A few Imperial months later, an Avalonian shuttle was on a slow, cautious descent toward the square in front of the council building. This was a delicate maneuver, both because of the smallness of the square, the people on board the shuttle, and the people waiting on the ground. Two of the best pilots on Avalon not currently flying Acolytes were at the helm, and both of them were more nervous than they would have been flying into a squadron of Insectoids.

Being pilots, they did not show this, and the dozen people in the shuttle did not see any indication that they were worried; this may have been because all twelve were in a state of terror, awe, or disbelief, and most of them in some combination of all three. If you had told them the previous winter that before the next, they would be soaring through the air like a bird in flight, each would have laughed in your face.

But here they were, on final descent, all of them watching out the window as the ground and city grew nearer. And that city! Xek Soxineok Re seemed huge when all the twelve tribes were gathered together and the Gathering Hall was full. But there were dozens of buildings larger than the Gathering Hall below, and as they grew nearer to the square, they could see that there were more people waiting to see them than all the people of all the twelve tribes.

Bestwux, daughter of Ktoskjuw, leader of the People of Big Lake and the Three Bear Lakes and senior leader of the Twelve Tribes, stared out the window, trying to keep her mind tranquil. She had survived sixty trips around Sol Tarsuss, and yet she was looking at something she had never thought she would see – and certainly nothing she’d thought she would see by choice.

“Jotr, son of Tja, you are certain that you and we have not been deceived,” she asked, half-joking; she herself had met with Tahnus, son of Nuk (well…Thomas, son of Nick, but the vowels of the Goddess’ people’s language were tricky and voluminous. She struggled to hear the difference between m and n or p and b; these were not sounds that her people made in their tongue. Thomas, however, had reassured her, and said that though his father was from Earth, he still struggled with the difference between the vowels in his primary language and his father’s native language, and that the important thing was the attempt. He was young, but he and his bonded partner were quite wise.)

(And at this, Bestwux reminded herself that they were older than she; though it seemed impossible when she first heard it, she no longer doubted. She was flying. Nothing would surprise her.)

“I am certain, Kurowok Ktow. Thomas and Amelia are honorable, unless I am greatly deceived.”

“If you are, my son,” said Tja, “then we have all been deceived. But then, our people expect us within ten days, and if we do not return, they will know to leave, will they not?”

“If they meant to kill us or give us to the Goddess, they would have already,” said Sintiwa. “There is no gain to them in pretending to be our friends.”

“Spoken like a hunter,” Bestwux said, approvingly. “Not a question of faith or spirit, simply a question of power. But do not forget, any of you…they say that they see us as their equals. And so we must see ourselves the same way. Whatever is offered us…let us keep our people first in our minds, always.”

“You are wise, Kurowok Ktow,” Tja said. “And I am at your service.”

Finally, the shuttle settled onto the ground, and a pilot came aft. “Honored guests, welcome to Atlantis,” she said. “On behalf of the Peacekeepers of Avalon, it has been our honor to transport you here. And by order of the Secretary of Peacekeeping, we wish you to know that this shuttle is at your disposal; should you wish to return at any point to your home, we are to transport you there with all haste. You are our guests; guests are allowed to leave at any time they wish.”

Bestwux rose, and nodded. “It is a kindness for you to say this. We are here to see your land, and we do not intend to leave until the day we have agreed on, but…we are grateful to have a choice.”

The pilot walked to the doorway, then paused, just briefly. “I also wanted to tell you…my name is Dia Megalos, or in your language, Dia sab Esula. My father, Jatan, was born in a tribe not unlike yours. I have cousins who are a part of that tribe, though it’s grown…well, it’s not really a tribe anymore. Point is…while I don’t know what this is like for you…there are many Avalonians who do, and all of them, and all of us who know them…we wish you nothing but the best, no matter what your future holds.”

“Dia, daughter of Sula, thank you,” Bestwux said. She herself paused, and said, “Tell me, Dia…do you know of that tribe? Does it matter to you?”

Dia stood a bit taller, and smiled. “My grandfather is Ricer the Defender, and his mother was Maria the Elder Defender; her mother was Quendra the Great, one of the most beloved leaders of the Tribe; she was one of the people who made the leap of faith to work with the Titans who lived by them, and by so doing, they secured our people. I am very proud of this heritage, and while my life is much different than theirs…I like to think that they would be proud that I chose to serve the people of Avalon as a peacekeeper.”

Bestwux nodded, and said, “I am quite certain that they would. And quite certain that they would be glad you remembered them.”

Dia nodded, and came to attention. “Mr. Adrayu, release secure clamps.”

