Pandora: The Final Solution
I gratefully acknowledge one of the foremost creative geniuses of our times, James Cameron, for conceiving the lush moon Pandora and the "noble savages," the Na'vi, that inhabit it. This story uses the characters and setting he created for his movie, Avatar. I have not received any money for my work based on Avatar. If I could get paid by the hour for these stories, I would retire and spend all my time dancing and writing in comfort.
Chapter 7: Jake & Neytiri – Part 2
Jake thinks through the bond "Well, I hope we have a good start now. Your mother will be very unhappy with us if we don't do enough tonight."
Neytiri thinks in reply "We have much more to remember, but there is still daylight outside. We have plenty of time, and you are doing well, both sending me your memories and receiving mine."
"Not bad for a skxawng?"
Neytiri smiles. "Here is a memory I have thought about many times since the day my father died."
"The day Hometree was destroyed?"
"Yes."
"The day of our first fight as a married couple?"
Neytiri doesn't answer or even acknowledge his last question. She begins to remember the class where Grace explains the word "lie" and how lying is a very common and generally accepted human activity. The students do not take this information easily, it is so outside their experience and acceptance. The Na'vi children tell Grace about one of their sayings: "The tail and ears also speak." Lying is practically impossible because one's bio-luminescent spots and body language makes lying obvious to everyone else. If a questionable statement is serious enough to affect the clan, and the teller does not relent, the tsahìk can make tsaheylu with the suspected liar and examine the relevant memories. The shame of getting one's self in such a situation is so abhorrent, no Na'vi lies. Jake feels Neytiri's distaste of this class, but he is very interested to see how Grace handles the concept of lying. He likes her example of a "white lie," saying you feel fine to be cooperative or polite even though you are not at your best. Like all other children in the class, Neytiri finds such behavior very dangerous. Life on Eywa'eveng is very hard and full of deadly surprises. Not being fully honest at all times could cost you your life, or the life of a clan mate. If you have a physical ailment that affects your ability to move, say a sore ankle, everyone around must know in case something happens where all must move quickly. They might outrun you and leave you behind, or expect you to protect another when you are not able, if they are not told about your true situation. Only total honesty is polite and cooperative in Na'vi society. At most, one may withhold speaking in public if one has a problem with another, but one is expected to resolve the issue in private as soon as possible. Survival is dependent on teamwork, so personal issues must be resolved quickly. Lying causes personal issues and interferes with teamwork, therefore it jeopardizes everyone's survival. Grace is surprised by the reaction from the class and sees that she has found a heretofore unknown cultural difference. She tells the class to think about the word "lie" and goes on to a different subject.
"Ma Jake, I'm wondering if you have told a lie during your time with me."
"I'll never tell, and that's no lie." Jake smiles and quickly kisses Neytiri on the lips, but she glares at him in response. She doesn't see the humor in his words.
"You once said that you flew without wings in the spaceship that brought you here." He told her this right after his first attempt to use large leaves to break his fall from heights, where his control of his fall was very poor and could have been injurious to him if it wasn't for the stand of torukspxam into which he fell.
He shares two memories with her. First is the brief time in Earth orbit where he moves from the personnel shuttle into the ISV Venture Star, down the docking mast to the spine of the ship, and through a long, segmented passageway to the cryo hold where he is put into a cryo vault and frozen for the flight out. This entire trip is in a micro-gravity environment where he floats the whole way. To Neytiri, it does look like flying without wings. Second is the brief time in Pandora orbit after he wakes up in his cryo vault. While laying there, he watches several drops of water floating about his vault and two coalesce together above his face. Once his vault opens and he is unplugged from the equipment, he floats around the cryo hold and changes into his own clothes. When enough fellow travelers are awake, they make the same trip in reverse, floating out to the shuttle that takes them to the surface.
"You do look like you were flying without wings. I do not understand how that is possible, but I see you and many others floating in your memories."
"Ma Neytiri, I wish I had a window to look out back then, I would love to share an orbital view of Earth or Pandora with you."
"That would be nice, ma Jake. Grace showed pictures of Earth and Pandora from very far away to our class, but seeing them through your eyes would be much better. Do you remember your first night in Hometree, when you said your body was only three days old?"
