Elsewhere(20)

Thandi interrupts her. "Don't you go saying it now!"

At that moment, Aldous Ghent bounds into the lobby. "Oh dear, I hope I'm not interrupting," he says, "but I need to speak to Elizabeth for a moment."

"No," says Thandi, "I was just leaving." She whispers to Liz, "I'm really glad to see you. I was so worried you would stay on that boat forever."

Liz just shakes her head and changes the subject. "Where are you staying now?"

"I live with my cousin Shelly I think I mentioned her before."

"Is she" Liz pauses- "better now?"

Thandi smiles. "She is, and thanks for asking. You should come visit. I told Shelly all about you.

Come whenever. She's not much older than us, so she's cool with having people over."

"I'll try," Liz says.

"Well, I hope you'll do better than that," says Thandi as she leaves.

"Pretty hair," says Aldous, watching Thandi walk away.

"Yes," Liz agrees.

"Well, Elizabeth, I've just had the most fantastic idea," says Aldous. "You mentioned before that you might like to work with animals?"

"Yes."

"A position has just opened up, and as soon as I saw it, I thought of you. 'Why, Aldous,' I said to myself, 'this is positively providential!' So will you do it?" Aldous stands there beaming at Liz.

"Um, what is it?" There was that word again.

"Oh yes, of course! Leave it to me to put the horse before the cart. Or rather, the cart before the horse. The horse is supposed to go before the cart, I believe. I have limited experience with both horses and carts. Oh yes, the position! The position's in the Division of Domestic Animals of the Department of Acclimation."

"What's that?" asks Liz.

"It's kind of like what I do actually," says Aldous Ghent, "only it's with people's passed pets. I'm quite sure you'd be perfect for it."

"Um," Liz says. Why can't I stop saying wm? she thinks. "Um, it sounds interesting."

"By the way, you do speak Canine, don't you?"

"Canine?" asks Liz. "What's Canine?"

"Canine is the language of dogs. Dear me, you don't mean to say that they still aren't teaching it in Earth schools?" Aldous seems truly horrified at the possibility.

Liz shakes her head.

"A pity," says Aldous, "as Canine is one of our most beautiful languages. Did you know that there are over three hundred words for love in Canine?"

Liz thinks of her sweet Lucy back on Earth. "I believe it," Liz says.

"It has always seemed a weakness of an Earth education that children are only taught to communicate with their own species, don't you think?" asks Aldous.

"Since I don't speak, uh, Canine, does that mean I couldn't work at the Department of. . . What did you call it again?"

"Department of Acclimation, Division of Domestic Animals. And not necessarily. How fast do you pick up foreign languages, Elizabeth?"

"Pretty fast," Liz lies. Spanish was her worst subject in school.

"Are you sure?" Aldous cocks his head thoughtfully at Liz.

"Yes, and if it matters, I even wanted to be a veterinarian when I was on Earth."

"A marvelous profession, but unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, we don't need those here.

Time and rest are the only healers. One of the many benefits of living in a reverse-aging culture.

Elsewhere doesn't have doctors, either. Although we do have nurses for animals and humans both, and of course our share of psychologists, therapists, psychiatrists, and other mental health professionals. Even when the body is well, you still find that the mind . . . Well, the mind has a mind of its own." AJdous laughs. "But I digress.

"So, the position? It's perfect, right?" He beams at Liz.

At first, Liz thought the job sounded like something she might enjoy, but now she isn't so sure.

What is the point of learning a whole new job (not to mention a whole new language) when she'd just be going back to Earth in fifteen years anyway? "I'm just not sure," Liz says finally.

"Not sure? But a moment ago, you seemed so "

Liz interrupts. "It sounds cool, but..." She clears her throat. "I just think I need to take some time to myself first. I'm still sort of getting used to the idea of being dead."

Aldous nods. "Perfectly natural," he says, and nods again. Liz can see his nods are meant to conceal his disappointment.

"I don't have to decide today, do I?" Liz asks.

"No," Aldous says. "No, you don't have to decide today. We'll talk again next week. Of course, the position may be filled by then."

"I understand," she says.

"I must caution you, Elizabeth. The longer you wait to start your new life, the harder it may become."

"My new life? What new life?" Liz's voice is suddenly hard, her eyes cold.

"Why, this one," says Aldous, "this new life."

Liz laughs. "That's just words, isn't it? You can call it life, but it's really just death."

"If this isn't life, then what is it?" Aldous asks.