THE TWELVE -- Chapter 25 - An Unpleasant Meeting

Djaisiuk had needed a distraction.  Tonight, of all nights, he needed to distract Kandryl, to give him something out of the ordinary to consider.  What better action than for Djaisiuk himself to leave his workroom at the sixth hour, rather than retiring, and to join the others of his group for a meal to which they had invited him some days earlier?  Djaisiuk wished to see them regardless, but he had never had time to do so before now, nor was he willing to awaken in Kandryl the suspicion that there might be an emotional tie between himself and the others.  Now, this latter consideration bore less weight than did the necessity of providing some distraction, some singular occurrence, which would give Kandryl pause.  So it was that Djaisiuk did not eat the meal provided to him on the night of the fourteenth day of capture.  Rather, he continued to work until nearly the sixth hour, at which time he left his room and headed directly towards the second level of the Detu section.
 

There were seven boys sitting around the large table when Djaisiuk entered the eating room.  He approached the table without hesitation and was not at all surprised when a dead silence descended on the group as they noticed him.  He did not speak, however, but silently sat down in an empty chair between Jade and Detrin.  Jaeger, who sat at Jade’s right, was the first to break the silence.
 

“Djaisiuk,” said Jaeger, “this is a pleasant surprise.  We’ve been hoping for some time that you’d come and join us.  How have you been?”
 

Djaisiuk did not answer, but simply reached forward to type a meal order into the central keypad, preferring to send his order non-verbally.
 

Jade chuckled.  “It’s reassuring to know that you haven’t changed,” he said.  “I’m afraid that you’ll find the fare much poorer here than that to which we were used on the ship.”
 

“I wish that Faquire was here,” said Sandy.  “Even if he couldn’t prepare the food himself, at least he could order the foods that we all ate.  I’m sure it would help to keep us healthier.”
 

“The foods here are specially designed to keep you healthy,” said Eriane.  “If you started getting sickly, I’m sure that the doctors would intervene with your diet, but there’s little likelihood of that.”
 

“I think that we’re all pretty well trained as far as diet goes,” said Jaeger.  “Even if Faquire isn’t choosing the foods, I’m sure that we can all be trusted to keep ourselves in fairly good health.”
 

“Do you get to order your own dinner each night, Djaisiuk or is it done without your input?” asked Cycil.  He waited for an answer, but Djaisiuk did not even acknowledge the question.  “We’ve been hoping that you would come, as Jaeger said,” he continued, “but Kiacyl always said that you were busy.  It really is so good to see you!”
 

Djaisiuk still did not look up at them, but sat silently looking down at the table.
 

“We were just talking about Kiacyl, in fact,” said Eriane.  “He’s rather late again.  He’s been coming regularly and eating with us, as he may have mentioned.  He generally arrives shortly after Detrin, but he’s almost an hour late now.  Do you know why he might be late?”
 

“No,” answered Djaisiuk.  His meal arrived, and he began to eat silently, still not looking at any of the others.  Eriane seemed surprised to have received an answer but soon realized that his had been the only ‘yes’ or ‘no’ question asked thus far.
 

Detrin smiled.  “It truly is good to see you, Djaisiuk,” he said.  He then laughed a little and continued, “And I agree with Jade: it’s comforting to know that you really haven’t changed.  Will you come again tomorrow night?”
 

Djaisiuk chose to ignore this question too.
 

“I’d guess that that means either that he doesn’t know or that he hasn’t made up his mind yet,” suggested Eriane.
 

“He probably won’t come,” said Leil, “if we pester him with too many questions.  He may not have changed, but it seems that we all have.  Can you imagine us making him the center of attention for this long at a meal on board the ship?  I don’t think that he’d be happy at all.”
 

“You’re right, Leil,” said Jaeger smiling.  “Djaisiuk, it’s wonderful to have you, as I said earlier, even if you don’t want to talk.  We won’t bother you any more, if you’d rather that we didn’t.”  Then, turning to Jade, he said, “You were saying something, I think, weren’t you?”
 

“I was just saying,” said Jade, “that the last time that Kiacyl was late was the time that he went to see Creole, Christopher, and Faquire.  I wonder if he’s gone back to see them again.”
 

“I wish that we could see them,” said Sandy.  “Do you suppose that Kandryl would let us, if we asked him?”
 

