Some time later….

“Cute, gok’ma, but I’m not fooled,” Yamma said, scrolling through his mail.

“Mmm?” Gae yawned, carefully repositioning herself to look at the man leaning against her side.

“Quarter of a million credits. Why didn’t you just say you were gonna send a bazillion credits?”

“What are you talking about?”

Yamma sighed. “You can drop the act. It’s a terrific joke, really, but there’s no way I was gonna fall for that.”

Gae had been half-dozing, but now she scooted upright, letting Yamma fall backward. “Really and truly, I have no clue what you’re talking about.

Yamma stared up at her, and blinked. “Well, probably a scam, then. Usually, the AI catches scam emails.”

“It does. You’re saying you got an email saying we’ll get a quarter million credits?”

“Yeah, wanna hear it? ‘Dear Mr. Neutha, I hope this letter finds you well. I have been very impressed with your writing and activism, and I want to make sure that you and those who support you are able to continue in your work. Attached please find a vouchsafed credit-key for 250,000 credits. I have registered this through the anonymous donation clearinghouse, as I do not wish to receive credit for this gift. I, like many Titans, owe a great debt to humans. It is my great hope that this will serve as the down payment that allows the Aenur Foundation to grow.’ Blah blah blah, signed ‘A friend.’ Crazy, right?”

Gae looked down at Yamma in shock. “Yamma…the credit-key…does it start with the code Rhombil-Ashay-Ishaytan-Seven?”

“Huh? Yeah. Why?”

Gae blinked. “Your AI filter is on, right?”

“Yeah, it is.”

“Wow. Darling…that’s legitimate. If it made it through the filter, the AI verified that it’s real.”

It was Yamanu’s turn to stare in shock. He looked back down, and carefully – very carefully – forwarded a copy to Gae’s pad. She picked it up with trembling hands, and gave him a cautious smile.

“I’ve seen enough of these with TETH…this is real. Yama, someone really – this is a legitimate donation!” She hit a couple keys, and then a few more, then checked the foundation’s account balance. It now stood at exactly Ϫ250,122.38.

“Gok’ma…with that kind of money…we could…we could hire a staff. We could start fundraising,” Yamanu said.

“We can’t go nuts. We can hire one staffer, maybe add an intern.”

“And you,” Yamanu said. “You’re on the payroll. Starting now.”

Gae looked down at Yamanu. “Yamma, this money isn’t for me….”

“You’re right. But we need someone who has experience with a nonprofit, who’s done real-world work helping humans.”

“I worked for TETH. I didn’t help anyone.”

“Gaeta Neutha…you helped me.”

Gae knelt down, so that she was level with Yamma. “I will take only a half-salary,” she said. “You take the other half. And we’re not going to pay ourselves much. Enough to move into an apartment in Tuaut. That’s it.”

“Why Tuaut?” Yamma asked.

“Because that’s where the government is. And that’s where we have to be if we’re going to show the legislature the truth. And we’ll look to bring in an intern, maybe a few folks like me in my TETH days, who will work for poverty wages. But the big thing we’re going to do is start accepting a few of the travel offers you’ve been getting. That is….”

Gae stopped herself. “Yamma, tell me to shut up.”

“Why? That all sounds smart.”

“I’m dictating to you what we’ll do,” Gae said. “Gorram, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t….”

“I asked you to,” Yamma said. “I want you to! Gae, I need you. I’ve learned a lot, but…there’s a ton I don’t know yet. You do.”

“Yeah, but this should be a human-led organization. That’s what we’ve always said it would be. Humans and Titans with equal say in its direction.”

“Right,” Yamma said. “Equal say. So you propose this, and if I think it sounds wrong, and I say so, will you do it anyhow? You wouldn’t dream of it. I trust you, Gae. I know – I know – that you won’t ever let me down.”

Gae leaned forward, and kissed Yamma on the forehead. “So we’re partners. Equal partners,” she said.

“Yes,” Yamma said.

Gae looked down at him, and blinked back tears. “Yamma…would you…would you be my partner? Not just in this…but…Will you be my husband?”

Yamma looked up at her in shock. “I…Gae…I love you so much I could burst. But you know and I know that I’ve got, I don’t know, fifteen years at best.”

“Maybe so. But if you knew I was going to die next week, would you leave me?”

“I wouldn’t leave your side for a moment,” he said.

“Then let me be by your side for every moment we have. Please.”

Yamma wiped his eyes, and walked over to her left hand, which rested on the bed, and kissed it softly. “I cannot imagine anyone else I’d want by my side. If you will be my wife, I will be your husband.”

