The firelight of the evening gathering had died down to an orange glow, and many of the Omaticaya had retired for the night, including one uniltìranyu named Jake Sully. Zha'nelle had retreated to the healer's alcove to check her supplies. She would have to ask Kalinkey to make up some more massage oil – at the rate she was going through it, what was left would only last a fortnight.
At least Kalinkey had finished working on the drug that took all feeling away, so she would have time to work on something else. She had been testing the different formulations on Tsawlontu, until she came out with a solution that would work reliably. Kalinkey had even worked out the dosages, so that she could predict down to the nearest quarter hour when the effect would wear off.
Tsawlontu was particularly glad that she had finished testing. One formulation had numbed his face for over a day, and it had an unfortunate side effect – massive amounts of slimy drool leaked out of his mouth. It was not a good look.
Kalinkey's mate still didn't look that impressed when he was told the first person to need surgery would thank his sacrifice. It was just as well that the testing had finished, otherwise Tsawlontu might have disappeared in protest for a few weeks.
Zha'nelle looked up to see who had entered. "Kaltxi, Ney'tiri," she said cheerfully. "What brings you here?"
Ney'tiri grimaced, "I need your magic hands, Zha'nelle. My shoulders are tighter than a fully-drawn bowstring."
"Lie down, my sister," smiled Zha'nelle. "I have a little time before I go for Uniluke with Kalinkey."
"Uniluke," said Ney'tiri wistfully, as she lay down.
"You have not recently partaken of the ceremony?" asked Zha'nelle.
"Not for three weeks," admitted the young woman. "Teaching the cursed uniltìranyu has taken all my time. I have had none for myself, or for my sisters."
"That is not good," said Zha'nelle as she felt Ney'tiri's shoulders. "The female spirits in your blood will become restive, and unbalance you." Her muscles and tendons were as rigid as iron rods. "That is why you feel so tense."
As she started rubbing oil into Ney'tiri's shoulders and back, the young woman groaned, and her muscles suddenly unwound. "Eywa, that is good," murmured Ney'tiri. "Irayo.'
"How goes the teaching?" asked Zha'nelle curiously.
Ney'tiri snorted derisively. "He knows nothing about the forest, or Eywa," she said with disgust, but then paused as though in reflection. "Though the uniltìranyu does not complain however hard I push him. If he falls, he gets back up, and tries again. Zhake..." Ney'tiri paused as though she did not want to admit what she was about to say. "...he has no fear."
"So it is not all bad," commented Zha'nelle, smiling a little half-smile. If only Ney'tiri knew what was in store for her.
"No, it is not all bad," echoed Ney'tiri, her mind a thousand miles from here.
"You should seek your sisters, and partake of Uniluke tomorrow night," advised Zha'nelle. "Ninat, Peyral and Seze'nang must miss you."
"I will," promised Ney'tiri sleepily.
Zha'nelle skipped lightly out of Kelutrel, a pottery crock under one arm. She caught sight of Kalinkey waiting near the lake's edge, bearing a similar burden.
When she caught up, Kalinkey smiled, "Kaltxi, Zha'nelle. Look, I have a jar of tirea'tutee. I brewed it tonight, all by myself."
"That's strange," said Zha'nelle. "I have a kali'weya in my crock. I caught it this afternoon." She tilted her head to one side and smiled back, "Do you think we should take Uniluke? It would be a terrible waste not to."
"It is a lovely night," replied Kalinkey happily. "Eywa would not approve wasting such a combination of tirea'tutee, a kali'weya and a beautiful night."
"Sometimes you talk too much, Kalinkey," said Zha'nelle, placing her burden on the ground. Her arms entwined about her sister's body and they kissed gently.
Kalinkey's laugh rippled out over the water of the lake. "You always were in a hurry to get the end of Uniluke, my love. Come, let us go to our place."
Zha'nelle reached down for her crock and replied, "The end is the best part."
"Come," repeated Kalinkey, pulling at Zha'nelle's arm. The two sisters of the tsumuke'awsiteng disappeared hand in hand into the night.
Their joined laughter echoed out over the still water.
Jake snapped off the camera, and turned his wheelchair so he could look out the window of the hab module. The floating mountains hung in the night sky, softly illuminated by the blue glow of the gas giant Polyphemus. He touched his unfeeling legs and sighed, before lifting his eyes back to the glorious scene before him, untouchable behind the glass of the window.
Grace placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, making him start slightly. She said kindly, "I know what you are thinking, Jake."
Jake nodded. He would give his soul to be out there, right now.
She continued, "I fell in love with this world over a decade ago, and its beauty still rips my heart out."
"How do you bear it after all this time?" he asked. "It's out there, waiting, but we can't ever touch it."
Grace smiled bitterly and answered, "I don't."
His hand crept up to hers and squeezed it gently. Together, they gazed out the window at the incredible sight, united in their longing.