This chapter is just setting the mood. That's all.

A Tribe Meeting

8

The clan was wild. Each person was voicing their concern about the return of the Sky People. The men were crying for battle, and the women were crying for the safety of their families. Jake had never seen such disarray. His mate was pacing in front of a large fire. Night was upon them, and the only light was from the plants and the fire.

"How can this be?" Neytiri cried, her hands clawed out in the air. "I kill him!"

Jake grabbed her hands, gently forcing her to sit down. Tu'sky crouched on a flat rock, her hands on her knees. Her tail twitched. "Neytiri is right, it is a vrrtep," she stated. "If Neytiri says she kill him, then he is vrrtep."

Norm shook his head. "No, his is not a vrrtep," he stated. "He is a clone."

Neytiri looked at Norm. "A what?" she asked.

Jake took her hands, sitting her down next to him. He took in a breath, and stood up before the people. "My people, the Sky People have returned!" he called. "I can already sense that their weapons are stronger and worse than before." He glanced over the people. "And the Quaritch you saw was not the real Quaritch."

"Then who was he?" cried a female Na'vi. "What was he?"

Norm then stood up. "He is a clone!" he cried.

"What that?" Ma'ki asked, gripping his tail.

Voices of concern flushed over the crowd. Jake rubbed his temples. This would take a lot of explaining. "My people!" he called. "Remember when the first Sky People came? Remember when they made bodies that looked like you?"

The crowd agreed, looking to their leader. "Dreamwalkers!" one called.

"Yes. Remember that the bodies are empty?"

"Yeah, those bodies have no soul," Tu'sky stated. "Like one you have and what some Tawtute had."

Jake nodded at the midget Na'vi. "That is right," he stated. "This Quaritch is like an empty body. He is made to look like the real Quaritch."

Max then stepped in. His Na'vi body was tall and very thin. "Yes, well, he is an empty body, but he has the brain of the real Quaritch, and his memories, but . . ."

He began to realize that he was losing the Na'vi people, so he shut his trap and kneeled down. "Never mind," he whispered.

Jake sighed, looking at his friend. "Look, it is very hard to explain the situation," the male Na'vi stated. "But that doesn't matter. Just stay away from them. I don't want any of you to be injured or killed. Stay away from the Sky People."

Tu'sky shifted, settling on her bottom on the flat rock. Her brother glanced up at his sister. "You were look at him," he whispered.

The older Na'vi glared down at her brother. "What do you mean?" she inquired, giving a gentle laugh for some good humor.

"He look at you," Ma'ki whispered.

Her hand met the side of his head. He let out a yelp, gripping his head. "Fnu," she snarled.

Jake turned to his mate, and sighed. "Neytiri, I need to talk to you," he stated. He grabbed her hands, and dragged her away. "Norm. Max?"

Both men glanced up, and followed Jake as he motioned his hand to them. The foursome went to the main hut. "Neytiri, Quaritch is a clone," he stated.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Look, you know more about the Avatar program than the other Na'vis," Jake stated. "Remember the labs?"

"Yes," the female Na'vi breathed.

"Well, that Quaritch was made in a lab, just like this body—" He placed his hands to his chest. "—and their bodies." Jake pointed to Max and Norm. He turned to Norm. "Norm, you know a lot about cloning, right?"

"Yes," Norm stated. He turned to Jake's mate. "Look, Neytiri, just like the Avatars, his body was made and grown in a lab. He is an empty body, then he was given Quaritch's brain."

"But, I thought he was eaten," Neytiri stated. "By the animals."

"I guess not," Max whispered. "I guess they found him before he was eaten."

Neytiri looked at Max, her ears low. "Now they brought him back," she whispered. "But he different. Jhake, did you see?"

Jake nodded, recalling on the incident that transpired that day. "I do," he stated. "He was different wasn't he?"

Norm nodded. "Well, clones may be cloned to look like the original person," he stated, his tail twitching. "You see, when scientists send the memories from the first brain into the clone's brains, things happen. Humans still don't have cloning down to a tee just yet. Memories will become disoriented, personality might alter slightly. He may either be better or worse. But since he did not allow that woman to be killed, he may just be nicer."

Neytiri took in the information slowly. "So, he look like other Quaritch, but he may be different?" she asked.

"Correct," Norm stated. "And clones don't know that they are clones. People don't tell them because most clones kill themselves after they find out."

"So, what shall we do?" Neytiri asked her mate.

Jake looked at her, sighing. "I'm not sure," he whispered.

Fnu: quiet