A World Full of Strangers
Disclaimer: All the characters in the story are the property of Stephanie Meyer. I have borrowed them for my entertainment and (hopefully) your reading pleasure. I make no profit from their use.
Chapter 13: The Council
"Why don't we give them some privacy?" I ask politely, while we are standing below the steps of Charlie's house.
Sue looks over at Charlie, Bella, and Renesmee about to have their final conversation and nods. Esme and I follow her into the house. Understanding the nature of vampires, she does not offer us a seat. I have a very deep respect for this woman.
There are not many people who are able to rise above their own ethnic and cultural identity and understand the human qualities shared by those who are externally different. She is still not particularly fond of us, but she is slightly better than tolerant for Charlie's sake.
She herself received some degree of hell from the Council when she decided to marry the paleface, Charlie Swan. There were also those who called for her replacement by her son Seth. But good-hearted Seth wouldn't hear of it. His love for his mother was stronger than any cultural bias that any of his tribal family might have. I know that of all the Quileutes, I am going to miss that young man the most.
"This is about Jacob," she says, without preamble. "Isn't it?"
"So he came to you last night?" asks Esme, going on the offensive. "He didn't waste any time."
"He insisted that we call a Council meeting right away," she answers. "And he wanted all the wolves present too, both packs. It was a very tense situation. Luckily, Sam and Billy were able to keep him under control."
"I'm curious," I say. "How did he present things to the Council? You looked surprised when we pulled up and said that we were leaving, more surprised even than Charlie was."
"You did tell him that you were leaving in a month," she replies. "And I can't imagine how you managed to pick up stakes so quickly. Is there anyone left at the house?"
"We're the last ones out," I answer. "The moving van is on its way to Canada and by now the others should be at the airport. We decided to drive so that we could take a more indirect route. Among other things, it will give Renesmee some time to adjust to the idea of her new home."
"Jacob told us that you were essentially kidnapping her," she replies. "He said that she is terrified because you are taking her away from him."
"That's not quite true," I say evenly. "She is afraid that he is going to be hurt by this. But given the choice between staying with him alone and coming with us, she wants to come with us."
I resist the urge to add sarcastically that the imprinting must not have worked as well with her as the other girls.
"He thinks that he is going to marry her next month when she turns seven," Sue grimaces. "Because that is when she will reach full maturity."
"That depends on your definition of maturity," replies Esme, with a slight edge in her voice. "Sue, if she were your daughter, would you want to see her marry in a month? You know her as well as anyone outside of the family."
"I actually brought up that point last night," she admits. "But he said that if she needs some time, she could live with Sam and Emily, like Claire does."
"He mentioned that to us as well," I say. "I have a question. How did Claire's parents feel about turning their three-year old over to be raised on another reservation by another family?"
"I would be lying if I said that they were happy about it," she says reluctantly. "But they are Makahs and they understand the legends. Unlike the parents of the older girls, we had to tell them about the werewolves and werewolf imprinting. Otherwise, the level of attention that Quil was giving their baby girl would have frightened them.
"Emily helped explain the situation and Claire's mother is her sister, so at least the girl is still living with very close family. They knew the myths, but never imagined that they were true. And Claire was always begging to be with Quil anyway. In the end, they didn't really have a choice."
"As we were telling Jacob about the move," I say. "He was thinking about how stupid we were because we didn't understand what an honor it was for her to be imprinted by the future chief of the tribe."
"That's interesting," she says. "Because he has never claimed that position, even though he could have when he first phased. Sam tried to offer him that honor again when he gave you permission to bite Bella. But once again, Jacob turned it down. In order to claim his birthright now, he would have to spend more time on the reservation and become the Alpha of both packs.
"So Sam is the next chief when Billy passes. And Billy may be in a wheelchair, but he is healthy as a horse, so that Jacob won't even be a Council member for a long time. The only thing that Jacob can assume he is inheriting is Billy's spot on the Council. As you know, Quil has taken his grandfather's place."
