Page 28 of Planet Zero
“Where’s little Oh’na?”
Melmie huffed. “I didn’t bring her along.”
“Are you and Oh’na close?”
Melmie sat down near the jerky tray, next to Addie, and thought about it before answering. “Oh’na has no pawi, and everyone feels a little sorry for her. My pawi makes me take her along, to help Chele.”
“What happened to Oh’na’s pawi?”
Melmie grew real quiet, and at first, Addie thought she wasn’t going to answer.
“When Oh’na was still a tiny baby, her father died in a hunt.”
Addie nodded, prompting Melmie to continue.
“Her pawi, whose pawi is Chele, was free to mate again. She was very pretty.” Melmie paused and, picking up a stick, started tracing the rocks littering the sandy ground.
“And?”
“Chief Net’ok traded Oh’na’s pawi for his queen.”
“Traded?” Addie raised her brows. “I thought women were free to choose their mates.”
“They are. But Qalae didn’t want to come. Chief Net’ok made a deal with Qalae’s tribe. He really wanted Qalae as his queen.” Melmie raised her innocent eyes to Addie. “She is a good queen now, and she likes her new tribe, but at first, she didn’t want to come. It happens sometimes. A woman can say no. But if the woman is for a chief, they can negotiate. Net’ok gave Oh’na’s pawi to a man from Qalae’s old tribe to keep the balance.”
“And that man, he wanted no child of hers?”
“Oh, no, not that. Oh’na belongs to our tribe. She wasn’t part of the deal. Girl children are important, you see. And our tribe doesn’t have enough women. The only unmated females are Vircea, me, and Oh’na. That’s too few!” Melmie made her weird head motion, looking very For at that moment, and very grown-up.
“That’s… cruel. Oh’na’s pawi is there somewhere, and she can never see her.”
Melmie shrugged philosophically. “The chief decides what’s best for the tribe. But,” Melmie leaned close and lowered her voice, as if anybody were around to hear her, “Chele hasn’t been fond of the chief ever since. And also of the High Counselor Chemmusaayl because he had supported the chief. And Chele has… difficult feelings for Qalae.”
“I see.” Addie’s mind was busily processing what she’d learned about the political landscape of Melmie’s tribe.
“Everyone is waiting on Qalae to become a pawi to Chief's babies, but so far, she hasn't. Soon, I’m sure. We need more children.” Melmie fell silent again.
Addie didn’t ask any more probing questions. She’d learned something today, and she’d learn more in due time. There was no reason to push Melmie.
The Yuux mounted another attack, and Addie jumped up, vigorously wielding the leafy branch.
“I have more of the red string for you,” she said when the attack was successfully thwarted. “Let me get it.”
Leaving Melmie in charge of the leafy branch, she went to her teepee and unwound some of the string she had hastily prepared specifically to give to the girls. On their first meeting, Melmie and Oh’na had been so unabashedly happy to have gotten her small gift. She wanted to see their bubbly childish delight again.
“Here,” she said as she gave a two-foot length to Melmie and watched her face split into a smile. “I have more for Oh’na, too. I’m sure she’d want some.”
“She would!” Melmie took her string and carefully folded Oh’na’s, tucking it into her boot. “Do you use it for your hair?”
Addie didn’t, with the red string manufacture having happened recently and for a different purpose. “You know what? This is a great idea. I’ll make some for myself. To match yours,” she promised.
Melmie’s smile turned shy. “You have such pretty soft hair, like Yuux down.”
Addie wrinkled her nose. She had hated her overly curly hair back on Earth. She used to spend a small fortune she hadn’t had on hairstylists and expensive relaxing treatments. Those things had mattered back then. Was that person really her?
She shook her head, letting her curls fly about her shoulders.
“I’m grateful, Melmie.”
