|
|
Katya stared longingly out of the window of the Vulcan Academy's main Research and Engineering building. Heat waves rose from the baked soil in a shimmering haze. Inviting alcoves of shadows grew from the local buildings lining the streets outside, areas of apparent coolness defying the raging sun. She sighed and turned from the window, knowing going outside was not allowed, and tried to find something to do with herself without getting into trouble.
She grinned as she eyed one of the charts on the
wall, following the flow of some of the patterns inscribed in the durasheet,
arm upraised in the air. She enjoyed following her father on his engineering
trips abroad to Vulcan, relishing the change in scenery so different from
Earth. She enjoyed meeting so many different people even more, not often
regretting the lack of social interaction she would have had with children
her own age had she stayed on Earth alone. Katya had overheard her father
and T'Leya talking once, *not arguing, T'Leya says Vulcans don't argue*,
with the Healer telling her father that Katya needed more stability in
her life. Her father's amused reply had in fact pretty much settled the
argument.
*What could be more stable than Vulcan and its way
of life ?* he had replied, calmly. He firmly believed in his daughter's
strength of character, and the insatiable curiosity that influenced her
behaviour. Thus he had no doubts she would find many positive things to
draw from her experiences.
He liked to say that the first time she had seen a Vucan, she had gone straight towards the woman with a toodler's sheer delight. T'Leya, although she would probably never admit it, had returned the interest keenly. Human children rarely travelled to Vulcan, much less visited the Vulcan Science Academy on a regular basis. And she considered Katya an unusual child by any standard. T'Leya had greeted her in the Vulcan traditional fashion rather than standard, and Katya's halting mimicry of the woman's words had quickly led to regular language lessons, in which both participants learned, if truth be told. Katya steadily mastered her mentor's native tongue, albeit she would always have a light accent due to the guttural intonations her now human throat would ever manage, and T'Leya's knowledge of human idioms had increased dramatically, somewhat to the consternation of her some of her human colleagues, who found that they could not get away with some of their teasing as easily as before.
Katya sighed heavily again. Both T'Leya and her father were working with some of the technicians, in one of the labs she was not to visit. While she usually spent time with some of T'Leya's nephews during those occasions (playing chess usually), a family obligation had called her sister T'Ris, her husband and the children out of town. The child idly toyed with a curl of hair, leaning her nose against the window. Despite the air conditionning inside, the blistering heat outside could still be felt through the perma-glass. She knew there was no way she could go outside in such weather. Resigning herself to wandering the hallways and atriums which were permitted to her, she chose a corridor at random and started to walk.
This was one activity which, although not her favorite, she could easily live with. There was usually always someone new to meet in the hallways of the Academy. If one knew enough to be courteous and bright, one could usually strike up a conversation of interest. Although she was only seven, she had discovered that most Vulcans here at the Academy would stop and talk to her if she asked the right questions. Sometimes, one would react negatively or ignore her and simply walk away, but this tended to happen more often with the other species than with Vulcans themselves. This, above all else, was why she liked coming to this planet with her father so much. She was usually treated like an adult, she felt, rather than a small and uninteresting child. She smiled faintly as quiet swishing sounds reached her ears. Even T'Leya had once commented to her father that her hearing, albeit of normal standards for a Vulcan child, was rather exceptionnal for a human. Her father had laughed, and simply commented that it tended to be better when people were talking about her, and less so when she was in trouble, to which Katya had giggled and explained the concept of selective hearing to T'Leya. The woman had nodded wisely as she had raised a thoughtful eyebrow as she looked at Katya's father and said that it explained a lot. Katya had grinned unrepentandly at her father's light blush.
She padded softly towards a doorway which lead into a small courtyard covered by a transparent dome which somewhat dimished the sun's effects. Careful to keep to the shadows and out of the blinding sun as she had been instructed countless times, she slowly made her way to a bench. She clambered silently aboard the functionnal slab of stone, and settled herself, legs dangling, to watch the old man at the center of the courtyard. He was executing a slow dance, or so it seemed to her, arms weaving gracefully, sometimes a foot or leg flowing to add to the motions and patterns. She smiled slightly, eyes round with delight at the sight. As the man finished the pattern, she let out the breath she had held in without realizing it. A delicatly tapered ear caught the noise, and the dancer slowly gathered himself, and turned to face his small audience.
He bowed to her gravely. She drew in a quick breath,
and skipped down her bench to return the formality. He's old, she thought.
Even older than T'Leya is ! He must know so much! An eyebrow raised
slowly in consideration. She watched the ascent, fascinated.
« I am not that old, child » the low
voice told her soflty. Her eyes widened even more. Had she been that obvious
? She started to bow in apology, when the Vulcan said, still ever so softly.
« My taking offense would not be logical child. Thou did not mean
to offend, but rather expressed appreciation for knowledge acquired through
experience. That is logical. »
She could only stare, a small smile slowly starting
to curve her lips. He was talking in an archaic form of Vulcan, one she
had not learned as well as the more coventional dialect, but she sensed
that he talked slowly so that she could follow.
