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(Now it begins...
Jenny realized the journal had drifted closer and closer to her face in anticipation. She was certain she knew what was coming next. She felt like one of the conspirators in a surprise party.)
The front of the building had an arched doorway covered by an accordion-style roll-up metal door. In front of the door stood several people waiting with welcoming smiles. A very short man with wispy white hair and rosy cheeks stepped forward as they approached. “Welcome! We wanted to be here to welcome you properly, but it is cold out here and nice and warm inside. Come! Come! Let’s get you all inside, and we can make introductions!”
Lizzie couldn’t help but grin at the welcome. Gaston nodded toward the door and gestured for her to precede him.
In the entry hall, Lizzie couldn’t help but gasp. She had expected this huge edifice, seemingly carved into a rock to be dark and forbidding like some ancient castle, but it was bright and roomy inside, sparkling clean, with white walls and high ceilings. The entryway was furnished with comfortable looking overstuffed chairs and adorned with antique tables upon which were artistically arranged fresh flowers. In the wintertime? Lizzie wondered. Impressive and beautiful.
The rest of the group had filed in and now stood in a circle. Lizzie counted a dozen of them and all so very different. Gaston had mentioned that this research group was international, but she could see that this was a bit of an understatement.
“Again, welcome, Lizzie Japhet, to Sternlicht. That translates as ‘Starlight’ in English. I am Ernst, the administrator of this facility. This observatory is known only to a chosen few, and as such its existence is included in your nondisclosure agreement. We have gathered here today at Gaston’s request to potentially vet you for future assignments and projects with our international team. I apologize, but for security reasons we don’t have a title or designation for this group.
“And now I would like to introduce you to my associates.”
He nodded to the first person to his left. “Let’s just do this the easy way. Going clockwise around the circle, each of you tell Lizzie your name and a little bit about yourself. Keep in mind that they have had a long journey and probably the next things on their list are food and sleep.”
He turned to look up at Lizzie. She realized he was about six inches shorter than herself and yet, somehow, she didn’t feel like she was looking down at him.
“My name is Grenheim Stormfinder. I live in a little valley in Sweden, and I am a trainer and the team leader there. My interests are physical sciences, traditional folk music from all cultures, and ice-fishing.” He nodded to the person on his left.
She had long brown hair with auburn highlights, was about the same height as Lizzie, and wore a green smocked tunic shirt with soft brown breeches, knee-high leggings, and calf-high moccasin-like shoes. Her beautiful green eyes sparkled as she nodded to Lizzie. “My name is Miriha, and without disclosing my location, we can just say that I’m not from around here. I am a teacher and administrator. I oversee all of the projects of this team, and I am the primary decision maker for the workings of this cooperative.”
It was strange. Miriha had a very calm and welcoming air about her, and yet Lizzie felt she would not want to challenge her on anything important.
After smiling warmly at Lizzie, she turned and nodded to the stocky, dark-skinned helicopter pilot who stood on her left.
“I am Manawa, and my home is the outback of Australia. As you know, I like to fly, and I love to prowl the rough places that surround my home. I have a fascination for interesting creatures and consider myself a steward of the land.”
“I am Lela,” the petit redhead next to him broke in. “I originate from the Emerald Isle, don’tcha know. I am a biologist and don’t get much time to spend at me home. I am fascinated by the complexity of life, and I love to dance when given the opportunity.”
Lela winked at her and nudged the man next to her. He had straight dark hair streaked with silver and wore a deep-gold brocaded tunic with a high collar. “My name is Atul. I hail from the land of India, the land of wonders,” he began in a soft melodious voice. “My research is the origins of ancient myths and legends of Earth. I play the sitar in quiet moments when I can find them.”
Next to Atul stood a very tall black man with broad shoulders and a shiny bald head. “I am Yaw,” he intoned in a deep bass voice. “In my home of Ghana, I am a primatologist. I study primates and work to preserve their habitat and protect them from human predators.”
Lizzie could imagine that no one who valued their personal safety would ever mess with this man, and she expected he was very good at his job. She was beginning to understand what Gaston meant when he had told her that their fields of expertise were diverse. What in the world could they all possibly be working on together?
Next to him stood a woman with golden brown skin. She was dwarfed by Yaw, but Lizzie didn’t think she would want to mess with her either. The common thread among these people seemed to be that they radiated power and confidence. She wouldn’t want to find herself in the middle of a disagreement between any of them.