He answers "Yes, I'll show you," and begins to remember that first night when they went to the healers.
They walk up the trail from the river towards Hometree. Both are naked, and Neytiri is still carrying their clothing. On the plaza into Hometree facing the river stands Tsu'tey and his group of warrior friends. They are watching Jake and Neytiri very intently. Jake thinks "Here we go again." He glances at Neytiri who doesn't notice because she is staring at the warriors with a very grim face, wondering how she is going to save Jake from this blood-thirsty pack. "She must be upset with this ambush, too." Before any words are exchanged, Mo'at walks among the warriors and puts her hand on Tsu'tey's shoulder. The warriors turn quickly and face their Tsahìk just as Jake and Neytiri join them. Mo'at speaks to the group in Na'vi, and Jake is left out of the discussion.
"Uh, my love, I didn't understand anything she said."
"That's not important for us to heal our hearts now. Tsu'tey and his friends wanted to kill you to avenge the deaths at the school. My mother reminded them that Eytukan wanted to learn about you, and killing you would stop that. She made them understand that learning about you, a warrior dreamwalker, was more important than what they wanted. But, they weren't happy, and they didn't trust you."
"I knew they didn't trust me. That kept me from talking about why I was here, and made me want to become a clan member first." Jake continues his remembering.
After Mo'at finishes her discussion with the warriors, Neytiri speaks to her mother in English.
"I was going to kill Jakesully, but Eywa gave me a sign that stopped me. Later, after I saved him from the nantang, there was another sign. I need to talk to you about these signs."
"You must take care of him tonight." Mo'at looks to Jake and then looks back. "See me at breakfast tomorrow, and we can discuss these signs before you start teaching your new student. Come."
Mo'at turns and escorts Jake and Neytiri to an alcove reserved for the healers. They are met by all of the healers in the clan, eager to examine a dreamwalker. Tsu'tey and his group of warriors trail behind, not officially commanded to escort him, but watching him nevertheless. Everyone speaks only Na'vi, so Jake doesn't understand anything and feels completely left out. The youngest healer, obviously a pre-adolescent girl, shyly but insistently asks Mo'at and the oldest healer something. The two women look at each other, talk among themselves, and nod to agree, making the girl very happy. Jake thinks "Great, I'm a training dummy." Soon, this girl gives him the weirdest medical experience of his life.
The girl and another young woman walk out, and the woman returns almost immediately with a large clay pot and a wide leather roll holding long, dried leaves. She takes two leaves out, each over eight feet long, and begins breaking them up into the pot. The girl returns with a another pot filled with steaming water. The woman empties her pot into the hot water, making a tea with a strong, nasty odor. While the tea is steeping, the old healer and the youngest healer take turns looking and sniffing at wounds, first Neytiri's and then his, with the teacher giving a running commentary to her student who nods in response and rarely speaks. Other than the puncture wound on his breast from Mo'at's blood examination, all injuries are either scrapes and cuts from sharp vegetation or scratches and bites from nantang. Apparently, they can tell which is which by smell.
The girl picks up the pot with the tea, takes a mouthful, swishes it around her mouth, and spits it out into the empty pot. After doing this several times, she pulls out some leaf fragments with a wooden fork and chews them. She licks the wounds her mentor points out, starting with Neytiri. Jake can't believe what he is seeing. Neytiri is speaking with a soothing and encouraging voice to the girl, but obviously the girl is causing Neytiri some pain. The girl licks each wound several times, and a streak of green remains over the wound just treated. She takes more leaf pieces from the pot and chews them before treating the next wound. Neytiri knows how to fight nantang and has few wounds since only one beast attacked her, so her treatment goes quickly. Then, they turn their attention onto Jake who has many more wounds after being jumped by a number of nantang. He does his best to hold still, even though the licks sting like hell. No human doctor or nurse ever treated him like this before. How this little girl can chew this awful smelling stuff and spread it with her tongue while being cheerful the whole time is beyond his understanding. She licks each wound several times, thoroughly filling it with the green slime from the leaves. Eventually, the old healer is satisfied, and turns to address the healers. The girl rinses out her mouth for the last time, smiling broadly, and begins hugging all healers present, who seem to be congratulating her. Jake has no clue what has happened, but he's been in enough training classes to know that the littlest healer has met some major milestone by licking the wounds on Neytiri and him. After hugging the oldest healer, Neytiri, and Mo'at, she and the young woman carry the pots out, returning shortly.
