As she spoke the last words, Spock realized with something of a shock that she had given him her undivided attention. Such attention was, as she had pointed out, quite ordinary from a Vulcan; but he had seldom received it from a human. From Evan Wilson, he found it disconcerting. She nodded to herself, as if that put an end to her horrified speculation, then she said, "Mr. Spock, are you aware that, given the conclusion of our conversation, you began it with a highly improper- even illogical suggestion?"
"You astonish me, Doctor...in what way illogical?" He leaned forward for a better view of her face. Perhaps this was an attempt at humor.
"You offered, if I recall correctly, to 'excise' from my memory the incident with the grabfoots. If I had let you do it, I wouldn't have been able to see the analogy between my behavior at that time and my recent fears."
"Ah," he said, understanding. "Illogical in retrospect. I am still somewhat puzzled by your use of the word 'improper'; has your culture some taboo- ?"
She cut him short. "Your culture should have some taboo on the procedure. To forget deliberately-! Someone deliberately forgot the last verse of Uhura's song, the verse that gave the cure for ADF, and look where it's got us!" Her arm swept the smoky tent; her glance fell on the sleeping Chekov. "Even the old Russians Chekov quotes knew better: 'Not a word can be omitted from a song,' he says. But somebody, Eeiauoan or Sivaoan, deliberately forgot."
She leaned toward him. "Think, Mr. Spock. All I am is a collection of memories and experiences; that's all I have to go on as I meet new situations. So anything I remember may be crucial to my survival. Can you sit there and blandly propose to...rob me of what is most valuable to me, to steal a portion of what defines me as a person?" Once again, she treated him to her full scrutiny. Her blue eyes were remarkably piercing. "I know you meant it as an offer of assistance, and I thank you for your intention. But I would rather walk through another colony of grabfoots- without a dose of Jubalan rum- than accept your offer." She tapped her temple. "That's all I have, Mr. Spock. That's all I am."
Remarkable, he thought, lifting a brow; cultural misunderstanding or no, he could not look away. At last he said, "That, Dr. Wilson, is a great deal."
She reddened, blinked once, then rose and said, "It's getting light. If you'll poke up the fire, I'll wake the others. And I'll save my worrying for a more appropriate time, I promise."
As he built up the fire, Spock looked up from time to time, watching Wilson, thinking. It would be as ill-judged to put her behind a desk as... to put Jim Kirk in such a setting. And he found himself thinking of Evan Wilson as much like himself, out of place in human society. Perhaps Jim is right; perhaps contrariness to a particular culture could account for it. He acknowledged- but within the privacy of his thoughts only- that a great many of his own actions were dictated by a need to deny his human heritage; he knew how strong the motive could be.
Jim Kirk's cheerful "Good morning, Spock!" so startled him that he dropped the green stick he'd been using as a poker; a shower of sparks leapt up. He hastily snatched for another stick to retrieve the first. When he had raked it out, he said, "Good morning, Captain. I trust you slept well?"
Kirk reached into their sling of provisions and chose a fruit. "I did, very well, considering the situation. I trust"- and he grinned- "that Dr. Wilson has been giving you a hard time again."
"Sir?"
"Personally, I don't think you should be allowed to talk to her without a chaperon. It makes you clumsy, Spock, and I've never known you to be." He gave the fire a significant glance.
"Your approach startled me, Captain. I was thinking."
"Indeed." With affected nonchalance, Kirk bit into the fruit. When he had swallowed, he said, "And may I ask what you were thinking about that had you so absorbed?"
"It was of no relevance to our circumstances, Captain. I was merely considering something Dr. Wilson had said."
Kirk grinned again. "I rest my case, Mr. Spock."
Spock eyed him. He knew Jim was baiting him; he knew also that Jim missed little- there was a good deal of truth in the joke. Evan Wilson's return with Brightspot spared him from the need to formulate a response, at least to Jim.
The captain tossed a fruit to Brightspot, who caught it deftly with her tail, causing Evan Wilson to exclaim, "Oh, but I want a tail of my own!"
