The Human Map

Just after dawn, the humans’ starboat zoomed away through the clouds. Aliri had expected that, since the humans had arrived on her world just as quickly two months earlier.

What Aliri had not expected was for her younger brother to come running from the village as the starboat’s hum faded. “Where are the humans?” Otero panted.

“Gone.” Aliri frowned at her brother. Their people almost never ran.

Otero craned his neck, as if he could stretch it to see over the clouds. “Already? They went so quickly.”

Aliri returned to picking the berries she was harvesting. “Humans always hurry, rushing around to see this and that. Even their speech is almost too quick to understand.”

Otero put his head in his hands. “I thought I had more time.”

Aliri had never seen him like this. “We have enough time for everything. Why are you upset?”

“Yesterday, I was watching the humans,” Otero began, speaking almost human-quick. “One had a new thing. The human went into the starboat and left it outside. I-I picked up the new thing. I wanted more time to look at it. But the humans have gone before I could return it!”

Now Aliri noticed the new thing sticking out of Otero’s pack. “Metal!” That was rare in their world. It was as long as her arm, round as a reed, and covered with many small attachments. “Tell Mother.”

Their people had no word for “steal.” They valued time most of all, which cannot be stolen. But they did have a word meaning “wrong.” Mother used it now.

“Son, you must use your time to return the new thing to the humans. Anyone who does wrong must make matters right, however much time that takes.” She examined the new thing. “It may have an important function on their starboat. Perhaps they will come back for it.”

“Wisdom,” said Otero, filled with hope. He carefully placed the new thing where he had found it. But by the next afternoon, the humans had not returned.

“Perhaps they cannot,” Mother said. “Perhaps their starboat requires this new thing. You must search for the humans.”

“But where?” Otero asked. Their world’s heavy cloud cover and thick plant growth made seeing anything at a distance difficult.

Glancing around, hoping to find some clue, Aliri spotted something under a bush. Kneeling, she pulled it out. “This is paper.”

The family gathered around her. Paper, like metal, was seldom used by their people. But it did have one important purpose. “Could this be a human map?” Aliri asked.

Otero tilted his head, considering. “It’s so different from ours.” Their people’s maps were beautifully accurate, showing every stream, tree, and stone in detail.

“How else would a human map look?” Mother said. “Humans hurry. They would rush, not taking the time to present a true picture of the land. They only drew tiny lines and — ”

“Could this squiggle be a river?” Aliri pointed halfway down the map.

Mother stared as if her daughter had grown wings. Their people had no concept of interrupting.

But before she could correct Aliri, Otero said, “Wisdom. Rivers do go this way and that as they flow. They look like squiggles. There must be a river halfway between us and the humans.”

Mother sighed. “You may be right. You may be wrong.” She looked toward the setting sun. “It is late. We will go home now, and try again tomorrow.”

But although it was time-of-sleep, Aliri’s thoughts tumbled and twisted as she thought of the map’s markings. Humans must think like this. Perhaps to understand how hurrying humans think, we must hurry a little, too.

Otero could not sleep either. Soon both were curled up with glow moss and the map. “Rivers flow only to our north and south. Look at this mark.” Aliri touched a swirl in the upper left corner. It curved around a line, small on top, and large below.

“The starboat resembled this shape,” said her brother.

“Wisdom,” said Aliri. “Perhaps this shows where the humans started their journey across our land.”

Otero laughed with joy. Mother muttered and rolled over, but to their relief, she did not awaken.

“This is fun,” Otero whispered. His eyes seemed almost as bright as the glow moss. “So I must go south.”

Glad to see him looking more hopeful, Aliri still cautioned, “South is a large place, brother. Now, consider all these short lines with little black ovals on top. There are so many.”

“They look like humans, but without arms or legs. Humans rush so much they do not even finish drawing themselves! But why put themselves on a map? Humans move,” said Otero.

“Well I know it,” Aliri grumbled. “If they had stayed here longer, you could have returned their new thing and we would be asleep now.”

“Then perhaps these markings mean our people?” Otero asked. “Except that we move, too, though not as quickly as humans.”

Aliri shook her head. “I believe these are trees. Remember drawing in the mud with sticks when you were little? A circle on top of a rectangle meant a tree to us. Perhaps an oval on top of a line means a tree to them.”

Otero said, “Wisdom. Then lines connecting them may be branches, or roots. Perhaps they mean these trees stand close together, as they do in the southern forest. And see how the map shows trees going up and down, up and down? It’s hillier in the south, too.”

Aliri touched a large oval near the lower right corner of the map. “Then that might be Big Lake.” She sighed. “Remember, we cannot be sure that is where the humans went. Perhaps they started at Big Lake and came here. Perhaps they now follow another map, one we do not have. They may even be in another world.”

“Wisdom,” Otero whispered. “And gratitude for your help, Aliri. I will think of you on my journey to where the humans might be.”

Aliri put her hand on his. “Otero, I will come with you. Time spent with my brother is time well spent.”

He gripped her fingers. “Gratitude, sister.”

With Mother’s blessing they set out the next day. They helped each other over rough ground, taking turns carrying the new thing and gathering food to eat. Often they looked at the humans’ map, trying to puzzle out all of its meaning.

Three days later, they found Big Lake. Beside it were the humans and their starboat. Seeing them, Otero’s face was a blend of shame at having taken the new thing and pride at having brought it back, considering all of their troubles with the human map.

Aliri and Otero could understand the humans far better now. The humans were learning from the villagers living by the lake the importance of speaking properly, and not in a rush.

A human called Captain Patel called out, “Doctor Corot!”

Another human, who had been examining a plant growing in the lake, turned. Eyes wide at the sight of what Otero held, the human came running. “You brought me my flute! Gratitude! I had forgotten leaving it outside. Your world has so many wonders to see and learn about that I was distracted. Who knows when I would have learned it was gone?” He paused. “How did you find us? It must have taken you several days to travel from your village.”

“My brother and I used your map,” said Aliri, handing it over.

Unfolding it, Doctor Corot asked, “What map?”

Patiently, Otero explained. “Here is your starboat…”

Captain Patel and Doctor Corot looked at each other. “Treble clef,” they said.

So that is their word for starboat, Aliri thought.

“Here are the forested hills.”

“Quarter, eighth, and sixteenth notes,” Doctor Corot said.

Names of different trees. We are learning their language, Aliri thought. It is good to learn.

“The river,” Otero said.

“Quarter rest,” said Doctor Corot.

“And Big Lake.” Aliri swung her hand from the map’s oval to gesture at the water spread out before them.

“Whole note.” Doctor Corot took a deep breath. “You understood this…map…very well. Please keep it as a gift from our people to yours.”

“Gratitude,” Aliri and Otero said.

As the brother and sister headed for home, the humans were speaking in their own language. Captain Patel said, “I’ve heard that music can bring people together.”

“In more ways than one, apparently,” replied Doctor Corot.