His shock from this treatment takes his mind off his embarrassment at being naked the whole time. After his back injury, he thought he was used to being examined by groups of strangers while totally naked. Neytiri feels his shock and embarrassment now but does not comment. The deepest cut on his arm is treated and covered with a bandage made of leaves. They clean and treat many other cuts and punctures, and daub off the green slime with wadded up drying leaves, but do not cover them.
The healers keep touching the obvious differences, the extra fingers and toes, the eyebrows, and extra body hair below his waist. However, the healers are mostly interested in how smooth and soft his skin feels, particularly the soles of his feet. Most Na'vi nearing adulthood have toughen feet and damaged skin, with many scars and blemishes acquired from the physically demanding life in the forest. Even the healers have toughened feet, although they are not exposed to the hard life outside Hometree as often as the hunters. Jake's skin is as clear and supple as a baby's everywhere they look, and they are very thorough. Every healer in the alcove rubs the bottoms of his feet at some point, even Neytiri and Mo'at. He tries to explain his body was born just three days ago, but none of those who know English believe him. Mo'at is the most accepting, saying the tawtute do many unbelievable things, and maybe his dreamwalker body is that new because it feels new like a newborn.
Jake stops his remembering and silently says "I was very frustrated, no one believed me, but I was telling the truth. My avatar body was only three days old." Jake was very frustrated at the time, and Neytiri feels that frustration now. "I don't know why no one believed me, when it was obvious to all that my body was new. The next day, when I got the job to get the clan out of Hometree, I couldn't figure how I could initiate talks when nothing I said was believed by anyone."
Neytiri silently responds "Jake, a newborn cannot sit up for many days after it is born. All healers know that. Yes, your skin was smooth and supple and had no blemishes, like a newborn, but your physical development was far beyond a newborn."
"Oh. The avatars grown for Norm and I were the best developed ever received by Max. A new technology was used on them during the flight out here. I think Norm said what it was. Max understood him, but I didn't. The bodies were twitching constantly, and that sped up the muscle development, I think."
"Show me."
Once again, he has two memories to show her. The first memory is back on Earth at the RDA facilities in New Mexico. Here, before he starts preparations for cryo, he is taken to a neighboring building and given a manual on driving an avatar. He is shown his avatar as a fetus, about the size of a golf ball, hanging within a huge amnio tank that seems way too big. He notices that his fetus is moving on its own, but it is too small and too far from the wall of the tank to see clearly. A med tech tells him in great detail that another tank containing another fetus, this one destined for Norm, is already on board the Venture Star. Obviously, this med tech gives tours frequently, and has a "canned" spiel. Jake lets him speak without interruption. He is told that the fetuses are conceived and grown in an RDA lab in the Boston area and flown out here on special planes before being transferred into the large amnio tanks for the trip to Pandora. Special space planes take the tanks to the ISVs just days before departure. Because of the enormous expense of each avatar, they are flown individually, so only one will be lost in a crash. If one is lost, its driver stays behind on Earth, but that hasn't happened yet. A medical crew remains awake during the out-bound trip and monitors the avatars around the clock until they arrive at Pandora. Once the tanks are off-loaded, members of the avatar medical crew either go into cryo for the return trip or land on Pandora and work with the avatars there. Jake thanks the med tech for the tour and the avatar driving manual, promises to return the manual before leaving, and joins the rest of the RDA employees prepping for cryo.