The woman piped up in a soft melodious voice with a slight Hispanic accent. “I am Idoya. I come from the Land of Enchantment, Puerto Rico. I own a mango plantation, I am a student of exotic self-defense practices, and I love to cook.”
The tiny black-haired man beside her stepped forward somewhat importantly, but Lizzie noticed the amused looks on the faces around her and realized he was known for this, and that few took his pompous stance seriously. “I am Wang Xiu Ying of China. My interests are world history, calligraphy, and archaeology. I greet you, Lizzie Japhet of Los Angeles,” he said, with a haughty lift to his chin followed by a shallow bow, and he stepped back.
A petit woman in a blue, long-sleeved, floor-length dress and a matching hijab looked at Lizzie with kindly eyes. “Greetings, Lizzie, from my home in Pakistan. I am Tahira. I am a spinner, weaver, and dyer of fabric. I live in the verges of a forest at the foot of a mountain where we raise goats and sheep for their wool.”
She nodded solemnly to Lizzie and then to the tall, wiry blond man who stood next to her, his startling blue eyes crinkled in a welcoming grin.
“I am Alexej of Czechoslovakia, but most call me Alex. My current project is solar energy, although I am working on the generation of thermal energy as well. I also created the aquaponic system used in this facility. I’ll be happy to show it to you, once you are settled in.”
Finally, a middle-aged man with dark curly hair spoke up. “I guess they saved the best for last,” he said with a mischievous chuckle. “I guess you could say we are neighbors. I live in Canada. My name is Shepherd. My specialty is ecosystems and habitats and the balance of nature. I’d love to have you come and visit the forest where I live with my wife and our critters.”
Gaston grinned at her. “I guess you have now been well and thoroughly introduced.” He turned to Miriha. “What’s for lunch? We’re starving!”
Miriha laughed and gestured for them to follow her. The entryway led into a large high-ceilinged room that reminded Lizzie of nothing so much as a very spacious hotel lobby. Lizzie couldn’t see exactly where the light was coming from, but it was as bright and welcoming as the entryway, with intermittent conversation areas defined by comfortable looking chairs and loveseats, surrounding occasional tables with brass lamps on them. Currently, none of the lamps were turned on, but she could imagine it made for a very nice atmosphere in the evenings as night came on.
There were doors spaced around the lobby area. Miriha led them through double doors to the left of the room into a spacious dining hall. The large table down the center of the room was surrounded by over a dozen chairs, and to the right side of the hall was a large buffet, laden with salads, soups, and the makings for sandwiches. Lizzie’s stomach growled. Miriha led the way to the end of the buffet, where they picked up trays, silverware, and plates.
Lizzie realized that gatherings like this must not be all that unusual in this place, as they were well prepared for a dozen or so people to all sit down together for a nice meal. Lizzie selected a bowl and helped herself to what appeared to be a beef and vegetable soup and the makings of a meat and cheese sandwich. Miriha had sat at the end of the table and gestured for Lizzie to sit beside her.
In a very short time, they were all seated and eating. It was obvious from the conversations that buzzed around her that these people knew each other very well. The usual teasing and joking and also some earnest conversations went on while Lizzie and Gaston chatted with Miriha, mostly about the nice luncheon and Lizzie’s background and interests. It was small talk, to be sure, something Lizzie wasn’t particularly good at.
When everyone had finished their meal, Miriha stood and said, “Let me show you to your room, and we’ll get your things settled. Then Ernst and I would be happy to give you a tour of the facility. From there, how we will proceed is that each of the associates will take some time to discuss their various specialties with you, which may take a few days. As you know, you have been invited here to see if you might be a good fit to work with us. This will work best if you are just yourself.
“This team has been working together for a long time on highly specialized and important projects. We have discovered that the ability to get along and create a congenial atmosphere is important to our success. If it turns out you aren’t a fit for us, we each have influence in various scientific fields to recommend you to a program that might work better for you.”
“I’m just excited to be here,” replied Lizzie as she stood to follow Miriha. “This is my first foray into practical application of my education. Professor Cormier has been very generous, but I admit that the eclectic direction of my apprenticeship with him had me a little baffled. I begin to see where he was headed with it, and I look forward to getting to meet people who are doing science in real life.”
Miriha led her back into the lobby, where a curving staircase extended up to another level. “We do have elevators that we use at need, but the life of science and study is often sedentary, and most of us prefer to take the stairs. We have four levels in the observatory, as you will see when we do the full tour, but the living suites are just up here.”
