The Visitor (24 page)

“
You’re taking me for a fool because you'll definitely go see Akkoronta, if you haven’t already, to suggest the opposite. That is to provide those videos if he doesn’t press charges on his side. Because, it’s obviously what he’s going to do.”
 

“
You're only half right.”
 

“
Please explain?”
 

“
That I'll actually go see him, but I won’t offer him your videos. I will make him a proposal symmetrical to that I’ve just made to you. Because I also have videos of Ralchadomac that he wouldn’t want me to let you have.”
 

“
Ha! Let me applaud with four hands! You’re the devil!”
 

“
No more compliments, vile flatterer! But to be called a devil by a concentration camp manager! You know what I mean? I have to go.”
 

“…”

“
And remember to drop the charges as soon as possible,” she added leaving him.
 

Her last words were almost uttered from the other side of the door.

Akkoronta’s room was in the same clinic, a few steps away. As she approached, Okkala saw a uma and three children coming out.
Probably his wife and offspring
, she said to herself. She slowed down her walk to give them time to move away, and then she entered.

“
Okkala? What...?”
 

“
You aren’t dead, Akkoronta! Too bad! Fore sure you’re doing everything you can to upset me!”
 

“
You’re really setting the tone!”
 

“
Bah! Let’s do away with civilities! You know the vastness of all the contempt I have for you! Then…”
 

“
Me too, I hate you, and you know it too.”
 

“
Yes. And I'm very flattered. So let's put aside all hypocrisies and false politeness. Don’t press the alarm, I didn't kill you.”
 

“
Yet your cohort has very well tried.”
 

“
That’s precisely who I want to talk to you about. One, he's not my cohort. And two, I’m asking you not to press charges or to drop them. I'll explain why you're going to follow this advice.”
 

She repeated the rationale that she had used with his competitor. But, when she had finished, against all odds, he looked at her with an air of amusement:

“
My poor Okkala! I imagine you used the same argument with Ykkypol. Besides, I wondered why it wasn't your brother who was on the set, but that's not the point. You said the same thing to Ykkypol, no?
 

“
Yes.”
 

“
You’re without a doubt a uma with principles, Okkala, and some might find that noble. But, you're not a strategist; in that area, you're but a child!”
 

“
...”
 

“
I'll file a complaint against Ukkosal and also against you based on the fact that he is your cohort. Regardless of whether that’s true or false, even. I’ll encourage Ykkypol to do the same. It’s in our interest for both of us to weaken you. I'll simply tell him that if he agrees to not use your videos against me, in return, I’ll promise not use them against him either. There’s nothing simpler. Your symmetrical blackmail doesn’t work, since we just have to agree with one another to be protected.”
 

Okkala’s confidence crumbled:
this guy sure is a tough
one!

Just then her phone vibrated in her pocket. She looked at the screen and read the following message:

"As a m
ember of Two One Four, I have important information! Call me as soon as possible. It is very important that you be the first to acquaint yourself with it, but I will not be able to keep it secret forever
”

“
As you wish, Akkoronta! Feel free to take that risk.”
 

Having said that, she left so that he wouldn’t see that she had been shaken by his counterattack. It was better to leave him in doubt.

In the hospital hallway, she called the text message’s author:

“
Hello!” said a uma. “Okkala, I’m sending you my address. Please come as quickly as you can.”
 

He had already cut communication. She put a finger on the address to pull up the map. It wasn’t far from where she was. She decided to go there on foot. The sender’s name seemed vaguely familiar. If he was really a member, he wasn’t often present. Coming out of the hospital, she hurried on.

*

“
We’ll have to feed your beast through a nasogastric tube,”explained the young veterinary surgeon. “It won’t be able to feed itself naturally.”
 

“
We followed your instructions, Akkaliza,” added Ikkillu. “We have put it back to sleep. So, it’ll no longer suffer and be afraid.”
 

Ikkillu and Kklibab were speaking with Akkal and his daughter in an Animal Comfort Clinic Office.

“
How long will she stay paralyzed?” asked Akkaliza.
 

Ikkillu looked at Akkal then her assistant hesitatingly. Her glare inspired him to pronounce.

“
Chances are for it to be permanent,” confessed the surgeon.
 

Finally, Akkaliza didn't know if the reanimation of the bov was a good or a bad thing. First, she wondered how Sneaky would react seeing her in that state. Then, trying to imagine what would now be the life of this poor beast sentenced to remain forever motionless, she began to strongly doubt that her return to life was a good thing.

Overwhelmed by what he was experiencing, Akkal spoke little, but he asked:

“
In practical terms, how can we... uh... I mean? How can we return Sneaky his companion. ... I mean...”
 

“
Sneaky?” said Kklibab surprised.
 

Ikkillu explained:

“
Sneaky is the name of the bov male that you’ve operated on. Akkaliza was the one that chose it, isn't that so?”
 

“
Who chose the male?”
 

“
No. The name. It is she who chose to call him that.”
 

She glanced at the person concerned. Immersed in her thoughts, she nodded her crest absently.

“
Ah!...” said Kklibab. “So to answer your question... Wow! It won't be easy to move it to its male. Even artificial insemi
nation will be problematic. Uh... For that matter, perhaps it doesn’t matter, as it is still in gestation.”
 

Not knowing what else to say, he sought help by looking into Ikkillu’s eyes.
After all, these aren’t my clients
, he thought.
I did my job, it’s her turn!
 

“
You don't understand,” said Akkaliza. “This isn’t a coupling! These two beings love each other! My father asked how to get them together. In fact, how to give them their life back simply and more generally?
 

