Wisdom in the Dark

Chapter 9 - Jak

It was late that wake period when Jak led the small party back to the Pyc Village. Myra sent Ylya to gather the village in the Ting, and soon the longhouse was packed to the brim with Pyc Family members and the Wodniki visitors.

Jak had removed the hard drive of the Holowycz traffic control computer and carried it back to the Pyc Village. Now Myra stood on the raised dais in the center of the Ting, Jak standing to her right, and held the hard drive in her hands to show her people as if she proffered a sacred relic to them. The Ting was filled with the dull roar of conversation and questions as the Pyc looked on in wonder.

“Everyone, listen,” Myra said, voice raised.

The drone of hundreds of voices continued.

“Quiet!” Jak bellowed.

The chatter quickly died down, and Jak nodded to Myra.

“Thank you,” Myra said before continuing. “My people, I bring news. The Holowyzc are dead.” Gasps and mutterings followed this proclamation. “They died because of their pride and extreme xenophobia, and deeply incestuous reproduction led to disease wiping them out.”

Myra lifted the hard drive a little higher. “This hard drive holds all the information about their demise.” Myra lowered the hard drive and took a step forward. “But with their deaths comes new life. The Holowycz found a way to plant trees, and an entire self-sustaining forest surrounds their village.”

Gasps of amazement were followed by shouts of both curiosity and anger.

“That’s preposterous!”

“Where? Why haven’t we seen it before?”

“Their rash actions will cause Callisto to break apart!”

“Oh s**t, there’s goes the planet.”

“It’s true,” Jak cut in, and silence followed his words. He suddenly realized all eyes were on him, and he had to push through a moment of anxiousness. “I discovered this forest today while hunting. It’s several dozen square miles and is full of animals.”

“This forest is a boon to Pyc Village,” Myra continued. “And the death of the Holowycz is a lesson to us all. Yes, there are families that we may never be able to reconcile with, but we cannot remain forever secluded if we are to survive. Our union with the Wodniki is fortuitous, and will ensure both our families will remain strong and untainted.”

Then Myra turned to Jak. “My new husband is the one who found this forest, and led us to scout it out. Without him, we may never have found it.” Myra placed her hands within Jak’s, and he realized that part of this was for dramatic effect. He played along to support his wife. “I promised myself in marriage to you, and now I know I can place my full trust in you.”

“And I will not disappoint you,” Jak replied.

Jak and Myra kissed, and the Ting exploded with applause.

Myra broke the kiss and turned to face the adoration of her people. Jak followed suit and found himself really smiling. Any reservations or concerns about his shortcomings were forgotten as he drank in the attention and recognition of the Pyc.

“Last night we celebrated one new start,” Myra called out over the roar of applause. “Let tonight be a celebration of another. Let the drink flow!”

More cheers erupted and Jak watched as Pyc villagers moved to bring out the booze. Jak had always thought the Wodniki were alcoholics, but watching the Pyc during the wedding he thought his own people were conservative in comparison. He swore at least half the Pyc produce had to have went to alcohol production.

Myra’s hand suddenly ran down Jak’s back, and he reveled in the sensation. He turned and smiled at her.

“You played your part well,” Myra said, still smiling.

Suddenly Jak was crestfallen. Myra didn’t care, he realized. She needed a win for the Pyc Family, and he had given it to her. The kiss she had given him when Jak brought her the deer, and her affections during her speech suddenly meant nothing. The smile she wore now was simply a mask she wore as leader of the Pyc.

It was an arranged marriage, Jak reminded himself. He shouldn’t have gotten his hopes us.

“As did you,” Jak finally managed, and realized he sounded as dejected as he felt.

Cheer up, damn it, Jak told himself. Stop being a little b***h. You did a great thing and were recognized for it.

Instead of ignoring Jak, though, Myra gave him a look of concern.

“No, Jak, you did great.” Myra squeezed his hand and smiled. “Really, you did.”

Just then Mytla rolled to the base of the dais where Jak and Myra stood, pushed along by her aid Anna.

“Dear son, may I speak with my daughter,” Mytla asked, a soft smile on her wrinkled features.

“Of course, honored mother,” Jak replied.

Myra pecked Jak on the cheek and squeezed his hand before she descended the dais toward her mother.

“I had my doubts about you, but you’re not bad, Jak.” Ctik strode up beside Jak.

It was as if someone had flipped a switch, and Jak was the confident, almost cocky, man’s man once more. “You’re not too bad yourself, Ctik. For a Pyc.”

“I still expect a Sylph competition.”

“You’re on. Besides, you’d never beat me hunting.”

Ctik patted Jak on the shoulder and turned to walk away. Then Ctik stopped, as if remembering something.

“Make sure you perform your wifely duties,” Ctik said.

