Tortoise Reform

  He asked Rowan, who was not far behind him as she used her hands to scoop away the dirt he dug. “You will not like our humans,” he thought to her. “But you will not fit in our burrow. How can we keep you safe?"

  "Maybe I can stay somewhere else,” she replied. “Somewhere nearby, and you can keep in mental touch with me. Is there any suitable place?"

  "There is one,” Cottontail thought. “The bear cave."

  "Bears!” Rowan thought, alarmed. “I'm afraid of bears."

  "We are all cautious of bears,” Gopher thought. “But these are well behaved, or they would not be tolerated in our area. They hunt only in approved regions, and do not bother burrow mates."

  "Oh, like trained bears. I guess that would be all right, if you're sure they won't hurt me."

  "We shall have to make a deal,” Indigo thought. “Those bears are hungry."

  "Hungry!” Rowan thought, alarmed again.

  "That means they will deal for food,” Gopher clarified. “Where is there food for them?"

  "I know that,” Owl thought. “There is a rogue band of pigs foraging not far from our burrow. I have seen them in my flights. Someone will have to deal with them before long, and perhaps we should be the ones."

  "We could nudge them toward the bear cave,” Indigo thought. “In return for a favor."

  "Safe refuge for the human girl,” Gopher agreed, seeing it. “We must arrange it. Peba and I must continue digging; who can see to the pigs and bears?"

  "I can nudge the pigs,” Owl thought. “I will hide near them and send thoughts of good foraging near the bears’ cave."

  "I can negotiate with the bears,” Indigo thought. “I am a hunter, and understand their nature. But their minds are dull; I will need more mental power than my own to forge the deal clearly."

  "I could help,” Cottontail thought. “But I am afraid of bears, and can't move fast enough.” A tweak of pain reminded them of his hurt foot.

  "Can I help?” Rowan asked. “Maybe if Cottontail hooks on to my mind and projects it to Indigo."

  "That should work,” Indigo agreed. “You can help Owl also, so that he can have greater impact on the pigs.” He slithered rapidly ahead, and Owl followed.

  Gopher kept digging. He was tired, but felt better; they were acting as burrow mates should, solving a problem together. Actually they were approaching the burrow proper; there was a gully near it where this off-tunnel exited, and they would take the girl there.

  Owl emerged and took wing; his thoughts came back to Gopher. It was getting near dawn, and the pigs were stirring; they preferred to forage at dawn and dusk, when it wasn't as hot or cold as full day or night. Gopher saw them through Owl's eyes: a big brutish boar with twisted tusks, and several younger sows who followed his lead. He remembered that they had torn up the soil near an established burrow, and been warned off. They had moved on grudgingly, and were paying less attention to the concerns of sapient animals. They had ignored warnings to leave this region. Owl was correct: they were a rogue band, and soon would have to be dealt with, because ornery pigs were dangerous.

  "I don't understand,” Rowan thought. “Why can't they forage in the forest?"

  "They are too efficient,” Cottontail explained. “A tortoise will eat only certain types of leaves and grass, as will a rabbit. A snake eats a mouse or other animal only once in several days. All of us are fairly choosy eaters, so we don't do much harm. But pigs eat anything, and when they pass through, there is nothing left for anyone else. Other creatures go hungry and have to move away—and that makes them intrude on the territories of others. So it gets complicated. We can't afford to have rogue pigs in our area."

  "Oh, I see. So you ask them to go elsewhere."

  "Yes, and if they do, we leave them alone. But a rogue band stops listening, and then there is trouble."

  Owl perched on a branch just above the stirring pigs. “Lend me some mind,” he thought.

  "May I borrow yours?” Cottontail asked.

  "Sure."

  Gopher, still digging, felt the rabbit merge with the girl's huge mind. Then they connected with Owl, who shaped the thought into a directive to the boar. “Good forage this way."

  The boar snorted and started in that direction, and the sows followed. They were on the way.

  Meanwhile Indigo reached the bear cave. “Dialogue,” he thought to the most open minded bear, which was a young male.

