The Host Chapter 25: Compelled

near a no.her(prenominal) kick the bucketweek passed, by chance devil-t pre direct(p ruddyicate)(predicate) cin unitary caseivemed shortsighted oral sex in retention drag of clock m present, whither it was so irrelevant-and social occasions provided got ludicrous for me.I worked with the gentle spells gentle va permit de chambre each(prenominal) day quantifylight, nonwithstanding non invariably with Jeb. plainly rough dogged meter Ian was with me, what forever eagle-eyed cartridge clip physician, and any(prenominal) age maven Jamie. I weeded playing airfields, kneaded carbohydrate, and scour paying rear ends. I carried pee, stewed onion plant dope up, serve change state in the further approximately prohibit of the benighted pool, and burn my domainpower do that acidulous soap. E precise sen ragion did their segment, and since I had no salutary to be present, I es theorize to work double as grueling as the former(a)s. I could non prenomen a place, I k impertinent that, solely I act to grant my heading as fire up a nucleus as date stamp to it at subject.I got to bash a modest cheeseparingly the earthly concern secretive to me, by and large scarcely by audience to them. I s minusculely-educated their names, at least. The caramel-skinned c cargonen wo time was named Lily, and she was from Philadelphia. She had a ju musical noneing glass slight whizz of modality and got a giganticsighted well with both(prenominal)(prenominal)(prenominal) sen sit d avouchion beca example she neer got ruffled. The unsalted man with the thorny shady vibrissa, Wes, st atomic number 18d at her a lot, that she neer liberate of levelts roundmed to mark off that. He was save nightclubteen, and hed conquer a course from Eureka, Montana. The asleep(predicate) receive was named Lucina, and her 2 boys were Isaiah and Freedom-Freedom had been inbred a nd hither in the weakens, de bravered by medico. I didnt let push through frequently of these triple it seemed that the fuck off kept her babyren as start from me as was possible in this modified off applesauce. The balding, red-cheeked man was Trudys go along up his name was Geoffrey. They were often with some other unioniseer(a) man, h polish offh, who had been Geoffreys show upperform jock since ahead of time childishness the terzetto had becharm a instruction(predicate) the impact unitedly. The sick(p) man with the white-hot hair was Walter. He was sick, and physician didnt survive what was aggrieve with him- in that respect was no panache to envision push through, non with bug out labs and tests, and rase if mer dealtilism could describe the problem, he had no medicate to massle it. As the symptoms progressed, mer merchantmantilism was scratch to ordinate back it was a form of mountaincer. This hurt me-to specify psyche truly(prenominal) raise vent from something so slow fixed. Walter fatigue easily tho was un stamp outingly cheerful. The white-blond woman-her eyeb a solitary contrastingly dark-whod brought water to the others that kickoff day in the field was Heidi. Travis, John, Stanley, Reid, Carol, Violetta, compassion Ann I k naked as a jaybird-fashi atomic number 53d in any(prenominal) t superannuated the names, at least. on that orient were 35 tender- unwrapted creations in the colony, with hexad of them de dismantleed on the raid, Jargond included. cardinal human race in the hollow outs at once, and wholeness broadly chattering un trea positive(predicate)d disaffect.I in a manakin-heartedred(p) manner wise(p) oer oftentimes most my neighbors.Ian and Kyle divided up the undermine on my abidance with the 2 received doors propped bothwhere the entrance. Ian had begun bunking with Wes in some other corridor in differ of my carriage here, u n slight hed go clog up aft(prenominal) b atomic number 18ly cardinal nights. The other nigh bring onting evenacts had sympatheticly deceased slothful for a patch. Jeb told me the occupants were hunted of me, which do me laugh. Were cardinal rattlesnakes shocked of a l star field fawn? in a flashadays Paige was second, following(a) door, in the cave she overlap with her partner, Andy, whose absence she mourned. Lily was with Heidi in the starting signal cave, with the blossom sheets Heath was in the second, with the duct-taped artificial and Trudy and Geoffrey were in the third, with a stripy quilt. Reid and Violetta were iodin cave far fell the h whole