Gae flipped her hand, and swept him off his feet, and pulled him to her breast, and held him firmly against her. It was unfair that they wouldn’t get longer, but so much was unfair. She cared about Yamanu, and he cared about her, and she would spend the rest of his life, and the rest of her life, doing everything she could to even the score.

* * *

…and some time after that….

“It will be just a few minutes, Ms. Maris,” the veterinary assistant said.

“Thank you,” Lezah said, gently depositing her friends on the table.

“You know, you are supposed to have a carrier….”

“Not going to happen,” Lezah said, politely but firmly. “Thank you.”

“You won’t get in trouble for not carrying us in a carrier, will you? It would be a foolish risk.”

“Don’t worry, Leader,” Lezah said to Drugar. “I’ve looked into it – if anyone cares to do anything, it’s just a fine. I can pay a fine if it helps you maintain your dignity.”

“Still,” Drugar started, but his cough overtook him for a moment.

“Leader, you need to rest your voice,” Hari said. She would have said more, but the same cough came over her.

“You both need to take it easy,” Lezah said. “Hopefully this is something the vet can take care of quickly.”

There was a knock at the door. “Hi,” a youngish man said, peeking into the room.

“Yes, hello,” Lezah said. “Do you know how long it will be for the vet?”

“Not long,” he said with a grin. “I’m Dr. Faid, I just joined the practice.”

Lezah eyed him warily; he couldn’t be much older than Aezhay. Still, as he began his exam of Drugar and Hari, she could tell that he was very handsome. Skilled. Very skilled.

“Hmm…this looks a lot like a bacterial infection. How long have you had it?” he asked.

“About four sunsets,” Drugar said. “Hari started coughing the day after I did.”

“Hmm. Well, I think it’s bronchitis; we’ll give you both antibiotics. Ms. Maris will need to make sure you take them twice a day, can you do that, Ms. Maris?”

“What?” Lezah asked. “Oh, right – they’ll take them twice daily. Don’t worry about that.”

Dr. Faid thumbed through his pad. “Ms. Maris…you have a lot of humans under your care. Are you running a breeding facility?”

“No,” Lezah said.

Faid frowned. “May I have a moment alone with these two?”

Alarm bells went off in Lezah’s mind. “Well…honestly….”

Faid straightened, and smiled. “Ms. Maris…I can assure you, as long as you’re treating these humans well, you’ll get them back.”

Lezah looked at him carefully. She worried, of course, about the humans. But she realized that he had barely spoken to her about their illness. He’d focused on them the entire time.

“Okay,” she said, finally. “I’ll trust you.”

Faid nodded, and closed the door.

After a moment, she heard laughter, followed by a small cough; Faid opened the door back up. “Come on in, Ms. Maris – I’m sorry, I just wanted to make sure these humans were in a safe environment. They found the idea that you would mistreat them to be quite amusing. I’m going to have the tech give them a quick immune booster – can I talk to you for a moment?”

Lezah shrugged, and followed his gesture, and him, into an anteroom.

“I just wanted to ask you something,” the young vet said, “as I was a bit surprised – you didn’t seem upset that I was talking to the humans directly. I had prepared my speech to new patients explaining my care philosophy and everything.”

Lezah chuckled. “Well, they’re smart, they can tell you what’s wrong better than I can. Why would I get in the way?”

“You’d be surprised. I mean…you’d think people hadn’t noticed they can talk. I’ve also found that when you treat humans with respect, they tell you more. And not just about illness. About how they’re being treated, too. I swear, they’re so smart….”

“They’re as smart as we are,” Lezah said. “Every bit.”

Faid looked at her carefully. “You think so too?”

Lezah smiled. “I know so.”

Faid nodded, and smiled. “I have a suspicion where these humans may be from,” he said. “I got hired on because the Prenn Ranch has asked us to be much more active in screening their humans. I’m not thrilled about it – I hate breeding facilities, they’re far too cruel, even the good ones – but that’s not the humans’ fault, and at least they’re getting care…but I digress. Anyway, going through their records, I’ve noticed that they lose humans every few years. Not many. A couple, here and there, now and then. Your land is adjacent to theirs, isn’t it?”

Lezah said nothing, but smiled.

“Well, whoever has land next to theirs, I would expect that would be a good place for runaway humans to hole up for a while. If the owner of that land finds them, and helps them out, keeps them healthy – and keeps their distance – I do wonder what kind of life the humans could build for themselves with time and space.”