  "What you want, snake?” the bear demanded gruffly in its limited mind talk. Bears were only half sapient.

  "I am with the nearby burrow,” Indigo replied. “We want to make a deal."

  "Come closer, snake, and I eat you,” the bear thought.

  "We offer much richer food. But we want something from you in return."

  The bear mulled this over. “What you want?"

  "Sanctuary for a human girl. Safe rest, protection.” then, to clarify it: “No hurt girl."

  The bear found this funny, and so did his companions. “No hurt girl! What you offer, better than tasty girl?"

  "Pigs. Here."

  Suddenly Indigo had their whole attention. “Pigs we can catch?"

  "Pigs you can eat. We will bring them here. You let girl sleep."

  "We fill bellies, we let girl be. Deal."

  "Deal. Pigs come soon. Girl come later. Remember."

  "Deal,” the bear agreed.

  "I will stay with the girl, to remind you."

  "Deal."

  "Go outside. Pigs come soon."

  The bears filed out. In a moment they disappeared into the brush near the cave entrance. Indigo relayed the picture.

  Meanwhile Owl was guiding the pigs toward the cave. The bears, impatient to get on with the hunt, moved quietly through the brush to intercept them.

  Gopher returned his attention to Rowan. “We must hide you until we can properly care for you. I feel how tired you are. We are all tired, and must rest for a day. You will be safe with the bears, until we can make it right."

  "Make it right?"

  "There are protocols. We must establish you as a regular subject human. Then no one will suspect you."

  "You mean I'm not supposed to be here?"

  Gopher considered. “It may be like a telepathic animal in your realm."

  "Oh, you mean really different, and if anybody catches on, there could be real mischief."

  "That is the case. We think concealment of your nature is best."

  "Got it. I need to look normal for your realm, so there's no trouble."

  "Yes. We must arrange to make you seem normal. Then we will all be all right."

  "We are almost to the gully. Indigo will lead you to the cave, and watch over you."

  "To make sure the bears don't get me."

  "Yes. They made the deal, but they need to be reminded, because they are not truly sapient. Indigo will make sure they remember."

  "That's a relief. I wasn't thinking of bears when I came here."

  Gopher and Peba did the final bit of digging, and broke out to the gully wall. Now they shoved earth forward rather than back, and widened the hole until Rowan could wriggle out. She was covered with dirt, but was free of the tunnel. “Feels great to breathe fresh air again!"

  "You must go immediately to the bears’ cave,” Gopher told her. “Sapient animals must not see you."

  "Got it,” she agreed. “Just show me the way."

  Indigo slithered up. “Follow me,” he thought.

  The girl followed the snake down the gully. Gopher, relieved, turned back into the tunnel, made his way to the burrow offshoot, and went to his own cubbyhole. He was horribly tired, and needed to sleep for a day or two.

  * * * *

  He was awakened by a human scream. It was Rowan, coming awake herself. Her vision came right through to Gopher with extraordinary force. It was of a bear with blood dripping from its jaws.

  "She's not attacking!” Indigo hissed. “Read her mind!"

  the gopher added his reassurance to that of the snake. They bear
was returning from feeding, and would now help protect their charge, as agreed.

  "We made deal,” the she-bear growled. She had two cubs, and planned to treat the visitor like a cub, protecting her from dangers, including other bears. The cubs were behind her, curious about the human.

  Gradually the girl's alarm subsided. Indigo was connecting her mind to that of the bear, and she understood that there was no menace. The blood was from the pig the bear had just eaten, and shared with her cubs, and soon it was gone as the bear licked off her chops. She settled down beside the girl, lending her warmth in the cool cave. The cubs hesitated, then curled up with the girl.

  "You're cute,” Rowan thought.

  Owl had not liked that thought, but the cubs did. They shared their limited minds with her, becoming friendly. One was male, the other female. The female was well behaved, but the male liked to explore. That made his mother nervous, because there were dangers out there.

