Chapter 54
We were in the hotel lounge. A warm, cosy room, deep in the heart of the extensive building situated in the maze of New York City. Late at night, there wasn't too much activity, and that was why we felt confident enough to spend the remaining hours relaxing within its golden-lit walls and mahogany brown leather sofas, winding the time with meaningless chatter and the occasional drink.
That was the Humans. I, on the other hand, was trying to be somewhat productive in my continuing efforts to integrate Lenk into the new way of life. He whimpered again, pining over his dull blades, constantly reminding me that it was not something that he had ever agreed to. Either he had short memory, or selective.
"Please stop sulking, Lenk," I huffed as I pulled his hand down again to prioritise his attention. "Do you see me complaining about it? It's for the best, especially in nice places like this where they don't like us scratching up their furniture."
"Taku so much speak." He distastefully replied.
He was sat on the leather sofa at the southern side of the lounging area, legs threatening to turn over a glass-top coffee table as he constantly fidgeted in his feeble attempts to push me away. I approached him from the side to avoid knocking anything over. I was due to speak in a Skype-based podcast soon, but I had other ideas.
"I need to speak with you. I don't know why you're making it so difficult."
He submitted then, but maintained his reluctance in his facial expression. "Lenk is tired. So many Humans. All talk at Lenk! Lenk just want to sit and go to sleep."
"You have to get used to it," I said as I sat beside him, shuffling the coffee table away as a precaution. "Besides, you seemed to enjoy it."
"Yes. Humans are strange. Make Lenk laugh, but also make Lenk confuse."
"You'll have to get used to that, too. They are interesting, to put it mildly."
I pulled up my laptop that I had temporarily placed beside the sofa and started it up while continuing the conversation. Lenk, still so recent to such technology, instantly became very interested, and he leaned forward in anticipation of what the screen would show this time.
"If you're going to do what I do," I spoke. "Then you have to be tired and sleepy sometimes and continue working. It's hard, but it's very rewarding."
"Lenk have no rewards yet." He grumbled. All day, he had been picking holes in my statements. I had come to realise over the last week how stubborn my brother could truly be.
"No rewards?!" I gasped. "We have brought you here to the Human world and treated you to the juiciest barks! You even met David Schwimmer!"
Lenk blinked.
"The Human with the dark hair. I told you that he was an actor."
"And he turned into a giraffe!" Lenk chirped, finally pulling the memory from the sedimentary rocks.
"Yes. That's the one. Isn't that reward enough?"
He snorted. A definite no.
"Well then, I will never know how to please you."
"Kee-RAW!" He laughed, taking pleasure in irritating me. The sound drew the attention of a group of Humans on the other side of the room, among them Clarissa.
"Remember, Lenk," I said with lowered tone. "Try to keep the noise down. They don't like you being loud."
He looked annoyed and fell back into the sofa, pouting childishly. "Human tree has so many rules. Lenk not do this. Lenk not do that."
"And you should respect those rules. Now stop being so stubborn and listen. I am supposed to be speaking to some Humans online today. Do you remember earlier, when Clarissa was speaking to people on her computer?"
"Yes," He recalled. "Clarissa told Lenk that Humans not actually inside computer. Humans are somewhere else."
"It's your turn now," I grinned. "It's good practice for when you do it in front of real people."
Lenk was nervous, but those nerves were yet to manifest themselves into something unmanageable. In fact, he took it in his embrace and strived to overcome it each time. Just a few hours before, he found himself, alongside me, in a room with over twenty Human strangers. He coped phenomenally, reminding me of how well Pluk had immersed in it before his accident. There were clear differences between the two of us that were becoming ever more apparent.
"So what does Lenk do?" He asked, keeping a watchful eye over my computer activities.
"I have told the podcasters that I will be giving you my duties, and they are more than happy to speak with you. All you have to do is talk."
"Lenk just talk? What should Lenk talk about?"
"Whatever you want. Or whatever they want. It depends on the conservation at the time." I replied.
It seemed to calm whatever nerves he had, and he sat up straight in his seat, impatiently motioning towards the computer like he wanted to get started. "Humans talk about strange things." He thought to add.
"Especially these ones," I mentioned. "Just be yourself, have some fun and make friends. That's all you need to do."
He smiled. "All Lenk need to do!"
I had brought Skype up, and right on cue, one of the podcast hosts attempted to call. I popped the laptop onto Lenk and clicked to accept the call. I also handed him some headphones and made sure the webcam was operational. Suddenly, he was most intrigued in that device and proceeded to check his own facial features with utter amazement. "There you go!" I said.