“I don’t mind,” agreed Lizzie. My apartment over Gaston’s lab is on the second floor, so I am up and down stairs several times a day. Speaking of the lab, I just realized... where are Tidbit and Thumble? I’m embarrassed to admit I haven’t thought of them since I arrived. It’s all a bit overwhelming.”
Miriha laughed. “They have their own space, as you will see. They’ve been well fed and are currently pursuing their own interests. Ah, here we are.” She paused in front of a door in the long hallway at the top of the stairs. She handed Lizzie a key on a key ring with a number on it that corresponded to the number on the door.
Lizzie unlocked the door and entered ahead of Miriha. The room was larger than any of the dorm rooms at the college, more like a nice hotel. Curtained windows looked out on the valley below, and from here she could see some outbuildings. One looked a lot like a large barn, and there were what were probably corrals outside of it. Inside the room was a queen-sized bed, dresser, closet, and the door to what was probably a bathroom. A desk with a cushioned chair sat next to the dresser. The colors were beiges and greens, so that the room reminded her of a mountain lodge she had visited in Yosemite as a girl.
“This is really nice,” she enthused. She noticed her luggage was sitting on a luggage rack next to the closet. “I don’t know what I was expecting, but this certainly wasn’t it. Thank you for your kind hospitality.”
“Don’t get used to it,” Miriha retorted, a twinkle in her eyes. “If you end up working with us, I can’t guarantee it will always be this way. We travel a lot in our work, and the environment differs from assignment to assignment.”
“That’s okay, I know how to rough it when I need to,” Lizzie assured her.
She noticed someone had already hung up her jacket, which had been taken from her as she sat at lunch. She felt like she was getting the VIP treatment. She hoped she could measure up. This was turning out to be a bigger deal than she had imagined. She also realized there must be some people working here she hadn’t met yet.
“Okay, Lizzie, do you need some time to rest, or would you like to get the grand tour?”
“Oh, the tour, please. The room looks comfy enough, but I doubt I would sleep. My brain is in adventure mode, and I have a feeling I may not even sleep tonight. Even with the time difference, I’m feeling too antsy.”
Miriha laughed her tinkling laugh again. “I like your enthusiasm, Lizzie. Just don’t wear yourself out too soon. We have a lot to cover over the week you will be here.”
“A week? Really? Gaston never told me how long we would be staying. That’s amazing. Lead on! Uh, I mean, let’s get started, please, Miriha.”
Lizzie realized with a blush that she was probably behaving a little immaturely and was concerned she wasn’t showing a very professional attitude, but Miriha just smiled and reached out two hands to Lizzie. Lizzie took them and, looking into those green eyes, suddenly felt calm and accepted.
“It is refreshing to see such passion for new experiences, Lizzie. I am afraid some of us get a bit jaded, the longer we spend at our common tasks. As I said previously, just be yourself. Grab your lab coat, as we will be touring the labs as well. Shall we go then?”
Lizzie nodded happily. She grabbed her lab coat from the top layer in her suitcase and they left her room, headed down the hallway, pausing at what was obviously an elevator. It was larger than the usual passenger elevator, which made Lizzie suspect they often used it to move supplies and equipment as well as passengers.
“We’re going to take a shortcut to the basement to start our tour, but then we’ll use the stairs as we proceed upwards,” Miriha said, pushing a button labeled “B.”
The doors opened soon after, and they exited to one of the most interesting rooms Lizzie had ever seen. In a space the size of a small warehouse were rows and rows of glass-walled tanks with fish of different species swimming around, and at the top of these aquariums were trays filled with plants that Lizzie recognized at once as vegetables and herbs. She had spent too many hot days in her family vegetable garden on her knees weeding in the rows not to know what she was seeing. Lights like nothing Lizzie had ever seen were suspended over each of the tanks, evidently supplying artificial sunlight for the plants that looked healthy and green.
But the combination of the aquariums and the vegetables were new to her. “What is this?” she asked, wondering if it was a stupid question.
“These are the aquaponics systems,” replied Miriha. “These supply much of the food for the facility here. The fish are all edible species. Whatever we don’t consume is either frozen, canned, or dehydrated for future use. Come and see. The special plant lighting is not yet available anywhere else on Earth, one of the private projects of our organization covered by your nondisclosure agreement.”
