"I'll come, sir."
"Aye, Keptain."
Jinx said, "I must ask you something, Captain Kirk." She tensed, so tautly that her body shivered. "Please, if you must take the Walk to prove to Stiff Tail that you are adults, will you...will you let me come with you?" She asked it of them all, her eyes wide with pleading. "If even one says no, I won't ask again. I don't want to endanger your Walk or your mission, but- please, would you at least consider it?" She sprang to her feet. "I'll wait outside," she said, "I'll -" And she darted from the shelter.
Wilson rose to follow. Kirk caught her arm, "Wait, Dr. Wilson. Brightspot, that was Jinx's party that got caught in the flash flood, wasn't it."
Brightspot nodded unhappily. "She tried the Walk twice. The first time, Sharp Tooth was killed by slashbacks. The second time...the second time, the flash flood- Jinx was the only one left alive. Now she has that name, and no one will go with her."
Jim Kirk said, "Do you think she was somehow at fault, Brightspot?
"No," said Brightspot after a moment's hesitation, "But most people think she's unlucky."
Wilson snorted angrily. "I'll agree she's unlucky," she said, "but a bringer of bad luck? Never. I vote we take her if we have to go, Captain."
"Indeed, Captain," Spock added, "her knowledge of the terrain would be of great assistance to us."
"I agree, Mr. Spock. Any objections?" As he expected, there were none.
Brightspot said, "Then would you take me, too?"
Kirk was startled by the request. "What about your friends, Brightspot? From what Jinx says, you'd ordinarily go with people you've known for a long time."
"Friends are friends," Brightspot said, "whether I've known them for a long time or a short time. You're my friends, and...and 'Jinx' is only sounds. What do you say?"
"I say you should tell Jinx that- and we'd be glad to have you. Both of you." He released Wilson's arm.
"Aye, sir," she said and, grinning, she snatched lightly at Brightspot's tail. "We'll tell Jinx."
As the two of them scurried past, Jim Kirk thought, Let's hope we don't have to do this. Let's hope we have to find another way to help... Jinx - and find it he would, he promised himself.
Left Ear returned the tricorder. Brightspot's suggestion had been a good one. Between the information Left Ear provided and what Uhura had learned from Rushlight, Spock was able to put together a sketchy history of the Eeiauoans' exile.
The nearby nova had caused widespread upheavals in the Sivaoan ecology. By the time, some hundred years later, things had begun to return to normal, the Sivaoans found they had two very different cultures: one nomadic, the other city based. Along with vast technological changes came the city diseases. It was a familiar pattern, Wilson assured him; cities gave disease a chance to spread rapidly.
Here on Sivao, however, the two factions had faced each other down, and the nomadic, being the traditional way of life, had the edge. To worsen the situation, the city dwellers felt guilty- for the plagues, for the species that were now extinct because of their failure to follow nomadic ecological practices. The city dwellers had been told to return to the old ways or leave camp; only this time the camp was Sivao itself.
They had the technology to leave their world, and they did. Because of the species' unusual way of transmission of data, however, and because of their strong feelings on the subject of ownership of information, it seemed the Eeiauoans took the art of space travel with them. The Sivaoans had never attempted it again.
"Sunfall to-Ennien took her songs as well, Captain," Uhura said. "Here they may only be sung between bards."
When she had explained, Spock said, "Perhaps the bards have retained the knowledge of space-going techniques as well?"
"I have no idea, sir. Sunfall to-Ennien"- she always made the distinction very clearly- "hoped that the loss of her songs would eventually lead to a reunion between the two cultures. She had no reason to believe the techniques of space travel would be lost."
"Or deliberately forgotten, Uhura," suggested Kirk. "It seems to me that, on a world where memory is the only way to store knowledge, it would be quite easy to forget something forever. Perhaps the one person who had the information simply didn't pass it on. And yet, the Eeiauoans have books, haven't they?"
"They do, sir."
Spock said, "Do the Eeiauoans appear to have the same type of memory as these people?"
Uhura shook her head. "I don't think so, sir. I was often astonished by Sunfall's ability to recall things she had only heard once, but she did not have the ability to - to record as Brightspot does."
Kirk said, "Perhaps the Eeiauoans for some reason lost that ability? That would explain why they have books when the Sivaoans don't."
"That is one possibility, Captain," said Spock. "The other is that they adopted the technology of printing from the new cultures they encountered and no longer needed such a highly developed memory."
"Stubborn people," said Kirk. "To forget an entire technology but remember a slight for two thousand years."
"Memory- even such a highly developed memory- can be exceedingly selective, Captain."
"I know, Spock. I just wish their choices had been better."
Wilson said, "They're trying, Captain. As... ashamed as they are, Left Ear and Rushlight and Catchclaw- they're all trying to help us. If they have to find a loophole to do it, well, at least they're out looking for loopholes."
"It won't do us much good if they don't have the cure for ADF," said Kirk.
"They've got it," said Wilson. "They just don't know it." She stood and paced. "If only Catchclaw hadn't left...I understand her reasons- it was a good try- but given a few more days I might have been able to convince her to come with us. Jinx would come, I think, but she says she simply hasn't the experience. So we've got to find another doctor and start all over."
Spock said, "What is the local ritual, if any, of leave-taking?"
"None," said Wilson. "Pick up and go. Brightspot says you only give your itinerary to someone you'd like to see again." She stopped pacing abruptly, gave Spock her full attention. "That's odd."
"Yes," Spock agreed.
It was clear the two of them knew what they were talking about. Before Jim Kirk could question them, Evan Wilson said, "Damn! I'm a fool! Captain, Catchclaw left in a huff, but she made sure everybody knew where she was going. You told me yourself the last group didn't give a destination at all."