The second memory is about his amnio tank after its arrival in Hell's Gate. Norm takes Jake to the Biology lab where they see their fully grown avatars for the first time. Both are hanging by their umbilical cords and twitching as before, only now they are about ten feet tall and practically fill their tanks. Neytiri is awed by the technology, and feels Jake's surprise and sense of wonder as he gazes on his avatar. Jake remembers Norm saying "proprioceptive sims" to Max, but neither he nor Neytiri have any idea what that means. The only hint is Max's reply, where he says they have great muscle tone. This medical jargon must be the new technology that made Jake's newborn body physically well developed. The next morning, Jake and Norm see their avatars after Max's team has decanted them. Both are laying on gurneys, waiting for their drivers to animate them. They still twitch on occasion even though they are disconnected from the technology that accelerated their growth and development.
"Are you satisfied about my new body?"
"Yes, as unlikely as it seems. Human technology is so amazing and beyond belief. After what you've been through since I found you, your skin is getting more like that of an adult, but I will always remember how soft your feet were that first night in Hometree. Continue with that night, my love."
Jake picks up his remembering were he left off. Once they are done, the healers quickly clean up the alcove and disappear. Likewise, everyone outside the alcove vanishes.
Mo'at looks to the pair and says "The evening meal and entertainment should have started by now. They could be waiting for me, so I must go. Neytiri, show your student how to dress. When you are ready, come up to the gathering area and join the rest of the clan. Jakesully, you smell much better now. You did well while being treated by our youngest healer, who passed an important test today. I know that treatment is not pleasant, but nantang wounds are dangerous and it was necessary. I thank both of you for giving our youngest healer the chance to demonstrate her abilities. Now, get dressed, and come join us." With that, Mo'at strides out of the alcove.
Neytiri gives Jake his first lesson on donning his Na'vi clothing by showing him how she dresses. Jake blushes at first, and Neytiri recognizes his discomfort. She says little, other than holding up each piece and making him repeat the Na'vi name for each. First comes one of the cords that ties over the tail and hips. Next comes the groin strap to cover the genitals and anal opening. The back ties around the tail onto the cord, and the front is pulled forward between the legs and ties up to the front of the same cord.
She says "You must tie the edges against your skin on all four sides when we go out in the forest, but it doesn't have to be so tight while you are inside Hometree. If it is loose when you are in the forest, insects will get inside."
Jake nods, and says "I had that problem on Earth, too, but we used bug spray instead. It wore off too quickly, especially in the jungle humidity. This looks like a better way to keep the bugs out."
The loin cloth ties over the front, using the second cord that also ties over the tail and hips. Neytiri uses this cord to hold her knife sheath against her back. She says "You will get a knife when you are ready".
Jake is learning that every object owned by a Na'vi has some requisite knowledge that must be mastered first, and is usually linked into their belief system in some manner.
She then slips on her feather necklace and leather sling. As they dress, they can hear the entertainment starting, but they will not be very late when they do join the clan. Since Jake has not eaten since before leaving in the Sampson early in the morning, both his avatar and human body are very hungry. He doesn't know what's on the menu tonight, but he's so hungry, he'll eat whatever he is handed. He just hopes he doesn't have to do something first to earn it. As they walk up the spiral walkway to the gathering level, Jake finds his skimpy new clothes very uncomfortable, and keeps pulling on the cords and ties to get them into less painful positions.
Jake stops his remembering. "I was so embarrassed. The loin cloth was obvious, but I never could have figured out that groin strap on my own."
"Your embarrassment made me embarrassed at first, and I guess that is why I didn't say much. You learned quickly, except for saying the names, and that helped. There is no reason to be embarrassed, because we wash and dress and do everything else with many other clan members every day. Is that why you were angry at my mother earlier that day? You were embarrassed being naked in front of the clan? Can you remember what happened before we went to the healers?"
"I'll never forget, as much as I would like to. Being told to strip was part of it."
He starts with Mo'at saying "It is decided. My daughter will teach you our ways. Learn well, Jakesully. Then we will see if your insanity can be cured." She pauses while Jake nods his agreement, and then puts her laser-like gaze on him again. "Good. I see you were attacked by nantang. The wounds they make are very dangerous. Did my daughter save you from them?"
"Yes, she arrived just as the pack was overwhelming me and fought them off. I am very grateful that she saved my life."
"Both of you must be examined and treated by the healers. Neither of you look like you are seriously injured, so you can wash up in the river first." Jake nods again. Mo'at looks towards Neytiri who glares at her in response.