She led Lizzie farther back into the room, beyond the last tank, to a door that led into what appeared to be a large commercial kitchen. Lining the walls on one side were freezer cases with glass doors, and along the wall facing that were shelves and cupboards. Down the center of the room were what appeared to be granite countertops, and there were more cupboards underneath. At the far end were a couple of stoves with large ovens, and several cabinets with glass doors showed racks of trays laden with various foodstuffs.
“This is the preparation room I was telling you about. Most of this is probably recognizable to you. Those glass cabinets down at the end, however, are not very common in most kitchens. They are dehydrators. We maintain about a year’s supply of preserved food of various types, and the excess is distributed among the less fortunate down in the villages at the foot of the mountain.
“Most of the hired hands who work for Ernst in this facility are housed in a barracks near the barn, but they are fed from these stores as well. Each of the workers who manage the various aspects of the observatory have been vetted for security’s sake and are restricted to specific areas on the property.”
“Wow. I can see that it makes sense to have a year-round supply of fresh food available, since it isn’t like you can just run to the grocery store for a carton of milk and a loaf of bread. Tell me more about the aquaponics. I’ve never seen anything quite like it before. I imagine one of the benefits is you don’t have to battle weeds and garden pests.”
At that moment, Ernst strode into the kitchen. “Absolutely,” he said. “We get a much larger and more consistent yield, and the plants are healthier, as they aren’t subjected to adverse weather, drought or pestilence. We also don’t have to use pesticides or artificial fertilizers. The plants are fed organically by the waste created by the fish, and we grow the food for the fish as part of the organic cycle, so the system is completely self-sustaining.
“We raise tilapia, koi, and catfish, as well as freshwater prawns and other shellfish. We often serve an amazing fish stew for the supper meal. We also grow medicinal and culinary herbs in addition to the vegetables.
“It’s nice to see you are interested in our little system,” he added jovially.
“Why don’t they do this everywhere?” Lizzie asked incredulously. “It seems that this would be a logical answer to areas where conditions aren’t ideal for farming or raising cattle for food.”
“Ah, Lizzie, it’s still somewhat experimental, and humans are slow to accept change. I hope to see a time when this will be the norm rather than the exception, but we will see. How would things change if every basement to every building also provided the food for its occupants, yes?”
Lizzie nodded thoughtfully. “Is this system expensive to maintain? I see that electric power is necessary to run the lights, and the tanks look like they might be expensive to manufacture.”
“Actually, that brings us to another topic entirely. You’ll want to have a conversation with Alex about that. He is working on some power sources that may be much easier to tap than our current use of coal and oil, for instance. He would love to show you the special enhancements of this particular facility. You’ve probably noticed that there were no power lines anywhere, as you came in. We provide all of our own power needs, which, as you can imagine, are rather large.”
They wandered out of the kitchen, and Lizzie realized something. Every room they had entered in this space was lighted, and no one was turning lights on or off.
“I can see even just the tour of this place is going to be a major education for me,” she remarked to no one in particular. “Will I get to come back here later and talk more about this?” She asked Ernst.
“Yes, of course. You’ll be spending a portion of a day with each of us while you’re here. In the meantime, let’s go up to the laboratories and check in with some other projects, shall we?”
Lizzie felt like a kid at a carnival with a pocketful of cash. She nodded, and they went to a stairwell that led up to doors that opened into the lobby area. They walked across the room to another set of double doors across from the dining room entrance. It opened onto a long hallway with doors spaced about 50 feet apart. Lizzie realized that this must be part of the facility carved deep into the rock; and yet, once again, the hallways were brightly lit. As she looked for the source of the light, she realized it was coming from the ceiling, but not from any light fixtures she could discern.
It was almost as if the light were painted onto the ceiling, but that was silly. Most glow-in-the-dark objects had to be regularly recharged by sunlight, so it couldn’t be that. How were they doing it? She guessed this must be part of Alex’s work, so she held her questions until she would be able to speak with him. They walked to the end of the hallway to another set of double doors and entered a large room about half the size of the lab in Los Angeles, except the ceiling, instead of being a roof, was rough-hewn rock also coated in whatever was giving off the light in the hallway they had just left.
In the center of the lab on tall stools at a worktable sat Grenheim next to Shepherd, a study in contrasts. On the worktable was Thumble, and both men appeared to be examining him carefully.
“Ah, Lizzie, welcome. Pull up a stool. We wanted to talk to you about Thumble,” Shepherd said.
