Chapter 63

The sessions resumed the next day almost as if there had been no interruption. The Edenites seemed as eager to learn as before, and the human scientists continued to press them for details about themselves and their planet. It took only a couple of days for the "field trips," as they had taken to calling their ventures away from the meadow, to be revived.

To be sure, not all of the scientists were equally enthusiastic. A few were quite timid about visiting the surface and gave up their places in the rotation to other, bolder colleagues. But that ended when Toshimura, at last free of both traction and significant pain, proved true to his word and insisted on a place on the next ferry trip. Several of the scientists, as well as Igwanda, volunteered to help him across to the remodeled pavilion, but he astonished everyone by instead asking the aliens to do it. He talked easily with Joe as he and several other natives carried him across, and after that there was no further hesitation among the Gardener complement to make the descent.

Meiersdottir's days were as occupied as ever by her regular sessions with Joe and two or three others who periodically joined them, but her evenings were more full. She still spent a great deal of time (and every night) with Igwanda, but she now was also focused on such things as designing a dress and otherwise making wedding plans.

"I've decided I'd like to do it here, Carlos," she told him. "If we did it on the ship everybody could be there, and that would be nice, but it would leave them"—she gestured—"out. If we do it here, we can have most of the ship. Provided that you can relax your limitation a little for that, can you?"

He rolled his eyes. "I suppose," he said. "John said we need to show them the same trust they have us, and that will be a way to do it. There is a time for caution, but it can be overdone. Yes, you may have your wedding party."

She squeezed his hand. "And we can invite them, too," she continued. "I've been talking to them about the different kinds of social glue we use, and certainly ceremonies are one of those things, and I think it would be really useful if they could actually see one. I'm going to tell them about weddings tomorrow, and let them know we're going to have one and that we hope they'll come to it. A different sort of demonstration than what we've been giving them, as it were."

"Mmm."

"I know, you're bored, weddings are kind of a girl thing. But they're important. I want to do this really right, it's my only time. And doing it right means I have a matron of honor, that's Janet, and you need a best man. I know you don't have close friends on board, but there's Gustav, there's Bernard, maybe even John—"

"I have an idea on that front," he interrupted.

"Okay, who?"

"You will know soon enough. Will you let me know when you begin to speak of wedding ceremonies tomorrow? I would like to attend."

She shrugged. "Sure, if you want. Stick around, I'll wave to you."

The discussion was just beginning as he joined the group, Akakha—who still shadowed him everywhere—at his side.

"You know that we singles often choose to become especially close to one other person," she was saying. "It's called mating, Gagugakhing told me you have seen it in some of your wild beasts. We of our kind mate for life, which makes it a very special thing not just for the ones who mate but for those others who are their friends. It's called marriage.

"Because it's so special, we celebrate this with a ceremony, called a wedding. It's a way of asking the agreement and approval of the rest of our society, and for others to give that agreement and approval."

"What if others do not agree or approve?" interrupted Joe.

"That's arranged in advance," she said. "In the long-ago past there were very strict procedures. In the present time it's much simpler because the wedding only really affects the two people who are being married, the bride, that's the female, and the groom, that's the male. Others aren't affected, at least not directly. If someone truly disapproves, that person may show the disapproval by not attending the wedding, but it's not our custom to do otherwise.