Jake looks at this silent exchange and thinks "If looks could kill, the mother is dead."
Neytiri interrupts his remembering with "I'm sorry, I was behaving so badly. I wasn't thinking about killing my mother, even though I was upset with both of my parents at that time. I was thinking how much easier things would have been if I had ignored the atokirina' that landed on my arrowhead. I'll show you later, when it's my turn to remember."
"Uh, what would have happened?"
"I would have released the arrow that would have hit you in your back, in your spine, just below your collarbone. One of the spots where my sister was shot. You would have died before I could get to you to retrieve my arrow."
"I'm very glad you didn't release that arrow."
"I'm also glad I didn't kill you, my love. At that time, I never dreamed I would mate with you."
"I didn't think it was possible, either. We have had some good times, and I look forward to having many more. I can't wait to see that memory. Should I continue?" Neytiri nods, and Jake continues with his memories of that day.
Mo'at turns back to Jake and sternly says "Remove everything you are wearing."
Jake does not like this turn of events, and a look of anger and shock comes over his face as he nods another time. He has been humble and cooperative, and now she is doing this to him. He takes off his survival belt and hands it to Tsu'tey. He crouches down, unties his boots, and pulls them off. He stands up and hands them to Tsu'tey. He takes off the rest of his clothing, piling the items onto Tsu'tey's arms. With every move, Jake is becoming more wary, and the Omatikaya warriors nearby, especially Tsu'tey and the group with him, are becoming more challenging in response. Putting his clothing in Tsu'tey's arms will delay him if Jake is forced to fight. Jake is feeling very concerned and doesn't want to look weak in front of the clan. His training on surviving as a prisoner of war kicks in now and he looks very formidable to the clan, even without clothing and slowly dripping blood and sweat. He was taught this reaction because stripping a prisoner down is the first step in enhanced interrogation techniques, and projecting a physically strong presence at the start helps one stay psychologically strong. Tsu'tey hands everything over to several others who walk off with Jake's clothing. Several warriors in the crowd hoot to taunt Jake, who looks like he is ready to take on the entire clan. Tsu'tey turns back towards Jake and looks as if he is ready to pounce.
Neytiri feels his concern now, and sees the disparity between his feelings and his outward appearance as expressed by his avatar. She didn't think this was possible. "Jake, why did you behave like this?"
"On Earth, stripping prisoners is usually done before hurting them to get information out of them."
"How awful! You weren't a prisoner! You thought we were going to do that?"
"I didn't know where I was, or how to get back to Hell's Gate. As earlier events proved, I didn't know how to survive in the forest. All adults and most children were carrying weapons. I was the only one standing there naked and unarmed, and couldn't leave. What am I supposed to think?"
"Oh, Jake, I'm so sorry. I don't think anyone knew you would think that, especially my mother. Continue, please."
"If it makes you feel better, I felt like a skxawng after your mother explained why she ordered me to strip." Jake picks up his remembering.
Mo'at senses the tension in the air, and realizes she has crossed an invisible boundary with Jake. Her order has been misinterpreted by Jake, and his reaction is affecting everyone else. Using her most commanding voice, she sternly looks at Tsu'tey and the warriors around him and shouts in Na'vi "Calm, people, calm!" A hush falls over the clan, and the warriors back down. She turns to Jake and shouts in English "Calm! We mean you no harm! I See the warrior now." She pauses to let Jake relax, and says in a softer and more understanding tone "You are starting like all born into the clan, with no clothes and no possessions, only parents. Since you have no parents here, my mate and I will be your parents, and you will obey us as if we are your true parents. You will have to talk to me until you learn our language, my mate does not know your language. Understand?"
Jake seems to physically shrink in size and returns to being the miserable creature that Neytiri dragged home. He humbly nods again, but is thinking "Great! More adoptive parents. Just what I don't need."
Neytiri interrupts again. "Jake, when a child becomes orphaned and there are no relatives, the Tsahìk becomes the mother and takes in the child. It is an honor for the child and a duty for the Tsahìk."
"Oh. I showed you my adoptive parents on Earth. They meant well, just didn't get along with them. Didn't want a repeat." Jake continues.