  Gopher tried to go back to sleep, but the girl's thoughts were too strong.

  "But how could you eat a live pig?"

  The mother bear considered. “Dead meat spoil. Much better fresh,” she thought.

  "But to tear apart a live thing!"

  "What you eat?"

  The girl's mind oriented on a pork chop. “Toasted dead meat,” she thought.

  "You burn? Ugh!"

  The thoughts faded, and Gopher lapsed back into sleep. He woke some time later, feeling hungry. It wasn't his own hunger he felt, but Rowan's; she was a mammal and needed food more often than a reptile did. But it put the notion into his mind, and now he was hungry himself.

  He made his way out of the burrow. The others were still resting; they were tired too. He went to the nearest grassy patch and started eating, but his mind remained on the girl. They had brought her here, but now what were they going to do with her? She was not a creature of this realm, and even though she was learning mind talk, she was not like the other animals. She wasn't like the humans here, either. There was no comfortable place for her in this world.

  Gopher knew that he and the other burrow mates had acted without thinking carefully enough. They were an immature burrow, and had just proved it by doing something foolish. Yet how could they have left the girl in her own realm? Her mental affinity was closer to theirs than to her own kind in either place. So had they really had a choice?

  Meanwhile the girl's thoughts continued. What was there for her to eat? “We have some raw pig left,” the she-bear thought, but Rowan found that revolting.

  "Humans are omnivores,” Indigo thought. “Like bears. What do you eat when it's not meat?"

  "Berries,” the she-bear thought. “Eat."

  "Berries!” Rowan agreed. “Those would be good."

  "Patch near. Ripen every day in summer. We eat not today; we had pigs. I show you."

  "Great!” But then she paused. “I'm not supposed to go out where sapients might see me."

  "Sapients,” the bear echoed with mixed feelings. “They restrict us.” There was a surge of resentment.

  Gopher was interested. His burrow had just made a deal with the bears that had brought them a very good meal. Why did the bears resent the sapient animals?

  "I get berries,” the she-bear decided. “You stay with cubs."

  "But how can you pick them?” Rowan asked.

  The bear pondered. “How?” she asked, stumped.

  "Maybe you can knock them into a bag,” Rowan thought. She made a mental picture of the process. “I have a bag.” She brought out a small cloth device.

  "Bag,” the bear agreed, grasping the concept.

  The bear took the bag in her mouth, and left the cave. Rowan stroked the cubs. They had gotten to know each other in the night, and were getting along well. The mother bear knew that, or she would never have left them with the human girl.

  Gopher tuned out. The girl would have her berries, and stop being hungry. But the larger problem remained: where would she stay? What would she do? There would be trouble the moment any sapient animal not of their own burrow caught on that she was an intelligent human being, and disaster if they realized just how intelligent she was. Yet she could not remain hidden much longer in the bears’ cave. She had to stay somewhere else.

  The grazing wasn't good here, so Gopher moved farther from the burrow. He checked the minds of other sapients within range; there was no mischief nearby. He found some tasty low leaves, and snapped them up avidly. It was good to be eating properly again.

  Then a sapient mind approached at a moderate pace. It was not local. A raccoon on a howdah, traveling through this area on the way to a distant burrow. Gopher expanded his mind, letting the raccoon know of his presence.

  In due course a male human tramped into sight. The howdah was a wooden framework attached to his shoulders and sitting above his head. The raccoon perched on it just above the head, gazing forward.

  The human halted, obeying a mental command. The raccoon gazed down at Gopher. “Greeting, Tortoise."

  "Greeting, Raccoon."

  "Is this your territory?"

  "My burrow is not yet sanctioned. The territory is open."

  "Then I will forage here.” The human squatted, then sat on the ground, so that the raccoon could conveniently jump down. It was a routine maneuver.

  Gopher was annoyed that he had been unable to reserve this territory for their own burrow. But he couldn't, until their burrow was complete and recognized. He couldn't even travel in style, the way the raccoon was, on the howdah.

