The Night Masquerade (Binti, #3)(43)

“Binti,” President Haras said, putting a foreleg on my shoulder. I flinched and it pressed its foreleg to me harder. “Look at the grass. Remember what we say?”

“It grows because it’s alive,” I whispered, looking at the red grass. “It grows because it’s alive.” This was a mantra President Haras had taught me to say whenever I was in its office and a panic attack descended on me. The grass I stood on with my bare feet was a deep red like blood, but it wasn’t bleeding, it was alive. Red was not always bad, I repeated to myself. I wore red, the Himba wore it, otjize is red. When I speak through the zinariya, my words are red. “It grows because it’s alive.” I inhaled, exhaled, and felt better. Calmer. However, I didn’t look at Okwu.

“Mwinyi,” President Haras said. “Do you remember what happened?”

“At this point, I was at the base of the Root,” he said. “I’d heard … I’m … the lightning may have allowed me to hear it without touching … I’m a harmonizer, I—”

“Yes, I understand what you can do,” President Haras said. “You can communicate with and to living things without necessarily knowing their language. You’re a different type of harmonizer than Binti.”

Mwinyi looked relieved and nodded. “It’s hard to explain to people.”

“You’re at Oomza Uni, not many surprises here,” it said.

“I also, my feet. I can ground, now. Maybe seeing Binti die triggered it.”

“That’s most likely,” Haras said. “Those who bond closely with planets often develop grounding tendencies. You’re a born harmonizer and natural worlds appeal to you; it’s surprising you haven’t been grounding since birth. So you heard something?”

“Yes, I was listening to the Root, realizing that it was a root, no, a tree, an Undying tree. Just growing underground, upside down. Binti had spoken and it seemed everything was great. We’d won. I did look up just in time to see the chief shot. But I also saw the Khoush president’s face. He didn’t look like he knew that was coming. And then he looked a little angry. But I saw his general Kuw, too. He looked ready. He ran at Binti.”

I blinked, remembering. General Kuw had grabbed me. I’d punched him. Twice. Then Okwu had fought with him, but there was shooting and Okwu had had to shield itself. Kuw had still gotten away. And I had been killed.

“I think there was disagreement among the Khoush,” Mwinyi was saying. “I think someone knew.”

“Maybe,” President Haras said. “Maybe the Khoush president’s second or third in command betrayed him like the Himba Council betrayed Binti. Or maybe someone’s weapon was too sensitive. Or maybe one small soldier didn’t like what she or he was seeing and decided to change everything. We may never know.” It looked up at New Fish. “You are not the first Oomza Uni student to be paired with a ship, Binti.”

I looked up from the grass to stare at the president.

It crossed its forelegs, shook them, and faded a bit, laughter. “Again, I remind you all that you’re at Oomza Uni. There are few surprises here. Most things have been researched, documented, and obsessed over. You will find entire dissertations written about paired people, especially ships and those who travel within them because such pairs tend to be the most traveled and knowledgeable of people. There are paired professors at Oomza Uni.” It paused and then said, “We’re done here for today. Binti, you’ll go to the New Alien Medical Building. It’s near here. I’ve scheduled you to be examined. They’ll be able to tell you how far you can go from your New Fish. If you’d like to speak with paired people, just ask.”

I frowned. I didn’t really want anyone looking too closely at my blood or my body, me. I knew this was Oomza Uni and they had probably seen people like me before, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to know the details.

“Mwinyi, would you be interested in testing to get into the university? You’re of human age and you’d be the first of your kind here. Plus, it seems you’re a master harmonizer, gifted in your own right.”

“No,” Mwinyi said. He looked at his bare feet and shook his head. “I’m sorry, Mma. That was rude. No, Mma, President Haras. I’m here for Binti … and Okwu. I don’t want to be a student. I learn best by wandering, really.”

President Haras gazed at him for several moments with its many black eyes and then said, “Well, as an honored guest at Oomza Uni, you’re free to sit in on whatever classes you like. Maybe you’ll eventually change your mind.”

Mwinyi smiled and said, “Thank you,” though his tone clearly said he would not.

“I’ll have to meet with the committee about the Meduse-Khoush War,” President Haras said. “It’s not our fight, but we are involved. The Khoush Oomza Uni students harbored the stinger that restarted it and Oomza Uni endorsed the new pact and Okwu’s visit. We’ll meet and discuss, then we will act. If we need you, we will call. But until then, don’t worry too much. This fight is old and if the Enyi Zinariya are going to help the Himba, then at least your families will be safe. With you gone, the Khoush will not bother with the Himba, I don’t think.”

What about when I go back? I wondered.

“Have you reached out to your father?” the president asked.