"You were to look after Jinx," Kirk said, "I assume she wants Jinx returned to her."
"That's the point- what if Catchclaw expects us all to follow her to Sretalles?"
"Grabfoot!" said Kirk suddenly. "He said, 'You come meet us there. Catchclaw says!' You could be right."
"If you had a map, Mr. Spock, could you determine the coordinates?"
"I could approximate them, Dr. Wilson."
Wilson gave a curt, satisfied nod. "Come on, Nyota. You try Rushlight, I'll try Brightspot and Jinx. Somebody must know the way to Sretalles." And they were on the way.
Kirk was silent as Spock returned to his tricorder. When at last Spock looked up, Kirk said, "Well, Mr. Spock? Anything new to report?"
"I think it unlikely that the Sivaoans will be able to provide a map. Given their ability to remember and their highly developed sense of smell, they would hardly need invent such a device. I think it more probable that they would give directions; and that such directions would depend a great deal on the sense of smell."
"Meaning we couldn't even follow their directions without Brightspot or Jinx."
"Precisely, Captain." Spock folded his arms. "If Dr. Wilson is correct, however, and Catchclaw did intend that we follow her to Sretalles, it would be logical to suppose that Jinx is capable of serving as guide as well as motivation. Given the oblique nature of the assistance the others have provided, for Catchclaw to employ such a...tactic would not be unlikely."
"So we might have to Walk, anyway. I suppose you're right. And it also wouldn't do for us to arrive before Catchclaw. We don't know what she has in mind, but she may need some time to prepare the way for us."
"Possibly. I should like Dr. Wilson's thoughts on the matter. Her unorthodox use of logic may be of considerable assistance to us."
Kirk couldn't suppress a grin. "Still theorizing that she uses logic rather than instinct, Spock? Then I'll give you another item for your collection: She took responsibility for Jinx because she was tired of being treated like a child." He explained in detail, thoroughly enjoying the bemused expression on his science officer's face. He ended his account and added, "I give her a lot of credit. She's one of the few humans I've met who could resist saying 'I told you so'."
"Such a statement would be quite unnecessary, Captain."
"Spock, you've worked with humans long enough to know that simply because something is unnecessary doesn't mean it isn't done."
"Indeed, Captain, I have." He continued to look thoughtful. At last he said, "However, Dr. Wilson is quite beyond my experience. I should be interested to know her world of origin."
"Check her transfer dossier, Spock." Kirk said it for something to say; he was rather surprised at Spock's reaction to Wilson.
"I have, Captain. I find her records somewhat perplexing."
"Perplexing? In what way?"
"They are the records of a career bureaucrat, with a history of sheltered posts on highly civilized worlds only-"
"A desk jockey, Spock? That doesn't sound a bit like her."
"Precisely my point, Captain. As for her world of origin, Telamon is given."
"And why wouldn't it be Telamon?"
"Telamon was colonized in the very early days of Earth's interstellar expansion by religious dissenters who, to this day, consider their monotheistic god to be male. Dr. Wilson swears by 'Elath'; it is an ancient Earth term meaning 'Goddess'. A Telamonite-"
Kirk grinned again and interrupted: "That's no mystery, Spock; that's pure contrariness- another human trait you should be familiar with by now."
"I am, most certainly. However, that alone would seem insufficient to explain the observed facts of the case."
Kirk shook his head, still smiling. "Don't let her pull your tail; she enjoys it too much." And so do I, he added to himself. It's been a long time since I've seen Spock set back on his heels by human behavior.
"Captain Kirk?" A voice called from outside the shelter and a tail thrust in. Kirk recognized the markings; he gave Spock a significant look and said, "Come in, Stiff Tail."
She entered with Distant Smoke at her heels. With no preliminary courtesies, she said, "Distant Smoke has agreed to accept the responsibility for Jinx to-Ennien."
Kirk knew Catchclaw's attempt had failed, but there was no point to giving in without a fight. "Catchclaw made Evan Wilson responsible. Even a human could tell you how it happened."
"That is not possible," she said.
"Tell that to Evan Wilson."
She gave him her ears-back amazed look. "From what Brightspot tells me, you are in some sense responsible for Evan Wilson-"
She takes it to mean like an older brother, he thought and said instantly, "Not in the sense you mean."
"In any sense," she said, "I speak to you. Evan Wilson does not understand our customs, and I wish to avoid injury to her. I had hoped you might be of assistance."
From the risen fur at the back of her neck and the lash of her tail tip, he knew this was no idle warning. "I'll do what I can, Stiff Tail," he said at last. She nodded and left, Distant Smoke following dejectedly at her heels.
Kirk turned to his first officer. "If Jinx isn't willing to make an issue of her adulthood, the penalties must be severe. I won't have Evan taking on Stiff Tail, even if she is willing."
"Then may I suggest that you inform Dr. Wilson of your decision in the matter before she has occasion to make her own."
"Good lord, you're right, Spock! I'll see to Wilson. You tell Scotty we're going for a Walk." Kirk was on his way before Mr. Spock had opened his communicator.
Outside, he paused to scan the clearing and spotted Wilson deep in conversation with Jinx and Brightspot. He crossed to join them.
Wilson rose to greet him and, once again, he was painfully aware how tiny she was. That was enough to confirm his decision in his own mind. Having seen Wilson's temper- and the sort of risks she was wont to take- he chose not to give her an option. I have no idea, he thought, how she defines a foolish risk. "You were right, Brightspot," he said. "Stiff Tail won't let Catchclaw get away with it. We're still children." Wilson bristled almost as visibly as Stiff Tail had.