“It’s possible, but I feel rather inclined to doubt it,” said Eriane.  “Remember that Wysire tried that a few days after we arrived.”
 

“Where is Wysire?” asked Detrin.  “He’s late as well.”
 

“You’re right; I hadn’t noticed,” Eriane said.  “He’s usually the last to arrive, but he is generally here by now, isn’t he?”
 

“Maybe he’s with Kiacyl,” said Cycil smilingly.
 

Kiacyl and Wysire enter the room together and approach the table at which the boys were seated.
 

“Hello,” said Wysire, stepping around the table toward his normal seat.  “Sorry we’re late.”
 

“So you were together?” asked Sandy.  “We wondered.”
 

“Yes, we—” began Kiacyl, but he then cut off suddenly.  “Djaisiuk?!” he exclaimed.
 

Djaisiuk stopped eating and looked up as Kiacyl addressed him.  Wysire followed Kiacyl’s gaze and his eyes widened as well.  He quickly smiled though.
 

“Djaisiuk!” exclaimed Wysire.  “It’s so good to see you.  How have you been?”
 

Djaisiuk had not taken his eyes from Kiacyl, but he now lowered them again without acknowledging Wysire’s question.  He continued to sit silently, and he did not begin eating again immediately.
 

“Do you ignore your friends as much as you ignore me?” Kiacyl asked Djaisiuk sharply.
 

“I don’t think that he cares to talk tonight,” remarked Jaeger.  “We’re just happy to have him here.”
 

Wysire nodded in understanding and sat down, but Kiacyl did not look away from Djaisiuk.  Djaisiuk silently returned to his meal.
 

“May I ask how you were able to come tonight, Djaisiuk?” Kiacyl asked in a rather harsh voice.  “You usually don’t seem to have the time, and I thought that you didn’t care whether you did or not.  Why tonight?”
 

Jaeger frowned at Kiacyl’s tone of voice and the younger boys looked uncomfortable.  Jade cleared his throat.
 

“We don’t question Djaisiuk’s actions,” said Jade.  “No one does.”
 

“And he wouldn’t explain them, even if we did question them,” said Detrin.
 

“It just seems a remarkable coincidence,” Kiacyl continued, glancing at Wysire and then looking back at Djaisiuk.  “I’d like to know what influenced him to come tonight of all nights.”
 

“Maybe he missed us,” suggested Sandy.
 

Kiacyl raised his eyebrows.  “Is that possible?” Kiacyl asked Djaisiuk in a sarcastic tone of voice.  “I’m not asking if it’s true; I’m only asking whether that idea is even conceivable.  Is it?”
 

Djaisiuk no longer acknowledged either Kiacyl’s presence or his words.  Jaeger and several of the other boys, however, bristled at Kiacyl’s insinuations.
 

“Kiacyl!” said Jaeger sharply.  “Is this the way that you talk to him when you work with him?  Is this how you treat Djaisiuk every day?  It’s a wonder that he still works for your people at all, if this is the way that he’s treated.”
 

“Why?” asked Kiacyl.  “He acts like he doesn’t have any feelings; he seems to want people to think that he hasn’t; why should he be upset when people suggest that what he tries so hard to portray might actually be true?”
 

Djaisiuk continued to eat his meal unconcernedly and seemed to take no further notice of the conversation, either of the attack or of the defense.  Jaeger, Jade, Leil, and Eriane, however, seemed quite upset, and the others were clearly not happy with Kiacyl’s accusations.
 

“What difference does it make to you why he came?” asked Jade.  “You get to see him all day every day.  We never get to see him.  We’re happy that he’d come, regardless of the reason.  Are you so tired of his company that you’d rather not spend the evening in his presence?  If so, then you’re welcome to leave.”
 

“He won’t even look at you!” exclaimed Kiacyl.  “He won’t speak to you.  Why do you defend him so ardently?”
 

“He’s my friend!” answered Jade.
 

“Indeed?  Tell me honestly, how many words has he spoken to you in the last two weeks?  Or in the last two years, for that matter; I’d like to know.  How many times since you all arrived here has he sought your company?  I can assure you that he’s never spoken of any of you in my presence, although I’ve heard you all speak of him often enough.  Does he even care about any of you?”
 

