“It’s a pity you weren’t free for the assignment yourself. I’m sure if you’d had to deal with a resistant host, it would have been child’s play.” I didn’t turn to look at her. My voice stayed level.
She sniffed. “The early waves were challenging enough even without a resistant host.”
“Yes. I’ve experienced a few settlings myself.”
The Seeker snorted. “Were the See Weeds very difficult to tame? Did they flee?”
I kept my voice calm. “We had no trouble in the South Pole. Of course, the North was another matter. It was badly mishandled. We lost the entire forest.” The sadness of that time echoed behind my words. A thousand sentient beings, closing their eyes forever rather than accept us. They’d curled their leaves from the suns and starved.
Good for them, Melanie whispered. There was no venom attached to the thought, only approval as she saluted the tragedy in my memory.
It was such a waste. I let the agony of the knowledge, the feel of the dying thoughts that had racked us with our sister forest’s pain, wash through my head.
It was death either way.
The Seeker spoke, and I tried to concentrate on just one conversation.
“Yes.” Her voice was uncomfortable. “That was poorly executed.”
“You can never be too careful when it comes to doling out power. Some aren’t as careful as they should be.”
She didn’t answer, and I heard her move a few steps back. Everyone knew that the misstep behind the mass suicide belonged to the Seekers, who, because the See Weeds couldn’t flee, had underestimated their ability to escape. They’d proceeded recklessly, beginning the first settlement before we had adequate numbers in place for a full-scale assimilation. By the time they realized what the See Weeds were capable of, were willing to do, it was too late. The next shipment of hibernating souls was too far away, and before they’d arrived, the northern forest was lost.
I faced the Seeker now, curious to judge the impact of my words. She was impassive, staring at the white nothingness of the bare wall across the room.
“I’m sorry I can’t help you further.” I said the words firmly, trying to make the dismissal clear. I was ready to have my house to myself again. To ourselves, Melanie inserted spitefully. I sighed. She was so full of herself now. “You really shouldn’t have troubled yourself to come so far.”
“It’s the job,” the Seeker said, shrugging. “You’re my only assignment. Until I find the rest of them, I may as well stick close to you and hope I get lucky.”
CHAPTER 7
Confronted
Yes, Faces Sunward?” I asked, grateful to the raised hand for interrupting my lecture. I did not feel as comfortable behind the lectern as I usually did. My biggest strength, my only real credential—for my host body had had little in the way of a formal education, on the run since her early adolescence—was the personal experience I usually taught from. This was the first world’s history I’d presented this semester for which I had no memories to draw upon. I was sure my students were suffering the difference.
“I’m sorry to interrupt, but…” The white-haired man paused, struggling to word his question. “I’m not sure I understand. The Fire-Tasters actually… ingest the smoke from burning the Walking Flowers? Like food?” He tried to suppress the horror in his tone. It was not a soul’s place to judge another soul. But I was not surprised, given his background on the Planet of the Flowers, at his strong reaction to the fate of a similar life-form on another world.
It was always amazing to me how some souls buried themselves in the affairs of whichever world they inhabited and ignored the rest of the universe. But, to be fair, perhaps Faces Sunward had been in hibernation when Fire World became notorious.
“Yes, they receive essential nutrients from this smoke. And therein lies the fundamental dilemma and the controversy of Fire World—and the reason the planet has not been closed, though there has certainly been adequate time to populate it fully. There is also a high relocation percentage.
“When Fire World was discovered, it was at first thought that the dominant species, the Fire-Tasters, were the only intelligent life-forms present. The Fire-Tasters did not consider the Walking Flowers to be their equals—a cultural prejudice—so it was a while, even after the first wave of settling, before the souls realized they were murdering intelligent creatures. Since then, Fire World scientists have focused their efforts on finding a replacement for the dietary needs of the Fire-Tasters. Spiders are being transported there to help, but the planets are hundreds of light-years apart. When this obstacle is overcome, as it will be soon, I’m sure, there is hope that the Walking Flowers might also be assimilated. In the meantime, much of the brutality has been removed from the equation. The, ah, burning-alive portion, of course, and other aspects as well.”
“How can they…” Faces Sunward trailed off, unable to finish.
Another voice completed Faces Sunward’s thought. “It seems like a very cruel ecosystem. Why was the planet not abandoned?”
“That has been debated, naturally, Robert. But we do not abandon planets lightly. There are many souls for whom Fire World is home. They will not be uprooted against their will.” I looked away, back at my notes, in an attempt to end the side discussion.
“But it’s barbaric!”
Robert was physically younger than most of the other students—closer to my age, in fact, than any other. And truly a child in a more important way. Earth was his first world—the Mother in this case had actually been an Earth-dweller, too, before she’d given herself—and he didn’t seem to have as much perspective as older, better-traveled souls. I wondered what it would be like to be born into the overwhelming sensation and emotion of these hosts with no prior experience for balance. It would be difficult to find objectivity. I tried to remember that and be especially patient as I answered him.