"But there are two packs," I point out. "Therefore, there are two Alphas. Doesn't that, combined with his heredity advantage, give Jacob the opportunity to claim the title anytime he wants?"
"Not exactly. Yes, the two packs are an anomaly," she agrees. "No one ever imagined that there would ever be a need for seventeen wolves. And as for being the second Alpha with a claim, you may not realize that we also have elected Council members, so all of this is not just about heredity. There is a certain element of choice given to the tribe.
"It would be very difficult for Jake to shirk his responsibilities for so many years and then claim to be chief. No one is exactly happy about the amount of time that he has been spending up at your place because he couldn't stay away from Renesmee. But in his mind, that's your fault not his.
"But more than that, with you moving away, there's no reason for the tribe to need one or two wolves. The chances of another vampire coven of eight moving so close are minimal."
"More like impossible," replies Esme. "We are the largest coven in existence with the exception of the Volturi. But I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for them to show up again. They track our movements and will have no more interest in Forks once we are gone."
"We figured that out for ourselves," she says. "Last night, Jacob's pleas were all about Renesmee, the fact that he imprinted, and his view that this means that the sixteen other wolves are bound to protect her. He has defined that protection as staying close to him.
"But the vast majority of the tribe could care less about Renesmee. It would be bad enough if she was just a paleface, but she is also half-vampire. I can't speak for everyone, but they were all pretty happy to hear that you all are finally moving on."
"The only reason that we stayed as long as we did was for Jacob and Renesmee," I explain. "But things have become too difficult for the rest of us. And I am not leaving my daughter behind. Did Jacob mention the situation with her health?"
"He said something about her having to be near Carlisle, but he made it sound like a specious argument," replies Sue.
"Not quite," says Esme. "Renesmee's physiology requires a doctor who knows all about her true nature. Even if you took her to the ER healthy, a doctor would think that she was running a fever by her body temperature alone. Her skin is a completely different texture and she doesn't sound at all like a young teenager when you speak with her."
"If she became sick or injured, it is possible that a human medication might kill," I add. "She may have the potential to be immortal, but we still have no idea of what might kill her. And there is no way to test any theories without putting her life at risk. She is not as invincible as a vampire."
"But why did you change your minds about leaving so quickly?" she persists.
"We decided to leave as soon as we did for two reasons," I reply. "The first is that since we did not know what the Council's response would be, or the packs for that matter, we didn't want any kind of conflict that might get out of control. The second reason is that we didn't want Jacob to come back to us and say anything more that could damage his position with the rest of the family.
"Technically speaking, we have accepted him as a part of our extended family. But as I am sure you know, sometimes the most contentious and bitter feuds occur within families. Renesmee loves him very much as a big brother and protector. I don't see that perception changing in the next month."
"He mentioned that several of them are dead set against letting him be with Renesmee," she says. "No pun intended."
"That's one way of looking at it," I reply, rolling my eyes. "We are all well aware of how Renesmee feels about Jacob now. But long ago, he told Bella that when a wolf imprinted, the girl was unable to resist the love and adoration that he gave her. And the wolf had no choice in the matter. He was suddenly tied to the planet, his exact words, by her existence."
"That is as accurate a description as I have heard," she replies. "Emily tried to resist Sam because she was outraged that he was treating Leah, who is her cousin, so badly. She didn't believe him when he said that he hated hurting Leah, but he had no choice. She was scarred when she was arguing with him and got too close when he lost his temper.
"And yet, despite all of that, she couldn't resist his attraction and devotion to her. Now they are married with two children of their own. They are living in this state of bliss, while my poor daughter Leah is left alone and miserable."
Her words become bitter as she mentions her daughter. I have known Leah through her thoughts throughout the years. She is still terribly unhappy, unable to break away and unable to move forward. Her anger keeps her phasing. Her one consolation has been that the two packs mean that she no longer has to live in Sam's head.