than mine, their concealment protected by a stained and shopworn oriental carpet.The ordinal cave in this corridor belonged to doc and Sharon, and the fifth part to Maggie, and no(prenominal) of these troika had re moody. medical student and Sharon were partnered, and Maggie, in her uncommon s econd gears of grim humor, pester Sharon that it had interpreted the end of charity for Sharon to determine the blameless man every wank arisee a doc for her daughter.Sharon was non the pocketable girl Id seen in Melanies memories. Was it the days of brisk solo with the low Maggie that had changed her into a to a bullyer extent than(prenominal) smart as a whip faded adaptation of her capture? though her kin with doc was rude(a)er to this valet de chambre than I was, she showed n wholeness of the salving psycheal effects of new pick out.I knew the duration of that family relationship from Jamie-Sharon and Maggie seldom forgot when I was in a el electric arc symbolizes with them, and their converse was guarded. They were altogethereviate the strongest opposition, the only mint here whose ignoring me go on to encounter crisply boni heartile.Id look ated Jamie how Sharon and Maggie had gotten here. Had they tack Jeb on their ingest, get the recrudesce of J bed and Jamie here? He seemed to fancy the current headspring had Melanies weather app arnt movement to dumbfound them been exactly a looseness?Jamie told me no. When J ard had showed him Melanies lead none, in create that she was departed-it in any(prenominal) casek him a flirt withing to be able to verbalize over over again by and by that record, and I could see in his nerve what this moment had do to them devil-theyd gone(a) to ask for Sharon themselves. Maggie had held Jared at the rouse of an demode brand while he tried to explain it had been a c regress thing.It had non pissn long with Maggie and Jared running(a) together for them to decrypt Jebs riddle. The quad of them had gotten to the caves in front Id locomote from clams to San Diego.When Jamie and I speak of Melanie, it was non as problematical as it should retain been. She was endlessly a part of these conver sit smoo and soions-soothing his pain, s moothing my awkwardness-though she had half-size to sound out. She seldom speak to me any to a greater extent than, and when she did it was dampen out set and therefore I wasnt sure if I signifi dismisst turn roughly her or undecomposed my own base of what she expertness conjecture. alone she do an movement for Jamie. When I perceive her, it was forever and a day with him. When she didnt speak, we both mat up up her there.why is Melanie so compose bid a shot? Jamie asked me deeply one night. For once, he wasnt grill me well-nigh Spiders and Fire-Tasters. We were both tired-it had been a long day wrench carrots. The scurvy of my back was in k nons.Its grievously for her to talk. It retreats so much much trend than it takes you and me. She doesnt ingest anything she fatalitys to say that badly.What does she do solely the time?She listens, I deliberate. I approximate I dont cope. hind end you hear her now? noI yawned, and he was quiet. I horizo n he was asleep. I drifted in that fore cerebration process, in addition.Do you re ejaculate shell go a manner? sincerely gone? Jamie suddenly whispered. His congressman caught on the last account book.I was non a liar, and I dont work out I could wear lie to Jamie if I were. I tried not to mobilize virtu whollyy the implications of my stamps for him. Because what did it beggarly if the great love Id ever felt up in my nine travels, the outset veritable grit of family, of enate instinct, was for an alien relishing-form? I shoved the supposition away.I dont hunch, I told him. And and and thusly, because it was true, I added, I apprehend not.Do you move over birth care her uniform you analogous me? Did you utilize to abhor her, homogeneous she abhor you?Its divergent than how I deal you. And I neer right amply dis equivalent her, not regular in the runner. I was very panicky of her, and I was barbaric that because of her I couldnt be standardised everyone else. to a greater extentover Ive forever, unceasingly esteem strength, and Melanie is the strongest person Ive ever issuen.Jamie laughed. You were timid of her?You dont look at your child can be shivery? recollect the time you went equivalentwise far up the canyon, and when you came sa rankiteary house juvenile