Botanicaust

Then why do you destroy the land and waste the dead? ”
    Embarrassed, Tula couldn ’ t meet their eyes. She was reminded of Bats on the Burn, holding his sister, and her plea to not be wasted. She thought of all the creatures she ’ d discovered living in the world, among the plants, creatures destroyed right along with the plants during a burn. Would the Burn Operatives even give Outsiders a chance to beg for conversion?
    “ You don ’ t respect the Knowing , ” Brin added.
    Glad for the change of subject, Tula asked, “ What ’ s the Knowing? ”
    The couple exchanged a glance. “ You don ’ t know the Knowing? ”
    Shaking her head, Tula set the fish to one side. A frown from both the adults had her picking it back up and taking another bite before her stomach could protest again.
    “ We are Knowing. These marks, ” Brin pointed to the scars on his face and chest, “ tell others we carry the knowledge of things. Osula is a healer. I am a water finder . Others are traders or metal shapers. All are marked. When a Knowing dies before passing to their children, the knowledge is lost. Your people don ’ t respect the Knowing. ”
    “ We … were not aware of the Knowing. ” She thought back to Jo Boy, his tattoo, and how he talked about how he was responsible for finding water. She ’ d assumed it was merely the thirst of the desert talking. Maybe he ’ d been one of those who kept the knowledge. She was an expert on Outsiders, and she hadn ’ t even known that.
    Osula sucked pulp from a cattail root and spit a little mash onto her finger for Heide. The baby hummed and kicked her little legs in joy.
    Repulsed and fascinated at the same time, Tula wondered what the root tasted like.
    Brin leaned forward to catch Tula ’ s attention. “ Go tell your people of the Knowing. Too many already been wasted. ”
    “ I can ’ t go back. ” Saying the words aloud made Tula ’ s entire body go cold. That life was over forever, and her future was dubious. She flung the remainder of her fish in the fire, uncaring how she might be reprimanded. The two bites in her stomach swam around like the fish had come back to life inside her.
    “ Why? ” Osula ’ s dark contemplation penetrated Tula to the bone.
    “ I rescued him and went against my people ’ s way. ” Fresh realization of what she ’ d done filled her. All for the sake of a single life. How many more would Vitus condemn to death without her there to push the conversions through? She rose and brushed herself off. “ I want to check on Levi. ”
    The day neared sunset, and the evening breeze blew cold. Tula pulled the blanket around Levi. Sweat beaded his brow, even in the chill, and she dabbed at it with the corner of the robe.
    “ I must change his poultice. ” Osula stood behind her, but didn ’ t move toward Levi. Tula looked over her shoulder and nodded.
    Osula knelt and removed the leaves from Levi ’ s wrist. He whimpered in pain as she wiped away paste from his skin. Tula wanted to cry. She put her lips to Levi ’ s, to ease his pain. Her tears fell against his cheeks, and when she rose, it looked as if he ’ d been crying.
    He sighed and relaxed into Osula ’ s ministrations. The woman looked at Tula out of the corner of her eye. “ You have the way of calming him. ”
    Tula nodded, but didn ’ t elaborate.
    “ You a healer with your people? ”
    Tula considered the question. These Outsiders were more intelligent than the Protectorate gave them credit for. “ I am a healer of the mind. ”
    Osula raised her brows and tied off the new poultice. “ Spirit healer. ” She looked at Tula with a new appreciation.
    Tula didn ’ t correct her.

F or three days, Osula treated Levi while Tula kept him unconscious. “ You be a good match for a healer, ” Osula said one night. Heide half-slept in her father ’ s lap, a little bubble of drool glistening in the firelight as her eyes blinked open and closed. “ If you was a man, Brin might be out lucked. ” The healer looked at her mate from the corner of her eye, with a smirk on her face.
    Brin took the jest in stride. “ Maybe I just take you both to my blanket. You get everything you want. ”
    Tula thought he might be serious until he winked at her. Osula snorted. “ I make her man better and he kick your ass. ”
    Brin laughed, the sound startling the baby fully awake. Heide sat up and giggled, like she ’ d been part of the joke. Her parents beamed at her.
    Tula laughed along