Chapter 9

"I am Katia," she said, from my arms and to both of us.

"I am Shaeta."

"I am Carl."

"We will mate tomorrow," Katia told us.

"Nothing could make us happier," Shaeta told her, for both of us.

I could tell from the look on Katia's face that Shaeta had already told her about my reply the first time.

We spent the rest of the day together, much as Shaeta and I had spent our first day. I really didn't need all the information Katia doled out again but neither Shaeta nor I begrudged her the chance to give the spiel she'd no doubt been training for, just as Shaeta had.

Later, near sunset, she did the same as Shaeta had and left us to spend a last night in her mother's home.

Shaeta and I returned to our hut, undressed, and then held each other until we fell asleep. I knew damned well that Shaeta would be sore and I didn't even think of getting anything started.

We woke before sunrise the next morning and were dressed and outside just as the sun was peeking out. Caloe and Shaton were there to greet us and I thought it was a little odd that Caloe was here tending to business with Shaeta while Katia needed to get ready for her mating ceremony but I held my tongue. Shit, the women knew what they were supposed to be doing.

Shaton and I found a place in the creek to bathe but he didn't bother with much of the spiel that Caltort had given me. He did ask if I had any questions but I couldn't think of a one and he seemed just as glad about that. We returned to camp, grabbed a mouthful or two and then he left while I waited. Shaeta came back later too, and we waited together.

About an hour wait served this time too and then Katia made her entrance. Shaeta and I joined her in front of Zakat and Matatu and we looked respectful and answered when asked while they did their thing. The rest of the day went about the same as my mating with Shaeta. Katia filled all our bowls nearly to the brim with food and we sat together and ate, mostly feeding each other the tidbits.

She asked us pretty much the same questions that Shaeta had asked me, except for a few extra that concerned whether we were both willing to share her and share ourselves with her. Oddly those last seemed to touch me the most and I think they both noticed that I got a little misty eyed.

Shortly after we'd finished eating I got another round of introductions to all the women. We pretended this was the first time we'd met and the ceremony was a little odd in another way also. Katia introduced Shaeta to all the women too. Hey, it was jake with me. Being from earth I thought I understood all parts of how odd circumstances could bend normal occasions into surreal comedy, as long as you were taking a detached look.

When time for the drinking to begin came, I thought I knew what was coming but it turned out I didn't really. Katia could remember her recent big drunk just as well as Shaeta could. I only took one sip and I don't think they had that much. I was pleased with them and happy, until I saw Denac heading for the line up.

My mates were not amused when I told them we needed to intercept him, but I held their feet to the fire and they came with me.

"Congratulations Carl, you are the first man I've ever known who had two mates," Denac said, as we came up to him.

I thanked him and then introduced him to my mates. I knew I was on stable ground making introductions this way. Denac returned the favor informing both of them of his name, which of course, they already knew, but pretended not to.

"Denac, I don't want to tend to your business for you, but I feel that I must try to convince you not to drink any gajee today or tonight, or even for many more days, maybe as much as a month," I said, and even Katia and Shaeta seemed offended by my request.

"I'm sorry Carl, I didn't realize I wouldn't be welcome at your mating ceremony," he said, and I realized my mistake at once and knew I had to correct it.

"No one is more welcome at this ceremony, Denac. No one! If you were in good health I would hold up a bag and pour the gajee down your throat if you wanted me too. But you aren't in good health. You may not believe me, but I know what I am talking about. Your head was injured inside during our fight.

"It will take many more days for it to heal properly and the gajee will make it worse, not better. I'm sure you know how your head pounds the day after drinking very much gajee. Yours will hurt much worse and your vision will get blurry again," I said, and I knew I had hit a chord somewhere from the look on his face.

"But how did you know my vision was blurry, Carl, I told no one, not even the healing woman," he said, and he was truly surprised that I had known.

"The same hurt has been done to me before, Denac. I thought I told you that, the very same hurt. It took me weeks to get over it, and I might as well tell you now that it will always be easier for that type of hurt to happen to you again. That is just the way your head works inside. I am sorry that it happened but I can't take that back. All I can do is try to make you know what to do to get well and what not to do to make it worse.

"Please Denac, I will beg if it will help, please do not drink any gajee until I say you are well again," I said, and realized I meant it.

"Carl, no one has ever worried about me like this, or taken it on themselves to look out for my best interest. I am honored that you have. I will not drink the gajee ever again unless you say you don't mind, even after you've told me I'm well. I am honored," he said.

"May we come to your fire and visit a while then. My mates seem to be very familiar with the mating feelings lately and maybe some of it will rub off on you," I said, and to my surprise it made Denac blush crimson, but he smiled and led the way back to his hut.

Katia and Shaeta had both stiffened when I mentioned the mating feelings and they had good reason to. I had nearly let the name of Breezus slip off my tongue. I was thankful that I'd caught myself in time.

Denac's fire was banked when we got there and he only put a small amount of wood on. It was more than enough though because it wasn't cold at all, it was warm in fact and hell, the sun was up. Still it was normal to keep at least a small banked fire going most of the time.

For one thing, for most of them anyway, a fire was a fairly large pain in the ass to start. They knew about flint, but even with flint, starting a fire isn't all that damned easy. Of course it was no problem for me because I knew about Zippo, and I happened to have a quart of lighter fluid in my steamer. Even though it was warm and still light out I noticed that Denac did not have much firewood. I would fix that problem tomorrow.

Somehow the girls took to Denac in short order. I don't know whether it was because of the change in his attitude I thought I'd noticed or what, but we were all laughing and joking in a few minutes. They even started lightly teasing him over which of the unmated girls he liked best.

On earth this might not have been a welcome thing in some places and wouldn't have even been safe in others, but it was relatively benign here on Margata. Rape and abuse weren't unheard of here but they were very rare, and the girls didn't tease him overmuch.

We ended up spending the rest of the time until almost sunset talking with Denac. I could tell he was thoroughly enjoying himself and to tell the truth I was too. Before we left I told him that I would be gathering some firewood tomorrow and that I'd be sure to bring him some when I came back.

He tried to protest and say he would be able to get his own but I talked him out of it and encouraged him to rest and to tell me if he thought he needed anything. In fact I made him promise that he would.

I really didn't understand why I had taken to him so but I knew it wasn't that unusual. On earth it wasn't a bit strange for two men who had been in a fight to become friends afterward.

After all, it might not be the best of times but it was an intense and personal encounter they had shared. Besides, I think that the fight had changed Denac somehow. I had barely known he was in the Calak before it but his behavior since the fight did not coincide with what I'd heard about him before.

Not thirty steps away from his hut Shaeta told me the same thing I'd just been thinking.

"Before tonight, I never knew the Denac we were just talking to," she said.

"He has certainly changed since the fight," Katia said, agreeing.

"You must have hurt him more than you thought, or else you knocked some sense into him," Shaeta said, to me.

"It does seem that his attitude has changed since the knock on his noggin, at least from what I've heard about him since then. I never really knew him before. I've also heard that men often change in ways you wouldn't think of when they feel that they have been near death," I said.

"Do you think that he nearly died," Katia asked.

"The type of injury he had is unpredictable. Maybe he was near death and maybe he wasn't. What matters more though is if he thought he was near death. If he thought that he was it might make more difference than whether he really was near death or not," I said.

"You are right about that. Sometimes, when you believe something it can affect you whether what you believe is correct or not," Katia said.