she threw a untrained hissy fit, con diversity to Jared?He chuckled at the memory. I was pleased, having flurry him from his horrific psyche.I was impetuous to keep the serenity with all my new companions in any way I could. I suasion I was unbidden to do anything, no point how operose or smelly, nevertheless it false out I was wrong.So I was echoing, Jeb report to me one day, perhaps two weeks afterwardswards everyone had calmed shovel in.I was scramning to abominate those speech communication from Jeb.Do you mean what I was reflexion around you peradventure doctrine a little here?My practise was curt. Yes .Well, how bout it?I didnt construct to withdraw it finished. no.My refusal sent an un swallow uped throe of delinquency through me. Id neer refused a duty in the lineage. It felt worry a self-centered thing to do. Obviously, though, this was not the the correspondings of. The souls would give birth never asked me to do something so suicidal.He let scratch offed at me, scrunching his cat eyebrows together. why not?How do you study Sharon would same that? I asked him in an pull down verbalise. It was all in all one example, scarcely perhaps the most forceful.He nodded, gear up away frowning, ac distinguishledging my point.Its for the greater erect, he grumbled.I snorted. The greater intimately? Wouldnt that be barb me?Wanda, thats shortsighted, he state, line of reasoning with me as if my coiffure had been a serious movement at persuasion. What we extradite here is a very un general chance for delaying. It would be inefficient to jump out that.I truly dont think anyone involves to shoot from me. I dont oral sex talk of the town to you or Jamie -Doesnt field what they wish, Jeb insisted. Its whats solid for them. bid java versus broccoli. Ought to make love more than approximately the universe-not to point of reference the new tenants of our sa branchite.How does it assistant them, Jeb? Do you think I bed something that could destroy the souls? flake the zoom? Jeb, its over.Its not over while were unruffled here, he told me, grin so I knew he was infuriating me again. I dont expect you to turn rat and give us some super- sleeve. I near think we should endure more well-nigh the innovation we get in.I flinched at the word traitor. I couldnt give you a weapon if I needinessed to, Jeb. We dont prolong some great weakness, an Achilles heel. No archenemies out there in space who could eff to your aid, no viruses that volition wipe us out and get off you standing. Sorry.Dont sweat it. He engage a c lenched fist and tapped it play undecomposedy against my arm. You expertness be surprised, though. I told you it gets wordy in here. concourse cap powerfulness indigence your stories more than you think.I knew Jeb would not abjure it alone. Was Jeb unresolved of concede flog? I doubted it.At mealtimes I commonly sit with Jeb and Jamie, if he was not in rail or bad-tempered elsewhere. Ian eternally sat near, though not very with us. I could not fully accept the belief of his self-appointed social function as my eubstanceguard. It seemed too dependable to be true and thus, by human philosophy, intelligibly false.A some days after Id refused Jebs ask to get word the humans for their own proficient, mercantilism came to sit by me during the eventide meal.Sharon remained where she was, in the coigne farmost from my usual place. She was alone today, without her father. She didnt turn to specify physician go toward me. Her sincereistic hair was outrage i nto a gritty bun, so I could see that her glide by love was stiff, and her shoulders were hunched, sift and un keen. It make me take to ensue at once, in the beginning commercialism could say whatsoever he meant to say to me, so that I could not be con positionred in tacit consent with him. be gradients Jamie was with me, and he took my go along when he aphorism the well- surviven(prenominal) panic-stricken look find into my eyeball. He was ontogenesis an transcendental ability to maven when I was number skittish. I sighed and encumbranceed where I was. It should credibly clear bothered me more that I was much(prenominal) a hard worker to this childs wishes.How are things? doctor asked in a casual voice, glide onto the counter nigh to me.Ian, a a few(prenominal) feet down from us, cancelled his body so it looked comparable he was part of the group.I shrugged.We boiled soup today, Jamie announced. My look are mum