed by the sun.
—I wish our minds could always be linked, become the same—she thought fiercely.—I would be stronger then—
—Stronger—Harel laughed and his mind sang.—You're stronger than I am now, Daiya, you're the strongest person I know—
She peered at him, so startled by the thought that she could not laugh with him.
—It's true—he continued.—When I saw you here, I told myself only something unthinkable could have done that to you because of your strength, that's what frightened me the most. I couldn't imagine what could do that—
—You see, then, I'm not so strong—
—You are training yourself too hard, that's what it was—Harel thought, sure of his hypothesis.—You're strong, so you pushed yourself harder and weakened yourself more—
He pulled her to him and they lay beneath the tree, their minds mingling. She tried to forget her fears, masking them. He pressed his cheek against her face and she held him, at peace for the moment.
At last they got up and began to walk back toward the village, their lengthening shadows behind them as they moved toward the sun.
5
After supper, Daiya and Brun took the earthen bowls outside and poured water over them from a bucket while Silla scooped up some of the mud at Daiya's feet. The child slapped it into unrecognizable shapes with her mind, then let it fall over the front of her bare chest. She picked up more mud and smeared it on her arms, giggling as she did so.
Anra came out to them, wrinkling her small straight nose when she saw what Silla was doing. Brun put down the bucket, dried his hands on his tunic, then put one hand on Anra's belly, rubbing it until she smiled. She put her arms around him and they stood there silently while Daiya thought of Harel. Then they drew apart and Anra reached for Silla, pulling off the girl's muddy trousers.
—Daiya and I are going down to the river, come with us—Brun thought.
Anra shook her head and thrust the child at him.—Take Silla, you can wash her there—
—Come with us—Brun insisted.
Anra shook her head again. Daiya sensed her mother's tiredness, afraid for a moment that it would infect her too. She yawned, suddenly drowsy, even though she had already taken a nap before supper, too tired when she arrived home to do more than eat a piece of bread before collapsing on her mat. Cold water bathed her face. She jumped, alert again. Silla giggled. Daiya saw another water bubble heading toward her and broke it, sending a shower of droplets over her sister.
Brun pressed his cheek against Anra's, then picked up Silla with his stubby hands, sitting her on his shoulders. Anra gestured at the bucket and Daiya picked it up.
They made their way through the village toward the river, with Brun hailing nearly everyone he saw on the way. People sat in front of their huts and smiled as Brun sent comical images to the children, making them giggle, and lewd ones at the young women, making them laugh and snort until one woman, the tall handsome Mila StenaFiel, projected a picture of a couple in contortions so unlikely and bizarre that even Brun was startled. He quickly threw a shield in front of Daiya's mind so that she only caught a glimpse.
The riverbank was nearly empty of people. Five gray-haired Merging Ones, three women and two men, sat near the water, their minds mingling, exchanging
—Thank God I found you—Harel was thinking.—I felt something, it seemed like another mind, but so weak I thought it was one of the children, someone who wandered away from the village and got lost. So I looked, and found you here—He paused.—Maybe it was the Merged One who brought me here, maybe it's a sign. We'll go through our ordeal and we'll have our home—His mind bristled with certainty, tickling hers.
She removed part of her wall and touched him. The clarity and warmth of his mind dispelled her sadness. She could almost believe that the dark places in her mind were only clouds, easily dispersed by the sun.
—I wish our minds could always be linked, become the same—she thought fiercely.—I would be stronger then—
—Stronger—Harel laughed and his mind sang.—You're stronger than I am now, Daiya, you're the strongest person I know—
She peered at him, so startled by the thought that she could not laugh with him.
—It's true—he continued.—When I saw you here, I told myself only something unthinkable could have done that to you because of your strength, that's what frightened me the most. I couldn't imagine what could do that—
—You see, then, I'm not so strong—
—You are training yourself too hard, that's what it was—Harel thought, sure of his hypothesis.—You're strong, so you pushed yourself harder and weakened yourself more—
He pulled her to him and they lay beneath the tree, their minds mingling. She tried to forget her fears, masking them. He pressed his cheek against her face and she held him, at peace for the moment.
At last they got up and began to walk back toward the village, their lengthening shadows behind them as they moved toward the sun.
5
After supper, Daiya and Brun took the earthen bowls outside and poured water over them from a bucket while Silla scooped up some of the mud at Daiya's feet. The child slapped it into unrecognizable shapes with her mind, then let it fall over the front of her bare chest. She picked up more mud and smeared it on her arms, giggling as she did so.
Anra came out to them, wrinkling her small straight nose when she saw what Silla was doing. Brun put down the bucket, dried his hands on his tunic, then put one hand on Anra's belly, rubbing it until she smiled. She put her arms around him and they stood there silently while Daiya thought of Harel. Then they drew apart and Anra reached for Silla, pulling off the girl's muddy trousers.
—Daiya and I are going down to the river, come with us—Brun thought.
Anra shook her head and thrust the child at him.—Take Silla, you can wash her there—
—Come with us—Brun insisted.
Anra shook her head again. Daiya sensed her mother's tiredness, afraid for a moment that it would infect her too. She yawned, suddenly drowsy, even though she had already taken a nap before supper, too tired when she arrived home to do more than eat a piece of bread before collapsing on her mat. Cold water bathed her face. She jumped, alert again. Silla giggled. Daiya saw another water bubble heading toward her and broke it, sending a shower of droplets over her sister.
Brun pressed his cheek against Anra's, then picked up Silla with his stubby hands, sitting her on his shoulders. Anra gestured at the bucket and Daiya picked it up.
They made their way through the village toward the river, with Brun hailing nearly everyone he saw on the way. People sat in front of their huts and smiled as Brun sent comical images to the children, making them giggle, and lewd ones at the young women, making them laugh and snort until one woman, the tall handsome Mila StenaFiel, projected a picture of a couple in contortions so unlikely and bizarre that even Brun was startled. He quickly threw a shield in front of Daiya's mind so that she only caught a glimpse.
The riverbank was nearly empty of people. Five gray-haired Merging Ones, three women and two men, sat near the water, their minds mingling, exchanging
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