Descending Road - AND THE TRUTH IS by Dana W. Paxson

AND THE TRUTH IS

1563 4D

A jolt in Grendel‘s head woke him. Two andro men in white had taken hold of Ezzar, lifting her from his lap. He stared wildly at them; one said, “It’s okay, we can take her in now and get her started. You stay here and rest, and we’ll come get you. Lady‘s bringing you some stuff to help you, see there?”

They placed Ezzar on a cart and moved off through the doorway, into a dim corridor. Allashani passed them on her way out, and approached Grendel. He braced himself and stared once more into her eyes, but she only smiled and held out a steaming cup.

“Drink this. It’s a regenerator. The way you are now, you couldn’t get up if you tried.”

She was right. He flailed his arms, and they trembled and flopped down on the couch beside him; he tried to sit up, and his belly muscles, usually corded and tough as steel, gave way and dumped him back to recline again. She sat beside him, held the cup for him, and fed him long sips that ran gently down his throat like nectar, utterly sweet and hot-spiced. “This is what my sister fed your lady a long time ago. Years ago, your Ezzar came to her a long way in the winter snows, with a bullet hole beside her heart.”

Grendel finished the cupful and laid his head back. The couch’s softness embraced him. “I’ll get up again, and so will she. My time was supposed to be up two years back,” he whispered to her. “It’s not up yet. The tenth year after we came from the tanks together, I watched my friends fall, one by one. I lived two more years. And you wanted to kill me, but you wouldn’t.” He tried to smile.

“No, not any more.”

“I still don’t understand,” Grendel breathed. He turned his head aside. “Why are you healing me now? How did I get to be okay to save? What did I do?”

Allashani stroked his head, enunciating her words like slow-growing drops of dew. “Nothing at all. Do you want to believe you did something to deserve extra life? Find a reason. Any reason will do. You think just like humans; after all, they made you people from themselves. You all want explanations for events, you want to give everything forms and names, you want causes and results, you make patterns that you lay over everything to blind yourselves to the truth.”

Grendel yawned and smiled. The couch embraced him in warmth. “And the truth is?”

Her voice soothed him, the words drifting lazily into his mind. “The truth is. That’s all. Stick on the names and the rest only after you can’t shut the truth out with your words or your bombs or your wishes. You’re here now. This moment is all you have. Go to sleep.” Her words faded, the pressure of her body left the couch, and he slept.

Story List	SURPRISE ME	Author Page
USER SURVEY	PUZZLE ME	MAKE ELM MARK

HOVER Lucida Bright BARE	HOVER Lucida Bright FULL	HOVER Palatino Linotype BARE
HOVER Palatino Linotype FULL	HOVER Times New Roman BARE	HOVER Times New Roman FULL
PAD Arial BARE	PAD Arial FULL	PAD Lucida Bright BARE
PAD Lucida Bright FULL	PAD Times New Roman BARE	PAD Times New Roman FULL


	AND THE TRUTH IS 1563 4D A jolt in Grendel‘s head woke him. Two andro men in white had taken hold of Ezzar, lifting her from his lap. He stared wildly at them; one said, “It’s okay, we can take her in now and get her started. You stay here and rest, and we’ll come get you. Lady‘s bringing you some stuff to help you, see there?” They placed Ezzar on a cart and moved off through the doorway, into a dim corridor. Allashani passed them on her way out, and approached Grendel. He braced himself and stared once more into her eyes, but she only smiled and held out a steaming cup. “Drink this. It’s a regenerator. The way you are now, you couldn’t get up if you tried.” She was right. He flailed his arms, and they trembled and flopped down on the couch beside him; he tried to sit up, and his belly muscles, usually corded and tough as steel, gave way and dumped him back to recline again. She sat beside him, held the cup for him, and fed him long sips that ran gently down his throat like nectar, utterly sweet and hot-spiced. “This is what my sister fed your lady a long time ago. Years ago, your Ezzar came to her a long way in the winter snows, with a bullet hole beside her heart.” Grendel finished the cupful and laid his head back. The couch’s softness embraced him. “I’ll get up again, and so will she. My time was supposed to be up two years back,” he whispered to her. “It’s not up yet. The tenth year after we came from the tanks together, I watched my friends fall, one by one. I lived two more years. And you wanted to kill me, but you wouldn’t.” He tried to smile. “No, not any more.” “I still don’t understand,” Grendel breathed. He turned his head aside. “Why are you healing me now? How did I get to be okay to save? What did I do?” Allashani stroked his head, enunciating her words like slow-growing drops of dew. “Nothing at all. Do you want to believe you did something to deserve extra life? Find a reason. Any reason will do. You think just like humans; after all, they made you people from themselves. You all want explanations for events, you want to give everything forms and names, you want causes and results, you make patterns that you lay over everything to blind yourselves to the truth.” Grendel yawned and smiled. The couch embraced him in warmth. “And the truth is?” Her voice soothed him, the words drifting lazily into his mind. “The truth is. That’s all. Stick on the names and the rest only after you can’t shut the truth out with your words or your bombs or your wishes. You’re here now. This moment is all you have. Go to sleep.” Her words faded, the pressure of her body left the couch, and he slept.