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to see it again? She loved her
unforgiving world, its savage beauty, its majestic ring that she never tired
of studying in all its variety. She even loved its daily challenge of survival, but then she also longed to be able to share all this with a soul
mate, like her mother had always been. She longed for the challenge of
discussing things, reasoning through complex mathematical problems,
as she had so often done with her father. Why did they have to die?
          It was no use racking her brain any longer that night. She knew she
would not be able to see through the maze of conflicting emotions and
possibilities, and she was tired.
          When she returned to the cave after having emptied her full bladder,
she was glad that he was asleep. Rather than sleep in the nude as she
usually did when the weather was balmy, she changed into her loose
night clothing. Sleep escaped her. The stranger’s restless tossing and
turning bothered her. His recurrent nightmarish dreams intruded into the
touch of the night creatures — the soothing murmurs that were her
lullaby. So she meditated, blocking it all out.
     
    3
    Yuen-mong woke early and was up on the rock when the usual late night
clouds were drifting farther inland and the last rain drops came floating
down, well before the colors of dawn crept into the sky. Sleep had
brought a resolution. She would give the stranger a chance, let events
unroll, and decide then.
          "Where were you?" he asked when she returned to the cave. He
glanced at her accusingly from his sitting position on the floor, where he
was sorting through the contents of his survival pack. "Was that you
playing the flute?" he added, when he saw the instrument in her hand.
          "Good morning," she answered, forcing herself to sound cheerful,
while placing the instrument on a shelf next to her sleeping alcove. "Yes,
I join the dawn bird in his morning song every day up on top of the rock."
She pointed to the ceiling.
          "Ah, that’s why I heard two voices. Which one was you?"
            "I tease the bird first and then I improvised around his song."
            She had the sense that he was not really listening, focused on
something else. She did not have to wait long to know what it was.
          "I have to get back to my shuttle so that I can start on the repairs. Can
we leave right away?"
            "No, today I have to gather food and fuel, or we will run out. I had
planned to do it yesterday, but then I had to get you."
            "You didn’t really have to get me. I would have been fine. In fact, I’m
rather annoyed to have wasted a whole day. The guys in the mother ship
will wonder why I’ve not contacted them yet."
            He still does not believe me. There was little point on telling him
again. "If you want to get back to your craft today, you have to go alone."
She turned away, adding: "I am going to wash now."
            She did not give him a chance to protest and went to the rear of the
cave. As she undressed, she felt him starring at her. She did not even
have to turn around to confirm it. It felt unpleasant and she quickly took
the soap and stepped under the drops of water, showing only her back to
him. She could sense that strange stirring in his mind, as he continued to
watch her. Once finished, she had no choice but to face him and go to her
sleeping loft to put on her day clothing. She held her night clothing in
front of her as she passed by him. He did not even pretend to look away.
          Once dressed, she went outside to let her hair dry and then again
gathered it into a pony tail using her sling. By the time she came back
into the cave, he had finished packing his survival pack.
          "You brought me here against my will, so you also must show me the
way back."
            She did not respond to that. Her previous statement had been
completely clear, and she did not see why she had to argue it again. So
she only