With him happy enough on his own, I was free to wallow amongst the other beings in the room. Clarissa and Zak were in the midst of a conversation with some of who I presumed to be other hotel guests, so when I came close to them, I thought I'd be better not interrupt. However, with them still in the corner of my eye, I saw Clarissa turn to me and call me with a finger.
"Hey, Taku, come over here!"
Eager to join in, I followed her request and moved into their compact circle. There were two strangers: A bald male Human who looked to be in his late 40's, and a blonde-haired female, said hair bunched up smartly at the back with some remaining to sweep forward in a neat fringe. I assumed them to be partners. They had been getting along well with my friends.
"Hey, Taku," Clarissa greeted. "I thought you'd never join us!"
She was as groomed as usual, on this particular night wearing a sparkly purple dress. This was no ordinary hotel, and so she had to look the part. One would think she was trying to out-do this new female, who stood proud in a similar black dress. Zak and the bald man were in suits, though Zak's hair had clearly been fussed over for some time, something that the other male was incapable of.
"I've been sorting Lenk out," I explained, passing a welcoming smile to the two strangers. "I don't believe we've been introduced."
Clarissa was ready to do the honours. "Taku, this is Donny Miller." She said, indicating the bald man.
"Wonderful to meet you." I reached forward to shake his hand.
He studied the situation, and accordingly shook two of the fingers. "And you, Taku Kelmut."
Clarissa continued, "And Debra Miller, his wife."
"We've heard so much about you," Debra said, also shaking two of my fingers with a massive grin. "It's a pleasure to finally meet the new seer."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, too," I politely replied. "And you must be-"
"The owners of the hotel." Clarissa butted in helpfully, knowing in advance that I held no such knowledge.
"Yes, of course!" I chuckled. "It's more than I could have hoped for, and it's very kind of you to allow my brother to stay. I suspect that you weren't expecting two Hork-Bajir until only recently."
"We're happy to accommodate both of you," Donny responded cheerfully. "I mean, what's so different about our people? We already had a vegetarian menu, and as far as I'm concerned, that's the only difference."
"And we reduce the laundry bill." Debra added with a conclusive squawk of laughter. I imagined that it was a joke.
"Ha-ha! That too," Donny joined. "Are you busy tomorrow evening, Taku?"
"No. Not unless my brother makes me busy."
He nodded. "Well, if you're not, we'd like to invite you to dinner. On us. I suppose these two can tag along as well, if they wish." He snorted jovially, wagging a finger at Clarissa and Zak.
"Oh please," Zak replied. "Taku is the ultimate tag-along."
I could have begun a friendly back-and-forth with him, but I didn't want to douse the Miller's with in-jokes that they could take the wrong way, so I moved on. "I would love to. Thanks very much for the offer."
"Your…" Donny started, then tilting sideways to look past me and at Lenk. "Your brother… I haven't heard much of him."
I could sense his concerns. Following his stare, I watched Lenk as he lifted the laptop in the air at full stretch, shifting his form with precision. "That's understandable," I muttered. "This is his first time out of the park. He's currently involved in an internet show. I think he's taken a particular interest in his own webcam."
"May I ask, Taku," Donny said, clearing his throat loudly. "What the reason is for bringing him here to New York?"
"I will be very busy on this trip, so my brother is here to do some engagements in my place as a representative of my people."
He nodded, but I could tell that he was not altogether convinced by the idea. "I look forward to seeing him in action."
"I'm sure you'll be pleasantly surprised at what happens." I grinned.
Unbeknownst to the Miller's, I saw Clarissa jab an elbow into Zak's side. He frowned, but then came to a quick conclusion and sprang into action.
"Hey, you know what? I think we should celebrate with something to drink," He suggested. "I have this stuff that you've just got to try."
When he put his hand on Mr Miller's shoulder and turned to move, it effectively forced the couple to join. Clarissa stayed put and made sure that I went nowhere as the other three disappeared to the hotel bar.
Once they were out of range, she began. "Um, what's he doing?"
"Lenk has taken my place in the podcast tonight. Is there something wrong with that?"
She grumbled and then pulled my arm, swivelling me in place. Lenk, as we both witnessed was checking his own teeth in the webcam.
"Really?!" Clarissa squeaked.
"It will take him some time to get used to it all," I opined. "At least he's still wearing the headphones. I believe he's still in the call."
"Who else is in the call, Taku?" Clarissa demanded, placing her hands firmly to her waist.
"Oh, don't worry. It's nobody terribly influential. It's just an amateur news broadcast, really. I explained to them beforehand that my brother would be taking my place."
"And how did they take that news?"
"They took it well!" I explained. "And they know that my brother won't yet have obtained proper discussion etiquette."
