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43. A TALKING CAMPAIGN; Show Biz Must Go On.

All goes as planned. The soldiers agree, with a few abstentions... not everyone is cut out for conversation. Thiminannh says none objected to getting these topics into conversation; the abstainers just weren't sure they could do it with confidence. Most people aren't topical 'students', don't... pay attention to... world matters. I remember back on Earth, trying to discuss things that were in the news and finding people had no idea it was happening, and some showing no interest in learning about it. "Why do you buy into that?" a guy asked me. "Why involve yourself in something happening on another continent?" he went on.

Another man, when I tried to discuss something happening then, in the news, big topic all over the world, said, smirking skeptically, "Don't you think that if that was true it would come out?"
"If it was on the front page of the newspaper this morning, would you have read it?" I asked.
"I don't read the paper," he said.
"If it was on the six o'clock TV news, would you have seen it?" I asked.
"I don't watch the news," he said.
He essentially explained that he had no news source, did not pay attention to world news, national news, or local news unless it was something scandalous, prurient, or horrible. I noticed he was overly attentive, in my opinion, to his hair, his car, his clothes.

A woman said, "Well, it happened a long time ago, but we don't need to know about it now."

I realized that was exactly the point, that it happened and we could see it happening again, now. Knowing how it began long ago, and how it played out, without a talking campaign, a human tragedy, was of the essence to not let it happen on that scale again, letting it get started and grow so that when humanity did rise up to stop it it was a gargantuan task, and a tragedy on a massive scale, for the people caught in it, a continent away, and reaching right into our homes.

Now, a planet away, the troubles of humanity, ongoing there, could be visited on ass Emoilihn here. I... I'm not the cause of it. I simply found myself here, and all of that is just happening around me, just like back on Earth. My concern is for humanity, here and there. None of our... people... need any more tragedy. I'm beginning to get the sense of... a... generation... missing here. The Terror Wars took large numbers of people. I imagine them, stacked... on the patio... each death a story of a life ended... family... ended... DNA... that might not have been passed on. It's not... what any of them planned or made happen. Perhaps they didn't see it coming, and so might be accurately accused of having 'let it happen'. But... basically... people just want to live and work and find a little love before the end. They don't want... most of them don't want to dominate anyone or take what anyone else has. They just want to have something of their own, a job, a home, a family. We... The People... are family. One family. Earthmen and Emoilihn must see themselves as one family, and guard against the predators and predations we all know all too well. We'll see. Maybe we'll... prevail. Maybe... we won't. That family will prevail, 'Paronde cos revondnnh', is a great slogan... and... people here seem sincere in... endorsing it as a guiding... phillosophy... but... we'll see.

My shows at the restaurant go well. Night one I wear my jeans and a pullover shirt, black cowboy boots, my white hat. Lots of common people, common clothes. I see they can't afford the menu. I ask a waitress to confirm what I think I'm seeing. She does. I mention it to the maitre d' during a break. He announces a discount of half price! They order and dine. They're so noisy I just play instrumentally until they quiet down as their meals are served. My guitar case gets a healthy splash of coins as people finish dining and leave. Wait staff seem quite pleased at their experience. I see them pocketing coins as they clear tables. The maitre d' brings more people in to the vacated tables. He clears tables himself, reducing himself to busboy for the business! And for family! I like the guy! More people are waiting in the hall. The maitre d' and bartender go out, take orders, come back, bring drinks into the hall. I see soldiers, men and women, in uniform, many escorting civilian women and men, boys and girls, some, young people, mixing, mingling, families. Many diners leave after eating, and people from the hall come in. I go on, non-stop. I find a place to mention the issues, only twice, before I feel a little... self-conscious about it... then I just play.

The second night I wear the blue sportcoat, black slacks, dress shoes, white hat. I take off the hat to talk to them, let them see my hair. There are more people dressed like me tonight, the wealthier Citizens. Good call on my part. They order readily from the menu, full price, sit, listen as I play and sing. Eenunh and Tinunh, Soda and Thin Man initiate applause. Others take it up, spontaneously. Fewer coins in my guitar case. That's okay. I mention the issues, immigration, coordination of two... peoples... alien to one another... and the coming of... whatever is to come, commercially, governmentally... societally. I don't know whether to tell them about my proposal to Eenunh. I think... I think everyone knows. Ass Oomam can't walk around here without people talking, telling whatever they know. And... Eenunh's presence here seems to have been... less well-known, her past exposed now... by... her relationship with The Alien. We'll see. We'll see how things go. Pessimism breathes over my left shoulder. Optimism... optimism is in Eenunh's smile. I love her!

I mention my... engagement... my intent to immigrate. They murmur in what I take to be a positive tone. I play a few songs, talk again, about matters of our two peoples' pending interaction.

"I... and you... have little or no influence on what our Governments will do, what companies will buy and sell. We should... have influence. We should be watching, listening, to make sure they don't make big decisions for all the rest of us... that lead us... or mislead us... into places... and conditions... we don't want to be in." I'm not completely happy with my 'Emoilihn' voice, my enunciation, but I think it worked well enough for most listeners.

The murmur of conversation doesn't seem to change. But the seeds are planted. I don't belabor the points. I play and sing.

We're... my family... are going to be okay.

