IT WAS JUST A COUPLE OF BITES

1563 4D

In an old chair, its steel legs digging pits in the dust behind her house, Marra tilted back and watched the men and women planting nut grafts in her fields. The voice spoke from just below the center of her mind. I’m hungry.

“You go back to sleep,” she said under her breath. The day hung heavy, unusually warm; the air lay still. Marra looked over at Deen, sitting next to her in the sun. Deen‘s eyes rolled, dreaming, under their lids.

I’m hungry.

“Oooh. Why can’t you wait, like Deen‘s does?” Deen, her eyes still shut, opened her mouth wide as if to yawn, then closed it with a snap.

She’s hungry too. You’re starving us. The voice in Marra‘s head grew louder.

A stirring tickled the base of Marra‘s ribcage. She put a hand on her belly and closed her eyes. “Don’t fuss. I’ll make sure you’re fed.”

“Marra?”

Marra jumped. A broad, strong woman wearing a field coverall, perspiring, stood looking down at her. Wiping sweat from her dark face, the woman said, “It’s all right, we’re getting enough to eat.”

This one wouldn’t be bad. Solid body.

“Stop it! I mean, oh, never mind, Joyann, I was just talking to myself,” Marra stammered. “Did you want something?”

“We’ve finished the inner slopes, and the mounds for the bushes are all covered,” Joyann said. She smiled.

You only let me have two bites of the last one.

Marra glanced up at the sun and tried to concentrate. “Joyann, you’re done early. There’s no sense starting the rooting work this late in the day. The nut grafts need cool wet soil. Tell everyone to clean up and we’ll start tomorrow. Oh, we left some snacks out front for you. Chender tarts.”

Joyann grinned. “Thanks! We’re still talking about how good the last batch was. Gave us a lift. What do you put in them?”

“It varies. We use our own recipe.”

I want to curl up with Oortonel. I’m really hungry now.

“Will you share it some day? I’d be grateful.” Joyann turned to go.

“Well, maybe someday.” A huge belch worked in Marra‘s stomach; she clutched at herself and muttered, “Damn you, quit that.”

“Did you say something?” Four strides away, Joyann turned back.

“Indigestion,” Marra said, and burped as discreetly as she could. Joyann turned away again and walked off.

I’d like to have indigestion too. Feed me soon or I won’t be able to keep the vitalizers coming. At least let me join with Oortonel for a moment.

Marra reached over to Deen and squeezed her hand. Deen‘s eyes opened. “Aoriver is asking to be with Oortonel,” Marra said.

Deen frowned. “Oortonel has been quiet and I don’t want to wake her.”

“I’m getting pestered and threatened,” Marra said. “We’d better let them connect for a bit. They don’t usually need it.” The workers had all gone around the house to where the pastries and the autocart waited for them. After the autocart‘s whine had started and faded, the two old women turned in their chairs to face each other. Leaning together, they joined their mouths in a gentle kiss.

Something wet and firm and thin in Marra‘s throat slid forward along the sides of her mouth and out to her lips. A sickening plunge hit her, then a buoyancy that made her heart beat faster. A musical chittering rose from the place below the center of her mind, followed by a similar sound from a place not a place. The two voices wove into a sparkling harmony, and then fell silent. The wetness in Marra‘s throat retracted again. The women drew apart.

Deen looked in Marra‘s eyes. “Oortonel is complaining because you fed Aoriver and didn’t tell me. When did you feed her?”

Marra stammered, “I didn’t… really feed her.”

“Marra? Come on.”

“Well, those two with the van? And the wolven?”

“Oh, Marra…"

“It was just a couple of bites. At least she didn’t cause me trouble for a while after that.”

“But Marra, the corpos have probably found the marks. They’ll come for us.”

A chill ran up Marra‘s back and into her lungs. “How would they know?”