“Some day,” Lezah said, “when I’m sure about you…maybe you’ll get to find out.”

Faid’s eyebrows shot up, and he grinned. “I hope to see you around, Ms. Maris.”

“Please, call me Lezah,” she said.

“Only if you call me Eyazon,” he said, shaking her wrist. He liked this woman. She saw humans for what they were – not many people did. She was very pretty, he thought. Wise. Very wise.

* * *

…and a bit later still….

Lezah Maris took short careful steps along the cobblestone path leading up to the great tree. The Tribe had agreed to a path, which made it easier for the Maris sisters to remember where the Great Tree was, and it helped to control the underbrush, which kept the insect population surrounding the village of the tribe under control. Simple landscaping had produced a quaint and scenic grove with the tree itself in the center. No longer did they feel the need to hide from the Guardians.

“Halt! Who goes there!” A small voice from somewhere above Lezah’s head bellowed.

A grin appeared on Lezah’s lips as she fought the urge to roll her eyes. “Momo the small and meek?” Lezah ribbed, though intentional obviously.

“Lies!” The clearly juvenile voice  retorted. “Men, knock your arrows!”

“Fine fine! Can’t fool the keen eye of the afternoon watch, hmmm?” Lezah chuckled.

“We see all!” The small voice assured.

“Then why did you need me to announce myself?” Questioned Lezah.

“I…well…you see…”

“It was a test!” Another young voice cut in, this one female.

“A test eh?” Lezah said fainting concern. “Did I pass?”

“No, you fibbed!” The young male voice accused.

“Well, you see I had a very good reason.” Lezah protested.

“Why?” one voice asked.

“Yea how come?” inquired the next.

“I have a very super high priority package that must be delivered to the Great Tree. If I am recognized I may be assaulted by bandits!”

“Bandits?!” One little voice gasped.

“Oh no!” another cried.

“What is a bandert?” A hushed voice whispered.

“She said bandit Lup!”

Lezah chuckled.

“Fear not lonesome traveler, you have reached the safety of the Treat Tree! Rest under its canopy, then drop your package and be gone!” An older male voice masked behind a fake accent spoke up.

A fit of giggles erupted from the canopy.

“How do I know hidden among these leaves are the honorable denizens of the Tribe, and not vicious bandits?” Lezah asked, taking another step forward.

“What do we say?” one voice whispered.

“Yea what do we say?” Another spoke up.

“Shhhh, not so loud!” the older voice responded.

“I’m afraid until I have assurance, this basket stays with me!” Lezah said, placing an arm over the basket of fresh baked cookies.

“Then you leave us no choice.” The loudest voice said from the canopy. “Men, attack!”

To Lezah’s amusement, a dozen or so Tribal youth rappelled from the canopy, surrounding her on all sides.

“Oh my…I surrender, I surrender!” Lezah said with arms up.

“Take no prisoners men!”

“I’m clearly no match for your cunning wit Trevar the Brave!” Lezah nodded, slowly opening the basket where in sat the cookies. “I surrender my package.”

Right away the youth landed on Lezah and all made their way to the cookie basket. Before long they had all climbed in, when one voice spoke up.

“There’s nothing in here?”

“She tricked us!”

Before a single one could climb out, Lezah nonchalantly flicked the wicker baskets lid closed and patted it with her free hand.

“Far to clever for me…”

Lezah took a few steps towards the Great Tree, mildly amused by the bickering and pleading from with in her basket. “Now to take you home and bake you into a pie!” Lezah said, attempting to sound menacing.

“Nuh-huh!” A small female voice burst forth, from atop Lezah’s head. Sure enough hidden in the titan’s ginger red locks was one last human child.

“Aburey…what did I say about hiding there?” Lezah asked with a more scolding tone.

“Momma said you was fibbing! You don’t really eat humans!” the young girl spoke defiantly.

“If you keep trying to sneak home with me I just may start!” Lezah sighed.

“No you won’t, Aunt Aisell would kick your bum!” the small child tittered.

“She cannot…okay, maybe she can…get off my head.” Lezah fished around for the small child, bring her to face level in a flat hand once secured.

“Where are the cookies?” The spirited young girl asked.

“What makes you think I have cookies?” Lezah asked mindfully.

“You always have cookies aunt Lezzy!” The child insisted. “Come on, I didn’t get caught, it’s because I’m clever! I’m gonna be an elder huntress one day like Quendra, I’ll take the mask from her and take her spot!” the child made punching and kicking motions in the air.