Jak’s head snapped to glare at Ctik. “What did you say?”

“Myra sits in the seat of leadership, while you are at her right hand like a dutiful wife should be. Misses Jak Pyc suits you well.”

Jak turned to stand square with Ctik, still glaring at Myra’s cousin.

“Do you need your ass kicked?”

Ctik froze – he reminded Jak of the deer he shot earlier that day.

“Well?” Jak growled.

Ctik stared at Jak a moment longer, then looked away and hung his head.

“That’s what I thought.” Jak sneered. “Now piss off.”

Jak watched as Ctik slunk away. Though he had won the confrontation with Ctik, inside Jak felt as if the floor had been pulled out from under him and he was in freefall. The fact that Ctik thought Jak was more the submissive wife than a strong husband led Jak to think more people in the Pyc Family thought the same way. It made Jak feel inferior and weak and suddenly he felt very defensive.

“What was that all about?” Ivan asked as he strode up to Jak.

“I need a drink.”

“What?”

Jak practically ran down the dais. “I said I need a drink.”

Unlike the previous night, Jak drank his fill. First it was wine, then shots of vodka. An older Pyc man challenged Jak to a drinking contest, and Jak was quick to accept. Jak drank the old man under the table, with room for more.

It was Jak’s parents who stopped him.

“Slow down son,” Jan said.

“Your wife will want you coherent,” Ata said.

“You mean my husband?” Jak spat. “Myra will just drag me back to her hut so she can not have s*x with me again.”

Both Jak’s parents were taken aback at Jak’s words. Jak noticed some of the Pyc Family members give him sidelong glances.

“What’s wrong?” Ata asked.

Jak turned away. “Nothing. I’m just drunk. It’s nothing.”

Somehow Jan and Ata guided Jak to Myra. Myra stood with her mother discussing something.

“Perhaps you can take care of your husband,” Jan said.

Myra looked at Jak, eyes wide with surprise, and suddenly Jak was ashamed. He had lost control of his emotions and allowed himself to get drunk out of anger – one of the worst possible reasons to drink.

Instead of scorning Jak, though, Myra took his hand.

“I’ll take him back to our hut,” Myra said.

Moments later Jak and Myra were outside the Ting in the cool air of the dark Pyc Village. As he walked Jak’s world began to spin. He closed his eyes tight in an attempt to straighten his vision.

“You going to make it?” Myra asked.

Her hand still clutched Jak’s arm, guiding him toward her hut.

“I’ll survive,” Jak said.

“I expected my husband to hold his liquor better.”

“He decided to go shot-for-shot with one of your family members.”

Myra sucked her teeth. “That’s a one way trip to failure.”

They walked the rest of the way to Myra’s home in silence. Once inside, Jak hobbled over to the cramped bathroom and hovered over the toilet, fully expecting to empty the contents of his stomach. But, when nothing was forthcoming, he shuffled back into the main room of the hut.

Myra was in bed at that point, and she propped herself up on her elbows when Jak exited the bathroom.

“So what’s wrong?” she asked.

Jak stared at her for a moment, wondering how much he should actually tell her. The booze told him to unpack every insecurity he had on his new wife. But some logical part of his mind was still functioning – thank Wotuos – and he buried some of it away.

Jak settled for the events of that night. “Ctik said something about me being your wife. It just got to me, is all.”

Myra arched an eyebrow at Jak. “If I have learned anything about you, Jak Wodniki, it’s that you are far from the woman.”

“Yeah, well, it doesn’t help when you’re the head of an entire family and I seem to be window dressings.”

“Yes, you’re just my token husband.” Myra chuckled. “Don’t tell all my other husbands.”

“Right.”

“The way I see it, we’re like the leaders of ancient tribes.”

Jak frowned. “How do you mean?”

“Tribes in ancient America on Terra used to choose a peace chief and a war chief. The peace chief was always chosen by the women of the tribe, but the moment it was time for war, the men chose a war chief. You’re my war chief.”

“I’m not sure the rest of the Pyc Family sees it that way,” Jak said.

“Come to bed, husband.” Myra patted the bed next to her.

Jak noticed Myra was clothed. “You don’t seem ready to consummate our marriage.”

“No, not yet.” Then Myra gave Jak a small smile. “But in time. But we are married, and the husband of the leader of Pyc Village shouldn’t sleep on the ground.”

At first Jak was frustrated. Why invite him to bed if they weren’t going to have s*x? Then he remembered his father’s words that day. Be patient with her. You may not be happy now, but continue to do the work she deserves of a husband and the joy you will find will last a lifetime.

Jak slid gingerly into bed next to Myra, almost worried that if he touched her she would throw him out. But as he settled down she pressed her body against Jak’s, and pulled his arm over her.

It’s not perfect, Jak thought, but it’s a start.