"So the families have no say about the fate of their daughters once the wolves imprint?" I ask. "What happens if the family doesn't like the guy?"
"Jacob knows that better than anyone, although he doesn't like to think about it," she replies. "Paul imprinted on his sister Rachel. That made both Billy and Jacob unhappy since Paul is something of a jerk. They were in a tough position until they married and moved out on their own.
"Paul wanted to be with Rachel and he nearly ate them out of house and home every time he was there. But she constantly defended him, because she loved him so much. Billy tolerated it for a long time because she ad finally come home after being away at university for four years.
"It's a pity though, because now there are bad feelings between Rachel and her family. But there was nothing for it. When forced to choose between Paul and her father and brother, Paul won."
"No wonder Jacob thinks that Renesmee is against us," I say. "But I didn't pick up a hint of any of that in his thoughts last night. That may be because we didn't give her a choice in the matter."
"And he never mentioned it to us," she says. "But that doesn't mean that it still was and is not informing his choices."
"I still don't understand why we didn't see him this morning," says Esme. "I was waiting for him to come charging up to the house the whole time that we were packing."
"Last night we told him to stay away so that he could cool off," she replies. "Nobody wants a war with you. In fact, as I said earlier, there will be a lot of happy people when the news comes to the res back that you have left earlier than expected. And I doubt that Jacob will be able to convince his own pack to go up to the Yukon to get her, let alone Sam's."
"And there are some benefits for the rest of you as well once we are gone," I say.
"Yes, I knew that you would understand that," she says. "Esme, I for one will be glad when all of you are gone. With any luck, the packs will diminish in size and my Leah will be able to move away and start a new life."
"Why hasn't she?" asks Esme.
"It's not as easy as you think to break away," she replies. "The werewolves' first duty is to the protect the tribe. If the tribe no longer needs protecting, they can stand down, so to speak, and begin to live normal lives again.
"There are three married couples that have already produced five children between them, three of them boys. There is obviously the potential for more, even without factoring in Quil and Claire. That means that the line can continue easily. And that is not counting the ability of the other wolves that have not imprinted to reproduce. No one has imprinted since Jacob."
"And since the Volturi left," I add. "No new wolves have phased."
"This is also true," she agrees. "And those families whose heredity could pass along the gene are very grateful for that. No parent likes to see a child have to go through that ordeal. There is a tremendous loss of self in the pack mind. It may be efficient in battle, but it is hell to live with."
"I can imagine," replies Esme. "As vampires we prize our freedom and individuality. The only bond that really ties us to another is the bond of mates. That is why our large coven is so highly unusual. But it seems that an imprinted wolf is pulled in two directions, between his pack and his girl."
"He belongs to both," she says simply. "And normally there is no conflict. The case of Claire and Quil is highly unusual, but that is due to the large age difference. The case of Jacob and Renesmee is unheard of. No one knows for sure, but the assumption has always been that imprinting strengthens the bloodlines. But we cannot see how that will apply to Renesmee."
"What do you mean?" asks Esme, even though I am shaking my head to try to warn her not to ask.
"I am correct if I assume that vampire women cannot procreate, am I not?" she asks sanguinely.
"This is true," I say, not liking at all where she is headed with this.
"Then there is no way of knowing if Renesmee will be able to bear children when she reaches full maturity," Sue states.
Esme looks at me in shock. This is a serious violation of my daughter's privacy.
"We don't know that," she says slowly.
"That's a question for Carlisle," I say briskly. "He studied the female hybrids in Brazil in great depth. But since he is probably in the air right now, we cannot contact him by cell phone. Would that make a difference to the Council?"
"No, not really I'm sorry that I insulted you," she replies quickly. "But this is the kind of thing that we would like to consider when formulating our response to Jacob. I am afraid that breeding and bloodlines are much less of a private matter in our world."
"And they don't exist in our world," I reply tightly. "For obvious reasons."