  And then he had an inspiration. He closed his mind, not wishing to share his notion with a stranger. “I will return to my burrow. Good foraging."

  "Thank you.” The raccoon disappeared into the brush, while the human male sat waiting, his thoughts dull.

  Gopher hurried home, keeping his thoughts muted until he was out of range of the raccoon. Only when he was in the burrow did he let his mind reach out to the others. “Burrow gathering tonight."

  They were there when the evening came, all of them fairly rested after a day of sleep. They could tell it was important, because of Gopher's excitement. “This concerns the girl,” Indigo thought, and of course he wasn't guessing. “She is sleeping now; need I wake her?"

  "No need,” Gopher replied. “Only if my idea is good."

  "We do have a problem,” Owl thought. “I don't know why I didn't get an overview of it before."

  "Because you like the girl, you feathered curmudgeon,” Cottontail thought. “As do we all. We weren't thinking of problems, we just wanted her with us."

  "We're an immature burrow,” Peba thought. “We need more maturity, and a better mind."

  "Too bad that raccoon was taken,” Gopher thought. “He was a sensible one, but he was traveling to join another burrow.” Then he launched into his encounter with the raccoon. “And when I saw the dull human man sitting there, I realized that Rowan could do that."

  "She's not dull,” Indigo thought. “That's the problem."

  "But she's human. She can seem dull. No one will suspect."

  "I must object,” Indigo thought. “This girl has the finest mind we have encountered. To make her become a dull beast of burden—that would be an outrage, even if she is technically human."

  "She can seem dull,” Gopher repeated. “Not be dull. She can be among us, unchallenged, as our bearer, and see our whole society. We alone will know her true nature. She will have freedom, as long as she pretends to be dull. Just as we were all right in the other realm as long as none of the natives knew we were telepathic."

  They pondered this. “Tortoise, this is a remarkable idea,” Owl thought. “I am surprised you thought of it."

  "It was just chance. I saw the raccoon foraging in our territory, and the dull human bearer, and Rowan was on my mind, and it came to me. I couldn't even be sure it was a good idea. I had to share it with the burrow."

  They considered it. “I believe it is good,” Indigo thought. “If she agrees."

  There was a ment
al murmur of agreement from the others. Gopher's idea had passed muster. He was pleased, for it was rare that he was able to do original thinking; it wasn't his nature.

  "However, there remains a problem,” Indigo thought, as usual coming up with the odd aspect. “She can't remain long here in the bear's cave. In time they will get hungry again, and she is young and tasty. She must have a secure residence of her own, and she will not fit in the burrow."

  "Humans don't normally live in burrows anyway,” Owl thought. “Just as most birds don't."

  "Sensible birds live in trees,” Cottontail thought, and there was friendly humor from the others.

  "Could she live in a tree?” Owl asked.

  That was an interesting notion, and they focused on it. “Humans can climb trees, if they think of it,” Gopher agreed.

  "But mostly they live in crude shelters on the ground,” Peba thought. “To keep the rain off and the flies out."

  "And sometimes hungry creatures get at them,” Indigo thought. “They might be better off in trees."

  "Maybe if Rowan agrees,” Gopher thought. He always tried to achieve unity in the burrow, and this was a burrow matter.

  "Maybe now is the time to wake her,” Cottontail thought. “We need to know how she feels about this."

  There was a pause as Indigo focused on the human girl, who was sleeping with the two cubs. Gopher felt her come awake. There was confusion as she oriented on the snake's mental question.

  Then her reaction came. “A treehouse! Great!"

  She liked the notion! “Now ask her about the bearer,” Gopher thought. That was really more important.

  There was another pause as the girl assimilated the notion. “This way I can be with you?” she asked. “With all of you, without hiding?"

  "Only your mind,” Indigo thought. “Other sapients must not know you are smart. You must pretend to be dull. Only we burrow mates must know your mental power."

  "Sure. You're the only folk I care about anyway. I knew there'd be problems for me here, just as there are for you in my realm. I can play the game, if it means I can stay here without trouble."