Kklibab found it hard to conceal how much he found the question surreal and the concerns that it brought about futile. Although years of practice in this clinic had taught him how to put on a good face before the most extravagant of customer whims, this time, he was at a total loss.

‘
How to bring together two bovs that love each other?’
Now I've definitely heard everything
, he said to himself.
Unless the next madman asks me to heal a crushed slug who wanted to marry a goat.
 

“
We’ve done all what we could,” said Ikkillu looking at Akkal insistently.
 

She was trying to make him understand that she had fulfilled her part of the contract and that she didn’t want him to rescind on his commitment. The bov was alive: so he had to give her all his shares of Nature Foods.

Wanting in good faith to help his colleague satisfy her particularly demanding and eccentric customers, that he saw as spoiled children, Kklibab tried:

“
I admit it won't be easy for you to keep the emotional ties you had with this bov. It should be noted that keep her alive in these conditions will require care incurring significant costs. I understand that it’s very difficult to lose a pet to which one is attached... But if you decide to leave it at that, I know a great taxidermist. He can stuff its whole body, if you want to. In a very natural pose.”
 

At these words, Akkaliza could not restrain her weeps and seeing his daughter weep, Akkal started to cry. On hearing the vibrations of these two beaks, Ikkillu glared at the surgeon with a look made to make him understand that she wanted to be alone with her customers.

“
I'm sorry, but I have to leave you for a moment,” he said while leaving.
 

*

Okkala shook the two left hands of the large mixed-race who welcomed her at his home.

“
Hello!” he said.
 

He showed her to the living room and pointed to the couch:

“
Please sit down! Sit next to Ekklamisa. I’ll introduce you to each other.”
 

Okkala complied. She turned to her neighbor and both cordially shook their left hands.

Ikkarix drew a chair to sit in front of them and said:

“
Okkala, I present you Ekklamisa, Director of the space agency. I’m working under her as a mathematician specializing in orbital calculations. I’m a member of Two One Four, but I only went a couple of times to the meetings. I paid the dues because I share the ideas defended by the association, but I confess that I haven’t spent a lot of time and energy to promote them. You’ll soon understand that what we discovered and will reveal to you makes me regret that. Ekklamisa, let me introduce Okkala...”
 

“
I know Okkala, Ikkarix. I enjoyed seeing her on television. I congratulate you, Madam. I especially remember the moment that you questioned those who pray. I even remember your last two sentences, because they shook me: ‘
Yes, I’m talking to those who dare ask from above far more than what they’re willing to do for those below. In response to all their prayers, they should be happy that God doesn't eat them!’
The first touched me, the second made me laugh.
 

Okkala’s crest displayed a somewhat embarrassed smile:

“
I happen to be a bit... passionate, sometimes, I confess.”
 

“
My boss hadn’t told me that you had made such a strong impression on her,” marveled Ikkarix. “I’m discovering this at the same time as you are. I'll get to the point as quickly as possible, but would you like a drink?”
 

“
Not for now, thanks. I can't wait to find out what all this is about.”
 

Ikkarix turned his big wall display on which showed a part of the etchings from the Visitor’s plaque.

“
What do you see here?” he asked Okkala.
 

“
Well... a funny drawing of two strange bovs, why?”
 

“
Why are they strange?” asked Ekklamisa.
 

Okkala turned towards her:

“
Have you invited me so urgently just to pass a psychological test?”
 

Ikkarix reassured her:

“
No. It’s only because what we have to say is so, so...”
 

“
...?”
 

“
Did you hear about the spacecraft of alien construction?”
 

“
Yes, yes... I saw you talking about it, Ekklamisa; me too I saw you on television. But what has that to do with me?”
 

Ikkarix asked her:

“
Do you know that we were able to capture it and that it is currently parked in orbit inside a shuttle?”
 

“
No. I didn't. I've been very busy and... But what are you getting at, then?”
 

“
I'll tell you now. Keep in mind that this machine comes from somewhere in outer space. Very very very far away. It has traveled, at least, really at least, a million years at an average of fifty thousand kilometers per hour to reach us.”
 

“
I agree it’s fascinating when you think...”
 

“
Highly! Isn't it? Then, now I can tell you that the drawing you see here on the display, is on this craft.”
 

After three seconds of silent stupefaction, Okkala uttered:

“
Do you mean that the extraterumastrials who made this craft have bovs on their planet and that they have seen fit to draw them on their machine? Are they sacred animals or something of the sort at their home?”
 

Ekklamisa and Ikkarix exchanged looks. The first left the floor to the second.

“
Actually, that isn't quite what we wanted to convey, no. First, it’s important to say it’s from the past, because remember this machine left its home at least a million years ago.”
 

“
Yes, that's true,” recognized Okkala. “I meant that they had bovs on their world.”
 

“
Yes... That's better... But what we think is that they are the ones who designed the Visitor. The Visitor is the name we gave to the machine.”
 

“
Who?”
 

“
Bovs.”
 

“
! …”
 

“
The Visitor has been designed, manufactured and launched into space by a population of bovs,” insisted Ikkarix.
 

Okkala remained unable to articulate a sound, looking alternately two space agency employees in the eyes.

“
We’re very serious, Okkala,” finally said Ekklamisa hoping to get her talking again. “We wouldn’t have allowed ourselves to...”
 

“
How many people know this?”
 

“
To our knowledge, for the moment, you're the seventh.”
 

“
Why do you do me this honor?”
 

“
Who’s better placed than you?”
 

Before the puzzled look of the President of Two One Four, Ikkarix explained:

“
Let's recapitulate. At least a million years ago, a population of bovs mastered the science of launching vehicles into space. If these creatures still exist today, they must’ve attained a level so high, that for them we’re nothing but...”