"Please try and see this from our perspective," she begs. "Our tribe is engaged in fight for the survival of our culture, language, and traditions. For centuries, the white man has been trying to assimilate us into his culture. It is already difficult to prevent the encroachment of modern technologies and ideas into our small world.
"The other danger, however, is the idea of intermarriage with the dominant races. Once one of our children marries outside the tribe, unless it is to another Native American, we do not permit them to live in the village. The issue is more complex than biology. There is also a great deal of sociology involved.
"Jacob essentially knows all of this, but he is in denial. He has already accused us of prejudice against Renesmee because she is different. He also feels that there is the same prejudice on your side with regard to him."
"Look," says Esme, always the peacemaker. "We don't want this to end on a bad note. We are inviting Charlie to come up and visit anytime he likes at our expense. But things will be very strange for him. The children will all be high school, except Renesmee who will start in middle school. He is going to need you to help him navigate this 'weirdness' as he would call it."
"He certainly will," she replies drily as she thinks of what that might be like. "And as Charlie's wife I can assure you that I will support him in any way that I can to help him remain in contact with his daughter and granddaughter. Thank you for being as open with me as you have been. I will take this information back to the Council and it will help us make a decision about Jacob."
"But you will not prevent him from joining us," I say.
"No," she says firmly. "That is his choice. However I will warn you. His ties to his people are very strong through both his family and his genes. He may not be able to leave La Push very easily. As I have explained to you, there are many things that hold him here that are completely unrelated to Renesmee.
"It is ironic that the gene that created the compulsion to imprint on her in the first place, is the very same one that may separate him from her. This is going to be very painful for him."
"We understand that," says Esme, still miffed at the references to Renesmee's fertility. "But Jacob is a full grown man. He can take care of himself. Our only concern is for Renesmee. We will take care of her."
I can read in Sue's mind that she is thinking that Jacob doesn't accept this because he feels that it is his job to protect and care for her. But she has less sympathy for Jacob than I expected. And what she hasn't said is that Billy is only too happy that we are moving away and taking Renesmee with us. It goes against the grain of any Quileute to want the tribe's blood "polluted" by vampire blood.
A great deal of idealistic rhetoric was spewed forth on both sides after the conflict with the Volturi. But that kind of idealism does not last forever. Especially when the alliance between enemies is based on the need to defeat a common enemy. Marriages of convenience rarely work once the common threat is gone. In day to day, living side by side, after a while, relations between our two groups have returned to their previous state, one of tense peace.
The only one of the Quileutes who will be negatively impacted by our departure is Jacob. I realize from Sue's mind his bloodlines are considered a tremendous asset to the tribe. She may be shrugging off his potential for leaving now, but that is more from annoyance with him than an actual willingness to let him go his own way.
And Jacob, as the progeny of two of the previous pack members, has a particularly strong pedigree for producing strong wolf offspring. They do not wish to see that potential compromised. Despite my own irritation with Jacob at the moment, I am beginning to feel sorry for him. It is one thing to be the proverbial "man without a country." But it is a whole other level of pain to be torn between two opposing and irreconcilable destinies.
When I was struggling with my feelings for Bella and my desire to keep her human, the options were not so gut wrenching. The one time that I had to face losing her completely, it nearly killed me. But once I had her back, I knew that I would never have to give her up again. Jacob may choose to join us, but it appears that the pull of his blood will never cease.
Now that we have made our peace with Sue, we go outside to face Charlie. I am amazed to discover that he is completely reconciled to the thought of our leaving. We will be able to leave both of them on good terms. This pleases me very much. Bella's face tells me that she is still very much saddened by this goodbye. But I will take care of her. And together, we will both care for Renesmee.
I turn at the sound of Esme's thoughts and give her a little smile. She will take care of the three of us. I am very glad that she was chosen to be our driver.
Author's note: Some of the details about the Quileutes that I have included come from the books Twilight History and The Twilight Saga: The Official Illustrated Guide.