"Were you ever married, Miss-- Noma? If you don't mind my asking, I mean."
"Yes," I say, "but he -" there's no word for it, really, that applies to humans, so I settle for - "died. And my children," I say, "which is the worst, though I lost them all long ago." I know I look like a woman in her middle-thirties, and so I smile a little and say - "I am a bit older than I look. Being a mother suited me better than being a wife. I miss them." I do; so much more since I came to have a body again. Bodies seem so good at carrying grief.
"Waterkey--man I knew once, ma'am--used ta say the destiny of man was to become more than man. Not... quite sure 'bout that--mean, I think people can be pretty damn good, an' the idea of becomin' more'n that seems ta sell them a bit short--but it's a good sentiment."
I smile back at him.
"Sometimes people need to learn to be human, it seems to me. And then there are people who aren't human who have a great deal more humanity than the average man," and I touch my hand to his sleeve very lightly.
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Date: 2012-03-27 02:04 pm (UTC)"Yes," I say, "but he -" there's no word for it, really, that applies to humans, so I settle for - "died. And my children," I say, "which is the worst, though I lost them all long ago." I know I look like a woman in her middle-thirties, and so I smile a little and say - "I am a bit older than I look. Being a mother suited me better than being a wife. I miss them." I do; so much more since I came to have a body again. Bodies seem so good at carrying grief.
"Waterkey--man I knew once, ma'am--used ta say the destiny of man was to become more than man. Not... quite sure 'bout that--mean, I think people can be pretty damn good, an' the idea of becomin' more'n that seems ta sell them a bit short--but it's a good sentiment."
I smile back at him.
"Sometimes people need to learn to be human, it seems to me. And then there are people who aren't human who have a great deal more humanity than the average man," and I touch my hand to his sleeve very lightly.