“Yes, Ms. Megalos,” her co-pilot said. That done, Dia typed in a quick code, and the door opened.

There was a crowd of dignitaries waiting, all of them polite and friendly. Bestwux was quite impressed with their Great Leader, Tetta – Tedda – well, he was the son of the man who had been wounded by the arrow, and yet he showed absolutely no anger about it; indeed, he joked that his father had needed the excuse to rest. And his and Amelia’s father, Darren, was there too – she had learned that he had been a trusted advisor to many leaders, and that before that he had been responsible for defending his people, as had his wife. They were, Bestwux thought, quite direct and to-the-point, like hunters, but they also showed no anger at what happened; he even congratulated Sintiwa on her marksmanship.

Again, very much like hunters; they knew that life can be dangerous, and that the arrow shot at a potential predator is not shot in anger, but out of respect.

There were discussions and meetings and proposals, and all sounded reasonable to the peoples of the Twelve Tribes. The leaders of Avalon had met to discuss the issue, and had quickly decided that since the Western Territory was already settled, and had a government in place that, while not a representative democracy per se, still functioned as effectively democratic…well, they had come to the conclusion that one way or another, it would belong to the Close People, and the only real question was what kind of relationship the Close People wanted.

The simplest option, the one that would leave things as they were, was to simply seal off the Western Territory and leave it for the Close People alone, with no trade or contact between them and the people on the rest of the world.

Teddy was honest, and said he didn’t want to do that; he was hoping they could be friends. But he was willing to do that if they wanted him to, and while he’d try to persuade them to join as part of Avalon, he wouldn’t force them to do anything.

To be honest, none of the Close People were interested in that either. They did not want to give up their land or their homes, and they wanted to maintain their ways as best they could, but they also were smart enough to see how some of the technologies of Avalon would benefit them. More than that, they knew that there was no unseeing what they had seen; they knew that there was a land nearby where people could fly and shoot metal arrowheads from bows that could be held in the palm of a hand, and that these people meant them no harm. Trying to ignore that would last until the first lean winter, or the next illness to befall them as a group.

No, shutting Avalon out was not an option. And they were happy to see that the possibility they’d feared most – simply being pulled into Avalon’s culture – was not something that had been seriously discussed by the Avalonians.

And so they leaned strongly toward the proposal that Teddy had said was his favorite – one that gave them the Western Territory and made them the official government of that territory, which would become the Division of the Twelve Tribes. They would have a special status as an Autonomous Division, with similar status within Avalon to what Avalon had within the Empire. They could send a representative to the Council and vote for president, but there would also be restrictions on who could move into their territory, what could be done with the land there, and by whom. These restrictions could be lifted eventually, of course – but in joint consultation, and with them holding a veto over any change. Darren had been insistent on this being codified; he’d explained, with a rueful chuckle, that he’d come from a country where some of the treaties with native peoples had been ignored when it was convenient. He had reminded everyone who would listen that there was nothing in the Western Territory that couldn’t be found elsewhere, and that they needed to be better than his people.

Bestwux had found that the most comforting thing of all; Darren was an honest man, and honest people are not afraid of admitting their failures; they know that the only way to fix one’s mistakes is to admit them.

And so Bestwux had a plan that she favored, and she was fairly sure that she would accept it…but there was one thing she wanted to do first, something that had not surprised Teddy nor any of the other luminaries.

“She isn’t really a goddess,” Darren had said.

“So we have been told,” Bestwux said. “But…she once claimed to be. And…perhaps it is silly, but…we know that she is a giant. Even if she is not a goddess…we will be working with giants in the future, will we not?”

“You will,” Darren said. He smiled, gently. “Word of advice: she doesn’t want you to bow or scrape, doesn’t want you to be afraid, and definitely doesn’t want you to think you’re something less than she is. When you meet her, keep your heads high and talk to her like you’d talk to anyone else. Guarantee you she’ll do the same.”

And so, a few hours later, they sat on a desk, facing her.

They had been brought up to Tayas Mons on a hovercraft, and driven directly to her office. She had left instructions to avoid the part of the mountain where the Titans lived, at least on approach; she knew that she would be the first one that they would want to meet. And as much as she hated it, she knew exactly why.

It had already been disconcerting, sitting in a room not unlike some of those in Atlantis, but scaled up for a behemoth. And then the door had opened, and the beautiful Titan had walked into the enormous room calmly, and slowly, and approached them carefully. She waited to sit down until they sat. And yet she still towered over them, taller than the tallest tree any of them had ever seen. Indeed, none of them had any idea what to compare her to – save for some of the largest buildings in and around Atlantis, she was the largest thing they had ever seen.