The night ends late, a crowd still spending money into the restaurant's cash box, so I stay until they begin to leave in obvious numbers. Eenunh took Tinunh home some time ago. I could see they were tired. Thin Man and Soda left early too. Tomorrow... tomorrow... is a big day.

At home, I don't bother the girls, pass by their door. They need their rest. There's nothing in my house to eat. I'm... not hungry. I shower. I lay down and think too much to sleep.

Eenunh... is coming... to my room. I sense it. I know it without... knowing it. I know when she's thinking of me... I think... I know... when she's about to come to me.

My door is unlocked. She hesitates. I jump up from the bed-hollow, start for the door. She opens it, comes in, locks it. I sit back on the edge. She comes, pulls her dress off. She's naked. She comes to me, leans against me, kisses me. I see the worry in her face, turn, open my sleeping bag. She climbs in. No words. It's... somehow... pleasant... and unpleasant. I know her worries. They're my worries. I take off my sweat pants, long-sleeve pajama shirt. It's cold in here, cool. I like it that way. I'm sure she doesn't. Women are always cold.

Eenunh's... affection... has become... very slow, intense. She... seems... to savor every touch, every kiss. I perceive that... intent... receive it... give it back with the same intent. What if... We worry.

"I'm scared, Gary," she says. Her matter-of-fact tone shows me her strength. She's not in a state of panic, or even anxiety. "I'm afraid of what... we've started. I'm afraid of what... people might do... to people who help us. The Sagribe followers... the Casah Sagribe... the 'Cold' one... they... can be as merciless as he was. He... was deposed... imprisoned... and his followers were suppressed... but still around, still exerting influence, and still are. They got him out. He's still the main Koobahbahnnh there. The northern Koobahbahnnh will have Emoilihn who still hold an allegiance to him. I... I don't know what... we'll encounter there.
Thimiannh... thinks there can be hostile factions, not thinking about us, just their own desire for power. Just like in Costaramannh. They may do something just to stir things up.
Soda says... our local Koobs may be... poisoning the conversation. They'll be there before we will. They may be gone already. Briggs... your Briggs is transporting them, they'll have time before we get there to... set the minds, if they are plotting... us. I'm... scared."

"Who is with Tinunh?" I ask. I... know... she's not left alone. Eenunh tells me the friendly neighbor who carried the mirror is there, for security, corn-knife at the ready.

"Tinunh sleeps with her corn-knife, like we're out in the desert, out in the woods. We... have not lived... like this for many years. When we first came here, from Costarammannh, we lived like this, on guard, constantly ready to fight. Tinunh's rock collection began as weapons, stones to throw, to wield in her hand. But... gradually the city became a coherent city... a family city. We rebuilt our trust, our confidence in ass Emoilihn. People just wanted to live. And peace came. We... lived quietly, knew a couple of our neighbors. People didn't talk about the past, where they came from, what happened to them, their families, what they... had to do to survive. We just... lived. Everyone had their own story, the same story, the Terror Wars, losses... family.
Now... now it's all... everyone knows... too much... about us. They know about The Alien. Your alien ass," she jokes, kisses my neck. "They know about you and me. They... speculate about our... sex. They make jokes. I'm... worried about... how all this... Should we not... get married? I want you. I want us to live together. I don't want any... legal... problems. But... maybe... maybe we should focus on your immigration status first. Get you here, as an Emoilihn citizen... first... and later..."

"I don't think we can change that now, Eenunh," I tell her. "I think... as you say... we're already known... our intent known... and... I think... I don't think the Emoilihn have any problem with me or me and you. I think... they support us as a family, and with a... a right to make these decisions for ourselves. They should be concerned about the rest of... the Leadership Decision-Makers, Emoilihn, Human, and individuals. We... we can't guarantee there won't be problems. But... that will happen whether you and I exist or not. We don't make those decisions. We have no more control over those decisions than... we do over anyone else's lives. But... we... are making... I have made... my decision... about my life. I want to spend my life with you. I can live here. I can love this planet like I love my planet Earth. I..."

I want to say, 'I love you.' The words stick in my throat. I'm... in a panic! What if... what if Eenunh's... fears are... more important? What if she's decided these questions? I want... to give her the chance to do whatever she feels is best. I don't want to... obligate her to... put her own feelings aside and go with mine.

"Eenunh," I say, and again, "Eenunh... I'll do whatever you want to do. Whatever you decide, you tell me and I'll do it."

"I have decided," she says. "I have decided on you." She rolls, rises over my chest, to face me, puts her right leg over mine, cooperates to get my right arm under her, puts her right arm across my chest. "I have decided... this... is how life goes... and... we will fight... literally fight... in the streets, at our door, in the hallways, in the forests, the desert, the cities, if that's what it takes... to have our life together. They... the Koobs, the Government, the soldiers, the nosy neighbors, can do what they want. That's their decision. Mine, is to have you, in my life, to have the life we choose. The life WE choose. If it's a life of fighting, we will fight. If they let us live and leave us to it, we will live. I'll go live in the desert or the mountain forest or some faraway city, if that's what it takes. Will you... live like that... if we have to?"

"I will live like that, if we have to," I assure her.

The night goes on, and what happens... is between Eenunh and I, and none of your damned business!