Short Story: Empire Island

888 Words2 Pages

Elsewhere, Kina sat at the edge of the river, studying the palm of Sid's hand, studying his fingers. Her eyes are fixed on him with a look he finds strangely soft and flattering. She listens to his heart and laughs with delight. “Am I dreaming?” she wondered. She looked deep into his eyes. “What have you seen? Your eyes are like -- stones.” Sid frowns. “Half my men are sick, the others lunging at each other's throats. They'd do anything for money. They'd risk damnation in this world and the next.” He shook his head, wanting to change the subject. “Where do you live?”Sid asked. “My village is on the Mondar,” Kina answered. “Mondar?”asked Sid. “It's a river,” explained Kina. “It flows into this river.” Sid shook his head in wonder. “You have the most unusual names here.” “Your name is unusual, too,” Kina told him. “What does your name mean?” “It's just a name.” Kina was surprised. “How strange. All our names mean something.” “And what does your name mean?” Sid asked her. She grinned. “Seer,” she said. She patted Bor, who had just waddled up from the brook. “And this is Bor.” Sid hid his surprise. This looked like the same animal he'd encountered in the tree. He held out his hand. “How do you do, Bor,” he asked. Kina looked confused. “It's all right,” explained Sid. It's just a handshake. Let me show you.” He shook Kina's hand. “It's how we say hello.” Kina smiled. “This is how we say hello.” She held her hand up, palm facing outward, and moved it in a circle in the air. “Tasau,” she said. Sid copied her. “Tasau.” Then Kina moved her hand in a circle back the other way. “And this is how we say good-bye.” Sid grinned and put his hand up against hers. “I'd rather we stay with hello.” Kally landed on a rock near Kina shook his bill at S... ... middle of paper ... ... what she had to say. He followed her farther into the forest, more and more drawn by her words. After a while, they rested by a little stream. A leaf drifted down and landed in the water. Kina handed it to Sid. “Even this little leaf has a spirit and a name.” Sid smiled skeptically. “Do you not see it?” she continued. “You, me, Bor, Kally, the rainstorms and mountaintops – we are all a part of the earth. We are joined to each other.” She formed a circle with her arms. “My people say life on earth is like a giant hoop. It has no beginning and has no end. I think your people do not understand the earth. You think you own whatever land you land on, that the earth is just a dead thing you can claim.” As Kina spoke, Sid felt a change come over him. He had never seen anyone so at home in her world. What she was saying made sense. He looked at her with a new understanding.

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