Mo'at speaks more loudly, so the whole clan can hear. "Eywa provides everything we need to live. The clan must take care of you. You must take care of the clan. Only together can we survive and thrive. Everything is up to Eywa and you."
Jake feels his energy drop, his fourth adrenaline rush of this crazy day is over, and his concern is now replaced with relief.
Mo'at looks to Neytiri and says "Get one outfit for your student. Give him an old loincloth waiting to become a child's loincloth, if one is available. Take your student down to the river and wash up. Teach him what he needs to know about personal hygiene. After that, both of you must see the healers." Mo'at turns back to Jake and says "You may be surprised by our ways, so do as Neytiri shows you, and as you see the clan do around you. If something troubles you, discuss it with Neytiri or myself before reacting like you just did. Understand?"
Once again, Jake nods.
"The clan will accept you more readily if you can rid yourself of your alien odor. Wash yourself thoroughly, and return naked for the healers. I will be waiting. Go."
Jake's relief quickly becomes embarrassment as Neytiri takes his hand and leads him through the crowd, still stark naked. Neytiri clearly feels his embarrassment now, it was so strong with Jake at that time. He thought this would cause an uproar even worse than his entrance, with the obviously unhappy individuals that were spitting at and striking him now coming after him again. This time, he is ignored by almost everyone, except several children, even though he is naked. Even Tsu'tey and his group of warriors seem to have lost interest and are no longer visible. He can't believe this lack of response, thinking that being naked is the best possible disguise in the village.
First, she takes him to an alcove in the weavers' area where she picks out a new groin strap and a used loin cloth for him.
Neytiri says "Whenever an adult sized loin cloth is damaged, it is turned in and the weavers alter it for use by a child. You are given only an old loin cloth now until you prove you are worthy of a new one." However, she does not let Jake get dressed yet.
Next, she takes him to a nearby alcove in the tanners' area. She takes out several leather cords and wraps them around Jake's waist to find two that are the proper length. She puts the rest back, but still holds onto his clothes. He hears voices, both adults and children, but cannot see anyone because of the many wooden frames holding animal skins stretched out to dry surrounding this alcove.
She says "I need to empty my bladder, and maybe you do, too. Let me show you the place where this is done." She leads him in towards the center of the tree and around the tanners' area, past many more of the stretching frames, into a fenced-in area full of large clay pots of varying heights, all with lids.
"Here are our urine pots. The tanners need urine for making certain types of leather. These pots are used to collect urine from the clan, and everyone is happy to do their share. Make sure to keep the gates closed and the fwampop out of this area. They will knock the pots over to drink the urine if they get in here."
There are tall pots for males, and short pots for females. There are also bowls for use when all the pots are occupied, and must be emptied into a pot. There are baskets of leaves by the low pots. Much to Jake's surprise, there are no collection baskets for used leaves; soiled leaves are simply dropped on the ground outside the fence and are eaten by the fwampop that are milling about. There are several families using the pots, with several young boys "sharing" a single pot. Several women greet Neytiri as she undoes her groin strap and uses one low pot, and waves Jake towards the tall pots. The women begin talking very rapidly in Na'vi. Jake doesn't understand anything being said, but hears something like "skxawng" several times. He walks up to a tall pot, using one hand to pick up its lid and the other to aim, and is quickly joined by two boys who giggle at the smelly newcomer. Their father uses an adjacent tall pot, looks to Jake, and in reasonably good English says "Hello, Jakesully." Jake smiles and replies simply "Hello." Jake holds the lid until the boys are finished, and then replaces it. They say "irayo" and run off, but Jake doesn't respond because he doesn't know what that means. Neytiri feels that Jake is very uneasy with this situation. Urinating in front of his fellow soldiers was commonplace in the Venezuelan jungle, but in front of whole families of strangers in more civilized settings on Earth is asking for trouble, with both the parents and the law. Here it seems a natural and unremarkable part of everyday life.
When Jake and Neytiri are finished, they follow the crowd outside to the trail down to the river, past numerous large baskets of leaves.
