He paused again, looking at Mary as if still disconcerted by her appearance. She shifted slightly in her chair.
We knew nothing of your skin color, said Ponter, or the color of your hair. Thebleep; Hak also bleeped as a placeholder when a word was omitted because the English equivalent wasnt yet in the Companions vocabularyof my world would be astonished to learn of the variety.
Mary smiled. Well, its not all natural, she said. I mean, my hair isnt really this color.
Ponter looked astonished. What color is it really?
Kind of a mousy brown.
Why did you alter it?
Mary shrugged a little. Self-expression, andwell, I said it was brown, but, actually, it has a fair bit of gray in it. Imany people, actuallydislike gray hair.
The hair of my kind turns gray as we age.
Thats what happens to us, too; nobody is born with gray hair.
Ponter frowned again. In my language, the term for one who has, knowledge that comes with experience and for the color hair turns is the same: Gray. I cannot imagine someone wanting to hide that color.
Mary shrugged once more. We do a lot of things that dont make sense.
That much is clearly true, said Ponter. He paused, as if considering whether to go on. We have often wondered what became of your people on our world, that is. Forgive me; I do not wish to soundbleepbut you must know that your brains are smaller than ours.
Mary nodded. About 10 percent smaller, on average, if I remember correctly.
And you seemed physically weaker. Judging by attachment scars on your bones, your kind was believed to have had only half our muscle mass.
Id say thats about right, said Mary, nodding.
And, continued Ponter, you have spoken of your inability to get along, even with others of your own kind.
Mary nodded again.
There is some archeological evidence for this among your kind on my world, too, said Ponter. A popular theory is that you wiped each other out what with being not all that intelligent, you see Ponter lowered his head. I am sorry; again, I do not mean to upset you.
Thats all right, said Mary.
I am sure there is a better explanation, said Ponter. We knew so little about you.
In a way, said Mary, the knowledge that it could have gone another waythat we didnt necessarily have to end up survivingis probably all to the good. It will remind my people of how precious life really is.
This is not obvious to them? asked Ponter, eyes wide in astonishment.
Chapter 31
Adikor finally left the Council chamber, walking slowly and sadly out the door. This was all madnessmadness! Hed lost Ponter, and, as if that werent devastating enough, now he would have to face a full tribunal. Whatever confidence hed once had in the judicial systeman entity of which hed only been vaguely aware to this pointhad been shattered. How could an innocent, grieving person be hounded so?
Adikor headed down a long corridor, its walls lined with square portraits of great adjudicators of the past, men and women who had developed the principles of modern law. Had thisthis travestyreally been what theyd had in mind? He continued along, not paying much attention to the other people he occasionally passed until a flash of orange caught his eye.
Bolbay, still wearing the color of the accuser, down at the end of the corridor. Shed tarried in the Council building, perhaps to avoid Exhibitionists, and was now making her own way outside.
Before hed really given it any thought, Adikor found himself running down the corridor toward her, the moss carpet cushioning his footfalls. Just as she stepped out through the door at the end, exiting into the afternoon sun, he caught up with her. Daklar!
Daklar Bolbay turned, startled. Adikor! she exclaimed, her eyes wide. She raised her voice. Whoever is monitoring Adikor Huld for his judicial scrutiny, pay attention! He is now confronting me, his accuser!
Adikor shook his head slowly. Im not here to harm you.
I have seen, said Bolbay, that your deeds do not always match your intentions.
That was years ago, said Adikor, deliberately using the noun that most emphasized the length of time. Id never hit anyone before that, and Ive never hit anyone since.
But you did do it then, said Bolbay. You lost your temper. You lashed out. You tried to kill.
No! No, I never wanted to hurt Ponter.
Its inappropriate for us to be speaking, said Bolbay. You must excuse me. She turned.
Adikors hand reached out, grabbing hold of Bolbays shoulder. No, wait!
Her face showed panic as it swung back to look at him, but she quickly changed her expression, staring meaningfully at his hand. Adikor removed it. Please, he said. Please, just tell me why. Why are you going after me with such such vindictiveness? In all the time weve known each other, Ive never wronged you. You must know that I loved Ponter, and that he loved me. He wouldnt possibly want you to pursue me like this.
Dont play the innocent with me, said Bolbay.
But I am innocent! Why are you doing this?
She simply shook her head, turned around, and began walking away.
Why? Adikor called after her. Why?
Maybe we can talk about your people, Mary said to Ponter. Until now, weve only had Neanderthal fossils to study. Theres been a lot of debate over various things, like, well, for instance, what your prominent browridges are for.
Ponter blinked. They shield my eyes from the sun.
Really? said Mary. I guess that makes sense. But then why dont my people have them? I mean, Neanderthals evolved in Europe; my ancestors come from Africa, where its much sunnier.
We wondered that, too, said Ponter, when we looked at Gliksin fossils.
Gliksin? repeated Mary.
The type of fossil hominid from my world you most closely resemble. Gliksins didnt have browridges, so we had assumed that they were nocturnal.
Mary smiled. I guess a lot of what people conclude from looking just at bones is wrong. Tell me: what do you make of this? She tapped her index finger against her chin.
Ponter looked uncomfortable. I know now that it is wrong, but
Yes? said Mary.
Ponter used an open hand to smooth down his beard, showing his chinless jaw. We do not have such projections, so we assumed
What? said Mary.
We assumed it was a drool guard. You have such tiny mouth cavities, we thought saliva was constantly dribbling out. Also, you do have smaller brains than we do, and, well, idiots often drool
Mary laughed. Good grief, she said. But, say, speaking of jaws, what happened to yours?
Nothing, said Ponter. It is the same as it was before.
I saw the x-rays that were taken of you at the hospital, said Mary. Your mandibleyour jawboneshows extensive reconstruction.
Oh, that, said Ponter, sounding apologetic. I got hit in the face a couple of hundred months ago.
What were you hit with? asked Mary. A brick?
With a fist, Ponter said.
Marys own jaw dropped. I knew Neanderthals were strong, butwow. One punch did that?
Ponter nodded.
Youre lucky you werent killed, said Mary.
We are both luckythe punchee, as you might say, and the puncher.
Why did someone hit you?