"We're calling him Hah," Jaino thought-said.
"Yeah," Wimz laughed. "That's the sound he makes most often. Help us out, Riuu."
I looked at the man, not at all sure I wanted to touch him. They feel so weird... and all these messy excretions. We're really not supposed to bother them. They break so easily. But occasionally they wander into our lands. Men cannot see us, for some reason, and that can be an advantage.
That was when he did something really interesting. Jaino and Wimz had him tied to a flatrock, folded twice. Sitting. That was their word for it. He couldn't get up and run away, of course, and it was so very obvious that he wanted to move.
I didn't really understand that until he leaned forward, oozing water everywhere, and tried to stretch the rope. He was so determined to pull loose, even though he was obviously getting weary. They tell us that men aren't completely stupid, so he had to know that we'd just tie his limbs down again. But he tried anyway, in that slow, quiet way... dripping moisture, always making the noise from which he got his name.
It was such a hopeless goal that I found it oddly fascinating. Trying to get free, resting awhile, and then leaning again. He was so earnest about it -
"Here." Jaino elevated two big feathers, offering them for my use.
The whole situation was so exciting.
We made him fight with the ropes until he was too tired to move. And Hah kept on reacting to the touch of the feathers... such a deep, internal consumption of each stroke, as if the experience was one that could not be exhausted. He hungered for more energy to react, and we continued forcing him to feel the feathers. Hah was unable to tolerate the experience - nothing he tried was adequate. He didn't want the teasing to continue.
But we'd never done anything like this before.
"Unbelievable, huh?"
"Yeah," I replied, dragging feathers around Hah's front side.
"So much fighting, and we're not even hurting him."
"It's bizarre. How did you know he'd be like this?"
"Vellr told us," Wimz thought-said. "Most of the men react like this, when you use feathers -"
"Wow... Did he just walk into the lands?"
They both laughed. "We found him all tied up."
That made me pause, and think. "Already tied?"
"Uh-huh. By the big rocks. Alone, tied up... and gagged."
That was certainly strange. We discussed it as we made Hah whine and giggle and bark...
The daylight came. None of us wanted to let Hah go, but we also had no desire to get in trouble -
"What's going on?" an older voice thought-said. That surprised us, but then we realized it was Vellr.
"You were right!" Jaino announced. "He was so much fun!"
"Was?"
"Well... we have to let him go."
Vellr chuckled. "Do you?"
"Look at him."
"Oh, I am."
Wimz and Jaino were as puzzled as I was. "He's... not as strong now."
"Ah," Vellr thought-said confidently. "Well, was it enjoyable?"
We all agreed that it was very exciting. I wished it could continue, but of course we didn't want to hurt a man. After we untied the ropes and put his cloth-coverings on, Hah was still too tired to move... so we carried him out of the chamber.
That was when we saw the large container, sitting there.
"What is that?" Wimz asked Vellr.
"Oh, just something I found... by the big rocks."
"Really? That's where we found him!"
Vellr reacted as if it did not expect to hear that. "Let me guess... Next to the one shaped like a flat cloud?"
"Yes!" Jaino replied. "That was the place."
"And this container was behind it."
"So..." I thought-said slowly, "maybe the container belongs to the man."
Vellr studied me, and it was so pleased. "Good, Riuu."
"How do you open it?" Wimz said.
As soon as I saw the contents, I began to understand.
Vellr explained that the smaller packages were food for Hah. It knew many things about men, and patiently explained that our lands held many nutritious things that he could eat. He needed water most of all, but that would surely not be a problem. The container had other substances too, and Vellr told us they were just what Hah needed to stay strong and feel an increasing amount of stimulation.
"What could these long pieces of animal-hide be for?" I asked Vellr. But I already knew, and it could tell...
"Hmmmm. Let me examine them. Ah! I think I see. These could be wrapped around his limbs, and these metal parts would hold them nice and tight."
"Clever," Wimz thought-said.
"And he could be held down," I added. "Or up. In many different positions."
"You're right, Riuu," Jaino replied. "How interesting."
"Now, these coverings," and Vellr took them out of the container, "so many of them, made of all kinds of materials. They look familiar, somehow."
"Look!" Jaino shouted. "There are feathers in here. Too many to count."
"Feathers?" Vellr replied innocently.
"There are five compartments in each of these coverings," Wimz told us. "And... that's how many toes Hah has."
Vellr sighed impatiently, so I decided to jump in. "But the shape of the big part is wrong. These can't be foot-coverings." Jaino and Wimz thought about that, and finally I could not wait any longer. "I know - they are hand-coverings!"
"Well... But why? So many of them, and Hah has only two hands."
"I wonder," Vellr replied. "Hand-coverings - the men call them 'gloves', by the way - and all those feathers..."
"What could it mean?" I added, trying not to laugh.
Jaino became excited. "We've been using feathers on him all night. And here we have more feathers, and the... gloves? Is that the word? And there are so many other curious things in this container. It was near Hah -"
"Oh, wow!" Wimz interrupted. "These aren't leaves. See? They have images on them. Men, held by rope - and the animal-hides. Caught in other devices. We could easily build them, to hold Hah -"
"All of those things would be simple to create," Vellr thought-said. "And now I understand exactly."
"You do?" Jaino asked.
I did, also, but it was so exciting to watch Vellr pause, and laugh harder than ever...
"This is something that men want - the very same thing you did to Hah last night."
"It is?"
"Oh, yes. That's why the container was there. All prepared, with everything he could need -"
"We... we can keep him?" Wimz interrupted, as excited as I was.
"Yes. We must."
So perfect...