“What about him?” Lizzie asked suspiciously as she pulled up a stool. “I really don’t know much except that he’s been hanging out with me in the L.A. lab for a while.”
“Yes, of course. But what do you know about him?”
“Actually, not very much. He doesn’t look like any species I’ve ever read about. I wasn’t aware of any mammal with six legs, for instance, and I haven’t been able to find a description of him in any of the biology books I have found. Not to say that there isn’t something about him somewhere. I am beginning to think he’s the last of some extinct mythical beastie from far, far away. I’ve never seen anything like him before.
“I guess I assumed, since he belongs to Gaston, that you folks would be able to tell me what he is.”
“Well, I think that your nondisclosure agreement doesn’t necessarily yet extend to telling you what we know about him. We were hoping, however, to hear about your observations; behaviors, food requirements, peculiarities, and so forth.”
“Oh, so this is a test? Okay, then.”
And she pulled out her little notebook out of the pocket of her lab coat. It was such a normal thing for her that when she had folded her lab coat to put into her suitcase, she hadn’t bothered to remove it from the pocket she carried it in.
The eyebrows of both of the men shot up in surprise. “It’s a thing we do in Professor Cormier’s lab,” she said. I now have several of these filled with notes in my desk at the office. I have a specific one for each new project, and then my general one for everyday observations and thoughts as they come to me,” she explained, as she flipped to the section about Thumble.
As she read aloud from her notes, they would interrupt from time to time to ask clarifying questions about her observations. By the time she was finished, Grenheim whistled softly.
“Were you assigned to take notes on Thumble’s activities?” he asked.
When Lizzie shook her head, he said, “You are thorough. Very interesting. What did you say your scientific course of study was?”
“I’m actually pretty eclectic there,” she said. “One of the problems I had in college was settling on a specific scientific discipline.”
“Not to worry. Curiosity is the evidence of intelligence. You will eventually find a branch that will spark you. In the meantime, I encourage you to continue to explore,” Shepherd said. “But for now, perhaps we should consider taking our little friend into the dining room. I don’t know if he’s hungry, but I sure am.”
They pushed their stools back under the edge of the worktable and they all left with Miriha, who had been quiet during the interview, observing them all with calm interest.
In the dining room they were once again greeted with a buffet nearly groaning with the weight of the food that had been prepared for the group. Grenheim sat Thumble on the table and brought him a little bowl of fresh fruit that had evidently been prepared especially for him.
“Where’s Tidbit?” Lizzie asked Gaston, when he sat down across from her at the table.
“Catting around, I expect. He knows where his food is. I don’t expect you’ll see much of him while you’re here. He’s a cat. He has his own agenda. For the nonce, my agenda is to eat this creamy bowl of fresh fish stew and one of these magnificent black rye rolls with some of this amazing marmalade.” And he suited action to his words.
As Lizzie watched Thumble daintily nibble on an apple slice, she decided to ask. “How intelligent do you think Thumble actually is? He seems curious about his surroundings, and he sings to himself, not so much like a bird warbling, but more intentional and tuneful; and he is very quick to respond to requests, like to stop humming. Is that just really skilled training?”
Shepherd grinned at Gaston. “You have a ‘noticer’ on your hands, professor. Lizzie, it is obvious to me that you pay attention to small details, and you are good at drawing logical conclusions. To answer your question as well as I can without giving away things I shouldn’t,” he said, with a significant glance at Gaston, “you are correct in your theory that Thumble is smarter than we might think a furry little creature might be. Although, to be honest, human beings are often overly surprised at the intelligent actions of most creatures.” He concluded this with a wry wink, as if he had just let Lizzie in on a great secret.
“After supper, most of us will return to our labs. Your next appointment is with Lela and Yaw. They have developed an interesting relationship that will actually segue nicely from our current conversation. I think you will find their study both interesting and entertaining.”
Miriha, Gaston, and Lizzie said goodbye to Shepherd and proceeded back down the long hallway of labs, pausing before a door to the right of the hall. Gaston turned to Lizzie before opening the door. “We need to be quiet for a moment and move slowly until we are instructed otherwise. I never quite know what to expect from these two and their companions.”
He opened the door slowly and led the way inside what appeared to be an indoor jungle, complete with a pond with a waterfall. Perched in a tree overhanging the pond was a brightly colored parrot. Yaw and Lela sat on the rock edge of the pool. Lela looked up and smiled a warm welcoming smile. She nudged Yaw, who looked up and also smiled, his white teeth brilliant against his nearly blue-black skin.