« Honorable ancestor, » she replied
in the same dialect, inwardly grinning in delight at the small rise of
the eyebrow that her knowledge of the language prompted. « One is
honored to meet thee, and greets thee with delight. »
« Illogical », was the serene reply.
« I'm human, Honored Elder. » She smothered
her small smile, and looked up at him seriously. « Both T'Leya and
father say that's what humans do.» She was gratified by the slow
ascent of the second eyebrow, rising to meet the first. He considered her
words for a few moments, then nodded. Both eyebrows resumed their former
position.
« True. How is it that you speak the Taiya-kana
dialect small one ?»
« Honored T'kahr T'Leya taught me Elder. »
She unconsciously had decided that the title fit him. Apparently her instinct
had been right. As he had shown no intention to send her away, or not want
her there, she dared more.
« Would you... would you show me what you
were doing Elder ? It was very interesting. » She held her breath,
hoping she had not dared too much.
A calm look. « Show you what child ? »
Katya blinked, confused.
« The dancing Elder. », was the slightly
surprised reply. « Please ? »
The elderly Vulcan watched her impassively for the
longest time. Katya could practically feel the minutes ticking away under
his considering gaze. She forced herself not to fidget, sensing that her
questions had become suddenly more important than she had thought. This
is adult stuff now. I just know it. I hope I didn't do anything bad by
asking. She sighed mentally, with a longing thought to what the old
Vulcan had been doing. It was so beautiful... Like water...
He moved, suddenly. She had been lost in her own thoughts at this point, and she looked up, startled to find him standing next to her. A sound drew her attention, away from him and towards the courtyard passage. T'Leya and her father were standing there, her father looking worried, and even T'Leya... I did something bad she thought mourfully. Even T'Leya is worried. She sniffed, furiously refusing to let the tears reach her eyes. Again, she started to apologize to the ever so tall man standing before her, even as T'Leya drew up to them and started to talk to him as well.
He turned to T'Leya, placing a light hand on Katya's shoulder. Both the woman and the child were surprised at this, the former not showing it while the latter stiffened ever so slightly. T'Leya stopped whatever it was she was going to say, as did Katya, and her father joined the small group in the shade.
« Honored Elder » T'Leya
intoned gravely, bowing at the man.
« T'Leya of S'Rukta » he replied, bowing
slightly. He looked at her father and then turned to speak to T'Leya again.
« He is the child's father ? »
« Yes Elder. We were working on the new warp
coils. She knows she cannot enter the laboratories during such experiments.
The courtyard is usually unused and she comes here sometimes. »
Katya knew she shouldn't talk, but couldn't help
adding in, « I like the flowers Elder. »
« Like . » he said gravely returning
his attention to her.
She pinched her lips slightly, then took a deep
breath and replied.
« Yes Elder. »
« And you... liked the 'dancing' as well ?»
Katya could have sworn T'Leya looked surprised at this.
« Yes Elder. Very much. »
« I see. »
Child and man stared at each other for a moment.
He then turned to T'Leya, with a small nod towards Katya's father.
« I will teach the child. She wishes to learn. Have her father bring her to the compound whenever he is planetside. » With that he bowed gravely to Katya and turning, walked away. Both adults and the child watched him walk away. T'Leya knelt down, facing Katya, and looked at her gravely.
« Katya, do you know who that was ? »
« No T'Leya. » she replied in a fluting
voice. « I didn't just like the dancing though. I like him too.
» she added, as an afterthought. « He felt right. »
« You saw... you saw him practicing ? »
« Yes T'Leya. It was beautiful. » she
replied, unable to repress an enchanted smile. « But he heard me
and stopped... » she finished sadly.
« I see. » T'Leya looked at her, steadily.
Her father bent over, patting her shoulder. « Go back to the lab
Katy-girl. Savir has something to show you. »
She grinned happily up at her father and skipped
towards the lab, waving at T'Mir as she left.
« _I_ know who that was my friend ,»
Armand Walker said gravely. « I didn't know Soltek was coming here
today. »
« He is a recluse now Armand. He doesn't practice
his Art in public, doesn't see anyone anymore. He usually never even leaves
his House or his Clan's Compound. » T'Leya was as close to being
agitated as Armand had ever seen her be. « He hasn't taken on an
apprentice since his son died. This is highly... confusing. She shouldn't
have even been able to sneak up on him while he was practicing like that.
Yet she has to have had. He does not allow anyone to see him practice.
Ever.»
Armand looked at the woman, amused. « T'Leya, I learned a while ago that there isn't much about Katy-girl that can't happen. And I really am proud that he would decide to teach her. »
« He will teach her the traditionnal Vulcan Martial Arts, yes... He has decided. It is good that you do not wish to stop this. He would be gravely offended otherwise » T'Leya's serenity had been somewhat restored. She eyed the man standing next to her, and decided that now was an appropriate time to use another of those idioms Katya had taught her.
« Trust your daughter to charm the socks off the most renowed Healer on Vulcan. »
NOTES -
Taiya-kana = Old Language
T'kahr = teacher