Chapter 7 - The Morning's Discovery
Nodac awoke with an ache in her neck. Laena, upon visiting her, was pleased to inform her that her neck was beginning to heal. Putting a hand to her face, Nodac realized that something was on her ring finger. Not surprisingly, it was a ring.
"Laena, look at this!" she said. Laena rushed forth.
"What is it?"
"This ring!"
"Isn't it yours?"
"No-but I know who it belongs to."
"Who?"
"Dib. It was his mother's, before she died. It's his most treasured possession! He'd never give it to me!"
"May I have a look?"
"Sure, but be careful." Laena twiddled it in her fingers, and marveled at the 14-karat gold band and diamonds that were embedded within; her eyes glistened with envy at the sight of the platinum plate with a large, diamond set in the middle.
"Are you sure he didn't give it to you for what happened? I know he has loads of guilt for leaving you at first."
"Quite sure. This is so valuable...his mother's own wedding ring..."
"Wait-did you say 'wedding ring'?"
"Well, yes, but I don't see how-"
"It's his mother's WEDDING ring, Nodac! Don't you realize what this means?"
"You mean-he wants to marry me?"
"Seems to make sense."
"Do you really think so?"
"Of course."
"Laena...have you ever thought of marrying Vehn?"
"What? No, no, I'm much too young. I'm only fourteen."
"Well, yes, but...things have changed. We may even be some of the last people existing. We might be the last humans ever to walk this Earth."
"I'll talk to Vehn. Now, rest, you shouldn't exhaust your throat so recently after an accident." Laena left the room, and returned shortly afterward. "They're ready for you."
"What do you mean, Laena?"
"Come out and see!" She led Nodac to the other room, anticipating her reaction. Dib and Vehn immediately pulled up a chair for her, and she thanked them.
"What is this?"
"It's a get-well-soon party for you."
"Oh...thank you, but I don't deserve it. Dib saved my life, and-"
"-you almost died at his hands." Vehn was serious, and showed no emotion. He glared viciously across the room at Dib, and concentrated his anger toward him. "Nodac, don't be tricked by him. He's going to ask you to marry him, but you can't accept. He fled when Zim ran off, and left you there-to DIE. What kind of husband would he make?"
"Vehn, what are you saying?" Nodac almost had tears at her eyes.
"I'm saying that Dib is just some treacherous filth that would rather have you die than risk his own life to save you."
"That's not the reason I left!" Dib protested.
"Then why DID you flee when Nodac was about to die?"
"I was horrified. I saw my enemy attack her with a knife, and I thought she was dead. I couldn't handle it."
"I don't believe a word of that! Nodac, you can't marry him. He's just proven himself rotten, not the hero you're making him out to be. I'm just concerned about your safety!"
Nodac decided to speak up and said, "I don't believe that you would say these things, Vehn, about the person who saved my life!"
"Only when I convinced him to go back and told him how to do it! He made no effort to save you! He doesn't care about humanity. All he cares about is himself."
"That's not true," Nodac said defiantly, as she stormed back into her room. Dib followed shortly after.
"Don't believe what he said. I would never leave you for dead."
"I know that. But you can't stay here. He'd probably kill you if he had the chance. I've never seen him so angry."
"I just have one question I'd still like to ask you."
"What is that?"
"Will you...would you like...do you think...maybe we could...here goes: Will you marry me?"
"I'd be honored." Nodac fell asleep within minutes, and he rested her back on her bed before getting into his own and dreaming of the future, though this time not in despair.
Nodac awoke with an ache in her neck. Laena, upon visiting her, was pleased to inform her that her neck was beginning to heal. Putting a hand to her face, Nodac realized that something was on her ring finger. Not surprisingly, it was a ring.
"Laena, look at this!" she said. Laena rushed forth.
"What is it?"
"This ring!"
"Isn't it yours?"
"No-but I know who it belongs to."
"Who?"
"Dib. It was his mother's, before she died. It's his most treasured possession! He'd never give it to me!"
"May I have a look?"
"Sure, but be careful." Laena twiddled it in her fingers, and marveled at the 14-karat gold band and diamonds that were embedded within; her eyes glistened with envy at the sight of the platinum plate with a large, diamond set in the middle.
"Are you sure he didn't give it to you for what happened? I know he has loads of guilt for leaving you at first."
"Quite sure. This is so valuable...his mother's own wedding ring..."
"Wait-did you say 'wedding ring'?"
"Well, yes, but I don't see how-"
"It's his mother's WEDDING ring, Nodac! Don't you realize what this means?"
"You mean-he wants to marry me?"
"Seems to make sense."
"Do you really think so?"
"Of course."
"Laena...have you ever thought of marrying Vehn?"
"What? No, no, I'm much too young. I'm only fourteen."
"Well, yes, but...things have changed. We may even be some of the last people existing. We might be the last humans ever to walk this Earth."
"I'll talk to Vehn. Now, rest, you shouldn't exhaust your throat so recently after an accident." Laena left the room, and returned shortly afterward. "They're ready for you."
"What do you mean, Laena?"
"Come out and see!" She led Nodac to the other room, anticipating her reaction. Dib and Vehn immediately pulled up a chair for her, and she thanked them.
"What is this?"
"It's a get-well-soon party for you."
"Oh...thank you, but I don't deserve it. Dib saved my life, and-"
"-you almost died at his hands." Vehn was serious, and showed no emotion. He glared viciously across the room at Dib, and concentrated his anger toward him. "Nodac, don't be tricked by him. He's going to ask you to marry him, but you can't accept. He fled when Zim ran off, and left you there-to DIE. What kind of husband would he make?"
"Vehn, what are you saying?" Nodac almost had tears at her eyes.
"I'm saying that Dib is just some treacherous filth that would rather have you die than risk his own life to save you."
"That's not the reason I left!" Dib protested.
"Then why DID you flee when Nodac was about to die?"
"I was horrified. I saw my enemy attack her with a knife, and I thought she was dead. I couldn't handle it."
"I don't believe a word of that! Nodac, you can't marry him. He's just proven himself rotten, not the hero you're making him out to be. I'm just concerned about your safety!"
Nodac decided to speak up and said, "I don't believe that you would say these things, Vehn, about the person who saved my life!"
"Only when I convinced him to go back and told him how to do it! He made no effort to save you! He doesn't care about humanity. All he cares about is himself."
"That's not true," Nodac said defiantly, as she stormed back into her room. Dib followed shortly after.
"Don't believe what he said. I would never leave you for dead."
"I know that. But you can't stay here. He'd probably kill you if he had the chance. I've never seen him so angry."
"I just have one question I'd still like to ask you."
"What is that?"
"Will you...would you like...do you think...maybe we could...here goes: Will you marry me?"
"I'd be honored." Nodac fell asleep within minutes, and he rested her back on her bed before getting into his own and dreaming of the future, though this time not in despair.