"I'd have thought your tongue was able enough to serve," Kirk suggested. He tossed a second fruit to her. Whether deliberately or accidentally, it went high over her head. She leapt, thrust up a hand and caught it easily. Smiling, she said, "I'll bite, Captain. What have I done now?"
"I'll thank you to stop puzzling my science officer, Dr. Wilson. You left him so distracted I think he burned his hand."
Wilson shot a quick, concerned glance at Spock. He shook his head; he could think of no way to explain this manifestation of Jim's humor. But Wilson said, "You see, Brightspot? I have all the disadvantages of a tail and none of the advantages."
She sat down and added, "Take care how you pull, Captain, or I might just tell you why I haven't called you 'Jim'." She devoted all her attention to eating, leaving Spock to see what the captain's reaction to this rather odd threat might be.
Jim Kirk watched Evan Wilson for a long moment. She paused in her eating long enough to raise an eyebrow at him. If Spock interpreted her expression correctly, she was daring him to continue. It did not make sense. From Jim's expression, it made no more sense to him but, to Spock's enormous surprise, Jim said, "Let's see that map, Mr. Chekov. We have a lot of traveling to do today."
Within the hour they were again on their way. Distant Smoke's map led them up once more. Chekov complained that each branch seemed bent on slapping water in his face. Spock might have corrected this- one could hardly assign intent to a plant- but he knew from experience that a minor contradiction under such circumstances was more likely to add to the irritability of a human.
Jinx and the captain led. Spock kept a close eye on Chekov; the ensign was overtired, there was no doubt of that, but he continued to press on with a dogged determination that even Spock found remarkable.
Happily, they did not have to climb the mountain itself, which Spock recalled from their aerial survey as one of the highest on this part of the continent. They had only to cross a portion of the lower ridge at its base. Had they been in other circumstances- a desert walk, for instance- Wilson and the two Sivaoans would have been at a disadvantage. Here, length of stride made no difference. The slope was not steep but, in combination with the undergrowth, Spock could see that it was wearying to both humans and Sivaoans- and most especially to Chekov. Wilson paused and leaned on her staff. "Brightspot," she said, "grabfoots in this area?"
Brightspot shook her head. "Wrong kind of trees. Not steep enough. Too dark. This is slashback territory- that's worse."
"I'm not sure I believe that," said Wilson, pushing on.
The slope was gentle but continuous. For several hours, the climbing and the need to be wary of slashbacks consumed both their energy and their attention.
"Listen!" said Brightspot suddenly. Wilson did but shook her head. "Mr. Spock?" Brightspot called. "Can you hear it?"
"The sound of a river in the distance," Spock said. He could just barely hear it ahead of them.
Brightspot said, "From now on, we can't get lost. Cross the river and follow the path right into Sretalles."
Wilson grinned at her. "Well, don't lose me, either of you, until I can hear it too."
From just ahead and to Spock's right, Chekov said, "Thet goes double for me."
From somewhere not far from them but hidden from sight by the arrowlike leaves thrust up about them, Kirk called, "Don't stop to chat, people. It's about to get easier- we've got a trail up here."
"Well!" said Wilson. "It's about time!" She and Brightspot scrambled forward; with Uhura, they gave Chekov a hand to help him the last few hundred yards.
They stepped suddenly into the sunlight and the ground beneath their feet flattened out onto a wide plateau that arched around a steep outcrop of rock. At the opposite end of the arc, Spock could see the trail Kirk spoke of: it began- or ended- here. He wondered why there was no trail in the direction from which they'd come.
A soft gasp from Evan Wilson interrupted his thoughts. "Oh, Elath! We must be overlooking this entire half of the continent! I had no idea we'd climbed this far. No wonder it feels odd to be on level ground!" He followed her wide-eyed look into the distance and found the answer to his question: from here there were many directions in which to travel, but only one to the bridge that Jinx described as the only safe river crossing.
"And a terrific place for a picnic!" Wilson said. "Let's eat."