Lezah chuckled. “Then you’ll need to grow a little first eh? Here, this will help.” Lezah made a pause gesture with her finger then dug into her coat pocket to produce a small cookie. Gently she placed the cookie on a branch then set the young child atop the cookie.

“All for me!?” the young girl asked eagerly.

“Better eat it fast, I hear Cookie-snarls live in these trees!” Lezah winked as she turned back towards her destination.

“I’ll kick their butts if they touch my cookie!” the small child shouted as Lezah walked away.

Lezah smiled, crouched down and set the basket beside the great tree, opening it on its side. As the dozen or so youth scurried out towards the tree, all Lezah could think about was how lucky they all were that Luke had come into their lives.

* * *

…and later still.

“If we shadows have offended,
Think but this, and all is mended.
That you have but slumbered here
While these visions did appear.
And this weak and feeble theme,
No more yielding but a dream,
Gentles; do not reprehend;
If you pardon, we will mend.”

A girl in the front row interrupted the recitation of the closing lines of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. “Teacher,” she said, “when are we going to need to know this?”

The teacher paused, and turned back to the class. “What do you mean?”

“Well…I mean, it’s pretty, I guess, but….”

Nela the Teacher spread her arms wide, as if to gather strength. “Usory, you just answered your own question. It’s pretty.”

“But so what?” Usory argued. “It doesn’t get food on the table.”

“Well, sure,” Nela said, evenly. “If all we wanted you to do was get food on the table, we’d just teach you how to pick glowberries, and then we could give them to the Guardians, and they could sell them and bring us food in return. And perhaps we could ask them if they had any nice cages we could live in while we were at it.”

Usory shook her head. “But…I mean, that’s not what I mean. I mean….”

“Usory, you’re old enough to remember the Second Great Disaster. Old enough to remember the Titans who tried to turn us into pets,” Nela said. “Do you think they were right?”

“No, but…I don’t see why that means we have to learn Shakespeare.”

“Well, I could say it’s because Luke the Brave translated it, and Great Spirit, that makes it worth learning, but that’s not true at all,” Nela said. “The reason it’s worth learning is why Luke translated it once he got his hands on it. Why do you think he did that? Why was it so important that he did it in his spare time? Class? Yes, Poro,” she said, pointing to a boy in the front row.

“Is it because people made it? Human people, I mean?”

“Yes,” Nela said. “It is. Because this is something beautiful a human made. This human happened to live on Earth, but we have beauty here.”

“Like the Great Hall – the big tapestry.”

“Right, Asai.

“Or the masks the Hunters wear,” Chone added.

“Or the music at the dance?” Usory asked.

“Exactly. Or the quilts on your beds. All of those were created not just to be functional, but beautiful. They are art – just like this play of Shakespeare’s. Pets don’t create art. Pets sit back and let their masters do that for them. They only worry about what they’re eating and when they’re sleeping and when they’re pooping,” Nela said, drawing a laugh from the children. “But we aren’t pets. We are people. And people do more than simply live. We try to make our world a bit more beautiful while we’re here, and if we’re lucky, that beauty lasts longer than we do. In Mr. Shakespeare’s case, it’s lasted a hundred years.”

The class was quiet for a moment, until Usory raised her hand. “Can we hear the rest?” she asked, quietly.

Nela laughed, and looked at the parchment.

“And, as I am an honest Puck,
If we have unearned luck
Now to ‘scape the serpent’s tongue,
We will make amends ere long;
Else the Puck a liar call;
So, good night unto you all.
Give me your hands, if we be friends,
And Robin shall restore amends.”

“Now,” Nela said, “it’s about time for you to go back to your parents. I want each of you to write a short paragraph saying what you think Robin was telling people to do there. Have a good day!”

The group got up, and a few of them blinked when they saw the person in the back of the classroom, but they passed her by politely, giving a quick, respectful bow as they passed, which she returned in kind.

“Masterfully done,” the woman said. “My husband couldn’t do better.”

“Thank you, Leader,” Nela said. “Where is Luke, by the way?”

“He’s working on something for me,” Quendra the Leader said, quietly. “Nela…are any of the older children good with math?”

“Most of them are. Why do you ask?”

Quendra smiled. “I am just curious. Would you please think about who among them are the best in that discipline? We are considering something of a reorganization of the Tribe…we will need members skilled with numbers.”

“Of course, Leader.”

“Thank you,” Quendra said. “And again, nice work.”

Quendra headed out into the hallway, aiming for her office. She was joined en route by a familiar figure, her most trusted advisor.

“Leader, good day,” he said, as he fell in beside her.

