Blood - Chapter 8

The door opens in the side of the room and just as Andia thought, Dot comes in. She brings a bowl of food which she put on the eating place and uncovers. She sets down water beside it. Then she turns and looks at Andia. Andia smiles. Andia always smiles. Ultras always smile and so she does. Dot is smiling too. They smile and smile at each other.

Andia then sees that Dot is looking at the little row of people. Looking at each one very carefully. Andia has even made a tiny doll of herself. She had enough thread and sticks and she twisted herself a little waistband just like the one where the precious seeds are hidden.

Dot looks down at the little Andia doll and then at Andia herself. Then back at the doll. Andia can see what Dot is thinking. She smiles at Dot and then she points to the little doll and then to herself. Dot's smile gets wider.
Andia does it again. She points at the little doll and then at herself and says

“Andia.” Dot turns her head and looks as though she is thinking. She frowns a little bit at Andia.
Andia does the pointing again. “Andia.” Doll. Self. “Andia.”

Dot sits down on the floor right in front of Andia and points herself. First at the doll, then at Andia. “Andia.” says Andia and Dot smiles. She nods enthusiastically. Then she looks at the other little figures. The largest one with the twisted hair, first.

“Mother.” Andia says. Dot is listening. She points again. “Father.” And again. Mother. Father. Mother. Then Brother. Baby.

It makes Andia laugh to see the Ultra pointing at the little people. A real laugh not like the smiles she has put on to keep herself safe. They go through the names more. Dot pointing and Andia speaking the names of her people out loud. Dot makes the sound of oil bubbling. Covers her mouth as if she is embarrassed about her own sound.
Then Andia leans forward and stops the Ultra from pointing. Then she says

“Andia?” Dot looks at her, a slight question in her face. “Andia?” she repeats and takes the Ultra's hand, makes the finger point and touches it to the Andia doll. Takes the finger away. “Andia?” Puts the finger back. Takes it away. “Andia?” she nods towards the dolls and watches as Dot puts her finger out slowly and touches the tiny doll. The right one. Andia claps delightedly. Dot watches her hands, surprised. “Mother?” Andia says. Dot touches the mother doll. Father, brother, baby. Dot knows them all.

Andia feels happy. It is almost like talking. Or like teaching a baby.
Then Andia has an idea. She touches her own chest says “Andia” then she touches Dot's chest and says “Dot.” The Ultra jumps. “Dot.” Andia says, touching her again. “Andia.” And soon the Ultra is pointing to herself when Andia says Dot. They are laughing together, Andia's human laugh mixing with the oil bubbling of the Ultra's happiness.

Just then the door opens. The girl and the Ultra both startle with surprise. Another Ultra is in the doorway, looking in. Smiling but not properly. Andia sees that Dot looks unhappy suddenly. She must be doing something she isn't supposed to do. Andia smiles at the new Ultra. One without a dot. She might have seen it before, she can't tell. She thinks it could be angry, like her mother would be if she did something wrong.

Something like running off through the trees with Sej when she should be planting seeds. She thinks about what they do when their mother is angry. They tease her and joke and try to make her laugh. They do silly things and her cross face can't help it, it breaks into a smile. But the Ultra is smiling already. They always look calm and happy. But Andia can tell Dot is worried even though she is smiling too. Of course. Why do they all smile all the time.

What are you doing? The Ultra says.
Just taking care of the human.
Do not get involved with the human, the Ultra says. Dot bows her head. They cannot be trusted. They are not like Ultras.

Andia sees Dot's bowed head, wonders what is happening. It definitely isn't good. She must do something. What if they take Dot away and do her? Burn her for light? Somewhere in her mind Andia is sure that Dot is going to help her and she must make sure Dot stays.

Andia jumps up and begins to dance. It is the only thing she can think of. She can't tease the Ultra or joke. Her people always dance at home, dances to celebrate, always round the fire, everyone together. Whirling, grateful for what grows, or for the visit of the Nomads, or for the hunting or for a new baby. Some people bang out a rhythm on drums made from hollow branches with animal skins stretched across. She can hear it if she tries, loud and full of energy.

You can't help but dance when you hear it and Andia lets go and listens, feels her body moving and jerking, dancing and leaping round the imaginary fire. She can almost see them all dancing with her, light and brights as the sparks that dart up into the air from the burning wood. She can almost see her mother there, cradling the bady who isn't names yet, can see her father and her sister drumming, her brother dancing too, all brothers and sisters and everyone dancing all together round and round and then Andia is full of the beat and of belonging with her people. Chasing through the trees, making hand whistles with pieces of grass, calling to one another, hiding, laughing.

She is not aware of Dot and the other Ultra watching her, she isn't looking at their amazed faces But the she remembers she is dancing to make the other Ultra laugh. That is what it's for so the other Ultra won't be corss with Dot because what if Dot goes? What then? And Andia drances across to the other Ultra and takes the Ultras hands and the Ultra looks so surprised. It jumps like Dot did when Andia touched her.

Andia jumps and leaps and dances – the Ultra is much taller than her, so pale up close, but Andia is smiling and laughing and leaping here in front holding its pale cool hands. The Ultra stares, amazed at her as she jumps and bounces and jigs to the rhythm she can hear in her head. She feels the Ultras hands relax and looks up into its face and it is smiling properly. Just like when her mother when she tickles and teases her. It works on Ultras too. Maybe she has saved Dot.

She looks over at Dot and sees her shoulders are shaking and the oil bubbling laugh is coming out of her and she is covering her mouth again. Andia jumps and leaps and looks back at the other Ultra, right in front of her, looks up into the Ultra's face and grins so wide she thinks her own face might split in half. And there it is. The other Ultra makes the sound of. Oil bubbling. Andia has won.