Bestwux felt the blood run from her face as she stared up at the calm woman staring down at them. She found her voice struggling, despite Darren’s advice, and was grateful when the goddess’s voice boomed from above in a calm, cool contralto.

“Hello,” she said, quietly, “I am Pryvani, sab Echyuri. I am deeply honored to meet you all.” She turned, and smiled at Bestwux. “You must be Kurowok Ktow Bestwux sab Ektoskjuw. I greet you in basejbi rijarija re.”

Bestwux swallowed once more, and raised her hand in greeting, as Pryvani had. “Pryvani, daughter of Chyuri…I am honored to finally meet you.” She swallowed hard, and added, “Tajix.”

Pryvani shook her head, and her presently-brown hair swept along with her. “I am no goddess. There never was a goddess. Indeed…I am deeply saddened that my family’s lie harmed your people, and forced them to flee in fear. That lie has harmed many people, but none so much as you and your foreberarers. I know your ancestors must have been very brave to refuse to follow someone purporting to be a goddess, and very tough to find their way to a land where they would not be found.”

“You are not a goddess, you say,” Sintiwa said. “But you could flatten me with your bare hand, if you so desired. You have as much power over the people in Atlantis as they would have over us.”

Pryvani smiled, and said, “If I desired, you are right, I could. But then, if ten of your tribes united against the other two, they could probably defeat them. Why has this not happened?”

“It did, sometimes, many years ago,” Tja said, finally finding his voice. “But we found that path just harmed us. It did not make us stronger, it did not help us find more food. And killing each other…that is, in our stories, the reasons our gods let the Goddess…well, your ancestors…let them take us. And so we found that working together, and discussing our differences…that was a better way, and the way that our gods would have wanted us to follow.”

“Just so,” Pryvani said. “Your people are wise. There may be times when force is necessary – I am sure if a bear attacks that it cannot be reasoned with. But we are creatures of reason, you and I, and we succeed when we work together, as equals. And that requires us to understand that the person we talk to is our equal, no matter their size, or the tools that they can wield.”

“If you will pardon me,” Jotr said, “but…Thomas said your partner is a person like us. I…don’t understand how that is possible.”

Pryvani smiled wide, showing the most real emotion that she had so far. “My husband is brave, wise, handsome, and strong. He is your size, this is true, but as I said…the people we talk to are our equals. No matter their size. Though if I am honest…my husband is a better person than I am.”

“Any person who does not think their partner better than them does not truly have a partner,” Bestwux said. “And so your partner is true.”

She paused for a long moment. “Some of this is…difficult. I hope you will not be offended, but…the Goddess figures in our tales as an enemy, fighting our gods and nature. It will take some time to reconcile and understand how we could be wrong.”

“I don’t think you were wrong,” Pryvani said. “The Goddess may have been a falsehood, but she was a falsehood with power, and strength, and too much of a willingness to use it. She stole your ancestors from their home and brought them here. She told you to worship her, and her alone. The Goddess as personified by my family…she was evil. That she was a lie…well, that makes her worse, not better. I hope that my telling the truth has banished her forever…but you are right to view her as wrong, and your ancestors were right to hate the lie of her existence.”

Bestwux smiled. “You may not be the goddess, but you are wise. May I ask…why are you not the leader of this world?”

“Because that job is filled ably by Teddy Xanthopolous; he got my vote in the last election. I do serve in a leadership role in the wider Empire, I suppose, but just as an advisor; here on Avalon, I am just a citizen, one person, like any other. And I am proud of that.”

“And you should be,” Bestwux said. She turned to the others, and nodded. “I do not believe we have anything to fear. But…we must make sure that we are still us. That we do not lose ourselves in this new world.”

“You know my friends Thomas and Amelia,” Pryvani said, gently. “They will be happy to help you, and introduce you to others like you. From what I have heard, you live in a beautiful area, and you are happy with your lives. What more could any of us desire?”

“Well…the running water you have is pretty nice,” Jotr admitted.

“Perhaps…but those things you can have when you decide you want them,” Pryvani said. “And that is not for any of us to decide. Only you.”

Bestwux nodded one more time. “I think…I am beginning to see why you do this, why you treat us this way.”

“Why is that?” Pryvani asked.

“Because, as the story goes, ‘No kuok ijo jaxajajaxaja, ju tkat von keok ktoxokku wox kstatok ix nekon re.’”

