Beyond the Distance

Chapter 15

Between rooms and hallways and above Amy's chatter, Malick thought only about returning to the kitchen where everyone else had been and where everyone else would be when Keona's whim passed and they all came in from the rain. He paid little attention to the rooms he entered or Amy's story about each of them. He just nodded and muttered general things, "That's nice," or "Interesting," or whatever he was saying—he wasn't exactly paying attention to the words that came from his mouth. Whatever he said must have caught Amy's attention, though, as she turned toward him and said, "Do you speak Keskan?"

"Yes." He looked at her dazedly, trying to figure out what he must have said to trigger her question. "Why do you ask?"

"I don't know," she shrugged. "It's a recommended course in the coming school year, and I don't know if I should take it or not. I mean, knowing it could open up different opportunities for me in the future, but I don't know that I want to bother with it. It never interested me." She glanced back at him. "Would you say that it's hard?"

"I'm not exactly the person to ask," he replied. "I learned it as a child, kind of grew up with it."

"But you're from Binneste, aren't you? You speak Binnestan with no accent at all."

"Yeah." He didn't want to explain it to her, so he said, "My mother was Keskan."

"Was Keskan? What does that—? Oh, I see it now," she exclaimed. "It's something in the eyes, I think."

He cast a glance at the door leading back to the kitchen. That's what Scott said earlier. "Yeah, well, that's why I can't really help you out. It's just kind of natural to me at this point, like Binnestan."

"Maybe I should ask Chris. He studied Keskan, but he's always been really smart. He does really well in school."

The words fell carelessly from his mouth: "Does he?"

"Of course. You know Chris." She eyed him suspiciously. "You're really strange, you know that?"

"You have no idea."

"No idea about what? I can see it. You're strange."

"It's not that." He looked away. "You don't know who you're talking to."

"Oh, I don't, do I? I'd like you to enlighten me, then. Tell me who I'm talking to."

"I finished school when I was thirteen, and I'm currently finishing up my advanced training. I should be done with everything by the end of this year."

"Does that make you special?"

"No," he replied. "I don't value my... talents as much as my father does, but if you want to talk about doing well in school..." He shook his head. "I don't know much about how well Chris did before Specialization, but he doesn't seem very concerned about his studies now. At this point, I'd say he's just sort of coasting along."

"I can't possibly believe that. He helps me with math and stuff all the time, and he goes to dance classes with Keona. He loves learning new things and studying."

"Well, then he has selective caring," he said, taking his first steps toward the kitchen. "That's fine. I have it, too. I'm just saying that he's never come off as the kind of guy that does really well in school."

"Hey, wait a minute! Where are you going?"

"Away. It's that selective caring I just mentioned."

"You don't care about me?" she squeaked indignantly.

He sighed. "You make it sound so mean. No, it's not about you. There are just more important things going on today."

"Keona's birthday isn't that important. It comes around every year."