The two of them were such a contrast, the large, muscular black man and the tiny, pale redheaded woman. Lizzie continued to be amazed at the diversity of cultures and races all gathered here for some common purpose, all of whom were also seemingly distinct in their scientific disciplines.
Lela stood and moved forward, both hands outstretched in a welcoming gesture similar to Miriha’s. “Welcome, Lizzie! Gaston has told us so much about you, and we have been looking forward to finally getting to meet you. Come, come! Have a seat with us on the edge of our indoor tiny lagoon. Your timing is perfect, as we hadn’t started yet with Bobo and Laia.”
Lizzie took a seat between Lela and Yaw and waited expectantly. She felt a little shy next to the large man. She was tall for a woman and normally didn’t feel intimidated by tall men, but Yaw stood a good six and a half feet tall and was obviously highly muscular, even through his white lab coat. The uniform at the observatory seemed to be jeans and a t-shirt covered by a knee-length white lab coat. Lizzie actually found herself wondering if he had to have his specially made.
Gaston sat on the opposite side of Lela, who nodded to Yaw. “Assemble!” Yaw called out, seemingly to the apparently empty space in front of them.
To Lizzie’s surprise and delight, several primates of varying sizes and types moved into view and faced them. Lizzie always pictured most monkeys to be a bit fidgety, but these all stood calmly facing them.
“Begin,” Yaw said quietly, nodding to the large greyback gorilla at the far right of the group.
The gorilla nodded and, taking a small drum he had been holding behind his back, began to beat a slow rhythm. At once, the others began to dance! Lizzie blinked in amazement. There was no doubting it. The dance appeared to be deliberate and choreographed. Two chimpanzees partnered with one another as if in a ballroom. An orangutan stomped to the rhythm, clapping his hands in time, and several spider monkeys took up a circling pattern, turning and stepping in a bouncing strut around the chimps in the center of the display.
“Wow!” Lizzie exclaimed under her breath. “What are we looking at here?” she asked Lela in a whisper.
“When they have completed their performance, we will tell you,” Lela whispered back.
The two chimpanzees turned in a classic underarm twirl, and as they did this, the drum did a rapid tattoo, and all the dancers froze where they were. Lizzie immediately broke into applause and was joined by the others. The little troupe all faced forward and bowed together.
“Bravo!” exclaimed Lizzie, continuing to applaud. “That was amazing!”
“Well done,” agreed Yaw, addressing the monkeys directly. “Come meet Lizzie, our new friend.”
At that, the primates, starting with the spider monkeys, came forward one at a time and proffered a hand to shake. Some of them hooted gently and nodded as Lizzie was given their name by Lela, and Lizzie said, “Nice to meet you.”
The two chimpanzees came up to her as a couple. “These are Bobo and Laia,” Lela said. “They were born in Ghana, brother and sister, and traveled here specifically to meet you, as did their spider monkey friends. They are part of a preserve colony assembled by Yaw.”
“It is good to meet you, Bobo and Laia,” Lizzie said in an awed tone. “Thank you for traveling all this way to meet me.” She felt a little foolish with this little speech, sure that a monkey didn’t require such formality. To her surprise, Bobo looked straight into her eyes and began to sign to her, his fingers moving rapidly.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that,” she said with a sideways glance to Lela.
“He says that the trip was fun, and they hope to travel more often. He especially liked the plane ride, but Laia was afraid to look out the window.”
Lizzie’s jaw dropped. “He actually said that? Really?”
Yaw laughed a rich bass laugh, holding his stomach. “You see? You have impressed her,” he said, directing the comment to the assembled primates.
The large greyback moved next to Bobo and Laia and also signed, his hands moving rapidly. “He says, ‘that was the point. And it isn’t surprising, as all humans are surprised and impressed to see the true nature of the people.’” Yaw interpreted. “They call themselves ‘the people,’ a loose translation. It’s as close as I have been able to get to the exact meaning. This is Haran, Lizzie, also from Ghana,” he added, nodding to the greyback. “He is very opinionated, but also very kind.”
Lizzie offered her hand and was surprised when Haran pulled her into a gentle hug, and she surprised herself by hugging him back. This was far from anything she ever expected to do in her lifetime. When he pulled back from the hug, he looked directly into her eyes for what seemed to be a long time.
