Page 51 of Undone
He wiped his mouth with the napkin. “I wouldn’t know. I was born on Earth.”
Duh. I knew that. “Do you have pictures of Bael? Or stories that have been passed down?”
“Nothing. Our people are not sentimental about things that are lost. We retain pertinent information only, and focus on the future.”
“Oh.” So different. Was nothing sacred to them? I took another small bite.
“We maintain the memory of certain historical facts, only for the purpose of not allowing those events and circumstances to be repeated. On Bael, we once had an ancient text very much like your Bible. It spoke of one creator.”
“Really?” I brought my utensils down and watched as he took another delicate bite and chewed.
“And much like yours, its vagueness led to different interpretations, which led to war after war. We were very much like humans at one time in our history. Divided by many issues. Multicultural. Over two thousand years ago our planet had The Last War, and new rules were implemented. Religious doctrines were eliminated. Monogamy abolished. New laws were enacted to make sexual contact illegal outside of mating time. And the government chose who mated. Within four generations our people were one race with one language.”
My bites of steak soured in my belly and I looked down at the blood that seeped into my potatoes. I forced a look of interest.
“It seems to work well for you.”
“It does.” He leaned forward on his arms, as if to garner every bit of my attention. “And it will work for humans, too, Ms. Haines. I know it. Future generations will not know how things once were. They will not know their people once had the freedom to do horrible, hurtful things to themselves and one another. To eat unhealthy and be lazy. They will not crave what they do not know. We can achieve what the best of humans have always wished for.Peace. I believe it with all my might that humanity can be better, stronger, more fulfilled.”
“I know you do,” I whispered. I forced more words. “And it’s a beautiful dream.”
“But do you believe it, Ms. Haines?”
No. I would tell him what I said before. “I know humans can adapt to anything.” But at the end of they day, we’d be zombies with no emotion, just like them.
He sat back in his chair now, studying me. I watched, my pulse quickening, as he slowly unknotted his tie and pulled it off. I imagined him unbuttoning his shirt. My mouth went completely dry until he stopped and tossed his tie to a nearby chair.
“I’ve spent my entire life studying humans. Learning to interpret their every move, what they say, what they don’t say.”
Dear God. I looked away and took a drink of ice water. I should’ve probably poured it over my head.
“Human women are so very different from Baelese women.”
Truth. I let out a dry laugh. “If only I could be so strong.”
“You do not find yourself to be strong?”
I thought of Vahni’s sharp mouth, and how she was willing to boss around her leader. And that Rambo exercise teacher. “I’ve always thought of compassion as my strength, but . . .” They saw it as a weakness. I guess some humans did too.
“Ah, Ms. Haines, you have brought up the primary difference in our cultures. My people find compassion to be a useless trait, but it is the one thing I have clung to in my time with humans. The one thing I will miss if it goes extinct.”
I had no idea how to respond to that, but it made my heart flutter.
He went on. “The Baelese are like individual islands. Even when we are near, we are alone, separated. Humans, they cannot help but build bridges to one another. It is my secret hope that even when your people are one race, truly united, that their compassion will remain.”
Damn him. He had sympathies for humans. He admired us. But those feelings were not enough to stop his ultimate plan to change us. My eyes watered, and I forced a smile as I nodded. He sipped his wine and motioned for me to do the same.
Screw it.
I picked up my glass and took a drink. The delicate pungency made my mouth pucker for a moment. We both sipped, lost in quiet thought. Next thing I knew, my glass was empty and his was still half full. How human of me. I knew I should feel afraid or embarrassed at my lack of self-control, but with my lowered tolerance, the wine hit me full blast, making me buoyant.
He made no comment about my tacky wine chugging. Instead, he made a statement that felt like a smack.
“You take meals with the two humans you were imprisoned with.”
My mouth hung open for a full second. “Uh, yes. Another habit, I guess. Just having them near.”
“The male. Jacob Tate? What is your relationship?”
