Charlie and Eddie sat in the living room staring at, but not really watching, the TV. The sound was down low. A sliver of late afternoon sun obscured the middle of the screen, but neither of them got up to close the gap in the curtains. Pots and pans clacked against the stovetop as Eddie’s wife prepared dinner. The scent of baking salmon wafted out of the kitchen, along with her voice calmly directing the children to sit down and finish their homework.

“You know,” said Eddie, “if you’re tired of sleepin’ on the couch, one of the guys at work is lookin’ to rent out the space above his garage. It’s cheap.”

“How cheap? You know I’m tryin’ to save up for another truck.”

“Cheaper’n a truck. And it’s close to your work.”

“But I wasn’t planning to keep that job too long,” he said, though staying at the Cultural Center would make it more convenient to keep in touch with Liz. “Don’t you want me back out at the cabin?”

Eddie stretched his arms upward and slung them around the back of his head. “Nah. That accident freaked people out. No one’s headin’ back to that part of the woods anytime soon.”

Charlie looked over at Eddie’s profile, surprised that he’d brought up the accident. “So, what ever happened with that kid who came by here, the Greyfox kid?”

“I told you not to worry about him.”

“If you need help with anything . . .”

Eddie’s eyes flicked in his direction. “Nothin’ to help with.” He reached for the remote and turned up the volume on the evening news.

The anchor’s voice boomed into the room. “And tonight, we end with a story that hit local news outlets like a bombshell this week: the tale of the talking trees.”

Charlie’s eyes shot back to the TV.

“An astounding revelation from the office of Governor Palmer. According to a press release and video e-mailed from his office late last week, Washington scientist Barbara Block claims to have discovered a means of speaking with trees. The video has gone viral, popping up on websites and media outlets around the world. Where did this video come from, and could it possibly be true? News 4 science reporter Trish Evans went to check it out.”

“What the hell?” snorted Eddie, raising the remote to change channels.

“Shhh!” Charlie held out his hand to stop Eddie.

A young, blonde reporter stood in a park, surrounded by trees. “Scientists and environmentalists around the world have been speculating about the authenticity of the by-now famous video released by the office of Governor Tad Palmer. The video features Dr. Barbara Block, Professor Emeritus of the University of Washington, demonstrating a device that she says allows people to communicate with trees.” A snippet of the video showing words scrolling across the translator’s screen accompanied the reporter’s voiceover. “Governor Palmer’s office has since published a retraction of the statement, but the video still remains on dozens of websites. And the question on everyone’s minds is, could this be true? Could humans actually talk to the trees?”

The shot switched to a bemused-looking Forest Service official. “Well, this is an unprecedented phenomenon, and we currently don’t have any data to support it. Bottom line, our main concern is the health of the forest, and if we see solid evidence of any biological changes occurring—which we haven’t—we’ll take appropriate action. But we also have to keep an eye out for unintended consequences, like increased numbers of people coming in and disrupting ecologically sensitive areas looking for these talking trees.”

“No,” said the next interviewee, a haughty blonde forestry specialist from the University of Washington. “Completely impossible. We can hear lots of things going on in the inner life of trees, such as the circulation of water and sap, and we can make inferences about what that tells us—indicates to us—about the health of the tree. But a conversation?” She shook her head vigorously in front of the reporter’s microphone. “No. They simply don’t have the intelligence to recognize speech, comprehend a message, and formulate a response.”

“See?” muttered Eddie. “It’s bullshit.”

“Hang on,” said Charlie, leaning over and snatching the remote away from him.

“Well, this is the first time we’ve heard anything like this,” said a wide-eyed, frizzy-haired representative from the Sierra Club. “But wouldn’t it be wonderful? It would completely transform the way we interact with our environment. We’re going to keep watching this story.”

A young Olympia resident holding her toddler was next. “Wow, that’s kind of weird, but I’d be curious. I mean, if they can test for it, why not?”

The anchor in the studio appeared once again in a split screen with the reporter in the field. “Trish, that last person mentioned testing. What is that?”

“Chris, Dr. Block has created a blog with videos and contact information, and is offering free consultations for anyone who wants to test their trees’ ability to repeat speech or even hold a conversation. It all happens through her machine, which she calls a ‘circulatory translator.’ She is the only person known to have this type of translator, which is making some experts skeptical. But it’s getting a lot of attention, particularly from environmental circles.”

“And what does the governor’s office have to say about all this? This story originated from that office.”

“Chris, in a written statement, the governor’s spokesperson apologized to the recipients of this very unusual video, saying that the message was by no means an official communication from the office of the governor. They also assured recipients that their information has not been in any way hacked or compromised, but rather it was an unfortunate staff issue, which has since been dealt with.”

“Did they have any comment on the content of this press release, about the concept of talking trees?”

“No, they are just advising people to stay calm, and if they have any concerns about the health of their trees, to contact their local horticulturist. Now, Dr. Block has been bombarded with requests for testing. News 4 spoke with her today, and we’ve arranged an interview on site tomorrow morning, so we’ll be back with an update on this very interesting story. Chris?”

“Thank you, Trish. We’re looking forward to more about this strange case. In other news—”

Charlie turned off the TV. “Eddie? You think maybe we should get our trees tested?”

“Are you kiddin’ me?”

“No, I’m not.” He looked down at the remote in his hands. “Look, Eddie, there’s something I never told you. I saw some things in the forest.”

“You saw the bottom of a few too many beers, Cuz.”

Charlie’s anger sparked. Why did it always come back to that? “I’m talkin’ about the poachers.”

“We’re done talkin’ about that accident.” Eddie stared into the black screen. “It’s done, investigation over, the Nation got the tree back. Everyone’s happy.”

“Not everyone,” said Charlie. Eddie turned to meet his glare.

Eddie’s wife’s voice drifted in from the dining room. “Come on, kids, time to set the table. Dinner’s almost ready.”

“Let me help you with that,” Eddie called out. He hoisted himself off his recliner and headed into the kitchen.

Charlie knitted his eyebrows and stared at the floor. Didn’t they just watch the same report? It was like Eddie was intent on ignoring everything.

So what was he trying to hide?