"You will have to learn about the plants in the forest. A few are very dangerous and you must not touch them. A few are very useful, and can be easily found in most places. Here are the two leaves we use the most. The leaves in this basket are called cleaning leaves. Here." Neytiri picks up two leaves from one basket and hands them to Jake. "See how these leaves feel fuzzy on one side. One was picked a short time ago, and is very pliable. It feels soft and moist when squeezed. The other was picked some time ago, and feels scratchy. It will break easily when you bend it and feels very dry. The soft one is best for, how did Graceaugustine say that, 'wiping your butt'."
Jake smiles and says "I can see how this leaf would work for that. The dry one would break up into lots of little pieces."
"That's right. The dry leaf works fine for washing. Once you make it wet in water, it will bend easily. Now, in this basket are the drying leaves. The drier the leaf, the better it works, unless you need to bend it. Use the more pliable drying leaves for 'wiping your butt' after you use the pliable cleaning leaves. When washing in the river, take only a couple of dry cleaning leaves, but take several drying leaves, some small and pliable and some large and not so pliable. We're going to the river to wash up. Pick the leaves you will use and show them to me."
Jake picks out his leaves and holds them up for Neytiri to examine.
"That's good, but take a couple more drying leaves."
Jake picks up three more large drying leaves, and Neytiri nods her agreement. She picks out her leaves, and then says "Before we go down to the river, I'll show you some nearby places to use when you have to go."
They walk around the outside of the tree, and she shows him a number of places among the roots that are used when defecating. Here again, the fwampop are milling around, ready to clean up afterward.
Neytiri says "If you need little time, the more exposed places are acceptable, but if you need more time, the more protected places should be used. Since the smell attracts the fwampop, taking longer in the more exposed areas can lead to getting mobbed by fwampop." She smiles as she says "Everyone experiences being knocked over by a fwampop eager to clean up after you."
Jake thinks "I'll kill the first fwampop that gets too close."
Neytiri sees the look on his face, and says "Eywa made fwampop to clean up after all other creatures, and they are revered for doing their job so thoroughly. Because of their diet, they taste terrible, and are used for food only in the most dire of circumstances. Most creatures leave them alone, and they have become rather fearless, making them very easy to catch. But please don't harm them. They are necessary for everyone's well-being."
Jake nods his agreement, but still thinks that he will not let any fwampop get too close. Of course, Neytiri was right, and since that time, he has been mobbed by fwampop. He tried to chase them off, but they kept their distance, and he couldn't really hurt any of them while he was occupied doing what he must do.
They walk back to the trail down to the river, passing the families they saw at the urine pots now washing up in the river, and stop by a wooden railing with covered baskets tied to some posts. Neytiri puts Jake's clothing on a rail, on top of his drying leaves, and undresses completely, putting her clothes on top of her drying leaves on the same rail. She takes the lid off of a basket hanging on a post, picks up the stone scraper lying inside, and scrapes off some soap from the cake inside. She hands these soap flakes to Jake, and scrapes off more for her own use.
"Look at this soap. See the blue flecks?"
Jake looks at the shavings and says "Un-huh," and then sniffs them. "Ugh! This smells like a wet dog!"
"This is hunters' soap. All hunters use this soap to mask the smell of their bodies. Make sure to use it everywhere on your body, especially under your tail and arms and over your groin area. Always use the soap with the blue flecks."
"Humans use much nicer fragrances, like fruits."
"Why would you want to smell like fruit? That would make it easier for prey and predators to smell you. This soap has animal and plant fluids in it that makes it harder for animals to smell you. The blue flecks are chopped herbs that make you smell more like plants."