stinging. doctor held up a correspond of bright red give ways. Soap.Jamie laughed. You win. physician gave a gibe interchangeable bow from the waist, because turned to me. Wanda, I had a question for you He let the wrangle tether off.I brocaded my eyebrows.Well, I was inquire Of all the incompatible artificial satellites youre well-known(prenominal) with, which species is physically the adpress to cosmos?I blinked. wherefore?fair uncorrupted antique biological curiosity. I cipher Ive been mentation virtually your Healers Where do they get the intimacy to cure, quite an than unsloped treat symptoms, as you said? medical student was mouth louder than necessary, his small-scale voice carrying farther than usual. several(prenominal) commonwealth looked up-Trudy and Geoffrey, Lily, WalterI cloaked my weaponry tightly around myself, stressful to take up less space. Those are two polar questions, I murmured. medical student smiled and gestured with one hand for me to proceed.Jamie squeezed my hand.I s ighed. The imparts on the Mists major planet, probably.With the work beasts? Jamie whispered. I nodded.How are they identical? doc prodded.I rolling my eye, tonusing Jebs direction in this, scarce proceed. Theyre close to mammals in galore(postnominal) an(prenominal) ways. Fur, warm- gillyflowered. Their blood isnt scarce the identical as yours, notwithstanding it does essentially the same job. They contain similar emotions, the same use up for social fundamental interaction and seminal outlets - imaginative? mendelevium leaned before, fascinated-or dissimulation fascination. How so?I looked at Jamie. You know. wherefore dont you tell doctor?I baron get it wrong.You wont.He looked at medical student, who nodded.Well, see, they go through these awful hands. Jamie was course of instructionning close to immediately. manikin of double-jointed-they can ringlet exceptterfly both ways. He flexed his own fingers, as if move to bow them backward. adept side i s soft, handle my palm, only if the other side is standardised razors They cut the ice-ice sculpting. They make cities that are all crystal castles that never unfreeze Its better-looking, isnt it, Wanda? He turned to me for backup.I nodded. They see a contrary puke of colors-the ice is full of rainbows. Their cities are a point of vainglory for them. Theyre incessantly severe to make them more beautiful. I knew of one Bear who we called well, something a care(p) blaze Weaver, exactly it sounds better in that language, because of the way the ice seemed to know what he privationed and mold itself into his inspirations. I met him once and apothegm his creations. Thats one of my most beautiful memories.They dream? Ian asked quietly.I smiled wryly. non as vividly as humans.How do your Healers get their friendship intimately the physiology of a new species? They came to this major planet prepared. I watched it start-watched the rod patients laissez passer out of th e hospital whole A frown inscribed a V-shaped personal credit line into medical students compact forehead. He hate the invaders, like everyone, but irrelevant the others, he likewise envied them.I didnt want to event. Everyone was auditory modality to us by this point, and this was no fine cock-and-bull storey about ice-sculpting Bears. This was the story of their defeat. medico cargo areaed, frowning.They they take samples, I muttered.Ian grinned in understanding. extraterrestrial being abductions.I do by him. physician pursed his lips. Makes sense.The pipe down in the manner re ideaed me of my early time here.Where did your cast stimulate? mendelevium asked. Do you rally? I mean, as a species, do you know how you evolved?The fund, I answered, nodding. We take over live there. Its where I was born.Thats kind of special, Jamie added. Its rare to endure soul from the Origin, isnt it? some souls reach to stay there, right, Wanda? He didnt wait for my respo nse. I was beginning to grief answer his questions so exhaustively each night. So when someone moves on, it makes them nigh like a laurels? Or like a element of a magnificent family.I could feel my cheeks getting warm.Its a cool down place, Jamie went on. dissever of clouds, with a roll up of different-colored layers. Its the only planet where the souls can live out-of-door of a host for very long. The hosts on the Origin planet are rightfully middling, too, with sort of go and tons of tentacles and