unwound and reached toward Maya and Rimi. Kachik’s own arms ended with clusters of tentacles, but there weren’t as many tentacles per cluster as Vati had.
“Vati says Rimi is beautiful,” Kachik said, “like smoke shaped by wind.”
I told you they would appreciate me, Mayamela , Rimi thought. She sounded a little shaken.
Maybe you should compliment them back, thought Maya.
Tell them Vati looks very useful and has lovely fur.
Maya repeated this aloud.
“We thank you,” said Kachik-Vati. “We greet you. We would know you better if we could. Will you allow it?”
“Travis, it is time for you to leave the tea room,” Noona told him.
“Huh?” Travis straightened, took one more look at Kachik-Vati, and then saluted. “Aye-aye, Aunt Sir. Nice to meet you, K-V. Hope to see you later.”
“My hope lies there as well,” Kachik-Vati said.
Columba opened the door, and Travis went through it. Columba followed him out and closed the door.
Maya looked at Kachik-Vati, then at Noona. “Now what?” she asked.
“Kachik-Vati would like to study you and Rimi. The sissimi bonded have a cache of knowledge they share about how sissimi have gone out into the universes, what has become of them. They would collect your bond, and tell you what other bonded have done. Ara-Kita took first news of you to Rimi’s home planet. Kachik-Vati is here to take second news of you. In return, Kachik-Vati will help you with sissimi issues. They have already given us some help about this.”
Maya felt Rimi tense, a vague tightening in the shadow self beside her. Rimi was anxious to find out more about what she was and what she could be, but she and Maya were afraid of having anyone else find out their abilities. “What kind of help did they give you?” Maya asked.
“They have, for instance, told us whom to call should Rimi fall ill,” said Noona. “None of us knows how to doctor a sick sissimi . She was sick when you first connected to her, wasn’t she?”
“Yeah,” said Maya. When she had stopped being scared of Rimi, she had worried about her, it was true. Maya had been the cure, though. Easy.
“We have a contact we can call now,” Noona said.
“Good.”
“Younger two, will you touch selves with me?” Kachik-Vati asked.
“Would that be like it was when Kita and Rimi touched?” said Maya.
“Each sissimi is different. Each touch-to-touch, each fusion, is different. It is sharing, though, and it is something we all treasure.”
Maya studied Kachik-Vati, who stood quiet, except for Vati’s tendrils, which whirled and stopped, whirled and stopped, weaving into different flowery shapes.
I want to touch them , Rimi thought. I want to learn. I want—Vati is my Peter. Well, maybe I’m Vati’s Peter and he’s my Maya.
Is Kachik my Candra? Maya wondered.
We can’t know until we touch.
“Okay,” Maya said slowly. “Okay. Let’s . . . get to know each other.” She and Rimi might reveal their secrets. Maybe they’d get new secrets in return.
Two of Kachik-Vati’s arms reached for the round table between them. “Noona, your permission to move this?”
Noona inclined her head. “Of course.”
Kachik lifted the table and moved it out of the way. All his arms curled against him, the tendrils pointing upward.
Maya straightened up and took three steps toward Kachik-Vati. Rimi moved with her.
Kachik-Vati said, “You look young, as your species looks young. Very young to have established a sissimi bond.”
“Is there an age limit?” Maya asked.
“Usually sissimi bond with people who have spent several years studying for such a gift. There is shared vocabulary that goes across all languages. Some the sissimi will know, and some it is the other’s job to teach. Only certain people receive the gift of the sissimi bond. There are tests one must undergo. You didn’t go through them, did you?”
“No,” said Maya.
Noona stepped between Maya and Kachik-Vati. “You are to know this child and this
“Vati says Rimi is beautiful,” Kachik said, “like smoke shaped by wind.”
I told you they would appreciate me, Mayamela , Rimi thought. She sounded a little shaken.
Maybe you should compliment them back, thought Maya.
Tell them Vati looks very useful and has lovely fur.
Maya repeated this aloud.
“We thank you,” said Kachik-Vati. “We greet you. We would know you better if we could. Will you allow it?”
“Travis, it is time for you to leave the tea room,” Noona told him.
“Huh?” Travis straightened, took one more look at Kachik-Vati, and then saluted. “Aye-aye, Aunt Sir. Nice to meet you, K-V. Hope to see you later.”
“My hope lies there as well,” Kachik-Vati said.
Columba opened the door, and Travis went through it. Columba followed him out and closed the door.
Maya looked at Kachik-Vati, then at Noona. “Now what?” she asked.
“Kachik-Vati would like to study you and Rimi. The sissimi bonded have a cache of knowledge they share about how sissimi have gone out into the universes, what has become of them. They would collect your bond, and tell you what other bonded have done. Ara-Kita took first news of you to Rimi’s home planet. Kachik-Vati is here to take second news of you. In return, Kachik-Vati will help you with sissimi issues. They have already given us some help about this.”
Maya felt Rimi tense, a vague tightening in the shadow self beside her. Rimi was anxious to find out more about what she was and what she could be, but she and Maya were afraid of having anyone else find out their abilities. “What kind of help did they give you?” Maya asked.
“They have, for instance, told us whom to call should Rimi fall ill,” said Noona. “None of us knows how to doctor a sick sissimi . She was sick when you first connected to her, wasn’t she?”
“Yeah,” said Maya. When she had stopped being scared of Rimi, she had worried about her, it was true. Maya had been the cure, though. Easy.
“We have a contact we can call now,” Noona said.
“Good.”
“Younger two, will you touch selves with me?” Kachik-Vati asked.
“Would that be like it was when Kita and Rimi touched?” said Maya.
“Each sissimi is different. Each touch-to-touch, each fusion, is different. It is sharing, though, and it is something we all treasure.”
Maya studied Kachik-Vati, who stood quiet, except for Vati’s tendrils, which whirled and stopped, whirled and stopped, weaving into different flowery shapes.
I want to touch them , Rimi thought. I want to learn. I want—Vati is my Peter. Well, maybe I’m Vati’s Peter and he’s my Maya.
Is Kachik my Candra? Maya wondered.
We can’t know until we touch.
“Okay,” Maya said slowly. “Okay. Let’s . . . get to know each other.” She and Rimi might reveal their secrets. Maybe they’d get new secrets in return.
Two of Kachik-Vati’s arms reached for the round table between them. “Noona, your permission to move this?”
Noona inclined her head. “Of course.”
Kachik lifted the table and moved it out of the way. All his arms curled against him, the tendrils pointing upward.
Maya straightened up and took three steps toward Kachik-Vati. Rimi moved with her.
Kachik-Vati said, “You look young, as your species looks young. Very young to have established a sissimi bond.”
“Is there an age limit?” Maya asked.
“Usually sissimi bond with people who have spent several years studying for such a gift. There is shared vocabulary that goes across all languages. Some the sissimi will know, and some it is the other’s job to teach. Only certain people receive the gift of the sissimi bond. There are tests one must undergo. You didn’t go through them, did you?”
“No,” said Maya.
Noona stepped between Maya and Kachik-Vati. “You are to know this child and this
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