Epilogue
The union of Scott and Tahan took place at the spring equinox, which the Anai considered a lucky omen. Just before Scott was led to the carved ivory bench on which all Anai couples were seated during their wedding celebration, however, another ceremony took place — that of adopting Scott as one of the Anai.
Feeling very self-conscious in his new embroidered tunic of grass fiber, and a new long sealskin cloak, Scott stood in front of the Anai villagers, holding a long ivory-head spear in one hand and a stone hammer in the other. A beautiful ivory bow, the gift of Omrek, was resting at his feet. Prompted by Ne Riorag, who was conducting the ceremony, Scott said the words he had been taught:
“I hereby swear to protect my hearth and home, and all the people of the Anai if need be, with this spear, and this bow, and this hammer. I swear to build and sow, and work to obtain the food to nourish myself, and my family, and my clan, according to the law of the Spirits and the First Anai. I swear to be thankful for the gifts the Spirits give, and to waste neither game, nor fish, nor land, nor water, without need.”
Ne Riorag nodded in satisfaction and raised up his arms. “Well spoken, and we ask for the blessing of the Spirits as this man becomes one of the Anai. Your name now shall be Arahak, which means the one who came from afar, and you shall belong to the clan of Ki, as you join the hearth of your chosen woman. Now come, Ki Arahak, and sit upon the bench with your bride.”
Putting the spear and bow and hammer aside, Scott walked over to the ivory seat and joined Tahan, who was resplendent in a new grass fiber dress, in alternating stripes of dark red and violet blurred together at the edges. The front of the dress was covered in an intricate bead pattern, and the hem was heavy with beads as well. She also had on a new fur-trimmed cloak, a gift from Manari, and sealskin slippers. Her hair was arranged in two long plaits, interwoven with strings of beads, that encircled her head like a crown.
Ne Riorag began the rite. “We call upon the blessing of the Spirits to join this man and this woman…”
Out of the corner of his eye, Scott noticed Ne Tarveg, who stood with an impassive face and folded arms a little way off. Upon catching Scott’s eye, he didn’t smile, but gave a grudging nod. He did not wish to attend the ceremony at all, Scott knew, but his father convinced him that absence would be a seen as a slight.
Omrek and Manari, who occupied a place of honor next to the new couple, beamed and waved. Egan, seated on his uncle’s shoulders, was clapping enthusiastically to the rhythmic sound of the drums. Not far off, their friends from McMurdo were standing — Jerry and Zoe, Petri and Stanley.
Ne Riorag went through the rites and, after ensuring the consent of both man and woman, pronounced them as joined around one hearth for a lifetime, with the blessing of the Spirits. Holding hands, Scott and Tahan got up from the ivory seat to receive the congratulations of their friends, relatives and well-wishers, just as the sun disappeared beyond the mountains surrounding the Anai valley. The festivities now began in earnest, with a lively, rhythmic dance, and a great feast spread out for all.
“Congratulations,” Jerry approached and clapped him on the back. “You’ve made quite a dashing bridegroom, Scott — or should I now call you Arak? I didn’t catch what the old man said, but Pete told me they’re giving you a new name.”
“Oh, shut up and go get something to eat. And drink. I think they’ve brought out the stronger stuff tonight.”
“Yes, everything’s looking so good. What should I have first, whale steaks or seal stew? Or maybe a nice barbecue of roast penguin? Zoe will have a fit when she finds out what they’re serving.” And, guffawing, Jerry held out his cup to have it filled. “So what are you going to do now, Scott?” he asked, sounding more serious. “Take up your stone hammer and bone spear and just live the life of a stone-age warrior in the valley?”
“Not quite. I’m still going to be at McMurdo a lot, for my private research and some side projects. But I’m resigning from the position of overseer. Let the kiwis supply a new one; they are taking over the station and enlarging it. I think that, with so much land contaminated after this war, Antarctica is going to become a more viable option for a permanent settlement, not just research.”
Jerry frowned. “How can New Zealand take over? McMurdo belongs to the States.”
“With the condition the States are now in, I doubt McMurdo is going to be bumped up the priority list anytime soon. To tell you the truth, Jerry, I’m not much of a patriot anymore.”
“Well, no. Neither am I. Zoe and I are mainly thinking about our own future. Hey, now that I’m looking closer, those steaks don’t look too bad. Excuse me while I grab one, will you…”
Tahan, having disentangled herself from the women of her extended family, came over and linked her arm within his. “Arahak is a good name,” she said, “but I think I will keep calling you Scott. I am too used to it.”
“Yes, I’d prefer that,” Scott nodded, and bent to kiss her. This time she responded without any awkwardness. They’ve had plenty of time to practice.
As flatteringly lavish as their feast was, with the good food and drink and music and dancing, Scott longed for the moment when they would be able to quietly slip away, and his heart gave a happy thud when Tahan took him by the hand and started leading him off. “Omrek and Manari are taking Egan for the night,” she said with a sly smile. “That is very nice of them, don’t you think?”
“I hope Egan doesn’t mind. He has never slept away from you before, did he?”
“No, but I’m sure he will be fine. It’s only for a few hours, and he is so happy to have you as a father. When I explained to him that you will now belong to us always, he was beside himself with excitement.”
Scott had thought they would be going home, but now he noticed Tahan was leading him away from the village altogether. “Where are we going?” he asked.
“You will soon see,” she said, lowering her face, and he heard the smile in her voice.
A little while later, Scott caught the faint scent of sulphur, and realized Tahan is taking him to the hot pool. “Nobody else will come here tonight,” she said. “Right now, it is all ours.”
Once they reached the pool, Tahan stood in front of him and, her eyes never leaving his, shrugged off her cloak and her dress, and kicked off her little slippers. She reached out and cupped his cheek, and Scott leaned into her touch.
“Your turn,” she whispered. And there, on the edge of the steaming water, under the foreign stars, Scott took off his foreign garments and felt complete and whole and untainted as he hadn’t felt in years. Their arms around each other, they slipped into the hot pool, and Scott knew that he was home.
Later, they made a bed for themselves on the mossy bank, under a blanket made of both their cloaks. Tahan leaned on one elbow and looked into his face. She touched his chin and grazed her fingers on the makings of his day-old beard. “Do you know what Omrek told me?” she said. “On this season’s first hunting party to the bay, some men swore they saw the giant ice beast in the distance. It was flapping close to the surface of the water, and then it dove in.”
Caressing her upper arm, Scott felt that it was covered with goose prickles, and he guessed it was not from the cold. “Don’t worry about that, Tahan,” he said. “It was never seen close to land, was it?” Inwardly, though, he made a mental note to tell Petri. Pete will go crazy with this news. He’ll row out to sea single-handed in search for this creature if nobody stops him.
Tahan shook her head. “No, it hasn’t hurt anybody, but… just the thought of it out there — there’s something troubling about it, isn’t that so? And what if there are more?”