"Really?" Jaino finally thought-said.
"That is what the images mean. They were prepared and put in the container so we'd give Hah what he needs. If he is rubbed, gently and carefully, until he no longer reacts like this... perhaps it will make him a leader among the men. I don't know. It could be some kind of experience that helps them become mature. Everything he needs is here, and maybe he brought them with him - so we would use each thing - and you were already helping him, without even knowing it!"
"So he, uh, doesn't want to go away?"
"No, no," Vellr thought-said firmly. "Men sometimes do things they don't want to do."
"How odd," Wimz mumbled.
"Agreed. But no matter how much he wants to escape, he must endure this. That is why the strips of animal-hide are here, just for Hah. These fascinating images, with so many ways to hold him while we rub. Yes, I think that must be the explanation. Hah appears in our lands, tied so he cannot change his mind and run back to the other men - with all these supplies... We should help him learn to overcome this remarkable sensitivity."
I couldn't believe the cleverness of Vellr's plan. Obviously Hah was not going anywhere - for many seasons! There was nothing I wanted more.
"That makes sense," I added. "Why else would you find Hah, and all of these wonderful things, so close together?"
"Yeah," Wimz agreed. "I understand. Even though he does not want to have this experience, it is... such an important thing."
"There were no other men near him," Jaino slowly thought-said. "And he was in our lands."
Wimz agreed. "True... So he must have desired to be here. Waiting. As much as he wants to leave, when we rub him, there is a reason he appeared in our lands as he did - with all these things he'll need."
"We must continue to help him," I added quickly.
"Yes," Vellr chuckled. "After all, it isn't as if I... er, I saw him where the men are working on those big caves of theirs, tied him up and brought him out to the big rocks."
Wimz and Jaino paused, thinking about that.
"That would be ridiculous," I thought-said as innocently as I could. And I laughed, until the others laughed with me.
"Yeah," Jaino finally added. It and Wimz had relaxed, and I was so happy. None of us had heard of such a thing. Bringing a man into our lands? We were not supposed to go near them. But Vellr... I looked forward to hearing how it thought of such an incredibly fun idea.
"We have to help him," Vellr responded. "He needs us. Each of us... so the experience can be happening whenever he is strong. All of the time. And I don't think we should tell the elders -"
"Yes. How could we meet this need he has, if they tell us to stop?" I asked.
"That would be unfortunate," Wimz thought-said. It picked up a few of the gloves and made them move. "Do you suppose the shape of these gloves is... meaningful? To Hah?"
"Oh, definitely," Vellr instantly thought-said. "He's here, and they are here too, to be used. I think he will confirm how important they are, when he sees them coming to rub him. So - are we all agreed? To help him, no matter how long it takes... and not tell any of the others?"
All three of us promised Vellr that we would. Then we took hold of Hah and carried him back inside the chamber.
He tried so hard to get away, thrilling me more than ever. Wimz brought the container inside too - using the gloves to lift it as if they were filled with man-hands. It did that just to see what Hah would do. As soon as he saw the gloves being used, he squealed so loud. That was amusing.
But Vellr held his limbs tight, as Jaino picked up the long strips of animal hide...
Every time Hah pulled against the sturdy restraints, it filled me with a new sense of satisfaction. He would not get to go anywhere until we permitted it.
And we found electrifying ways to make him more and more desperate.
Vellr had another big treat for the rest of us.
"If I rub him right here," it thought-said. "Like this..."
Hah opened his eyes, and looked at the glove. He seemed to tense up and relax at the same time. Gulping, shaking his head.
We watched with great amazement.
"Just... look," Jaino muttered, every bit as entranced as Wimz and me.
Vellr chuckled knowledgeably. "This is important. Why he's here... and what he must get." It had the fingers stroke and trace along. Hah's body grew and grew under the glove. He breathed more quickly, starting to sweat again.
"Can I try it?"
"Later, Riuu. I think you'll find it very worthwhile to take two of the gloves now... and rub every surface of his feet."
Incredible! It was as if they'd had been sleeping before, and now I was making an incredible impression on his feet. He cackled much harder and threw his body all around. Wilder than ever. The place where Vellr was rubbing almost seemed to amplify the results of what I was doing to Hah's feet.
He started to jerk, up and down. Jaino started on his right side with two gloves, as Wimz began rubbing on his left...
The jerking stopped. After a few delightful squeals, Hah stopped bucking - and laughing. He still looked as if he was laughing, but hardly any noise came out. He was so occupied with what we were doing that he couldn't make his usual sounds. Obviously, we'd found a way to get... deeper.
I couldn't imagine getting bored with this. Men were so much fun.
"We are so good to him," Vellr thought-said. "And we can keep helping, so long as we don't tell anyone -"
"Oh, we won't," Wimz replied quickly.
"Good. This must be the experience he wanted. Going into our lands, with all of the supplies we found... I don't see any other meaning. He needs so much more of this, doesn't he? Secret, and secure, given everything he needs."
"That must be it," I agreed. "We are doing a wonderful thing - for Hah."
"And it's so enjoyable," Jaino laughed.
I sensed Vellr's encouragement, and hurried to thought-speak. "He will need to rest soon. Let's gather a lot of food for him, and pin him down on his back. When he's ready for more, we'll continue. Between all of us, we can fill each day with excitement."
Vellr happily agreed. "It would really be a shame to... give him less than the full experience."
"Well, that is why he came here," I replied.
"Very good," Vellr thought-said.
I picked up a few feathers. Hah watched them approach, and we delighted in his feeble tugging and twisting, the loose movements of his head - and the glassy, squinting eyes.
29feb2004