Spock saw she looked at Chekov as she spoke; she and Uhura were all that kept him on his feet. "Captain?" Spock said. "I believe this would be a suitable place for rest and a meal."
Kirk voiced agreement, and Chekov sat down heavily and sighed his relief. Wilson took a last look at the view, then sat down by his side. "Mr. Chekov?" she asked.
"I'm all right, sair," he said, although the grayish hue of his face belied his words. "A little rest is all I need."
"A little food, too," she said. "That's an order."
Jim Kirk joined them. "You'll be happy to know, Mr. Chekov, Jinx says it's all downhill from here." Jinx confirmed his words with a nod.
Uhura massaged her ankles and said, "Mr. Chekov is not the only one who's happy to hear that, Captain!"
"Here, here!" said Wilson. "Human beings still aren't fully adapted for walking upright, and, at this very moment, my feet and back could give you ample evidence of that fact." Struck by a thought, she added, "Mr. Spock? Vulcans have been bipedal longer than humans, haven't they? Does that leave you better prepared for long hikes than the average human?"
"What you say may be true, Doctor, although I have seen no study on the subject. Judging from an extremely limited sample"- he indicated the assembled group - "I would say that both Vulcan and Sivaoan seem better adapted to a prolonged walk of this nature than are humans."
"Then I've changed my mind," Wilson said. "In my next incarnation I want to be a Vulcan, not a Scot."
"Why don't you be like us, Evan," Brightspot suggested, "then you'd have a tail." From the way her own tail looped, the idea pleased her.
Seeing that Brightspot had taken her words seriously, Wilson explained, "It's a joke. Federation science could give me a nice set of ears like Mr. Spock's, but it hasn't yet gotten to the point where it could give me his circulatory system. Or," she said, almost regretfully, "a fur coat of my very own and a handy tail like yours."
"You have no idea how glad I am to hear that," Kirk said. Spock recognized that tone- Jim Kirk was baiting a trap; Wilson, however, did not, and she looked at Kirk questioningly. Kirk explained, "Think how much more trouble you'd be if you could stick your tail into things as well as your nose!"
Evan Wilson frowned slightly and pulled at her lower lip. She appeared to be looking at something just beyond the end of her own nose.
Jim Kirk, obviously puzzled by her lack of reaction, finally said, "Evan?"
She looked at him as if surprised and said, "I'm thinking, Captain...It sounds good to me!"
It was so seriously said that Jim Kirk was startled into laughter. Uhura too laughed, and even Chekov managed a smile. "Perheps you shouldn't give her ideas, Keptain," Chekov said.
"Perhaps you're right, Mr. Chekov. Dr. Wilson, you are incorrigible."
Wilson grinned. "Yes, sir, and you're invited to incorrige me all you want, sir."
Although Spock understood her intent, he could not help but raise his brow at her usage. Without warning, Evan Wilson leveled a finger at him and snapped, "Don't you point that thing at me, Spock- it might be loaded!" Spock stared at her, not quite believing he had heard correctly. Color rose in her cheeks, but she continued to glare defiantly at him. At last she nodded in a satisfied way. "That's better," she said; she seemed to be referring to the fact that he had lowered his brow. "See that you take more care in the future," she added. "I don't take kindly to being used as a target."
At a complete loss to understand the purpose of her peculiar outburst, Spock turned to Jim Kirk for assistance- and promptly received an explanation. The captain was almost doubled over in an effort to suppress his laughter.
Spock looked around him. Uhura was making no such effort at self-control, nor was Chekov. Brightspot and Jinx had their tails so tightly looped he was surprised they were not in pain.
He looked again at Dr. Wilson. She alone did not laugh. Very distinctly, but without a sound, her mouth formed the words, "Sorry, Spock- for them," and her eyes traveled over the group.
He nodded. If he understood humor at all, it was this use of it- to restore morale. As he could be neither offended nor amused, he was a logical subject. With full consciousness of the act, he raised his brow at her again; as he expected, she too burst into laughter.