Volume 12: Never Look Back
|
I could barely breathe, and I felt sure that my mouth must be hanging open. This woman, my sister, or at least half-sister, looked so old. Not as old as the crone who had answered the door, true, but wrinkled and bent enough that I would have thought her infected by some kind of wasting disease, if I had not been paying attention during my school history lessons so long ago. Selene guided me unresisting into the room, and gestured at an easy chair on the other side of the unlit fireplace. "Sit, sit," she said gently. I sat, balanced on the edge of the chair, the folds of the unfamiliar clothing clinging uncomfortably to my legs. Selene sat too, settling herself composedly, even elegantly, into the worn leather upholstery. The two men who had accompanied me everywhere escorted me inside. They hung around for a moment, standing uncomfortably by the window, then decided they would be better off waiting outside, perhaps not wishing to be subjected to a barrage of womanly chatter. The old woman also followed me inside and settled herself in another chair on the far side of the room, close to the window and the door through which I had entered. She seemed to be doing something with her hands, using long thin poles and some kind of colored thread. It would not be until much later I would understand that this was a process called "knitting", and was a way of making clothing unaided by any kind of automation. I've looked forward to meeting you so much," Selene said earnestly, leaning forward from her own chair and speaking softly, as if wished to add a little intimacy to our conversation. "I want to know everything about you," she added, "And about the world outside." I glanced in the direction of the elderly woman. "Oh, don't worry about her," Selene said lightly, with a distinct giggle in her voice, "She's very deaf - that's why I suggested her as a chaperone for this meeting." I grinned in return. Somehow, the shared secret had broken the ice. We talked for a long time all that afternoon and into the early evening. I told her everything I could think of about myself - she gasped when she realized I was more than five times older than she was - and in return Selene spoke of her life, her family, her society. It all sounded so different, but she said nothing that I did not find hard to take at face value. By contrast, she seemed to disbelieve, or misunderstand, much of what I said about the way I lived, and I found myself shying away from topics where she might be asked to believe another impossible thing. After an hour or so, I judged, Selene offered me tea. This is not a drink I usually take, but I did not want to cause any offense, so I accepted the offer graciously. Selene stood and went to the kitchen to make it herself, the old woman looking up sharply as soon as she stood up. I sat and watched the crone knitting until Selene returned, carrying a tray loaded with cups and a variety of other unfamiliar implements. She asked how I liked my tea - very milky and no sugar, I decided - and poured me a cup. She also poured tea for the crone in the corner, who nodded her thanks absently. Selene also offered me some kind of baked cookies, which I declined - too heavy for my digestion - but which the old woman accepted with alacrity. Despite the constraints of the situation and the expectations of her upbringing, I felt an instant rapport with Selene. Under the watchful eye of the crone in the corner seat, it was impossible to touch my sister, other than that brief moment holding her hands as a greeting when I arrived. Even so, I got the strongest sensation of a sexual interest in me, a desire more a more intimate contact, somehow emanating from Selene. Perhaps it was just me, but maybe it was her increasing knowledge of the nature of the world outside, coupled wit her sexual desires, that had motivated her to contact Dragon. Much later, Jem and Jacob re-entered the room. "Time to go," Jacob said briskly, nodding politely to the old woman before gesturing for me to come with him. I stood hurriedly, adjusting my skirts as best I could. "I'll be back to visit you soon," I said to Selene as I left, as reassuringly as I could, adding, "Perhaps even sooner than you think."
|
Part 1