“Good day, Drugar the Uniter. Can I not convince you to take this title from me?” Quendra asked with a grin. It was a running gag between the two, much as it had been when Drugar first took over for Mera. Quendra suspected it would be a running gag with the person who succeeded her, too.

“Not for all the food in the storehouses. I am enjoying retirement, Leader. Besides, things are changing. These times call for a young leader, one who can adapt to them.”

Quendra opened the door of her office, and Drugar walked in and sat down. He barely noticed the minipad that covered much of the wall, currently displaying security video of the fields. Quendra’s desk was littered with paperwork, much of it with Tribe Maris Farms letterhead – information about the business, helpfully reduced and printed by their partners in the farmhouse.

“Speaking of change…I have been talking with Luke; I believe it is time for us to create new occupations. Occupations related to business. People who will keep track of the money we spend. I trust the Guardians, and they have proven to be trustworthy, but to be honest, even they are struggling. We are growing so quickly – we need people focused on how we grow.”

Drugar leaned back. “Well, it makes sense. Quite frankly, Leader, we’ll need more of these new specialists and fewer hunters and defenders.”

“I know,” Quendra said, quietly. She looked out the window at the wood; there were two new glowberry bushes sprouting, and one that had been transplanted in, purchased with the proceeds from last year’s harvest. There was a complex web of activity around them; half the hunters and defenders had already been reassigned to gathering. As had almost all those people who had come to the tribe, liberated from the pet shelters where they had been living.

“You look sad, Leader,” Drugar said.

“The old ways are dying, Drugar. I know – I know – that it is not wrong that they are. The Tribe is safer than we have ever been, and we are not simply living on the charity of the Guardians. We work hard, still – though not as hard or desperately as we once had to. I do not question that we must change, but…I mourn the change nonetheless.”

Drugar smiled, sadly. “Quendra, I understand. But…the plague that struck us. The one that took your first husband and my wife,” he said, quietly. “Had times changed before that, had we gone to the Guardians before that, or even during that…Disa and Roli would be alive today.”

The Leader Emeritus looked down for a moment. “I didn’t know, and couldn’t know, but it is true. Our partnership with the Guardians came too late to save them. And I regret that, and I always will, but it came just in time to save the rest of us from an even worse fate. I, too, mourn the loss of the old ways, but old ways always are changing into new ways. Your successor may eliminate the Defenders entirely, or change their job entirely to keeping order within the tribe — like Degu Rockfist has been working on. Your successor may eliminate the Hunters, turn the Gatherers into something brand new. This is the way it is, Leader. And you know that as well as I do; you married a man who was new to the tribe, and your children will grow up in a tribe that has changed because of him, and when they are older, they will be healthy because of those changes. They will see other worlds. They may travel to visit the human world, Avalon, as you did. Indeed, your oldest was there with you on Avalon, was he not?”

Quendra grinned. “You are his honorary grandfather; you know he was.”

“That is something we could not have dreamt of, Leader. So do not despair at the loss of the old ways. Teach your children that the old ways happened, that we struggled to survive so that some day, they would not have to.”

Quendra nodded. “You are wise, Drugar. Are you certain….”

“Not a chance. I have to babysit my honorary grandkids this afternoon. How can I do that if I’m Leader?”

Drugar rose, and Quendra did as well. He started to turn, and paused.

“You know, I have not said it enough, Quendra…but I have been grateful that you and Luke have welcomed me into your family. You did not have to.”

“No, we didn’t have to,” Quendra said, “because you already were my father-in-law, in all but name, and in name, once you formally declared me Disa’s widow. Which you did not have to do.”

“You were,” Drugar said, pulling his daughter-in-law into a hug. “In all but name.”

“Well,” Quendra said, “you are always a part of my family, and therefore, always a part of Luke’s family. And my kids aren’t giving up their Papa, so you’re stuck with it.”

Drugar held Quendra tight for a moment, stepped back, and wiped a tear. “I could not be happier to be,” he said.

They said their goodbyes, and Quendra sat down and flipped through the paperwork, working through the numbers as best she could. She had insisted on learning them, and she felt better about it all the time…but even so, she was very grateful that the Maris sisters were honest.

She looked up by instinct as she felt the tremors, and looked out the window to see Lezah entering the glade; she knelt down carefully to talk to Poxea the Elder Gatherer about something.

Her children would never know that this was odd. Never know that there was a time when the sight of the kind, red-haired Titan would have sent the Tribe into a panic. Never know that they need fear all Titans, everywhere.

The old ways were changing. But they were changing for the better.