He began to sign vigorously. “He says you are not at all what he expected,” translated Lela with a grin, and they all laughed, including all of the primate troupe.
“Naturally, I have about three thousand questions,” Lizzie said to Yaw and Lela. “I don’t think my visit will be long enough to ask them all. But my observation is that these are not just well-trained animals. These are thinking and feeling beings with something to contribute. How is it that we don’t know this?”
Yaw guffawed again. “You’ve got a good one here, professor,” he said wiping a tear from one eye. “You weren’t kidding when you said she was quick.” To Lizzie, he said, “Young lady, you are a great find. After you have completed this first part of your orientation, Lela and I would be happy to sit down with you and have discussions about the unknowns of so-called ‘animal behavior.’ Lela, like you, has a curious mind, and we are investigating how our two disciplines can take us further in my research. You see, this is one of the important things this cooperative is about, exploring the unknown and supporting the advancement of Earthly sciences. My personal assessment of your ‘find,’ Gaston, is that she has the heart of an explorer.”
Lizzie had no idea what to say to this, but Gaston simply said, “I agree, Yaw. Which is why we’re here. She is the most promising candidate I have found in all my time at the University. I was beginning to believe I might need to search elsewhere.”
Lela, seeing Lizzie’s confused expression, said, “Don’t mind them, Lizzie. Needless to say, you have impressed us, but you needn’t feel any pressure. The whole point of this meeting is to allow you to be your genuine self among us. Nothing else will serve our purpose if we are to discover what will work best for you and for us in a future working relationship. We are very particular about who joins our little confab. Be assured that this evaluation goes both ways. You are also here to determine if you even wish to be a part of this group of disparate and often eccentric individuals.”
Encouraged by Lela’s kind smile, Lizzie said, “I really have no idea why I am here. I have learned to trust Gaston in the past several months, but I am mystified as to where this is all leading. Will I know more by the time the week is out?”
“Assuredly, Lizzie,” Gaston said, patting her hand. “By the end of the week you will have several options, all of which will be clearly laid out for you. Will that work for you?”
“If you say so, Gaston. I wouldn’t have missed any of this for the world, and I look forward to learning about the various projects represented here. Do I understand that you are all gathered here specifically for my benefit, that you normally work in other places? I get the feeling that these gatherings are fairly infrequent and that each of you follow your various disciplines at your own facilities.”
“You are correct,” Yaw replied. “This opportunity to network and catch up where all of us are here at the same time is rare. We look forward to it, but we do exchange time and visits throughout our network as time permits and when projects overlap.
“In the meantime, when we get the opportunity to get together, it’s like old classmates at a reunion. We can relax and exchange ideas and outrageous stories, and you might even see a certain amount of one-upmanship amongst us. The competition is friendly, for the most part, but like siblings in a large family, we do have a wide range of dispositions and interests. It keeps things interesting.”
Lizzie nodded. This was already turning out to be an eye-opening experience. She couldn’t even begin to anticipate what the coming week would be like, but she knew she wouldn’t have missed it for anything.
The troupe of primates had stood in a loose half circle before them as if avidly following the conversation. Lizzie turned to Haran. “I wanted to thank you for your demonstration. It made me think more carefully about drawing conclusions without all the facts before me. Can I come to visit you again later this week? I would like to learn more about you and your people.”
Haran hooted once softly and nodded. She recognized the sign for “you’re welcome” and then a series of rapid gestures. Lela translated, “he says he would be happy to do that at any time. He was impressed that you did not laugh at their demonstration and says you might be all right for a ‘furless one.’”
Lizzie smiled when Haran once again held out a hand and this time shook hers vigorously. His hand was very large and muscled and warm as hers disappeared into it well past her wrist, but he didn’t squeeze it as hard as she guessed he might have.
“And now,” Gaston said, standing up, “we should retire for a cup of hot cocoa and enjoy some much-deserved rest and relaxation. Lizzie has a very long day tomorrow as she gets to know the remainder of our little tribe. Thank you for your welcome, Yaw, Lela, and friends. Fascinating, as usual.”
“Yes, thank you so much,” Lizzie said, also standing and holding out a hand for Yaw and then Lela to shake. “I am awed by the generosity you have all showed me here.”
Waving at the primates, who waved back, Lizzie and Gaston turned and headed for that hot cocoa, which happened to be accompanied by some sugar cookies sprinkled with cinnamon and Gaston’s peppermint swizzle stick.