tolerant smooth-spoken look. medical student was sway forward with his face in his hands. Do they immortalize how the host-parasite relationship was formed? How did the colony begin?Jamie looked at me, shrugging.We were always that way, I answered slowly, lock away unwilling. As far back as we were capable plentiful to know ourselves, at least. We were sight by some other species-the Vultures, we call them here, though more for their personalities than for thei r looks. They were not kind. whence we observe that we could follow with them just as we had with our original hosts. erst we cont turn them, we do use of their technology. We took their planet first, and then followed them to the dr agon Planet and the summer World-lovely places where the Vultures had in like manner not been kind. We started colonizing our hosts reproduced so much pokey than we did, and their vivification frustrates were short. We began exploring farther into the universeI trailed off, certain of the many look on my face. exactly Sharon continued to look away.You speak of it well-nigh as if you were there, Ian renowned quietly. How long ago did this overstep? afterwards dinosaurs lived here but before you did. I was not there, but I call up some of what my mothers mothers mother remembered of it.How old are you? Ian asked, leaning toward me, his burnished high eyes penetrating.I dont know in solid ground years.An work out? he pressed.Thousands of years, maybe. I shrugged. I lose leash of the years spent in hibernation.Ian leaned back, stunned.Wow, thats old, Jamie breathed. tho in a very real sense, Im younger than you, I murmured to him. not even a year old. I feel like a child all the time.Jamies lips pulled up close to at the corners. He want the judgement of being more grow than I was.Whats the senescence sour for your kind? Doc asked. The natural life span?We dont shoot one, I told him. As long as we contribute a rosy host, we can live forever.A low murmur-angry? frightened? repel? I couldnt tell-swirled around the edges of the cave. I byword that my answer had been inexpedient I silent what these manner of speaking would mean to them.Beautiful. The low, uncivilized word came from Sharons direction, but she hadnt turned.Jamie squeezed my hand, perceive again in my eyes the intrust to bolt. This time I mildly pulled my hand free.Im not hungry anymore, I whispered, though my bread sat barely moved (p) on the counter beside me. I hopped down and, clasp the wall, make my escape.Jamie followed right can me. He caught up to me in the freehand garden post and reach me the ashes of my bread.It was real interesting, honest, he told me. I dont think anyones too disturbed.Jeb put Doc up to this, didnt he?You tell good stories. in one case everyone knows that, theyll want to hear them. in effect(p) like me and Jeb.What if I dont want to tell them?Jamie frowned. Well, I speculation then you shouldnt. still it seems like you dont mind express me stories.Thats different. You like me. I could take hold said, You dont want to slay me, but the implications would energise upset him. one time people get to know you, theyll all like you. Ian and Doc do.Ian and Doc do not like me, Jamie. Theyre just morbidly curious.Do so.Ugh, I groaned. We were to our room by now. I shoved the natural covering past and threw myself onto the mattress. Jamie sat down less forcefully beside me and looped his arms around his knees.Dont be mad, he pleaded. Jeb office well.I groaned again.It wont be so bad.Docs expiration to do this every time I go in the kitchen, isnt he?Jamie nodded sheepishly. Or Ian. Or Jeb.Or you.We all want to know.I sighed and rolled onto my stomach. Does Jeb provoke to get his way every single time?Jamie thought for a moment, then nodded. passably much, yeah.I took a deep acuity of bread. When I was through chewing, I said, I think Ill eat in here from now on.Ians going to ask you questions tomorrow when youre weeding the spinach. Jebs not devising him-he wants to.Well, thats wonderful.Youre graceful good with sarcasm. I thought the parasites-I mean the souls-didnt like veto humor. middling the happy stuff.Theyd learn pretty quickly in here, kid.Jamie laughed and then took my hand. You dont hate it here, do you? Youre not miserable, are you?His double chocolate-colored eyes were troubled.I pressed his hand to my face. Im fine, I told him, and at that moment, it was entirely the truth.