“’There are many truths, so we are made to find them all.’ Yes, I like that,” Pryvani said. “Your truth is one I am glad we found; I hope to learn more about it, for many years to come.”

“And we hope to learn yours,” Bestwux said. “And someday, may we make our truths one.”

* * *

A few days later, a shuttle left Atlantis, carrying the Leader of the Division of the Twelve Tribes and her entourage back to their people, along with a portable inoculation device designed to manufacture a broad-spectrum vaccine for all the diseases that could possibly spread from the rest of Avalon. There was much to work through, many issues that would confront all sides…but that was okay. Both on the shuttle and on the ground, there was more hope than fear, and that is how humans have always moved forward.

On the ground, a young man and young woman watched the shuttle depart, the man with his arm around her shoulders.

“Usoph Kasu wants to deploy a linguist to the Twelve Tribes,” Thomas said. “The thought from the Education Ministry is that the best way to introduce literacy will be to develop a written version of Ator. Probably with the Ashaybeth, so they can translate it over to Archavian when they get to that point.”

“Mmm,” Amelia said.

Thomas paused, and looked over at his fiancée. “I’m sorry, I’m talking a lot about this, I know.”

“No, it’s not that,” Amelia said. “I’m just wondering why you turned Teddy’s offer down. I’m not saying you shouldn’t have – you told me you didn’t want it, and that’s enough. But given how engrossed you’ve been…I’m curious.”

Thomas sighed, and looked up at the shuttle as it disappeared into the sunset. “I’m not saying it isn’t tempting. But…well, for one thing, I couldn’t hire you on. It would look too much like nepotism. But even if I could….”

Thomas smiled, and looked at Amelia. “Being a dedicated liaison to the Twelve Tribes would be pretty cool. Obviously. There’s so much on the horizon for them, so much to do to help integrate them while also protecting them…and it would be pretty amazing to see it all, watch it happen. And it would allow me to settle down here, and you too, assuming you left the Aenur Foundation. But…well, I’m not quite sure I want to settle down on Avalon, you know? There’s a whole galaxy out there that we could help. And more than that…if I take that job, I’m always gonna be Sophia’s son and Teddy’s brother-in-law, and no matter what I accomplish…there will be people who think that’s why I’m where I am. Why you’re where you are. I want our kids to know that what we accomplished…we did it. And that they should aspire to the same thing.”

“Okay, that’s a good reason,” Amelia said, with a smile. “I was worried that you didn’t trust yourself enough. Because you’ve done an amazing job with this, from the start through now. I mean, you saved my dad’s life, made first contact, and helped to create a new Division of Avalon.”

They watched the shuttle disappear over the horizon, and Amelia added, “Anyone who thinks you need to prove something is ridiculous. But…there are a lot of ridiculous people out there.”

“Lotta ridiculous people everywhere. Best to ignore them,” said a voice from behind them. “Hey, Tommy Boy. Melia. Nice work, the both of you.”

“Pretty sure you helped, Darren,” Thomas said, turning to him. Darren smiled, but shook his head.

“I got shot and you had to tote me to safety. Not much help, that. Nah, you had it right from the start. I gave you a gun; you had the sense not to fire it in anger. Not sure I would have been as smart when I was your age – and I’m counting actual years, not PPSA.”

“When you were my age,” Thomas said, “you and Lysis had managed to tame the bandits and bring security to Atlantis. Pretty sure you would’ve handled this just fine.”

“Well, maybe,” Darren admitted. “But son, I wouldn’t have handled it better. I understand that you and my daughter are gonna stay with the foundation, instead of settling down here?”

“Yes, daddy,” Amelia said, “we think….”

“I can hear you getting your dander up, don’t bother,” Darren said. “Selfishly, I’d like you to stick around so I can bounce my grandkids on my knee and tell them boring stories about Earth that don’t go anywhere. But you two have gotta go where life takes you. Wasn’t planning on getting kidnapped and dropped off here, but I wouldn’t have had it any other way; you’ve got a whole universe to see and help, and you’ll be great at it. Just promise to visit now and again.”

“Oh, we will,” Thomas said. “And don’t think we aren’t going to keep a home in Atlantis; we can’t spend all our time wandering around. And at some point, we will have kids, and we absolutely want them to spend time with all their grandparents. And they’re all here.”

Darren smiled, and looked at the young man who would soon be his son-in-law, and someday, the father of some of his grandkids. He nodded approvingly. “Yeah, you’re gonna have to. I’m pretty easy-going, but Lysis, Big T, and Sophie are gonna by-god demand it, and you know it.”

Thomas laughed. “I do, Darren. I do.”