“Stop it!” cried Leil.  “He is my friend too, and I won’t sit by and listen to you malign him so.  You don’t even know him!”
 

“And you do?  How often has he spoken to you in the last twelve months?  How many times before you all came here did he ever come and talk to you?  How often has he even looked at you?  If you really know him, tell me this, who would he call his best friend?  Who does he enjoy being with?  What is his favorite subject to discuss?  Is the answer to all of these questions ‘himself’?”
 

“Kiacyl, stop it,” Jaeger ordered authoritatively.  “You can drop the subject now, or you can leave.  Take your choice.”
 

“Again, I have to ask, why do you defend him?” persisted Kiacyl, ignoring the dangerous tone in Jaeger’s voice and the angry looks of most of the boys.  “And why do you get so offended at my questions?  If the answers are in his favor, then why not state them?  And if they’re not, then why do you refuse to admit it?”
 

Jade and Leil both stood suddenly as if they would remove Kiacyl from the table forcibly, but Jaeger stopped them.
 

“He’s Vukasovian,” said Jaeger.  “For all we know, he may be trying to incite some sort of violence.  Let it go.  If he insists on continuing this slander, then I suggest that we all ignore him for the remainder of the evening.”
 

“And every evening following, if it comes to that,” muttered Eriane quietly.
 

“I won’t listen to him talk about any one of the members of our group like that any more,” said Jade, still looking at Kiacyl, though speaking to Jaeger.
 

“Kiacyl, what is your goal in saying all of this?” asked Wysire softly.  “Are you truly trying to learn, or are you only trying to prove a point?”
 

Wysire’s voice seemed to have a calming effect on the group.  The tension seemed to lessen somewhat and everyone seemed to breath a little easier.  Kiacyl looked at Wysire and considered for a moment, as Jade and Leil sat down slowly, though they still looked half dangerous.
 

“I want to know why you all seem to care for him so much when he doesn’t seem to care about any of you,” answered Kiacyl slowly, the sarcastic tone almost completely gone from his voice.  “I don’t understand.”
 

Wysire nodded.  “It is hard to understand,” he said.  “We all love Djaisiuk because he is both our fellow Komislavian and our brother in Christ.  Even if he didn’t care about us at all, we’d still care for him because of who he is.  But you don’t understand Djaisiuk either.  He does care about all of us, but he doesn’t show it in the same way that we do.  He’s different, yes, but he is still human, and he does still have feelings.  He may choose not to show them, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t exist.”
 

“Creole could always read Djaisiuk’s feelings,” said Sandy quietly.  “Djaisiuk could have a whole conversation with Creole without ever speaking a word.”
 

“That reminds me,” said Wysire.  “If you don’t mind my changing the subject, Kiacyl, I have word for everyone.”
 

“I’m sure that no one minds your changing the subject,” said Jaeger.  “Please do so.”
 

“It’s just as well that Djaisiuk is here, as it’s for him too,” continued Wysire as Kiacyl slowly sat down himself, having remained standing throughout the entire previous exchange.  “Kiacyl and I went to see Faquire, Creole, and Christopher, this evening, and the latter two send their greetings.”
 

There were several exclamations at this, and Wysire was immediately bombarded with questions.  Djaisiuk alone made no reaction; indeed it would almost seem that he hadn’t heard Wysire’s statement.  Kiacyl watched him closely, his expression still dark, but Djaisiuk still didn’t look up.
 

“I’ll tell you all that I can,” said Wysire, as soon as he could make himself heard above the other boys, “if you’ll just let me speak.”
 

Wysire proceeded to describe their visit to the three boys in great detail.  He told all that he had seen and heard and repeated nearly every word of their conversations.  The boys sat in rapt attention, occasionally making a comment or an exclamation at various times in the narrative.  They were all worried for Faquire and indignant about Creole and Christopher.  Eriane sank deeper and deeper into a gloomy silence as Wysire continued.
 

When Wysire finished, there was silence for a time.  All seemed absorbed in their own thoughts.  Kiacyl was the first to speak.
 

“Did you know that we’d gone to see them, Djaisiuk?” he asked somewhat sharply.  “Is that why you came tonight?”
 

“No,” said Djaisiuk, not looking at Kiacyl.  He had finished his meal and sat now sipping a glass of water, still looking down at the table.  His expression had not changed at all through Wysire’s narrative, nor did it change now.
 