Now, she folded her arms, the next evolutionary phase of Angry Clarissa. "You need to tell me what's going on, Taku. I know your schedule, and you're not busy. Why is your brother doing this?"
I sighed, "I have told you many times. Why do I have to keep repeating myself? He is here as a representative of normal, everyday Hork-Bajir."
"Yeah, yeah, I get that," She grumbled. "But how is it going to make things easier? Like, no offence, but he speaks like a four-year-old. They're going to decide soon whether they're going to change Yellowstone. This is when we should be doing whatever we can to stop that!"
"Representing my people better is something we can do. Sure, he's not going to articulate a Shakespearean monologue that changes the mind of every American, but, in just being himself, he might make some difference. I've already damaged my reputation enough that I will never change the minds of many. Nobody has a grudge with my brother."
"Okay, Taku," She rubbed at her brow and took a cautionary glance around to make sure we were still talking in private. "You know that we're, like, friends, and that friends should always back each other, right? Well, sometimes we have to be honest, you know."
I pouted and braced for her opinion. "Go ahead."
"This is a stupid idea. I know you're trying to do something good, and I think that's great, but can't you see that this won't work? Your brother will stand in front of a camera and either freeze up like you did, or he'll say nothing good and ruin our chances of stopping this decision."
I took that in, nodding gently. "It could happen like that, I know. But we need to look at the situation and know that we've tried so many things and nothing so far has worked. The decision to take away Yellowstone's status is not done by referendum. It is not achieved by cold numbers and facts. What we need to do is create such opposition that the officials will fear for their jobs. They run on popularity, and that's what we need to steal. To do that, we must unite the people, but I am a divisive figure. Facts are divisive figures. The honest opinions of a Hork-Bajir whose friends may lose their homes are much less so. We've tried facts and we've tried reasoning and all it's done is bounce back at us. It's time to try something new."
"I think this something new is a bit too new." She commented, but she let it hang when one of the hotel staff came to stand beside us, a platter in hand with several whiskey glasses decorating its shiny surface.
"Glenfiddich?" He offered with a slight bow. "Private vintage."
Clarissa hummed her approval and took a glass with delicate Human fingers. "Mr Miller is very generous! Thank you."
"It would be rude to refuse. Thank you." I added with what was probably a distinctively awkward tone. I took a glass and waited for the Human to leave before I sniffed the liquid and immediately, violently recoiled.
Clarissa took no notice. "I guess I can't stop you. I don't think it will work though. You'd have a better chance of Donald Trump being the next president."
"The odds were always stacked against us," I replied. "But we'll keep trying. Have you both gotten along so far?"
"He can be a bit difficult. God, it was hell trying to do his blades. I've never seen a Hork-Bajir moan so much."
I chuckled and watched him from a distance as he blathered into the speaker on his laptop. "Sounds like him. He likes to be disagreeable."
"And you think he'll even attempt an interview when you force him in front of a camera?"
I smiled to Clarissa to convey my certainty. "Why do you think that he eventually allowed you to file his blades, to strip him of his finest features?"
She shrugged. "Because I told him?"
"No," I said. "At least not wholly. It's because I did it. My brother will not admit it, but he has been envious of me ever since Toby Hamee set foot onto our tree. I am the seer, and he is just another normal Hork-Bajir. He would do anything to be like me, because he thinks that Mother and Father care more for me. I tell him that it's not true, but he has convinced himself beyond my reasoning."
"So he'll just do whatever you do?" She asked.
"I've already shown him my last interview. I told him what I did, why I did it. He told me that he wanted to do it, too. Believe me, no matter how nervous he may become or how scared, he will power through it, just so that he can feel like he's achieved as much as I have."
"You're not just using him, are you?"
"I offered this to him and warned him of what it meant. He accepted. Besides, how many Hork-Bajir get to sample New York, and…" I lifted my whiskey glass into view. "Whiskey… Where did the guy with the whiskey go? Maybe we should tell him not to give Lenk any."
Clarissa caught on quickly. "I think he went over that way. I'll go tell him."
She wandered off with the clicking of high heels, leaving me briefly alone. I wondered how Lenk was coping with his informal conversation and looked to the sofa again. There he was, chatting away, headphones still slumped over his head so that I knew he wasn't simply talking to himself like he had started to do on the plane flight over. Then, he opened up his mouth wide, leaned forward and appeared to lick the laptop screen. I don't know whether it was some display to the ten-or-so-thousand people watching, or if it was a bet. Maybe it was a new trend that he was quickly getting caught up in.
I lifted my glass and downed what little fluid had been provided to me.
