Page 57 of Nixx
“The best thing would be to use the outdoor showers. We won't be rationed on the amount of water. We'll go with you.”
We find ourselves supervising young Dall toward a kind of structure in piles on which are positioned big tanks. I understand that they are rainwater recovery tanks and that underneath are the outdoor showers.
Dall takes a shower and Polly begins the thorough cleaning of each feather. At first, Dall seems ashamed of the situation, but as we babble on, he relaxes and even ends up laughing with us about the situation.
All three of us end up soaked. I don't think we left anything toxic on Dall's antlers.
Once we have removed the harmful substances from their plumage, we coat them with a paste that Holly introduced to me. This paste is made from the secretions of a type of larva. The analyzer confirmed that the metapleural and formic hormones in this substance have antibiotic, antimycotic, and antiparasitic properties that protect the feathers. We therefore spread it conscientiously on his inert wing.
Dall will now have to take it easy and tell his father that he will probably not be able to use his wing for another two days.
Eleny, who had not left me during my visits, went to get me something to change into when she saw me going to the shower with Polly and Dall. She should be back soon.
I sit with Polly on a stool and we watch as Dall settles further out, spreading his wings to their fullest extent to fill them with sunlight.
“Thank you for him,” she says. “We owe you a lot.”
“You don't owe me anything. That's what I do, I help people as best I can with my medical knowledge.”
“My father will be grateful. He was talking with Nixx this morning. Is he your companion, I hear?”
“Yes, Nixx is my companion. Why does this surprise so many people? Is it because I am different? I can't believe it's because he has never had a companion. Handsome as he is, he must have had dozens of them.”
“It's not because you're different, although it's true that your appearance is amazing. And to answer your question, Nixx has indeed had dozens of adventures, especially around here in the Midlands. But never a companion, no. You are his Companion!”
“I don't understand the nuance. Can you explain to me how his affair with me is different from the affairs he had before that?”
Polly seems troubled by my question. She sighs and tries to explain.
“An Erian can have dozens of adventures. He can even start a family with one of them. But he will only have one Life Partner. When an Erian meets his Life Partner, he feels it immediately. The attraction is irresistible. He feels it in every fiber of his being.”
“Nixx didn't say anything like that to me.” I reply.
“When an Erian has found his Life Partner, he marks her on her neck and he will never have another partner or adventure.”
Oops, so yes, indeed, Nixx has taken on the annoyingly adorable habit of chewing on my neck during our lovemaking. But that probably doesn't mean anything, does it?
“And there is THE absolute sign that does not deceive. When an Erian has found his Life Partner and he is excited, he gives off a fresh, tangy smell.”
My God, I'm blushing all the way to my toes! The grapefruit pheromones that Nixx releases as soon as he's about to make me his.
So, girl, that's got you down, right? This beautiful male is YOURS!
My agitation must have responded to Polly's informal question. She gives me a knowing smile.
“So, you are Nixx's Life Partner and that's what surprises most people here. Nixx has always said that he did not want to become a united male.”
“Why is that? What are the implications?" I ask her.
“Once the couples are united, a certain emotional dependence is created. When one of them dies, the other one usually doesn't delay. It usually fades away within a few weeks.”
My heart tightens. I do not wish to see Nixx's fire go out. I don't understand why Nixx kept such information from me.
Lost in my thoughts, I don't immediately hear the commotion that begins to reign around the camp. Polly gets up abruptly and informs us in an anxious tone:
“Gortachs, we have to take cover.”
I don't know what she's talking about, the name sounds vaguely familiar. One thing is sure, it seems to put a hell of a mess in the camp.