Neytiri walks into the water, and motions for Jake to follow. Jake feels his face blush with embarrassment, and joins her. Neytiri feels his embarrassment now, and again does not comment. They go out to the thigh deep water, dunk down to get completely wet, and then use the soap and cleaning leaves to wash up. She yells to a group of women on the bank, rinses off, and heads towards them. She sits on a large rock near the bank, and tells Jake to rinse off and sit on an adjacent rock that she points out. The women wade to the rocks, and work on their hair. Two women expertly undo Neytiri's braids, wash her hair, and then make new braids, also cleaning her beads before replacing them. Another woman works on Jake, undoing his queue, washing his hair, and rebraiding it. All the while, the women laugh and gossip in rapid-fire Na'vi, leaving Jake out again. He wonders if this is Neytiri's way to motivate him to learn the language. He thinks he hears "skxawng" several more times, and again wonders what it means. When the women finish, they move on to others in the water who have asked for their help. Jake and Neytiri climb the bank to the railing and use the drying leaves to finish drying off. Neytiri picks up all their clothing, and they walk up the trail to return to Hometree where Mo'at is waiting to take them to the healers.
Neytiri stops his remembering with a question. "You felt so uncomfortable taking care of your bodily needs. What caused you to feel like this?"
"Well, humans have a much different way of doing these things. There are no fwampop on Earth to clean up after us, or any animals like them. We have special rooms, called bathrooms or restrooms, with sinks and toilets and tubs and showers, where we go to relieve and clean ourselves. We always do it alone, except when two adults are going to mate, sometimes they will take a bath or shower together beforehand."
"Did you think we were going to mate in the river?"
"That was the first time I ever went into a river clean enough to swim in with a very beautiful and very naked woman and did not try to mate."
"I See. You do not look like you are lying, so I believe you. We will have to discuss the differences of mating between humans and Na'vi some day. Grace said there are many more humans on Earth than there are Na'vi here on Eywa'eveng. There must be bathrooms everywhere to take care of that many humans."
"I've never thought about it before, but, yes, there are bathrooms in almost every building in my home country, the United States of America. Of course, most don't have showers or tubs, like restrooms in restaurants and bars, places we visit for food or drink. When I was in the Marine Corps, fighting in the jungles of Venezuela, there were no bathrooms outside our bases, so sometimes we had to make do. Usually we dug a trench for everyone to use, and then filled it in before moving on, if we had the time. It took me some time to get used to the Na'vi way of life, everyone always together for everything, even when taking care of bodily functions. Humans always demand and get a certain amount of space and separation for privacy. Na'vi just don't seem to need it."
"Well, Jake, we can never be truly alone. Eywa watches over all of us all the time. Being alone can be very dangerous, it makes you a target for predators, so we never stay apart for long if we can help it."
"You liked your time alone flying on Seze."
"Yes, but I was not alone. We protected each other."
"OK, I see that. When you're ready, we should get you a new ikran."
"Thank you, that will be very nice. I miss Seze, and look forward to having another ikran. But we must get a new home for the clan first. Then all ikran will have a place to roost, and new ones will be easier to train. You were very uncomfortable urinating with the children. Why was that?"
"For humans, taking their children potty is the sole responsibility of the parents. Strangers can get into really serious trouble if they get involved without the consent of the parents."
"Why is that?"
"There are a few evil humans that take children for sex, and then sell them or kill them. All parents fear strangers for that reason, and strangers know to keep their distance to stay out of trouble."
"Human adults mate with children? That's terrible!"
"There are a few human adults that mate with children, and that is very bad and is punished severely when they get caught. But, I guess it happens every day. The strong prey on the weak. Nothing we can do here will change that on Earth. Back to us, I didn't really know anyone here that first night. I didn't know how to act. After the reception I got when I was first escorted into Hometree, I didn't want to do anything to upset anyone. I was even more skittish after I tried to shake hands with your father and got everyone around me worked up, including you. That's how strangers introduce themselves on Earth. Thought Grace would have taught that in her school. There were plenty of Omatikaya that were ready to kill me that night, especially while I was stripping."
"All Omatikaya know who you are now, my love. And you did the right things that night, even if they went against your instincts as a human. The children adore you now, and you seem to enjoy being around them."
"Something I've found out since I've been here. And I've learned enough about being Na'vi to know what I must do to avoid upsetting others. But I must rely on you to help me when I get into new situations. Being a skxawng doesn't work for Toruk Makto anymore."
"I will be happy to teach you, and will help keep you out of trouble."
"My love, you have been outstanding in protecting me. I appreciate your help more than you know." Jake pauses. "At this pace, we'll never do what your mother wants us to do."
"What do you suggest, Jake?"