Donald Moffitt - Genesis 01

shivering. They probably thought that Bram could in some way follow the deliberations that were taking place—word of his prowess with touch readers had gone round the enclosure—and that they could glean some clue by watching his reactions.
    “No,” he had to say over and over again to those who edged forward to quiz him. “I can’t tell you anything.”
    Sorrow, he felt, and regret and distress. But it could mean anything. Sorrow over what had happened or sorrow at what they were going to have to do about the humans. Distress over human behavior or distress at the Nar role that was now crystalizing.
    And then he became aware that something new was happening.
    Several times during the vigil, the carpet of Nar parted to form an aisle and let through people from outside. They were humans from the Compound—folk who had not been involved in the events in the tree.
    They spoke to the assembly briefly or at length, then left while the aisle closed up behind them. They would have to walk for miles through that teeming plain back to whatever vehicles had brought them here. And the gaps and neural rerouting that they caused at this stage of the game—after deliberations had already begun—must have been troublesome for the Nar.
    Bram huddled within the shelter of Tha-tha’s clasp. The new arrivals could mean only one thing.
    The stakes had gotten bigger. The inquiry had been widened to include the entire human race.
     
    Mim and Olan Byr were among those who came. Olan had to be brought in on a walker guided by a solicitous Nar. He got out of the seat nimbly enough, but Bram was shocked at his appearance. Olan seemed to have aged tremendously, and he seemed very feeble.
    Afterward, they came over to see him.
    “Hello, Bram,” Mim said. “Some people told us we’d find you here.” She looked at the nest of tentacles entwining him, not at all intimidated. “Hello—Tha-tha, isn’t it? I’m sorry to meet you again under these circumstances.”
    “It’s Tha-shr-tha,” Bram said apologetically.
    “Oh, of course. I’m sorry.”
    “Hello, Mim,” Tha-tha said. He did not remind her that he had been part of the group consciousness that had interrogated her a few minutes ago. “Yes, this is a time of sorrow. But I am glad to see you. Hello, Olan Byr.”
    Olan gave a nod of acknowledgment. The handsome face was a thinner sketch of its former self, drawn in vertical lines, and the dark sleek hair had gone white. Bram saw the quick look of affection and protectiveness from Mim.
    “What are you doing here?” Bram said.
    Mim answered for them both. “Nobody’s sleeping tonight in the Compound. Some Nar came to fetch a few people. I guess they were mentioned here in one connection or another, and the Nar wanted to hear what they had to say. And some of us asked if we could speak, too.”
    “Quite a few, actually,” Olan said. “Not all of them were brought inside; some of them gave depositions at the edge.”
    “But why?” Bram said. “You’re not involved.”
    Olan smiled with effort. “We’re all part of it, all humans. We can’t hide behind our music anymore, can we? Not after this.”
    “What … what did they ask you?” Bram glanced at Tha-tha, but the mirror-eyes were reflected inward, listening to the soundless murmurs from beyond.
    “They wanted to know how we felt,” Mim said.
    “What we live for,” Olan said. “And what we hope for.”
    “They know Olan is our greatest musician,” Mim said.
    Olan gave a wry smile. “They asked me what it means to a human creative artist to die young—young to them! I told them about Mozart.”
    “Good-bye, Bram,” Mim said. She leaned past Thatha’s tentacles and brushed his cheek with her lips. Then she led Olan to his carryseat and got him settled. A group of about twenty was leaving. The sea of yellow flesh rolled back to pass them through, and they were gone.
    Once, in the pale half-light, Bram saw Smeth. The lanky physicist was talking a mile a minute, his hands making violent gestures, his head tucked deferentially between his shoulders. He broke off a couple of times to confer with Jao, then continued with his presentation. He left immediately afterward without seeking Bram out.
    Jao was called a couple of times after that to be asked some question or other. He answered laconically and returned to his seat. He did not come over to Bram to volunteer information.
    After that, no one else came from the Compound and no one else was called.