Chapter 207: Day 206

Day 206,

Maiko was back when I got up this morning.  I welcomed her back and asked how she was doing but not where she had gone.

She said she was getting by.

I asked if she wanted to talk about it.

Slow to respond, she declined.

I said that if she ever changes her mind, she knows where to find me.  Bracelets or no.

After breakfast as I prepared to head into the Village for the day Maiko asked if I wanted her to walk with me.

I said I could manage on my own but wouldn’t object if that’s what she wanted to do.

Apparently it was.

While we walked, hoping to lift her spirits some small amount I told her that I was going to see some people today about borrowing a boat that we can take to go see Iole.  And her book.  I knew this was important to her and apologized that it had taken this long to finally make arrangements.

The apology was accepted and she did seem to perk up a bit for the rest of the commute.  Unfortunately I might have ruined the mood when, as we were nearing the Village and about to go our separate ways for the day I brought up that I wanted to talk about what happened in the catacombs when I get back this evening.  From her reaction, I suspect that’s been eating at her too.

As for the rest of my day, I spent the first part of it tracking down the people Pat had suggested talking to.  The healing spring itself turned out to be more well known than I had realized and, much as the elder had anticipated, once I explained to people that I was still having lingering side effects from the Children’s Fever and hoping to take a boat out to find it they seemed eager to help.  One of them even offered to row me out there himself.  I declined that particular offer, but I was eventually told about a boat that was currently in need of repair and going unused.  There hadn’t been much urgent need for it ever since a replacement had been finished last dry season, so it had been sitting drydocked since then.  It should only take a few days to a week to actually do the repairs, especially if someone’s health is on the line

My reflex was to say that it wasn’t like I was dying or anything and not to rush them, but then I thought about how long Maiko had already been kept waiting on following up the closest thing she’d had to a lead.

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Getting a look at the boat in question, like most of the boats around here, was only big enough to comfortably hold two people plus a catch.  Or in our case, two people plus supplies for a long trip.  The size was actually how I was able to convincingly turn down offers to take me out straight away in favor of repairing and loaning the boat; I said that the plan was for Lin, as the (assistant) doctor who did most of the caring for me during my illness to accompany me.  As it turned out, she had enough of a reputation with the fishers from accompanying them out to the reef for medicinal ingredients that they actually trusted the boat in her care.

So, now we just need to wait for the boat to be repaired and for a baby to be born so Lin will be free to go.  Oh and put together some supplies for the trip.  Probably won’t need to pack as heavily as the floating island expedition even if we wind up gone that long or longer since Maiko seemed reasonably confident about being able to forage along the way.

The rest of my day’s been comprised of alternating between comparing the phonetic transcriptions Cass, Lin, and Vernon made of the cathedral chanting and lying down to rest when that gave me too much of a headache.  So far they’ve been consistent save for differing opinions in spelling and pronunciation.  Cass also made notes in her margins regarding changes in the rain’s intensity at various points but I’m not seeing any correlation there with the content.  There might have been a bit of the chanting getting louder as the rain gets harder, but if so it was pretty slight.

I’m actually on one of those aforementioned breaks as I write this.  I’m going to try to get through a bit more of it then head back home.  (Heh, just called it “home” instead of “the house” without thinking about it.  Feels like I haven’t done that in a while.  When did that change?)  I’m hoping to get to the part where everyone was in different parts of the ruins tomorrow.  I know we went over all this at the time and mostly I’m confirming observations we already shared, but there’s something to be said for taking days to examine in detail versus an hour or so of talking about things that stuck out to us.

 

The nature sprite walked alongside me on the road back home again this evening.  Same as the previous time; matching my pace, staying slightly in front of me and to the left.  Between me and the inner forest.  Shielding me or just staying closer to sprite territory?  Is it “sprite territory”?  Is that even a thing?

My reaction to its presence wasn’t as… acute… as recent encounters, but I was on edge the whole walk back.  Not that it ever did anything.  Just stayed by my side until just before the house would have come into view and then disappeared into the trees.  

I took a few minutes to compose myself before going forward.  I had already decided not to tell Maiko about this encounter for fear of making her feel like she should have been there to keep the sprite away, and I didn’t want to look troubled when I arrived to give her reason to ask.

And she was in fact at the house when I got there.  Over dinner I filled her in on boat-related developments.  We figure we’ll take two boats, hers and the borrowed one.  That should accommodate four of us.  Possibly five if Vernon joins us, in which case we’ll squeeze Cass in on the borrowed boat as a third occupant.  She’s small enough.

And then came the awkward silence followed by bringing up what happened in the catacombs.

I find myself with neither the energy nor the inclination to go through that particular conversation in detail right now, so I’ll summarize:

• I told Maiko that while I didn’t blame her for opening the sarcophagus despite my prior advisements against doing so, and admitted that if I’d been physically capable of it I probably would have done it myself.
• Maiko admitted to various mixtures of frustration, disappointment, and fear.  Over not finding what she’d hoped for inside.  Over what the others might think of her doing something they considered reckless or taboo.  Over the possibility that she’ll never find others like herself.  Over the fact that Vernon’s words the previous time down there just didn’t sit right with her.  Over the implication that she might be wasting her time and her life with a fruitless search.
• I attempted to console and encourage her, but I’m not sure I did a good job of it.  Said not to think of finding a shade in a box as a failure but as a new clue or puzzle piece that could make sense once we learn more.
• After some discussion we decided to tell the others about it.  Along with the episode I had down there, which I hadn’t meant to keep secret but just sort of turned out that way.
• As for how to go about telling them, we decided to just inform them one at a time as we see them again rather than waiting until we’re all gathered together again.  Maiko actually seemed to prefer the possibility of not being there when they find out, even with my assurances that they’ll understand and not be angry with her.

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