“Djaisiuk,” said Wysire quietly, “do you think that there’s anything that we can do for Faquire?  I don’t know what’s wrong with him, and I don’t know what can be done.”
 

“Could it be something medical?” asked Jade when Djaisiuk did not answer.
 

All looked to Eriane for an opinion, but he only shook his head.
 

“I don’t know,” he said.  “I wish that they’d allow me to go and examine him, but I suppose that Wysire and I would need to go together, in case it’s a combination of both of our areas.”
 

Wysire nodded.  “I wish that I knew whether it was psychological or physiological.  If this is just something physical that they’ve done intentionally -- some sort of drug -- then that would make it somewhat easier.  But his expression!”  Wysire shuddered.  “It was a look of utter hopelessness, like a sense of perfect futility.  It was the sort of indifference that you see in people who have given up trying, or who have lost all hope.  He wouldn’t even look at me.”
 

“I can understand how one might lose all hope after being imprisoned in such a small place as you describe for so long,” said Leil quietly.
 

“But surely then he would have reacted all the more joyfully at seeing one of his friends,” said Jade.  “It doesn’t make sense, unless they’ve done something to him.”
 

Jaeger shrugged.  “You’re the doctor, Eriane,” he said.  “Does it sound like a physical problem?”
 

Eriane shook his head sadly.  “I don’t know,” he said.  “Without examining him myself, I can’t begin to guess what it might be.  Your description makes it sound more psychological, Wysire, but if you could find no answer, then there must be more to it.  If I could only examine him, I might have some better idea.”
 

The boys were all silent again for a moment, then Djaisiuk suddenly rose and started to turn away from the table.
 

“You’re not going, are you?” exclaimed Wysire.
 

“Oh, Djaisiuk, you can’t mean to go yet,” said Jade.  “The evening is just beginning.  Surely you don’t have to leave so soon, do you?”
 

Djaisiuk had indeed intended to leave.  His goal in coming had been accomplished, and there was no further need for him to stay.  He would normally have been asleep by this time, and his body was telling him that it was late.  He wanted to go to bed now.  However, when they addressed him so, he turned back to look at them, but whether he intended to answer or not will never be known, for at that moment a young Vukasovian messenger approached the table.  This newcomer looked over all of the boys, his eyes finally stopping on Kiacyl, the only Vukasovian at the table.
 

“Which is the one called Jysuke?” he asked.
 

Kiacyl silently indicated Djaisiuk, and the young man immediately stepped to the latter's side.  He handed a message to him, which Djaisiuk accepted it wordlessly.  This is what he read:

“Your former shipmate, Faquire, is suffering severe side-effects from a Vukasovian mind drug.  The drug had been fully eradicated from his body two days ago, but the symptoms persist.  I desire you to attempt to revive him.  You may bring whichever of your compatriots you feel are necessary, but no more than three.  — Kandryl.”
Djaisiuk finished reading the message and then looked up at the messenger.
 

“I am to escort you,” said the young man.  “Also whichever of the other Komislavians that you may wish to bring.”
 

Djaisiuk turned and looked at the other boys.  “Him,” he said quietly, indicating Wysire, and then said, “Him,” again, indicating Eriane.
 

The escort turned to Wysire and Eriane.  “You two will accompany us,” he said.
 

The boys all looked at each other, startled.
 

“Where are we going?” asked Eriane, remaining seated.
 

“And why?” asked Wysire, rising from his seat to follow.  “What is all of this?”
 

“I’m just obeying orders,” the Vukasovian replied sternly.  “And I suggest that you do the same.  Come.”
 

Eriane and Wysire looked at each other, then at Djaisiuk.  Eriane stood also as Djaisiuk moved around the table and began to walk away, in the direction of the main entrance.  The escort looked after him, motioned Eriane and Wysire to follow, then walked quickly after Djaisiuk, overtaking him before he was half-way to the exit.  He then looked back to make sure that Eriane and Wysire were following.
 

Eriane had given a quick goodnight to the other boys, saying that he was sure that this would be interesting and that he and Wysire would tell them what it was all about the next evening, if they could.  Then he and Wysire had hurried after Djaisiuk and his ‘escort’.